politics

'Bring it on': UK's Labour readies for EU reset fight

BY PETER HUTCHISON AND MARIE HEUCLIN

Three years of bitter parliamentary wrangling about what Britain's relationship with the EU should look like post-departure followed the vote, ultimately leading to the resignation of Theresa May as prime minister.

Britain's so-called Brexit wars dominated parliament for years.
Three years of bitter parliamentary wrangling about what Britain's relationship with the EU should look like post-departure followed the vote, ultimately leading to the resignation of Theresa May as prime minister.

Britain's so-called Brexit wars dominated parliament for years. Now the Labour government is bracing for new battles as it eyes legislation to move closer to the European Union.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer immediately set about repairing and rebuilding relations with the 27-member bloc after winning the July 2024 election that ousted the Conservatives after 14 years in power.

He hopes a deeper relationship with European neighbours can help fire up Britain's insipid economy and inject life into a premiership that has so far been deeply unpopular with the public.

His Labour government is preparing to introduce a bill that would provide a legal framework for his much-touted "reset" of relations with the EU.

Despite Labour's crushing majority in parliament, the move is expected to be fiercely opposed by the right-wing opposition parties -- the Conservatives, who took Britain out of the EU, and hard-right Reform UK, which leads opinion polls.

"Bring it on," a UK government official told AFP, referring to likely "Brexit betrayal" claims from the Tories and Reform's leader, arch-Eurosceptic Nigel Farage.

The move also risks splitting open divisions within Labour, including over whether the party should breach a manifesto promise not to rejoin the EU customs union.

Last year, Starmer struck an economic agreement with EU leaders that aims to boost trade by easing red tape on food and plant exports.

They also agreed to work on a new electricity deal that would integrate the UK into the EU's internal electricity market, with the intention of lowering energy costs.

'Brexit damage'

The agreements form part of Britain aligning itself with EU rules in certain areas.

The bill has not been published yet but the government official, who asked not to be named, said it would provide a "mechanism" for an alignment.

"The bill will provide the powers to adopt the rules and set out the role parliament will play in that," the official said.

The government hopes to introduce the legislation in the spring or summer, meaning it could coincide with the 10th anniversary of the Brexit referendum, which was held in June 2016.

Three years of bitter parliamentary wrangling about what Britain's relationship with the EU should look like post-departure followed the vote, ultimately leading to the resignation of Theresa May as prime minister.

The deadlock was broken when her successor, Boris Johnson, won a landslide general election victory in December 2019 to force through the exit.

Opinion polls regularly now show that most Britons regret the razor-thin vote to leave the EU and view the Brexit project as a failure, something Starmer hopes can work in his favour.

"Labour members are almost wholly united in wanting to see some of the damage done by the Tory-Farage Brexit exposed and fixed," said one supportive Labour MP.

"Closer alignment helps our economic message, has the backing of members and most MPs, and will provide a boost to British business," the lawmaker, who asked not to be named, told AFP.

But not all Labour MPs are in agreement.

Thirteen of them recently voted in favour of a bill by the pro-EU centrist Liberal Democrat party that called for the UK to begin negotiations to rejoin a customs union with the EU.

'Do more'

Health Secretary Wes Streeting, widely seen as the favourite to succeed Starmer as Labour's next leader, has indicated his support for such an agreement.

Starmer has come out against a customs union, however, insisting that he favours closer realignment with the EU's single market.

"I want us to do more," one Labour MP who feels Starmer is not being bold enough told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Other Labour lawmakers would rather he left the issue alone.

"We said we wouldn't re-open the Brexit debate and now we are doing exactly that," MP Jonathan Hinder told AFP.

"We can create a fairer, socialist Britain while outside the EU and that is what we should be focused on doing."

A UK government spokesperson said in a statement that the reset was "improving our diplomatic, economic and security cooperation and will be worth £9.0 billion ($12 billion) to the UK economy by 2040".

"We will legislate to deliver on this and further details of the bill will be announced in due course."

The deputy director for the Centre for European Reform think tank, Ian Bond, said that whether the bill is "a game changer will depend on exactly how much latitude the British government gives itself".

"If it holds its nerve, it really doesn't need to pay any attention to these noises," he said.

But he added he felt ministers were "all terrified that if they do anything too bold, Reform will criticise them for it".

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Kurds

Syrian army extends hold over north Syria, Kurds report clashes

BY BAKR ALKASEM AND OMAR HAJ KADOUR

The SDF controls swathes of Syria's oil‑rich north and northeast, areas captured during the civil war and the fight against the Islamic State group over the past decade.

Syria's army has seized swathes of the country's north, dislodging Kurdish forces from territory over which they held effective autonomy for more than a decade.
The SDF controls swathes of Syria's oil‑rich north and northeast, areas captured during the civil war and the fight against the Islamic State group over the past decade.

Syria's army has seized swathes of the country's north, dislodging Kurdish forces from territory over which they held effective autonomy for more than a decade.

The government appeared to be extending its grip on Kurdish-run areas after President Ahmed al-Sharaa issued a decree declaring Kurdish a "national language" and granting the minority group official recognition.

The Kurds have said Friday's announcement fell short of their aspirations, while the implementation of a March deal -- intended to see Kurdish forces integrated into the state -- has stalled.

Government troops drove Kurdish forces from two Aleppo neighbourhoods last week and on Saturday took control of an area east of the city.

On Sunday, the government announced the capture of Tabqa, about 55 kilometres (34 miles) west of Raqa.

"The Syrian army controls the strategic city of Tabqa in the Raqqa countryside, including the Euphrates Dam, which is the largest dam in Syria," said Information Minister Hamza Almustafa, according to the official SANA news agency.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), however, said they had "taken the necessary measures to restore security and stability" in Tabqa.

In Deir Hafer, some 50 kilometres east of Aleppo city, an AFP correspondent saw several SDF fighters leaving the town and residents returning under heavy army presence.

Syria's army said four soldiers had been killed, while Kurdish forces reported several fighters dead. Both sides traded blame for violating a withdrawal deal.

Kurdish authorities ordered a curfew in the Raqa region after the army designated a swathe of territory southwest of the Euphrates River a "closed military zone", warning it would target what it said were several military sites.

The SANA news agency reported Sunday that the SDF destroyed two bridges over the Euphrates in Raqa city, which lies on the eastern bank of the river.

Raqa's media directorate separately accused the SDF of cutting off Raqa city's water supply by blowing up the main water pipes.

Deir Ezzor governor Ghassan Alsayed Ahmed said on social media that the SDF fired "rocket projectiles" at neighbourhoods in government-controlled territories in the city centre of Deir Ezzor, Al-Mayadin, and other areas.

The SDF said "factions affiliated with the Damascus government attacked our forces' positions" and caused clashes in several towns on the east bank of the Euphrates, opposite Al-Mayadin and which lie between Deir Ezzor and the Iraqi border.

'Betrayed'

On Friday, Syrian Kurdish leader and SDF chief Mazloum Abdi had committed to redeploying his forces from outside Aleppo to east of the Euphrates.

But the SDF said Saturday that Damascus had "violated the recent agreements and betrayed our forces", with clashes erupting with troops south of Tabqa.

The army urged the SDF to "immediately fulfil its announced commitments and fully withdraw" east of the river.

The SDF controls swathes of Syria's oil‑rich north and northeast, areas captured during the civil war and the fight against the Islamic State group over the past decade.

US envoy Tom Barrack met Abdi in Erbil on Saturday, the presidency of Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region said.

While Washington has long supported Kurdish forces, it has also backed Syria's new authorities.

US Central Command on Saturday urged Syrian government forces "to cease any offensive actions in the areas between Aleppo and al‑Tabqa".

France's President Emmanuel Macron and the president of Iraqi Kurdistan, Nechirvan Barzani, also called for de-escalation and a ceasefire.

Presidential decree

Sharaa's announcement on Friday marked the first formal recognition of Kurdish rights since Syria's independence in 1946.

The decree stated that Kurds are "an essential and integral part" of Syria, where they have suffered decades of marginalisation.

It made Kurdish a "national language" and granted nationality to all Kurds -- around 20 percent of whom were stripped of it under a controversial 1962 census.

The Kurdish administration in Syria's northeast said the decree was "a first step" but "does not satisfy the aspirations and hopes of the Syrian people.

In Qamishli, the main Kurdish city in the country's northeast, Shebal Ali, 35, told AFP that "we want constitutional recognition of the Kurdish people's rights".

Nanar Hawach, senior Syria analyst at the International Crisis Group, said the decree "offers cultural concessions while consolidating military control".

"It does not address the northeast's calls for self-governance," he said.

Also Saturday, the US military said a strike in northwest Syria had killed a militant linked to a deadly attack on three Americans last month.

