UN troubled by rejected appeal of Cambodian opposition leader

The latest developments in the Middle East war:

- Iran open to US talks: judiciary chief -

Iran's judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei on Friday said Tehran was open to talks with the United States but would not accept what he called policy "imposition" under threats.

"The Islamic Republic has never shied away from negotiations... but we certainly do not accept imposition," Ejei said in a video carried by the judiciary's Mizan Online website. 

- Air defences activated in Tehran -

Air defences were heard in the Iranian capital Tehran on Thursday night after they were activated to counter small aircraft and drones, Iran's Tasnim and Fars news agencies reported.

Air defences were active for about 20 minutes and the city returned to a "normal situation", according to the news agencies.

- US urges meeting of Israel, Lebanon leaders -

The US embassy in Lebanon called for a meeting between Lebanese and Israeli leaders as the health ministry said Israeli strikes on the country's south killed at least 15 people despite an ongoing ceasefire.

"Lebanon stands at a crossroads. Its people have a historic opportunity to reclaim their country and shape their future as a truly sovereign, independent nation," the embassy said, adding that "the time for hesitation is over".

Trump has said he hopes to host Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "over the next couple of weeks" as the two Middle East countries prepare for direct negotiations.

- Trump mulls US troop cuts in Italy, Spain -

President Donald Trump said Thursday he may pull US troops from Italy and Spain due to their opposition to the Iran war, a day after proposing a similar reduction in Germany.

"Yeah, probably, I probably will. Why shouldn't I?" Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked if he would consider reducing American troop numbers in Spain and Italy too.

"Italy has not been of any help to us and Spain has been horrible, absolutely horrible," Trump added.

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The UN rights chief said Friday he was "deeply concerned" by a Cambodian court rejecting the appeal of detained opposition leader Kem Sokha against his nearly three-decade sentence for treason.

The 72-year-old politician was convicted for trying to topple the government of long-ruling former prime minister Hun Sen, who is the father of the current leader and remains an influential figure in national politics.

Kem Sokha was sentenced in 2023 to 27 years in prison for treason but was ordered to serve the time under house arrest in the capital Phnom Penh.

Volker Turk, the United Nations' high commissioner for human rights, said he we "deeply concerned by the upholding of the conviction" by the Phnom Penh appeals court on Thursday.

The co-founder of the dissolved opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, Kem Sokha has repeatedly denied the charge since his 2017 arrest in connection with a speech he gave in Australia four years earlier.

Rights groups have long accused Cambodian authorities of using legal cases as a tactic to silence opposition voices and legitimate political dissent.

- 'Chilling effects' -

Turk also voiced concerns about the convictions of 33 other opposition activists, human rights defenders and social media users, in a separate case on Wednesday.

The Phnom Penh first instance court imposed sentences ranging from 18 months suspended to two years in prison, Turk's OHCHR office said, on charges of "incitement to cause social chaos" over public comments they made in 2024 about the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Area project.

"These convictions and sentences are clearly inconsistent with international human rights law and risk further deepening the already-considerable chilling effects of broad, vaguely-worded criminal laws and their arbitrary enforcement on civil society, journalists and the broader population in Cambodia," OHCHR spokesman Jeremy Laurence said.

"Kem Sokha and the other 33 individuals were all exercising their rights to freedom of expression. Their trials also raise concerns about violations of due process and fair trial rights," he told a press conference in Geneva.

Turk urged Cambodia to ensure that legitimate criticism and expression are protected rather than criminalised, to safeguard civic space, to guarantee the independence of the judiciary and uphold fair trial guarantees.

"The authorities should promptly quash these latest convictions and sentences, and unconditionally release Kem Sokha and all others arbitrarily detained for exercising their rights," said Laurence.

Laurence said OHCHR had consistently raised concerns with the Cambodian authorities "on general repression, and particularly on freedom of speech, expression, association and assembly".

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Dozens of activists on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla which was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters off Crete disembarked on Friday in the Greek island, an AFP journalist saw.

Escorted by Greek coastguards, around 175 activists, the majority of them nationals of European countries, were taken in four coaches to the port of Atherinolakkos, in the southeast of the island. 

As they approached the port, the activists chanted "Free Palestine," AFP saw.

Israel's foreign ministry earlier said around 175 activists had been taken off more than 20 vessels on Thursday. Flotilla organisers put the number at 211.

Turkey's foreign ministry said some 20 Turkish nationals in the flotilla who had been grabbed by the Israeli forces and taken to Crete would be repatriated. It said "certain participants from third countries" would also be sent to Turkey.

