energy

Vietnam ups wind, solar targets as energy demand soars

  • With targets set at 73 gigawatts (GW) for solar and 38 GW for onshore wind energy by 2030 -- and a significant increase to 296 GW and 230 GW by 2050 -- the plan looks "really ambitious", said Andri Prasetiyo, senior researcher at Senik Centre Asia.
  • Vietnam has dramatically increased its wind and solar targets as it looks to up its energy production by 2030 to meet soaring demand, according to a revised version of its national power plan.
  • With targets set at 73 gigawatts (GW) for solar and 38 GW for onshore wind energy by 2030 -- and a significant increase to 296 GW and 230 GW by 2050 -- the plan looks "really ambitious", said Andri Prasetiyo, senior researcher at Senik Centre Asia.
Vietnam has dramatically increased its wind and solar targets as it looks to up its energy production by 2030 to meet soaring demand, according to a revised version of its national power plan.
The Southeast Asian country has committed to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and the latest edition of its Power Development Plan 8 (PDP8), as it is known, maps out how it will reach those goals.
The manufacturing powerhouse has been heavily reliant on coal to meet its rapidly expanding energy needs. But now it wants to "strongly develop renewable energy sources", according to the plan, which was published Wednesday on the government's news portal.
With targets set at 73 gigawatts (GW) for solar and 38 GW for onshore wind energy by 2030 -- and a significant increase to 296 GW and 230 GW by 2050 -- the plan looks "really ambitious", said Andri Prasetiyo, senior researcher at Senik Centre Asia.
The 2023 version of the PDP8 aimed for 12.8 GW for solar and 21 GW for wind by the end of the decade.
"I think this sends a clear message, Vietnam is positioning itself to maintain leadership in Southeast Asia's clean energy transition, (even) taking a more prominent role in the region," he told AFP.
Solar power grew rapidly in Vietnam until 2020 but its success hit a roadblock due to infrastructure limitations.
Prasetiyo said Vietnam's new targets were "increasingly feasible", although they far outstrip market projections of what the country can achieve.

Coal, nuclear

The latest version of the PDP8, which was approved this week, also re-emphasises the country's 2023 pledge to end the use of coal by 2050.
Coal will represent nearly 17 percent of its energy mix by the end of the decade, down from a target of 20 percent set in 2023.
Meanwhile, solar will account for 31 percent of the country's energy by 2030, while onshore wind will be 16 percent. 
More than $136 billion will be needed if Vietnam is to get there, the document said.
Under the new plan, the country also aims to open its first nuclear power plant by 2035 at the latest. 
It comes after Vietnam and Russia signed an agreement on nuclear energy in January, with Hanoi saying Russian nuclear giant Rosatom was "very interested" in cooperating on a project in central Ninh Thuan province.
Overall, as Vietnam targets an ambitious 10 percent economic growth rate by the end of the decade, it wants to raise its total installed capacity to a maximum of 236 GW by that date.
That's up by more than 80 GW from the figure outlined in 2023.
Hanoi is also eager to avoid a repeat of the rolling blackouts and sudden power outages in summer 2023 that led to losses among manufacturers. They also prompted massive disruption for residents, as intensely hot weather and unprecedented drought strained energy supplies in northern Vietnam.
tmh/aph/rsc

Easter

Pope says doing 'best he can' on jail visit before Easter

  • "Every year I like to do in prison what Jesus did on Holy Thursday, the washing of the feet," the pope told the inmates, according to the Vatican. 
  • A still-convalescing Pope Francis said Thursday he was doing "as best I can" as he visited inmates at Rome's central jail  before Easter.
  • "Every year I like to do in prison what Jesus did on Holy Thursday, the washing of the feet," the pope told the inmates, according to the Vatican. 
A still-convalescing Pope Francis said Thursday he was doing "as best I can" as he visited inmates at Rome's central jail  before Easter.
The 88-year-old Argentine pontiff spent about a half hour at Regina Coeli, a dilapidated jail in the centre of the capital that is one of Italy's most overcrowded.  
Francis individually greeted about 70 detainees as well as prison management and staff, the Vatican said in a statement.
The smiling pope was later seen in the passenger seat of his white Fiat 500 vehicle as he departed. 
"Every time I enter these places I ask, 'Why them and not me?'" he told a crowd of journalists in a weak, raspy voice.  
Asked by a reporter how he was experiencing this year's "complicated" Easter week following his weeks of hospitalisation and convalescence, he answered: "I live it as best I can."
The Jesuit is under doctors' orders to rest for two months following his release from hospital on March 23 after five weeks of treatment for pneumonia in both lungs. 
But the head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics has instead made a spate of surprise recent appearances -- from a private meeting with King Charles and Queen Camilla, to an impromptu visit inside St. Peter's Basilica, where he met pilgrims and admired restoration work.
At Regina Coeli, Francis did not engage in the traditional rite of washing the feet, which commemorates the gesture of Christ for the apostles.
"Every year I like to do in prison what Jesus did on Holy Thursday, the washing of the feet," the pope told the inmates, according to the Vatican. 
"This year I can't do it, but I can and wish to be close to you. I pray for you and for your families."   
Since becoming pope in 2013, Francis has carried out the washing of the feet rite outside the Vatican, including for repentant mafia members behind bars, for women or teenagers behind bars, or for the sick or disabled. 
In Christian tradition, Maundy Thursday commemorates the last meal of Christ, known as the Last Supper, with his 12 apostles. 
It is a highlight of Holy Week, which commemorates the last days of Christ before his resurrection at Easter. 
Due to his fragile health, the pope has reduced his normally packed schedule for Holy Week. 
He does not plan to preside over Saturday's evening's Easter vigil nor Easter Sunday mass at the Vatican, both of which have been delegated to cardinals. 
cmk/ams/jm

Cambodia

China's Xi meets Cambodian leader as part of regional diplomatic blitz

  • - China plays 'pivotal role' - Phnom Penh is also among Beijing's most reliable supporters in Asia.
  • Chinese President Xi Jinping met the Cambodian premier in Phnom Penh on Thursday on the final leg of a Southeast Asia tour in which he sought to strengthen regional trade ties.
  • - China plays 'pivotal role' - Phnom Penh is also among Beijing's most reliable supporters in Asia.
Chinese President Xi Jinping met the Cambodian premier in Phnom Penh on Thursday on the final leg of a Southeast Asia tour in which he sought to strengthen regional trade ties.
Xi arrived in the Cambodian capital after visiting Vietnam and Malaysia, as Beijing seeks to build ties and offset the impact of huge tariffs imposed by his US counterpart Donald Trump.
Former leader Hun Sen and his son, Prime Minister Hun Manet, shared posts on their social media accounts showing them meeting with Xi. 
The two countries signed 37 agreements on a wide range of areas, including water resources and education, according to Cambodian state-run Fresh News.
China is Cambodia's biggest trading partner and source of investment and more than a third of Cambodia's $11 billion in foreign debt is owed to Beijing, according to the International Monetary Fund.
Earlier in the day, the Chinese leader was greeted by King Norodom Sihamoni during a military welcome ceremony after he touched down in Phnom Penh.
In an article published by Fresh News on Thursday, Xi said that China supported the kingdom "choosing a development path that suits the nation, safeguarding its national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity". 
He said the two countries should "resolutely oppose external forces interfering in internal affairs, sowing discord and undermining" relations.

