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US and Cuban officials engaged in a heated exchange at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, marking the latest public confrontation between the longtime adversaries over Washington’s escalating economic campaign against Havana. The incident began shortly after US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz took the podium to urge countries not to support an annual resolution scheduled for a vote this week condemning Washington’s decades-long economic embargo against Cuba. As Waltz detailed what he described as years of corruption by Cuba’s socialist government, members of the Cuban delegation, including Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez, began banging on their designated table and shouting for a point of order. As UN officials tried to calm the situation, Rodríguez walked down the aisle towards the head of the General Assembly and shouted at Waltz, “You are a liar!” Waltz responded, “You understand who you're dealing with? This is America. Back up.” The confrontation was an unusual departure from the diplomatic decorum traditionally observed at the UN, but it reflected rising tensions between the two countries as President Donald Trump’s administration seeks to force political changes in Cuba by intensifying its already severe economic pressure. Cuba, which has long struggled with serious economic and financial problems, is now facing an increasingly critical situation after Trump, a Republican, announced in late January that he would impose tariffs on any country selling or supplying oil to the island. The warning has effectively cut off fuel supplies to Cuba, triggering widespread power outages that have disrupted basic activities, including cooking, water supply and internet and telephone services. Cuban officials have also repeatedly pointed out that while US officials are demanding greater openness to private investment in Cuba, Washington continues to impose sanctions that undermine the very economic opening it has sought for decades. Tuesday’s outbursts came a week after a similar exchange between Waltz and his Cuban counterpart, Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, outside a US-hosted panel featuring Cuban dissidents and former prisoners. The event sought to highlight allegations of repressive conduct by the Cuban government. Waltz and other US officials have been using public events and gatherings at the world body to persuade UN member states to vote against the annual resolution on Wednesday. The measure seeks to condemn the US government's “maximum pressure policy” towards Cuba. For the past 34 years, the resolution has received overwhelming support from UN member states. Last year, 165 countries voted in favour of the resolution, while seven opposed it and 12 abstained. Argentina, Ukraine and Hungary opposed the measure for the first time. Although such resolutions are not legally binding, they reflect international opinion.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s comeback victory in Sunday’s presidential runoff is already facing its first hurdle, as his rival, Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, challenges the results, setting the stage for a possible confrontation between the country’s two polarising political forces. Lula, who persuaded an additional 10.4 million voters to support him in the runoff, is expected to take office on Jan. 5, 2027, for his fourth non-consecutive term. He will serve as a counterweight in a region where leaders are moving to the right and aligning with US President Donald Trump. Bolsonaro, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, has promised to strengthen ties with the Trump administration. At a news conference on Sunday, Bolsonaro said he planned to seek the annulment of the election following a chaotic extension of voting at the request of both candidates. However, it remains unclear what legal grounds he could use to pursue such a move. His father also challenged his defeat to Lula four years ago and is now serving a 27-year prison sentence for attempting a coup. Early indications from Brazilian institutions and leaders across the region, including conservative presidents opposed to Lula, suggest the results will be respected both domestically and internationally. Trump has yet to comment. Despite the extension of voting, Lula secured a decisive victory. The soon-to-be 81-year-old incumbent received more than 64 million votes, compared with just under 60 million for Bolsonaro, a margin of nearly 4%. Kassio Nunes, head of Brazil’s electoral authority and a Supreme Court justice appointed by former president Jair Bolsonaro, was among those who acknowledged Lula’s victory on Sunday. “This is a really uphill battle for Flavio Bolsonaro. Important Brazilian power brokers are closing ranks behind Lula, sometimes begrudgingly,” said Brian Winter, a Brazil analyst and editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly. “I sense that Brazilian power brokers that matter don't really want to go down the path of a truly contested election,” he said. The numbers behind Lula’s victory The key to Lula’s victory was the additional 14.1 million voters who turned out for the second-round election, including those who had supported other candidates in the first round. Analysts said three-quarters of those votes went to Lula, securing his win. Notably, the first round recorded a record number of Brazilians choosing not to vote, while the second round