03 World
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DUBROVNIK, Croatia — DUBROVNIK, Croatia (AP) — Croatia and Bosnia signed an agreement Tuesday to build a gas pipeline designed to reduce energy dependency on Russia in the volatile Balkans region.
The Southern Interconnection pipeline will link Bosnia with Croatia’s gas network and the liquefied natural gas terminal on the Adriatic Sea island of Krk. Bosnia has designated a U.S.-based company, AAFS Infrastructure and Energy, as the project’s investor and developer.
Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and the chair of Bosnia’s Council of Ministers, Borjana Kristo, signed the deal in the presence of U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright on the sidelines of a summit of the countries of the Baltic, Black and Adriatic regions.
Plenkovic on social media said the gas pipeline would help diversify supplies: “We are strengthening energy security and independence … which is especially important in these challenging global circumstances.”
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Britain’s King Charles told the U.S. Congress on Tuesday that despite an age of uncertainty and conflict in Europe and the Middle East, the UK and the U.S. will always be staunch allies united in defending democracy, at a time of deep divisions between the two long-time allies over the war with Iran.
“Whatever our differences, whatever disagreements we may have, we stand united in our commitment to uphold democracy, to protect all our people from harm, and to salute the courage of those who daily risk their lives in the service of our countries,” Charles told U.S. lawmakers during a rare speech to a joint meeting of the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, and after a prolonged standing ovation at his entrance with Queen Camilla.
Charles’ address came on the second day of a four-day state visit to the U.S. during a tense time in relations between the two countries, after U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for what Trump says is his lack of help in prosecuting the Iran war.
“I come here today with the highest respect for the United States Congress – this citadel of democracy created to represent the voice of all American people to advance sacred rights and freedoms,” Charles said.
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The State Department, following reports by Fox News and The Bulwark, confirmed it would offer a limited-edition passport to mark this year’s 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence.
The articles included two images set to appear inside the passports, one of Trump’s official photo imposed over the Declaration of Independence, with his signature — in gold — underneath.
The second showed a historic painting of the US Founding Fathers.
“As the United States celebrates America’s 250th anniversary in July, the State Department is preparing to release a limited number of specially designed US passports to commemorate this historic occasion,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said on X, linking to the Fox News piece.
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70 structures. 11 US military bases overseas. Seven countries. $5 billion in damage.
The damage inflicted by Iranian forces on American and allied bases in the Middle East during the opening weeks of Operation Epic Fury will have substantial financial consequences. Not only will America’s now-degraded forward troop presence change as a result, but the deliberations over what to rebuild will be time-consuming and highly consequential.
After rebuilding and repairs, US military force posture across Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, and Iraq is likely to shift locations, and shrink in the Gulf overall. Given the way in which the war in Iran has revealed America’s shallow munitions stockpiles and limited air defenses, the remaining open question for US allies and partners is: Are US bases still a net benefit to their security? The implications for force planning and modernization could see major disruptions depending on how the US and Gulf governments answer this question.
| Country | Base | Estimated Damage |
| Bahrain | 5th Fleet Headquarters | 2 SATCOM terminals, 2 radomes, and 3 large warehouses |
| Iraq | Erbil Military Base | 1 storage building |
| Jordan | Muwaffaq Salti Air Base | 1 general administrative building |
| Kuwait | Ali Al Salem Air Base | 3 hangars, parts of the runway, 15 small warehouses, 1 maintenance shed |
| Kuwait | Camp Arifjan | 6 radomes, 4 small and large warehouses, 1 general administrative building, 1 maintenance shed |
| Kuwait | Camp Buehring | 1 SATCOM terminal, 1 hanger, 4 small and large warehouses |
| Kuwait | Shuaiba Port | 1 general administrative building |
| Qatar | Al Udeid Air Base | Parts of the runway |
| Saudi Arabia | Prince Sultan Air Base | 1 small warehouse, 1 radome |
| UAE | Al Dhafra Air Base | 2 general administrative buildings, 2 small hangars, 1 medical clinic, 6 fuel storages, 1 barracks |
| UAE | Al Ruwais Military Base | 5 small warehouses, 2 general administrative buildings |
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An 89-year-old gunman allegedly opened fire inside two Athens government buildings Tuesday, wounding at least four people in a rare outbreak of violence that rattled Greece’s tightly controlled gun landscape and ended with his arrest hours later.
Police said the suspect first stormed a social security office, went up to the fourth floor and fired, striking an employee in the leg. Officials said the gunman warned one worker to duck before pulling the trigger, though he didn’t appear to specifically target the employee he hit.
