CULIACAN, Mexico: Mexican authorities have arrested three alleged highway robbers in connection with the suspected murder of two Australian surfers who vanished last month, prosecutors said Friday.
The tourists’ burnt-out van was found with two unidentified bodies on Nov. 21 in the violence-plagued northwestern state of Sinaloa, but authorities have not confirmed that the remains belong to the Australians.
The van belonging to Dean Lucas and Adam Coleman was stopped on Nov. 21 by a gang driving a car that flashed police-like lights on a road in Sinaloa, said chief state prosecutor Marco Antonio Higuera Gomez.
The suspects shot a long-haired man in the face when he resisted the robbery, Higuera told reporters.
The robbers killed the second man, drove the vehicle to another location and “set fire to the van with two bodies inside,” Higuera said.
“The documented reports leads to believe that the bodies found inside the burned van could be those of the Australian citizens Dean Lucas and Adam Coleman,” he said.
The prosecutor stressed that while the case was being investigated as a murder, DNA tests are due to confirm the identities of the bodies.
Two other suspects are on the run. Prosecutors did not say when the arrests were made.
“These people are part of a criminal group dedicated to vehicle thefts, drug dealing and with a history of committing murders,” Higuera said.
Municipal and federal police uniforms were seized from the suspects, who wore them to commit highway robberies, the prosecutor said. One of the gang members worked as a lookout, notifying accomplices when he saw vehicles that could be robbed.
Lucas and Coleman, both 33, were last reported to be in the Sinaloa town of Topolobampo on November 20 after arriving on a ferry from the Baja California peninsula.
The two men had driven from Edmonton, Canada and across the United States to Mexico to join Coleman’s Mexican girlfriend in the western city of Guadalajara.
Their van was discovered on Nov. 21 on a rural road of the town of Navolato. Last weekend, authorities confirmed the vehicle belonged to the Australians, raising fears about their fate.
Navolato’s mayor, Miguel Calderon, described the region as a “Bermuda Triangle” of crimes that include robberies, murders and kidnappings.
More than $60,000 has been raised on the crowdfunding website www.gofundme.com to help the two men’s parents travel to Mexico and bring their sons home.
Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop voiced “grave concerns” for the young men on Monday.
The Australian foreign affairs department issued a statement on Sunday on behalf of the families saying they were aware of reports that the van had been located and that “a tragic event has occurred.”
“The families hold deep fears for the safety of their sons but stress that they are still waiting for details to be confirmed,” the statement said.
The state is home to the powerful Sinaloa drug cartel led by fugitive drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, who broke out of a maximum security prison in July.
While tens of thousands of Mexicans have been killed and 26,000 gone missing in nearly a decade of drug violence, violent attacks on foreign tourists are less common.
In July 2014, the decomposing body of Franco-American Harry Devert was found with signs of strangulation in the southwestern state of Guerrero, six months after he went missing while crossing the country on a motorcycle. He had traveled from New York, hoping to reach Brazil for the World Cup.
Mexico arrests 3 for suspected murder of Australian surfers
Mexico arrests 3 for suspected murder of Australian surfers
Britain to cut companies’ energy bills in new industrial strategy
- “Tackling energy costs and fixing skills has been the single biggest ask of us from businesses and the greatest challenge they have faced – this government has listened,” Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said in a statement
LONDON: Britain will aim to cut the electricity bills of thousands of companies under a new industrial strategy to be published on Monday, heeding calls from business to lower high energy costs that they say have damaged competitiveness and hindered growth.
Under an industrial strategy for the decade 2025-2035, the government plans to cut the bills of electricity-intensive manufacturers by up to 25 percent from 2027, a move it said could benefit more than 7,000 businesses.
The government has made boosting Britain’s anaemic growth a key priority. But lawmakers and business leaders had highlighted the sky-high energy costs many companies face as a hindrance to that aim, with industry body Make UK saying government should scrap climate levies imposed on firms.
Britain has been under pressure to do more to support its key industries and bolster competitiveness as the United States and the European Union also seek to do likewise, in a trade landscape upended by US President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Alongside the strategy, five sectoral plans for areas such as advanced manufacturing, creative industries and clean energy are also set to be published. The Industrial Strategy focuses on eight previously identified sectors of strength for Britain, which also include defense and financial services.
The government said it would exempt energy-intensive manufacturers from levies like the Renewables Obligation to boost their international competitiveness.
“Tackling energy costs and fixing skills has been the single biggest ask of us from businesses and the greatest challenge they have faced – this government has listened,” Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said in a statement.
The government said the energy measures would be funded through reforms to the energy system, without raising household bills or taxes. The scope and eligibility for the scheme will be finalized after a consultation.
