military

Chinese tourists pine for Taiwan's return as Beijing jets surround island

BY MARY YANG

  • While Beijing has threatened to use force to bring Taiwan under its control, and its annexation by China would likely see the eradication of the island's vibrant democratic system and a crackdown on any opposition to Chinese rule.
  • Chinese tourists visiting the country's closest point to Taiwan wished for the democratic island's return to Beijing's rule, as their leadership called its president a "parasite" and unleashed ships and jets in drills to encircle it.
  • While Beijing has threatened to use force to bring Taiwan under its control, and its annexation by China would likely see the eradication of the island's vibrant democratic system and a crackdown on any opposition to Chinese rule.
Chinese tourists visiting the country's closest point to Taiwan wished for the democratic island's return to Beijing's rule, as their leadership called its president a "parasite" and unleashed ships and jets in drills to encircle it.
On a sunny Wednesday at a scenic park in Pingtan -- just 130 kilometres (80 miles) from Taiwan -- a steady stream of tourists wearing sunglasses and brandishing mobile phones hiked to the edge of a cliff for views of the self-ruled island.
Ye Shenjian, snapping a photo of his wife and young son, told AFP he had seen news of the drills on TV and was hopeful that one day Taiwan would "return to China".
"I hope that one day we can ride the train directly to Taiwan," he said.
Another, Gao Feng, toured the park with his wife, using a looking glass to peer at nearby rock formations and the water.
"I'd always heard of this beautiful place. I've wanted to come and see a bluer sea, which is pretty rare in China," the 55-year-old doctor from eastern Anhui province said. 
"It's pretty close to Taiwan. Makes me a bit sentimental."
For Gao and others in his generation, the idea of Taiwan under Chinese control has been much-discussed since his youth.
"The liberation of Taiwan was something written in our primary school textbooks," he said.
"I've always believed we are one family, and a family should be together sooner or later."

'Precious island'

Visiting with her friend from southwestern Yunnan, Wang Juedan also said she had Taiwan on her mind since her youth -- the island produced some of her favourite television shows.
"Seeing it feels pretty shocking," she said. 
"We've only seen Taiwan on television in dramas or the news."
The 28-year-old said she hopes unification would come soon: "Travelling there will be more convenient."
Communist China has never ruled Taiwan, where indigenous tribes have lived for thousands of years. The island was partly or totally ruled at various times by the Dutch, Spanish, China's Qing dynasty and Japan.
While Beijing has threatened to use force to bring Taiwan under its control, and its annexation by China would likely see the eradication of the island's vibrant democratic system and a crackdown on any opposition to Chinese rule.
That did not phase retiree Wang Quanqiu, who said he had driven almost 2,000 kilometres from Beijing to Pingtan with his wife.
He said he dreams of going back to Taiwan one day, which he visited twice before Taipei restricted Chinese residents from travelling there.
"Once our precious island Taiwan returns, I want to drive my own car all the way to Taiwan," the 71-year-old said.
He and his wife stay up to date with the news about Taiwan as avid watchers of a regular state media programme on cross-strait activities, Wang said.
"It won't take that long for my dream to come true," Wang said.

'We want peace'

AFP journalists saw a jet flying from the sea over the scenic area, which lies next to a Chinese military base -- a stark reminder of the military drills taking place in the waters around Taiwan.
Resident Liu Lili, visiting her son who studied nearby, also told AFP she was "looking forward to the day when China could get them back."
Liu, in her 50s, expressed disdain for some Taiwanese politicians -- in particular former President Tsai Ing-wen.
They were "eating China's food", she said.
Pingtan locals were a little more circumspect. 
One resident, wearing a bright orange vest and tall rubber boots as she gathered waste from the ocean, said she did not expect Chinese leadership to use force.
The woman, who did not want to share her name, said she and other locals kept their distance from anything related to China's military -- gesturing towards a set of an army compound atop a nearby mountain.
"Locals definitely want peace."
mya/oho/dhw

budget

WHO facing $2.5-bn gap even after slashing budget: report

  • But even after the dramatic scaling back, it remains $1.9 billion short towards that budget, Health Policy Watch reported Wednesday.
  • The World Health Organization is facing a gaping deficit this year and through 2027 following the US decision to withdraw, even after dramatically slashing its budget, a media report indicated Wednesday.
  • But even after the dramatic scaling back, it remains $1.9 billion short towards that budget, Health Policy Watch reported Wednesday.
The World Health Organization is facing a gaping deficit this year and through 2027 following the US decision to withdraw, even after dramatically slashing its budget, a media report indicated Wednesday.
As the United Nations health agency has been bracing for the planned full US withdrawal next January, it has gradually shrunk its two-year budget for 2026-2027 from $5.3 billion to $4.2 billion.
But even after the dramatic scaling back, it remains $1.9 billion short towards that budget, Health Policy Watch reported Wednesday.
That figure, which the publication said had been provided to staff during a town hall meeting on Tuesday, comes on top of the nearly $600 million the agency had already warned was missing towards this year's budget, it said.
WHO did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment on the report, which comes as the organisation is grappling with the looming departure of its historically biggest donor.
Besides announcing the US pullout from the WHO after returning to the White House in January, President Donald Trump decided to freeze virtually all US foreign aid, including vast assistance to health projects worldwide.
The United States gave WHO $1.3 billion during its 2022-2023 budget period, mainly through voluntary contributions for specific earmarked projects rather than fixed membership fees.
But Washington never paid its 2024 dues, and is not expected to respect its membership obligations for 2025, the agency acknowledged.
Altogether, the United States owes $260 million in membership fees alone for 2024-2025, according to a WHO overview.
Only Friday, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had informed staff of the $600-million hole in this year's budget, warning in a message seen by AFP that the agency had "no choice" but to start making cutbacks.
"Dramatic cuts to official development assistance by the United States of America and others are causing massive disruption to countries, NGOs and United Nations agencies, including WHO," Tedros said in his email.
He said that even before Trump triggered the one-year process of withdrawing from the WHO, the organisation was already facing financial constraints.
"Despite our best efforts, we are now at the point where we have no choice but to reduce the scale of our work and workforce," said Tedros.
"This reduction will begin at headquarters, starting with senior leadership, but will affect all levels and regions," he told staff.
Last month, Tedros asked Washington to reconsider its sharp cuts to global health funding, warning that the sudden halt threatened millions of lives.
He said disruptions to global HIV programmes alone could lead to "more than 10 million additional cases of HIV and three million HIV-related deaths".
nl/vog/jhb

terrorism

Singapore detains teenage boy allegedly planning to kill Muslims

  • "This boy wanted to kill at least 100 Muslims, so that he can kill more Muslims than Tarrant had killed.
  • A Singaporean teenager allegedly planning to kill dozens of Muslims outside several mosques has been detained, the city-state's Internal Security Department said on Wednesday.
  • "This boy wanted to kill at least 100 Muslims, so that he can kill more Muslims than Tarrant had killed.
A Singaporean teenager allegedly planning to kill dozens of Muslims outside several mosques has been detained, the city-state's Internal Security Department said on Wednesday.
The 17-year-old boy was detained in March, the ISD said in a statement, adding that he had regarded white supremacist Brenton Tarrant -- who in 2019 had killed worshippers at mosques in New Zealand -- as a "hero".
ISD also said he had "identified as an 'East Asian Supremacist'", and had decided on five mosques across Singapore for his post-Friday prayer attacks. 
"This boy wanted to kill at least 100 Muslims, so that he can kill more Muslims than Tarrant had killed. He also wanted to live-stream his attacks," Home Minister K Shanmugam told reporters.
"When he was arrested... he had already made a number of attempts to get a gun. He told ISD quite openly if he had gotten a gun, he would have carried out his attacks."
The teen had been in online contact with 18-year-old Nick Lee, who was detained in December for having similar plans.
The multicultural country has seen several cases in recent years where young Singaporeans have been detained for allegedly making attack plans following exposure to extremist content online.
In 2024, authorities arrested a teenage boy who was allegedly planning an Islamic State group-inspired stabbing attack at a busy suburb.
In the same statement Wednesday, the ISD also said a 15-year-old girl was placed under a restriction order in February, forbidding her from travelling nor having access to the internet without the approval of the ISD director.
It alleged that between July 2023 and December 2024, the girl was in at least eight short-term romantic online relationships with overseas-based Islamic State group supporters.
"She went to pledge allegiance to an ISIS chatbot," said Shanmugam. "She wanted to fight and die for ISIS, she looked up flights to go to Syria, she thought of how she was going to save money to plan for her travels."
He added that the trend of rising radicalism and extremism of young people via the internet was "concerning".
ISD said "self-radicalisation can happen very quickly". 
"In the case of the 15-year-old, it only took weeks," it said, appealing for the public to "be vigilant to signs".
skc/dhc

politics

What is the 'Qatargate' scandal roiling Israel?