China plays 'pivotal role'

Phnom Penh is also among Beijing's most reliable supporters in Asia. Hun Manet had described Xi's visit as a display of "iron-clad" friendship.
He said in a video posted on Wednesday that the two countries had "common interests based on the principles of respect for sovereignty, equality, and non-interference in internal affairs". 
He also said China had played a "pivotal role" in Cambodia's socio-economic development.
China and Cambodia celebrate 67 years of diplomatic relations this year and the kingdom also commemorated on Thursday 50 years since Phnom Penh fell to the Khmer Rouge.
Trump imposed tariffs of 49 percent on Cambodia, among the highest of the levies handed out in his April 2 "Liberation Day" trade announcements. 
He then paused the levies for most countries for 90 days, reverting to a base tariff of 10 percent.
While meeting Hun Sen, Xi said "trade wars undermine the multilateral trading system and disrupt global economic order".
"Unilateralism and hegemonism receive no support of the people," Xi said, as quoted by China's state news agency Xinhua.
China is excluded from the 90-day pause and faces new US levies of up to 145 percent on many of its products.
Beijing has called the taxes a "joke" and imposed retaliatory tariffs of 125 percent on US goods.
Hun Manet wrote a letter to Washington "expressing Cambodia's good faith to negotiate a mutual solution" and pledging to reduce its own tariffs on 19 categories of US goods, according to the commerce ministry.
bur-sjc/rsc/aha

banking

ECB cuts rates as Trump tariffs raise fears for eurozone growth

BY LOUIS VAN BOXEL-WOOLF WITH SEBASTIEN ASH IN BERLIN

  • Trump's tariffs have increased the risk that growth could slow in the eurozone, while their impact on inflation was "less than clear", Lagarde said.
  • The European Central Bank cut interest rates again Thursday amid fears that US President Donald Trump's stop-start tariff announcements could threaten growth across the eurozone.
  • Trump's tariffs have increased the risk that growth could slow in the eurozone, while their impact on inflation was "less than clear", Lagarde said.
The European Central Bank cut interest rates again Thursday amid fears that US President Donald Trump's stop-start tariff announcements could threaten growth across the eurozone.
Rate-setters were operating in a context of "exceptional uncertainty" amid rising trade tensions, ECB President Christine Lagarde said at a press conference.
Trump's tariffs have increased the risk that growth could slow in the eurozone, while their impact on inflation was "less than clear", Lagarde said.
Amid the turmoil, the ECB decided to lower interest rates by a quarter point, the sixth consecutive time it has moved to ease borrowing costs.
The cut left the benchmark deposit rate at 2.25 percent, the lowest it has been since in the beginning of 2023.
The ECB has swiftly reduced interest rates since the middle of last year, as inflation has drifted back towards the central bank's target of two percent. 
Consumer prices rose at a 2.2 percent clip in March in the eurozone, with the ECB saying the process of inflation coming down was "well on track".
But Trump's threats to impose swingeing tariffs on global imports into the United States had led to a "major escalation" in trade tensions, Lagarde said. 
The resulting economic uncertainty was "likely to reduce confidence among households and firms", the ECB said, while market tensions would lead to tighter financing conditions.

Inflation uncertainty

Thursday's cut "came as little surprise", ING bank analyst Carsten Brzeski said.
US tariffs had "brought back growth concerns for the eurozone... in the near term", Brzeski said, prompting the ECB to support households and businesses by further lowering interest rates. 
Going into this week's meeting, ECB policymakers had little idea what tariff rates will eventually apply to transatlantic trade.
The US president spooked global markets with the unveiling of "Liberation Day" tariffs at the beginning of April, before promptly pausing higher duties for dozens of countries, including those of the European Union, for 90 days.
A basic 10 percent tariff rate on imports into the United States remains in place, and Trump has also imposed 25 percent levies on the automotive, steel and aluminium sectors.
"Global trade tensions and associated uncertainties will likely lower euro area growth," Lagarde said, though the impact was less clear for inflation.
Among the potential effects was the possibility that China, which has faced some of the highest US tariffs, could divert goods to Europe.
This combined with the strength of the euro against the dollar "suggests that price pressures in the euro area are likely to ease further", said LBBW bank analyst Jens-Oliver Niklasch.

'Agile'

Trade tensions were "clearly offsetting previous optimism" stemming from plans in Germany, the largest member of the eurozone, to open the spending taps, Brzeski said.
The incoming government in Berlin led by Friedrich Merz has lined up hundreds of billions of euros in extra cash for defence and infrastructure, providing a boost that could be felt across Europe.
The increased investments could "bolster manufacturing" and add to growth across the eurozone, Lagarde noted.
But given the geopolitical tensions it was "even more urgent" to forge ahead with fiscal and structural policies that would make the eurozone more "productive, competitive and resilient", she said.
The large number of open questions arising from global trade tensions meant the ECB would have to be more "agile" than ever in responding to developments, she said. 
"We have to stand ready for the unpredictable," Lagarde said, doubling down on the ECB's "data-dependent and meeting-by-meeting" approach.
While Lagarde played her cards close to her chest regarding future rate decisions, analysts said the door was open for the ECB to lower its interest rates further.
Thursday's cut was a signal that the ECB was "ready to take action to counter the uncertainty in the financial markets", Niklasch said.
"We now expect two further interest rate cuts of the same magnitude as today's by the end of the year," he said.
sea/fec/js

economy

Trump says Fed chief's 'termination cannot come fast enough'

BY ASAD HASHIM

  • The US president does not have the direct authority to fire Federal Reserve governors.
  • US President Donald Trump said Thursday that "termination" of the independent head of the Federal Reserve "cannot come fast enough" as he lashed out at Jerome Powell's warnings of tariffs-fueled inflation.
  • The US president does not have the direct authority to fire Federal Reserve governors.
US President Donald Trump said Thursday that "termination" of the independent head of the Federal Reserve "cannot come fast enough" as he lashed out at Jerome Powell's warnings of tariffs-fueled inflation.
In a scathing post on his Truth Social app, Trump repeated a demand for Powell to lower interest rates, suggesting the Fed chair's decisions were "always TOO LATE AND WRONG."
"Powell's termination cannot come fast enough," Trump wrote. "Too Late should have lowered Interest Rates, like the ECB, long ago, but he should certainly lower them now."
Trump was referring to the European Central Bank, which on Thursday lowered its benchmark deposit rate by a quarter point.
ECB chief Christine Lagarde expressed her confidence in Powell following Trump's remarks, saying she had "a lot of respect for my friend and esteemed colleague."
Powell warned Wednesday that Trump's sweeping tariffs on virtually every trade partner could put the Fed in the unenviable position of having to choose between tackling inflation and unemployment.
Trump's stop-start tariff policy has unnerved investors and governments around the world, leaving them unsure about his long-term strategy and what it might mean for international trade.
The Republican president has repeatedly urged Powell to cut interest rates, but the US central bank has adopted a wait-and-see attitude, holding rates steady at 4.25 to 4.5 percent since the start of this year.
Trump has frequently criticized the Fed chairman, whom he originally nominated during his first term, accusing Powell of playing politics.
On the campaign trail in August, Trump even suggested the White House should have a "say" in setting monetary policy. 
The US president does not have the direct authority to fire Federal Reserve governors. If he chooses to, Trump could initiate a lengthy process to attempt to unseat Powell by proving there was "cause" to do so.
"An independent Fed is vital for a healthy economy -- something that Trump has proved is not a priority for him," senior Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer said on X in response to Trump's criticism of Powell.

