3 INJURED IN ODESA DRONE ATTACK Russia has resumed drone attacks on Ukraine, injuring three people in Odesa, while reportedly making advances in Kursk and Donetsk. Meanwhile, the Kremlin says it has "no concrete plans" for peace talks. Ukrainian, US and European officials are due to convene in London on Wednesday at a meeting where the "primary task," in the words of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, will be to push for an unconditional ceasefire. French, British and German already met at a preparatory convention in Paris last Thursday. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said it was important to lay out Europe's "red lines" to the United States regarding any potential peace deal in Ukraine. "The only objective that concerns us is the defense of French interests and European security," he told FranceInfo. "That's why, as the US decides to place itself in the mediator position, we are making them hear what our red lines are." 22nd April,2025

RUSSIA'S ROLE IN TRAFFICKING Libya's robust infrastructure for human traffickers and smugglers serves domestic and Russian enterprises,Ever since the toppling of Bashar Assad in Syria in December, Russia has been unsure whether its armed forces will be able to maintain their naval base at the Mediterranean port of Tartus and the Hmeimim airbase further north. This uncertainty has prompted Russia to shift its focus to Libya. "In the immediate aftermath of the fall of the Assad regime [...] you had a lot of flights and cargo ships taking Russian material from bases in Syria toward Libya," Tarek Megerisi, an analyst at the think tank European Council on Foreign Relations and author of a recent study on Russia's influence in Libya, told DW. "So, it was clear at that point that in Moscow's eyes, Libya is the safe space for it in the Mediterranean," he added. According to a report published in March by the New York-based think tank The Soufan Center, this is not the first time that Russian ships have called at the Tobruk naval base in eastern Libya. The strategic port is under the control of Khalifa Haftar, the warlord and commander of the Libyan National Army militia who rules large parts of the east of the divided country. Russian ship at Turkey's Bosporus en route to LibyaRussian ship at Turkey's Bosporus en route to Libya Russian ships are said to frequently transport weapons to LibyaImage: Yörük I??k/ICIJ "In June 2024, two Russian destroyers visited the Haftar-controlled Tobruk naval base. The warships' visit was billed as a training mission but was likely a continuation of the delivery of artillery to the [Libyan National Army] for potential use against its rivals in Tripoli or for export to anti-Western military forces in neighboring countries," the study highlighted. Moscow looks to Libya to bolster interests Moscow's interests in Libya are also represented by mercenary militias such as the former Wagner Group, which now operates under the name "Africa Corps." According to Megerisi, Moscow is pursuing several interests in Libya, which has been rattled by years of civil war. In principle, Russia is striving to establish a military presence in the Mediterranean, the expert told DW. So far, this had mainly been concentrated in Syria. Megerisi also pointed out that Moscow was interested in commercializing local natural resources, especially energy deposits. Under pressure from Western sanctions, Russia is also trying to find consumers for its exports. As Megerisi noted, Libya is an important export buyer for Russian weapons. Haftar's son expands Libya's role as 'hot spot for smuggling' In the Libyan conflict, Russia has been supporting the renegade commander Haftar for years. "He remains Moscow's most important partner," Ulf Laessing, head of the German political foundation Konrad Adenauer Foundation's Sahel regional program in Mali, told DW. "The Russians also have diplomatic ties to the western part of the country and to its capital, Tripoli, but the focus is clearly on Haftar," he added. However, this has become increasingly risky, as Haftar is now 81 years old and his rule may well be fragile in the face of political pressure from the US. One of his sons, Saddam Haftar — against whom Spain issued an arrest warrant in 2024 on suspicion of arms smuggling — has established himself as Russia's point of contact in Libya in recent years, as Megerisi pointed out in his study. He's provided Russia with a network of Libyan military bases, the expert explained. "Russia has used all this to help Haftar's putative heir, Saddam Haftar, expand Libya's role as a hot spot for smuggling of weapons, drugs, fuel — and people," Megerisi stated. Wagner's presence in Africa and what it gets in return 01:36 For years, flights from Syria to eastern Libya were operated mainly by a private Syrian airline, as Laessing noted. "They brought migrants from Asia, such as Pakistan and Bangladesh, to eastern Libya. From there, they were transferred to ships that set off for Italy." Business based on suffering According to Megerisi, human trafficking follows a fixed pattern. "On arrival, migrants hand over their informal visas to [Haftar's forces], who detain [the people] until they receive payment by the network. They are then held for between several days to several weeks, typically in inhuman conditions, before being taken to 'launch points' where they board boats towards Europe. At this point, Saddam [Hafter] is paid again for his coastguard units to allow boats through: $100 dollars per migrant for 'smaller boats' ... or an $80,000 flat fee for larger boats," he wrote in his study. Others are taken to western Libya, Megerisi added: "This demonstrates how Libyan armed groups cross political divides in pursuit of profit." The routes migrants choose to reach Libya vary, depending on where they've come from. While Africans mostly arrive by land, people from Asia tend to come by plane. Afterwards, they usually pass through various points of contact until they reach eastern Libya, where they are handed over to Haftar's network. 22nd April,2025