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aviation

Indonesian rescuers find debris from missing plane

A rescue unit was also deployed by air to search for the missing passengers, Arif said.

Rescuers on Sunday found the debris from a small plane that went missing in eastern Indonesia, but have yet to locate the 10 passengers who were on board, officials said.
A rescue unit was also deployed by air to search for the missing passengers, Arif said.

Rescuers on Sunday found the debris from a small plane that went missing in eastern Indonesia, but have yet to locate the 10 passengers who were on board, officials said.

The Indonesian Air Transport turboprop plane lost contact with the air traffic controller on Saturday afternoon while en route from Yogyakarta to the city of Makassar in Sulawesi Island.

Among the debris, the joint search and rescue team found what is believed to be "the fuselage, the tail section, and the windows", head of Makassar search and rescue agency, Muhammad Arif Anwar, said at a press briefing.

A rescue unit was also deployed by air to search for the missing passengers, Arif said.

"Our current priority is locating victims, and we hope there are still some we can evacuate in a safe condition," Arif added.

The plane crashed into Mount Bulusaraung in Bantimurung-Bulusaraung National Park, which borders the city of Makassar, Arif said.

The search on land and by air involved more than 1,000 people including members of the air force, police and volunteers.

Local military chief, Bangun Nawoko, told reporters that rescue efforts were hindered by harsh terrain and fog.

Three government workers from the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries were among those on board, along with seven crew members.

Minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono said they had been on a mission to conduct aerial monitoring of resources in the area.

Indonesia, a vast archipelago in Southeast Asia, relies heavily on air transport to connect its thousands of islands. The country has a poor aviation safety record, with several fatal crashes in recent years.

In September, a helicopter carrying six passengers and two crew members crashed shortly after taking off from South Kalimantan province, killing everybody on board.

Less than two weeks after the September crash, four people were killed when their helicopter crashed in the remote Papua district of Ilaga.

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Global Edition

Portugal presidential vote wide open as far-right surge expected

BY THOMAS CABRAL

This would be the first time in four decades that a candidate has not won outright in the first-round ballot, which requires securing more than 50 percent of the vote.

Portugal votes on Sunday in the first round of a presidential election in which a far-right candidate could for the first time make it to a run-off ballot, but with the final result hard to predict.
This would be the first time in four decades that a candidate has not won outright in the first-round ballot, which requires securing more than 50 percent of the vote.

Portugal votes on Sunday in the first round of a presidential election in which a far-right candidate could for the first time make it to a run-off ballot, but with the final result hard to predict.

Polls predict Andre Ventura, leader of the far-right Chega ("Enough") party, could top the first round but would lose round two, regardless of which of the other candidates he encounters there.

This would be the first time in four decades that a candidate has not won outright in the first-round ballot, which requires securing more than 50 percent of the vote.

Among the record 11 candidates standing, only five have a realistic chance of making it to the decisive vote on February 8 to succeed conservative incumbent Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.

In addition to Ventura, 43, they are: Socialist Antonio Jose Seguro, 63; liberal European Parliament lawmaker Joao Cotrim Figueiredo, 64; right-wing government candidate Luis Marques Mendes, 68; and Henrique Gouveia e Melo, a retired admiral who led Portugal's Covid vaccination campaign.

Pollsters predict any of the four of Ventura's potential rivals would trounce him in a second-round vote.

Polling stations open at 8:00 am (0800 GMT) on Sunday and exit polls will be announced at 8:00 pm.

Chega won 22.8 percent of the vote and 60 seats in a general election last May, overtaking the Socialists to become the biggest opposition party.

The president of Portugal has no executive powers but can, in times of crisis, dissolve parliament, call elections or dismiss a prime minister.

Popularity test

Ventura sees Sunday's vote mainly as a test of his popularity, according to experts, who believe that he has his sights set on eventually running the country as prime minister.

"Andre Ventura is running to keep his voter base," said Antonio Costa Pinto, a political scientist at Lisbon University.

A stronger far right would add pressure on the minority government of right-winger Luis Marques Montenegro, which relies on Chega for support for the implementation of some of its policies.

"Another solid result for the far right would confirm its domination over the political landscape," Teneo, a consulting firm, said in a note.

Ventura, who has promised to put Portugal "in order", urged the other parties on the right not to put "obstacles" in his way should he find himself facing the Socialist candidate, Seguro, in the run-off.

Seguro, meanwhile, said he is the only one capable of defeating Ventura's "extremism".

Portugal, a country of nearly 11 million inhabitants, is a member of the European Union and the eurozone. It accounts for around 1.6 percent of the EU's gross domestic product (GDP).

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Denmark

Trump threatens Europe with tariffs over Greenland as protesters rally

BY ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS WITH PIERRE-HENRY DESHAYES IN NUUK

It was not immediately clear what authority the US president would invoke to impose the threatened tariffs of up to 25 percent.

US President Donald Trump on Saturday escalated his quest to acquire Greenland, threatening multiple European nations with tariffs of up to 25 percent until he achieves his goal of controlling the Danish territory.
It was not immediately clear what authority the US president would invoke to impose the threatened tariffs of up to 25 percent.

US President Donald Trump on Saturday escalated his quest to acquire Greenland, threatening multiple European nations with tariffs of up to 25 percent until he achieves his goal of controlling the Danish territory.

Trump's threats came as thousands of people protested in the capital of Greenland against his wish to acquire the mineral-rich island at the gateway to the Arctic.

Thousands more protested in Copenhagen and other Danish cities.

The US president aimed his ire at Denmark, a fellow NATO member, as well as several other European countries that have deployed troops in recent days to the vast autonomous territory with a population of 57,000.

If realized, Trump's threats against Washington's NATO partners would create unprecedented tension within the alliance.

From February 1, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland would be subject to a 10-percent tariff on all goods sent to the United States, Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

"On June 1st, 2026, the Tariff will be increased to 25%. This Tariff will be due and payable until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland," he wrote.

"These Countries, who are playing this very dangerous game, have put a level of risk in play that is not tenable or sustainable," Trump said.

"Therefore, it is imperative that, in order to protect Global Peace and Security, strong measures be taken so that this potentially perilous situation end quickly, and without question."

Trump added that he was "immediately open to negotiation with Denmark and/or any of these Countries."

Denmark called Trump's announcement a "surprise," British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said it was "completely wrong," and French President Emmanuel Macron added: "Tariff threats are unacceptable and have no place in this context."

"We won't let ourselves be intimidated," Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told AFP, adding that the governments involved were working on a joint response.

In a statement, European Union leaders said the bloc "stands in full solidarity with Denmark and the people of Greenland."

An extraordinary meeting of EU ambassadors has been called in Brussels for Sunday afternoon.

Greenlandic minister Naaja Nathanielsen on Saturday praised the reaction of European countries, saying she was "thankful and hopeful for diplomacy and allieship (sic) to prevail."

'Make America Go Away'

In Nuuk, thousands of people, including the territory's prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, waved Greenlandic flags, chanted slogans and sang traditional Inuit songs under light rain.

Many wore caps with the words "Make America Go Away" -- a riff on Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan.

"We don't want Trump invading Greenland, that is the message," 44-year-old nurse Paarniq Larsen Strum said at the Nuuk rally, calling the situation "nerve-wracking."

"We demand respect for our country's right to self-determination and for us as a people," added protest organizer Avijaja Rosing-Olsen.

In Copenhagen, charity worker Kirsten Hjoernholm, 52, said it was important to show unity with Greenlanders.

"You cannot be bullied by an ally. It's about international law," she said.

Around her, demonstrators waved the flags of Denmark and Greenland while chanting "Kalaallit Nunaat!" -- the vast Arctic island's name in Greenlandic.

Some also held placards saying "USA already has too much ICE," referring to Trump's deployment of federal immigration officers in US cities, while others chanted "Greenland is not for sale."

US 'security' claims

Trump has repeatedly claimed that the United States needs Greenland for US "national security," while alleging without evidence that China and Russia are trying to control it.

Those two countries have increased their security presence in the Arctic, but have not made any claims over its sovereignty.

France said the European military exercise in Greenland was designed to show the world that it will defend the territory.

Denmark said the US had been invited to join the drill.

It was not immediately clear what authority the US president would invoke to impose the threatened tariffs of up to 25 percent.

Since returning to the presidency, Trump has unleashed sweeping tariffs on goods from virtually all trading partners, to address what Washington says are unfair trade practices and as a tool to press governments.

Washington and the European Union struck a deal last summer to lower US tariffs on key European goods, with the deal currently being implemented.

Also on Saturday, US lawmakers were wrapping up a visit to Copenhagen for talks with Greenlandic and Danish politicians.

The group, led by Democratic Senator Chris Coons, told reporters that Trump's stance was not backed by the majority of Americans.

