In a new report, the U.S. State Department calls last year’s uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa “inspirational."

The "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2011" says citizens in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Bahrain, Yemen, and Syria stood up and demanded their universal rights, greater economic opportunity, and participation in their countries’ political future.

Speaking at the release of the report in Washington on May 24, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said 2011 was “an especially tumultuous and momentous year for everyone involved in the cause of human rights."

"Many of the events that have dominated recent headlines, from the revolutions in the Middles East to reforms in Burma (Myanmar), began with human rights, with the clear call of men and women demanding their universal rights," Clinton said.

But the State Department report warns that “change often creates instability before it leads to greater respect for democracy and human rights.”

It also says overall human rights conditions remained “extremely poor” in many of the countries that were spotlighted in last year’s country reports, including Iran, North Korea, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Syria, Belarus, and China.

On Iran, the report says severe limitations on the citizens’ right to peacefully change their government through free and fair elections, restrictions on civil liberties, and disregard for the sanctity of life were the most “egregious” human rights problems in the Islamic republic during the last year.

Along with “disregard" for civil liberties, arbitrary arrest, and torture, Turkmenistan continued to have no domestic human rights NGOs, due to "the government’s refusal to register such organizations and restrictions that made activity by unregistered organizations illegal."

And in Uzbekistan, “the centralized executive branch dominated political life and exercised nearly complete control over the other branches of government.”

The report says conditions in Belarus “remained poor following the flawed presidential election of December 2010.”

In neighboring Russia, it says, domestic and international monitors reported “significant irregularities and fraud” during the December elections to the State Duma, but also highlighted “unprecedented civic involvement by Russians committed to trying to improve the process.”

Meanwhile, the report points out that Egypt and Kyrgyzstan held historic elections that were deemed to be generally free and fair.

Here's a closer look at how RFE/RL's broadcast countries fared in the report:

AFGHANISTAN

The U.S. State Department says Afghanistan faced continuing human rights challenges in 2011. The State Department said widespread violence and corruption remained the main problems in Afghanistan, along with torture and abuse of inmates. The violence included insurgent groups’ killings of officials, but also indiscriminate attacks against civilians.

The document singled out the involvement of Afghan National Police in extrajudicial killings. It also said violence and discrimination against Afghan women and girls remained widespread. The document mentioned President Hamid Karzai’s controversial appointment of a special extraconstitutional court to settle the disputed 2010 election results. Impunity for officials who committed human-rights violations remained widespread, said the report, with the government "either unwilling or unable to prosecute abuses by officials consistently and effectively."

ARMENIA

The report says citizens of Armenia live under significant limitations on their right to change their government, a lack of free speech and press, and a government-influenced judicial system. The report found that the Republican Party of Armenia, led by President Serzh Sarksian, continues to dominate the political system. It said Armenian authorities arrested and detained criminal suspects without reasonable suspicion, and often detained individuals because of their opposition political affiliations or activities.

The report found that Armenians with disabilities experienced discrimination in almost all areas of life, as did homosexual and transgender people. One positive development noted in the report was the release of the last six individuals imprisoned in connection with the 2008 presidential election and postelection unrest.

AZERBAIJAN

Citizens of Azerbaijan lack freedom of expression, assembly, and association, according to the State Department. The report found that authorities sentenced to long prison terms more than a dozen people who participated in pro-democracy rallies. They also routinely denied applications by citizens to hold political protests in the capital, Baku. The government of Ilham Aliev exerted powerful influence over the country’s judiciary, according to the report, and reports of unfair trials, recrimination against independent lawyers, and torture and abuse in prisons were rampant.

The report also found that citizens’ property rights were routinely violated, with forced evictions and home demolitions a common occurrence. The government failed to prosecute or punish officials who committed human rights abuses.

BELARUS

The report calls Belarus an “authoritarian state” whose government continues to commit “frequent, serious abuses.” The report says that Belarus’ biggest human-rights problem is “the inability of citizens to change their government.” It cites manipulated elections, presidential consolidation of power, and arbitrary government decrees as major areas of concern.

Other serious rights violations, according to the report, involve Belarusian citizens being arbitrarily detained, arrested, and imprisoned for criticizing officials, and a politically driven judiciary that presides over flawed trials. Security forces reporting to President Alyaksandr Lukashenka continue to abuse protesters, including with torture during investigations, the report says. Other abuses cited in the report are freedom of speech, press, assembly, association, religion, and movement restrictions.

BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA

The U.S. State Department says that Bosnia-Herzegovina continued to face "deep-seated ethnic divisions" in 2011. The State Department said ethnic divisions continued to be the cause for widespread discrimination in day-to-day life and to undermine the rule of law. The report said harassment and intimidation of journalists and civil society remain a problem in Bosnia, which also faces poor conditions and overcrowding in jails.

The report also mentions government corruption, discrimination, and violence against women as well as sexual and religious minorities among the challenges faced by the country. Human trafficking and limits on employment rights were also among the human rights challenges faced by Bosnia-Herzegovina.

GEORGIA

The U.S. State Department says it is concerned about the abuse of Georgian prisoners and detainees by government officials, as well as “dangerously substandard prison conditions.” In its report, the State Department said it found problems with Georgia’s adherence to the rule of law, citing concerns about the judiciary’s independence and even-handed application of due process protections. It also noted that problems continued with the resettlement of internally displaced persons.

President Mikheil Saakashvili's government is further criticized in the report for interfering with labor unions, using excessive force against opposition demonstrators, and for politically motivated prison sentences. Government influence over media outlets is also cited as a concern. On a positive note, the U.S. report says protection of religious minorities improved.

IRAN

The U.S. State Department says Iran’s severe limitations on its citizens’ right to peacefully change their government through free and fair elections, restrictions on civil liberties, and disregard for the sanctity of life were the most “egregious” human rights problems in the Islamic republic during the last year. The report also accused Iran of severely restricting freedom of speech and the press, association, and religion.

The report noted the Iranian government committed extrajudicial killings and executed individuals for criminal convictions as juveniles, on minor offenses, and after unfair trials. The State Department says Iranian security forces were involved in politically motivated violence and repression, including torture, beatings, and rape. The report also says that official corruption and a lack of government transparency persisted in Iran in 2011.

IRAQ

Sectarian violence and abuses by armed ethnic groups and government-affiliated forces were Iraq’s most pressing human rights problem in 2011, the report said. It said the country’s precarious security situation was worsened by divisions between Shi'a and Sunni Muslims and between Arab and Kurdish sectarian groups. The report also cited Iraq’s “fractionalized population” and rampant government and societal corruption as major drivers of human rights problems.

Specifically, the report said Iraqi citizens are subjected to random killings, cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment, denial of fair trials, and limits on free speech, press, and assembly. Iraq’s large population of internally displaced persons and refugees were also denied basic rights, the report said, as were women and ethnic, religious, and racial minorities.

KAZAKHSTAN

Rampant and diverse violations marred Kazakhstan's record on human rights last year, according to the report. It said the most pressing issues were "severe limits on citizens’ rights to change their government," the clampdown on freedom of expression, and a lack of judicial independence and rule of law, "especially in dealing with pervasive corruption and law enforcement and judicial abuse."