Powell pledges to stay

While presidents have a long history of clashing with Fed chiefs, any move to force Powell to leave office would be unprecedented in modern US political history.
Speaking on April 4, Powell insisted he had no plans to step down as Fed chairman before his term ends next year. 
"I fully intend to serve all of my term," he said at an event in Virginia.
At the time, Powell also suggested that the Fed was in no rush to cut its benchmark lending rate from its current elevated level.
Financial markets see a roughly two-thirds chance that policymakers will vote to keep rates unchanged again at the next Fed interest rate meeting in May, according to data from CME Group.
Setting key interest rates is one of the primary levers the Fed exercises in its dual mandate of managing inflation and unemployment.
Lowering interest rates serves to make borrowing cheaper and tends to kickstart the economy by encouraging investment, while raising them -- or keeping them steady at higher rates -- can help cool inflation.
US year-on-year consumer inflation slowed to 2.4 percent in March, bringing it closer to the Fed's long-term two-percent target.
That drop was aided by a 6.3 percent fall in gasoline prices, according to official data.
tjx-aha/sst

Italy

Italy's Meloni seeks EU tariff deal from Trump

BY DANNY KEMP

  • Italian newspapers on Wednesday floated the possibility that Meloni could end up in a trap similar to the White House meeting in February with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, in which Trump and his Vice President JD Vance berated their guest in front of reporters.
  • Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will meet Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday, hoping a personal charm offensive can help convince the US president to cut the EU a better deal on tariffs.
  • Italian newspapers on Wednesday floated the possibility that Meloni could end up in a trap similar to the White House meeting in February with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, in which Trump and his Vice President JD Vance berated their guest in front of reporters.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will meet Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday, hoping a personal charm offensive can help convince the US president to cut the EU a better deal on tariffs.
The far-right Meloni -- described by Trump as a "fantastic leader" who shares many of his conservative views -- is the first European leader to meet with Trump since his trade war with the bloc began. 
Senior US officials said Meloni and Trump had a "very special relationship," adding she could be a bridge for a deal on tariffs between Europe and Washington.
"Hopefully the Prime Minister and the President will be able to advance the ball down the field," one Trump administration official told reporters ahead of their meeting at 12:00 pm local time (1600 GMT).
"We're open, we're available, we're ready to make deals for countries that take this seriously. So hopefully Italy and the EU are part of that."
Trump is, however, also expected to raise his demand for NATO allies to spend more on defense -- a huge demand for debt-laden Italy.
Meloni has looked to maintain ties with the mercurial leader despite the chaos caused by his tariffs. She has criticized as "wrong" his 20 percent duties on EU exports, which he later suspended for 90 days. 
Amid the uncertainty Meloni has called for cool heads, urging Brussels not to retaliate while casting herself as the only EU figure able to potentially de-escalate the conflict.
Meloni was the only European leader to be invited to Trump's January 20 inauguration and US officials said she was "eye-to-eye with President on a lot of issues like immigration on Ukraine."

'Difficult period'

Russia's war in Ukraine could be a touchy subject, however.
Italian newspapers on Wednesday floated the possibility that Meloni could end up in a trap similar to the White House meeting in February with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, in which Trump and his Vice President JD Vance berated their guest in front of reporters.
Meloni has been a staunch ally of Ukraine and Zelensky since Russia's invasion of the country in 2022, most recently calling Moscow's Palm Sunday attack on the city of Sumy "horrible and vile." 
Meloni has acknowledged the uncertainty weighing on her trip. 
"We know we're going through a difficult period, let's see how it goes in the coming hours. I don't feel any pressure, as you can imagine, for my next two days, let's say," she joked at an awards ceremony for Italian goods Tuesday. 
"Surely, I am aware of what I represent and I am aware of what I am defending," she added.
Italian newspapers reported that one of the goals of Meloni's visit was to pave the way for a meeting between Trump and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen.

'Zero for zero'

Meloni has said the goal should be to eliminate so-called reciprocal duties on existing industrial products as part of a "zero for zero" formula, as floated by the European Commission earlier this month.
Meloni's decision to personally intercede with Trump has caused some disquiet among EU allies, concerned her visit could undermine the unity of the bloc.
"If we start having bilateral discussions, obviously it will break the current dynamic," France's Industry Minister Marc Ferracci warned last week. 
A European Commission spokeswoman said that while the EU alone could negotiate trade agreements, Meloni's "outreach is very welcome" and was coordinated with Brussels.
Following Thursday's meeting with Trump, Meloni will fly back to Rome on Friday in time to host JD Vance, with whom she has a meeting planned.
Trump's threatened tariffs could have a major impact on Italy, the world's fourth-largest exporter, which sends around 10 percent of its exports to the United States.
burs-dk/aha

growth

World economy should avoid recession despite tariffs, IMF chief says

BY DANIEL AVIS

  • Trade disruptions "incur costs," IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva told reporters in Washington on Thursday according to prepared remarks, adding that the Fund now expects "notable" markdowns to growth but no recession.
  • The global economy is likely to avoid a recession despite the hit to growth from US President Donald Trump's tariff rollout, the head of the International Monetary Fund said Thursday. 
  • Trade disruptions "incur costs," IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva told reporters in Washington on Thursday according to prepared remarks, adding that the Fund now expects "notable" markdowns to growth but no recession.
The global economy is likely to avoid a recession despite the hit to growth from US President Donald Trump's tariff rollout, the head of the International Monetary Fund said Thursday. 
The stop-start US tariff plans have fueled levels of market volatility unseen since the Covid-19 pandemic, and most economists expect the imposition of new import levies will stifle growth and push up inflation, at least in the short term.
Trade disruptions "incur costs," IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva told reporters in Washington on Thursday according to prepared remarks, adding that the Fund now expects "notable" markdowns to growth but no recession.
"This is a reminder that we live in a world of sudden and sweeping shifts," she said of the recent market volatility during her speech, which came ahead of next week's Spring Meetings -- a gathering of global financial leaders co-hosted by the IMF and the World Bank in the US capital. 
"And it is a call to respond wisely," she added. 
Her comments suggest the IMF will use its upcoming World Economic Report, published Tuesday, to pare back its previous forecast for global growth to hit 3.3 percent in 2025 and 2026. 

'Uncertainty is costly'

Georgieva said the current tariff tensions would likely have three major consequences for the global economy, with smaller advanced economies and most emerging markets likely to be more heavily affected due to their reliance on trade for growth.
"First, uncertainty is costly," she said, adding that it becomes difficult for business to make plans if they do not know how much their inputs will cost in the future. 
"Second, rising trade barriers hit growth upfront," she said, adding that "tariffs, like all taxes, raise revenue at the expense of reducing and shifting activity."
"Third observation: protectionism erodes productivity over the long run, especially in smaller economies," she said.
Georgieva called on all countries "to put their own houses in order" by -- among other things -- gradually adjusting their fiscal policies to lower debt levels when necessary, and by maintaining an "agile and credible' monetary policy with a "strong commitment" to central bank independence. 

'More level playing field'

Countries should also prioritize tackling internal and external macroeconomic imbalances, Georgieva said.
For China, the IMF has recommended to China that it enact policies "to boost chronically low private consumption," and move the country away from its current state-supported, export-driven model of growth, she said. 
The United States, she added, must work to put rapidly rising government debt "on a declining path."
And for the European Union, the focus should remain on improving competitiveness "by deepening the single market," she said.
Georgieva, who leads an organization that has long championed free trade, privatization, and more open economies, called on the largest countries to chart a path through the current trade uncertainty. 
"In trade policy, the goal must be to secure a settlement among the largest players that preserves openness and delivers a more level playing field," she said. 
The aim, she added, should be "to restart a global trend toward lower tariff rates while also reducing nontariff barriers and distortions."
"We need a more resilient world economy, not a drift to division," she added. "And, to facilitate the transition, policies must allow private agents time to adjust and deliver."
da/tgb/sms