saw the lowest number of abstentions ever. Lula entrusted his digital campaign to lawmaker André Janones, who ran an aggressive and sustained social media operation that mobilised many previously undecided voters. Janones’ main tool was a channel on the messaging app WhatsApp called “Lula’s Army”, which attracted nearly 11 million people and encouraged them to campaign for the incumbent on social media. Janones “basically embraced the right's style of aggressive politics, very intense, constant messaging,” said Oliver Stuenkel, a professor of international relations at Fundação Getulio Vargas in Sao Paulo. “The defeat in the first round jolted the Lula campaign into action. The strategy during the first round was lackluster and saw a lot of infighting,” Stuenkel said. Juliano Cortinhas, a professor of international relations at the University of Brasília, said Lula’s social media campaign during the runoff also played a key role in pressuring Meta, the owner of Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook, to address what Lula’s campaign had denounced as bias favouring Bolsonaro. Brazil’s top electoral court ruled on Oct. 15 that Meta must take measures to ensure equal treatment of the two presidential candidates. The company later said it had addressed the issue. “There was external interference we were suffering by major platforms,” Cortinhas said. “It wasn't only Meta, many others were using their algorithms to repost many images and many messages of the far-right, and they did not do the same to the left.” It was the first time since 1989 that a candidate who trailed in the first round went on to win the second round. The results showed that voter turnout increased overall, particularly in wealthier metropolitan areas. However, Lula made his biggest gains in lower-income municipalities where he already had a strong support base. He mobilised former non-voters, people who had cast blank ballots in the first round and supporters of third-party candidates. Jorge Henrique Oliveira Sena, a 26-year-old maintenance worker in Brasilia, was among those who skipped the first round. Although neither candidate particularly appealed to him, he voted for Lula. “It's not a question of supporting, but between the two, I had more of a connection with him,” he said. Brazil’s voting system and Sunday’s disruptions Brazil holds general elections every four years, and its electronic voting machines have made the counting process both quick and secure. The authorities introduced electronic voting machines in the 1990s to combat fraud, and the system has largely proved reliable since then. Election results are usually reported within hours of polling stations closing. Ahead of the 2022 election, Jair Bolsonaro repeatedly raised unfounded doubts about Brazil’s electronic voting system. No significant fraud has ever been detected. However, the usually swift voting process was disrupted on Sunday after a last-minute decision to extend voting nationwide at the request of both candidates. Lula sought the extension because of public transport problems in the metropolis of Sao Paulo and the northeastern city of Salvador, two of his strongholds. Bolsonaro requested it following heavy rains in the south, where he had won by a wide margin in the first round. A Supreme Court justice made the decision just minutes before polls were due to close at 5pm. Because Brazil’s vote-counting process is so fast, many polling stations did not receive the news until they were already preparing to close. Nevertheless, given the reliability of Brazil’s voting system and Lula’s substantial margin of victory, Bolsonaro could face difficulties finding a legal path to annul the results. Benjamin Gedan, a senior fellow and director of the Stimson Center’s Latin America programme, said Bolsonaro’s rejection of his defeat was unsurprising. “False claims of fraud are becoming commonplace, though that does not make them any less dangerous,” he said, pointing to “Lula's margin of victory, and the quick recognition of the result by conservative leaders in the region.” Despite his victory, Lula still faces significant challenges, including political polarisation, a possible fiscal crisis and a right-wing Congress in which Bolsonaro’s party will hold more seats than any other party. Bolsonaro remains a senator, although his term ends in January. “We shouldn't underestimate the power of the Bolsonaro family,” Winter said. “They can make life difficult for Lula for weeks and months to come.”

Brazilian incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, candidate of the ruling Workers' Party, won Sunday's presidential runoff, according to results released by Brazil's Superior Electoral Court on Sunday night. With 99.96 percent of the votes counted, Lula received 51.78 percent of the valid votes, compared with 48.22 percent for Flavio Bolsonaro, the Liberal Party's presidential candidate and son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, according to the official tally. Lula will be sworn in on Jan. 5, 2027, for a four-year term, marking his fourth election as Brazil's president. Brazil's presidential election follows a two-round majoritarian system. To win in the first round, held on Oct. 4, a candidate must secure more than half of the valid votes. Flavio Bolsonaro finished ahead of incumbent Lula, winning about 47 percent of the valid votes against Lula's roughly 45 percent. As neither candidate crossed the 50-percent threshold, the two advanced to a runoff, which Lula won.

Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel laureate María Corina Machado returned to Venezuela on Sunday for the first time since December, about a month before the US military ousted then-President Nicolás Maduro. Machado announced her arrival on social media, writing, “I am here. With you.” Opposition leader Edmundo González also confirmed Machado's return in a post on X, saying he would join her “very soon.” “Today is a very important day for Venezuelans. Our sovereign voice returns with her to lead and guide this process!” he wrote. “You know it, this is until the end.” Machado's return after more than 10 months in exile comes amid growing uncertainty over Venezuela's democratic future and the role of the United States in shaping it. Since Maduro's removal, Venezuela has been governed by acting President Delcy Rodríguez, a longtime ally of Maduro who received the Trump administration's backing to succeed him. Rodríguez has remained in office beyond the period she was authorised to serve as acting president following Maduro's capture, while no date has been set for an election. Machado spent 11 months in hiding in Venezuela after being briefly detained following a protest in January 2025. She later left the country in a clandestine operation and reappeared in Norway that December, where she received the Nobel Peace Prize for her peaceful challenge to Maduro's authoritarian government. Machado and her allies have been pressing for a date for Venezuela's presidential election, while US officials have stressed that economic stabilisation should take priority.

Brazilians began voting on Sunday in a highly polarised presidential runoff between incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro, with the outcome set to determine whether the United States significantly expands its growing influence in Latin America. Pre-election polls showed the two candidates locked in a tight race. Both need more than 50% of the vote to become Brazil's next president in January. The contest pits veteran left-of-centre politician Lula against Bolsonaro, an ally of US President Donald Trump and the son of imprisoned former President Jair Bolsonaro. Flávio Bolsonaro secured more than 2.2 million votes more than Lula in the first round of the election earlier this month. More than 33 million voters out of nearly 160 million eligible voters did not cast their ballots. The two candidates hold sharply different ideological positions on issues ranging from US-Brazil relations and climate change to social welfare. A Bolsonaro victory would mark a rightward shift in Latin America's most populous country and largest economy, in a year when Trump's allies have won elections in Chile, Peru and Colombia. A Lula victory, meanwhile, would leave Brazil and Mexico, the region's second-most populous country led by President Claudia Sheinbaum, under left-of-centre leadership. In many ways, Sunday's runoff represents another showdown between Brazil's two deeply divided political camps, which inspire both strong support and intense opposition. Four years ago, Lula defeated Bolsonaro's father by the narrowest margin since Brazil returned to democracy in 1985. Opinion polls suggest this year's contest could be even closer. Security and cost-of-living concerns Lula, who previously governed Brazil from 2003 to 2010, has faced a difficult re-election campaign amid concerns over rising living costs and security. Bolsonaro has made a tough approach to crime a central pillar of his campaign and pledged to reduce food prices. Both candidates have faced corruption allegations involving family members and political allies. Bolsonaro has been implicated in a major scandal that has shaken Brazil, while Lula spent more than a year in prison over corruption convictions that were later annulled. Bolsonaro's admission that he received around $12 million from disgraced former banker Daniel Vorcaro to produce a film about his father's life has cast a shadow over his campaign. He is under investigation for alleged corruption, money laundering and tax evasion in connection with the case. When Bolsonaro voted at a school in Rio de Janeiro around 8am, his supporters shouted, "Lula, thief, your place is in prison," while Lula's supporters chanted in his favour. "The time of real change has arrived," Bolsonaro told journalists. "Brazil can't go on another four years on its current trajectory." Ahead of the election, Lula repeatedly portrayed Bolsonaro, whose father is under house arrest over an attempt to stage a coup, as a threat to democracy. Bolsonaro has pledged to seek an amnesty for his father if elected. The next president will appoint at least three of Brazil's 11 Supreme Court justices during the coming term as several judges are due to retire. Bolsonaro has long criticised the country's highest court, which has been rocked by a corruption scandal, and pledged to pursue judicial reforms. Seeking to attract undecided voters after losing the first round, Lula has introduced several costly incentives. His government's latest initiatives include backing a debt-relief programme for small businesses and promising free public transport on weekends. The Senate's approval of a six-day working week, a popular proposal supported by the government, also provided a boost to the incumbent's campaign. Trump administration looms large over election Lula has criticised the US president ahead of Brazil's election, warning of the risks of American intervention in the country's political affairs. The Trump administration has imposed high tariffs on Brazilian exports, sanctioned a Supreme Court justice who led the investigation that resulted in Jair Bolsonaro's sentencing, and designated drug-trafficking groups as foreign terrorist organisations. Experts say the latter move may have been intended to portray Lula as weak on crime. Flávio Bolsonaro has highlighted his close ties with the White House, arguing that Brazil needs to secure better agreements with the Trump administration, including in the rare-earth minerals sector. Brazil estimates that its rare-earth deposits total as much as 21 million tonnes, making it the world's second-largest holder of such reserves after China. Bolsonaro has denied receiving assistance from the US government. Voting in Brazil is conducted electronically, and results are usually available within hours after polling stations close at 5pm in Brasilia.

