US

Trump says world 'not secure' until US has Greenland

BY WITH JOHANNES LEDEL IN STOCKHOLM

"I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace," he said, citing his failure to win the last year's Nobel Peace Prize, despite openly coveting it.

Donald Trump no longer needs to think "purely of peace" after being snubbed for a Nobel, the US president said in comments published Monday, adding the world will not be safe until Washington controls Greenland.
"I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace," he said, citing his failure to win the last year's Nobel Peace Prize, despite openly coveting it.

Donald Trump no longer needs to think "purely of peace" after being snubbed for a Nobel, the US president said in comments published Monday, adding the world will not be safe until Washington controls Greenland.

Trump has put the transatlantic alliance to the test with threats to take over Greenland "one way or the other", with European countries closing ranks against Washington's designs on the vast Danish territory.

German and French leaders denounced as "blackmail" weekend threats by Trump to wield new tariffs against countries which oppose his plans for the Arctic island, and said Monday that Europe was preparing trade countermeasures.

The European Union said it was holding an emergency summit on Thursday to weigh its response, and that while its priority is to "engage not escalate" it is ready to act if needed.

Greenland, for its part, said the tariffs threat does not change its desire to assert its own sovereignty.

"We will not be pressured," Greenlandic prime minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said in a Facebook post, adding that the autonomous territory "is a democratic society with the right to make its own decisions".

But Trump had earlier doubled down, announcing in a message to Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store that the world "is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland".

The message -- published Monday and whose authenticity was confirmed to AFP by Store's office -- also saw Trump brush aside peace as a primary goal.

"I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace," he said, citing his failure to win the last year's Nobel Peace Prize, despite openly coveting it.

He said although peace would still be "predominant," he could "now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America."

Store said the statement had been received in response to a message from him and Finnish President Alexander Stubb, where they had "conveyed our opposition" to Trump's tariff threats.

Store also underlined that the Nobel Peace Prize was not awarded by the Norwegian government.

"I have clearly explained, including to President Trump what is well known -- the prize is awarded by an independent Nobel Committee," he said in a written statement.

Russia, China threat?

Trump has repeatedly said his country needs vast, mineral-rich Greenland for "national security", despite the United States already having a base on the island and security agreements with fellow NATO ally Denmark.

"Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China," Trump said in his message to the Norwegian premier, doubling down on that sentiment in a post to Truth Social on Monday.

Denmark's defence minister Troels Lund Poulsen said Monday steps had already been taken along with NATO allies to "increase military presence and training activity in the Arctic and the North Atlantic".

Lund Poulsen added that he and Greenlandic foreign minister Vivian Motzfeldt would be meeting with NATO chief Mark Rutte later on Monday.

'Blackmail'

This weekend, Trump said that 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 -- a duty which could go higher.

Germany's vice chancellor Lars Klingbeil slammed the move as blackmail, and said Monday that Europe was preparing countermeasures.

French finance minister Roland Lescure, speaking at a press conference alongside Kingbeil, agreed.

"Blackmail between allies of 250 years, blackmail between friends, is obviously unacceptable," Lecurse said.

Klingbeil said Europe's response could have three main strands.

First, the current tariff deal with the United States would be put on hold, he said.

Second, European tariffs on imports from the United States, currently suspended until early February, could come into force.

And thirdly the EU should consider using its toolbox of instruments against "economic blackmail", he added.

Europe's stock markets fell as the week's trading began Monday, with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer warning that a "trade war is in no one's interest".

Greenland -- whose tiny population of 57,000 has voiced disquiet at Trump's threats -- continued to make its preferences clear Monday.

Greenland's dogsled federation said that the new US special envoy to the Arctic island had been disinvited to its annual race.

Jeff Landry had been invited to attend the race by a private Greenlandic tour operator, an invite the KNQK federation has previously called "totally inappropriate".

burs-jll/st

media

UK, France mull social media bans for youth as debate rages

BY JULIEN DURY AND DANIEL LAWLER

France is currently debating bills for a similar ban for under-15s, including one championed by President Emmanuel Macron.

Countries including France and Britain are considering following Australia's lead by banning children and some teenagers from using social media, but experts are still locked in a debate over the effectiveness of the move.
France is currently debating bills for a similar ban for under-15s, including one championed by President Emmanuel Macron.

Countries including France and Britain are considering following Australia's lead by banning children and some teenagers from using social media, but experts are still locked in a debate over the effectiveness of the move.

Supporters of a ban warn that action needs to be taken to tackle deteriorating mental health among young people, but others say the evidence is inconclusive and want a more nuanced approach.

Australia last month became the first nation to prohibit people under the age of 16 from using immensely popular and profitable social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok and YouTube.

France is currently debating bills for a similar ban for under-15s, including one championed by President Emmanuel Macron.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday that "we need to do more to protect children" on social media, after some 60 MPs in his party called for a ban.

Jonathan Haidt, an American psychologist and supporter of the Australian ban, has also reportedly been asked to speak to UK government officials.

Haidt argued in his bestselling 2024 book "The Anxious Generation" that too much time looking at screens -- particularly social media -- was rewiring children's brains and "causing an epidemic of mental illness".

While influential among politicians, the book has proven controversial in academic circles.

Canadian psychologist Candice Odgers wrote in a review of the book that the "scary story" Haidt was telling was "not supported by science".

One of the main areas of disagreement has been determining exactly how much effect using social media has on young people's mental health.

Michael Noetel, a researcher at the University of Queensland in Australia, told AFP that "small effects across billions of users add up".

There is "plenty of evidence" that social media does harm to teens, he said, adding that some were demanding an unrealistic level of proof.

"My read is that Haidt is more right than his harshest critics admit, and less right than his book implies," Noetel said.

Given the potential benefit of a ban, he considered it "a bet worth making".

After reviewing the evidence, France's public health watchdog ANSES ruled last week that social media had numerous detrimental effects for adolescents -- particularly girls -- while not being the sole reason for their declining mental health.

Everything in moderation?

Noetel led research published in Psychological Bulletin last year that reviewed more than 100 studies worldwide on the links between screens and the psychological and emotional problems suffered by children and adolescents.

The findings suggested a vicious cycle.

Excessive screen time -- particularly using social media and playing video games -- was associated with problems. This distress then drove youngsters to look at their screens even more.

However, other researchers are wary of a blanket ban.

Ben Singh from the University of Adelaide tracked more than 100,000 young Australians over three years for a study published in JAMA Pediatrics.

The study found that the young people with the worst wellbeing were those who used social media heavily -- more than two hours a day -- or not at all. It was teens who used social networks moderately that fared the best.

"The findings suggest that both excessive restriction and excessive use can be problematic," Singh told AFP.

Again, girls suffered the most from excessive use. Being entirely deprived of social media was found to be most detrimental for boys in their later teens.

'Appallingly toxic'

French psychiatrist Serge Tisseron is among those who have long warned about the huge threat that screens pose to health.

"Social media is appallingly toxic," he told AFP.

But he feared a ban would easily be overcome by tech-savvy teens, at the same time absolving parents of responsibility.

"In recent years, the debate has become extremely polarised between an outright ban or nothing at all," he said, calling for regulation that walks a finer line.

Another option could be to wait and see how the Australian experiment pans out.

"Within a year, we should know much more about how effective the Australian social media ban has been and whether it led to any unintended consequences," Cambridge University researcher Amy Orben said.

Last week, Australia's online safety watchdog said that tech companies have already blocked 4.7 million accounts for under 16s.

jdy-dl/cw

election

Japan PM calls snap election on Feb 8 to seek stronger mandate

BY HIROSHI HIYAMA AND KYOKO HASEGAWA

"Is Sanae Takaichi fit to be prime minister?

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Monday she would dissolve parliament this week ahead of a snap election on February 8, hoping for a stronger mandate to push through her ambitious policy agenda.
"Is Sanae Takaichi fit to be prime minister?

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Monday she would dissolve parliament this week ahead of a snap election on February 8, hoping for a stronger mandate to push through her ambitious policy agenda.

The country's first woman leader is banking on her high poll numbers to lead the unpopular ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to victory.

"Is Sanae Takaichi fit to be prime minister? I wanted to ask the sovereign people to decide," she told a news conference.