migrants

France, UK mull migrant swaps in bid to stem Channel crossings

  • Both sides are discussing "a trial", France's interior ministry said.
  • Paris and London are discussing a trial to deport undocumented migrants from the United Kingdom to France in exchange for allowing others to join family in Britain, France's interior ministry said Thursday.
  • Both sides are discussing "a trial", France's interior ministry said.
Paris and London are discussing a trial to deport undocumented migrants from the United Kingdom to France in exchange for allowing others to join family in Britain, France's interior ministry said Thursday.
The United Kingdom is seeking to crack down on migrants crossing the Channel from France to England on flimsy rubber dinghies in search of a better life.
France and Britain have pledged to step up the fight against people smugglers who enable the sometimes deadly crossings.
Both sides are discussing "a trial", France's interior ministry said.
It would be carried out "on a one-for-one basis of a legal entry for family reunification in exchange for (France) readmitting undocumented migrants who managed to cross" the Channel to the United Kingdom.
"Setting up legal routes, as well as re-entries (to France) to discourage migrant smuggling networks, are part of possible solutions," it added.
Asked for comment, the British Home Office said the United Kingdom, France and other European countries were "exploring fresh and innovative measures to dismantle the business models of the criminal smuggling gangs".
Last year, more than 36,800 people crossed the Channel, up 25 percent from 2023, according to British figures.
According to French authorities, 78 migrants died in 2024 while trying to reach England aboard small boats, a record since the start of the trend in this area in 2018.
The United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands in December agreed to boost cooperation against irregular migration.
bur-est/ah/jh/djt

conflict

Kyiv's Europe allies seek influence with US in Paris talks

BY LEON BRUNEAU AND JURGEN HECKER

  • Earlier Thursday, Zelensky urged the allies meeting in Paris to lean on Russia to agree to a ceasefire.
  • Key allies of Kyiv kicked off a day of meetings with top US officials in Paris on Thursday, as Europeans seek to promote their views on how to rekindle stalled talks on a ceasefire in Ukraine.
  • Earlier Thursday, Zelensky urged the allies meeting in Paris to lean on Russia to agree to a ceasefire.
Key allies of Kyiv kicked off a day of meetings with top US officials in Paris on Thursday, as Europeans seek to promote their views on how to rekindle stalled talks on a ceasefire in Ukraine.
The talks come as Donald Trump's push to end three years of fighting has yet to bear fruit, with the US president expressing frustration over Russian President Vladimir Putin's refusal to agree to a complete and unconditional truce.
Top Ukrainian officials were also in the French capital to talk with European and US delegations, President Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff said.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US envoy Steve Witkoff and French President Emmanuel Macron kicked off a lunchtime meeting at Macron's palace, which comes days after Witkoff met Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Earlier Thursday, Zelensky urged the allies meeting in Paris to lean on Russia to agree to a ceasefire.

'Pressure on the killers'

"Russia uses every day and every night to kill. We must put pressure on the killers... to end this war and guarantee a lasting peace," Zelensky said in a Telegram post.
But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the Paris meeting.
"Unfortunately we see from Europeans a focus on continuing the war," he said.
Russia's top economic negotiator Kirill Dmitriev said certain countries were trying to "derail" Moscow's talks with the United States.
Witkoff and Rubio were later to meet Zelensky's chief of staff Andriy Yermak, as well as Britain's and Germany's national security advisors, the French presidency said.
Keith Kellogg, Trump's special envoy to Ukraine, had arrived in Paris mid-morning with Rubio.
Despite a series of diplomatic efforts, Russia has continued to strike Ukraine.
Russian drone strikes and shelling in killed at least 10 people on Thursday, Ukrainian authorities said, just days after a Russian attack killed at least 35 people in the northeastern city of Sumy.
Macron has taken the lead in seeking to forge a coordinated European response to defending Ukraine, both during the current conflict and in its eventual aftermath after Trump shocked the world by opening direct talks with Russia.
Britain and France are spearheading discussions among a "coalition of the willing" of 30 countries looking to shore up any deal Trump might strike with a "reassurance force".

'Review progress'

On Thursday, Macron's office said the purpose of the Paris talks was to "review progress on peace negotiations aimed at ending the Russian aggression in Ukraine". 
Yermak said Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga as well as Defence Minister Rustem Umerov were in Paris for the meetings.
The talks were to focus on a potential full ceasefire, the involvement of international peacekeepers and the development of Ukraine's security framework, Ukraine's foreign ministry said.
The German foreign ministry said government security advisor Jens Ploetner would participate in the Paris talks.
Witkoff said this week that Putin was open to "permanent peace", after talks with the Kremlin chief in Saint Petersburg, their third meeting since Trump returned to the White House. 
Witkoff said during a Fox News interview broadcast Monday that he saw a peace deal "emerging".
Zelensky said on Wednesday that negotiators were making "good progress" with the United States in fraught talks over a minerals deal intended to secure desperately needed US support.
Putin last month rejected a US proposal for a full and unconditional ceasefire, after Kyiv gave its backing to the idea. 
He also suggested Zelensky be removed from office, sparking an angry response from Trump who said he was "very angry, pissed off" with the Russian leader.
The Paris talks come after discussions between the United States and Iran on Tehran's nuclear programme in Oman last weekend.
Another round is scheduled for Saturday, in Italy.
A French diplomatic source said Rubio and France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot would discuss "the war in Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East and the Iranian nuclear file".
burs-jh/jm

diplomacy

Russia scraps Taliban's 'terror' label amid warming ties

  • Russia's Prosecutor General asked the court to remove the group's "terrorist" designation last month, following several trips to Russia by top Taliban officials.
  • Russia's Supreme Court on Thursday removed the Taliban's designation as a "terrorist organisation", a symbolic gesture aimed at building friendly ties with Afghanistan's de facto rulers.
  • Russia's Prosecutor General asked the court to remove the group's "terrorist" designation last month, following several trips to Russia by top Taliban officials.
Russia's Supreme Court on Thursday removed the Taliban's designation as a "terrorist organisation", a symbolic gesture aimed at building friendly ties with Afghanistan's de facto rulers.
The Islamist group seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021, when American forces supporting the country's internationally recognised government pulled out.
Moscow, which called the US withdrawal a "failure", has taken steps to normalise relations with the Taliban authorities since then, seeing them as a potential economic partner and ally in fighting terrorism.
"The previously established ban on the activities of the Taliban -- included on the unified federal list of organisations recognised as terrorist -- has been suspended," Supreme Court Judge Oleg Nefedov said in a ruling, according to the TASS state news agency.
"The decision enters into legal force immediately," he added.
Russia's Prosecutor General asked the court to remove the group's "terrorist" designation last month, following several trips to Russia by top Taliban officials.
A Taliban delegation attended Russia's flagship economic forum in Saint Petersburg in 2022 and in 2024, and the group's top diplomat met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow last October.
The decision to suspend the label does not amount to formal recognition for the Taliban authorities, which are seeking international legitimacy.
But it helps avoid embarrassment for Russian officials meeting representatives from the militant group at high-profile events.