It is also roundly rejected by Greenlanders, 85 percent of whom -- according to the latest poll published in January 2025 -- oppose the territory joining the United States. Only six percent were in favor.

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security

Haiti security forces commence major anti-gang operation

Haitian police carry out daily operations in downtown Port-au-Prince, with the support of an international anti-gang security force and a private security company.

Haitian security forces are conducting a large-scale operation in gang-controlled areas, with a strike targeting the home of a major gang kingpin, the Haitian National Police told AFP on Saturday.
Haitian police carry out daily operations in downtown Port-au-Prince, with the support of an international anti-gang security force and a private security company.

Haitian security forces are conducting a large-scale operation in gang-controlled areas, with a strike targeting the home of a major gang kingpin, the Haitian National Police told AFP on Saturday.

A drone attack in the capital Port-au-Prince targeted one of the homes of Jimmy Cherizier, known as "Barbecue," who is leader of the Viv Ansanm criminal gang coalition, the communications officer for the national police said.

"The targeted operation allowed us to destroy his house and minimize any possibility of his group returning to the area," Frantz Lerebours told AFP.

Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, has not held elections in nine years, and is plagued by political instability and rampant gang violence.

Gangs, which frequently commit murders, rapes, robberies and kidnappings, control around 90 percent of Port-au-Prince, according to UN estimates.

Haitian police carry out daily operations in downtown Port-au-Prince, with the support of an international anti-gang security force and a private security company.

Drone explosions could be heard throughout the day, an AFP journalist on the scene reported.

Haitian police say they hope to "regain control of the capital in the short term" thanks to a series of "intensive operations" carried out since the end of December.

"We are working to restore public order," said Lerebours. "We are conducting security patrols in these areas. This has not been possible for several years."

1.4 million displaced

Haiti's security situation has worsened since early 2024, when then-prime minister Ariel Henry was forced out of power by armed criminal groups.

Eighteen countries have pledged to provide security forces to the anti-gang unit that is replacing a UN multinational mission.

It will consist of up to 5,500 soldiers, Albert Ramdin, the secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS), confirmed in mid-December.

If all goes to plan, the first half of the new multinational force should be deployed by April 1, the date when a UN support office will be established, Ramdin said.

According to a recent report by Unicef, approximately 1.4 million people have been displaced within the country due to violence in the capital, representing more than 10 percent of the population.

That number includes more than 740,000 children.

An estimated 5.7 million people face acute food insecurity, including 1.2 million children under the age of five.

Haiti is currently ruled by transitional authorities, who have announced that legislative and presidential elections will be held in the summer of 2026.

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Global Edition

Iran leader demands crackdown on 'seditionists' after protests

"By God's grace, the Iranian nation must break the back of the seditionists just as it broke the back of the sedition," supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told supporters during a televised address.

Iran's supreme leader said Saturday that authorities "must break the back of the seditionists", whom he accused of killing thousands during the wave of protests that were brutally repressed in the country.
"By God's grace, the Iranian nation must break the back of the seditionists just as it broke the back of the sedition," supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told supporters during a televised address.

Iran's supreme leader said Saturday that authorities "must break the back of the seditionists", whom he accused of killing thousands during the wave of protests that were brutally repressed in the country.

The demonstrations were sparked by anger over economic hardship that exploded into the biggest protests against the Islamic republic in more than three years.

But demonstrations have subsided after the crackdown that rights groups say left thousands of people dead under an internet blackout that has lasted more than a week.

Schools were set to resume Sunday, the ISNA news agency said, following a one-week closure, with postponed university exams set to be held in a week.

Authorities have said demonstrations they condemn as "riots" had been controlled and calm returned, with state-aligned media reporting thousands of arrests.

"By God's grace, the Iranian nation must break the back of the seditionists just as it broke the back of the sedition," supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told supporters during a televised address.

"We do not intend to lead the country to war, but we will not spare domestic criminals," he added, saying "international criminals" were "worse".

He added that "agents... murdered a few thousand people. They murdered some with the utmost inhumanity, meaning pure savagery" -- seemingly his first admission that thousands had died.

Iranian authorities have blamed the latest wave of demonstrations on arch-foes the United States and Israel, saying they fuelled a "terrorist operation" that hijacked peaceful protests over the economy.

Trump, who backed and joined Israel's 12-day war against Iran in June, had repeatedly threatened new military action against Tehran if protesters were killed.

'American conspiracy'

Khamenei on Saturday lashed out at Trump, accusing him of being "guilty for the casualties, damages and accusations he has levelled against the Iranian nation".

"This was an American conspiracy," he said, adding that "America's goal is to swallow Iran... the goal is to put Iran back under military, political and economic domination".

While Washington has appeared to have stepped back, the US president has said he has not ruled out military options and made clear he was keeping a close eye on whether any protesters were executed.

Trump wrote on Friday on his Truth Social platform that Iran had called off the executions of hundreds of protesters and said to the clerical state: "Thank you!"

Asked on state TV about Trump's comment, Tehran prosecutor Ali Salehi said the US president "always talks a lot of nonsense" and that the government's response had been "firm, dissuasive and swift" with many cases leading to indictments and sent to court.

Rights groups have estimated up to 20,000 people have been arrested. Security officials cited by the Tasnim news agency on Friday said around 3,000 people were arrested.

Iranian authorities said on Saturday that "a 32-member network of the Bahai espionage cult who were active in the riots and acts of vandalism were identified and 12 main agents were arrested and 13 were summoned," according to Tasnim.

Alarm has mounted over the reported death toll during the crackdown, as verifying cases remains difficult under severe internet restrictions.

Eyewitnesses who left Iran after the protests told AFP of coming under fire and hearing numerous gunshots during protests.

Kiarash, who gave only his first name for security reasons, was fired on during protests on January 10 and said he saw thousands of bodies at a mortuary in Tehran.

"I saw the blood... Thousands of people and thousands of dead bodies" of people "asking for their rights", he told AFP from Germany.

Pahlavi calls for protests

Norway-based rights group Iran Human Rights (IHR) says 3,428 protesters have been verified to have been killed by security forces, but warns the actual toll could be several times higher.

Other estimates place the death toll at more than 5,000 -- and possibly as high as 20,000, IHR said.

The opposition Iran International channel based outside the country has said at least 12,000 people were killed during the protests, citing senior government and security sources.

Monitor Netblocks said on Saturday "internet connectivity continues to flatline in Iran despite a minor short-lived bump in access earlier today, when new reports of atrocities emerged".

People in Iran were reportedly again able to send text messages within the country and to outside numbers but were still often unable to receive texts from those abroad.

Rights groups say there have been no verifiable reports of protests in recent days and videos circulating on social media have shown a heavy security presence in some areas.

But Reza Pahlavi, the US-based son of the shah ousted in the 1979 Islamic revolution, took to social media on Friday to call for Iranians to protest again on Saturday and Sunday evening.

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conflict

Israel objects to line-up of Trump panel for post-war Gaza

On Saturday, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: "The announcement regarding the composition of the Gaza Executive Board, which is subordinate to the Board of Peace, was not coordinated with Israel and runs contrary to its policy."

Israel said on Saturday it objected to the line-up of a Gaza panel that will operate under US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace, which oversees post-war governance in the Palestinian territory.
On Saturday, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: "The announcement regarding the composition of the Gaza Executive Board, which is subordinate to the Board of Peace, was not coordinated with Israel and runs contrary to its policy."

Israel said on Saturday it objected to the line-up of a Gaza panel that will operate under US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace, which oversees post-war governance in the Palestinian territory.

The panel, known as the Gaza executive board, notably includes Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and a Qatari official and was announced by the White House on Friday.

The Board of Peace began to take shape on Saturday as the leaders of Egypt, Turkey, Argentina and Canada were asked to join.

Trump had already declared himself the chair of the body, as he promotes a controversial vision of economic development in the Palestinian territory, much of which was reduced to rubble during two years of relentless Israeli bombardment.

The US president also named to the Board of Peace his Secretary of State Marco Rubio, former British prime minister Tony Blair, and senior negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff -- most of whom are also on the Gaza executive board.

On Saturday, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: "The announcement regarding the composition of the Gaza Executive Board, which is subordinate to the Board of Peace, was not coordinated with Israel and runs contrary to its policy."

"The Prime Minister has instructed the Foreign Affairs Minister to contact the US Secretary of State on this matter."

The moves came after the Palestinian committee of technocrats tasked with governing Gaza under the oversight of the Board of Peace began held its first meeting in Cairo, attended by Kushner.

- Worldwide invites -

In Canada, a senior aide to Prime Minister Mark Carney said he intended to accept Trump's invitation, while in Turkey, a spokesman for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he had been asked to become a "founding member" of the board.

Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Cairo was "studying" a request for President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to join.

Sharing an image of the invitation letter, Argentine President Javier Milei wrote on X that it would be "an honor" to participate in the initiative.

In a statement sent to AFP, Blair said: "I thank President Trump for his leadership in establishing the Board of Peace and am honored to be appointed to its Executive Board."

Blair is a controversial figure in the Middle East because of his role in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Trump himself said last year that he wanted to make sure Blair was an "acceptable choice to everybody".

Blair spent years focused on the Israeli-Palestinian issue as representative of the "Middle East Quartet" -- the United Nations, European Union, United States and Russia -- after leaving Downing Street in 2007.

The White House said the Board of Peace will take on issues such as "governance capacity-building, regional relations, reconstruction, investment attraction, large-scale funding and capital mobilization".

The other members of the board so far are World Bank President Ajay Banga, an Indian-born American businessman; billionaire US financier Marc Rowan; and Robert Gabriel, a loyal Trump aide who serves on the US National Security Council.

On Saturday, the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad criticised the composition of the Board of Peace, saying it served Israel's interests.

The board "came in accordance with Israeli criteria and to serve the interests of the occupation", the group said in a statement.

Israeli strikes

Washington has said the Gaza plan had gone on to a second phase -- from implementing the ceasefire to disarming Hamas, whose October 2023 attack on Israel prompted the massive Israeli offensive.

On Friday, Trump named US Major General Jasper Jeffers to head the International Stabilization Force, which will be tasked with providing security in Gaza and training a new police force to succeed Hamas.

Jeffers, from special operations in US Central Command, in late 2024 was put in charge of monitoring a ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel, which has continued periodic strikes aimed at Hezbollah militants.

Gaza native and former Palestinian Authority deputy minister Ali Shaath was earlier tapped to head the governing committee.

Trump, a real estate developer, has previously mused about turning devastated Gaza into a Riviera-style area of resorts, although he has backed away from calls to forcibly displace the population.

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diplomacy

Hundreds in London protest against Beijing 'mega embassy'

BY HELEN ROWE

The latest protest came ahead of an expected decision this week.

Hundreds of people on Saturday rallied in London against Beijing's controversial new "mega" embassy, days ahead of a decision on the plan.
The latest protest came ahead of an expected decision this week.

Hundreds of people on Saturday rallied in London against Beijing's controversial new "mega" embassy, days ahead of a decision on the plan.

Protesters, their faces mostly covered with scarves or masks, chanted "No to Chinese embassy" and waved flags reading "Free Hong Kong. Revolution now".

Others held up placards with slogans such as "MI5 warned. Labour kneeled", referring to the UK's domestic intelligence agency and Prime Minister Keir Starmer's ruling party.

Others read: "CCP (Chinese Communist Party) is watching you. Stop the mega embassy."

China has for several years been trying to relocate its embassy, currently in the British capital's upmarket Marylebone district, to the sprawling historic site in the shadow of the Tower of London.

The move has sparked fierce opposition from nearby residents, rights groups and critics of China's ruling Communist Party.

The latest protest came ahead of an expected decision this week.

Benedict Rogers, head of the human rights group Hong Kong Watch said if it got the go-ahead it was "highly likely" that the site "will be used for espionage", citing the sensitive underground communications cables close to the site.

He said China had already been "carrying out a campaign of transnational repression against different diaspora communities" and other critics and predicted that that would "increase and intensify".

Beijing 'operations base' -

A protester who gave his name only as Brandon, for fear of reprisals, said the plans raised a "lot of concerns".

The 23-year-old bank employee, originally from Hong Kong but now living near Manchester in northwestern England, said many Hong Kongers had moved to the UK "to avoid authoritarian rule in China".

But they now found there could be an embassy in London serving as an "operations base" for Beijing.

"I don't think it's good for anyone except the Chinese government," he said.

Another demonstrator, who did not to give her name, called on Starmer to "step back and stop it (the plan) because there is a a high risk to the national security of the UK, not only Hong Kongers".

The 60-year-old warehouse worker, also originally from Hong Kong and now living in Manchester, said the embassy would be a "spy centre not only to watch the UK but the whole of Europe".

Speakers at the rally throwing their weight behind the campaign to stop the embassy included Kemi Badenoch, leader of the main opposition Conservative Party.

British MPs voiced major security concerns earlier this week after a leading daily reported the site would house 208 secret rooms, including a "hidden chamber".

The Daily Telegraph said it had obtained unredacted plans for the vast new building which would stand on the historical site of the former Royal Mint.

It showed that Beijing reportedly plans to construct a single "concealed chamber" among "secret rooms" underneath the embassy which would be placed alongside the underground communications cables.

har-adm/jj

France

Thousands march in France to back Iranian protesters

BY MATHIEU RABECHAULT WITH AFP BUREAUS

- Connection 'coming back' - In the eastern city of Strasbourg, Ali Rastegar, a 43-year-old Franco-Iranian, said he was at a rally to send a "message of support" to people back home.

Thousands of people rallied in France on Saturday in a show of support for demonstrators in Iran risking their lives to demand an end to theocratic rule.
- Connection 'coming back' - In the eastern city of Strasbourg, Ali Rastegar, a 43-year-old Franco-Iranian, said he was at a rally to send a "message of support" to people back home.

Thousands of people rallied in France on Saturday in a show of support for demonstrators in Iran risking their lives to demand an end to theocratic rule.

The protests in Iran over past weeks are the largest since the "Woman, Life, Freedom" street movement in 2022-2023, sparked by the death in custody of an Iranian Kurdish woman arrested for allegedly not following a required dress code.

"Woman, Life, Freedom," chanted marchers in the French capital, some holding portraits of deceased Iranian protesters.

"Death to Khamenei," cried some, in reference to 86-year-old supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Galia, a 36-year-old woman who did not give her surname to protect her family, said she felt hopeful -- despite "the repression, the torture, the fear, the upcoming executions" in Iran.

"Each time, I tell myself, 'this is it, people will be free.' Maybe not now, but the time will come," she said among the crowd, which also included French protesters.

'Repression can't prevail'

In Iran, internet connectivity rose "very" slightly on Saturday, more than a week into an internet shutdown, the Netblock monitor said.

Activists said the blackout has acted as a cover for the killing of protesters.

Norway-based rights group Iran Human Rights (IHR) says it has verified that Iranian security forces have killed 3,428 protesters, but warns the actual toll could be several times higher.

Other estimates place the death toll at more than 5,000 -- and possibly as high as 20,000, IHR said.

The opposition Iran International channel based outside the country has said at least 12,000 people were killed during the protests, citing senior government and security sources.

In Paris, Amir -- a 23-year-old Iranian student who did not want to give his surname -- said he wanted freedom.

"The fall of the regime is unavoidable, we can't live like this," he said.

"Repression can't prevail, eventually freedom will win."

But Nasser Razi, a member of the National Council of Resistance in Iran opposition group, said patience was needed.

"This regime will not fall in one or two days. It's a process," he said.

Connection 'coming back'

In the eastern city of Strasbourg, Ali Rastegar, a 43-year-old Franco-Iranian, said he was at a rally to send a "message of support" to people back home.

"They're protesting and being shot at. It's unacceptable," he said.

In the western city of Rennes, organiser Zahra Bodin said marchers wanted "to shout as loud as our compatriots" in Iran.

In Lyon, a city in the southeast, protesters included many who were loyal to Reza Pahlavi, the US-based son of Iran's late shah.

A 30-year-old Iranian, who wished to remain anonymous, was taking part.

"We're here to encourage the protesters" in Iran, he said, despite the difficulty in communicating with loved ones.

He said recently connection had been "coming back".

"They can call us for a minute, but everything's being recorded over there. When they want to tell us what's been happening, they're cut off."

A young man in his twenties said he had been told you could "smell blood on the roads" of the central city of Isfahan.

Suddenly his phone rang.

"It's my family," he said, and walked away to take the call.

burs-mra/ah/jh

trade

EU, Mercosur bloc ink major trade deal, reject 'tariffs' and 'isolation'

BY MARTíN RASCHINSKY

The deal will favor European exports of cars, wine and cheese, while making it easier for South American beef, poultry, sugar, rice, honey and soybeans to enter Europe.

South American and European Union officials on Saturday signed a major trade deal, which they hailed as sending a powerful message at a time of tariff threats, global uncertainty and protectionism.
The deal will favor European exports of cars, wine and cheese, while making it easier for South American beef, poultry, sugar, rice, honey and soybeans to enter Europe.

South American and European Union officials on Saturday signed a major trade deal, which they hailed as sending a powerful message at a time of tariff threats, global uncertainty and protectionism.