“He went in, went up to the fourth floor, raised his shotgun, told an employee to duck and hit another one,” Alexandros Varveris, head of Greece’s National Social Security Fund, told state broadcaster ERT radio.
The wounded man was treated at the scene, but the suspect fled and later opened fire again inside a courthouse in another part of the city, where several people were wounded.
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King Charles III delivered an address to a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress Tuesday afternoon as part of his four-day visit to the U.S.
“The bond of kinship and identity between America and the United Kingdom is priceless and eternal,” he said. “It is irreplaceable and unbreakable.”
“The alliance that our two nations have built over the centuries, and for which we are profoundly grateful to the American people, is truly unique,” he said, adding that it’s “more important today than it has ever been.”
Congressional leaders invited Charles to share his vision “for the future of our special relationship and reaffirm our alliance at this pivotal time in history,” and ahead of the U.S.’ 250th anniversary of independence from British rule.
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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz took aim at the realities facing the United States in its war against Iran. Speaking to students in Marsberg, the German head of state did not hold back, stating that the “entire nation is being humiliated” by Iran.
When the war first broke out, Merz backed Trump and his actions in Iran, saying the U.S. was doing the dirty work for the world. Now, with the war dragging on, he is sharply changing his tune as his approval drops to rock-bottom support levels.
The chancellor specifically noted the role of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in putting the U.S. in its current predicament. He also took issue with having started the war, thinking it would be an easy win. And America, he made clear, should have learned from its own history by now from other failed wars.
German Chancellor Merz: It is quite obvious that the Americans have absolutely no coherent strategy whatsoever.
And the fundamental problem with these kinds of conflicts is always the same: it is not enough to simply get yourself in—you must also figure out how to get yourself… pic.twitter.com/TnzH5Aea9O
— MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) April 27, 2026
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You can find the Assessing American Alliances Interactive Map on our main project page or view it on its own at this link. You can access and interact with the map on desktop or on mobile, though we recommend using a device with a larger screen, such as a computer or tablet.
As you open the map, you will see a popup window that gives a brief overview of the map contents. This popup window will be updated to include the current release version of the map, the most recent date any data was updated, and the best way to reach the team for feedback or to report an issue with the map’s data or functionality. Dismissing this window will bring you to the default view of the map and allow you to begin interacting with its contents.
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When the start-up Fermi America announced plans to build the Donald J. Trump Advanced Energy and Intelligence Campus near Amarillo, Texas, last year, investors clamored for a chance to cash in on the artificial intelligence boom sweeping through the U.S. economy.
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Chinese researchers have unveiled a groundbreaking ‘Zero-Carbon-Emission Direct Coal Fuel Cell’ (ZC-DCFC) that fundamentally transforms coal-based energy. Led by Xie Heping at Shenzhen University, this innovation bypasses traditional combustion – the process responsible for massive carbon emissions and energy loss in conventional power plants. By utilising electrochemical oxidation, the system converts coal’s chemical energy directly into electricity, as noted in the Energy Reviews journal.
This closed-loop technology not only prevents the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere but also captures it in situ, converting it into valuable chemical feedstocks like synthesis gas or sodium bicarbonate. This development challenges long-standing assumptions about the environmental impact of coal, potentially providing a cleaner pathway for utilising vast fossil fuel reserves.
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The 142m-long (465 ft) multi-deck luxury boat, named Nord, is linked to sanctioned Russian billionaire Alexei Mordashov. It travelled from Dubai to Muscat, Oman, over the weekend – one of few private vessels to transit through the strait in recent months.
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Why are these parasites continue to enjoy our protection and aid? If we won’t leave NATO, then those who don’t support NATO must leave.
Socialist Spain Blocks US Military Aircraft From Airspace
🚨 IT’S OFFICIAL: Spain BANNED the US Air Force refueling tankers involved in the Iran war from flying through Spain airspace
Spain is a NATO “ally”
What a freaking disgrace.
Pull out of NATO! pic.twitter.com/hEkjhOf0Ei
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) April 6, 2026
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Cole Thomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, has been identified by multiple media outlets as the suspect in custody following the Saturday shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, attended by US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.
According to CNN, Allen had shared posts comparing Trump to Hitler and even called upon others who criticised his presidency to purchase guns. His activity on social media ranged from posts about video games to angry political messages.
The postings on his handles appear to mirror sentiments from a message Allen allegedly sent to family members prior to the attack, in which he outlined a plan to target Trump administration officials and voiced his grievances over their conduct.
Moreover, investigators told the publication that Allen showed ‘animosity’ towards Trump and his administration.