Shifting attitudes

Moscow's attitude toward the Taliban has shifted drastically over the last two decades.
The group was formed in 1994 during the Afghan Civil War, largely by former Mujahideen fighters who battled the Soviet Union during the 1980s.
The Soviet-Afghan war, which left thousands of young Soviet men dead and wounded, resulted in a stinging defeat for Moscow that hastened the demise of the USSR.
Moscow put the Taliban on its terrorist blacklist in 2003 over its support for separatists in the North Caucasus.
But the Taliban's return to power in 2021 has forced Russia and other countries in the region to change tack as they compete for influence.
Russia was the first country to open a business representative office in Kabul after the Taliban takeover, and has announced plans to use Afghanistan as a transit hub for gas heading to Southeast Asia.
In July 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the Taliban "allies in the fight against terrorism". 
Both Russia and the Taliban authorities have been trying to eradicate Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K), an Islamist group responsible for deadly attacks in both Afghanistan and Russia, including an attack on a Moscow concert hall in March 2024 that killed 145.
Other countries have also sought to foster ties with the Taliban authorities, though no state has yet moved to officially recognise them.
Kazakhstan announced last year that it had removed the Taliban from its list of "terrorist organisations".
In 2023, China became the first country to appoint a new ambassador to Kabul and has forged growing economic links with its new rulers.
bur/js

conflict

Gaza rescuers say 40 mostly displaced people killed in Israeli strikes

  • Separately, the civil defence reported two more attacks on displaced people in Jabalia -- one that killed at least seven members of the Asaliya family, and another that killed six people at a school being used as a shelter -- as well as Israeli shelling in Gaza City that killed two.
  • Gaza's civil defence agency said Thursday that a rash of Israeli air strikes killed at least 40 people, most of them in encampments for displaced civilians, as Israel pressed its offensive in the Palestinian territory.
  • Separately, the civil defence reported two more attacks on displaced people in Jabalia -- one that killed at least seven members of the Asaliya family, and another that killed six people at a school being used as a shelter -- as well as Israeli shelling in Gaza City that killed two.
Gaza's civil defence agency said Thursday that a rash of Israeli air strikes killed at least 40 people, most of them in encampments for displaced civilians, as Israel pressed its offensive in the Palestinian territory.
The Israeli military said it was looking into reports of the strikes, which came as Hamas officials reported that internal deliberations on the latest Israeli truce offer were nearly complete.
Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal said two Israeli missiles hit several tents in the Al-Mawasi area of the southern city of Khan Yunis, resulting in at least 16 deaths, "most of them women and children, and 23 others were wounded".
After Israel declared Al-Mawasi a safe zone in December 2023, tens of thousands of Palestinians flocked there seeking refuge from bombardment, but the area has since been hit by repeated Israeli strikes.
Survivors described a large explosion at the densely packed encampment that set multiple tents ablaze.
"We were sitting peacefully in the tent, under God's protection, when we suddenly saw something red glowing -- and then the tent exploded, and the surrounding tents caught fire," Israa Abu al-Rus told AFP.
"This is supposed to be a safe area in Al-Mawasi," Abu al-Rus said. "We fled the tent towards the sea and saw the tents burning." 
Bassal said that Israeli strikes on two other encampments of displaced Gazans killed a further nine people -- seven in the northern town of Beit Lahia, and a father and son near Al-Mawasi.
Separately, the civil defence reported two more attacks on displaced people in Jabalia -- one that killed at least seven members of the Asaliya family, and another that killed six people at a school being used as a shelter -- as well as Israeli shelling in Gaza City that killed two.
The military later announced it had carried out a strike in Jabalia on what it said was a Hamas "command and control" centre.

'Starvation as a weapon'

Israel said Wednesday that it had converted 30 percent of Gaza into a buffer zone in the widening offensive it resumed in March, ending a two-month ceasefire.
Defence Minister Israel Katz said this month that the military was leaving Gaza "smaller and more isolated".
The United Nations said half a million Palestinians have been displaced since the offensive resumed, triggering what it has described as the most severe humanitarian crisis since the war began with Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
The Israeli military said its air strikes had hit "approximately 1,200 terror targets" since March 18.
The leader of Qatar, which along with Egypt and the US helped mediate the January ceasefire deal, blamed Israel on Thursday for its collapse.
"As you know, we reached an agreement months ago, but unfortunately Israel did not abide by this agreement," said Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani during a visit to Moscow.
Qatar would continue to "strive to bridge perspectives in order to reach an agreement that ends the suffering of the Palestinian people", he added.
Acknowledging Qatar's efforts, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the war in Gaza "a tragedy", saying a long-term resolution was "connected to the establishment of two states", Palestinian and Israeli.

New truce offer

Hamas accused Israel on Thursday of attempting to starve Gaza's 2.4 million people after Katz said the day before that Israel would continue preventing aid from entering the territory.
"This is a public admission of committing a war crime, including the use of starvation as a weapon and the denial of basic necessities such as food, medicine, water, and fuel to innocent civilians for the seventh consecutive week," the group said in a statement.
During an impasse over the future of the ceasefire, Israel halted the entry of aid on March 2, exacerbating the territory's ongoing humanitarian crisis.
In parallel to the Gaza offensive, Hamas said Israel had proposed a new 45-day ceasefire through mediators that would include the release of dozens of hostages.
The proposal also called for Hamas to disarm to secure a complete end to the war, a demand the group rejects.
Two Hamas officials said Thursday that internal discussions on the truce proposal were nearly complete, with one telling AFP "the group will send its response to the mediators once they finish" -- possibly on Thursday. 
Israel's renewed assault has so far killed at least 1,691 people in Gaza, the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory reported, bringing the overall toll since the war erupted to 51,065, most of them civilians.
Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, also mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
str-az-jd/kir/smw/it

fashion

N.Ireland designer Jonathan Anderson takes helm at Dior Men

BY ADAM PLOWRIGHT

  • Anderson replaces British designer Kim Jones at Dior Men.
  • French fashion giant Dior named the highly-rated designer Jonathan Anderson as creative director of Dior Men on Thursday.
  • Anderson replaces British designer Kim Jones at Dior Men.
French fashion giant Dior named the highly-rated designer Jonathan Anderson as creative director of Dior Men on Thursday.
Anderson, 40, quit Loewe last month after more than a decade in which he turned around the fortunes of the heritage Spanish brand.
The Northern Irish designer -- an influential tastemaker with many A-list fans -- made the previously rather sleepy label, best known for its handbags, hot.
Fashion mogul Bernard Arnault, whose LVMH conglomerate owns both Dior and Loewe, broke the news at a shareholders meeting in Paris.
"I can tell you that the next Christian Dior men's fashion show, which will take place in June (in Paris), will be created by Jonathan Anderson," he said.
There had been much speculation that Anderson, renowned for his creative flights of fancy, might take over both Dior's men's and women's collections, which some observers had seen as needing fresh impetus.
Dior womenswear designer Maria Grazia Chiuri has presided over years of growth since taking over from Raf Simons in 2016, with her modernisation and feminist activism helping attract new customers.
Revenues are estimated to have more than tripled on the Italian's watch.
Anderson replaces British designer Kim Jones at Dior Men. He stepped down at the end of January after seven years, also with a strong commercial track record, having introduced a younger streetwear-influenced look to the classic looks of the label.
- Tricky market - 
But Anderson's arrival comes at a time when the luxury industry as a whole is facing increasingly tricky market conditions, with a slowdown in China and an escalating global trade war causing concern.
The move is part of a major reshuffling of top jobs at fashion brands after a round of resignations and forced departures.
A long list of labels are either bedding in new designers or looking for fresh talent including Chanel, Celine, Fendi, Givenchy, Gucci, Dries Van Noten and Tom Ford.
The success of Dior's clothing and leather goods division is of crucial financial and dynastic importance to LVMH owner Arnault, one of the world's wealthiest men.
He placed his daughter Delphine in charge of Dior Couture in February 2023.
Anderson, the son of former Irish rugby international Willie Anderson, is known as a low-key figure, who often appears dressed casually at the end of his shows.
He trained at the London College of Fashion and began his career in Prada's marketing department before launching his own brand, JW Anderson, in 2008.
During his time at Loewe, he launched a new modern classic bag -- the Puzzle -- and dressed celebrities from Beyonce to Rihanna.
adp-fg/cw

inflation

Turkish central bank raises interest rate to 46 percent

BY FULYA OZERKAN

  • It also follows US President Donald Trump's global tariffs that sparked growing economic uncertainty despite the relatively low 10 percent baseline tariff that Washington has applied to Turkey.
  • Turkey's central bank hiked its key interest rate to 46 percent on Thursday after a month of protests over the arrest of Istanbul's opposition mayor and economic uncertainty provoked by US President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs. 
  • It also follows US President Donald Trump's global tariffs that sparked growing economic uncertainty despite the relatively low 10 percent baseline tariff that Washington has applied to Turkey.
Turkey's central bank hiked its key interest rate to 46 percent on Thursday after a month of protests over the arrest of Istanbul's opposition mayor and economic uncertainty provoked by US President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs. 
That represents the first hike since March 2024, in what economists hail as a "strong signal of commitment" to a tight monetary policy stance. 
The rate hike came as Turkey was roiled by street protests against the arrest and jailing last month of Istanbul's popular mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, on graft charges he denies, which sent the Turkish lira to record lows against the dollar. 
It also follows US President Donald Trump's global tariffs that sparked growing economic uncertainty despite the relatively low 10 percent baseline tariff that Washington has applied to Turkey.
The monetary policy committee "has decided to raise the policy rate from 42.5 percent to 46 percent," the central bank said in a statement.