"Following the dissolution of the lower house on January 23, the schedule will be set for campaigning to start on January 27 and voting and counting held on February 8."

If elected, Takaichi pledged Monday to cut a tax on food for a two-year period to "alleviate the burden" on people struggling with inflation.

Takaichi's cabinet approved a record 122.3-trillion-yen ($768 billion) budget for the fiscal year from April 2026, and she has vowed to get parliamentary approval as soon as possible to address rising prices and shore up the world's fourth-largest economy.

"We have a responsibility to overcome the shackles of excessive austerity and take immediate action against the crisis at hand," she told reporters.

The LDP has governed Japan almost uninterrupted for decades, albeit with frequent leader changes.

Takaichi was appointed premier in October, and her cabinet is riding high in the polls despite her party's flagging popularity.

The ruling bloc -- which includes coalition partner Japan Innovation Party (JIP) -- has only a slim majority in the powerful lower house of parliament.

This could hamper the passage of her policy agenda, including "proactive" fiscal spending and boosting the defence budget.

"If the LDP can get a majority by itself in the lower house, that'll help her pursue policies" without concessions to other parties, said Sadafumi Kawato, professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo.

But opposition parties say Takaichi's plan to dissolve the lower house risks delaying its passage, with Jun Azumi of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) saying it would "sacrifice livelihoods".

Masaaki Tokuno, a 64-year-old bicycle lot manager, told AFP that "carrying out policies to tackle inflation should be first, before holding the election".

China spat

A snap election may also help Takaichi break the deadlock in a spat with China, increasing her leverage by showing she has strong support at home, analysts said.

Ties between Tokyo and Beijing have deteriorated since Takaichi suggested in November that Japan could intervene militarily if China ever launched an attack on Taiwan, the self-ruled island it claims.

China recently announced a broad ban on exports to Japan of "dual-use" goods with potential military applications and has reportedly been choking off exports of rare-earth products crucial for making everything from electric cars to missiles.

Takaichi denounced Monday "economic pressure tactics" impacting Japan, without explicitly referring to China.

These are "aimed at forcing other nations to submit to demands, by controlling upstream materials in supply chains that the world relies on", she said.

Mikitaka Masuyama, dean of the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, warned that if she wins, China could further intensify pressure on Takaichi.

Beijing may want to send voters "the message that supporting a hawkish leader could lead to pain" through more trade controls or other means.

According to a poll by the Asahi newspaper, 60 percent of people surveyed said they were worried about the impact of a worsening Japan-China relationship on the economy.

Under Takaichi's predecessor, Shigeru Ishiba, the LDP and its former long-term coalition partner Komeito lost its majority in both chambers in the past two national elections -- most recently in the July upper house election.

The July election led Ishiba to step down, while smaller parties gained support -- including the populist Sanseito, which called immigration a "silent invasion" despite foreign-born residents making up just three percent of the population.

Komeito and the leading CDP have agreed to join forces to fight Takaichi, hoping their alliance can draw swing voters.

kh-hih-aph/ami

US

Europe readying steps against Trump tariff 'blackmail' on Greenland: Berlin

"Europe will respond with a united, clear response, and we are now preparing countermeasures together with our European partners."

Europe is preparing countermeasures against US President Donald Trump's "blackmail" after he threatened tariffs against several countries over their opposition to his designs on Greenland, Germany's vice chancellor said Monday.
"Europe will respond with a united, clear response, and we are now preparing countermeasures together with our European partners."

Europe is preparing countermeasures against US President Donald Trump's "blackmail" after he threatened tariffs against several countries over their opposition to his designs on Greenland, Germany's vice chancellor said Monday.

"We will not allow ourselves to be blackmailed," said Lars Klingbeil, at a Berlin press conference alongside the French economy and finance minister, Roland Lescure.

"Europe will respond with a united, clear response, and we are now preparing countermeasures together with our European partners."

Trump vowed on Saturday to hit European countries -- including Denmark, of which Greenland is an autonomous territory -- with tariffs of up to 25 percent unless Greenland is ceded to the United States.

Britain, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden already hit back at the threat in a joint statement at the weekend.

Klingbeil said Europe's response could have three main strands.

First, the current tariff deal with the United States would be put on hold, he said.

Second, European tariffs on imports from the United States, currently suspended until early February, could come into force, said Klingbeil, who is also Germany's finance minister.

And thirdly the EU should consider using its toolbox of instruments that can be deployed to respond to "economic blackmail" against Washington, he added.

Lescure agreed with Klingbeil that Trump's threat amounted to "blackmail".

"Blackmail between allies of 250 years, blackmail between friends, is obviously unacceptable," said the French minister.

"We Europeans must remain united and coordinated in our response and, above all, be prepared to make full use of the instruments" of the European Union, he said.

"We are determined to defend our sovereignty."

Lescure said a meeting of G7 finance ministers would be convened in the coming days to discuss pressing issues, including Greenland. France is the current chair of the grouping, and the United States is a member.

Klingbeil stressed that the "limit has been reached" when it came to the US leader making threats.

"We are constantly experiencing a new confrontation that President Trump is seeking," he said.

sr/fz/st

accident

High-speed train collision in Spain kills 39, injures dozens

BY JORGE GUERRERO WITH MARIE GIFFARD IN MADRID

Spain has Europe's largest high-speed rail network, with more than 3,000 kilometres (1,800 miles) of dedicated tracks connecting major cities including Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Valencia and Malaga.

A high-speed train has derailed and been hit by another in southern Spain killing at least 39 people and injuring more than 120, authorities said on Monday.
Spain has Europe's largest high-speed rail network, with more than 3,000 kilometres (1,800 miles) of dedicated tracks connecting major cities including Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Valencia and Malaga.

A high-speed train has derailed and been hit by another in southern Spain killing at least 39 people and injuring more than 120, authorities said on Monday.

It said the country's worst train crash in over a decade was "extremely strange".

This was the deadliest train accident since 2013, when 80 people died after a train veered off a curved section of track outside the northwestern city of Santiago de Compostela.

The crash happened on Sunday evening when a train operated by rail company Iryo travelling from Malaga to Madrid derailed near Adamuz in Andalucia.

It crossed onto the other track, where it crashed into an oncoming train, which also derailed.

Transport Minister Oscar Puente said at least 39 people died, warning this toll was "not definitive" and could still rise.

"I want to express my deepest gratitude for the tremendous work of the rescue teams throughout the night, under very difficult circumstances," he added on X.

Around 123 other people were injured, including five very seriously and 24 seriously, the interior ministry said.

Unlike the 2013 accident, the derailment took place on a straight part of the track which had been completely renovated, Puente told reporters.

The first train to derail was "practically new", making the accident "extremely strange" and "very difficult to explain", he said.

Rail experts "are very surprised by this accident", he added.

'Hard, tricky work'

Train operator Iryo said the locomotive was built in 2022 and last inspected on January 15, adding it "veered onto the adjacent track for still unknown reasons".

The company said around 300 people were on board its service from the Andalucian city of Malaga to the capital, Madrid.

Renfe, the operator of the second train, has not said how many passengers were on the service, which was travelling to the southern city of Huelva.

Spain has Europe's largest high-speed rail network, with more than 3,000 kilometres (1,800 miles) of dedicated tracks connecting major cities including Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Valencia and Malaga.

Emergency services said they struggled to free the hundreds of passengers trapped in the wreckage.

"The problem is that the carriages are twisted, so the metal is twisted with the people inside," Francisco Carmona, head of firefighters in Cordoba, told public broadcaster RTVE.

"We have even had to remove a dead person to be able to reach someone alive. It is hard, tricky work," he added.

A passenger on the second train who gave only her first name, Montse, told Spanish public television the train, jolted, "came to a complete stop and everything went dark".

She described being thrown around in the carriage at the back end of the train and seeing luggage tumble onto other passengers.

"The attendant behind me hit her head and was bleeding. There were children crying," she added.

"Luckily, I was in the last car. I feel like I was given a second chance at life."

'Great suffering'

Survivor Lucas Meriako, who was travelling on the Iryo train, told La Sexta television: "This looks like a horror movie."