Corruption has emerged as a major concern for Brazilian voters ahead of the October 25 presidential runoff between far-right candidate Flávio Bolsonaro and leftist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. However, experts say its biggest impact may be on voter turnout rather than on voters' choice between the two candidates. Both candidates are associated with corruption allegations in the eyes of many Brazilians. Bolsonaro is under investigation for corruption, money laundering and tax evasion, while Lula spent 19 months in prison on corruption and money laundering charges that were later annulled. For staunch supporters of either candidate, such allegations are unlikely to weaken their loyalty. However, experts say widespread perceptions of corruption could discourage people from voting and fuel anti-incumbency sentiment, potentially benefiting Bolsonaro, who received 2.2 million more votes than Lula in the first round. Brazil remains deeply polarised During the first round, many voters wore red hats and T-shirts to show support for Lula's party, while others donned the yellow and green colours of the Brazilian flag adopted by Bolsonaro's movement, reflecting the country's deep political divisions. Supporters of both candidates are highly distrustful of the opposing camp and view it as a threat. Experts say such voters are less likely to be swayed by corruption allegations against their preferred candidates. "We have a great ability to filter information that goes against our beliefs," said Nara Pavão, a political science professor at the Federal University of Pernambuco. "People don't want to discover the truth about their candidates, they want to beat the opponent." Camila Tobji de Aquino, a 19-year-old student of pedagogy and psychology, said corruption was a problem across political parties in Brazil. However, her main concern was what she viewed as the threat Flávio Bolsonaro posed to democracy. "If I were to vote only for a candidate not tied to any corruption, I would vote blank," she said. "But that's not the choice Brazil is facing. For me it's a question of being able to vote in the next election." Corruption scandals contribute to rising abstention A wide-ranging scandal involving politicians and Supreme Court judges has dominated headlines ahead of the election, placing corruption at the centre of public debate. Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who presided over the legal case that led to former President Jair Bolsonaro's imprisonment over his attempted coup, is suspected of having links to the former head of the failed Banco Master bank. Flávio Bolsonaro has also faced allegations of links to the bank. Both have denied wrongdoing. For many Brazilians, the Banco Master controversy has revived memories of Operation Car Wash, the country's largest corruption and money-laundering investigation, launched in 2014 and involving dozens of politicians. Repeated corruption scandals could increase abstention and influence undecided voters, said Laura Chelidonopoulos, a political science PhD candidate at the University of Pittsburgh who has studied corruption. "People become disenchanted with politics," she said. "They have less motivation to actually choose between one of these two sides." More than 33 million people, or 21% of eligible voters, did not cast ballots on October 4, marking the highest abstention rate in a first round since 1998. Data from Brazil's electoral court show that first-round abstention has gradually increased since 2006. Voters call for change José Tainan, a 36-year-old kitchen assistant from Rio de Janeiro's Penha favela complex, said he could hardly remember the last time he voted, though he believed it was probably for Lula sometime in the 2000s. He cited corruption as the main reason for abandoning voting. "There are no good options. Neither one of them suits me. I would rather justify why I didn't vote," he said. Voting is compulsory in Brazil for citizens aged 18 to 70. Those who fail to vote without a valid reason face a small fine. Matusalem Aguiar, a 54-year-old taxi driver from Belford Roxo, an impoverished municipality near Rio de Janeiro, said he would prefer that only candidates with clean records be allowed to run for office. Despite that view, he plans to vote for Bolsonaro, disregarding the corruption investigations involving the candidate. "There needs to be a change," Aguiar said while waiting for his next passenger in downtown Rio. "Some people have a lot of power and they're not managing the country in the right way."