The flotilla comprising more than 50 vessels set sail in recent weeks from Marseille in France, Barcelona in Spain and Syracuse in Italy.

Its aim, according to the organisers, was to break the blockade of Gaza and bring humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territory. 

Israel controls all entry points to Gaza. It has been accused by the United Nations and foreign NGOs of strangling the flow of goods into the territory, causing shortages since the start of Israel's war against the Palestinian militant group Hamas in October 2023.

The Gaza Strip, governed by Hamas, has been under an Israeli blockade since 2007.

Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein on Friday said: "All the flotilla activists are now in Greece except Saif Abu Keshek and Thiago Avila."

In a post on X, the ministry called the flotilla "another provocation designed to divert attention from Hamas's refusal to disarm". It also said the flotilla was serving "professional provocateurs".

It said Keshek was "suspected of affiliation with a terrorist organisation" and that he and Avila, suspected of "illegal activity", would be brought to Israel for questioning. 

Several European governments with nationals among those arrested have called on Israel to free the activists and called its action a flagrant contravention of international law.

But the United States backed Israeli authorities, calling the flotilla a "stunt" and saying it expects allies to deny port access, docking, departure and refueling to vessels participating in the flotilla.

A State Department spokesman said Washington was exploring imposing "consequences" on those who support the flotilla.

The war in Gaza, triggered by the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, has led to severe shortages of food, water, medicine and fuel.

In the summer and autumn of 2025, a first voyage by the Global Sumud Flotilla across the Mediterranean towards Gaza drew worldwide attention.

The boats in that flotilla were intercepted by Israel off the coasts of Egypt and the Gaza Strip in early October.

Crew members, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, were arrested and then expelled by Israel.

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German airline Lufthansa on Friday said it was searching for an Oscar statuette belonging to Russian filmmaker Pavel Talankin after reports US airport security banned him from taking it on a flight from New York.

Talankin, who won an Academy Award for his documentary "Mr Nobody Against Putin", was prevented from taking the statuette on board a flight at JFK Airport on Wednesday, film industry news site Deadline reported.

US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials told him they thought it could be used as a weapon and he was forced to check it into the hold in a cardboard box, Deadline said.

When he landed in Germany, the golden statuette was missing.

"We deeply regret this situation," Lufthansa said in a statement.

"Our team is handling this matter with the utmost care and urgency, and we are conducting a comprehensive internal search to ensure that the Oscar is found and returned as quickly as possible."

Talankin, 35, a videographer from a small-town Russian school, caused a sensation when he won the Academy Award for best documentary feature alongside US filmmaker David Borenstein in March.

Made from footage Talankin had smuggled out of Russia, "Mr Nobody Against Putin" chronicles pro-war patriotic lessons introduced in Russia's schools under President Vladimir Putin amid Moscow's Ukraine offensive.

Talankin told Deadline he had flown at least a dozen times with the statuette without any issues.

"It's completely baffling how they consider an Oscar a weapon," he said after landing in Frankfurt on Thursday morning, adding that on previous flights he "flew with it in the cabin, and there never was any kind of problem".

A Lufthansa agent had offered to walk Talankin to the gate and keep hold of his statuette during the flight, but this plan was vetoed by a TSA official, according to Deadline. 

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The European Union's mammoth trade deal with South American bloc Mercosur provisionally enters into force Friday, despite a pending court ruling on its legality.

The agreement to create one of the world's biggest free-trade zones was sealed in January after more than 25 years of intermittent negotiations.

Together, the EU and Mercosur account for 30 percent of global GDP and more than 700 million consumers.

The deal, which eliminates tariffs on more than 90 percent of trade between the two sides, has proven divisive in Europe, with France leading opposition over concerns some of its farmers will be left worse off.

But -- backed by a majority of EU countries -- Brussels ploughed ahead as it pushes to diversify trade in the face of challenges from the United States and China.

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen on Friday hailed the start of the deal's implementation, stating on X: "Provisional application will show the agreement’s tangible benefits."

She said that "as of now... tariffs start falling" and European companies "are gaining access to new markets".

The agreement favours European exports of cars, wine and cheese, while making it easier for South American beef, poultry, sugar, rice, honey and soybeans to enter Europe.

- Online talks -

Von der Leyen said that "legitimate" sensitivities in the EU had been addressed.

To mark the day, von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa were to hold online talks with leaders from the Mercosur nations, which include Argentina and Brazil.