The report cited December's deadly riots in the town of Zhanaozen, during which the authorities reportedly opened fire at unarmed protesters. Other reported abuses included abuse and torture of prisoners, arbitrary detention, restrictions on NGOs, human trafficking, gender-based discrimination, and child labor. The report said the government did take "modest steps" to prosecute officials who committed abuses, but also cited "widespread impunity."

KOSOVO

The U.S. State Department says Kosovo’s human rights record in 2011 raised “serious concern.” The report said Serb hard-liners employed “violence and intimidation” against domestic opponents and international security forces, resulting in deaths. The report also pointed out discrimination against ethnic and other minorities, persons with disabilities, and members of the homosexual and transgender community, as well as domestic violence.

Additional human-rights concerns included allegations of prisoner abuse, judicial inefficiency, intimidation of media by public officials, government corruption, and trafficking in persons -- although the government took steps to prosecute and punish officials who committed abuses. The report said general elections conducted beginning in December 2010 met many international standards, but “serious irregularities and electoral manipulations” in some areas raised concerns.

KYRGYZSTAN

The most pressing human rights problems affecting Kyrgyzstan last year stemmed from persisting tensions between Kyrgyz and ethnic Uzbeks, according to the report. It said the aftermath of the June 2010 ethnic riots saw "the pervasive oppression of ethnic Uzbeks and others by members of law enforcement." It said that authorities committed violations, including arbitrary arrest, mistreatment, torture, and extortion among all ethnic groups, but disproportionately among Uzbeks.

"The central government’s inability to hold human rights violators accountable allowed security forces to act arbitrarily and emboldened law enforcement to prey on vulnerable citizens," the U.S. survey said. Harassment of NGOs, activists, and journalists; corruption; discrimination against women, persons with disabilities, and minorities; and child abuse were also mentioned.

MACEDONIA

The U.S. State Department says Macedonia's top human-rights problem in 2011 was the government’s "failure to fully respect the rule of law." The report said the government was guilty of "interference in the judiciary and the media, selective prosecution of political opponents of the country’s leaders, and significant levels of government corruption and police impunity."

The report also highlights ongoing tensions between ethnic Albanian and Macedonian communities, and points to the discrimination against Roma and other ethnic and religious communities. Domestic violence and discrimination against women remain areas of concern, according to the report. The document identifies Macedonia as "a source, destination, and transit country for men, women, and children for sex trafficking and forced labor."

MOLDOVA

Government corruption is the most serious human-rights issue facing Moldova, according to the report. It found that in Moldova during 2011, corruption undermined the credibility and effectiveness of police and the judiciary. Police torture and mistreatment of persons in detention was another area of concern. The report says Chisinau failed to hold officials accountable for killings and other abuses by government security forces after the 2009 postelection demonstrations.

Little progress was made on longtime problems of human trafficking, discrimination against Roma, or violence against women. In the breakaway Transdniester region, a slew of rights abuses were uncovered, including torture, arbitrary arrests, harassment of journalists and opposition lawmakers, and discrimination against Romanian speakers.

MONTENEGRO

The U.S. State Department says one of the most important human rights problems facing Montenegro in 2011 was the “mistreatment” of refugees and other persons displaced as a consequence of conflicts in the 1990s. The report said another problem was discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, age, and disability.

The report said corruption continued to be a serious problem, despite some improvements in the government’s battle against it. Other human-rights problems included police mistreatment of suspects, inadequate independence of the judiciary, and physical attacks on journalists. The report said the government took steps to prosecute and punish officials who committed abuses, but impunity remained a problem in some areas.

PAKISTAN

"Thousands of citizens in nearly all areas" of Pakistan last year were victims of extrajudicial killings, torture, and disappearances committed by security forces, and by extremist and terrorist groups, according to the report. It highlighted the cases of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer and Shahbaz Bhatti, the federal minister for minorities, who were assassinated for supporting revisions to the country's blasphemy law. The document also said there were "many reports that the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings" and that impunity was widespread.

Rights abuses in Pakistan also included harassment of journalists, an increasing number of religious freedom violations, child abuse, and forced labor. Rape, domestic violence, “honor” crimes, and discrimination against women remained "serious problems."

RUSSIA

Compromised elections, rule of law violations, and restrictions on expression marred Russia's rights record last year, according to the U.S. State Department. The report highlighted voting irregularities and unfair restrictions on opposition parties in December's parliamentary elections, which generated mass protest. The report also said, "Individuals who threatened powerful state or business interests were subjected to political prosecution," and characterized rule of law in the North Caucasus as "particularly deficient."

The report also said that journalists and activists who challenged the government or big business were often subjected to harassment, politically motivated prosecution, or physical attacks. Other problem areas identified include restrictions on assembly, xenophobic hate crime, trafficking in persons, discrimination against the homosexual and transgender communities, and "widespread corruption at all levels of government and law enforcement."

SERBIA

The U.S. State Department says government corruption and discrimination against minorities remained the main human-rights problems in Serbia in 2011. The report praised the Serbian government's efforts to prosecute officials, both in police and other branches of the government, who were suspected of abuses. But the report said action was apparently taken only when such cases became public, and added that, according to many observers, "there were numerous cases of corruption, police mistreatment, and other abuses that went unreported and unpunished."

The document mentioned the 2008 presidential and parliamentary elections in Serbia as being "mostly in line with international standards."

TAJIKISTAN

Torture and abuse of detainees and others by state security forces were among Tajikistan's most pressing human rights concerns last year, according to the report. It said that arbitrary arrests were "common," despite authorities' claims that there were no political prisoners in the authoritarian state. Some security officials reportedly continued to use beatings or other forms of coercion to extract confessions.

The government, dominated by President Emomali Rahmon, refused to allow international observers to monitor prison conditions, which former inmates have described as life-threatening. Other rights abuses cited in the report include denial of the right to a fair trial, new and continuing restrictions on access to websites, limitations on religious education, forced labor, and human trafficking.

TURKMENISTAN

"Disregard" for civil liberties, including freedoms of speech, press, assembly, religion, and movement under authoritarian President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov marred Turkmenistan's human-rights record last year, according to the report. Other violations cited were arbitrary arrest and torture. Compounding these problems was rampant impunity, as there were "no prosecutions of government officials for human rights abuses" last year.

Turkmenistan also continued to have no domestic human rights NGOs, due to "the government’s refusal to register such organizations and restrictions that made activity by unregistered organizations illegal." Other continuing problems highlighted by the report include citizens’ "inability to change their government;" denial of due process and fair trial; violence against women; and restrictions on workers' rights.

UKRAINE

Ukraine’s most serious human-rights violation in 2011 was the “politically motivated detention, trial, and conviction of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, along with selective prosecutions of other senior members of her government,” according to the report. Government limits on peaceful assembly was another major concern noted in the report, as was courts who came under political pressure to deny permits for most opposition protests. Protests that were held in 2011 were overshadowed by an “overwhelming police presence.”

The State Department also criticizes Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych’s government for increasing the pressure on independent media outlets, which “led to conflicts between the media owners and journalists, and to self-censorship.” The report highlights the high rate of police detention, prison abuse, and torture, and rampant government corruption.