"We felt a very strong hit from behind and the feeling that the whole train was about to collapse... There were many injured due to the glass," he said.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was to visit the site of the disaster later on Monday, his office said.

"Today is a night of deep pain for our country owing to the tragic rail accident in Adamuz," he wrote on X on Sunday night, adding: "No words can alleviate such great suffering."

The royal palace said on X that King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia were following the news "with great concern".

The monarchs offered "our most heartfelt condolences to the relatives and loved ones of the dead, as well as our love and wishes for a swift recovery to the injured", the palace said.

French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen were among the world leaders offering condolences.

bur-mig-ds/gil

election

Japan PM to call snap election seeking stronger mandate

BY KYOKO HASEGAWA

After signalling her intentions to party officials last week, Takaichi will lay out her plans for a vote expected as early as February 8 during a press conference Monday, the Yomiuri and other media outlets reported.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will officially announce Monday her plans to dissolve parliament for a snap election, media reports said, hoping for a stronger mandate to push through her ambitious policy agenda.
After signalling her intentions to party officials last week, Takaichi will lay out her plans for a vote expected as early as February 8 during a press conference Monday, the Yomiuri and other media outlets reported.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will officially announce Monday her plans to dissolve parliament for a snap election, media reports said, hoping for a stronger mandate to push through her ambitious policy agenda.

The country's first woman leader, Takaichi is banking on her high poll numbers to lead the unpopular ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to victory.

After signalling her intentions to party officials last week, Takaichi will lay out her plans for a vote expected as early as February 8 during a press conference Monday, the Yomiuri and other media outlets reported.

The LDP has governed Japan almost uninterrupted for decades, albeit with frequent leader changes.

Takaichi was appointed prime minister in October and her cabinet is riding high in the polls, despite her party's flagging popularity.

But her ruling bloc -- which includes coalition partner Japan Innovation Party (JIP), only has a slim majority in the powerful lower house of parliament.

This could hamper the passage of her policy agenda including "proactive" fiscal spending and boosting the defence budget.

Takaichi's cabinet approved a record 122.3-trillion-yen ($768 billion) budget for the fiscal year from April 2026, and she has vowed to get parliamentary approval as soon as possible to address inflation and shore up the world's fourth largest economy.

Masaaki Tokuno, a 64-year-old bicycle lot manager, told AFP that "carrying out policies to tackle inflation should be first, before holding the election".

The LDP is weighing campaigning on a possible cut to the tax on food purchases, media reports said, to ease the pain of soaring costs at the grocery store.

China spat

A snap election may also help Takaichi break the deadlock in a spat with China, increasing her leverage by showing she has strong support at home, analysts said.

However, Mikitaka Masuyama, dean of the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, warned that if she wins, China could further intensify pressure on Takaichi.

Beijing may want to send voters "the message that supporting a hawkish leader could lead to pain" through more trade controls or other means.

China recently announced a broad ban on the export to Japan of "dual-use" goods with potential military applications, and has reportedly been choking off exports of rare-earth products crucial for making everything from electric cars to missiles.

According to a poll by the Asahi newspaper, 60 percent of people surveyed said they were worried about the impact of a worsening Japan-China relationship on the economy.

Under Takaichi's predecessor Shigeru Ishiba, the LDP and its former long-term coalition partner Komeito lost its majority in both chambers in the past two national elections -- most recently in the July upper house election.

The July election led Ishiba to step down, while smaller parties gaining support included the populist Sanseito, which called immigration a "silent invasion", despite foreign-born residents making up just three percent of the population.

Komeito and the leading CDP have agreed to join forces to fight Takaichi, hoping their alliance can draw swing voters.

kh-aph/ane

craft

China's Buddha artisans carve out a living from dying trade

BY JING XUAN TENG

In comparison, wood carver Zhang took a more practical view of his craft.

In a dimly lit workshop in eastern China, craftsman Zhang measured and shaped a block of wood into a foot as dozens of half-completed life-sized Buddha statues looked on silently.
In comparison, wood carver Zhang took a more practical view of his craft.

In a dimly lit workshop in eastern China, craftsman Zhang measured and shaped a block of wood into a foot as dozens of half-completed life-sized Buddha statues looked on silently.

Zhang is one of a dwindling number of master woodcarvers in the village of Chongshan near the city of Suzhou, where generations of residents have made a living creating Buddhist and Taoist sculptures for display in temples across China.

Carving the intricate statues, which are often adorned with bright paint and gold leaf, was an art he learned from his father as a teenager.

"My grandpa and my grandpa's grandpa were also craftspeople," Zhang told AFP in his dusty studio.

But "once our generation retires, there will be no one left to carry on the tradition".

He blamed a combination of unattractive pay and youngsters' unwillingness to dedicate time and energy to mastering the craft.

"You need to do this for at least five or six years before you can set up shop on your own."

Zhang said the village had received a boom in orders starting in the late 20th century, after a loosening of tight government restrictions on worship led to a resurgence of interest in religion across the country.

But now, fewer people are commissioning new pieces with the market already "saturated" and most temples around the country already furnished with statues, Zhang told AFP.

Gu, a 71-year-old artisan at another workshop in Chongshan, said she remembered producing secular handicrafts during the Cultural Revolution, when religion was considered an archaic relic to be eliminated from society by leader Mao Zedong's followers.

"At the time, the temples were all closed," Gu told AFP.

Gu, who specialises in carving the heads of Buddha sculptures, proudly showed off the subtle expressions on the faces of a row of gilded figures in her storeroom.

"Every face has an expression, smiling or crying," Gu said.

She grinned as she explained that some sculptures of famed Buddhist monk Ji Gong even showed him smiling on one side of his face and frowning on the other.

In comparison, wood carver Zhang took a more practical view of his craft.

"People look at us like we're artists," he said. "But to us, we're just creating a product."

tjx/reb/mtp

US

Thousands march in US to back Iranian anti-government protesters

BY ROMAIN FONSEGRIVES

"But if they find themselves in danger, they can't even find refuge in the United States." rfo/tmt/aha/ane

Thousands in the United States staged large demonstrations Sunday denouncing the Iranian government's deadly crackdown on anti-government protesters in the Islamic Republic.
"But if they find themselves in danger, they can't even find refuge in the United States." rfo/tmt/aha/ane

Thousands in the United States staged large demonstrations Sunday denouncing the Iranian government's deadly crackdown on anti-government protesters in the Islamic Republic.

Several thousand people marched in Los Angeles, home to the world's largest Iranian diaspora, while several hundred others gathered in New York, AFP journalists in both cities reported.

US protesters could be seen carrying signs condemning a "New Holocaust," a "genocide in the making," and the "terror" of the Iranian government.

"My heart is heavy and my soul is crushed, I'm at loss for words to describe how angry I am," said Perry Faraz at the demonstration in Los Angeles, the second-largest city in the US.

The 62-year-old payroll manager, who fled Iran in 2006, learned this week that one of her young cousins had been killed during the overseas rallies held in her native country.

"He wasn't even 10 years old, that's horrible," she said.

Demonstrations sparked by anger over economic hardship exploded into protests late December in what has been widely seen as the biggest challenge to the Iranian leadership in recent years.

The rallies subsided after a government crackdown in Iran that rights groups have called a "massacre" carried out by security forces under the cover of a communications blackout that started on January 8.

Norway-based Iran Human Rights says it has verified the deaths of 3,428 protesters killed by security forces, confirming cases through sources within the Islamic Republic's health and medical system, witnesses and independent sources.

The NGO warned that the true toll is likely to be far higher. Media cannot independently confirm the figure and Iranian officials have not given an exact death toll.

Calls for US intervention

"This mass murdering of the population is terribly upsetting," Ali Parvaneh, a 65-year-old lawyer protesting in LA said.

Like many protesters, Parvaneh carried a "Make Iran Great Again" sign and said he wanted US President Donald Trump to intervene by targeting the country's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Some in the crowd in LA went as far as to call for the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who has been in power for more than 25 years.

After having attacked Iranian nuclear sites in June, Trump sent mixed signals on possible US intervention this week.

The Republican first threatened to intervene if Iranian protesters were killed, but then said he was satisfied by Iranian assurances that demonstrators would not be executed.