POPE FRANCIS GOES HOME Pope Francis' funeral will take place this Saturday, April 26, the Vatican said in a statement. The pope's casket will be moved into St. Peter's Basilica on Wednesday for public viewing. Pope Francis' funeral will be held on Saturday, April 26, at 10.00 a.m. (0800 GMT) at St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican said in a statement. Francis' open coffin has been placed at an altar in his former residence, the chapel of the Santa Marta guesthouse. He will be moved to St. Peter's Basilica on Wednesday. The funeral is set to bring world leaders together at the Vatican, with German outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz among the world leaders to confirm their attendance. Cardinals will also decide the next pope after the end of the official period of mourning that lasts for nine days after the funeral. The Italian government has declared a five-day period of national mourning and flags flew at half-staff in countries including India, Australia, Taiwan and the US. We will continue to cover what you need to know about reactions to the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday, and what happens next. 22nd April,2025

PREZ ZELENSKYY VISIT SOUTH AFRICA Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit South Africa for the first time this Thursday, April 24. The occasion is a working visit with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in Pretoria with the purpose of building stronger ties between the two nations. Yet some say a potential peace deal between Russia and Ukraine will likely be a major topic. "I'm absolutely certain it will be part of the agenda," says Dr. Oscar van Heerden, research associate at the University of Johannesburg's Centre for Diplomacy and Leadership. "I think the South African government doesn't want to raise expectations…and certainly doesn't want to outline their true intentions. But we know that President Ramaphosa led an African peace mission that went to Ukraine and met with Zelenskyy and others, as well as with President Putin. So there is some interest, and I'm certain at some point during the working visit, Ramaphosa and Zelenskyy are going to find time to reflect on that." The skyline of the city of Pretoria.The skyline of the city of Pretoria. Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit Pretoria for the first timeImage: PHILL MAGAKOE via REUTERS Peace deal on the cards? The delegation of African heads of state traveled to Ukraine and Russia in June 2023 with the hope of facilitating a peace deal between the two countries. While the talks didn't yield immediate results, Ukraine has since committed to improving relations with African nations by sharing technological and military experience. Ukraine also pledged to open 10 additional embassies in African countries. South Africa is a member of the BRICS group of countries, which is named after the initials of its founding nations, Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa. Through this membership, South Africa has a unique type of access to Russia that could be beneficial in peace talks. Cyril Ramaphosa's African National Congress (ANC) party has ties with Russia that pre-date the war, while the South African leader has created controversy with his coalition partners from the Democratic Alliance (DA) due to his warm relationship with President Putin. Yet for this reason, Van Heerden can imagine South African president Cyril Ramaphosa as something of a mediator. "Because South Africa is part of an alliance structure like BRICS, and because South Africa has friendly relations with the Russian Federation, it is better for President Ramaphosa to take matters to directly to President Putin and say 'this is what Zelensky is putting on the table'," Van Heerden says. 22nd April,2025