BY RUTH EGLASH

  • "This links Netanyahu directly to the policy of appeasing Hamas," Rynhold said, referring to Israel allowing Qatar to send millions of dollars in cash into Gaza that many now believe strengthened Hamas and enabled it to conduct its October 7, 2023 attack. 
  • Israel has been gripped by allegations linking aides of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to financing from Qatar, which hosts Hamas leaders and helped broker the release of hostages from Gaza.
  • "This links Netanyahu directly to the policy of appeasing Hamas," Rynhold said, referring to Israel allowing Qatar to send millions of dollars in cash into Gaza that many now believe strengthened Hamas and enabled it to conduct its October 7, 2023 attack. 
Israel has been gripped by allegations linking aides of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to financing from Qatar, which hosts Hamas leaders and helped broker the release of hostages from Gaza.
Dubbed "Qatargate" by Israeli media, the reports that sparked the investigation claimed that some of the people closest to Netanyahu were recruited to promote the image of Qatar, an enemy state, in Israel.

What do we know?

At least two of Netanyahu's aides are suspected of receiving payments from the Qatari government to promote Doha's interests in Israel.
With the investigation ongoing, some details in the investigation remain unclear.
Allegations of ties between members of Netanyahu's close circle and the Qatari government have swirled in the Israeli press since mid-2024.
The affair ramped up Monday when two aides, one current and one former, were arrested and Netanyahu was called in for questioning in a probe he slammed as a "political witch hunt".
Though the Israeli leader is not a suspect, he is separately on trial over corruption and breach of trust allegations.
"They are holding Yonatan Urich and Eli Feldstein hostage," Netanyahu said in an angry video post after being questioned.
An Israeli court on Tuesday extended the detention of the two aides for an additional three days, until Thursday.
Qatari officials did not immediately respond for comment when contacted by AFP.

Who are the suspects?

Yonatan Urich, who has been working closely with Netanyahu for most of the past decade, started out as the social media manager for the prime minister's Likud party.
Urich also co-owns a media consulting firm called Perception with Yisrael Einhorn, who has also worked with Netanyahu.
It is not the first time influential Israeli figures have been accused of receiving payments from Qatar.
According to Israeli media reports, Perception was reportedly hired to improve Qatar's image ahead of the 2022 World Cup, though Urich and the firm denied the claims at the time.
Eli Feldstein is already under investigation for leaking classified documents to journalists during the short time he worked unofficially as the prime minister's military affairs spokesman.
According to reports, Netanyahu was seeking to offer Feldstein a more permanent role but after failing to receive the necessary security clearance, he remained an external contractor.
Last month, an investigation by Israel's Channel 12 alleged that while working for Netanyahu, Feldstein received a salary from Jay Footlik, a known US lobbyist for Qatar.
Further reports on Monday said that Feldstein promoted Qatar to Israeli journalists and arranged trips for them to Doha.
Footlik owns a consulting firm, Third Circle Inc., registered under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) as working for Qatar. 
An Israeli court on Tuesday said suspicions were related to Third Circle and funds aimed at "projecting a positive image of Qatar" in relation to its role as a mediator for a truce and hostage release agreement in Gaza.
A final name that has been linked to the affair is Israeli businessman Gil Birger, who this month told Israel's state broadcaster that he had been asked by Footlik to pay Feldstein through his company. 

What's the significance?

Jonathan Rynhold, head of political studies at Bar-Ilan University, told AFP that the affair "ties all bad things relating to Netanyahu together in one package."
"This links Netanyahu directly to the policy of appeasing Hamas," Rynhold said, referring to Israel allowing Qatar to send millions of dollars in cash into Gaza that many now believe strengthened Hamas and enabled it to conduct its October 7, 2023 attack. 
Qatar has previously rejected the claims as false, saying they were driven by internal Israeli politics.
Still, the affair has piled more pressure on Netanyahu, who has clashed with the judiciary over his bid to sack Ronen Bar, the head of the Shin Bet domestic security agency.
Bar's relationship with the Netanyahu government soured after he blamed the executive for the security fiasco of Hamas's October 2023 attack, and crucially, following a Shin Bet probe into Qatargate.

What next for Netanyahu?

It is unclear how Netanyahu will manage the fallout from the affair.
"It is too early to say how it will develop," said Professor Gideon Rahat of the Hebrew University.
"Will he need to sacrifice these two people? If he sacrifices them, will they open their mouths?" Rahat said.
For now, he is fighting back and "framing it as though the secret service is after him because he wants to kick out the head of the secret service", Rahat added.
"In a normal country, if the prime minister had spies in his office, he would resign, but we are not in normal times."
reg/acc/ser

animation

AI coming for anime but Ghibli's Miyazaki irreplaceable, son says

BY NATSUKO FUKUE

  • OpenAI, which is already facing a barrage of copyright lawsuits, said generating images in the style of individual living artists is banned, but "we do permit broader studio styles".
  • Artificial intelligence risks taking Japanese anime artists' jobs but nothing can replicate Hayao Miyazaki, the creative lifeblood of the studio behind classics such as "Spirited Away", his son told AFP. Thanks to ChatGPT's new image generator, the internet is awash with pictures imitating Studio Ghibli's whimsical style, raising fresh debate over potential copyright infringements.
  • OpenAI, which is already facing a barrage of copyright lawsuits, said generating images in the style of individual living artists is banned, but "we do permit broader studio styles".
Artificial intelligence risks taking Japanese anime artists' jobs but nothing can replicate Hayao Miyazaki, the creative lifeblood of the studio behind classics such as "Spirited Away", his son told AFP.
Thanks to ChatGPT's new image generator, the internet is awash with pictures imitating Studio Ghibli's whimsical style, raising fresh debate over potential copyright infringements.
Movies such as "My Neighbor Totoro" and "Howl's Moving Castle" are famous for their lush nature and fantastical machinery, painstakingly drawn by hand.
While the studio has not commented directly on the image trend, Goro Miyazaki, 58, predicted that artificial intelligence could one day replace animators.
"It wouldn't be surprising if, in two years' time, there was a film made completely through AI," he said in an interview last week.
But whether audiences would want to watch a fully AI-generated animation is another matter, he added.
Despite the rapid changes, new technology also brings "great potential for unexpected talent to emerge", added Goro, Studio Ghibli's managing director.
He was speaking at the Ghibli atelier in western Tokyo, days before the San Francisco-based ChatGPT maker OpenAI released its latest image generator.
OpenAI, which is already facing a barrage of copyright lawsuits, said generating images in the style of individual living artists is banned, but "we do permit broader studio styles".
"Our goal is to give users as much creative freedom as possible," the US company said.

Bittersweet

Japan is grappling with a shortage of skilled animators, partly because most spend years in low-paid jobs to learn the ropes.
Digitally savvy Gen Z may be also less enthusiastic about the manual labour involved, Goro said.
"Nowadays, the world is full of opportunities to watch anything, anytime, anywhere," making it harder to imagine making a living from the physical act of drawing, he added.
Goro's father founded Studio Ghibli with Isao Takahata in 1985, a year after directing the post-apocalyptic "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind".
After Takahata's death in 2018, Hayao -- now 84 and a heavy smoker -- continued to create films with 76-year-old producer Toshio Suzuki.
"If those two can't make anime or can't move, then what happens?" Goro said when asked about Ghibli's future.
"It's not like they can be replaced."
Despite his age, Hayao won his second Oscar last year with "The Boy and the Heron" -- likely his last feature film.
Anime cartoons are usually for children, but Takahata and Hayao, men "from the generation that knew war", included darker elements that appeal to adults, Goro said.
"It's not all sweet -- there's also a bitterness and things like that which are beautifully intertwined in the work," he said, describing a "smell of death" that permeates the films.
"That's actually what makes the work so deep."
For younger people who grew up in peacetime, "it is impossible to create something with the same sense, approach and attitude that my father's generation had," Goro said.
Even "Totoro", with its cuddly forest spirit creatures, is in some ways a "scary" movie that explores the fear of losing a sick mother, he explained. 

'Insult to life'

As the Ghibli-style AI images proliferated, a 2016 video of Hayao resurfaced that many said showed his disdain for the technology.
"I strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself," the director says in the short clip, taken from a documentary.
However, he was in fact reacting to an AI-assisted computer graphic of a zombie-like creature, which he calls "extremely unpleasant" in the full footage.
Goro joined Studio Ghibli in 1998 and directed animations including the 2006 feature "Tales from Earthsea" and 2011's "From Up on Poppy Hill".
He also oversaw the development of the Ghibli Museum and newly opened Ghibli Park in Japan.
Goro enjoyed drawing as a boy and said he learned a lot watching his father's and Takahata's work, although he didn't think he could live up to their talent.
"My mother, who was also an animator, told me not to pursue this career because it's a tough and busy job," Goro said, adding that his father was rarely at home.
"But I always wanted to do something creative."
nf/kaf/cms/hmn