UZBEKISTAN

Abuse and torture of detainees remained "routine" in Uzbekistan last year, according to the U.S. State Department. The report said that in 2011, law enforcement and security officers frequently mistreated detainees to extract confessions, and cited reports of "severe beatings, denial of food, sexual abuse, simulated asphyxiation, tying and hanging by the hands, and electric shock."

The report also highlighted lack of political plurality in the "authoritarian" country, with President Islam Karimov "[dominating] political life and [exercising] nearly complete control over the other branches of government." Among a slew of other violations cited in the report were restrictions on freedom of speech, press, assembly, and association; rampant official corruption and impunity; politically motivated persecution of activists; restrictions on freedom of movement; and "government-organized forced labor" in cotton harvesting.

Compiled by Heather Maher, Richard Solash, Irena Chalupa, Eugen Tomiuc, Golnaz Esfandiari, and Antoine Blua

US President Donald Trump has again threated to use military force if Iran does not agree to end its nuclear program and said Israel would be the “leader” of a potential military strike.

Trump told reporters on April 9 at the White House that "if necessary," the United States “absolutely” would use military force. He made the comments after being asked about talks between US and Iranian officials scheduled to take place this weekend in Oman and how long they may last.

“We have time,” Trump said, adding that there’s no definitive timeline for the talks to come to a resolution.

“When you start talks, you know if they’re going along well or not," Trump said. "And I would say the conclusion would be when I think they’re not going along well. So that’s just a feeling.”

Trump announced the talks on April 8 during an Oval Office briefing with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Netanyahu said he supports Trump’s diplomatic efforts to reach a settlement with Iran. He added that Israel and the US share the same goal of ensuring that Iran does not develop a nuclear weapon.

Trump said that if the use of military force is necessary, "Israel will obviously be very much involved in that.”

Both sides have framed the talks in Oman as an exploratory meeting to see if negotiations can be held. Trump said the talks would be “direct,” while Iran has described the engagement as “indirect” talks.

The United States will not be “asking for much” at the talks, Trump said, repeating his oft-stated position that Iran “can’t have a nuclear weapon.”

The United States is increasingly concerned as Tehran appears to be closer than ever to having a nuclear weapon. Iran has long maintained that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.

The United States and other world powers in 2015 reached a comprehensive nuclear agreement that limited Tehran’s enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. But Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States in 2018, calling it the “worst deal ever.”

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth voiced hope that US-Iran talks could be resolved peacefully after Reuters reported on April 9 that as many as six B-2 bombers had relocated to a US-British military base on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia.

Asked if the B-2s were meant to send a message to Iran, Hegseth said: "We'll let them decide." He called the bombers “a great asset,” telling reporters during a trip to Panama that they send a “message to everybody."

The US Treasury Department earlier on April 9 issued new sanctions targeting Iran’s nuclear program. Five entities and one person based in Iran were designated for new sanctions in connection with their alleged support of Iran’s nuclear program, the department said in a news release.

The designated groups include the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran and subordinates Iran Centrifuge Technology Company, Thorium Power Company, Pars Reactors Construction and Development Company, and Azarab Industries Company.

In his comments to reporters at the White House, Trump said the people of Iran “are so incredible,” but the government is a “rough regime.”

“I want Iran to be great,” Trump said. “The only thing that they can’t have is a nuclear weapon. They understand that.”

With reporting by Reuters and AP

Germany's Christian Democrat leader Friedrich Merz has announced that talks on forming a new coalition government have been completed, stating it would aim to take office in early May.

Merz noted the coalition talks took place amid "growing international political tensions," citing Russian President Vladimir Putin's ongoing invasion of Ukraine and US tariffs.

"The Russian aggressor, Putin, shows no willingness to end the war and to let the guns go silent. At the same time, economic uncertainties are growing enormously. Just this week, US government decisions have caused new turbulence," Merz said.

Merz will be the new German chancellor in a coalition with the Social Democrats, led by Lars Klingbeil, who is expected to be Finance Minister.

Support For Ukraine

As the new government was announced, its 144-page policy plan was published, pledging strong support for Ukraine.

"We will provide comprehensive support to Ukraine so that it can effectively defend itself against the Russian aggressor and assert itself in negotiations," it says.

Germany's outgoing government, which is led by the Social Democrats under Chancellor Olaf Scholz, has been a key supplier of military and economic aid to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.

Merz, as opposition leader, has often called on it to be faster and bolder in this. But it's not clear what this will mean in practice.

During a recent visit to Berlin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy voiced the hope that the new government would supply Taurus cruise missiles -- a longstanding request. Merz, at the time, was noncommittal.

The new government is expected to significantly boost Germany's defense budget, although it's not clear by exactly how much.

Even before taking office, Merz has pushed a constitutional reform through the German parliament that means strict limits on government debt no longer apply to defense spending.

"Our security is currently more endangered than at any time since the end of the Cold War. The greatest and most direct threat comes from Russia," says the new coalition's policy document. It adds that "Putin's pursuit of power threatens the rules-based international order."

Trump Tariffs

There's no mention of the US president in the document.

But when Merz was asked about US ties by a foreign journalist, he switched briefly to English to say, "The message to Donald Trump is: Germany is back on track, Germany will fulfil the obligations in terms of defense."

Asked about US tariffs, Merz said Europe should seek a joint response. His words came hours after EU countries agreed a range of countermeasures, including staggered tariffs on selected imports from the United States beginning on April 15.

Merz is a lifelong transatlantacist who also spent four years working for the US investment company BlackRock. After his election victory in February, amid a tense start in ties between Europe and the new US administration, he said Europe must secure "independence" from Washington in terms of defense.

Still, the coalition agreement says the relationship with Washington is of "paramount importance."

"In trade policy, we seek close cooperation with all of North America. The trans-Atlantic economic area offers the best conditions for success in global competition," it states.

Iran's Nuclear Program

The document also reaffirms Germany's commitment to working with Washington and other Western partners to end Iran's nuclear program.

"We support international sanctions against the Iranian regime and will push for the Revolutionary Guards to be put on the EU list of terror organizations," it says.

The new government's domestic priorities include promises to boost growth via economic reforms and to crackdown on illegal immigration.

The new coalition needs to be approved by Social Democrat party members and the senior leadership of the Christian Democrats, before a confidence vote in parliament.

A Russian drone attack on the Ukrainian cities of Dnipro, Kharkiv, and Kramatorsk late on April 8 wounded more than two dozen people and damaged multiple residential buildings, local officials said.

Serhiy Lysak, governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region, said that "Dnipro suffered the most" from the overnight Russian attack, which wounded at least 15 people, leaving almost all of them in serious condition.

"People have cuts, shrapnel wounds, bruises, and head injuries. Some needed help due to severe stress," Lysak said.

Lysak added that the attack damaged 15 private houses and nearly two dozen cars. According to him, several business facilities, administrative buildings, and the city's infrastructure were damaged.

Ukraine's second largest city, Kharkiv, and the eastern city of Kramatorsk were also hit by the Russian drones.

Local authorities said more than 20 explosions were heard in Kharkiv, injuring at least two people.

Five others were injured in Kramatorsk, in the Donetsk region.