POLICE CHIEF WARNS OF 'COCAINE SURGE' Germany is experiencing a "cocaine surge" amid a more general increase in the use of hard drugs, according to the head of the country's Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA). "Cocaineis spreading rapidly in Germany," Holger Münch was quoted as saying in comments published by the RND news network on Tuesday. Münch said that the focus of the international drug trade is switching to Europe because "the market in North America is saturated." According to Germany's 2024 crime statistics quoted by the DPA news agency, the number of cocaine-related offenses in the country increased by nearly 5% last year. Münch also warned of changing dynamics in the global heroin market caused by an opium ban imposed by the new Taliban government in Afghanistan. "This has created a shortage and therefore increased the risk of [heroin being cut with] synthetic opioids, which poses a higher risk for consumers," he explained, highlighting issues caused by fentanyl in the United States, even though heroin-related offenses in Germany were down last year. Packages of cocaine hidden in a box of bananas 22nd April,2025

BEER SALES DOWN AT HOME AND ABROAD German beer exports are down 6% from the level registered 10 years ago, according to figures released by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on Tuesday. The reduced exports go hand in hand with a much larger drop in beer consumption in Germany itself, which has fallen by 15.1% in the last ten years, Destatis said. The statistics were made public ahead of German Beer Day, an annual event to be celebrated on Wednesday. Exports more stable than domestic demand According to Destatis, 1.45 billion liters (3.83 million US gallons) of German beer were exported in 2024 as opposed to 1.54 billion liters in 2014. More than half of the beer exported last year (55.7%) went to other EU member states, with 44.3% being sent to countries outside the bloc. The drop in thirst for German beer was even more evident at home, with 6.8 billion liters sold in 2024 as compared with 8 billion liters in 2014. The statistics show that exports now make up 17.6% of beer sales, up 1.5 percentage points from 2014. Destatis gave no reasons for the sinking demand for beer, but alcohol consumption is going down in many countries, including Germany, possibly amid a growing consciousness of the negative health consequences of drinking. Non-alcoholic beer has, however, been seeing a huge increase in sales in Germany as those of alcoholic beverages fall. 22nd April,2025

EASTER TRUCE ENDS On Monday, a brief and unexpected Easter truce in the Ukraine war declared by Russian President Vladimir Putin came to an end. It lasted barely 30 hours. During that time, both Ukraine and Russia repeatedly accused each other of violating the ceasefire and launching new attacks. DW takes a closer look at the timing, the motives — and the fallout from this short-lived pause in fighting. How did the truce start The ceasefire was initiated by Russia, with Putin announcing it unilaterally just two hours before it began on Saturday. He claimed the decision was made for "humanitarian reasons." Following Putin's statement, Volodymyr Zelenskyy initially accused the Russian president of playing with people's lives but eventually agreed to the ceasefire. What Russia and Ukraine have said about the results Most Kyiv residents that DW spoke with said they were skeptical from the start about Putin's so-called "humanitarian" gesture. "I don't believe it for a second. Putin never keeps his word. It's all a farce," said one woman. Volodymyr Fesenko, chair of the Penta Center for Applied Political Studies in Kyiv, said Russia deliberately provoked fighting during the ceasefire and used the pause as cover to launch assault operations in certain areas. On Monday, Zelenskyy wrote on his Telegram channel that Russia violated front-line silence 2,935 times during the ceasefire. 22nd April,2025

MAN MARCH FOR PEACE Josip Jelinic, a Catholic pilgrim, plans to walk through Bosnia and Herzegovina to promote peace and reconciliation between the ethnic groups. His 45-day pilgrimage is touching the hearts of many along the way. 22nd April,2025