"I really hope that Trump will go one step beyond just voicing support," Parvaneh said.

Many protesting in the Californian city chanted slogans in support of the US president and Reza Pahlavi, the son of the former Shah of Iran who was deposed by the popular uprising in 1979.

- 'Don't need a puppet' -

Parvaneh echoed Pahlavi's popularity among some segments of Iran's exiled and expatriate population.

"Had the monarchy stayed in place, it would be much different and Iran would be in a much better situation," he said.

Pahlavi's support base is concentrated abroad while his political sway within Iran is limited.

The former Shah's son, who lives in exile near Washington, said this week he would be ready to return to Iran -- but it is unclear if most Iranians want this.

The Iranian opposition remains divided, and memories of the Shah's brutal repression of his left-wing opponents remain vivid.

Last week, a man caused minor injuries when he drove a truck into a demonstration held by Iranians in Los Angeles, carrying a sign that read: "No Shah. No Regime. USA: Don't Repeat 1953. No Mullah."

The sign was referring to the 1953 coup that saw Iran's government overthrown in a US- and UK-backed operation that had seen Pahlavi installed as the country's leader.

In Los Angeles's Westwood neighborhood, nicknamed "Tehrangeles," Roozbeh Farahanipour believes the diaspora must support Iranians without infringing on their "right to decide their own future."

"They don't need a puppet implanted by the West," said the 54-year-old restaurant owner.

Others in California also share that view.

"Trump is playing the Iranian people," said poet Karim Farsis, a resident of the San Francisco Bay area.

Farsis, an academic, stresses that it is US sanctions -- including those imposed by Trump -- and the Republican's ripping up of a nuclear deal that have contributed in large part to the suffering of the Iranian people.

She also criticized the almost complete ban on Iranians entering the US since June.

"We're living in a really twisted moment," she said. "Trump is saying to Iranians: 'Keep protesting, take over your institutions.'

"But if they find themselves in danger, they can't even find refuge in the United States."

rfo/tmt/aha/ane

politics

South Korea, Italy agree to deepen AI, defence cooperation

Speaking alongside the far-right leader following their meeting, Lee said the two countries would "further expand the horizons of cooperation into advanced industries such as artificial intelligence, space, and aviation".

South Korea and Italy agreed Monday to expand cooperation in artificial intelligence, space and the defence industry, pledging to confront "global challenges" at a bilateral summit in Seoul.
Speaking alongside the far-right leader following their meeting, Lee said the two countries would "further expand the horizons of cooperation into advanced industries such as artificial intelligence, space, and aviation".

South Korea and Italy agreed Monday to expand cooperation in artificial intelligence, space and the defence industry, pledging to confront "global challenges" at a bilateral summit in Seoul.

President Lee Jae Myung hosted Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for the summit at his office in the first visit by an Italian leader to South Korea in almost two decades.

Speaking alongside the far-right leader following their meeting, Lee said the two countries would "further expand the horizons of cooperation into advanced industries such as artificial intelligence, space, and aviation".

"In addition, we will pursue complementary cooperation in the defence industry based on each side's strengths," Lee added.

South Korea has emerged as a major arms exporter in recent years as Central and Eastern European countries -- including Poland -- have signed deals with South Korean manufacturers in the face of Russia's protracted war in Ukraine.

The South has remained combat-ready since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce and has been quick to export arms to countries in need.

But it has not supplied weapons to Ukraine due to a domestic policy preventing the provision of arms to countries at war.

"The war in Ukraine also poses an extremely serious risk to Europe's security in every respect," Meloni said.

"For that reason, we will continue to pursue new forms of cooperation at the global level," she added, describing Seoul as "one of the G7's most important partners".

Lee also vowed to "work closely together to contribute to global peace" and "safeguard the universal value of peace, extending our efforts ... to the wider world".

kjk-hs/oho/mtp

Global Edition

Vietnam begins Communist Party congress to pick leaders

Lam would be the first person to be named to the top two jobs simultaneously by a party congress, rather than stepping in following a death. bur-tym/sco/fox

Vietnam's ruling Communist Party convened Monday to begin their twice-a-decade congress, where leader To Lam is looking to tighten his grip on power less than two years after assuming the top role.
Lam would be the first person to be named to the top two jobs simultaneously by a party congress, rather than stepping in following a death. bur-tym/sco/fox

Vietnam's ruling Communist Party convened Monday to begin their twice-a-decade congress, where leader To Lam is looking to tighten his grip on power less than two years after assuming the top role.

The Southeast Asian nation of 100 million people is both a repressive one-party state and a regional economic bright spot, where the Communist Party has sought to deliver rapid growth to bolster its legitimacy.

Nearly 1,600 delegates representing the party's more than five million members gathered Monday for a sombre tribute to national hero Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum in Hanoi, before attending a closed-door preparatory session of the party congress.

The official opening ceremony will be broadcast live Tuesday morning, state media said, with the party's general secretary, Lam, widely expected to deliver a speech.

Since he ascended to the role just 17 months ago, Lam has pursued an anti-corruption drive, thinned and streamlined bureaucracy, and accelerated infrastructure investment in reforms officials describe as a "revolution".

Dual role

He will remain the party's top leader, according to sources briefed on key internal deliberations.

But he is seeking the presidency as well -- a dual role similar to Xi Jinping in neighbouring China.

Analysts say Lam's reach will depend on who else secures top posts and politburo positions during the week-long conclave, particularly from the more conservative military faction that opposes him.

One source briefed on party deliberations told AFP that Lam's bid for expanded powers had been provisionally approved.

But some reports suggest he had to shelve his presidential ambitions in order to secure support for his reform agenda.

The top posts in Vietnam's collective leadership system must be approved by the incoming politburo, and experts say nothing is certain yet.

Lam would be the first person to be named to the top two jobs simultaneously by a party congress, rather than stepping in following a death.

bur-tym/sco/fox

environment

Chile declares emergency as wildfires kill at least 19

- 'Very difficult' - President Gabriel Boric declared a state of emergency in Nuble and Biobio as nearly 4,000 firefighters battled the wildfires -- raging during the high temperatures of the southern hemisphere summer.

Uncontrolled wildfires tore through communities in southern Chile, leaving charred ruins in their wake and at least 19 dead, authorities said, announcing the latest toll on Sunday.
- 'Very difficult' - President Gabriel Boric declared a state of emergency in Nuble and Biobio as nearly 4,000 firefighters battled the wildfires -- raging during the high temperatures of the southern hemisphere summer.

Uncontrolled wildfires tore through communities in southern Chile, leaving charred ruins in their wake and at least 19 dead, authorities said, announcing the latest toll on Sunday.

More than 50,000 people have been displaced by blazes burning for two days now in the Nuble and Biobio regions about 500 kilometers (300 miles) south of Santiago, fanned by strong winds and hot weather.

"At 2:30 in the morning, the fire was out of control. There was a whirlwind of fire that consumed the houses in the town below," Matias Cid, a 25-year-old student in Penco, told AFP.

"We had to leave with the shirts on our back. If we had stayed another 20 minutes we would have burned to death," he said.

Video of the aftermath shows a bleak, empty cityscape of charred homes and burned-out pick-up trucks and cars.

Most of the fatalities from the wildfires in the region have so far been in Penco, Mayor Rodrigo Vera said.

In neighboring Lirquen, a small port town of about 20,000, the scene was equally devastating, with residents describing how the fire advanced "in seconds."

Many of the residents "were saved from the fire because they ran to the beach," Alejandro Arredondo, 57, told AFP. "Nothing was left standing."

In the town of Lirquen, soldiers were patrolling the streets as night fell on Sunday.

Despite a curfew, some residents armed with flashlights continued working to clear debris or put out fires.

'Very difficult'

President Gabriel Boric declared a state of emergency in Nuble and Biobio as nearly 4,000 firefighters battled the wildfires -- raging during the high temperatures of the southern hemisphere summer.

The order allows for the deployment of the armed forces to assist.

The president traveled to the badly impacted city of Concepcion to oversee the firefighting efforts.

Boric announced a nighttime curfew in the most affected towns, warning, "conditions are very difficult."