The deal between the 27-nation European Union and Mercosur bloc members Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay creates one of the world's largest free trade areas after 25 years of tricky negotiations.

It was given fresh impetus amid the sweeping use of tariffs and trade threats by US President Donald Trump's administration, which has sent countries scrambling for new partnerships.

Trump on Saturday threatened multiple European nations with tariffs of up to 25 percent until he manages to gain control of the Danish territory Greenland.

"We choose fair trade over tariffs, we choose a productive long-term partnership over isolation," EU chief Ursula Von der Leyen said at the signing ceremony in Asuncion, Paraguay.

Paraguay's President Santiago Pena also praised the treaty as sending "a clear signal in favor of international trade" in "a global scenario marked by tensions."

European Council head Antonio Costa said the deal stood in contrast to "the use of trade as a geopolitical weapon."

And Brazil's Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira said the deal was a "bulwark ... in the face of a world battered by unpredictability, protectionism, and coercion."

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva -- a key architect of the accord -- was unable to attend the ceremony due to scheduling conflicts, and met with Von der Leyen in Rio de Janeiro on Friday where he praised it as a victory for multilateralism.

In Paraguay, leaders said the treaty would bring jobs, prosperity, and opportunities to people on both sides of the Atlantic.

'It's not fair'

Together, the EU and Mercosur account for 30 percent of global GDP and more than 700 million consumers.

The treaty -- which still needs to be approved by the EU parliament and ratified by each Mercosur nation -- eliminates tariffs on more than 90 percent of bilateral trade.

It is expected to come into force by the end of 2026.

The deal will favor European exports of cars, wine and cheese, while making it easier for South American beef, poultry, sugar, rice, honey and soybeans to enter Europe.

This has angered European farmers, who have rolled tractors into cities like Paris, Brussels and Warsaw to protest a feared influx of cheaper goods produced with lower standards and banned pesticides.

"We have good quality Irish beef and good standards here, and they don't have the same standards in South American countries," said Trisha Chatterton, a 50-year-old farmer at a protest in Ireland earlier this month.

"It's not fair," said Luis, a 24-year-old Belgian cattle farmer who took part in a December protest that turned ugly, as demonstrators set piles of tires on fire and hurled potatoes at police.

Key power Germany, as well as Spain and the Nordic countries, strongly support the pact, eager to boost exports as Europe grapples with Chinese competition and a tariff-happy administration in the White House.

Some in South America are also wary about the impact of the treaty.

In Argentina, it is estimated that there could be a loss of 200,000 jobs just from the dismantling of the local automotive industry, trade and investment researcher Luciana Ghiotto told AFP.

Safeguard and quotas

In a bid to allay fears, the European Commission announced a crisis fund and safeguards allowing for the suspension of preferential tariffs in case of a damaging surge in imports.

However Argentina's libertarian President Javier Milei warned against quotas and safeguard which "will significantly reduce the economic impact of the agreement and will go against its essential objective."

According to EU estimates, European exports to Mercosur are expected to rise by 39 percent, while Mercosur exports to the EU could increase by 17 percent.

By 2040, the agreement is projected to boost EU GDP by 77.6 billion euros and Mercosur GDP by 9.4 billion euros.

mry-fb/md

conflict

Ukraine team arrives in US for Miami talks with Witkoff, Kushner

Kyiv is seeking clarity from its allies on post-war security guarantees, which it sees as key to deter Moscow from invading again.

Ukrainians negotiators arrived in the US Saturday for talks with Donald Trump's administration on how to end four years of war with Russia, expected to focus on security guarantees and post-war recovery.
Kyiv is seeking clarity from its allies on post-war security guarantees, which it sees as key to deter Moscow from invading again.

Ukrainians negotiators arrived in the US Saturday for talks with Donald Trump's administration on how to end four years of war with Russia, expected to focus on security guarantees and post-war recovery.

The team -- headed by President Volodymyr Zelensky's new chief-of-staff Kyrylo Budanov -- will meet with Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, envoy Steve Witkoff and US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll in Miami.

The talks come as the fourth anniversary of Russia's invasion looms and as Moscow has pounded Ukraine's energy facilities during a freezing winter.

The war is Europe's worst conflict since World War Two.

Kyiv is seeking clarity from its allies on post-war security guarantees, which it sees as key to deter Moscow from invading again.

Sticking points between Kyiv and Washington on the guarantees remain, but Zelensky hopes to sign documents on them with the US next week.

Ahead of the talks, the wartime leader said his delegation was tasked to "provide all the real information about what is happening". Thousands have braved freezing temperatures as low as -19C without heating in Kyiv due to Russian strikes.

"One of the consequences of this terror is the discrediting of the diplomatic process, people are losing faith in diplomacy," Zelensky warned.

Ukraine's security chief Rustem Umerov and negotiator David Arakhamia will join Budanov for the Miami talks.

Trump has pushed for an end to the war and expressed frustration with both sides, with no breakthrough on the horizon.

He has also pressured Ukraine to accept peace terms that Kyiv says amount to capitulation.

Russia's advance in east Ukraine gathered pace since autumn, with the Kremlin insisting it will seize the rest of Ukrainian land it claims as Russian by force if diplomacy fails.

The Kremlin has so far rejected Western peace proposals and not dropped its maximalist demands.

Thousands without power

Territory and security guarantees have been at the forefront of remaining questions on a plan to end the war.

The UK and France have signed a declaration of intent to deploy troops to Ukraine if there is a ceasefire -- but Moscow objects to that plan, warning any foreign forces would be "legitimate targets" for its forces.

Zelensky said 400,000 people were experiencing "difficulties with electricity" in Ukraine's second city of Kharkiv after night-time Russian strikes.

Authorities also said 56,000 families in the Bucha area -- outside Kyiv where Russian forces committed atrocities in 2022 -- were without power after the attacks.

Schools in the Ukrainian capital will be shut until February over health concerns due to the power outage, authorities have said.

Ukraine's energy ministry said most regions of Ukraine had power restrictions.

"Due to constant massive attacks by the Russian Federation, a state of emergency has been declared in the Ukrainian energy sector," the ministry said.

Russia occupies large swathes of southern and eastern Ukraine.

It said Saturday that its forces had captured two more Ukrainian villages, in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.

The US has held talks with both Moscow and Kyiv on ending the war, but relations between Europe and the Kremlin largely frozen since Russia launched its full-scale offensive in 2022.

France and Italy have said in recent weeks that Europe should re-engage with Moscow to end the conflict, while Britain has said it has no plans to talk to the Kremlin.

bur-oc/rmb

Museveni

Museveni: Uganda's ex-revolutionary entering 5th decade in power

BY NICK PERRY

Museveni took up arms after a rigged election in 1980 and led a guerrilla insurgency known as the Ugandan Bush War that finally captured Kampala in 1986.

Yoweri Museveni has been president longer than most Ugandans have been alive, and shows no sign of giving up his place among the world's longest-serving leaders after he won a seventh election on Saturday.
Museveni took up arms after a rigged election in 1980 and led a guerrilla insurgency known as the Ugandan Bush War that finally captured Kampala in 1986.

Yoweri Museveni has been president longer than most Ugandans have been alive, and shows no sign of giving up his place among the world's longest-serving leaders after he won a seventh election on Saturday.

Shortly after Museveni took power in 1986, ending years of bloodshed and chaos under tyrannical rulers, the young president mused that leaders overstaying their welcome lay at the heart of Africa's problems.

But four decades later, the introspection is gone and Museveni -- once hailed in the West as a model African leader committed to good governance -- has joined the ranks of those he once criticised.

His genial demeanour and penchant for folksy parables belie a past as a wily guerrilla fighter and ruthless political survivor.

During his 40-year reign, Museveni has fused state and party, and crushed political opposition, to such an extent that any real outside challenge to him or his National Resistance Movement (NRM) has become impossible.

At 81 -- though some opponents say he is older -- Museveni says he is fighting fit.

Having once promised to retire and tend to his cherished long-horned Ankole cows, he has instead outlasted every ruler on the continent bar Teodoro Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea and Paul Biya of Cameroon.

Museveni was born on September 15, 1944, into a cattle-keeping family of the Hima community in Ntungamo District of southwestern Uganda.

He studied at the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania in the 1960s, then a kind of finishing school for anti-colonialists, where his thesis was on the revolutionary violence promoted by French philosopher Frantz Fanon.

British journalist William Pike, who interviewed Museveni in 1984, described him as having the "faraway look... of a dreamer, a revolutionary" who was "intensely serious but showed flashes of humour".

Challenger within

After returning to Uganda, he was forced back to Tanzania as an exile during the regime of Idi Amin.

Museveni helped form the Front for National Salvation, which played a part in Amin's overthrow in 1979.