conflict

Hunger returns to Gaza as Israeli blockade forces bakeries shut

BY YOUSSEF HASSOUNA

  • "The repercussions from the closure of the bakeries will be very hard on citizens because they have no alternative to resort to," he told AFP. Speaking in front of a large industrial oven that had not been fired up, he said that bakeries were central to the UN agency's food distribution programme, which delivered the bread to refugee camps across Gaza.
  • At an industrial bakery in war-ravaged Gaza City, a conveyor belt that once churned out thousands of pitta breads every day has come to a standstill.
  • "The repercussions from the closure of the bakeries will be very hard on citizens because they have no alternative to resort to," he told AFP. Speaking in front of a large industrial oven that had not been fired up, he said that bakeries were central to the UN agency's food distribution programme, which delivered the bread to refugee camps across Gaza.
At an industrial bakery in war-ravaged Gaza City, a conveyor belt that once churned out thousands of pitta breads every day has come to a standstill.
The Families Bakery is one of about two dozen supported by the World Food Programme (WFP) that have halted production in recent days due to flour and fuel shortages resulting from an Israeli blockade.
"All 25 WFP-supported bakeries in Gaza have shut down due to lack of fuel and flour," the UN agency said in a statement on Tuesday, adding that it would "distribute its last food parcels in the next two days".
Abed al-Ajrami, chairman of the Bakery Owners Association in Gaza and owner of the Families Bakery, told AFP that the WFP was the only sponsor of Gaza bakeries and provided them with "all their needs".
"The repercussions from the closure of the bakeries will be very hard on citizens because they have no alternative to resort to," he told AFP.
Speaking in front of a large industrial oven that had not been fired up, he said that bakeries were central to the UN agency's food distribution programme, which delivered the bread to refugee camps across Gaza.
Despite a six-week truce that allowed displaced Gazans to return to what remained of their homes, negotiations for a lasting end to the fighting have stalled.
On March 2, Israel imposed a full blockade on the Palestinian territory, and cut off power to Gaza's main water desalination plant.
On March 18, Israel resumed its strikes on Gaza. Days later, Hamas again began firing rockets at Israel.
The Palestinian militant group has accused Israel of using starvation as "a direct weapon in this brutal war", pointing to the bakeries' closure as an example.
It called on Arab and Muslim countries to "act urgently to save Gaza from famine and destruction". 

'Reliving the famine'

Residents of Gaza City were wary of the future.
"I got up in the morning to buy bread for my children but I found all the bakeries closed," Mahmud Khalil told AFP.
Fellow resident Amina al-Sayed echoed his comments.
"I've been going from bakery to bakery all morning, but none of them are operating, they're all closed," she said, adding that she feared the threat of famine would soon stalk Gaza once again.
"The price of flour has risen... and we can't afford it. We're afraid of reliving the famine that we experienced in the south" of the territory.
International charities working in Gaza warn that its 2.4 million people cannot endure more shortages after many of them were displaced multiple times during the devastating military campaign Israel launched in response to Hamas's October 2023 attack.
Those who took advantage of the six-week truce to return to bombed out homes have been "arriving in utter destitution", said Gavin Kelleher of the Norwegian Refugee Council.
"We've been set up to fail as a humanitarian response. We're not allowed to bring in supplies, we're not able to meet needs," he lamented.
Alexandra Saieh, of British charity Save The Children, echoed Kelleher's remarks.
"When Save The Children does distribute food in Gaza, we see massive crowds because every single person in Gaza is relying on aid," she said.
"That lifeline has been cut."
vid-lba/jsa/kir

NATO

Rubio heads to Europe as transatlantic tensions soar

BY SHAUN TANDON

  • Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, backing up assertions to Vance, described "European freeloading" as "PATHETIC." Ahead of the summit in The Hague, Trump is pushing NATO members to show their commitment by raising defense expenditure to five percent of GDP -- more than any, including the United States, now spends.  lb-sct/tgb/lb
  • US Secretary of State Marco Rubio heads Wednesday to a NATO meeting in Europe as transatlantic tensions soar, with President Donald Trump slapping tariffs on Europeans and challenging Denmark's sovereignty over Greenland.
  • Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, backing up assertions to Vance, described "European freeloading" as "PATHETIC." Ahead of the summit in The Hague, Trump is pushing NATO members to show their commitment by raising defense expenditure to five percent of GDP -- more than any, including the United States, now spends.  lb-sct/tgb/lb
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio heads Wednesday to a NATO meeting in Europe as transatlantic tensions soar, with President Donald Trump slapping tariffs on Europeans and challenging Denmark's sovereignty over Greenland.
Rubio will join two days of talks among NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, a preparation for a June leaders' summit in The Hague.
The new US administration has quickly shown itself ideologically at odds with much of Europe. Vice President JD Vance made the Trump team's European debut in February by calling on Germany to stop shunning the far right.
Rubio will arrive hours after Trump is set to implement sweeping tariffs, part of an effort to remake the global economic order and shatter decades of efforts toward freer trade.
Most European allies are expected to respond quickly and strongly, leading to fears of a global trade war with an epicentre in a divided Western bloc.
"The president rightfully states that the state of global trade is completely unfair to America," Rubio said in a Fox News Radio interview in March.
"So I get why all these countries are unhappy, because they got a great deal going on and they want to keep it going."
Other than Canada, which Trump has mocked as the 51st US state, perhaps no ally has come under as much fire as Denmark.
Trump covets its Arctic territory Greenland, which is resource rich and strategically located.
Vance flew last week to an American space base there and said: "Our message to Denmark is very simple: You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland."
Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, who hopes to meet Rubio in Brussels, said that Denmark did "not appreciate the tone" of Vance.
"This is not how you speak to your close allies, and I still consider Denmark and the United States to be close allies," Rasmussen said on X after Vance's trip.

Swings on Ukraine

The talks come a month after Trump stunned Europeans by dressing down Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a White House meeting, with Vance calling him ungrateful for the billions of dollars of US weapons sent to repel a Russian invasion.
The White House showdown prompted European allies to reconsider US commitments to the continent as never before.
Germany changed its constitution to ramp up defense spending and France redoubled calls for European-led collective defense.
Since then, however, diplomacy has shifted, with Rubio meeting senior Ukrainian officials who backed a US-led proposal of a 30-day ceasefire.
Putin rejected the truce proposal and instead has stepped up calls to remove Zelensky in Ukraine. Trump told NBC News on Sunday he was "pissed off" with Putin and threatened, if Russia does not come around, tariffs on firms dealing with Russian oil.
Rubio is expected to hear calls in Brussels from Eastern European nations that want the United States to push forward on sanctions against Russia unless it budges.
The Trump administration has sought to reprioritize US defense strategy to focus on China, as tensions rise over Taiwan, and to let Europeans handle more of their own security.
The sentiment was laid bare in a text exchange on US strikes on Yemen, to which a journalist of The Atlantic was inadvertently added. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, backing up assertions to Vance, described "European freeloading" as "PATHETIC."
Ahead of the summit in The Hague, Trump is pushing NATO members to show their commitment by raising defense expenditure to five percent of GDP -- more than any, including the United States, now spends. 
lb-sct/tgb/lb

quake

Like 'living in hell': Quake-hit Mandalay monastery clears away rubble

  • - 'Day after tomorrow' - Nyo Nyo San was in the Mandalay monastery at the time of the deadly earthquake.
  • Bare-handed monks slowly pick away the rubble that was once the wall of a historic Buddhist monastery in Mandalay, its exposed side a searing reminder of the deadly earthquake that rocked the city five days ago.
  • - 'Day after tomorrow' - Nyo Nyo San was in the Mandalay monastery at the time of the deadly earthquake.
Bare-handed monks slowly pick away the rubble that was once the wall of a historic Buddhist monastery in Mandalay, its exposed side a searing reminder of the deadly earthquake that rocked the city five days ago.
"Some of the buildings have been around for longer than me," said Wayama, a grey-haired monk at the place of worship in Myanmar's second city.
"So it makes me sad to see them destroyed," he said.
Donning only crimson cloths around their waists and simple slippers, Wayama's young colleagues at the Thahtay Kyaung Monastery worked to remove piles of debris.
Teams of two piled loose bricks and other crumbled material into large sections of fabric, heaving the rubble aside to make way for walking.
Wayama said his heart aches for more than just the monastery.
"There are a lot of buildings that were destroyed here that have been around for more than 100 years.
"It makes me said to see damages in other places too," he said. "I want everyone to be ok."
The Southeast Asian country of over 50 million people is still coming to grips with the scale of damage caused by the deadly quake, which so far has resulted in nearly 3,000 confirmed deaths.
But with four years of civil war having left infrastructure in tatters, relief efforts have been complicated and the toll is expected to rise.