"An 11-year-old girl, her 34-year-old mother and a 55-year-old grandmother were wounded in the attack," said the head of the Donetsk Regional Military Administration, Vadym Filashkin.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for support from Ukraine's partners "to save as many people as possible."

"War does not abate from talks and statements, and Moscow ignores any diplomacy because they believe they have the liberty to do so," Zelenskyy said on X.

The Ukrainian Air Force said that it shot down 32 out of 55 drones launched by Russia overnight, with another eight "not reaching their targets."

Ukraine Claims 'Successful Actions'

Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a post on the Telegram that its air defense units destroyed 158 drones overnight, including 29 over the southern Rostov region.

Russia’s aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, said that several airports in Russia's south were closed early on April 9 to ensure air safety.

Ukraine's top military commander, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskiy, claimed that Kyiv had recently conducted "successful" strikes on Russian air bases.

"A few days ago, our successful actions destroyed a Tu-22M3 long-range bomber. It had just landed and our drone hit it," he told Ukrainian media outlet LB.ua.

Syrskiy claimed that the cost of such a plane could be as high as $100 million.

On the ground, according to the latest report by the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russian forces are currently pursuing three different objectives in their attempt to capture the crucial city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region.

“The situation immediately south and southwest of Pokrovsk remains extremely dynamic amid intensified Russian offensive operations,” the report said.

With Russian forces spending the last 13 months trying to capture the city, the ISW further underlined that Ukrainian drone operations and localized counterattacks are continuing to complicate Moscow's advances in the area.

Earlier, this month, a unit of Ukrainian drone pilots stationed in Pokrovsk told RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service that they have become a high-value target for Russian forces.

On March 26, Zelenskyy said that Russian President Vladimir Putin was "trying to buy time and prepare for a spring offensive."

According to him, Russia was preparing a new offensive, particularly in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions.

Syrskiy said that offensive has already started.

"We are seeing an almost doubling of the number of enemy offensives in all major directions," he told LB.ua.

The ISW report said Russian forces also recently advanced in Russia's Kursk region, parts of which are controlled by Kyiv, and conducted a raid into Ukraine's neighboring Sumy region, but "likely did not establish new positions."

In the interview, however, Syrskiy again hailed Ukraine's surprise incursion into Kursk last August, saying the operation was "critical" to the defense of the Kharkiv region.

Late on April 7, Zelenskyy acknowledged publicly for the first time that Ukrainian troops are now holding new positions inside Russia -- this time in the Belgorod region.

"We continue active operations in the enemy's border areas and this is absolutely justified... Our main objective remains the same: to protect our land and our communities in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions," he said.

Sweeping new tariffs on goods imported by the United States are took effect on April 9 under US President Donald Trump new trade policy, which he said is aimed at revitalizing American manufacturing.

The higher import tax rates on dozens of countries and territories include a massive 104 percent duty on Chinese goods and 20 percent on products from the European Union. The new tariffs come after 10 percent baseline tariff that went into effect on April 5.

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said that Trump had not considered an extension or delay for the increases.

“He expects that these tariffs are going to go into effect,” she said on April 8 hours before their midnight implementation.

Trump himself offered mixed signals about whether the tariffs will remain. While describing them as "permanent," he said representatives of the countries targeted were on their way to Washington to negotiate bilateral trade agreements.

"We have a lot of countries coming in that want to make deals," he said at a White House event on April 8. He said later that he expected China to pursue an agreement as well.

Trump's administration has scheduled talks with representatives of South Korea and Japan, two close allies and major trading partners. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is due to visit next week.

EU Executive Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is among those offering a mutual reduction of tariffs but also warned that countermeasures are still an option.

Trump announced the tariffs on April 2, calling it America's "liberation day" and saying it will be remembered “as the day American industry was reborn, the day America's destiny was reclaimed, and the day that we began to make America wealthy again."

The president complained bitterly in announcing the tariffs that the United States for decades had been mistreated by "friend and foe alike” on trade, creating a massive trade imbalance.

Stock markets around the world have sunk amid the rollout of the tariffs, which economists warn will raise prices for goods that US consumers buy each day -- particularly as the new tariffs build on some previous trade measures. The countries targeted also are likely to retaliate.

China already has, announcing a 34 percent tariff on all US goods. That matched the rate before Trump announced that the United States would impose a 104 percent of China starting on April 10.

China's Commerce Ministry called Trump's threat to escalate tariffs “a mistake on top of a mistake” that “once again exposes the blackmailing nature of the US.”

Beyond levies on China, Trump imposed a steep 25 percent tariff on auto imports beginning on April 3 that was largely aimed autos made in Mexico and Canada to pressure them to take steps to control immigration and drug trafficking. These tariffs are on fully imported cars but are set to expand to applicable auto parts in the following weeks.

Canada responded with a 25 percent levy on auto imports from the United States that do not comply with the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Those tariffs also are slated to go into effect on April 9.

Steel and aluminum have also been targeted. Both metals are now taxed at 25 percent across the board under expanded tariffs that went into effect last month.

With reporting by AP and Reuters

Russia and the United States are to resume talks on April 10 in Istanbul on the normalization of their respective diplomatic missions.

State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told reporters on April 8 that delegations from Moscow and Washington will hold the second round of consultations focused on embassy operations.

Bruce said there would be no political or security issues discussed and stressed that the war in Ukraine would "absolutely not" be on the agenda.

"These talks are solely focused on our embassy operations, not on normalizing a bilateral relationship overall, which can only happen, as we've noted, once there's peace between Russia and Ukraine," she said.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova previously reported that the Russian delegation would be headed by Russian Ambassador to the United States Aleksandr Darchiyev, and the American delegation would be headed by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Sonata Coulter.

The last time Washington and Moscow met in Istanbul was on February 27. Both sides described the first round of talks, which was held behind closed doors, as useful.

The American side said afterward that the meeting had defined steps to normalize the functioning of the diplomatic missions of the two countries. The Russian side said it had proposed the restoration of direct flights between the countries.

Years of tense relations led to restrictions on diplomatic work in the respective capitals. Many diplomats have been sent home by each side since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.

US President Donald Trump has pushed for improved relations since returning to the White House in January.

Russia last week sent envoy Kirill Dmitriev to Washington at the invitation of Trump envoy Steve Witkoff. Dmitriev said after the talks that he saw a "positive dynamic" in relations between Moscow and Washington, but differences remain, and several more meetings are needed to resolve them.

He also said work was under way on restoring direct flights between Russia and the United States.

With reporting by AFP and dpa

Detained Azerbaijani journalist and economist Farid Mehralizada testified in court on April 8 that his imprisonment was politically motivated, tied directly to his critical reporting for RFE/RL’s Azerbaijani Service, known locally as Azadliq Radiosu.

During his appearance at the Baku Court of Serious Crimes, Mehralizada, 30, detailed the events surrounding his arrest on smuggling charges in late May 2024.

He described being blindfolded and taken to an unknown location before ending up at the Baku City Police Department, where he said he faced physical and psychological pressure to unlock his phone.

"One of the policemen told me, 'You're a young man. Do you really need Azadliq Radiosu? Just keep your head down and live your life,'" he said. "This shows that my arrest was indeed connected to my articles for Azadliq Radiosu."