Heavy rainfall battered Chile's capital Santiago and surrounding areas on Thursday, triggering mudslides that swept cars through streets, inundated homes, forced evacuations and injured at least six people, authorities said. President José Antonio Kast declared a state of emergency in Las Condes, a wealthy suburb east of Santiago, granting government agencies greater powers to respond to the situation as torrential rain turned major roads into impassable waterways. Catalina San Martín, mayor of the district, said 14.4 centimetres (5.7 inches) of rain had fallen in recent days, nearly nine times the average rainfall for October, leaving the area “totally saturated.” The Mapocho River, which flows through Santiago, overflowed its banks, prompting evacuation orders. Chile's disaster-response agency placed 10 other districts on high alert over the risk of further landslides and ordered schools to remain closed on Friday. Earlier storms this week had already damaged dozens of homes across central Chile and left nearly 12,000 customers in Santiago without electricity, officials said. The heavy rainfall was expected to ease on Friday. No deaths were reported on Thursday. The injured included a one-year-old child who suffered broken bones, officials said. Firefighters reported rescuing or evacuating more than 1,000 people. The flooding comes as a powerful El Niño weather phenomenon gains strength. The naturally occurring warming of tropical Pacific waters disrupts rainfall patterns worldwide and often brings wetter spring conditions to the Southern Hemisphere. The World Meteorological Organization said on Thursday that this year's El Niño was expected to peak in December and could be among the strongest recorded since at least 1950.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and opposition presidential candidate Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro campaigned Saturday in the key state of Sao Paulo, seeking to rally supporters and win over undecided voters a day before Sunday's presidential election. Lula, seeking a fourth nonconsecutive term, joined a traditional pre-election parade in Sao Paulo city, while Bolsonaro, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, campaigned in the countryside cities of Santa Barbara d'Oeste and Americana. Sao Paulo is Brazil's most populous and economically powerful state, with about 46 million residents and around 34 million eligible voters. Its annual gross domestic product is about 3.4 trillion Brazilian reais, or $650 billion. Addressing supporters near Paulista Avenue, Sao Paulo's main thoroughfare, Lula described the election as a crucial battle over Brazil's future. "On one side, we have democracy and sovereignty; on the other, barbarism and corruption," Lula said, repeating key themes of his campaign. Former President Jair Bolsonaro was sentenced by Brazil's Supreme Court last year to 27 years in prison for attempting a coup after losing the 2022 election to Lula. Observers say he could potentially be released if his son wins the election. Lula's campaign has also portrayed Flavio Bolsonaro as a threat to Brazil's sovereignty because of his close ties with US President Donald Trump. Trump last year imposed a 50 percent tariff on Brazilian imports over Jair Bolsonaro's trial, which Trump described as a "witch hunt." Daniella Fernandes, a 32-year-old secretary at a public school in Sao Paulo, said she had initially wanted another Workers' Party candidate to run instead of Lula but changed her mind during the campaign. "I wanted some renovation, but Lula is the only one who can appeal to everyone — even those who are not on the left," she said, wearing several Lula badges. "The Bolsonaros are still strong, Brazil is a conservative country. Only Lula can win this one," Fernandes said. About 140 kilometres from Lula's campaign event, Flavio Bolsonaro travelled through Santa Barbara d'Oeste and Americana on a sound truck, accompanied by a long procession of supporters wearing yellow and green and riding motorcycles. "I'm convinced that we can win in the first round," Bolsonaro told supporters, who shouted "mito," or "legend," a term used by his father's supporters. "So let's get out of our houses to vote (...) because Bolsonaro is going to be president," he said. Bolsonaro was accompanied by Sao Paulo Gov. Tarcisio de Freitas, who had previously been considered a possible political successor to Jair Bolsonaro before Flavio said last December that his father had chosen him to contest the presidential election. Voters on Sunday will also elect federal and state lawmakers, governors and some senators. In Sao Paulo, de Freitas is seeking re-election against opposition candidate Fernando Haddad, who lost the 2018 presidential election to Jair Bolsonaro and later served as Lula's finance minister. De Freitas holds a substantial lead in opinion polls. Twelve candidates are contesting the presidency, but Lula and Flavio Bolsonaro are widely seen as the only candidates with a realistic chance of winning. If no candidate secures more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two will face each other in a runoff on Oct. 25. The two leading candidates represent sharply different political positions, with contrasting approaches to issues including organised crime and Brazil's relations with the Trump administration. Lula, a former factory worker and trade union leader, lost his left pinky finger in a workplace accident at age 19. He has long enjoyed strong support among sections of the population. He spent more than a year in prison after being convicted on corruption charges, but those convictions were later annulled. He subsequently won a third nonconsecutive presidential term in 2022. Lula has pledged to ensure Brazilians benefit from the country's rare minerals and natural resources, protect the Amazon rainforest and continue his flagship Bolsa Familia welfare programme. Flavio Bolsonaro has largely adopted his father's ultra-conservative agenda while at times using a more moderate tone to attract centrist voters. His campaign has placed strong emphasis on tough security measures, which polls indicate have significant public support. He has pledged to combat organised criminal groups by building megaprisons modelled on those in El Salvador, follow the Trump administration's approach of designating transnational gangs as terrorist organisations, and lower the age of criminal responsibility to 16.