Risks to inflation

Nicholas Farr, emerging Europe economist at London-based Capital Economics, said the decision "is a strong signal of commitment to a tight policy stance", in a policy note. 
It also "suggests that policymakers have become more concerned about upside risks to inflation," he said.
Turkey's annual inflation that soared to 75 percent in May last year fell to 38.1 percent in March, its lowest level since December 2021, according to official figures released early this month.
But in April, "monthly core goods inflation is expected to rise slightly due to recent developments in financial markets," the bank warned, saying that policymakers would closely monitor capital flows amid the current uncertainty around US trade protectionism.
Turkish authorities are officially targeting 24 percent inflation by the end of 2025. 
In addition to calls for boycotts against companies close to the government, the wave of protests has led to a significant decline in the Istanbul Stock Exchange, which has lost more than 13 percent since its close on March 18.
On the day of Imamoglu's arrest, the Turkish lira had plummeted by around 12 percent, reaching its lowest level ever. 
This drastic drop was brief, but the lira has still lost more than four percent against the dollar since March 19, despite the $50 billion injection by the central bank to limit the damage. 
The bank said Thursday the tight monetary stance would be maintained "until price stability is achieved via a sustained decline in inflation.
"The Committee will adjust the policy rate prudently on a meeting-by-meeting basis with a focus on the inflation outlook," the bank said. 
"Monetary policy stance will be tightened in case a significant and persistent deterioration in inflation is foreseen."
fo/cw

conflict

'Help us,' says wife of Gaza medic missing since ambulance attack

  • "We have no information, no idea which prison he's in or where he is being held, or what his health condition is," Nsasrah told AFP, showing a photograph of her husband Asaad in his medic's uniform at the wheel of an ambulance.
  • More than three weeks after an Israeli military ambush killed 15 of her husband's fellow medics, Nafiza al-Nsasrah says she still has no idea where he is being held.
  • "We have no information, no idea which prison he's in or where he is being held, or what his health condition is," Nsasrah told AFP, showing a photograph of her husband Asaad in his medic's uniform at the wheel of an ambulance.
More than three weeks after an Israeli military ambush killed 15 of her husband's fellow medics, Nafiza al-Nsasrah says she still has no idea where he is being held.
"We have no information, no idea which prison he's in or where he is being held, or what his health condition is," Nsasrah told AFP, showing a photograph of her husband Asaad in his medic's uniform at the wheel of an ambulance.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said Sunday that Nsasrah was in Israeli custody after being "forcibly abducted" when Israeli soldiers opened fire on a convoy of ambulances on March 23.
In the early hours of that day, Israeli soldiers ambushed a convoy of ambulances and a firetruck near the southern city of Rafah as the crew responded to emergency calls.
Eight staff members from the Red Crescent, six from the Gaza civil defence agency and one employee of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees were killed in the attack, according to the UN humanitarian office OCHA.
Their bodies were found buried in the sand near the site of the shooting in the Tal al-Sultan neighbourhood of Rafah, in what OCHA described as a mass grave.
One member of the crew survived the attack. He was initially detained by troops but subsequently released.
The Palestinian Red Crescent was able to recover footage of part of the attack filmed by one of the medics on his mobile phone before he was gunned down.
An Israeli military official told journalists that the soldiers who fired at the ambulances "thought they had an encounter with terrorists".
The video footage contradicts that account as the ambulances had their lights blinking when they came under attack.

'Intent to kill'

"At the time of the incident, we had no idea what had happened," Nsasrah said in the plastic-sheet shelter in the southern city of Khan Yunis which she and her family have called home for nearly a year.
Her husband's body was not among those found in the mass grave near Rafah.
"We heard some ambulances had been surrounded (by the Israeli army), so we called (the Red Crescent) because (my husband) was late to return from his shift," the 43-year-old said.
"They told us that he was surrounded but didn't know what had happened exactly."
Afterwards, the Red Crescent told her that he had been detained by Israeli forces.
"We felt a little relieved but not completely because detainees often face torture. So we are still afraid," Nsasrah said, her voice drowned out by the persistent buzz of an Israeli surveillance drone overhead.
When the Red Crescent announced he had been detained, AFP reached out to the Israeli military for confirmation.
The military responded by referring AFP to an earlier statement noting that armed forces chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir had ordered a thorough investigation into the attack.
The March 23 killings occurred days into a renewed Israeli offensive in the Hamas-ruled territory and drew international condemnation. 
The Palestinian Red Crescent has charged that Israeli soldiers shot the medics in their upper body with "intent to kill".
Nsasrah, her husband and their six children have been living under canvas in Khan Yunis since May last year.
Despite the hardship, she remains determined to get her husband back.
"I call on the international community to help us get any information on Asaad Al-Nsasrah," she said.
"I ask to obtain information about his health condition and to allow us to visit him or to help us get him released."
vid-lba/jd/kir

airstrike

Somalia air strikes, combat kill dozens of jihadists: govt

  • One air strike on Adan Yabaal, 220 kilometres (140 miles) north of the capital Mogadishu came as Al-Shabaab fighters raided the key town used as a base by Somali military commanders.
  • Joint US-Somalia air strikes and combat killed dozens of Al-Shabaab jihadists attacking a key town and a military base and also destroyed a shipment of weapons, the Somali government said on Thursday.
  • One air strike on Adan Yabaal, 220 kilometres (140 miles) north of the capital Mogadishu came as Al-Shabaab fighters raided the key town used as a base by Somali military commanders.
Joint US-Somalia air strikes and combat killed dozens of Al-Shabaab jihadists attacking a key town and a military base and also destroyed a shipment of weapons, the Somali government said on Thursday.
Growing attacks by the Al-Qaeda-linked Islamist group, including one on President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's convoy, are fuelling worries of a jihadist resurgence after militants were forced to retreat in recent years.
One air strike on Adan Yabaal, 220 kilometres (140 miles) north of the capital Mogadishu came as Al-Shabaab fighters raided the key town used as a base by Somali military commanders.
The operation on Wednesday night by Somali armed forces and the US Africa Command "aimed to neutralize the threat posed" by Al-Shabaab, the information ministry said in a statement posted on X.
"The targeted strike hit a site used by the militants as a gathering and hideout," it said. "Preliminary reports indicate that 12...operatives, including senior leaders, were eliminated."
The ministry said a second air strike hit an unflagged ship and a smaller vessel in Somali territorial waters "transporting modern weaponry" for al-Shabaab, killing all aboard. 
In the southwest, Somali forces and allies killed 35 militants around Baidoa town in the early hours of Thursday, after they attempted to attack an army base there, the ministry said.
"Acting on intelligence, the forces engaged the militants resulting in the deaths of 35 members, including a foreign commander leading the group," it said in a statement.