The application of the deal comes after the European Parliament referred it to the EU's top court in January, instead of giving it the green light.

France unsuccessfully attempted to block the deal over worries for its farmers, who fear being undercut by cheaper goods from agricultural powerhouse Brazil and its neighbours.

The staunch French opposition to the pact caused a public rift with export-dependent Germany, pitting the EU's two biggest countries against one another.

Germany's foreign minister, Johann Wadephul, on Friday issued his own social media post hailing the Mercosur deal's implementation.

"This strengthens our resilience & rules-based trade," he said on X.

At the same time as it has looked to wrap up the Mercosur deal, the EU has also ploughed on with other agreements to get closer to other important markets such as India, Australia and Indonesia.

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UK police announced Friday they have charged a 45-year-old man over the stabbing of two Jewish men in north London, the latest in a string of attacks targeting Britain's Jewish community.

The capital's Metropolitan Police said Essa Suleiman, of Camberwell, south London, had been charged with three counts of attempted murder and one count of possession of a bladed article in a public place.

One attempted murder count relates to a separate south London incident Wednesday in which the knife-wielding Suleiman allegedly had "an altercation" with the occupant of a flat, according to the Met. 

The other charges cover the attack in Golders Green, a north London area with a large Jewish population, which has left the community feeling increasingly vulnerable and highly critical of authorities.

A British national who was born in Somalia and came to the UK as a child, Suleiman will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court later Friday.

The Golders Green stabbing, which unfolded in broad daylight, was promptly declared a "terrorist incident", with Counter Terrorism Policing leading the ongoing investigation.

Two men -- aged 76 and 34 -- were treated at the scene for stab wounds before being taken to hospital. The 34-year-old has since been released while the 76-year-old remains in a stable condition in hospital, police said.

"We are determined to get justice for the victims," Commander Helen Flanagan, who is leading the investigation, said in its statement. 

"Now that a person has been charged, I would urge everyone to avoid any further speculation in relation to this case so that justice can run its course."

- 'Jewish pain' -

Facing accusations from angry British Jews that his government has repeatedly failed to protect them, Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed Thursday to boost security for the Jewish community.

He faced boos and heckles when visiting the scene of the attack.

Later, in a televised address from Downing Street, he urged Britons to unite against antisemitism, calling on "everyone decent in this country to open their eyes to Jewish pain, Jewish suffering and Jewish fear".

Met Police Commissioner Mark Rowley told Times Radio on Friday the UK was "facing a building pandemic of antisemitism in society".

"My problem is what we're dealing with in policing, we're dealing with the symptoms of that disease," he added. 

"We need work done upstream to tackle those attitudes in society which are far too prevalent."

The interior ministry has announced that the country's terrorism threat level had been raised to "severe", the second highest in the five-tier system. 

It means another attack "is highly likely in the next six months".

The ministry has also confirmed an extra £25 million ($33 million) would pay for more protective security for Jewish synagogues, schools, places of worship and community centres.

It comes nearly seven months after a deadly attack at a synagogue in Manchester, and a recent string of arson incidents targeting Jewish sites in north London. 

Monitoring groups have reported a surge in antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents in Britain, particularly since the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza began.

Starmer is under growing pressure to place fresh curbs on contentious pro-Palestinian protests, which critics claim are a hotbed of antisemitism.

His government last year handed police increased powers to regulate them.

Nigel Farage, leader of the hard-right Reform UK party, visited the Golders Green attack scene Thursday and accused the authorities of being too "soft" on "discriminatory" chants.

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Solomon Islands' Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele must recall the Pacific Island nation's parliament to face a vote of no confidence, an appeal court ruled on Friday.

The government has been in an impasse since March, when it was hit by mass cabinet resignations and the exit of two coalition partners.

The defections led the opposition to claim the government had lost its majority in parliament.

Manele has since avoided a vote of confidence, which would eject him and his government from power if he loses.

The High Court ruled last month that the prime minister should recall parliament or resign, after he continued to avoid a no confidence motion lodged by the opposition coalition. 

On Friday, the appeal court said Manele must take steps before noon on Tuesday to facilitate convening parliament so lawmakers sit by May 7.

"The continued failure to take steps to facilitate the convening of parliament is inconsistent with the constitution," said a copy of the judgement viewed by AFP.

It dismissed Manele's argument that the High Court had exceeded its powers.

"The court does not intrude on parliament by ensuring parliament can sit," the judgement said.

Outside court, Attorney General John Muria told SBM Online he was disappointed "but the court has spoken".