'Day after tomorrow'

Nyo Nyo San was in the Mandalay monastery at the time of the deadly earthquake.
When the shaking began, she stayed put, thinking they were only small tremors -- the type she had experienced in the past.
"But this time, the earthquake was much stronger, and bricks were falling around the monastery," she said.
"I felt like I was living in hell, and I ran to escape outside."
Mandalay has suffered some of the worst damage from the recent earthquake, flattening buildings and upending the lives of many of its more than 1.7 million residents.
Rattled by aftershocks in recent days, hundreds of people are still sleeping in tents and under tarps outdoors, unsure of when they can return to permanent shelter.
Across the country, infrastucture already damaged by years of war has now received another blow.
Nyo Nyo San said she plans to return home to her village soon.
But in order to make the journey, she needs to pass through the Sagaing region -- the epicentre of Friday's quake.
"The Sagaing bridge is broken, and the roads are destroyed," she said.
"I hope to be able to go home the day after tomorrow."
bur-pfc/hmn

China

US approves $5.58 bn fighter jet sale to Philippines

  • The State Department said it was green-lighting a sale that includes 20 F-16 jets and related equipment to the Philippines, a treaty-bound ally of the United States.
  • The United States said Tuesday it has approved the possible sale of $5.58 billion in F-16 fighter jets to the Philippines, as Washington backs its ally in rising tensions over China.
  • The State Department said it was green-lighting a sale that includes 20 F-16 jets and related equipment to the Philippines, a treaty-bound ally of the United States.
The United States said Tuesday it has approved the possible sale of $5.58 billion in F-16 fighter jets to the Philippines, as Washington backs its ally in rising tensions over China.
The State Department said it was green-lighting a sale that includes 20 F-16 jets and related equipment to the Philippines, a treaty-bound ally of the United States.
The sale would "improve the security of a strategic partner that continues to be an important force for political stability, peace and economic progress in Southeast Asia," a State Department statement said.
It would also boost "the Philippine Air Force's ability to conduct maritime domain awareness" and "enhance its suppression of enemy air defenses," the statement said.
The news follows months of increasing confrontations between the Philippines and China in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost in its entirety despite an international ruling that its assertion has no merit.
A State Department spokesperson said Wednesday that the deal would be final only after "a signed Letter of Offer and Acceptance" was received from the "purchasing partner". 
Philippine defense department spokesman Arsenio Andolong told AFP he had "not received any official notice of such a decision."
But China warned Manila against the purchase, saying the Philippines was "threatening" regional peace.
"The Philippines' defense and security cooperation with other countries should not target any third party or harm the interests of a third party. Nor should it threaten regional peace and security or exacerbate regional tensions," foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said.
Manila and Washington have deepened their defense cooperation since President Ferdinand Marcos took office in 2022 and began pushing back on Beijing's sweeping South China Sea claims.
In December, the Philippines angered China when it said it planned to acquire the US mid-range Typhon missile system in a push to secure its maritime interests.
Beijing warned such a purchase could spark a regional "arms race".

'Inevitably' involved

President Donald Trump's administration has sought to redirect US military efforts to Asia to face a rising China, especially as tensions rise over Taiwan, and to lessen involvement in Europe despite Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
On Tuesday, as Chinese ships and warplanes surrounded Taiwan in a simulated blockade, Philippines military chief General Romeo Brawner said his country would "inevitably" be involved should the self-ruled island be invaded.
"Start planning for actions in case there is an invasion of Taiwan," he told troops in northern Luzon island, without naming the potential invader.
"Because if something happens to Taiwan, inevitably we will be involved."
He also said that the bulk of this month's joint military exercises would be conducted in northern Luzon, the part of the Philippines nearest Taiwan. 
"These are the areas where we perceive the possibility of an attack. I do not want to sound alarmist, but we have to prepare," he added.
Asked about Brawner's comments, Beijing foreign ministry spokesman Guo said resolving "the Taiwan issue is a matter for the Chinese people." 
"We advise certain individuals in the Philippines not to play with fire or make provocations on the Taiwan issue -- those who play with fire will only get burned," he said.
On a visit to Manila last week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth vowed to "reestablish deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region" in light of "threats from the Communist Chinese."
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also reiterated US defense commitments to the Philippines, a contrast to the Trump administration's frequent talk of "freeloading" off the United States by allies in Europe.
sct/st/cwl/dhw

tariff

Trump set to unleash 'Liberation Day' tariffs

BY DANNY KEMP

  • His plans have however sparked growing fears of a damaging trade war around the world that could drive up prices and cause widespread disruption.
  • US President Donald Trump is poised to unveil sweeping new "Liberation Day" tariffs on Wednesday, but kept the world guessing until the last minute about the scope of an onslaught that could spark a global trade war.
  • His plans have however sparked growing fears of a damaging trade war around the world that could drive up prices and cause widespread disruption.
US President Donald Trump is poised to unveil sweeping new "Liberation Day" tariffs on Wednesday, but kept the world guessing until the last minute about the scope of an onslaught that could spark a global trade war.
Trump will roll out the measures flanked by cabinet members in the Rose Garden of the White House at 4:00 pm (2000 GMT) -- after Wall Street markets close -- promising that they will stop America being "ripped off" and will deliver a new "golden age" of US industry.
But while Trump insisted he had decided on the reciprocal tariffs hitting countries that have targeted the United States, the White House admitted he was still ironing out the details with less than 24 hours to go.
The Republican billionaire has had a long love affair with tariffs, insisting in the face of economic experts that they are a cure-all that will tackle America's trade imbalances with friends and foes alike.
Critics say that not only will US consumers bear the brunt as importers pass on the cost, but that they could increase the risk of a damaging recession at home and abroad.
Global markets have been jittery for days ahead of Trump's announcement, while the countries most likely in the crosshairs have called for talks -- even as they ready retaliatory measures.

'Very kind'

The move also underscores the growing and profound gulf between Trump's America and many of its closest allies, not only on trade but on security, defense and almost everything else.
But in typically unpredictable fashion, the 78-year-old US president is keeping the details close to his chest.
Trump has trailed the measures for weeks, initially suggesting that the tariffs would simply match whatever levies other countries impose. 
On Monday, he merely said that he would be "very kind" -- but gave little away.
As the deadline drew near, US media reported that he had also been considering blanket 20 percent tariffs -- and then that he was looking at a third option where some countries would get preferential treatment.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump was meeting his top advisors on the eve of the announcement, "perfecting it to make sure this is a perfect deal."
The tariffs would come into effect "immediately" after Wednesday's roll-out, she added -- effectively ruling out any delays for negotiations with other countries.
Trump has wobbled on several other tariff announcements since returning to office in January, blinking at the last minute with allies such as Canada and Mexico.
His plans have however sparked growing fears of a damaging trade war around the world that could drive up prices and cause widespread disruption.

'Couldn't care less'

Major economies including the European Union and Canada have vowed retaliation.
"We are going to be very deliberate in terms of the measures we take, to fight for Canada," Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Tuesday.
The European Union, which Trump has accused of trying to "screw" the United States, said Tuesday it still hoped to negotiate a solution -- but that "all instruments are on the table" to retaliate if necessary.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke with Trump on "productive negotiations" towards a UK-US trade deal. Vietnam said on Tuesday it would slash duties on a range of goods to appease Trump. 
Meanwhile other top exporters are seeking to build up alliances to counter Washington, with China, Japan and South Korea speeding up talks on a free trade agreement. 
Mexico lowered its 2025 growth forecast from between two and three percent to a range of 1.5 to 2.3 percent on Tuesday, citing tensions with its largest trading partner.
Speculation about what Trump has in store has been stoking uncertainty on trading floors.
And HSBC strategists led by Max Kettner warned Wednesday's announcement might not end the tariff uncertainty.
"We'd argue the potential is in fact higher for the 2 April deadline to introduce even more uncertainty -- and hence prolonged broad-based weakness in leading indicators," they said.
Trump has used tariffs as a foreign policy weapon ever since his chaotic first term from 2017-2021.
The former property tycoon insists the levies will bring a "rebirth" of America's hollowed-out manufacturing capacity, and says companies can avoid tariffs by moving to the United States.
Sweeping auto tariffs of 25 percent are also due to come into effect on April 3.
A 25 percent tariff on steel and aluminum from around the world came into effect in mid-March.
China was hit in March by additional 20 percent tariffs on all goods, triggering retaliatory duties from Beijing. The EU has unveiled its own measures to start mid-April.
dk/tjx/lb

conflict

Israel says expands Gaza offensive to seize 'large areas'

BY DELPHINE MATTHIEUSSENT

  • The operation would "seize large areas that will be incorporated into Israeli security zones", he said in a statement, without specifying how much territory.
  • Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz announced Wednesday a major expansion of military operations in Hamas-run Gaza, saying the army would seize "large areas" of the Palestinian territory.
  • The operation would "seize large areas that will be incorporated into Israeli security zones", he said in a statement, without specifying how much territory.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz announced Wednesday a major expansion of military operations in Hamas-run Gaza, saying the army would seize "large areas" of the Palestinian territory.
Katz said Israel would bolster its presence in the Gaza Strip to "destroy and clear the area of terrorists and terrorist infrastructure".
The operation would "seize large areas that will be incorporated into Israeli security zones", he said in a statement, without specifying how much territory.
A group representing families of hostages held in Gaza said they were "horrified" by Katz's announcement, fearing the goal of freeing the captives had been "pushed to the bottom of the priority list".
"Has it been decided to sacrifice the hostages for the sake of 'territorial gains?'" the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement.
"Instead of freeing the hostages through a deal and putting an end to the war, the Israeli government is sending more soldiers to Gaza, to fight in the same areas where they have fought again and again."
Katz last week warned the military would soon "operate with full force" in more parts of Gaza.
In February, he announced plans for an agency to oversee the "voluntary departure" of Palestinians from Gaza.
That followed Israel's backing of a proposal from US President Donald Trump for the United States to take over the territory after relocating its 2.4 million Palestinian inhabitants.
Israel resumed intense bombing of Gaza on March 18 before launching a new ground offensive, ending a nearly two-month ceasefire.