Museveni took up arms after a rigged election in 1980 and led a guerrilla insurgency known as the Ugandan Bush War that finally captured Kampala in 1986.

A new constitution led to his victory in elections the following year, which he repeated in 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016, 2021 and now 2026.

He had the constitution changed twice to remove term and age limits. Rights groups have criticised the increasingly violent repression of any challengers.

Despite his radical past, Museveni proved a pragmatic leader, bending to Western demands that he impose stringent neoliberal reforms to stabilise the economy.

He made himself a useful military partner to the West at moments when they questioned his crushing of democratic rights, not least when he contributed significant troops to fight against Islamist insurgents in Somalia in the 2000s.

There was renewed criticism in 2023 over an anti-gay law seen as one of the world's harshest but Museveni showed his knack for weathering the storm.

bur-er/jhb

US

'We can hunt': Greenlanders weigh drastic options as US threatens

BY PIERRE-HENRY DESHAYES

But that has not stopped Andersen from looking for an exit plan.

Ulrikke Andersen has already made a plan.
But that has not stopped Andersen from looking for an exit plan.

Ulrikke Andersen has already made a plan. If the United States invades Greenland, she will flee her home with her daughter.

"Before, I was ready to die for my country but when I had a kid that changed everything," she told AFP.

The 40-year-old is one of many residents of the Greenlandic capital, Nuuk, now weighing up options they would never have considered just a few months ago.

But US President Donald Trump has been clear about his desire to seize the vast, self-governing Danish island, rich in rare earth minerals and with an Arctic location coveted by US military hawks.

Greenlanders are not panicking yet but they are thinking through what they would do if the worst were to happen.

"I'm thinking about where to hide and what medicines we need to stock," said 35-year-old student Nuunu Binzer. "But I haven't done it yet."

Some are filling their freezers, stocking up on water and petrol, or buying generators.

'We can hunt'

The authorities have not yet distributed any guidance on what to do if there is an invasion.

Supermarkets in Nuuk are still well stocked, with little evidence that panic-buying has taken hold.

But that has not stopped Andersen from looking for an exit plan.

The 40-year-old -- whose living room is decked-out in Inuit-style decorations and the TV loops images of Trump -- believes war is a distinct possibility.

"I feel it could happen and you imagine what you will do," she said.

"When I take my dog for a walk, I imagine what these streets are going to look like."

Andersen, a tour operator, said she had two separate plans to flee with her 12-year-old stepdaughter, Anike.

If the US takes over slowly, she and her family will fly to Denmark, she said.

But if the takeover is sudden, they will flee by boat to a cabin along the fjord.

The only routes out for Nuuk's 20,000 residents are by air and by sea, as the ice-covered territory lacks roads.

"We can hunt, we can fish, we can live off nature. We are used to living under extreme conditions," she said.

'We need each other'

In the second scenario, her parents, both in their 70s, would have to stay behind.

"It would be too hard for them and it would weaken the group," she said.

However, not everyone is thinking in such extreme terms.

Inger Olsvig Brandt, a 62-year-old entrepreneur, said she would stay.

"I will not leave and I will try to help my country while I still have strength," she said.

"It can be tempting to think that we can just leave but we are so few that we need each other."

phy/nzg/lrb/jxb

US

Large crowds expected for 'Hands off Greenland' protests

The protests follow Trump's warning on Friday that he "may put a tariff" on countries that oppose his plans to take over Greenland, which is an autonomous territory of Denmark.

Large demonstrations are planned across Denmark and Greenland on Saturday to protest against US President Donald Trump's designs to take over the Arctic island.
The protests follow Trump's warning on Friday that he "may put a tariff" on countries that oppose his plans to take over Greenland, which is an autonomous territory of Denmark.

Large demonstrations are planned across Denmark and Greenland on Saturday to protest against US President Donald Trump's designs to take over the Arctic island.

Thousands of people have indicated on social media that they intend to take part in marches and rallies organised by Greenlandic associations in Copenhagen, Aarhus, Aalborg, Odense and the Greenlandic capital Nuuk.

"The aim is to send a clear and unified message of respect for Greenland's democracy and fundamental human rights," Uagut, an association of Greenlanders in Denmark, said on its website.

The protests follow Trump's warning on Friday that he "may put a tariff" on countries that oppose his plans to take over Greenland, which is an autonomous territory of Denmark.

The demonstration in Nuuk is scheduled to begin at 4:00 pm (1500 GMT), to protest "against the United States' illegal plans to take control of Greenland", organisers said. Demonstrators would march to the US consulate carrying Greenlandic flags.

The Copenhagen rally was due to begin at 12:00 pm (1100 GMT), and make a stop outside the US embassy in the Danish capital around an hour later.

"Recent events have put Greenland and Greenlanders in both Greenland and Denmark under pressure," Uagut chairwoman Julie Rademacher said in a statement sent to AFP, calling for "unity".

"When tensions rise and people go into a state of alarm, we risk creating more problems than solutions for ourselves and for each other. We appeal to Greenlanders in both Greenland and Denmark to stand together," she said.

'Demand respect'

The protests come as a bipartisan delegation of US Congress members visited Copenhagen on a two-day trip to give backing to Denmark and Greenland, saying the US president's territorial ambitions were not shared by the American people.

Europeans have also been showing support for Greenland in a military reconnaissance mission that a Danish general said Washington was invited to.

Senior Trump adviser Stephen Miller told Fox News on Friday that "positive early talks" had taken place at a White House meeting between senior officials from the United States, Denmark and Greenland this week.

But he reiterated that Trump had been "clear" that he wanted the United States to control the island.

"They want us to spend hundreds of billions of dollars defending a territory for them that is 25 percent bigger than Alaska at 100 percent American expense, but they say while we do this, it belongs 100 percent to Denmark," Miller said.

Uagut, along with the citizens' movement "Hands Off Greenland", and Inuit, an umbrella group of Greenlandic associations, were staging the demonstrations to coincide with a visit to Copenhagen by a bipartisan delegation of US lawmakers.

On the event's Facebook page, at least 900 people in Greenland said they planned to take part in the territory, which has a total population of about 57,000.

"With this demonstration, we want to show that we are taking action, that we stand together and that we support our politicians, diplomats and partners," Kristian Johansen, one of the organisers, said in a statement.

"We demand respect for our country's right to self-determination and for us as a people," added Avijaja Rosing-Olsen, another organiser.

"We demand respect for international law and international legal principles. This is not only our struggle, it is a struggle that concerns the entire world."

According to the latest poll published in January 2025, 85 percent of Greenlanders oppose the territory joining the United States. Only six percent were in favour.

bur-nzg/ef/po/rmb/ceg/abs

diplomacy

Venezuela interim leader sacks industry minister, a Maduro ally

Trump however has sidelined Nobel laureate Machado and backed former vice president Rodriguez as interim leader of the oil-rich country following the seizure of Maduro.

Venezuela's interim president on Friday dismissed businessman Alex Saab, a close ally of deposed leader Nicolas Maduro, from his post as minister of industry.
Trump however has sidelined Nobel laureate Machado and backed former vice president Rodriguez as interim leader of the oil-rich country following the seizure of Maduro.

Venezuela's interim president on Friday dismissed businessman Alex Saab, a close ally of deposed leader Nicolas Maduro, from his post as minister of industry.

In a Telegram message, Delcy Rodriguez announced the ministry would be combined with a commerce ministry and thanked Saab -- a Colombian-born Venezuelan -- "for his service to the Homeland; he will be taking on new responsibilities."

The change comes amid pressure from Washington following the January 3 US military raid that ousted Maduro.

Saab, released in 2023 as part of a prisoner exchange with the United States, was appointed to office in 2024 by Maduro.

He had been arrested in Cape Verde in 2020 due to an Interpol notice over accusations he had served as a money launderer for the socialist leader.

He was subsequently extradited to the US, where he and his business partner Alvaro Pulido were charged with running a network that exploited food aid destined for Venezuela.

Saab's dismissal is among the latest key changes to Venezuela's government by Rodriguez since the US capture of Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores.

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado meanwhile said her country is starting a "true transition" to democracy and will become free with support from the United States and President Donald Trump.

Trump however has sidelined Nobel laureate Machado and backed former vice president Rodriguez as interim leader of the oil-rich country following the seizure of Maduro.

"We are definitely now into the first steps of a true transition to democracy," Machado said during an event in Washington, adding that this will have an "immense impact in the lives of all Venezuelans" as well as around the region and the world.

"Venezuela is going to be free, and that's going to be achieved with the support of the people of the United States and the president, Donald Trump," Machado said.

Her party has presented evidence that Maduro stole the 2024 election -- claims supported by Washington and much of the international community.