Make UK said the industrial strategy was a “giant and much needed step forward” that also tackled a skills shortage in Britain’s workforce and access to capital. The Confederation of British Industry said it was an “unambiguous, positive signal” that would provide a “bedrock for growth“
The industrial strategy, Britain’s first in eight years, will expand the state-owned British Business Bank’s capacity to channel investment into smaller companies, and provide an extra 1.2 billion pounds ($1.61 billion) a year on skills by 2028-29.
The government added it would cut regulatory burdens on businesses, spend more on research and development and speed up planning processes.
West African leaders admit security woes mounting in region
- Coups and attempted putsches have rocked nearly half of the original ECOWAS member states in the last decade, straining relations between neighbors
ABUJA: Leaders from the west African bloc ECOWAS on Sunday admitted during talks in the Nigerian capital that the region was in trouble, facing mounting unrest and political instability.
“Our region is at the crossroads,” said Sierra Leone’s Julius Maada Bio as he took over the rotating chairmanship of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) from Nigeria’s Bola Tinubu.
West Africa is “facing serious challenges, some long-standing, others new and evolving,” he said.
They included “insecurity in the Sahel and coastal states, terrorism, political instability, illicit arms flow and transnational organized crimes.”
It was time to “overhaul our collective security architecture” including intelligence-sharing and rapid response, he added. “The democratic space is under strain in parts of our region — the constitutional order has been disrupted.”
Coups and attempted putsches have rocked nearly half of the original ECOWAS member states in the last decade, straining relations between neighbors.
Three junta-led countries — Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger — quit the bloc earlier this year, setting up their own alliances.
Jihadists exploiting fraying ties between regional countries are gaining ground in the Sahel and Lake Chad region.
They have recently intensified offensives in the Sahel region, staging bloody raids in Mali, incursions into major cities in Burkina Faso and inflicting heavy army losses in Niger.
Summit host Nigeria has also witnessed a spike in attacks in recent weeks, targeting both villagers and military bases.
In his speech, outgoing ECOWAS chair Tinubu spoke of the “stark and consistent challenges that continue to impede our aspirations... violent extremism and other cross-border crimes that have continued to widen” and intensify.
The three Sahel states’ military juntas pledged during the coups that brought them to power to make security a priority.
But, like their predecessors, they are struggling to contain the advance of jihadists, who are threatening neighboring countries on the west African coast more than ever.
Tinubu said that under his leadership ECOWAS “deployed all diplomatic means” to engage the three countries and expressed confidence “that before too long, they may return” to the bloc.
Bringing the three countries back into the ECOWAS fold will be the “biggest test” of the chairmanship of Maada Bio, a former soldier who briefly led a military junta in his own country more than two decades ago, said Ikemesit Effiong, analyst with SBM Intelligence, a Lagos-based African geopolitical risk consulting firm.
The three countries have so far formed a confederation called the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). Earlier this year they announced the creation of a joint 5,000-strong force for joint military operations.
ECOWAS leaders in August 2023 mustered plans to create a military “standby force” aimed at fighting against terrorism and transnational crimes. At the time it was announced, it was aimed at the junta leaders in Niger who had toppled the sitting president.
Tinubu said ECOWAS “must act decisively to operationalize the standby force in the fight against terrorism to serve as an instrument for peace and stability for our region.”
“I am a little bit worried about the slow pace of its activation, which is taking longer than desired,” said Tinubu.
ECOWAS did not give a timeline of when it would become operational.
But the organization has a long history of military interventions having deployed since the 1990s in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Mali, Ivory Coast, the Gambia and Guinea-Bissau.
What is behind the biggest surge in internal displacement ever recorded?
- Aid agencies have recorded an unprecedented rise in displacement within countries across every global region
- More than 83 million people were internally displaced by the end of 2024 — the highest figure ever documented
DUBAI: The world is witnessing a historic surge in displacement — not across borders, but within them. Ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Sudan, coupled with the escalating frequency and intensity of climate-related disasters, continue to drive millions from their homes.
By the end of 2024, more than 83.4 million people in the world were internally displaced — the highest number yet recorded.
According to the 2025 Global Report on Internal Displacement, that figure has nearly doubled in just six years — the equivalent of displacing the entire population of Germany.
More broadly, the latest figures from UNHCR’s Global Trends Report 2025 show that the total number of forcibly displaced people worldwide — including refugees, asylum seekers, and those internally displaced — had reached 122.1 million by the end of April 2025, up from 120 million the year before.
“We are living in a time of intense volatility in international relations, with modern warfare creating a fragile, harrowing landscape marked by acute human suffering,” said Filippo Grandi, the UN high commissioner for refugees, responding to the figures.
“We must redouble our efforts to search for peace and find long-lasting solutions for refugees and others forced to flee their homes.”