Kosovo’s former President Hashim Thaci was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Wednesday after being convicted of war crimes committed during the 1998-99 war for independence from Serbia. Thaci stepped down from the presidency nearly six years ago to face charges before the European Union-backed Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague. He was found guilty on four counts of war crimes, including murder, torture, cruel treatment and arbitrary detention. Both Thaci and prosecutors, who had sought a harsher sentence, have the right to appeal. The verdict triggered anger among Thaci’s supporters and dealt a major blow to a man who was once strongly supported by Western countries, was invited to the 1999 peace talks in France and was viewed as a leader capable of guiding Kosovo toward independence. Presiding Judge Charles Smith said Thaci had actively participated in and encouraged crimes, including by promoting people involved in criminal acts. He also said Thaci “showed a ruthless ability to remove and eliminate political impediments” to his own leadership and that of other commanders. Wearing a suit and tie, Thaci stood silently as Smith announced the sentence. Supporters condemn verdict Kosovo Foreign Minister Glauk Konjufca condemned the verdicts as “a terrible judgment for Kosovo, for our people and for our liberation war.” Hundreds of Thaci supporters gathered at a park near the courthouse in The Hague, with some briefly clashing with Dutch riot police. Police said on X that two people were detained. In Kosovo’s capital, Pristina, thousands watched the hearing live on a large screen and reacted with shock to the sentence. Some shouted “UCK,” the Albanian-language acronym for the Kosovo Liberation Army, which Thaci led before entering politics. Bekim Fetahu, one of the supporters, described the verdict as “a catastrophic decision.” “They (judges) have put the victims together with the aggressors,” Fetahu said. Later, masked protesters threw stones at the compound of the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo, known as EULEX, on the outskirts of Pristina, breaking several windows. Judge says trial focused on Thaci’s responsibility, not KLA’s legitimacyJudge Smith said Thaci “used his position, leadership, authority and standing” to encourage crimes and failed to investigate or punish abuses committed by KLA fighters. The American judge, however, emphasized that the trial was “not about the legitimacy of the Kosovo Liberation Army” or its ultimate objective of achieving independence for Kosovo, which was then a province of Serbia. Specialist Prosecutor Kimberly West welcomed the judgment. “Certain individuals exploited those war circumstances to commit grave crimes, and it is to the credit of Kosovo that those individuals are now being held accountable,” she said in a statement. In Belgrade, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said, “we have no reason to rejoice,” while expressing concern that the verdict might not survive the appeals process. Vucic also criticized the failure to consider several other alleged crimes against ethnic Serb civilians, alleging anti-Serb bias. “No responsibility has been established for the toughest crimes,” he said. “Serbs are always (war) criminals and others are liberators and heroes.” Thaci was tried alongside three other former KLA leaders who fought Serbian forces during the 1998-99 conflict and are widely regarded as national heroes in Kosovo. All four pleaded not guilty to the charges. The court acquitted them of six charges of crimes against humanity, ruling that prosecutors had failed to prove the crimes were part of a widespread and systematic attack against civilians. However, they were convicted of war crimes involving the arbitrary detention of 385 people, cruel treatment of 49, torture of 303 detainees and the murder of 96 people. Thaci and the other defendants — Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi — continued to maintain their innocence. Veseli was sentenced to 18 years in prison, Selimi to 13 years and Krasniqi to 25 years. Veseli’s lawyer, Rodney Dixon, described the verdict as “not a good day for Kosovo. It’s not a good day for the rule of law or international law.” He said he would “mount a robust appeal to continue the fight to show Mr. Veseli’s innocence and to bring him home to Kosovo.” Thaci remained defiant throughout trial At the conclusion of his trial in February, Thaci told the judges: “Throughout my life, I stood with the people of Kosovo, defending freedom, life and dignity. I was always guided by the Western ideals of democracy, equality and justice.” The court, however, ruled that Thaci and his co-defendants had targeted political opponents and civilians whom they regarded as collaborators and traitors during their time in the KLA. “In reality, there is no indication that the victims in this case were spies or collaborators,” Smith said. He added that simply having “Serbian friends or jobs in Serbian companies was enough to treat them as collaborators” with the enemy. When the war began, Thaci was a student who returned from what he described as political exile in Switzerland to join Kosovo’s independence struggle. He was given the nickname “the Snake” for his ability to evade Serbian forces during the conflict. Thaci became a prominent political figure after the war but resigned as president to defend himself before the court in The Hague. Esther Major, Amnesty International’s deputy regional director for Europe, said the convictions “show that senior officials are not above the law.” About 13,000 people were killed during the Kosovo war, most of them ethnic Albanians. A 78-day NATO air campaign against Serbian forces brought the conflict to an end, while about 1 million ethnic Albanian Kosovars were forced from their homes. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, but Belgrade has refused to recognize it. Relations between Kosovo and Serbia remain tense despite years of EU-mediated negotiations backed by the United States.