But Trump has said that Machado does not have enough support among Venezuelans, and opted to stick with Rodriguez so long as she toes the line on US access to Venezuela's vast oil reserves.

Machado said Friday that Rodriguez is "following orders" rather than acting of her own will.

The opposition leader's remarks came a day after US Central Intelligence Agency chief John Ratcliffe met Rodriguez in Caracas.

Ratcliffe traveled to Venezuela to "deliver the message that the United States looks forward to an improved working relationship," a US administration official said on condition of anonymity.

Nobel medal

In an indication of that improved relationship, a US deportation flight carrying 231 Venezuelans landed in Caracas on Friday, the first since Maduro's overthrow.

Trump has made cracking down on undocumented immigrants a major part of his second term, carrying out sweeping immigration raids and deporting migrants.

Machado, 58, on Thursday presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to Trump in a bid to win over the US president.

"He deserves it," she said. "And it was a very emotional moment, I decided to present the Nobel Peace Prize medal on behalf of the people of Venezuela."

It was not immediately clear if Trump -- who said Friday that he and Machado will "be talking again" -- kept the award following their White House lunch. The Norwegian Nobel committee says its prizes cannot be transferred.

Trump had campaigned hard to win last year's prize, falsely claiming that he stopped eight wars since taking office, but it went to Machado instead.

Trump and Rodriguez had their first telephone call on Wednesday and the White House said he "likes what he's seeing" from her.

Rodriguez said however that her government will stand up to Washington.

"We know they are very powerful... we are not afraid to confront them diplomatically, through political dialogue," she said Thursday.

Rodriguez was delivering Maduro's state of the nation address to parliament while the long-time authoritarian leader is in a New York jail facing drug trafficking charges.

By contrast Machado, who campaigned for years to end leftist Maduro's rule, was greeted by jubilant supporters in Washington.

burs-wd/bgs/sla/jgc/lga/mjw

conflict

Trump taps Tony Blair, US military head for Gaza

BY SHAUN TANDON AND DANNY KEMP WITH NADA ABOU EL-AMAIM IN CAIRO

Israel has refused a Turkish role in the security force, owing to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's fiery denunciations of Israel's actions in Gaza.

US President Donald Trump on Friday gave a key role in post-war Gaza to former British prime minister Tony Blair and appointed a US officer to lead a nascent security force.
Israel has refused a Turkish role in the security force, owing to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's fiery denunciations of Israel's actions in Gaza.

US President Donald Trump on Friday gave a key role in post-war Gaza to former British prime minister Tony Blair and appointed a US officer to lead a nascent security force.

Trump named members of a board to help supervise Gaza that was dominated by Americans, as he promotes a controversial vision of economic development in a territory that lies in rubble after two-plus years of relentless Israeli bombardment.

The step came after a Palestinian committee of technocrats meant to govern Gaza held its first meeting in Cairo which was attended by Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law who plays a key role on the Middle East.

Trump has already declared himself the chair of a "Board of Peace" and on Friday announced its full membership that will include Blair as well as senior Americans -- Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff, Trump's business partner turned globe-trotting negotiator.

Trump, a real-estate developer, has previously mused about turning devastated Gaza into a Riviera-style area of resorts, although he has backed away from calls to forcibly displace the population.

The other members of the board are World Bank President Ajay Banga, an Indian-born American businessman; billionaire US financier Marc Rowan; and Robert Gabriel, a loyal Trump aide who serves on the National Security Council.

Israel strikes

Israel's military said Friday it had again hit the Gaza Strip in response to a "blatant violation" of the ceasefire declared in October.

The strikes come despite Washington announcing that the Gaza plan had gone on to a second phrase -- from implementing the ceasefire to disarming Hamas, whose October, 2023 attack on Israel prompted the massive Israeli offensive.

Trump on Friday named US Major General Jasper Jeffers to head the International Stabilization Force, which will be tasked with providing security in Gaza and training a new police force to succeed Hamas.

The United States has been searching the world for countries to contribute to the force, with Indonesia an early volunteer.

But diplomats expect challenges in seeing countries send troops so long as Hamas does not agree to disarm fully.

Committee begins work

Gaza native and former Palestinian Authority deputy minister Ali Shaath was earlier tapped to head the governing committee.

The committee's meeting in Cairo also included Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov, who was given a role of high representative liaising between the new governing body and Trump's Board of Peace.

Committee members are scheduled to meet again Saturday, one of them told AFP on condition of anonymity.

"We hope to go to Gaza next week or the week after; our work is there, and we need to be there," he said.

Trump also named a second "executive board" that appears designed to have a more advisory role.

Blair, Witkoff and Mladenov will serve on it as well as Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

Israel has refused a Turkish role in the security force, owing to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's fiery denunciations of Israel's actions in Gaza.

The board will also include senior figures from mediators Egypt and Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, which normalized ties with Israel in 2020.

Trump also named to the board Sigrid Kaag, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Gaza, despite his administration's efforts to sideline the world body.

dk-sct/mlm

Global Edition

Iran protest movement subsides in face of 'brutal' crackdown

BY STUART WILLIAMS

People started pouring into the streets in big cities from January 8 but authorities immediately enforced a shutdown of the internet that has lasted over a week and activists say is aimed at masking the scale of the crackdown.

Protests in Iran have subsided after a crackdown that has killed thousands under an internet blackout, monitors said Friday, a week after the start of the largest demonstrations in years challenging the country's theocratic system.
People started pouring into the streets in big cities from January 8 but authorities immediately enforced a shutdown of the internet that has lasted over a week and activists say is aimed at masking the scale of the crackdown.

Protests in Iran have subsided after a crackdown that has killed thousands under an internet blackout, monitors said Friday, a week after the start of the largest demonstrations in years challenging the country's theocratic system.

Reza Pahlavi, the US-based son of Iran's late shah, however, said he was confident the Islamic republic would fall and called for intervention, though the threat of new military action by the United States against Iran has appeared to have receded for the time being.

In posts to social media on Friday, Pahlavi announced a fresh coordinated demonstration, calling for Iranians to "raise your voices in anger and protest with our national slogans" on the weekend.

Protests sparked by economic grievances started with a shutdown in the Tehran bazaar on December 28 but turned into a mass movement demanding the removal of the clerical system that has ruled Iran since the 1979 revolution.

People started pouring into the streets in big cities from January 8 but authorities immediately enforced a shutdown of the internet that has lasted over a week and activists say is aimed at masking the scale of the crackdown.

The "brutal" repression has "likely suppressed the protest movement for now", said the US-based Institute for the Study of War, which has monitored the protest activity.

But it added: "The regime's widespread mobilisation of security forces is unsustainable, however, which makes it possible that protests could resume."

Pahlavi also told a news conference in Washington on Friday that "The Islamic republic will fall -- not if, but when."

"I will return to Iran," he said.

Norway-based rights group Iran Human Rights (IHR) says 3,428 protesters have been verified to have been killed by security forces, but warns the actual toll could be several times higher.

Other estimates place the death toll at more than 5,000 -- and possibly as high as 20,000 -- with the internet blackout severely hampering independent verification, IHR said.

The opposition Iran International channel based outside the country has said at least 12,000 people were killed during the protests, citing senior government and security sources.

IHR director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam cited "horrifying eyewitness accounts" received by IHR of "protesters being shot dead while trying to flee, the use of military-grade weapons and the street execution of wounded protesters".

'Give Iran a chance'

Monitor Netblocks said that the "total internet blackout" in Iran had now lasted over 180 hours, longer than a similar measure that was imposed during 2019 protests.

Amnesty International said this was being backed up by the use of heavily armed patrols and checkpoints to crush "the nationwide popular uprising in Iran" with security forces visible in the streets.

Trump, who backed and joined Israel's 12-day war against Iran in June, had not ruled out new military action against Tehran and made clear he was keeping a close eye on if any protesters were executed.

But a senior Saudi official told AFP on Thursday that Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman led "a long, frantic, diplomatic last-minute effort to convince President Trump to give Iran a chance to show good intention".

While Washington appeared to have stepped back, the White House said Thursday that "all options remain on the table for the president".

Attention had focused on the fate of Erfan Soltani, a 26-year-old protestor who rights activists and Washington said was set to be executed as early as Wednesday.

The Iranian judiciary confirmed Soltani was under arrest but said he had not been sentenced to death and his charges meant he did not risk capital punishment.

Rights groups have estimated up to 20,000 people have been arrested. Security officials cited by the Tasnim news agency on Friday said around 3,000 people were arrested.

'All Iranians united'

The US Treasury on Thursday announced new sanctions targeting Iranian officials including Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme Council for National Security.

Russian President Vladimir Putin meanwhile held telephone talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in what the Kremlin described as "efforts to facilitate de-escalation".