Additional charges, including illegal entrepreneurship, tax evasion, gang smuggling, and document forgery, have since been added to his case -- accusations he and his supporters call fabricated.

He said prosecutors falsely claimed he held a role with the independent Abzas Media news agency, which has come under pressure from the authorities.

“They probably thought, since they already have a fabricated criminal case in their hands, they would just add me to it and move on,” he said.

Mehralizada, highlighted that his economic analyses frequently criticized Azerbaijan's reliance on oil and gas and questioned official unemployment and poverty statistics.

“Ninety percent of Azerbaijan’s exports and 50 percent of its budget revenues depend on the oil and gas sector, which poses significant risks for the country,” he told the court.

Having been kept in custody since his arrest last year, he told the court that his child was born during his detention and that he has been unable to see his family.

Azerbaijani authorities insist that there is no political motivation behind Mehralizada's detention and that no one in Azerbaijan is held for political reasons.

Rights groups, however, point out that, since November 2023, approximately 20 journalists and social activists have been detained on similar charges, seven of them linked to Abzas Media.

Human rights organizations estimate that at least 300 political prisoners are currently held in Azerbaijani jails, underscoring ongoing criticism of President Ilham Aliyev’s administration.

Since taking power following the death of his predecessor and father Heydar Aliyev in 2003, Ilham Aliyev has faced accusations of suppressing dissent by detaining journalists, opposition figures, and civil-society activists.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed Ukrainian armed forces captured two Chinese nationals who were fighting as part of the Russian Army in Ukraine's Donetsk region and called on Kyiv's allies to react to the situation and demand an explanation from Beijing.

In a message posted on his Telegram channel on April 8, Zelenskyy alleged the two Chinese citizens were captured during a battle that involved several other Chinese soldiers, all of whom were fighting as part of the Russian army in Donetsk.

Since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Beijing has become a close ally. But it has positioned itself as neutral in the conflict -- Beijing has shopped its own peace plans to end the conflict -- and is not publicly known to have directly aided the Kremlin in its war.

In an exclusive report in February, RFE/RL identified through a leaked Russian Defense Ministry database the name of a Chinese national who said he fought for Russia, though he declined to give further details.

"We have the documents of these prisoners, bank cards, and personal data," Zelenskyy said on Telegram that included images of one of the alleged captured Chinese soldiers.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has yet to comment publicly on the claim by Zelenskyy, who did not give details or say who was commanding the soldiers.

US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said the report that Chinese soldiers had been captured in Ukraine was "disturbing."

"China is a major enabler of Russia in the war in Ukraine. China provides nearly 80 percent of the dual use items Russia needs to sustain the war," she said.

Zelenskyy said preliminary intelligence suggests more Chinese nationals are present within Russian military units operating in Ukraine and that the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and relevant military units are "actively working" to confirm the extent of Chinese involvement in the war.

The captured Chinese citizens are currently in the custody of the SBU, and investigative and operational procedures are under way.

"Russia's involvement of China, along with other countries, whether directly or indirectly, in this war in Europe is a clear signal that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin intends to do anything but end the war," Zelenskyy wrote.

Zelenskyy Confirms Troops In Russia's Belgorod

The claim came just hours after Zelenskyy acknowledged publicly for the first time that Ukrainian troops are holding positions inside Russia's Belgorod region as Ukraine continued to mark the deaths of several children killed in a Russian air attack last week.

Funeral services were held in the Ukrainian city of Kryviy Rih on April 8 for a 3-year-old boy named Timofiy and a 7-year-old girl named Arina, two of the 20 victims -- nine of whom were children -- in the attack. The ages of the dead ranged from 3 to 79.

Mourners filed up church stairs and past portraits of the two children as bells rang out across Zelenskyy's hometown after what Mayor Oleksandr Vilkul called the deadliest strike so far on the city in the course of Russia's three-year war on Ukraine.

Zelenskyy has called for international pressure and stronger measures to discourage Moscow from continuing such attacks.

Ukrainian officials said the missile used cluster munition to maximize casualties to people on the ground, in "a reckless disregard for civilian life," according to UN human rights chief Volker Turk.

In a nightly address, Zelenskyy also noted a report from Oleksandr Syrskiy, Ukraine's top commander, "on the front line, our presence in the Kursk region and our presence in the Belgorod region."

"We continue active operations in the enemy's border areas and this is absolutely justified. The war must return to where it came from.... Our main objective remains the same: to protect our land and our communities in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions from Russian occupiers," he added.

Zelenskyy, who previously had not publicly commented on such operations inside Russia, lauded Ukraine's 225th Assault Regiment for its performance in the region.

Russian military bloggers had reported battles in Belgorod region between Russian and Ukrainian troops.

Moscow claimed after the Kryviy Rih attack that "no strikes are carried out on social facilities and social infrastructure," reiterating its long-stated response to allegations from Ukrainian officials that the attack constituted a war crime.

Eyewitness accounts, official statements, public records, and other open-source materials reviewed by Systema, RFE/RL's Russian-language investigative unit, however, show that the restaurant the Russian military says it targeted because it was hosting a meeting of military units and foreign advisers was actually the site of a beauty industry forum and a birthday party.

Russia has denied firing on civilian infrastructure despite daily documented attacks in cities all over Ukraine. The attacks have escalated in scope since the White House began pressuring Russia to agree to a cease-fire with Ukraine in March.

Ukraine agreed to accept a US proposal for an initial 30-day cease-fire, following talks in Saudi Arabia, while Russia has said it is still studying the proposal.

Moscow and Washington have also announced a deal to limit military activity in the Black Sea region.

However, Ukrainian and Russian forces have continued to fire drones and missiles at one another, almost nightly.

US President Donald Trump said the United States will hold high-level "direct" talks with Iran at a "very big meeting" this week while warning Tehran it would be in “great danger” if the talks on its nuclear program don’t succeed.

Iran's foreign minister confirmed that a meeting was set to take place on April 12, but the talks would be "indirect."

"Iran and the United States will meet in Oman on Saturday for indirect high-level talks," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X on April 7 shortly after Trump commented on the talks.

"It is as much an opportunity as it is a test. The ball is in America's court."

Iran has insisted on indirect negotiations, saying it would not hold direct talks as long as Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign on Tehran is in effect.

Araghchi later told Iran's semiofficial Tasnim news agency that US envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff would be at the talks, but the two would speak only through a mediator.

Trump told reporters at the White House that talks were taking place "on a very high level, almost the highest level," and emphasized that no intermediaries were involved.

He did not say who would represent the United States. Witkoff has not commented publicly on whether he would attend the talks.

"We have a very big meeting, and we'll see what can happen. I think everybody agrees that doing a deal would be preferable," Trump said in an impromptu press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"If talks with Iran aren't successful, I think Iran will be in great danger," Trump said, insisting that the Islamic republic must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon.

Netanyahu briefly weighed in, expressing support for a Libya-style deal with Iran --a reference to a 2003 agreement in which the African nation agreed to dismantle its weapons of mass destruction programs.

Iran maintains its nuclear program is for civilian purposes and has previously rejected the possibility of a Libya-style agreement.