Manele's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Royal Solomon Islands Police Force deployed officers outside the court and called for calm.

Commissioner of Police Ian Vaevaso, sworn in by Manele on Wednesday, had earlier issued a statement saying "police are independent of politics" and would not take sides.

A no-confidence motion against Manele was filed in March after 12 cabinet ministers resigned from his government and two parties quit the governing coalition. 

The new opposition coalition of six political parties says that it commanded 27 seats compared to the government's 23 seats.

Following the resignations, Manele appointed former leader and staunch Beijing ally Manasseh Sogavare as deputy prime minister, deepening the turmoil. 

The Solomon Islands are seen as one of China's closest partners and backers in the South Pacific, and they signed a secretive security pact in 2022. 

Chief Justice Albert Palmer in April ruled the country was at a "constitutional impasse".

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The Minnesota Timberwolves eliminated Nikola Jokic's Denver Nuggets while the New York Knicks put on one of the most dominant displays in NBA playoff history, destroying Atlanta to advance Thursday.

Sixth-seeded Minnesota will play the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference semi-finals after completing a 110-98 win for a 4-2 series upset defeat of third-seeded Denver.

Three-time NBA Most Valuable Player Jokic top-scored for Denver with 28 but it was not enough to fend off the dogged Timberwolves, who were playing without star man Anthony Edwards due to injury.

The clash in Minneapolis was tight throughout, with no team gaining a double-digit lead until the game's dying moments. 

The Timberwolves edged the first half, leading 57-50 at the break.

Jokic roared to life. The Serbian superstar scored 14 points in the third quarter alone to ensure a nail-biting finish.

Having already been ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct from game four after a shoving match, Jokic enraged the home crowd by sparking another brawl, with Jaylen Clark. 

With his Timberwolves leading by five with 90 seconds remaining, Jaden McDaniels sank a long jump-shot for two to rouse the home fans and force a Nuggets timeout.

When play resumed Denver could only turn over the ball again. McDaniels closed out the win with two free throws, ending his night with a career-high 32 points, to top-score overall.

"It's a great night. It's a great victory for us. Hopefully... we've got 12 more to go," said Minnesota coach Chris Finch.

"We came into these playoffs not trying to beat Denver, but trying to win a championship."

A visibly crestfallen Jokic, whose side last won the NBA championship just three years ago, said they "just didn't do a good job."

"I needed to play better. I must play better," he added.

Edwards -- out with a bone bruise and hyper-extended left knee -- could return for the Timberwolves' series with the high-flying Spurs.

- 'Meet the moment' -

The Knicks routed the Atlanta Hawks 140-89.

It was the most points scored and the biggest win by the Knicks in a playoff game, setting up an Eastern Conference semi-final with either the Celtics or the 76ers, who are tied 3-3 after a Philadelphia win.

The Knicks wrapped up their 4-2 series victory in emphatic style, leading the Hawks by as many as 61 points before benching their starters for the final quarter.

New York's 47-point half-time lead, at 83-36, was the widest in NBA post-season history.

OG Anunoby top-scored with 29 points, including 26 in the first half, before he was rested. None of New York's starters played more than 29 minutes.

"We can't just meet the moment, we've got to exceed it, and I thought we did a great job of doing that tonight," said Karl-Anthony Towns, who recorded a triple-double with 12 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.

Having finished third in the Eastern Conference, the heavily favored Knicks had been down 2-1 early in the playoff series, before roaring back. 

They are the first team to advance to the East's semi-finals -- their fourth straight year of reaching that stage. 

The Hawks briefly led at the start of the game, going up 11-9 before the wheels dramatically came off. They trailed 40-15 at the end of the first quarter.

The final 51-point margin of defeat was not quite the largest in playoff history, which stands at 58 points.

"Obviously you hate to lose anything. And to lose the way we did, I think, particularly given the enthusiasm and support that we've had from the people in this building... disappointed on a lot of levels," said Hawks coach Quin Snyder. 

- Historic rivals -

The Celtics-76ers playoff series is headed for a decisive game seven in Massachusetts after Philadelphia beat Boston 106-93.

The Celtics had held a 3-1 series lead, but the 76ers proved dominant on their home court to make it 3-3.

Tyrese Maxey top-scored with 30 points. Paul George added 23, and 2023 Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid poured in another 19, plus 10 rebounds and eight assists.

It is the 23rd playoff series between the two historic rivals -- an NBA record.

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The Minnesota Timberwolves knocked Nikola Jokic's Denver Nuggets out of the NBA playoffs with a 110-98 win Thursday to claim their first-round series 4-2.