Despite the internet shutdown, new videos from the height of the protests, with locations verified by AFP, showed bodies lined up in the Kahrizak morgue south of Tehran, as distraught relatives searched for loved ones.

At the UN Security Council in New York, Iranian-American journalist Masih Alinejad, invited to address the body by Washington, said "all Iranians are united" against the clerical system in Iran.

Iran's representative at the meeting, Gholamhossein Darzi, accused Washington of "exploitation of peaceful protests for geopolitical purposes."

sjw/jsa/amj/sla/ceg

oceans

China bids to host secretariat of new high seas treaty

China "has decided to present its candidature of the city of Xiamen to host the Secretariat" of the treaty, the Chinese mission to the United Nations wrote in a letter to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, according to a copy seen by AFP. The treaty will officially enter into force on Saturday, and the host country of the eventual secretariat will be decided later this year.

China on Friday proposed to host the secretariat of a new treaty governing the high seas, a surprise bid that underscores Beijing's desire to have greater influence over global environmental governance.
China "has decided to present its candidature of the city of Xiamen to host the Secretariat" of the treaty, the Chinese mission to the United Nations wrote in a letter to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, according to a copy seen by AFP. The treaty will officially enter into force on Saturday, and the host country of the eventual secretariat will be decided later this year.

China on Friday proposed to host the secretariat of a new treaty governing the high seas, a surprise bid that underscores Beijing's desire to have greater influence over global environmental governance.

China "has decided to present its candidature of the city of Xiamen to host the Secretariat" of the treaty, the Chinese mission to the United Nations wrote in a letter to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, according to a copy seen by AFP.

The treaty will officially enter into force on Saturday, and the host country of the eventual secretariat will be decided later this year.

Until now, Belgium and Chile had been vying to host the future organization.

The Xiamen bid signals "China's intention to help shape global rules," said Li Shuo, director of the China Climate Hub at the Asia Society Policy Institute in Washington, calling it a "notable move."

China's announcement came just days after US President Donald Trump announced his country will withdraw from 66 global organizations and treaties -- involving UN and non-UN entities.

They include the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the parent treaty underpinning all major international climate agreements, ratified by almost every country in the world.

After years of delays, the treaty to protect the high seas was ratified in September by 60 countries. The law aims to protect biodiverse areas in waters worldwide, extending beyond countries' exclusive economic zones.

Teeming with plant and animal life, the oceans are responsible for creating half of the globe's oxygen supply and are vital to combatting climate change, conservationists say.

Once the treaty becomes law, a decision-making body will have to work with a patchwork of regional and global organizations already overseeing different aspects of the oceans.

These include regional fisheries bodies and the International Seabed Authority -- the forum where nations are jousting over proposed rules on the environmentally destructive deep-sea mining industry.

ico/acb/sla

Mercosur

Brazil, EU hail trade deal as victory for multilateralism

BY FRAN BLANDY

- Global trade deals - Von der Leyen said it was important for her to meet with Lula before the signing, highlighting his role in the negotiations, which he made a priority of his third term in office.

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on Friday hailed a trade deal between the EU and South America's Mercosur bloc as a victory for multilateralism at a time of global volatility.
- Global trade deals - Von der Leyen said it was important for her to meet with Lula before the signing, highlighting his role in the negotiations, which he made a priority of his third term in office.

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on Friday hailed a trade deal between the EU and South America's Mercosur bloc as a victory for multilateralism at a time of global volatility.

The pair met in Rio de Janeiro on the eve of the signing of the deal, which has been 25 years in the making and will create one of the world's largest free trade areas.

Lula said the signing of the deal in Asuncion, Paraguay on Saturday was "very good, especially for the democratic world and for multilateralism."

Von der Leyen praised Lula's role in pushing forward the negotiations, and said the deal "sends a powerful message" and shows "the power of partnership and openness. And this is how we create real prosperity."

The deal is among several that countries are rushing to close in an uncertain global environment shaped by US President Donald Trump's tariff threats and protectionism.

On Friday, Trump threatened to slap trade tariffs on countries that don't support his plans to take over Greenland, part of the territory of NATO ally Denmark.

Lula added that the partnership with the EU went "beyond the economic dimension."

"The European Union and Mercosur share values such as respect for democracy, the rule of law, and human rights."

The signing of the deal comes as Latin America is still reeling from Trump's ouster and capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in a dramatic military operation.

Angry EU farmers

Together, the EU and Mercosur account for 30 percent of global GDP and more than 700 million consumers.

The treaty eliminates tariffs on more than 90 percent of bilateral trade.

This will favor European exports of cars, wine, and cheese, while making it easier for South American beef, poultry, sugar, rice, honey, and soybeans to enter Europe.

The deal between the EU and Mercosur nations Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, was agreed in Brussels last week despite fierce opposition from European farmers.

They fear the deal will lead to an influx of cheaper South American products due to production standards considered less stringent.

Von der Leyen will head to Asuncion in Paraguay for the signing ceremony, which Lula will not attend. His office said the signing had been initially planned as a ministerial-level event, and Paraguay issued "last-minute" invites to presidents.

In addition to host president Santiago Pena, Uruguay's president Yamandu Orsi will also attend the signing.

The attendance of Argentina's leader Javier Milei is not confirmed.

Global trade deals

Von der Leyen said it was important for her to meet with Lula before the signing, highlighting his role in the negotiations, which he made a priority of his third term in office.

"You are a leader deeply committed to the values we hold dear, democracy, the rules-based international order and respect. This is the leadership we need in today's world."

Lula said Brazil was also working on trade partnerships with Canada, Mexico, Vietnam, Japan and China.

Meanwhile, the EU is working on a trade deal with India, the world's most populous nation with 1.4 billion people, whose relations have soured with Washington due to punishing tariffs.

Geopolitical tensions are also rising over strategic minerals, with Trump insisting the United States needs access to Greenland's critical raw materials, which are largely unmined.

Von der Leyen said the EU and Brazil were also "moving towards a very important political agreement on critical raw materials" such as lithium, nickel and rare earths that "tend to become an instrument of coercion."

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Kurds

Syrian army extends hold over north Syria, Kurds report clashes

politics

BY PETER HUTCHISON AND MARIE HEUCLINvar date = new Date("2026-01-18T06:47:31Z") var userTimezoneOffset = Math.abs(date.getTimezoneOffset() * 60000); var dd = new Date(date.getTime() - userTimezoneOffset) + " "; document.write(dd.split('(', 1)[0]);

'Brexit damage'

'Do more'

Kurds

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'Betrayed'

Presidential decree

aviation

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Global Edition

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Popularity test

Denmark

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'Make America Go Away'

US 'security' claims

security

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1.4 million displaced

Global Edition

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'American conspiracy'

Pahlavi calls for protests

conflict

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Israeli strikes

diplomacy

BY HELEN ROWEvar date = new Date("2026-01-17T19:18:36Z") var userTimezoneOffset = Math.abs(date.getTimezoneOffset() * 60000); var dd = new Date(date.getTime() - userTimezoneOffset) + " "; document.write(dd.split('(', 1)[0]);

France

BY MATHIEU RABECHAULT WITH AFP BUREAUSvar date = new Date("2026-01-17T18:48:16Z") var userTimezoneOffset = Math.abs(date.getTimezoneOffset() * 60000); var dd = new Date(date.getTime() - userTimezoneOffset) + " "; document.write(dd.split('(', 1)[0]);

'Repression can't prevail'

Connection 'coming back'

trade

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'It's not fair'

Safeguard and quotas

conflict

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Thousands without power

Museveni

BY NICK PERRYvar date = new Date("2026-01-17T14:10:44Z") var userTimezoneOffset = Math.abs(date.getTimezoneOffset() * 60000); var dd = new Date(date.getTime() - userTimezoneOffset) + " "; document.write(dd.split('(', 1)[0]);

Challenger within

US

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'We can hunt'

'We need each other'

US

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'Demand respect'

diplomacy

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Nobel medal

conflict

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Israel strikes

Committee begins work

Global Edition

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'Give Iran a chance'

'All Iranians united'

oceans

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Mercosur

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Angry EU farmers

Global trade deals

BY PETER HUTCHISON AND MARIE HEUCLIN

BY BAKR ALKASEM AND OMAR HAJ KADOUR

BY THOMAS CABRAL

BY ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS WITH PIERRE-HENRY DESHAYES IN NUUK

BY HELEN ROWE

BY MATHIEU RABECHAULT WITH AFP BUREAUS

BY MARTíN RASCHINSKY

BY NICK PERRY

BY PIERRE-HENRY DESHAYES

BY SHAUN TANDON AND DANNY KEMP WITH NADA ABOU EL-AMAIM IN CAIRO

BY STUART WILLIAMS

BY FRAN BLANDY