He returned to Santiago in the evening, pledging to meet with president-elect Jose Antonio Kast on Monday to share information about the forest fires.

"In difficult times, Chile is united. Our government and the president-elect will work together," he said.

More heat and wind

Alicia Cebrian, the director of the National Service for Disaster Prevention and Response, said most of the evacuations were in the Biobio towns of Penco and Lirquen, which have a combined population of around 60,000 people.

The weather forecast Sunday was bad for firefighters -- high temperatures and strong winds, said Esteban Krause, the head of a forest preservation agency in Biobio.

Wildfires have severely impacted south-central Chile in recent years amid growing signs of the impact of climate change in the South American country, including extreme weather, droughts and floods.

In February 2024, several fires broke out simultaneously near the city of Vina del Mar, northwest of Santiago, resulting in 138 deaths, according to the public prosecutor's office.

About 16,000 people were affected by those fires, authorities said.

pa/mr/msp-ksb/aha

Harry

Harry set for final courtroom battle against UK media

BY HELEN ROWE AND JOE JACKSON

- 'Blagging' claim - The new trial follows earlier cases brought against Rupert Murdoch's News Group Newspapers (NGN) and Mirror Group.

Prince Harry is to return to London this week for the trial into his claims that a UK newspaper group unlawfully gathered information, in the royal's last case in his long-running crusade against the media.
- 'Blagging' claim - The new trial follows earlier cases brought against Rupert Murdoch's News Group Newspapers (NGN) and Mirror Group.

Prince Harry is to return to London this week for the trial into his claims that a UK newspaper group unlawfully gathered information, in the royal's last case in his long-running crusade against the media.

The trial, expected to last up to nine weeks, is scheduled to start at London's High Court on Monday.

It is the third and final case brought by the prince, who is said to see holding the media to account as a personal mission.

Harry has long blamed the media for the death of his mother Princess Diana, who was killed in a Paris car crash in 1997 while trying to shake off the paparazzi.

King Charles III's younger son is bringing the case along with six other high-profile complainants including pop icon Elton John and John's husband David Furnish.

The seven accuse Associated Newspapers, publishers of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, of allegedly carrying out or commissioning unlawful activities such as hiring private investigators to place listening devices inside cars.

They also allegedly impersonated individuals to obtain medical information -- a practice known as blagging -- and accessed private phone conversations.

The media group has firmly denied the allegations, calling them "lurid" and "preposterous".

Rare UK trip

Harry is expected to attend for some of the first three days of opening statements.

He is then due to take the stand for a full day of testimony on Thursday, according to a draft trial schedule shared with reporters by lawyers.

Actor Elizabeth Hurley is set to give evidence the following week, followed by John and Furnish in early February. Actor Sadie Frost is also among the complainants.

In 2023, Harry made history by becoming the first senior British royal to give evidence in court for more than a century, when he testified as part of his claim against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN).

It will be a rare trip back to Britain for the prince, also known as the Duke of Sussex, who stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and relocated eventually to California with wife Meghan, where they live with their two children.

During his last UK visit in September, Harry met with the king, seeking to start to repair a bitter rift with his immediate family.

But UK media have said there are no plans for Harry to see Charles during next week's visit.

'Blagging' claim

The new trial follows earlier cases brought against Rupert Murdoch's News Group Newspapers (NGN) and Mirror Group.

Last year Prince Harry settled out of court in his action against Murdoch's UK tabloid publisher.

NGN -- publisher of tabloids The Sun and the now defunct News of the World -- agreed to pay him "substantial damages" in January 2025 after admitting intruding into his private life, including by hacking his phone.

In a statement, NGN offered a "full and unequivocal apology" to the prince for "serious intrusion" into the private lives of Harry and his mother Princess Diana by The Sun and also "phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators instructed by them at the News of the World".

In his other case against Mirror Group, a High Court ruling in December 2023 said Harry had been a victim of phone hacking by journalists working for the group and awarded him £140,600 ($179,600) in damages.

Media lawyer Mark Stephens told AFP much had changed in the British media in recent years, but that this final case would primarily be about "press freedom".

"Press freedom is essential but so is freedom from being illegally spied on," he said.

"I think we're not going to be looking so much at yesterday's gossip. I think this case is going to be more about tomorrow's accountability for the media more generally," he added.

vid-har/jkb/cc/abs

theft

Louvre heist probe: What we know

BY FRANCOIS BECKER, CELINE CORNU AND MURIELLE KASPRZAK

- DNA samples - During the escape, "you can sense a certain amount of stress -- no doubt because they are actually doing it -- which means they end up dropping the jewellery and also leaving behind DNA traces," Beccuau said.

Thieves in October broke into the French capital's world-famous Louvre museum in broad daylight, escaping in under eight minutes with jewellery worth $102 million.
- DNA samples - During the escape, "you can sense a certain amount of stress -- no doubt because they are actually doing it -- which means they end up dropping the jewellery and also leaving behind DNA traces," Beccuau said.

Thieves in October broke into the French capital's world-famous Louvre museum in broad daylight, escaping in under eight minutes with jewellery worth $102 million.

Three months on from the brazen heist, four suspects are in police custody but the jewels are still nowhere to be found.

Here is what we know -- and don't.

Four detained

Four men in their thirties, arrested in October and November, are suspected of being the team who conducted the theft on October 19, 2025.

The pair suspected of having broken in include Abdoulaye N., an unlicensed taxi driver turning 40 this month, who previously showed off his motorbike stunts on social media.

The other is a 35-year-old Algerian, who was detained in October as he was preparing to fly out of Paris.

A third suspect, aged 37, was involved in a previous theft with Abdoulaye N., while a fourth -- who is 38 -- hails from the same Paris suburb as the other three.

Investigating magistrates started questioning them this month, but have no significant leads so far, top Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau has said.

A fifth suspect -- a 38-year-old woman who is the partner of the third suspect -- has been charged with being an accomplice, but released under judicial supervision pending a trial.

'Genuine preparation'

There was "genuine preparation" before the heist, said Beccuau.

The robbers struck early on a Sunday morning, "when everything was slowly getting going at the museum", after locating and stealing a mover's truck with an extendable ladder to reach the first-floor gallery housing the French crown jewels.

After parking the truck below, two of the thieves hoisted themselves up the ladder in a furniture lift, the investigation has shown.

They broke a window and used angle grinders to cut glass cases containing the treasures, while the other two waited below.

They then lowered themselves down with their loot, and the four fled on high-powered motor scooters, dropping a diamond-and-emerald crown in their hurry.

But eight other items -- including an emerald-and-diamond necklace that Napoleon I gave his second wife, Empress Marie-Louise -- remain at large.

DNA samples

During the escape, "you can sense a certain amount of stress -- no doubt because they are actually doing it -- which means they end up dropping the jewellery and also leaving behind DNA traces," Beccuau said.

The first suspect -- the motorbike stuntman -- was identified after his DNA was found on broken glass and objects abandoned on site, while the second left genetic clues on a scooter as he fled.

The third -- and his female partner -- had left DNA on the furniture lift.

Further investigations and cross-checks led to the arrest of a fourth, suspected of having parked the truck under the museum gallery, said Beccuau.

'Not bunglers'

Some observers may have called the burglars amateurs, but a source with knowledge of the probe said they were "not such bunglers after all".

"They had put their scooters and equipment in storage units and had disabled the video surveillance" nearby before the heist,

he source said, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to reveal details of the investigation.

Dressed as workmen in high-visibility jackets, they completed the whole burglary in just eight minutes.

After they abandoned their scooters for a van, it headed for the suburbs "to throw off the investigators by entering an area not covered by cameras", the source added.

"They then didn't call each other again and went back to their lives as if nothing had happened," the source said.

Contacted by AFP, lawyers of the suspects did not immediately respond or declined to comment.

Poor security

Poor security at the Louvre made the robber's getaway easier, a culture ministry probe found last month, even if they evaded security forces with just 30 seconds to spare.

Only one of two security cameras was working near the site where the intruders broke in, and agents in the security control room did not have enough screens to follow the images in real time.

Missing jewellery

Beccuau said it was still unclear if a third party ordered the heist -- or indeed where the jewellery might be.