15 killed in newly reported strikes

Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli air strikes killed at least 15 people, including children, in Khan Yunis and the Nuseirat refugee camp at dawn Wednesday.
The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said on Tuesday that 1,042 people had been killed in the territory since Israel resumed military operations, bringing the overall toll since the war began on October 7, 2023 to at least 50,399 people, the majority of them civilians.
Hunger loomed in Gaza City as bakeries were shut due to severe shortages of flour and sugar.
"I've been going from bakery to bakery all morning, but none of them are operating, they're all closed," Amina al-Sayed told AFP. 
Mahmud Sheikh Khalil said he couldn't find bread for his children. 
"The situation is very difficult in Gaza, there is no flour, no bread, no food or water," he said.
On March 2, Israel blocked all aid from entering Gaza and later cut power to one of its main desalination plants.
The idea of forcing Gazans to leave for neighbouring countries including Egypt and Jordan, first floated by Trump, has been backed by right-wing Israeli politicians, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

UN condemns Israeli attack

On Sunday, Netanyahu offered to let Hamas leaders leave Gaza but demanded the group abandon its arms.
The Israeli leader has rejected domestic criticism that his government -- one of the most right-wing in Israel's history -- was not doing enough to secure the hostages' release.
"We are negotiating under fire... We can see cracks beginning to appear" in Hamas's positions during ceasefire talks, he told his cabinet.
In the "final stage", Netanyahu said "Hamas will lay down its weapons. Its leaders will be allowed to leave".
Hamas has signalled willingness to step down from ruling Gaza but calls disarmament a "red line".
Egypt, Qatar and the United States are attempting to again broker a ceasefire and secure the release of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza.
A senior Hamas official said Saturday the group had approved a new ceasefire proposal and urged Israel to back it.
Netanyahu's office confirmed receiving the proposal and said Israel had submitted a counteroffer. The details remain undisclosed.
The United Nations on Tuesday condemned an Israeli army attack on an emergency convoy that killed 15 aid workers and medical personnel and demanded an investigation.
"I condemn the attack by the Israeli army on a medical and emergency convoy on 23 March resulting in the killing of 15 medical personnel and humanitarian workers in Gaza," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said.
The war was sparked by Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.
dms-acc/dv

security

El Salvador's Bukele flaunts 'iron fist' alliance with Trump

  • Aside from political benefits for both men, there is a potential security and economic boon for Bukele.
  • El Salvador's pugilistic president has become a key partner for US President Donald Trump's in-your-face campaign to deport migrants, with both men hoping to reap the political benefits.
  • Aside from political benefits for both men, there is a potential security and economic boon for Bukele.
El Salvador's pugilistic president has become a key partner for US President Donald Trump's in-your-face campaign to deport migrants, with both men hoping to reap the political benefits.
Through a rollout of slickly produced videos featuring chained and tattooed men roughly escorted off planes, Nayib Bukele has won the US president's attention and admiration.
"Thank you President Bukele, of El Salvador, for taking the criminals that were so stupidly allowed, by the Crooked Joe Biden Administration, to enter our country, and giving them such a wonderful place to live!" Trump posted on Monday on his TruthSocial platform.
His comments were accompanied by the latest video posted by Bukele featuring heavily staged, militaristic and confrontational clips of migrants arriving in the Central American nation. 
Trump's appreciation was quickly reciprocated: "Grateful for your words, President Trump. Onward together!" Bukele posted. 
To cement the relationship, the pair will meet at the White House this month, with Bukele promising to bring "several cans of Diet Coke" for his famously soda-thirsty host. 
But behind the hardman camaraderie lies raw politics.
For Bukele, accepting hundreds of deportees from the United States "consolidates his image as the leader who transformed security in El Salvador" said Migration Policy Institute analyst Diego Chaves-Gonzalez. 

Gang crackdown

Since coming to power in 2019, Bukele has subdued his once gang-plagued nation of about six million people. 
Dispensing with warrants and due process, he jailed almost two percent of the population and brought the murder rate down from more than 6,500 a year to just 114, according to official figures. 
Security remains central to the "iron fist" political brand that makes Bukele one of the most popular politicians on the planet -- with a domestic approval rating hovering above 85 percent.  
Welcoming Trump deportees to El Salvador's mega jail CECOT has not just made Bukele a friend in the White House, but also allowed the 43-year-old president to put the signature 40,000-prisoner jail on full display. 
The sprawling facility's austere concrete walls and army of masked guards have featured prominently in videos produced by Bukele's government.  
Trump's Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem even visited CECOT, posing in front of a cell overflowing with seemingly dead-eyed and heavily tattooed men. 

'Propaganda'

Both Bukele and Trump have enthusiastically shared pictures of prisoners shackled, shorn and manhandled while simultaneously highlighting and rejecting objections from judges and opponents.
In that sense, Trump appears to be echoing Bukele's political imagery to appeal to his own base of US voters. 
"It is a sign that Trump is interested in 'iron fist' propaganda and disobeying judicial rulings," said Salvadoran political analyst Napoleon Campos.
That heavy-handed approach has its risks. The White House was forced into an embarrassing admission on Tuesday that an "administrative error" had seen a Salvadoran man living in the United States under protected legal status swept up in the hurried deportation process and sent to Bukele's prison.
Even so, a recent CBS poll showed 53 percent of voters, and an overwhelming majority of Republicans, approve of Trump's handling of immigration -- a higher approval rating than he receives on the economy. 
Aside from political benefits for both men, there is a potential security and economic boon for Bukele.
His government received six million dollars for taking deportees, a fee that Bukele described as "a very low fee for them, but a high one for us." 
He also received more than 20 allegedly high-ranking members of El Salvador's most notorious gang MS-13, who were being held in the United States. 
Bukele claimed that would help "finalize intelligence gathering and go after the last remnants of MS-13, including its former and new members, money, weapons, drugs, hideouts, collaborators, and sponsors." 
And there is the promise of US investment in El Salvador, a country which still has a per capita income comparable to Iraq or war-ravaged Ukraine.
When he heads to the White House this month, Bukele will be hoping for more than warm words and a few cans of Diet Coke as payback for his support. 
bur-arb/bc/lb

quake

Myanmar quake victim rescued after 5 days as aid calls grow

  • Hopes of finding more survivors are fading, but there was a moment of joy on Wednesday as a man was pulled alive from the ruins of a hotel in the capital Naypyidaw.
  • Rescuers on Wednesday pulled a man alive from the rubble five days after Myanmar's devastating earthquake, as calls grew for the junta to allow more aid in and halt attacks on rebels.
  • Hopes of finding more survivors are fading, but there was a moment of joy on Wednesday as a man was pulled alive from the ruins of a hotel in the capital Naypyidaw.
Rescuers on Wednesday pulled a man alive from the rubble five days after Myanmar's devastating earthquake, as calls grew for the junta to allow more aid in and halt attacks on rebels.
The shallow 7.7-magnitude earthquake on Friday flattened buildings across Myanmar, killing more than 2,700 people and making thousands more homeless.
Several leading armed groups fighting the government have suspended hostilities during the quake recovery, but junta chief Min Aung Hlaing said military operations would continue -- despite international criticism of multiple reported air strikes.
UN agencies, rights groups and foreign governments have urged all sides in Myanmar's civil war to stop fighting and focus on helping those affected by the quake, the biggest to hit the country in decades.
Hopes of finding more survivors are fading, but there was a moment of joy on Wednesday as a man was pulled alive from the ruins of a hotel in the capital Naypyidaw.
The 26-year-old hotel worker was extracted by a joint Myanmar-Turkish team shortly after midnight, the fire service and junta said.
Dazed and dusty but conscious, the man was pulled through a hole in the rubble and put on a stretcher, video posted on Facebook by the Myanmar Fire Services Department showed.
- Call for peace - 
Min Aung Hlaing said Tuesday that the death toll had risen to 2,719, with more than 4,500 injured and 441 still missing.
But with patchy communication and infrastructure delaying efforts to gather information and deliver aid, the full scale of the disaster has yet to become clear, and the toll is likely to rise.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported severe damage in the city of Sagaing, citing local rescuers saying one in three houses there have collapsed.
Healthcare facilities, damaged by the quake and with limited capacity, are "overwhelmed by a large number of patients", while supplies of food, water and medicine are running low, WHO said in an update.
Sagaing has seen some of the heaviest fighting in Myanmar's civil war, and AFP journalists have not been able to reach the area.
Relief groups say the overall quake response has been hindered by continued fighting between the junta and the complex patchwork of armed groups opposed to its rule, which began in a 2021 coup.
Julie Bishop, the UN special envoy on Myanmar, called on all sides to "focus their efforts on the protection of civilians, including aid workers, and the delivery of life-saving assistance".
Even before Friday's earthquake, 3.5 million people were displaced by the fighting, many of them at risk of hunger, according to the United Nations.
Late Tuesday, an alliance of three of Myanmar's most powerful ethnic minority armed groups announced a one-month pause in hostilities to support humanitarian efforts in response to the quake.
The announcement by the Three Brotherhood Alliance followed a separate partial ceasefire called by the People's Defence Force -- civilian groups that took up arms after the coup to fight junta rule.
But there have been multiple reports of junta air strikes against rebel groups since the quake.
"We are aware that some ethnic armed groups are currently not engaged in combat, but are organising and training to carry out attacks," said Min Aung Hlaing, mentioning sabotage against the electricity supply.
"Since such activities constitute attacks, the Tatmadaw (armed forces) will continue to carry out necessary defensive activities," he said in a statement late Tuesday.
But the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, rejected the junta's characterisation of its operations.
"Senior General Min Aung Hlaing has described ongoing junta attacks in the midst of Myanmar's suffering as 'necessary protective measures'," he wrote on X.
"They are neither necessary nor protective. They are outrageous and should be condemned in the strongest possible terms by world leaders."