While Grandi highlighted the urgent need for global solutions, experts tracking internal displacement say the crisis is becoming increasingly entrenched within national borders.
“Internal displacement is where conflict, poverty, and climate collide, hitting the most vulnerable the hardest,” Alexandra Bilak, director of the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center, said in a statement.
The latest figures reveal internal displacement is no longer just a humanitarian issue, she said, but a complex political and development challenge that continues to be overlooked.
“The data is clear — it’s now time to use it to prevent displacement, support recovery, and build resilience,” Bilak said.
The global surge in internal displacement was felt across every region in 2024, according to the Global Report on Internal Displacement.
An internally displaced person is someone forced to flee their home to escape conflict, persecution, or disaster. But unlike refugees, they remain within their country’s borders.
Sub-Saharan Africa is the epicenter of this global surge, home to 38.8 million internally displaced persons — making up almost 46 percent of the global total.
All 23 countries in the region that experienced conflict-related displacement also suffered from disaster-induced movements, compounding already dire humanitarian needs.
In the Middle East and North Africa, conflict-related displacement also surged — particularly in the Gaza Strip, where conflict has raged since October 2023. About 2 million Palestinians were forced from their homes, according to the Global Report on Internal Displacement.
The Americas likewise showed a dramatic increase, with 14.5 million people forced to flee within their national boundaries. The US alone accounted for 11 million disaster-related movements — nearly a quarter of the global total for such events.
In South Asia, disaster displacement nearly tripled, to 9.2 million, the region’s second-highest figure in more than a decade.
Conflict was the primary driver of internal displacement in 2024. In Sudan, the situation has deteriorated dramatically since fighting erupted there in April 2023.
“It has become the largest and most devastating displacement, humanitarian and protection crisis in the world today,” Tarik Argaz, a UNHCR representative, told Arab News.
As of mid-2024, more than 12.4 million people had been displaced in Sudan — including 8.1 million internally and more than 4 million who had fled to neighboring countries. These figures are based on UNHCR’s operational data collected during the continuing crisis.
By April 2025, the scale of displacement had grown further. According to UNHCR’s Global Trends Report, Sudan now represents the largest forced displacement crisis in the world, with a combined total of 14.3 million displaced people — including refugees and internally displaced people.
“Security remains the major challenge in many regions of Sudan,” Argaz said. “Access to different areas continues to change due to the dynamic nature of the conflict.”
Disasters also triggered a record 45.8 million new internal displacements — the highest since 2008. An overwhelming 99.5 percent of these were caused by climate-related events, particularly storms and floods.
Argaz said climate change and displacement are becoming increasingly interconnected.
“Adverse effects of climate change and disasters have contributed to increased forced displacement over past decades,” he said.
“As extreme weather events and environmental conditions worsen with global heating, they are contributing to multiple and overlapping crises, increasing poverty and loss of livelihoods.
“The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre estimates that over 25 million people are forced to move due to disaster-related causes each year.
“The majority of people forcibly displaced by persecution, conflict and violence today live in countries that are highly vulnerable and ill-prepared to adapt to climate change.”
INNUMBERS
• 83.4 million By the end of 2024, more than 83.4 million people in the world were internally displaced — the highest number yet recorded.
• 9.2 million In South Asia, disaster displacement nearly tripled, to 9.2 million, the region’s second-highest figure in more than a decade.
Despite ongoing challenges, UNHCR continues to provide lifesaving support — including shelter, healthcare, psychosocial services, and cash assistance — while also working with regional partners to coordinate a broader response to displacement.
In a rare sign of progress, 9.8 million forcibly displaced people returned home in 2024, including 1.6 million refugees — the most in more than two decades — and 8.2 million internally displaced persons — the second highest yet recorded.
However, many of these returns occurred under difficult political and security conditions.
A large number of Afghans, for example, were forced to return to Afghanistan in 2024, often arriving in dire circumstances. In countries such as Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, and South Sudan, new displacements unfolded even as others returned.
“Even amid the devastating cuts, we have seen some rays of hope over the last six months,” said UN High Commissioner Grandi, referring to the recent reduction in aid funding by the US and other major Western donors.
“Nearly 2 million Syrians have been able to return home after over a decade uprooted. The country remains fragile and people need our help to rebuild their lives again.”
Internally displaced persons should be afforded the same rights and freedoms as all other citizens and habitual residents of their country, Argaz said.
“Our advocacy efforts have been instrumental in supporting the protection of internally displaced persons on various fronts — from access to documentation, education, healthcare, and livelihoods, to promoting economic inclusion and the peaceful resolution of conflicts, which are often the root cause of displacement,” he said.
Internally displaced persons often face a range of protection challenges that vary depending on the context.