Beccuau said there was no sign the spoils had crossed the French border, but investigators were relying on contacts abroad to signal if something suspicious showed up.

fbe-cco-jt-sm-mk-mca/ah/cw/abs

Global Edition

Limited internet briefly returns in Iran after protest blackout

The rallies subsided after the crackdown that rights groups have called a "massacre" carried out by security forces under the cover of a communications blackout that started on January 8.

Limited internet access briefly returned in Iran before dropping again, a monitor said Sunday, 10 days into a communications blackout that rights groups said aimed to mask a protest crackdown that killed thousands.
The rallies subsided after the crackdown that rights groups have called a "massacre" carried out by security forces under the cover of a communications blackout that started on January 8.

Limited internet access briefly returned in Iran before dropping again, a monitor said Sunday, 10 days into a communications blackout that rights groups said aimed to mask a protest crackdown that killed thousands.

Iran's president warned that an attack on the country's supreme leader would be a declaration of war -- an apparent response to US counterpart Donald Trump saying it was time to look for new leadership in Iran.

Demonstrations sparked in late December by anger over economic hardship exploded into protests widely seen as the biggest challenge to the Iranian leadership in years.

The rallies subsided after the crackdown that rights groups have called a "massacre" carried out by security forces under the cover of a communications blackout that started on January 8.

Monitor Netblocks said late Sunday that "traffic levels have fallen after a brief, heavily filtered restoration of select Google and messaging services in Iran".

Iranian officials have said the demonstrations were peaceful before turning into "riots" and blamed foreign influence from Iran's arch-foes the United States and Israel.

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

While Washington appeared to have stepped back, Trump hit out at supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an interview with Politico on Saturday, saying it was "time to look for new leadership in Iran".

"The man is a sick man who should run his country properly and stop killing people," Trump said.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday warned on X: "An attack on the great leader of our country is tantamount to a full-scale war with the Iranian nation."

As leaders in Washington and Tehran have exchanged barbs, Iranian officials have said calm has been restored in the streets.

Security forces with armoured vehicles and motorcycles were seen in central Tehran, according to AFP correspondents.

'Cannot just stay silent'

Schools reopened on Sunday after a week of closure.

Pezeshkian meanwhile told a cabinet meeting that he "recommended to the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council that internet restrictions be lifted as soon as possible".

Some users reported access to WhatsApp, while outgoing international calls had resumed since Tuesday, and text messaging was restored Saturday.

Fars news agency on Sunday reported that the chief executive of Irancell, Iran's second-largest mobile phone operator, was dismissed for failing to comply with the government's decision to shut down the internet.

Solidarity demonstrations have continued in multiple cities in recent days, including in Berlin, London and Paris.

Despite the restrictions, information had still filtered out, with reports of atrocities emerging, according to rights groups.

Amnesty International said it had verified dozens of videos and accounts in recent days showing a "massacre of protesters" by security forces.

Norway-based Iran Human Rights says it has verified the deaths of 3,428 protesters killed by security forces, confirming cases through sources within the Islamic republic's health and medical system, witnesses and independent sources.

However, the NGO warns the true toll is likely far higher. Media cannot independently confirm the figure and Iranian officials have not given an exact death toll for the protests.

Other estimates place the death toll at more than 5,000 -- and possibly as high as 20,000 -- though the internet blackout has severely hampered independent verification, IHR says.

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

Iran's judiciary has rejected that figure.

'Not be spared'

On Saturday, Khamenei said "a few thousand" people had been killed by what he called "agents" of the United States and Israel, and Iranian local media has reported multiple deaths among security forces.

Khamenei said authorities "must break the back of the seditionists", as local media have reported thousands of arrests and rights groups have estimated up to 20,000 people have been detained.

On Sunday, judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir reiterated that swift trials would be held, warning that some acts warranted the capital offence of "moharebeh", or "waging war against God".

"All those who played a decisive role in these calls for violence, which led to bloodshed and significant damage to public finances, will not be spared," he said.

Alarm has grown over the threat of capital punishment against arrested protesters, even as Trump said Iran had called off hundreds of executions.

Analyst Arif Keskin cast doubt on Trump's claim, saying "the Iranian leadership sees executions... as an effective tool to end protests, prevent them and suppress them".

burs-sw/jsa/jxb

wealth

Surging billionaire wealth a political threat, Oxfam warns as Davos opens

BY ELODIE LE MAOU WITH MARTINE PAUWELS IN PARIS

"The widening gap between the rich and the rest is at the same time creating a political deficit that is highly dangerous and unsustainable," Oxfam's executive director Amitabh Behar said.

The collective wealth of the planet's billionaires soared to a record level in 2025, charity Oxfam reported Monday, warning of "highly dangerous" political consequences as the global elite gathers for the World Economic Forum.
"The widening gap between the rich and the rest is at the same time creating a political deficit that is highly dangerous and unsustainable," Oxfam's executive director Amitabh Behar said.

The collective wealth of the planet's billionaires soared to a record level in 2025, charity Oxfam reported Monday, warning of "highly dangerous" political consequences as the global elite gathers for the World Economic Forum.

US President Donald Trump's policies in particular spurred the fortunes of the ultra-rich, which jumped 16.2 percent in the first year of his second term to $18.3 trillion, the NGO said in a report released each year ahead of the Davos forum.

"Actions of the Trump presidency including the championing of deregulation and undermining agreements to increase corporate taxation have benefited the richest around the world," Oxfam said.

The world now has more than 3,000 billionaires for the first time, it added, with the top 12 -- led by Tesla and SpaceX chief Elon Musk -- having "more wealth than the poorest half of humanity, or more than four billion people".

Increasingly this money is buying political power, Oxfam said, pointing in particular to tycoons' buying newspapers and other media, such as Musk's takeover of X or the purchase of The Washington Post by Amazon's Jeff Bezos.

"The widening gap between the rich and the rest is at the same time creating a political deficit that is highly dangerous and unsustainable," Oxfam's executive director Amitabh Behar said.

Trump will arrive with one of the biggest US delegations ever for the Davos conference, where he is expected to dominate an agenda officially billed as "A Spirit of Dialogue".

Davos protests

Trump's participation galvanised around 300 protesters who arrived in Davos on Sunday, many wearing masks of Musk or US Vice President JD Vance and holding fistfuls of euros.

Nathalie Ruoss of the Swiss Young Socialists told AFP the most powerful people in the world make decisions at Davos that impact everyone.

"And they do it with no democratic legitimacy," she said, calling it "unacceptable" that the WEF welcomed "fascists like Donald Trump".

For Oxfam, Washington's decision to exempt US multinationals from an internationally agreed minimum tax rate of 15 percent was a stark example of ignoring growing inequality.

"In country after country, the super-rich have not only accumulated more wealth than could ever be spent, but have also used this wealth to secure the political power to shape the rules that define our economies and govern nations," it said.

"Such power gives billionaires a grasp over all our futures, undermining political freedom and eroding the rights of the many."

mpa/js/jxb

Global Edition

Socialist to face far-right candidate for Portugal's presidency

BY THOMAS CABRAL

This will nevertheless be the first time a far-right candidate has made it to the second round of the presidential race.

Portugal's socialist candidate won the first round of the presidential election and will face the far-right candidate in the second round, near-complete results showed Sunday.
This will nevertheless be the first time a far-right candidate has made it to the second round of the presidential race.

Portugal's socialist candidate won the first round of the presidential election and will face the far-right candidate in the second round, near-complete results showed Sunday.

With votes from 95 percent of constituencies counted, Socialist Antonio Jose Seguro was leading with 30.6 percent of the vote, while far-right contender Andre Ventura came in second with 24.2 percent.

The liberal candidate Joao Cotrim Figueiredo was in third place with 15.5 percent.

Ventura and Seguro will face off on February 8 to decide who succeeds conservative incumbent Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.

Opinion polls in the run-up to the election had suggested that Ventura was the favourite for the first round.

This will nevertheless be the first time a far-right candidate has made it to the second round of the presidential race.

During the campaign, Seguro had argued that he was the only one capable of defeating Ventura's "extremism" and had called on "all democrats" to unite behind him.