Thailand toll rises

Australia's government decried the reported air strikes saying they "exacerbated the suffering of the people".
"We condemn these acts and call on the military regime to immediately cease military operations and allow full humanitarian access to affected areas," Foreign Minister Penny Wong said.
Amnesty International said "inhumane" military attacks were significantly complicating earthquake relief efforts in Myanmar.
"You cannot ask for aid with one hand and bomb with the other," said the group's Myanmar researcher Joe Freeman.
Hundreds of kilometres away, in the Thai capital Bangkok, workers continued to scour through the rubble of a collapsed 30-storey skyscraper.
The structure had been under construction when the earthquake hit and its crash buried dozens of builders -- few of whom have come out alive.
The death toll at the site has risen to 22, with more than 70 still believed trapped in the rubble.
burs-pdw/dhw

military

China probes for key target weak spots with 'paralysing' Taiwan drills

BY OLIVER HOTHAM AND SAM DAVIES, WITH JOY CHIANG IN TAIPEI

  • - 'Blockade' - One Taipei-based analyst said Beijing's drills were shifting focus, from practising ways to prevent foreign forces coming to Taiwan's aid in the event of a war, to asserting full control over the waters around the island.
  • China's military drills around Taiwan this week aim to send a clear message to the island's leadership, analysts say -- in the event of war, Beijing can cut them off from the outside world and grind them into submission.
  • - 'Blockade' - One Taipei-based analyst said Beijing's drills were shifting focus, from practising ways to prevent foreign forces coming to Taiwan's aid in the event of a war, to asserting full control over the waters around the island.
China's military drills around Taiwan this week aim to send a clear message to the island's leadership, analysts say -- in the event of war, Beijing can cut them off from the outside world and grind them into submission.
And while previous drills have sought to test Taipei's response times to Chinese incursion, Beijing says this week's exercises are focused on its ability to strike key targets such as ports and energy facilities on the island.
"Taiwan is vulnerable from an energy point of view and China is playing up that vulnerability," Dylan Loh at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University told AFP.
The air and sea around the self-ruled island have swarmed with Chinese jets and warships in what Beijing has dubbed its "Strait Thunder" exercises -- punishment, it said, for the separatist designs of Taiwan's "parasite" leader Lai Ching-te.
The drills are located in the middle and southern parts of the Taiwan strait -- a vital artery for global shipping.
The island also imports nearly all of its energy supply and relies heavily on food imports, meaning in the event of a war, a blockade could paralyse the island -- a fact Beijing is keen to press.
"Taiwan's depth is shallow and has no buffer zone. Taiwan is also short of resources," Major General Meng Xiangqing, professor at the PLA National Defence University, told state broadcaster CCTV.
"If Taiwan loses its sea supply lines, then the island's resources will quickly be depleted, social order will fall into chaos, and people's livelihoods will be affected," he said.
"In the end, it will be the regular people of the island who suffer."

'Blockade'

One Taipei-based analyst said Beijing's drills were shifting focus, from practising ways to prevent foreign forces coming to Taiwan's aid in the event of a war, to asserting full control over the waters around the island.
"The containment and control drills are designed to test the ability to restrict supply routes to Taiwan and deter foreign commercial vessels from docking," said Su Tzu-yun, a military expert at Taipei's Institute for National Defense and Security Research.
"The message to international shipping is that all destinations are open -- as long as they're not Taiwan," he added.
While Tuesday's exercises were focused on offensive operations against the island, Lin Ying-yu, a military expert and assistant professor at Tamkang University, said Wednesday's "centre on practising a blockade of Taiwan".
Such a tactic echoes techniques used in the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, which has since February 2022 also launched thousands of strikes against energy infrastructure -- to debilitating effect.
A graphic shared by the military made the objective clear: declaring "paralysing strikes" were being prepared and showing missiles raining down on the island's southern port city of Kaohsiung.
Taiwan's leaders, it warned, were "heading for a dead end".
Another touted the army's skills in "controlling energy channels, cutting off supply arteries," -- and showed graphics of explosions on targets on the island's east, west and south.

'Deadly surprise attack'

The drills are driven by growing fears in Beijing that its long-awaited unification with Taipei is further away than ever.
Bonny Lin, Director of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic & International Studies in Washington, told AFP there was "an assessment in Beijing that China needs to do more to step up the process for unification with Taiwan". 
That included, she said, "punishing Taiwan for any perceived provocative activities and more firmly countering potential foreign intervention to assist Taiwan".
Beijing is also seeking to highlight just how unpredictable it can be in attacking the island.
"The opponent won't know which card we will play, including when we'll play it," Fu Zhengnan, an expert at the Chinese military's Academy of Military Science, told CCTV.
"The PLA is becoming more and more like an unpredictable magician," he said.
This week's drills come just days after US defence chief Pete Hegseth vowed the United States would ensure "deterrence" across the Taiwan Strait in the face of China's "aggressive and coercive" actions.
Wen-Ti Sung, a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council's Global China Hub, said "Straight Thunder" was testing that claim.
"China wants to impose stress test after stress test and create an opportunity where the Trump administration will have to respond," he said.
sam-oho/je/fox

film

'Top Gun' and Batman star Val Kilmer dies aged 65: New York Times

  • A New York Times interviewer in 2002 said Kilmer "hardly lives up to that reputation" and found the actor instead "friendly, buoyant and so open that he often volunteers personal details about his life and is quick to laugh at himself."
  • Prolific American actor Val Kilmer, who was propelled to fame with "Top Gun" and went on to starring roles as Batman and Jim Morrison, has died at age 65, the New York Times reported Tuesday.
  • A New York Times interviewer in 2002 said Kilmer "hardly lives up to that reputation" and found the actor instead "friendly, buoyant and so open that he often volunteers personal details about his life and is quick to laugh at himself."
Prolific American actor Val Kilmer, who was propelled to fame with "Top Gun" and went on to starring roles as Batman and Jim Morrison, has died at age 65, the New York Times reported Tuesday.
The cause of death was pneumonia, his daughter Mercedes Kilmer told the Times. He had battled throat cancer following a 2014 diagnosis, but later recovered, she said.
AFP has reached out to his representatives for comment.
Originally a stage actor, Kilmer burst onto the big screen full of charisma, cast as a rock star in Cold War spoof "Top Secret!" in 1984.
Two years later, he gained fame as the cocky, if mostly silent fighter pilot in training Tom "Iceman" Kazansky in box office smash hit "Top Gun," playing a rival to Tom Cruise's "Maverick."
A versatile character actor whose career spanned decades, Kilmer toggled between blockbusters and smaller-budget independent films. He got a shot at leading man status in Oliver Stone's "The Doors," depicting Jim Morrison's journey from a psychedelics-loving LA film student to 60s rock frontman.
After a cameo in Quentin Tarantino-written "True Romance," Kilmer went on to star alongside Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in "Heat" and took a turn as the masked Gotham vigilante in "Batman Forever," between the Bruce Wayne portrayals by Michael Keaton and George Clooney.
A 1996 Entertainment Weekly cover story dubbed Kilmer "The Man Hollywood Loves to Hate," depicting him as a sometimes surly eccentric with exasperating work habits.
A New York Times interviewer in 2002 said Kilmer "hardly lives up to that reputation" and found the actor instead "friendly, buoyant and so open that he often volunteers personal details about his life and is quick to laugh at himself."
"You have to learn to speak Val," director D. J. Caruso told the newspaper.