Trump earlier this month called for "direct talks" with Tehran, saying they were "faster" and offered a better understanding than using intermediaries. Trump suggested then that a new agreement with Iran could be "different and maybe a lot stronger" than the 2015 nuclear deal.

He had previously sent a letter to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei calling for negotiations and warning of military action if diplomacy failed.

Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian on April 5 said that Tehran was willing to engage in dialogue on an "equal footing." The following day Araghchi said in a statement that Tehran was prepared to hold indirect talks.

After abrogating the nuclear deal in 2018 during his first term as president, Trump reimposed sanctions on Iran that had been lifted under the agreement. Iran retaliated by accelerating its nuclear program and is currently enriching uranium at 60 percent purity, which is described as near weapons-grade.

The 2015 deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), has a snapback mechanism that allows for the return of UN sanctions on Iran. But once the deal expires in October, world powers lose the ability to trigger the mechanism.

Trump has threatened to bomb Iran if there is no agreement on Tehran's nuclear program. Iran has warned that it will deliver a "strong" response to any aggression and has suggested that it will develop a bomb if attacked.

Washington has been sending mixed messages about whether it wants to restrict Iran's uranium enrichment or fully dismantle Tehran's nuclear program.

Iran has not commented on Trump's assertion that direct talks have already started.

Nour News, a website affiliated with Ali Shamkhani, a senior adviser to Iran's supreme leader, described Trump's remarks as "a calculated effort to shape public opinion" aimed at portraying Washington as the party taking diplomatic initiative and Tehran as the side opposed to dialogue.

Russian hockey star Alex Ovechkin made history when he overtook Wayne Gretzky as the National Hockey League’s (NHL) all-time goal scorer, but he also served up a win for the Kremlin’s propaganda machine.

In a congratulatory telegram posted on April 7 by the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated the sports star, saying Ovechkin’s record-breaking goal “has become not only your personal success, but also a real celebration for fans in Russia and abroad.”

Putin is famously a fan of ice hockey. And his admiration for Ovechkin is mutual: The NHL star’s official Instagram page features a profile picture of the sportsman standing next to Putin.

But Ovechkin’s achievement -- his 895th NHL goal put him past Greztky's 894 -- is about more than national sporting pride. It comes at a moment when the Kremlin is seeking to project confidence in a high-stakes negotiation with Washington about a possible cease-fire in Ukraine.

Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian government’s emissary to Washington for Ukraine talks, posted a video on X of Ovechkin greeting fans after his record-breaking goal, with the hockey star saying, “For all the world, Russia…we did it boys, we did it! It’s history!”

Dmitriev had just wrapped a visit to the US as part of a bid to advance a series of negotiations to bring a halt to fighting in Ukraine, a trip he called “productive.” But he was also on something of a charm offensive, making appearances on CNN and Fox News to talk up the prospects for US-Russia relations.

“There is no question that President Trump team not only stopped World War III from happening, but also had already achieved sizeable progress on Ukraine resolution,” Dmitriev told Fox News’s Brett Baier.

The messaging is not so subtle: Dmitriev and others are pushing the narrative that the United States and Russia are natural allies, at the same time that the Europeans are shoring up support for Ukraine.

For instance, both Dmitriev and Russian media boss Margarita Simonyan approvingly posted a clip of American movie director Oliver Stone, who told Fox News that he applauded the Trump administration for parting ways with what he called “vituperative dialogue” around Russia.

“The whole thing with hating Russia is so negative, it’s so un-American,” he said.

“They are potentially our best partners, as are the Chinese, actually. That’s all been inculcated by propaganda.”

It’s hard to square the messages of US-Russian friendship (complete with flag emojis) with Russia’s continuing bombardment of Ukraine, particularly following a weekend of particularly lethal strikes on civilian areas of Kryviy Rih and Kyiv.

On the same day Ovechkin scored the record-breaking goal, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry posted a somber note about the number of Ukrainian athletes who have been killed in Russia’s war on Ukraine.

“As of March 2025, 591 Ukrainian athletes and coaches have been killed by Russia, 22 are held in captivity, and 11 are missing,” the statement read. “725 sports facilities have been damaged or destroyed by Russian attacks, including 17 Olympic, Paralympic, and Deaflympic training bases. For decades, Russia has been using sport for propaganda. 10 out of 15 Russian athletes who competed under a neutral flag at the 2024 Olympics in Paris either publicly supported the war or were affiliated with the military. Russian sport is not separate from the state -– it is one of the tools used to justify and promote aggression. Those who say sport should be outside politics must also acknowledge that Russia uses sport as a political weapon.”

Sport is definitely an element of Russia’s soft power in the ongoing diplomatic dance between Washington and Moscow.

Following a phone call between Putin and Trump last month, the Kremlin readout said the US president "supported Vladimir Putin's idea to organize hockey matches in the United States and Russia between Russian and American players playing in the NHL and KHL,” a reference to the top Russian hockey league, the Kontinental Hockey League.

Russia has been banned from international ice hockey tournaments since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. That ban remains. But Ovechkin’s headline-grabbing goal may have further cracked open Moscow’s window for diplomatic engagement with Washington.

Several vigils were held in the Ukrainian city of Kryviy Rih for some of the 20 people -- nine of whom were children -- killed over the weekend at a playground and restaurant that were struck by an air strike as Russia again denied firing on civilian infrastructure despite evidence to the contrary.

Three days of mourning began on April 7 in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's hometown, with Mayor Oleksandr Vilkul calling the strike the deadliest on Kryviy Rih, an industrial center with a population of around 600,000 before Russia launched its full-scale invasion more than three years ago.

Eyewitness accounts, official statements, public records, and other open-source materials reviewed by Systema, RFE/RL's Russian-language investigative unit, show that the restaurant the Russian military says it targeted because it was hosting a meeting of military units and foreign advisers was actually the site of a beauty industry forum and a birthday party.

As memorials popped up by swing sets and climbers throughout the blood-spattered playground, officials from around the world expressed their horror at the attack, which Ukrainian officials said involved the usage of a cluster munition.

"The use of an explosive weapon with wide area effects by the Russian Federation in a densely populated area -- and without any apparent military presence -- demonstrates a reckless disregard for civilian life," UN human rights chief Volker Turk said in a statement late on April 7.

Victims of the attack ranged from a 3-year-old to a 79-year-old.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters during a briefing on April 7 that "no strikes are carried out on social facilities and social infrastructure," reiterating Moscow's response to allegations from Ukrainian officials that the attack constituted a war crime.

"Even if the Russian authorities had information that military personnel could be present, the mode and circumstances of attack may constitute an indiscriminate attack," the UN rights office said.

Separately, in the face of the relentless air strikes on civilian areas, French President Emmanuel Macron called for "strong measures" should Moscow continue to block efforts to negotiate a peace deal.

"While Ukraine accepted [US[] President [Donald] Trump's proposal for a full and unconditional 30-day cease-fire nearly a month ago, and as we work with all our partners to secure peace, Russia continues its war with renewed intensity, showing no regard for civilians," Macron wrote on X.

"These Russian strikes must stop. A cease-fire must be reached as soon as possible. And strong action must follow if Russia continues to stall and reject peace," he added.