While the role of president is largely ceremonial, in times of crisis the incumbent can dissolve parliament, call elections or dismiss a prime minister.

Portugal's prime minister, right-winger Luis Montenegro, said he would not be giving any advice on who to vote for in the second round.

His minority government already relies on Ventura's Chega party for support to implement some of its policies.

Ventura 'confident'

This is the first time in four decades that no candidate has won outright in the first round by securing more than 50 percent of the vote.

Ventura said he felt "very confident" after casting his vote in the sunny capital.

"We cannot spend our time criticising things and then sit on the couch on the day we are called to make a decision," he said.

"I believe in the good sense of the Portuguese," said Ventura after voting in his home city of Caldas da Rainha.

As he finished his first-round campaign, he called on other parties on the right not to stand in his way if he makes it to the second round.

And in his final election rally he toughened his tone, saying he would refuse to try to please everyone and promising to "put some order" into the country.

Voting in Lisbon, Alexandre Leitao, a 50-year-old biologist, said he had voted left wing to stave off the "very negative shift toward the far right".

"We young people are not happy with the country we have," said 33-year-old Irina Ferestreoaru.

She said public approval of Ventura was "a warning sign for the country, because people are desperate to see change".

Far right shift

Analysts say Ventura 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.

Chega's party emerged as the biggest opposition party in parliament after a general election last May, overtaking the Socialists.

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

EU and eurozone member Portugal accounts for around 1.6 percent of the bloc's economic output.

tsc/jj/ksb

Kurds

Syria's leader agrees truce with Kurds after govt troops advance

BY MAHER AL-MOUNES WITH BAKR ALKASEM IN RAQA

The SDF suddenly withdrew "from all areas under its control in the eastern Deir Ezzor countryside, including the Al-Omar and Tanak oil fields", Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP. He said the movements in Deir Ezzor and Raqa provinces came as "fighters from local tribes, including Arab fighters who are part of the SDF, advanced in coordination with government troops".

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Sunday announced a deal with the chief of Kurdish-led forces that includes a ceasefire, after government troops advanced across Kurdish-held areas of the country's north and east.
The SDF suddenly withdrew "from all areas under its control in the eastern Deir Ezzor countryside, including the Al-Omar and Tanak oil fields", Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP. He said the movements in Deir Ezzor and Raqa provinces came as "fighters from local tribes, including Arab fighters who are part of the SDF, advanced in coordination with government troops".

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Sunday announced a deal with the chief of Kurdish-led forces that includes a ceasefire, after government troops advanced across Kurdish-held areas of the country's north and east.

Syrian Kurdish leader Mazloum Abdi said he agreed to the deal to avoid a broader war.

He made the decision after deadly clashes in the Syrian city of Raqa Sunday between Kurdish-led forces and local fighters loyal to Damascus, and fighting this month between the Kurds and government forces.

The agreement will also see the Kurdish administration and forces integrate into the state after months of stalled negotiations on the issue.

But it marks a blow for the minority, which has long held ambitions of preserving the de facto autonomy they had exercised over areas they held for over a decade.

Sharaa announced the agreement to reporters on Sunday.

He said had had been scheduled to meet Abdi, who heads the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), but that it had been postponed until Monday due to poor weather.

"In order to calm the situation, we decided to sign the agreement," Sharaa said.

Abdi said in a statement broadcast by Kurdish television channel Ronahi that "in order for this war not to turn into civil war... we accepted to withdraw from the Deir Ezzor and Raqa regions to Hasakeh".

He said he would explain the deal's details to Syria's Kurds after returning from Damascus.

'Pivotal'

Government forces this weekend captured the strategic city of Tabqa in the Raqa region as well as the Euphrates Dam. They also advanced into parts of Deir Ezzor province, including the Al-Omar oil field, the country's largest, having earlier made advances in Aleppo province.

Syrian state media reported celebrations in some areas after the deal's announcement, including in Raqa city where state media had earlier said SDF gunfire had killed two civilians.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor had reported fighting between the SDF and "local Arab tribal fighters" in the city.

Sharaa on Sunday met US envoy Tom Barrack, who called the deal with the Kurds a "pivotal inflection point".

The envoy, whose country has long supported the Kurdish forces but also backs Syria's new Islamist authorities, had met Abdi in Erbil on Saturday.

The Syrian presidency published the text of the 14-point agreement, which includes integrating the SDF and Kurdish security forces into the state and the immediate handover of Kurdish-run Deir Ezzor and Raqa provinces.

It will also see Damascus take responsibility for Islamic State group prisoners and their families held in Kurdish-run jails and camps.

Alexander McKeever, researcher and author of the This Week in Northern Syria newsletter, said the deal "falls significantly short of what the SDF had established over the years in the northeast, as well as the decentralised scenario it had been pushing for in negotiations".

Sharaa had on Friday issued a decree granting the Kurds official recognition, but the Kurds said the announcement fell short of their expectations.

Earlier Sunday, an AFP correspondent on Raqa's outskirts reported hearing gunfire and said government forces had brought reinforcements and were combing parts of the city.

The SDF suddenly withdrew "from all areas under its control in the eastern Deir Ezzor countryside, including the Al-Omar and Tanak oil fields", Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.

He said the movements in Deir Ezzor and Raqa provinces came as "fighters from local tribes, including Arab fighters who are part of the SDF, advanced in coordination with government troops".

Deir Ezzor province said all public institutions were closed Sunday and urged people to stay home.

'Opening door wide'

The government push captured Arab-majority areas that came under Kurdish control during the fight against IS.

Damascus also said it retook the Safyan and Al-Tharwa oil fields in Raqa province.

Energy Minister Mohammad al-Bashir said the return of the area's resources to state control "means opening the door wide for reconstruction, revitalising agriculture, energy and trade".

The army also announced its control of the Euphrates Dam near Tabqa, a key water and energy facility that includes one of Syria's largest hydroelectric power stations.

An AFP correspondent had seen armoured vehicles and tanks around Tabqa, with security personnel patrolling the streets.

Shops were closed, but some residents milled outside their homes, lighting fires to keep warm.

Resident Ahmad Hussein told AFP: "We have suffered a lot, and I hope that the situation will improve with the arrival of the Syrian army."

Near the dam, an AFP photographer saw residents destroying a statue honouring a woman who fought with Kurdish forces and who was killed by IS during the battle for Raqa city.

burs-lar/lg/jj

US

Europe hits back at Trump tariff threat over Greenland

"Tariff threats undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral," Britain, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden warned in a joint statement.

European leaders on Sunday slammed US President Donald Trump's threat of tariffs over their opposition to his designs on Greenland, warning transatlantic ties were at risk.
"Tariff threats undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral," Britain, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden warned in a joint statement.

European leaders on Sunday slammed US President Donald Trump's threat of tariffs over their opposition to his designs on Greenland, warning transatlantic ties were at risk.

European countries including Denmark, of which Greenland is an autonomous territory, said they "stand united" against Trump's vow on Saturday to hit them with tariffs of up to 25 percent unless Greenland is ceded to the United States.

"Tariff threats undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral," Britain, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden warned in a joint statement.

Denmark's Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said Trump's ultimatum threatened the world order "as we know it" and the future of the NATO military alliance.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said he had spoken to Trump about "the security situation in Greenland and the Arctic" and hoped to talk again at this week's Davos summit. He did not elaborate on their conversation.

The European Council said it was calling a summit of EU leaders in the coming days, following a meeting of EU ambassadors in Brussels on Sunday.

Trade deal threatened

The bloc clinched a deal with Washington in July for most EU exports to face a 15-percent US levy. It was unclear how Trump's threatened tariffs would work against that deal.

"I don't believe that this agreement is possible in the current situation," German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told ARD television.

Aides to French President Emmanuel Macron said he would ask the EU to activate a never-before-used "anti-coercion instrument" against Washington if Trump makes good on his additional tariffs.

This measure allows for curbing imports of goods and services into the EU, a market of 27 countries with a combined population of 450 million.

Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to seize Greenland since returning to the White House for a second term.

His rhetoric towards that goal has hardened since he ordered a military operation against Venezuela early this month to capture its leader, Nicolas Maduro.

'Blackmail'

Trump and his administration have argued that Greenland coming under US rule would serve American "national security".