' Magical life'

Born Val Edward Kilmer on New Year's Eve 1959, he began acting in commercials as a child.
Kilmer was the youngest person ever accepted to the drama department at New York's fabled Juilliard school, and made his Broadway debut in 1983 alongside Sean Penn and Kevin Bacon.
In Hollywood, the Los Angeles native longed to make serious films, but found himself in a series of schlocky blockbusters and expensive flops in the early 2000s.
Chastened by a decade or more of low-budget movies, he was mounting a comeback in the 2010s with a successful stage show about Mark Twain that he hoped to turn into a film when he was struck by cancer. 
"Val," an intimate documentary about Kilmer's stratospheric rise and later fall in Hollywood, premiered at the Cannes film festival in 2021 and showed him struggling for air after a tracheotomy. 
Kilmer "has the aura of a man who was dealt his cosmic comeuppance and came through it," US publication Variety wrote of the film. "He fell from stardom, maybe from grace, but he did it his way."
When he reprised his role as "Iceman" in the long-awaited sequel "Top Gun: Maverick," Kilmer's real-life health issues, and rasp of voice, were written into the character.
"Instead of treating Kilmer -- and, indeed, the entire notion of Top Gun -- as a throwaway nostalgia object, he's given a celluloid swan song that'll stand the test of time," GQ wrote.
On his website, Kilmer said he had led a "magical life."
"For more than half a century, I have been honing my art, no matter the medium. Be it literature, movies, poetry, painting, music, or tracking exotic and beautiful wildlife," he wrote.
According to the Times, he is survived by two children, Mercedes and Jack Kilmer. 
bur-lb/mtp

China

US lawmakers seek to rename street for Hong Kong's jailed Jimmy Lai

  • While Congress has less jurisdiction outside of Washington, the bill would also direct the US Postal Service to deliver mail to Hong Kong's offices in New York and San Francisco if they are addressed to "1 Jimmy Lai Way" in either city.
  • US lawmakers moved Tuesday to rename the street next to Hong Kong's Washington office after Jimmy Lai, the pro-democracy activist and media mogul jailed as China clamps down on the financial hub.
  • While Congress has less jurisdiction outside of Washington, the bill would also direct the US Postal Service to deliver mail to Hong Kong's offices in New York and San Francisco if they are addressed to "1 Jimmy Lai Way" in either city.
US lawmakers moved Tuesday to rename the street next to Hong Kong's Washington office after Jimmy Lai, the pro-democracy activist and media mogul jailed as China clamps down on the financial hub.
A bill introduced in the House of Representatives would erect the street sign "Jimmy Lai Way" on a stretch alongside the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Washington's bustling Dupont Circle area.
"We want to remind every HKETO employee of their part in dismantling the freedoms that once made Hong Kong the most vibrant and prosperous city in Asia," said Representative Chris Smith, the Republican co-chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, which examines rights in the country.
While Congress has less jurisdiction outside of Washington, the bill would also direct the US Postal Service to deliver mail to Hong Kong's offices in New York and San Francisco if they are addressed to "1 Jimmy Lai Way" in either city.
There was no immediate timetable to act upon the proposal. The bill had co-sponsors from the Democratic Party but met opposition from the capital's non-voting delegate to Congress, Democrat Eleanor Holmes Norton.
"No matter how well-intentioned an initiative is, it is never appropriate for members of Congress not elected by DC residents to legislate on local DC matters, particularly quintessentially local ones like street names," she said.
Lai was the founder of the Apple Daily, a now-shuttered Chinese-language newspaper that championed mass demonstrations in 2019 aimed at safeguarding democratic liberties promised when Beijing took control of the former British colony.
China quelled dissent after the protests, some of which involved vandalism, including through a tough security law.
Lai, now 77, has been behind bars since December 2020. 
He testified for more than 50 days, concluding last month, as he fights charges of foreign collusion under the law that could carry a sentence of life in prison.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a recent interview that Lai's case was a "priority".
Rubio on Monday imposed sanctions on Hong Kong's police chief, justice secretary and other officials on human rights grounds over the crackdown in the city.
The bill on the street name calls on Rubio to look at sanctions on additional officials specifically involved in Lai's detention and prosecution.
Renaming streets has long been a means to embarrass countries about their rights records. 
Russia's embassy in Washington lies on Boris Nemtsov Plaza, named for the reformist politician killed near the Kremlin in 2015, and the Saudi embassy is on Jamal Khashoggi Way, named for the dissident writer who was strangled to death and dismembered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018.
Both streets were renamed by votes of the DC City Council.
Congress separately moved to name the plaza outside of China's embassy for Liu Xiaobo, the Nobel Prize-winning writer and democracy activist who died in prison, but the effort floundered after intense opposition from Beijing.
Other governments have sometimes acted similarly with the United States. The street outside the US consulate in Kolkata is named for Vietnamese revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh.
sct/lb

politics

Trump faces first electoral setback after Wisconsin Supreme Court vote

BY SEBASTIAN SMITH

  • But in the first real electoral test of his polarizing presidency, his all-out effort to lodge a new Republican on the Wisconsin Supreme Court fell flat, as liberal judge Susan Crawford came out ahead of Trump-backed Brad Schimel, according to US media.
  • Donald Trump's second presidency was dealt a spinning blow by voters in Wisconsin Tuesday as they elected a liberal judge to the state's Supreme Court, despite his powerful advisor Elon Musk pouring millions into the race to sway the polls.
  • But in the first real electoral test of his polarizing presidency, his all-out effort to lodge a new Republican on the Wisconsin Supreme Court fell flat, as liberal judge Susan Crawford came out ahead of Trump-backed Brad Schimel, according to US media.
Donald Trump's second presidency was dealt a spinning blow by voters in Wisconsin Tuesday as they elected a liberal judge to the state's Supreme Court, despite his powerful advisor Elon Musk pouring millions into the race to sway the polls.
Two months into his barnstorming return to the White House, Trump celebrated victory in a pair of House races in Florida which remained in Republican hands.
But in the first real electoral test of his polarizing presidency, his all-out effort to lodge a new Republican on the Wisconsin Supreme Court fell flat, as liberal judge Susan Crawford came out ahead of Trump-backed Brad Schimel, according to US media.
Trump appeared to ignore the results on social media, highlighting a separate Wisconsin ballot initiative requiring voters to present photo identification to cast a ballot.
"Voter I.D. just approved in Wisconsin election...this is a big win for Republicans, maybe the biggest win of the night," he posted on TruthSocial late Tuesday.

'Fate of civilization'

Musk, who has spearheaded Trump's attempts to gut much of the US government in a right-wing cost-cutting drive, went to Wisconsin to drum up support for Schimel.
"It's like one of those strange situations where a seemingly small election would determine the fate of Western civilization here," Musk said in a discussion on his social media platform X on Tuesday.
The highlight of his weekend visit to the upper Midwestern state reprised a tactic seen during his efforts to help Trump defeat Democrat Kamala Harris in November -- handing out money to anyone who signed a petition against so-called "activist judges."
Musk, too, refrained from commenting on Schimel's loss despite spending millions on the campaign, instead taking to X to post "Yeah!" on news of Wisconsin passing the voter ID initiative.
Senator Bernie Sanders, a major force on the left, told supporters on X they had "the power to REJECT Musk and the oligarchy buying our elections."
Beyond testing the public mood, the Wisconsin result will decide whether the state's Supreme Court -- which rules on things like voting district boundaries -- tilts majority left or right.
In Florida, two seats in the US House of Representatives were up for grabs to fill vacancies in Republican strongholds, left by Trump's National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and failed nominee for attorney general, Matt Gaetz.
On Tuesday evening, US media called the race for Florida's sixth district in favor of Republican Randy Fine, with Trump tweeting: "Congratulations Randy, a great WIN against a massive CASH AVALANCHE."
Shortly after, media outlets also called the special election in Florida's first district for Trump-backed Republican Jimmy Patronis.
Trump took credit for his party's victory in both deep red districts, posting on social media that "the Trump endorsement, as always, proved far greater than the Democrats forces of evil."
Democrats have been adrift since losing the presidency to Trump and both chambers of Congress in November, and had hoped that a decent showing in Florida and a win in Wisconsin could spark a comeback.
In Florida, they were defeated by double-digit percentage margins in both special elections.
But House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries offered an optimistic view, telling broadcaster MSNBC that the smaller margins in districts won handily by Trump "should have my Republican colleagues quaking in their boots."

Big stakes, bigger money

Illustrating the stakes of the contest in Wisconsin, the race has set a spending record -- much of that in advertising and attempts, particularly by Musk, to drive turnout.
Musk, who spent roughly $277 million on Trump's 2024 election campaign, presented checks of $1 million to two voters and $100 each to other voters who signed his petition.
According to the Brennan Center for Justice, more than $53.3 million has been spent by Schimel and his backers, including $12.2 million from Musk's America PAC.
Crawford's campaign and those backing her have spent an estimated $45.1 million.
The spending has made the Wisconsin race the most expensive in US judicial history, the center said.
Billionaire Musk's Green Bay rally on the weekend drew an enthusiastic crowd, but the South African-born oligarch's role in Wisconsin elections provoked as much resistance as support.
At a pro-Crawford rally, 65-year-old retired electrical engineer Rob Patterson held up a sign showing Musk giving a straight-armed salute.
"Our Supreme Court is not for sale," the sign read.
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court

South Korea mobilising 'all resources' for violence-free Yoon verdict

BY HIEUN SHIN

  • "The police will mobilise all available resources to ensure the safety of the public and to prevent the situation from escalating into serious social conflict," said Lee. 
  • South Korean police will mobilise "all available resources" to prevent violence when a court rules Friday on the fate of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, with top tourist sites to close and embassies warning citizens to stay away.
  • "The police will mobilise all available resources to ensure the safety of the public and to prevent the situation from escalating into serious social conflict," said Lee. 
South Korean police will mobilise "all available resources" to prevent violence when a court rules Friday on the fate of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, with top tourist sites to close and embassies warning citizens to stay away.
The country's Constitutional Court will issue a ruling on whether to strip Yoon of office over his abortive declaration of martial law, which has already seen him suspended by lawmakers and arrested on insurrection charges.
The court in downtown Seoul has become a flashpoint, with near-constant protests in the area until the police moved Tuesday to seal the streets to head off possible clashes.
"The situation has become more grave than ever," Lee Ho-young, acting chief of the Korean National Police Agency, said Wednesday.
Hundreds of thousands of people for and against Yoon have poured onto Seoul's streets every weekend, with die-hards on each side also setting up tent camps and staging all-night protests.
Police are concerned that whatever verdict is announced, some people "may become agitated and engage in extreme or violent protests", said Lee during a meeting with top police officials. 
Yoon's supporters stormed a court building in January after a judge extended the suspended president's detention. He was later released from custody on procedural grounds.
"The police will mobilise all available resources to ensure the safety of the public and to prevent the situation from escalating into serious social conflict," said Lee. 
In Seoul, more than 14,000 riot police will be deployed.
More than a dozen nearby schools and several shops in the neighbourhood will close on the day of the verdict due to safety issues.
Major tourist sites such as the Gyeongbok and Changdeok palaces -- walking distances from the court -- will also be shuttered, the Korean Heritage Service said.