These typically include limited access to basic necessities such as shelter, food, water, and healthcare — particularly during emergencies and in protracted displacement situations.
Many are also vulnerable to exploitation and abuse, including gender-based violence.
Long-term solutions such as return or local integration are still out of reach for millions.
“The cost of inaction is rising,” Bilak said. “And displaced people are paying the price.”
NATO strikes spending deal, but Spain exemption claim risks Trump ire
- The country is only set to hit the alliance’s current target of two percent this year after a 10-billion-euro ($11.5 billion) injection
BRUSSELS, Belgium: NATO on Sunday signed off on a pledge to ramp up defense spending before its upcoming summit, but Madrid insisted it would not need to hit the five percent of GDP demanded by US President Donald Trump.
The claim by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez sets up a potential clash with Trump, who has pressured allies to commit to that headline figure when they meet for the two-day gathering starting on Tuesday in The Hague.
Spain had been the last holdout on a compromise deal that sees allies promise to reach 3.5 percent on core military needs over the next decade, and spend 1.5 percent on a looser category of “defense-related” expenditures such as infrastructure and cybersecurity.
Multiple diplomats at NATO said the agreement — set to be unveiled at the summit — had gone through with the approval of all 32 nations and that there was no exemption for Madrid.
But within minutes Sanchez came out saying he had struck an accord with NATO that would see his country keep respecting its commitments “without having to raise our defense spending to five percent of gross domestic product.”
“We understand the difficulty of the geopolitical context, fully respect the legitimate desire of other countries to increase their defense investment, if they so wish, but we are not going to do it,” he said.
NATO diplomats now fear that Spain’s position could undermine its carefully choreographed show of unity with Trump in The Hague, which already risks being overshadowed by the US decision to strike Iran.
“Not ok,” one diplomat said, on condition of anonymity.
Madrid’s claims came after Sanchez on Thursday threw a last-minute grenade into preparations for the gathering in the Netherlands by taking a strong stand against the agreement.
In a blistering letter to NATO chief Mark Rutte, Sanchez said that committing to a headline figure of five percent of GDP “would not only be unreasonable, but also counterproductive.”
That prompted a warning from Trump that “Spain has to pay what everybody else has to pay.”
“NATO is going to have to deal with Spain,” he told reporters on Friday, calling the country “notorious” for spending less on defense than other alliance members.
The outburst from Madrid’s center-left leader also sparked fury from other NATO members desperate to keep Trump — who has threatened not to protect allies spending too little — on their side.
The pledge is seen as key both to satisfying Trump and helping NATO build up the forces it needs to deter Russia.
After several days of wrangling involving Sanchez and Rutte, officials said Spain on Sunday signed off on the pledge.
Diplomats said that language around the spending pledge in the summit’s final declaration had been slightly softened from “we commit,” to “allies commit.”
They insisted the fundamentals of the deal remained intact and that it applied to Spain.
But government sources in Madrid said the linguistic tweak meant only those countries that opted-in were covered by the promise and that Rutte was set to send a letter to Sanchez saying that Spain will have “flexibility.”
Sanchez is facing a difficult balancing act of aligning with NATO allies and cajoling his junior coalition partner, the far-left alliance Sumar, which is hostile to increasing military spending.
Spain has been one of the lowest-spending NATO countries on defense in relative terms.
The country is only set to hit the alliance’s current target of two percent this year after a 10-billion-euro ($11.5 billion) injection.
UN chief warns of cycle of retaliation after US bombs Iran
- ‘The people of the region cannot endure another cycle of destruction,’ Guterres said Sunday
- IAEA chief noted that no one had been able to assess the underground damage at Fordo nuclear facility
United Nations chief Antonio Guterres warned Sunday against yet “another cycle of destruction” and retaliation following the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, which he said marked a “perilous turn” in the region.
“I have repeatedly condemned any military escalation in the Middle East,” the secretary-general told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.
“The people of the region cannot endure another cycle of destruction. And yet, we now risk descending into a rathole of retaliation after retaliation.”
Rafael Grossi, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), also called for restraint as he voiced fears over “potential widening” of the conflict.
“We have a window of opportunity to return to dialogue and diplomacy. If that window closes, violence and destruction could reach unthinkable levels and the global non-proliferation regime as we know it could crumble and fall,” Grossi said.
Speaking to the Security Council by video link, he said there were visible craters at Iran’s key Fordo nuclear facility, “indicating the use by the United States of America of ground-penetrating munitions.”
But Grossi noted that no one had been able to assess the underground damage at Fordo.
He added that “armed attacks on nuclear facilities should never take place and could result in radioactive releases with grave consequences within and beyond the boundaries of the State which has been attacked.”