Still, Russia again overnight continued its series of deadly air strikes on Ukrainian cities.

Kyiv officials said one person was killed and at least three others wounded when a missile hit an industrial district in the capital, sparking fires and damaging a warehouse and other buildings.

The casualties appeared to be limited because the districts are home mainly to industrial businesses and storage warehouses.

In Kupyansk, a city east of Kharkiv, Russian forces dropped a glide bomb on a residential district, causing widespread damage and wounding two people.

Much of the city, which is close to the front lines, has been evacuated as Russian forces creep closer from the north.

Glide bombs are heavy munitions that are retrofitted with guidance systems and dropped from aircraft behind the front lines. The weapons are hard to defend against, and Russian forces have used them to devastating effect against Ukrainian defenses across the front lines.

Overall, Russia fired nearly two dozen missiles at Ukrainian targets and more than 100 drones, authorities said. Half the missiles and nearly half the drones were shot down, officials claimed.

Ukraine, for its part, fired 11 drones at Russian targets, Russia's Defense Ministry said.

In February, the Kremlin and the White House, as well as Ukrainian authorities, announced the framework for a limited cease-fire that would restrict attacks on energy infrastructure such as power plants, transmission lines, and substations.

Moscow and Washington also announced a deal to limit military activity in the Black Sea region.

However, Ukrainian and Russian forces have continued to fire drones and missiles at one another, almost nightly.

BUDAPEST, Hungary -- Dozens of Serbian cyclists are traveling some 1,300 kilometers to the European Parliament in Strasbourg to draw attention to their country's ongoing anti-corruption campaign.

The pedaling protesters were welcomed in the Hungarian capital, Budapest, on April 5 after setting off from the Serbian city of Novi Sad two days earlier.

The deadly collapse of a railway station cement canopy in Novi Sad last November killed 16 people and triggered nationwide demonstrations in Serbia, with protesters blaming the government for corruption and poor oversight.

The protesters are now trying to get support from outside Serbia and from EU lawmakers.

"We hope for change; we hope for a better country, and we hope for the best," said Stefan, who was among the student protesters who biked in Budapest.

Budapest's mayor, Gergely Karacsony, voiced his support for the Serbian cyclists as did some Serbian students who are studying in the Hungarian capital.

"I’m here to support my friends, family, and everyone who is trying to change something in Serbia," said one female student, "to make Serbia a better place to live for all of us."

Students in Serbia have been a driving force behind the anti-government protests in their country and have called on the government to release all documents related to construction work at Novi Sad's railway station.

The authorities claim they have made public all “available documents,” but protesters reject that claim.

The students plan to cycle through four countries -- Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, and Germany -- before reaching France in about two weeks and the EU Parliament in Strasbourg.

Meanwhile, back in Serbia, President Aleksandar Vucic on April 6 named Djuro Macut, a little-known medical professor, as prime minister-designate amid the political crisis.

Vucic, one of the founders of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party, which has been in power since 2012, presented it as a "movement of great change."

On January 28, Prime Minister Milos Vucevic resigned following weeks of mass protests demanding accountability for the deadly accident. Vucic said he accepted the resignation reluctantly because, he insisted, Vucevic “did nothing wrong.

Iran's foreign minister rejected US proposals for direct negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, days after US President Donald Trump called for face-to-face talks.

In a statement released on April 6 by the Foreign Ministry, Abbas Araghchi said Tehran was prepared to hold indirect talks with Washington.

"Iran keeps itself prepared for all possible or probable events, and just as it is serious in diplomacy and negotiations, it will also be decisive and serious in defending its national interests and sovereignty," he was quoted saying.

Araghchi's comments came three days after Trump called for "direct talks" with Tehran, saying they were "faster" and offered a better understanding than using intermediaries.

Last month, Trump sent a letter to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei calling for negotiations and warning of military action if diplomacy failed.

Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian, meanwhile, said on April 5 that Tehran was willing to engage in dialogue on an "equal footing."

In 2015, Iran reached a landmark deal with United States, France, China, Russia, and Britain, as well as Germany, to curtail its nuclear activities.

The 2015 agreement -- known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action -- eased punishing sanctions that had restricted Iran's economy.

During Trump's first term in office, however, the United States withdrew from the agreement and reinstated punitive sanctions.

Iran rejects Western allegation that it is seeking to build nuclear weapons, insisting its programs are only aimed at civilian purposes like electricity generation.

With reporting by AFP

Russia hit the Ukrainian capital with a ballistic missile and dropped a powerful "glide" bomb on a city east of Kharkiv, further undermining efforts to cement a cease-fire between Moscow and Kyiv.

The newsroom for Freedom TV was badly damaged in the April 6 attack -- the second time the state-funded broadcaster has been targeted by Russian strikes.

Kyiv officials said one person was killed and at least three people wounded when the missile hit an industrial district, sparking fires and damaging a warehouse and other buildings.

The casualties appeared to be minimal since the districts are home mainly to industrial businesses and storage warehouses.

In a statement, Freedom TV, which was established prior to Russia's all-out invasion in February 2022, said its editorial offices were badly damaged but no employees were injured. It's the second time since February that the offices were hit.

In Kupyansk, a city east of Kharkiv, Russian forces dropped a glide bomb on a residential district, causing widespread damage and wounding two people.

Much of the city, which is close to the front lines, has been evacuated as Russian forces are crept closer from the north.

Glide bombs are heavy munitions that are retrofitted with guidance systems and dropped from aircraft behind the front lines. The weapons are hard to defend against, and Russian forces have used them to devastating effect against Ukrainian defenses across the front lines.

Overall, Russia fired nearly two dozens missiles at Ukrainian targets and more than 100 drones, authorities said. Half the missiles and nearly half the drones were shot down, officials claimed.

Ukraine, for its part, fired at 11 drones at Russian targets, Russia's Defense Ministry said.

In February, the Kremlin and the White House, as well as Ukrainian authorities, announced the framework for a limited cease-fire that would restrict attacks on energy infrastructure such as power plants, transmission lines, and substations. Moscow and Washington also announced a deal to limit military activity in the Black Sea region.

However, Ukrainian and Russian forces have continued to fire drones and missiles at one another, almost nightly.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia had launched more than 1,460 guided aerial bombs, nearly 670 attack drones, and more than various 30 missiles over the past week.

On April 4, a Russian missile that Ukrainian officials said was armed with a cluster munition hit a district in the city of Kryviy Rih, southeast of Kyiv, killing 20 people. A children's playground was struck as well, killing at least nine children. Dozens of people were injured.

Moscow claimed the strike had targeted a Ukrainian military gathering.

Ukrainian authorities declared a day of mourning on April 6 for those killed in the attack.

"We must put pressure on Russia, which chooses to kill children instead of a cease-fire," Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address. "We must introduce additional sanctions against those who cannot exist without ballistic strikes on neighboring people."

Zelenskyy also criticized a statement by the US ambassador, Bridget Brink, who said she was horrified by the strike but did not call out Russia by name.

"Unfortunately, the response from the US Embassy is surprisingly disappointing -- such a strong country, such a strong people, and yet such a weak reaction," he wrote in a post to Telegram.