Truck bombs

Somali government forces took control of Adan Yabaal from Al-Shabaab in December 2022 during the major offensive backed by African Union peacekeeping forces.
On Wednesday, Al-Shabaab launched a dawn raid on the town, with bombs loaded on trucks detonating before militants fought their way into the town, a military official said.
The official said the army was getting reinforcements from nearby positions to defend the town, but Al-Shabaab claimed its fighters had overrun the Somalia military and controlled Adan Yabaal.
AFP was unable to confirm those claims.
Two local residents told AFP that militants had taken Adan Yabaal.
The president had visited the town recently, with state media reporting he had met with military commanders to review the ongoing military offensive against Al-Shabaab.
Earlier this month, Al-Shabaab fired multiple mortar rounds near Mogadishu's airport, disrupting international flights.
Halane camp -- a fortified compound that houses the United Nations, aid agencies, foreign missions and the headquarters of the African Union's Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia -- was also targeted.
The group has seized key locations in Middle and Lower Shabelle, coastal regions on either side of Mogadishu. 
A bomb blast that narrowly missed the convoy of President Mohamud in March underscored that Al-Shabaab again poses a risk in the capital itself.
Al-Shabaab has been fighting the government for 15 years, but the African Union-led peacekeeping force helped push the jihadists onto the defensive in 2022 and 2023.
str/pma/ach/cw

trade

EU hopes Trump tariffs can nudge Mercosur deal past finish line

BY ADRIEN DE CALAN

  • In exchange, the South American nations would be able to export meat, sugar, rice and soybeans, which worries European farmers concerned about cheaper goods pricing them out.
  • The spectre of a transatlantic trade war is also fuelling hopes of a silver lining in Europe: that a commerce deal with four South American countries could get a final green light despite longstanding French opposition.
  • In exchange, the South American nations would be able to export meat, sugar, rice and soybeans, which worries European farmers concerned about cheaper goods pricing them out.
The spectre of a transatlantic trade war is also fuelling hopes of a silver lining in Europe: that a commerce deal with four South American countries could get a final green light despite longstanding French opposition.
Forced to come to terms with the growing cracks in its biggest trading relationship, worth 1.6 trillion euros ($1.8 trillion), the EU believes it's time to chase opportunities elsewhere.
"The global balance is shifting, and we Europeans need (new trading partners) very quickly," incoming German chancellor Friedrich Merz said last weekend.
Such is Merz's determination, he suggested French President Emmanuel Macron could be swayed into a U-turn to back the EU accord with Mercosur bloc members Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay -- despite strident opposition from France's farmers.
Twenty-five years in the making, the deal to create a 700-million-customer free-trade area was clinched last December by the European Commission -- but still needs to be signed by member states and the EU parliament.
Macron would "now tend" to look more favourably on the Mercosur accord, Merz asserted.
Paris has so far slapped down such suggestions. "The draft deal hasn't changed and therefore is unacceptable as it stands," a French diplomatic source said.
But EU officials believe they can convince countries opposed to the Mercosur deal through offers of financial support, for example, for farmers affected by rising imports.

With or without France?

Faced with an unpredictable US partner, the EU has ramped up efforts to cut more trade deals -- deciding last week to launch talks on an agreement with the United Arab Emirates, for example.
"In an unstable world, partnerships with trusted allies around the world with clearly defined rules for mutual gain are more valuable than ever," an EU spokesman has said.
There is a growing sense in Brussels that in the current climate French opposition -- even if it holds -- may not be insurmountable.
To be approved, the Mercosur deal must receive the backing of at least 15 of 27 EU states, representing a minimum of 65 percent of the population.
France had hoped to form a blocking minority but "given the context, it probably won't", a European Commission official said.

'Cushion' tariff shocks

While Poland still opposes the Mercosur deal, there appears to be a change of heart among some in Vienna, another high-profile opponent, after Trump imposed sweeping tariffs.
Austrian Economy Minister Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer now supports the agreement. "We need it now," he said, even though the country's three-way coalition government remains officially against.
Pushed on the matter, French Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard admitted this week it was a source of unease between France and Germany.
But she vowed it was out of the question to "sacrifice French agriculture on the altar of an agreement at any cost".
French resistance is also being tested at home: the country's central bank governor Francois Villeroy de Galhau briefed Macron last week that such agreements "could further cushion tariff shocks linked to US trade policy".
In the case of the Mercosur deal, it would make it easier for the EU to export cars, machinery, pharmaceutical products and alcoholic beverages.
In exchange, the South American nations would be able to export meat, sugar, rice and soybeans, which worries European farmers concerned about cheaper goods pricing them out.
Farmers are crying foul over supposedly less stringent regulations on the sector and have staged protests across Europe.

Macron under pressure

Brussels has promised to reassure all member states and wants to present a text before the end of summer for final approval to parliament -- where its fate is also uncertain.
"We don't know which way it will go" in the event of a vote, French centrist lawmaker Marie-Pierre Vedrenne told AFP.
Vedrenne said continued opposition "wouldn't be very serious or responsible".
But she believes Macron's position hasn't changed, explaining that opposition to Mercosur has "become a matter of national unity".
One EU official went further.
"The French government would fall" if it supported the deal, the official said -- after snap elections last year produced a hung parliament with Macron's centrists in the minority.
Poland currently holds the rotating EU presidency and as one of the countries most opposed, it is not expected to push for a Mercosur vote.
But when Denmark takes the reins in July, expect the inflammatory issue to return to the agenda.
burs-raz/ec/lth

Aunor

Philippine film legend Nora Aunor dies aged 71

  • The fourth of five children from a family in the poverty-stricken Bicol region southeast of Manila, Aunor, born Nora Villamayor, helped the family make ends meet by selling cold water and snacks at a train station.
  • Nora Aunor, considered by many Filipinos as their country's greatest actor and singer, has died aged 71, the government and her family said Thursday.
  • The fourth of five children from a family in the poverty-stricken Bicol region southeast of Manila, Aunor, born Nora Villamayor, helped the family make ends meet by selling cold water and snacks at a train station.
Nora Aunor, considered by many Filipinos as their country's greatest actor and singer, has died aged 71, the government and her family said Thursday.
Proclaimed a "National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts" by the Philippines in 2022, the once child snack vendor will be honoured with a state funeral.
"It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Nora Aunor, our beloved mother, celebrated television and movie actress," her adopted daughter Lotlot de Leon announced Thursday on her Instagram page.
The cause of death, which took place Wednesday, was not disclosed.
Aunor starred in 170 films and got her first break when cast in 1967's "All Over the World", a typical teen comedy of the era.
With a darker skin tone compared to the half-Caucasian actors that dominated local cinema at the time -- Aunor brought a relatability to audiences, earning her the nickname Ate guy, or big sister guy. 
She would become a sensation as part of a studio-manufactured "love team" with actor Tirso Cruz III. Together they were known as "Guy and Pip".
Critical acclaim followed nearly a decade later with starring roles in the dramas "Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos" ("Three Years Without God") and "Minsa'y Isang Gamu-gamo" ("Once a Moth"), both released in 1976.