He and his aides have also argued that Denmark, a fellow NATO member, would be unable to defend Greenland should Russia or China ever seek to invade.

Denmark and several of its European NATO allies responded by recently sending small numbers of military personnel to Greenland for an exercise, to which the US was also invited.

And on Saturday, thousands of people in Greenland and Denmark protested against the US push to control the Arctic island.

"Make America Go Away" read the wording on caps worn by many demonstrators, riffing on Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan.

Trump responded Saturday with his threat to slap goods coming into the US from Britain, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Finland with 10-percent tariffs starting February 1.

They would rise to 25 percent from June 1 "until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland", Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social.

Even Italy's far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, one of Trump's closest European allies, baulked at the threat.

"I believe that imposing new sanctions today would be a mistake," she told journalists during a trip to Seoul.

"I spoke to Donald Trump a few hours ago and told him what I think," she added.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called it "completely wrong", and said he planned to discuss the situation with Trump "at the earliest opportunity".

Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel denounced Trump's threat as an "inexplicable" form of "blackmail".

Trade war fear

France's Agricultural Minister Annie Genevard warned that tariffs would hurt Washington too.

"In this escalation of tariffs, (Trump) has a lot to lose as well, as do his own farmers and industrialists," she told broadcasters Europe 1 and CNews.

Norway, also targeted by Trump's tariffs threat but like Britain not an EU member, said it was not currently looking at retaliation against US goods.

"I think one needs to stop and think so that a trade war can be averted that would lead to a downward spiral," Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store told NRK television. "Nobody would win."

burs/jxb/jj

Global Edition

South Africa declares national disaster as floods batter region

"I classify the disaster as a national disaster," the head of South Africa's National Disaster Management Centre Elias Sithole said in a statement Sunday.

South Africa on Sunday declared a national disaster after widespread flooding that destroyed homes and killed dozens, while thousands sought shelter in neighbouring Mozambique.
"I classify the disaster as a national disaster," the head of South Africa's National Disaster Management Centre Elias Sithole said in a statement Sunday.

South Africa on Sunday declared a national disaster after widespread flooding that destroyed homes and killed dozens, while thousands sought shelter in neighbouring Mozambique.

Heavy rains and storms have battered the two southern African countries for weeks, claiming more than 30 lives in South Africa's northeastern Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces.

Rivers burst their banks and swallowed entire neighbourhoods in several regions of Mozambique, displacing thousands including a woman who was forced to give birth on a roof as she sheltered from flood waters.

"I classify the disaster as a national disaster," the head of South Africa's National Disaster Management Centre Elias Sithole said in a statement Sunday.

Authorities continued to search for survivors and recover bodies at the weekend, but flooding had started receding in some areas, including the famed Kruger National Park, which had been forced to close and evacuate guests Thursday.

"Day visitation to the park will resume as of tomorrow," South African National Parks announced on social media, still urging visitors to "exercise caution".

Baby born on a roof

In Mozambique, rescue efforts were slow to reach survivors who sheltered on roofs and in trees.

At least eight people had died in the country since December 21, according to official data, but numbers were expected to rise as more people were declared missing.

A resident of Gaza province north of Maputo, Chauna Macuacua, told AFP that her sister-in-law had given birth on a roof where the family was waiting to be rescued since Thursday.

"We've been here for 4 days. My nephew was born yesterday around 11 PM (2100 GMT), and we still haven't had any rescue or assistance for the baby and mother," she said.

Wilker Dias, the director of a civil society group called Plataforma Decide, said he had received reports of several people missing.

"I think the numbers of dead will increase in the next hours," he told AFP.

South Africa also dispatched rescue teams to southern Mozambique Sunday after a car carrying five members of a South African mayoral delegation was swept away by floodwaters in Chokwe, 200 kilometres (124 miles) north of Maputo.

According to the latest figures released by the Mozambican government on Friday, more than 173,000 people had been affected by the floods across the country.

str-jcb/cc

prison

Gang members in Guatemala kill seven police after prison crackdown: minister

Since Saturday morning, the inmates had been holding 45 guards and a psychiatrist hostage to protest the transfer of gang leaders to a maximum-security prison.

Guatemala's interior minister accused gangs of killing seven police on Sunday in retaliation for the government's refusal to transfer gang leaders to a lower-security prison.
Since Saturday morning, the inmates had been holding 45 guards and a psychiatrist hostage to protest the transfer of gang leaders to a maximum-security prison.

Guatemala's interior minister accused gangs of killing seven police on Sunday in retaliation for the government's refusal to transfer gang leaders to a lower-security prison.

The killings occurred a day after gang-affiliated inmates took 46 people hostage in three prisons across the country. Police regained control of one of the prisons on Sunday.

"I am deeply saddened by the deaths of seven National Civil Police officers who were cowardly attacked by these terrorists in response to the actions the Guatemalan state is taking against them," Interior Minister Marco Antonio Villeda told a press conference.

Ten other police officers were wounded in the retaliatory attacks, and one suspected gang member was killed, he said.

At dawn on Sunday, police supported by the army entered the Renovacion I maximum-security prison in Escuintla, about 75 kilometers (45 miles) south of Guatemala City, using armored vehicles and tear gas.

After 15 minutes, they managed to regain control of the prison and free guards being held hostage, an AFP photographer witnessed.

"It was an operation that unfolded without casualties on either side, and we managed to rescue the nine hostages that these terrorists had in their power," Villeda said.

Earlier, the prison posted on X that the leader of the Mara 18 gang, alias 'Lobo,' or wolf, has been "neutralized" in the operation.

The Barrio 18 gang, also known as Mara 18, and the rival Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang are blamed for much of the drug trafficking and criminal violence that plagues the Central American country. Washington has declared both groups to be terrorist organizations.

Since Saturday morning, the inmates had been holding 45 guards and a psychiatrist hostage to protest the transfer of gang leaders to a maximum-security prison.

The gang members are still holding hostages at the two other prisons: 28 at Fraijanes II located east of the Guatemalan capital, and nine at the Preventivo prison on the outskirts of city.

"I am not willing to negotiate, nor to restore their privileges, nor to grant any kind of concession to stop this situation from continuing," Villeda said.

Since mid-2025, gang members have staged uprisings at prisons to demand their leaders be held in less-restricted conditions.

In October, Guatemalan authorities reported that 20 leaders of the Barrio 18 gang had escaped from a prison. Only six have been recaptured, while another was shot and killed.

Guatemala ended last year with a homicide rate of 16.1 per 100,000 inhabitants, more than double the global average.

jjr/mr/msp/dw

US

Trump says world 'not secure' until US has Greenland

US

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Russia, China threat?

'Blackmail'

media

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Everything in moderation?

'Appallingly toxic'

election

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China spat

US

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accident

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'Hard, tricky work'

'Great suffering'

election

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China spat

craft

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US

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Calls for US intervention

politics

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Global Edition

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Dual role

environment

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'Very difficult'

More heat and wind

Harry

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Rare UK trip

'Blagging' claim

theft

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Four detained

'Genuine preparation'

DNA samples

'Not bunglers'

Poor security

Missing jewellery

Global Edition

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'Cannot just stay silent'

'Not be spared'

wealth

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Davos protests

Global Edition

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Ventura 'confident'

Far right shift

Kurds

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'Pivotal'

'Opening door wide'

US

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Trade deal threatened

'Blackmail'

Trade war fear

Global Edition

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Baby born on a roof

prison

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BY WITH JOHANNES LEDEL IN STOCKHOLM

BY JULIEN DURY AND DANIEL LAWLER

BY HIROSHI HIYAMA AND KYOKO HASEGAWA

BY JORGE GUERRERO WITH MARIE GIFFARD IN MADRID

BY KYOKO HASEGAWA

BY JING XUAN TENG

BY ROMAIN FONSEGRIVES

BY HELEN ROWE AND JOE JACKSON

BY FRANCOIS BECKER, CELINE CORNU AND MURIELLE KASPRZAK

BY ELODIE LE MAOU WITH MARTINE PAUWELS IN PARIS

BY THOMAS CABRAL

BY MAHER AL-MOUNES WITH BAKR ALKASEM IN RAQA