There was no immediate reaction from the US Embassy to Zelenskyy's criticism.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service

Iran's national currency, the rial, tumbled to a record low against the US dollar, as US President Donald Trump's "maximum pressure" strategy against the Islamic republic's economy continued to take its toll.

As of April 5, a dollar cost more than 1 million rials on exchange markets, as currency shops reopened for the day following closings for the Persian New Year, Nowruz.

AP reported that on Ferdowsi Street in Tehran, the heart of Iran's currency markets, some traders had turned off their shops' electronic signs displaying current rates as anticipation grew that the rial would likely drop further.

"We turned it off since we are not sure about the successive changes of the rate," Reza Sharifi, a worker at one exchange, told AP.

Trump has reinstated the "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran's economy that he initiated during his first term as Washington seeks to pressure Tehran to negotiate over its nuclear program.

Tehran claims its nuclear sector is intended solely for civilian purposes, while the United States accuses Iran of attempting to develop nuclear weapons.

"The maximum pressure campaign devastated Iran's economy and denied it critical resources. A nuclear Iran is not an option," US lawmaker Mike Lawler (Republican-New York) said on April 1.

Democratic lawmakers have also acknowledged the threat posed by Iran but stressed the importance of diplomacy.Trump in 2018 withdrew the United States from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal signed with world powers and reinstated sanctions that had been lifted in return for restrictions on Tehran's nuclear program.

When the deal went into effect, the rial traded at 32,000 to the dollar.

Trump has threatened to bomb Iran if it fails to reach a deal with Washington. Tehran has dismissed the threat, describing it as an "affront" to peace and security.

Iran in late March delivered a formal response to a letter sent by Trump letter proposing direct talks to reach a new nuclear deal.

Iran has dismissed direct negotiations as long as the "maximum pressure" campaign is in effect, but conflicting remarks out of Tehran have led some experts to speculate that such talks could resume.

Public outrage is mounting in Iran as the country's struggling economy worsens under the crippling US sanctions, placing pressure on reformist President Masud Pezeshkian, who was elected in 2024, an outcome that raised hopes of better relations with the West.

"This [the economic downturn] will make the prospects of change in the [Iran] impossible in the eyes of the people…. An angry and hungry society can take to the streets at any moment," Saeed Peyvandi, a professor of sociology at Paris 13 University, told RFE/RL's Radio Farda in February.

A pensioner who gave only his first name, Saeed, because of fears of reprisal, told AP that if Iran ceased its hostile policy toward the outside world, financial relief could be possible.

"If we want to live a comfortable life, we should maintain good ties with our neighbors. We shouldn't bare our teeth at them. They will do the same," he said.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Farda and AP

KYIV -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hailed "tangible progress" on a potential peacekeeping force after meeting with French and British military chiefs, shortly after he called out Washington for what he termed a "weak" response to the latest Russian air strike that killed nine children.

"There is tangible progress and the first details on how the security contingent of partners can be deployed," Zelenskyy said on social media on April 5 without providing specifics.

The remarks came after Ukrainian military commander Oleksandr Syrskiy and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov met with British defense chief of staff Tony Radakin and French counterpart Thierry Burkhard in Kyiv.

The comments also came ahead of a reported Russian air strike on the capital, Kyiv, in the early morning hours of April 6. "Explosions in the capital. Air defenses are working," Mayor Vitali Klitschko wrote on Telegram. There was no immediate word on casualties or damage.

In early March, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the formation of a "coalition of the willing" to establish a military mission to Ukraine, although progress has been slow and many questions remain.

French President Emmanuel Macron also has taken a leading role in the effort to create what he calls a "reassurance force" to Ukraine after any end to the war that has turned increasingly deadly following Russia’s full-scale invasion of February 2022.

"Together with the Coalition of the Willing for Ukraine, we continue our discussions on long-term support for the Ukrainian people," Macron wrote on X on April 5.

"First, for their army, which is -- and will remain -- their first line of defense; and second, on a possible reassurance force, deployed behind the line of contact to deter any renewed Russian aggression," Macron added.

British Defense Secretary John Healey is set to host EU defense ministers in Brussels on April 10 to discuss Ukraine, the Defense Ministry in London said. Healey will then lead the Ukraine Defense Contact Group with his Germany counterpart the following day.

Earlier, Zelenskyy sharply criticized what he called a "weak" US response to a Russian air attack that hit a playground, killing at least 20 people, half of whom were children.

Moscow claimed the attack, late on April 4 -- which Kyiv said involved the usage of a cluster munition -- was on a military gathering.

Verified photos and video from the scene, however, showed destruction at a playground in a residential neighborhood in the city of Kryviy Rih, Zelenskyy's hometown.

US Ambassador to Kyiv Bridget Brink said in a social media post that she was "horrified" by the strike that also injured at least 74 others, saying "this is why the war must end."

But Zelenskyy slammed the statement for failing to call out Russia by name, something that Brink -- who was appointed by former President Joe Biden -- regularly did in statements before President Donald Trump came to office.

In a social media post, he listed the names and ages -- which ranged from 3 to 17 -- of the nine children who died, while calling out Washington for Brink's statement.

"Unfortunately, the response from the US Embassy is surprisingly disappointing -- such a strong country, such a strong people, and yet such a weak reaction," he wrote.

"They are afraid to even say the word 'Russian' when speaking about the missile that murdered children."

A day of mourning has been declared for April 6 over the tragedy in Kryviy Rih, Ukrainian officials said.

The Russian strikes were one of the deadliest against civilians this year, Ukrainian officials said, and they've sparked a fresh outcry inside Ukraine that Moscow is not committed to ending the war amid ongoing US-led negotiations with both countries to broker a cease-fire.

"We must put pressure on Russia, which chooses to kill children instead of a cease-fire. We must introduce additional sanctions against those who cannot exist without ballistic strikes on neighboring people," Zelenskyy said.

Kyiv has accused Moscow of using cluster munitions on civilian targets before, but their use in the attack in Kryviy Rih adds new tensions to anger over the attacks amid efforts to strike a truce.

The weapons release smaller bomblets across a wide area to maximize an attack, with some of them detonating long after the attack, posing a continued danger to the local population.

The Ukrainian president said the attack was further evidence that additional pressure on Moscow is required to broker a cease-fire for the war.

He added that discussions have occurred with Washington about procuring more air-defense systems, saying the recent strike highlights the urgent need for them.

"We are counting on our agreements with the president of the United States, who promised to help with the search for additional 'patriots,'" he said, referring the US missile-defense system.

Trump Threatens Russia With Sanctions

US President Donald Trump has made ending the war a top foreign policy priority since taking office less than three months ago, putting pressure on both sides through various means.

Earlier this week, he reiterated threats to sanction Russian oil if Russian President Vladimir Putin was an obstacle to achieving peace.

Meanwhile, at a NATO summit of foreign ministers in Brussels this week, several of Europe's top diplomats called out Putin for failing to agree to a US-led peace proposal to end the war. Ukraine has already signed on to the deal.

The Kremlin said on April 4 that Putin and Trump had no plans to talk after a visit to Washington by the Russian president's investment envoy as wider negotiations over a Ukraine truce appeared to have slowed.

With reporting by Reuters