'Splendid career'

Aunor also recorded hundreds of songs, including 1971's "Pearly Shells", said to be one of the Philippine's top-selling singles ever.
On Thursday, President Ferdinand Marcos described her as "a gift to the Filipino nation", and the government's National Commission for Culture and the Arts said she would receive a state funeral.
Aunor's daughter Leon later posted on Instagram that the funeral will take place on April 22 at the National Heroes Cemetery.
"Throughout her splendid career that spanned more than 50 years, she was our consummate actress, singer, and film producer," Marcos said.
"Her golden voice was a balm for all. Her genius was a gift to the Filipino nation."
The fourth of five children from a family in the poverty-stricken Bicol region southeast of Manila, Aunor, born Nora Villamayor, helped the family make ends meet by selling cold water and snacks at a train station.
Her grandmother taught her to sing, and at 14, she won a nationwide singing contest.
She married Filipino actor Christopher de Leon in 1975, and the couple had one biological child and four adopted children before separating two decades later.
Aunor later immigrated to the United States, and in 2005 was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport for drug possession. She underwent a court-directed drug diversion programme that kept her out of prison.
She returned to Manila in 2011 to resume her acting and singing career.
cgm/cwl/rsc

Italy

Italy's Meloni in Washington seeking EU tariff deal from Trump

  • "We absolutely must avoid a tariff war," Italy's Industry Minister Adolfo Urso told reporters Tuesday, saying Meloni would seek in Washington to "convince everyone we need to talk."
  • Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni meets with Donald Trump Thursday in Washington, hoping a personal charm offensive can help convince the US president to cut a more favourable deal on EU tariffs.
  • "We absolutely must avoid a tariff war," Italy's Industry Minister Adolfo Urso told reporters Tuesday, saying Meloni would seek in Washington to "convince everyone we need to talk."
Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni meets with Donald Trump Thursday in Washington, hoping a personal charm offensive can help convince the US president to cut a more favourable deal on EU tariffs.
The far-right Meloni -- described by Trump as a "fantastic leader" who shares many of his conservative views -- is the first European leader to meet with Trump since his trade war with the bloc began. 
She has looked to maintain ties with the mercurial leader despite the widespread disruption caused by his tariff policies, even while criticizing as "wrong" his 20 percent duties on EU exports, which he later suspended for 90 days. 
Amid the uncertainty, Meloni has called for cool heads, urging Brussels not to retaliate while casting herself as the only EU leader able to potentially de-escalate the conflict through her personal relationship with the US president.
Her bilateral meeting with Trump, scheduled for noon at the White House, does not come without risk, however. 
Italian newspapers on Wednesday floated the possibility that Meloni could end up in a trap similar to the White House meeting in February with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, in which Trump and his Vice President JD Vance berated their guest in front of reporters.
Meloni has been a staunch ally of Ukraine and Zelensky since Russia's invasion of the country in 2022, most recently calling Moscow's Palm Sunday attack on the city of Sumy "horrible and vile." 
The only EU leader to be invited to Trump's inauguration in January, Meloni has acknowledged the uncertainty weighing on her quick visit. 
"We know we're going through a difficult period, let's see how it goes in the coming hours. I don't feel any pressure, as you can imagine, for my next two days, let's say," she joked at an awards ceremony for Italian goods Tuesday. 
"Surely, I am aware of what I represent and I am aware of what I am defending," she added.
Italian newspapers reported that one of the goals of Meloni's visit was to pave the way for a meeting between Trump and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen. 

'Need to talk'

Meloni has said the goal should be to eliminate so-called reciprocal duties on existing industrial products as part of a "zero for zero" formula, as floated by the European Commission earlier this month.
"We absolutely must avoid a tariff war," Italy's Industry Minister Adolfo Urso told reporters Tuesday, saying Meloni would seek in Washington to "convince everyone we need to talk."
Meloni's decision to personally intercede with Trump has caused some disquiet among EU allies, concerned her visit could undermine the unity of the bloc.
"If we start having bilateral discussions, obviously it will break the current dynamic," France's industry minister, Marc Ferracci, warned last week, saying "Europe is only strong if it is united."
A French government spokeswoman said later, however, that all voices that helped encourage dialogue with the United States were welcome.
A European Commission spokeswoman had a similar line on Monday, noting that while the EU alone could negotiate trade agreements, Meloni's "outreach is very welcome".
Her meeting was "closely coordinated" with the EU, the spokeswoman said, noting that Meloni and von der Leyen had been "in regular contact."
Following Thursday's meeting with Trump, Meloni will fly back to Rome on Friday in time to host JD Vance, with whom she has a meeting planned.
Trump's threatened tariffs could have a major impact on Italy, the world's fourth-largest exporter, which sends around 10 percent of its exports to the United States.
During her meeting, Meloni is also likely to discuss Trump's demand for NATO allies to spend more on defence. 
Trump wants the current target raised from two to five percent of gross domestic product (GDP), a huge demand for debt-laden Italy, which currently spends around 1.5 percent. 
ar/ams/js/lb

conflict

Silent killing fields 50 years on from Khmer Rouge atrocities

BY SUY SE

  • To remember victims, a Cambodian opposition party asked for authorities' permission to hold a memorial at Choeung Ek -- the most notorious of the Khmer Rouge's "Killing Fields" -- in the capital Phnom Penh.
  • Cambodia marked on Thursday the 50th anniversary of the Khmer Rouge's march into Phnom Penh, though survivors of its genocidal rule were forbidden from praying before victims' skulls.
  • To remember victims, a Cambodian opposition party asked for authorities' permission to hold a memorial at Choeung Ek -- the most notorious of the Khmer Rouge's "Killing Fields" -- in the capital Phnom Penh.
Cambodia marked on Thursday the 50th anniversary of the Khmer Rouge's march into Phnom Penh, though survivors of its genocidal rule were forbidden from praying before victims' skulls.
On April 17, 1975, soldiers of the ultra-Maoist Khmer Rouge rolled into the capital astride tanks, toppling the US-backed republican army of Lon Nol and starting a four-year communist government.
To remember victims, a Cambodian opposition party asked for authorities' permission to hold a memorial at Choeung Ek -- the most notorious of the Khmer Rouge's "Killing Fields" -- in the capital Phnom Penh.
But the city refused to greenlight the event, citing issues of "public order" and safety, and warned that the group would be held legally responsible, according to a letter seen by AFP.
"Victims of the Khmer Rouge genocide should not be banned by any rule if they wish to memorialise this very difficult time in Cambodian history," said Youk Chhang, director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam), which researches and records atrocities of that period.
City hall could not be immediately reached for comment. 
Survivors were absent at the Choeung Ek wartime museum Thursday, though dozens of tourists visited the site and took pictures of the skulls displayed in glass cases.
Outside Choeung Ek, survivor Sum Rithy, 72, recalled the Khmer Rouge were initially given a cautious welcome by Phnom Penh's war-weary residents when they entered the city, their distinctive red-chequered scarves fluttering behind them. 
But soon enough cadres began to evacuate the city of two million people at gunpoint, in one of the largest forced displacements in recent history. 
"It was a day of nationwide bloodshed... the Khmer Rouge chased people away from homes everywhere," Sum Rithy said. 
He said his father and three siblings were killed, while he was starved and jailed for two years on allegations that he was a member of the CIA.
There was "no happiness, no smiling, but there was only sadness and suffering", he told AFP. "I will never forget this."
- Tribunal - 
The Khmer Rouge drove Cambodia -- once known as the "Pearl of Asia" for its music, culture and French colonial architecture -- back to "Year Zero" through an agrarian peasant revolution. 
By the time the tyrannical rule of Pol Pot was ousted four years later, an estimated two million Cambodians had been killed by execution, starvation or overwork.
Only after the Khmer Rouge was forced out by Vietnamese soldiers in 1979 did the scale of its atrocities emerge, with the bones of thousands of victims -- including children -- uncovered at mass graves across the country.
Pol Pot died in 1998 without facing justice.
A special tribunal sponsored by the United Nations convicted three key Khmer Rouge figures before ceasing operations in 2022, but other former cadres continue to live freely.
Former prime minister Hun Sen -- an ex-cadre who ruled Cambodia for nearly four decades -- was against pursuing further cases at the tribunal, claiming it would plunge the country into instability.
Last month Cambodia enacted a law -- at the request of Hun Sen -- that forbids denying the Khmer Rouge's atrocities, but which rights advocates and academics warn could also be used to stifle legitimate dissent.
suy/sjc/dhc