An Argentine federal judge on Wednesday ordered British and Israeli companies to suspend development of an oilfield near the Falkland Islands, creating a new legal front in the decades-old sovereignty dispute between Argentina and Britain that Argentine President Javier Milei has intensified in recent weeks. The injunction issued by Judge Mariel Borruto, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, targets the Sea Lion oil project about 220 kilometers (140 miles) north of the British-controlled islands in the South Atlantic. The order bars drilling, offshore installations and port construction until Argentine authorities can conduct an environmental assessment and make a decision. In practice, however, the ruling is unlikely to stop the project's progress. Borruto acknowledged that enforcement “depends on international cooperation and the conduct” of the two companies involved — Israel's Navitas Petroleum and Britain's Rockhopper Exploration. Both companies have already said they intend to continue with the project despite Milei's threats to impose tougher sanctions on them and other businesses operating around the islands. Rockhopper declined to comment, while Navitas did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the injunction. Commercial oil production from Sea Lion is expected to begin in 2028, raising the stakes in a territorial dispute that led Argentina and Britain into a brief but bloody war in 1982. For the islands' roughly 3,500 residents, the oil project could transform an economy that has long relied on fishing. Argentina, which refers to the islands as the Malvinas, considers the oil resources its own and opposes foreign companies extracting them. Argentina's claim to the archipelago, located about 480 kilometers (300 miles) off its coast, is enshrined in the country's constitution and remains a deeply rooted part of its national identity, receiving support across political divisions. Trump comments add uncertainty U.S. President Donald Trump, a close ally of Argentina's libertarian president, has introduced further uncertainty into the dispute in recent weeks. Citing Britain's lack of support for his war against Iran, Trump has suggested that Washington could reconsider its traditionally neutral position on the sovereignty of the islands. Speaking to reporters in Dublin on Saturday, Trump again questioned whether Britain would be able to retake the Falklands as it did following Argentina's 1982 invasion under military rule. “I don't know if they're going to be willing to travel that far,” he said. Milei seized on what he described as “winds of change” following Trump's comments earlier this month. In a national address on Sept. 3, he announced measures against companies developing oilfields around the islands. He said the projects represented a “clear and urgent danger” to Argentina's sovereignty claim and pledged to use all “diplomatic, economic, judicial and legal tools” available to defend it. His government is preparing legislation to expand sanctions against companies involved in oil projects around the islands. It has also filed three criminal complaints against Tel Aviv-listed Navitas and nine other companies and their executives, accusing them of violating Argentine law by conducting oil operations without authorization from Argentina. The potential impact of the charges on the Sea Lion project remains unclear. Britain rejects Argentina's legal campaign Britain has responded defiantly to Argentina's legal actions, arguing that the people living in the Falklands should determine the territory's status. It points to a 2013 referendum in which island residents overwhelmingly voted to remain a British territory. “Argentine domestic law does not apply within the Islands,” the British government said Tuesday in guidance intended to reassure businesses operating there. Wednesday's ruling by the federal court in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina's southernmost province, came from a separate civil lawsuit filed by environmental lawyers and veterans of the 1982 war. The plaintiffs are seeking to prevent environmental damage from the oil project. Their complaint cites potential ecological risks including chemical pollution, underwater noise, increased ship traffic and possible oil spills. Borruto warned that allowing drilling and construction to continue could cause changes to the marine ecosystem that might be difficult to reverse. “The risk is neither hypothetical nor remote,” she wrote, noting that work on the project's infrastructure had already begun.