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U.S. President Donald Trump claimed his government was holding productive talks with Tehran. But fighting showed no signs of slowing, and Iran denied there were talks. Mr. Trump extended his deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz on Monday. He says the U.S. will hold off striking Iranian power plants for five more days to allow talks with a 鈥渞espected鈥� Iranian leader. Iranian officials say the American leader backed down. 鈥� The Associated Press

The Senate made Markwayne Mullin the next Homeland Security secretary. Confirmed Monday, the Oklahoma senator replaces Kristi Noem, whom the president fired amid conflict of interest concerns. Secretary Mullin inherits DHS amid a weekslong funding freeze, heightened threats from the Iran war, and public criticism of aggressive immigration enforcement. President Donald Trump 鈥� a friend 鈥� has called Secretary Mullin a 鈥淢AGA Warrior.鈥�

The E.U. made headway on two landmark free trade deals. An agreement with Australia will remove over 99% of tariffs on EU goods to Australia and improve access to raw materials. It is expected to save the EU 鈧�1 billion per year in customs duties. Meanwhile, an E.U.-Mercosur free trade deal with Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina will launch May 1. Both deals were the product of years of talks and are part the EU鈥檚 strategy to reduce its reliance on the U.S. and China. The Mercosur deal will link 700 million people and account for a quarter of the global gross domestic product.

Danish voters head to the polls in an election shaped by the Greenland standoff. Prime Minister Mette Fredriksen has been in power since 2019, but polls showed her party losing popularity. She called for parliamentary elections last month, earlier than planned, in hopes that her strong stand against U.S. threats to the Danish territory of Greenland would boost support.
Our coverage: As the world fights over Greenland, its people fight for their own values

London counterterrorism police are investigating an arson attack against Jewish charity ambulances. The four vehicles, run by the volunteer organization Hatzola, provide free emergency responses in north London. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer denounced the attack, which is being investigated as a possible antisemitic hate crime. The country鈥檚 head rabbi called it a 鈥渟ickening assault.鈥� More than 1,000 antisemitic acts have been reported in London during the last 12 months, according to the Metropolitan Police.

Facing a mounting energy crisis, Ukraine looks to import liquified natural gas from Mozambique. After a meeting in the African nation Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Reuters the deal would be a win-win. Mozambique has large gas reserves that could help Ukraine meet its energy needs amid Russian attacks on its energy infrastructure. Meanwhile, Kiev possesses 鈥渆xperience and technologies鈥� to assist President Daniel Chapo鈥檚 fight against an Islamist insurgency threatening the nation鈥檚 nascent natural gas industry.

The United Kingdom plans big cuts in aid to African countries. The nearly 鈧�900 million cut by 2028-29 will be part of a 40% reduction in overall aid spending, with funds redirected toward defense. Conflict zones 鈥� specifically Sudan, Ukraine, and some Palestinian areas 鈥� will now see the most U.K. aid spending. The chief executive officer of the U.K. network for nongovernmental organizations told The Guardian that Africa and the Middle East will 鈥渂e forced to pay the highest price because of the reduced budget.鈥�

鈥� Compiled by Monitor writers around the world

While markets welcomed the possibility of talks to end the Iran war, Asian nations are set to bear the brunt of what might be the worst oil crisis in more than 50 years.

Germany was supposed to have learned how to protect itself from energy shocks after the fallout from the Ukraine war. But the Iran war has shown that gaps still exist. What went wrong?

At least 18 U.S. states and territories allow officials to count ballots received after Election Day if they鈥檙e postmarked beforehand. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on a case that could restrict this practice and affect this year鈥檚 midterm elections.

The arrival of Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel, expected at more than a dozen major airports in the U.S., was the latest move in a standoff between Republicans and Democrats over funding for the Department of Homeland Security. Despite the high-profile deployment, negotiations remained stalled.

The beloved monarch butterfly has been at risk for decades. But local activists and experts have been able to help preserve some of the species鈥� natural habitat, which has boosted the population of monarchs in the short term.

About 10 years ago, backlash against an influx of Eastern European immigrants 鈥� mainly from Poland 鈥� helped propel Brexit, the United Kingdom鈥檚 decision to leave the European Union. (That, in turn, led thousands of Poles to leave the U.K.)

A little more than 10 days ago, The London Times published a guide for citizens of the U.K. about picking up their lives and moving ... to Poland! 鈥淲ith a lower cost of living and a booming tech industry, [Poland] is calling to many Brits,鈥� the Times stated.

This turnaround highlights how economic progress in the formerly communist nation has taken place side by side with growth in democratic values and institutions that reward individual effort and innovation.

鈥淧oland ... stands as one of history鈥檚 most remarkable examples of how embracing democratic institutions and a free-market economy can radically transform a nation and propel it [to] rapid development,鈥� the Atlantic Council noted in a report last year. The document cited 鈥渢hree foundational pillars of a free society 鈥� rule of law, democracy, and [a] market economy鈥� 鈥� as contributing to Poland鈥檚 ability to thrive.

These pillars are cemented in Poland鈥檚 history of resisting and overthrowing decades of communist rule in the late 1980s, when citizens lacked basic foods as well as freedoms.

Today, 85% of Poles say that 鈥渓iving in a democratically governed country is definitely important,鈥� according to a survey conducted last month by the College of Eastern Europe in Wroc艂aw. Most respondents, the report said, displayed a 鈥渞everence and respect for democracy,鈥� pointing to aspects such as freedom of speech and expression, the ability to make decisions about their own lives, and the influence they can have on society and politics.

Seeking to join the European Union (which it did in 2004), Poland has built frameworks for civil liberty and business, including an independent judiciary, banking regulations, and an anti-monopoly agency. Its economy has grown 3.8% annually and combines agriculture, manufacturing, finance, tech, and services. It is now among the world鈥檚 20 largest economies, having recently displaced Switzerland from that group.

The Polish people鈥檚 commitment to political and economic openness is notable, in a context of growing right-wing nationalism at home and the war raging along its eastern border. Poland has taken in more than 1 million refugees since Russia鈥檚 full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. But it has turned that to an advantage by tapping their skills to increase both the workforce and the tax base.

As it confronts a shrinking and aging population, Poland is fortunate that skilled citizens wish to return home from the United States and Western Europe, and those in the country already don鈥檛 want to leave.

鈥淧oland has ... so many opportunities for development, that of course I am staying,鈥� a young graduate student told The Associated Press this month. 鈥淧oland is promising.鈥�

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