Sixth-seeded Minnesota will play the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference semi-finals after completing an upset defeat of third-seeded Denver, who won the 2023 NBA championship.

Three-time NBA Most Valuable Player Jokic top-scored for Denver with 28 but it was not enough to fend off the dogged Timberwolves, who were playing without star man Anthony Edwards due to injury.

The clash in Minneapolis was tight throughout, with no team gaining a double-digit lead until the game's dying moments. The Timberwolves edged the first half, leading 57-50 at the break.

Jokic roared to life. The Serbian superstar scored 14 points in the third quarter alone to ensure a nail-biting finish.

Having already been ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct from game four after a shoving match, Jokic enraged the home crowd by sparking another brawl with Jaylen Clark. 

With his Timberwolves leading by five with 90 seconds remaining, Jaden McDaniels sank a long jump-shot for two to rouse the home fans and force a Nuggets timeout.

But when play resumed Denver could only turn over the ball again.

McDaniels closed out the win with two free throws, ending his night with a career-high 32 points, to top-score overall.

Edwards -- out with a bone bruise and hyper-extended left knee -- could return for the Timberwolves' series with the high-flying Spurs.

Fellow Minnesota star Donte DiVincenzo will miss the remainder of the playoffs with a ruptured right Achilles tendon.

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Britain's King Charles III and wife Queen Camilla wrapped up their diplomatically sensitive state visit to the United States on Thursday.

Here are five takeaways from their four days in America.

- Opposites attract -

Despite being polar opposites in character, Charles and President Donald Trump appeared to share a genuine bonhomie.

Charles laughed, albeit slightly embarrassingly, when Trump said in a speech at the White House that his Scottish-born mother had had a crush on the then-prince.

The monarch was also photographed laughing in the Oval Office when Trump reached out and patted his knee. Protocol dictates that it is unconventional to touch a member of the royal family.

"There's a personal rapport, because I think Charles is a very skilled diplomat," royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told AFP.

- The joker -

Charles showed off his cheeky side when he cracked a number of jokes during the state dinner, which landed well with a receptive audience.

He likened Trump's demolition of the East Wing to British troops setting fire to the White House in 1814 and ahead of this summer's FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, quipped that he and Trump were "joint hosts".

The British monarch is also Canada's head of state, and the remark could be seen as a subtle reminder to Trump, who has soured relations with his neighbour to the north after last year threatening to make it the "51st state".  

Charles also referenced how Trump has said if it was not for the United States, then European countries would be speaking German, adding: "Dare I say that, if it wasn't for us, you'd be speaking French."

- Points scored -

During a separate speech to Congress, the king politely delivered several pointed messages from the UK government amid tensions with Trump over the wars in Ukraine and Iran.

Charles urged the United States to stand firm with its Western allies, adding that "unyielding resolve" was needed to secure a "just and lasting peace" in Ukraine.

Trump has berated European leaders in recent weeks for their failure to back his and Israel's war against Iran and has threatened to pull the United States out of NATO.

Charles -- the commander-in-chief of the UK armed forces -- also spoke of his pride at Britain's Royal Navy in which he served, which was recently mocked by Trump, and stressed the importance of protecting the environment.

- Awkward moments -

Trump set a cat among the pigeons when he claimed that Charles "would have probably helped" the United States in its military offensive against Iran.

The president has repeatedly lambasted the UK for failing to join the initial strikes and has branded Prime Minister Keir Starmer as weak and indecisive.

Trump also claimed that Charles had agreed with him on the need to prevent Tehran from getting a nuclear bomb. Conversations with the monarch are usually kept private.

Before meeting in New York, the city's leftist mayor, Zohran Mamdani, called on Charles to "return" the prized Koh-i-Noor diamond, which the British Empire took from the Indian subcontinent in the 1800s.

- Rift repaired? -

While the Times newspaper hailed Charles's performance as a "masterclass in effective diplomacy", it remains to be seen whether the trip will help repair relations between Trump and Starmer, as UK officials hope.

"This may buy the UK some temporary reprieve from Trump but will not fundamentally change what remains a very fractured so-called special relationship," Evie Aspinall, director of the British Foreign Policy Group think-tank, told AFP. 

While the trip has highlighted that "Trump feels warmly towards the royals, he remains deeply frustrated at the UK government", she added.

Fitzwilliams agreed. "It would have put a positive spin on matters... (but) there's so many different points of disagreement," he said.

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