'Do not participate'

The Chinese embassy in Seoul warned its nationals to keep away from local political protests. 
"Do not participate, do not linger, do not watch," it posted on its social media channels.
"Do not publicly express or forward political comments, and try to avoid verbal or physical confrontations with local people."
The US embassy, meanwhile, warned its citizens to "avoid areas where demonstrations are taking place, and exercise caution in the vicinity of any large crowds, gatherings, protests, or rallies".
Acting President Han Duck-soo urged political leaders to refrain from making remarks that could incite or encourage illegal protests or violence.
"Regardless of the outcome, we must calmly and rationally accept the court's decision," he said during a meeting with ministry officials.
"Now is a time to prioritise the stability and survival of our community over political advantages or disadvantages," he said. 
If Yoon is stripped of office by the court, it will trigger elections which must be held within 60 days.
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Congress

US senator smashes record with 25-hour anti-Trump speech

BY MICHAEL MATHES

  • The longest Senate speech on record before Tuesday was delivered by South Carolina's Strom Thurmond, who filibustered for 24 hours and 18 minutes against the Civil Rights Act of 1957.
  • A Democratic US lawmaker shattered a record for the longest speech in Senate history Tuesday, staying on his feet for more than 25 hours to deliver a fiery protest against President Donald Trump's "unconstitutional" actions.
  • The longest Senate speech on record before Tuesday was delivered by South Carolina's Strom Thurmond, who filibustered for 24 hours and 18 minutes against the Civil Rights Act of 1957.
A Democratic US lawmaker shattered a record for the longest speech in Senate history Tuesday, staying on his feet for more than 25 hours to deliver a fiery protest against President Donald Trump's "unconstitutional" actions.
Senator Cory Booker's display of endurance -- to hold the floor he had to remain standing and could not even go to the bathroom -- recalled the famous scene in Frank Capra's 1939 film classic "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington."
The longest Senate speech on record before Tuesday was delivered by South Carolina's Strom Thurmond, who filibustered for 24 hours and 18 minutes against the Civil Rights Act of 1957.
Booker, only the fourth Black senator to be popularly elected to the body, blew past that deadline, his voice still strong but emotional as he topped out at 25 hours and five minutes.
"Strom Thurmond's record always... really irked me," he later told broadcaster MSNBC.
"That the longest speech on our great Senate floor was someone who was trying to stop people like me from being in the Senate."
The public galleries of the Senate chamber gradually filled as the moment he broke the record approached, with more Democratic lawmakers joining the session -- although Republicans largely stayed away.
"This is a moral moment. It's not left or right. It's right or wrong," Booker said as he wrapped up.
He also quoted his mentor John Lewis, a 1960s civil rights movement leader, who urged campaigners to get into "good trouble," before finally pronouncing "Madam President, I yield the floor."
The 55-year-old New Jersey native had found a moment for some humor as he passed the record, joking: "I want to go a little bit past this and then I'm going to deal with some of the biological urgencies I'm feeling."

'Foundations of democracy'

Although Booker's talk-a-thon was not actually blocking the majority Republican Party from holding votes in the Senate, as would be the case in a true filibuster, his defiance quickly became a rallying point for beleaguered Democrats.
Booker, a former presidential candidate, seized command in the chamber at 7:00 pm (2300 GMT) Monday and finished at 8:05 pm Tuesday.
He lashed out at Trump's radical cost-cutting policies that have seen his top advisor Elon Musk, the world's richest person, slash entire government programs without consent from Congress.
The senator said Trump's aggressive seizing of ever-more executive power had put US democracy at risk.
"Unnecessary hardships are being borne by Americans of all backgrounds. And institutions which are special in America, which are precious and which are unique in our country, are being recklessly -- and I would say even unconstitutionally -- affected, attacked, even shattered," Booker said.
"In just 71 days the president of the United States has inflicted so much harm on Americans' safety, financial stability, the core foundations of our democracy," he said.
But he had words of encouragement for Trump opponents, saying as he concluded that "the power of the people is greater than the people in power."

Cramps and sore throat

Booker later went into detail about how he withstood the physical demands of the speech.
"My strategy was to stop eating. I think I stopped eating Friday and then to stop drinking the night before I started on Monday," he told reporters in the Capitol.
The approach "had its benefits and had its really downsides... different muscle groups start to really cramp up" with dehydration, he added.
In a statement sent by his office, Booker added that he was "tired and a little hoarse."
Democratic lawmakers, in the minority in both the Senate and House of Representatives, have struggled over how to blunt Trump's efforts to downsize government, ramp up deportations and shred much of the country's political norms.
"I just want to thank you for holding vigil for this country all night," Senator Raphael Warnock told Booker on the floor.
Booker dedicated much of his speech to criticizing Trump's policies, but to pass the time he also recited poetry, discussed sports and entertained questions from colleagues.
"If you love your neighbor, if you love this country, show your love. Stop them from doing what they're trying to (do)," he said.
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Nintendo

Nintendo to unveil upgrade to best-selling Switch console

BY KILIAN FICHOU WITH CAROLINE GARDIN IN TOKYO

  • "There is huge demand for a better version of the original Switch," he added.
  • Japanese video game giant Nintendo is set to unveil the new version of its hugely popular Switch console on Wednesday, with the update eagerly awaited by both gamers and investors.
  • "There is huge demand for a better version of the original Switch," he added.
Japanese video game giant Nintendo is set to unveil the new version of its hugely popular Switch console on Wednesday, with the update eagerly awaited by both gamers and investors.
Everything from the release date to the price of the Switch 2 is set to be announced at 1300 GMT during a one-hour video broadcast online following a brief first glimpse in mid-January.
Very similar visually to its best-selling predecessor, which was launched in 2017, the Switch 2 features a larger screen, a wider stand, and retains its detachable "Joy-Con" controllers.
It will also be more powerful than the original model while keeping its hybrid console concept, allowing players to use it both on-the-go and connected to a TV -- a key factor in the success of the first Switch which has sold 150 million units worldwide.
Experts says no major gaming revolution is expected with the Switch 2 to rival the 2006 appearance of motion controls on the Wii, or to a lesser extent, the Wii U's screen-controller in 2012.
"When you ask gamers, they mention performance and game software, but in reality, they seem to want the same experience as the original Switch," said Hideki Yasuda, an analyst at Japanese brokerage Toyo Securities.
"I think what they truly want is simply higher performance."

June release?

Piers Harding-Rolls, an expert at Ampere Analysis, a London-based consultancy, said a successful launch was "fundamental" for Nintendo's future. 
"There is huge demand for a better version of the original Switch," he added.
Despite recent diversification efforts into movies and theme parks, Nintendo's core business still relies heavily on video games.
The company cut its profit forecasts in February due to slowing sales of its star console.
Industry rumours suggest a possible June release, with Yasuda estimating six million units would be initially made available. 
In the long run, Nintendo could sell 19 million units in 2025 and 21 million the following year, according to Toyo Securities estimates.
Another key factor is pricing, which experts estimate will range from $430 to $540.
Uncertainty over US import tariffs also remain a concern, although Nintendo has recently switched an increasing amount of production from China to Vietnam, which faces lower customs duties.

New Mario Kart?

As the video game industry faces a global slowdown, marked by waves of layoffs, the arrival of the Switch 2 could revitalise console sales which have been declining worldwide.
Sales fell by 35 percent in 2024 year-on-year in the United States, according to data from US market research firm Circana.
The key to the success of the Switch 2 is likely to be its games line-up. 
"They are hugely important, especially for early adopters," said Harding-Rolls, as fans eagerly wait to know the exclusive titles for the new console.
During its January preview, Nintendo revealed a few seconds of a new Mario Kart game, suggesting that it was bringing back one of its most popular franchises.
With over 75 million copies sold on the Wii U and Switch, Mario Kart 8 is the second best-selling game in Nintendo's history, close to Wii Sports' record of 82 million copies.
Nintendo's recent announcement that players can loan digital versions of Switch games to friends via "virtual game cards" could also encourage players to invest in a second console, making game sharing easier.
Starting Friday, select players chosen by lottery will get to test the new console at events in New York, Tokyo, Paris and other cities.
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