housing

Protests over housing flare in Spain after relief measures rejected

housing

Protests over housing flare in Spain after relief measures rejected

BY MARTIN DE MONTVALON

  • Valeria Racu, one of the spokespeople of the Tenants' Union organising the protest, said in a statement that the last eight days' protests had shown the effectiveness of people's power.
  • Tens of thousands of protesters marched in Madrid and other cities in Spain on Saturday to demand affordable housing, a day after lawmakers rejected relief measures for tenants.
  • Valeria Racu, one of the spokespeople of the Tenants' Union organising the protest, said in a statement that the last eight days' protests had shown the effectiveness of people's power.
Tens of thousands of protesters marched in Madrid and other cities in Spain on Saturday to demand affordable housing, a day after lawmakers rejected relief measures for tenants.
The demonstrations extended a crisis that has gone on for more than a week, triggered by the eviction last month of a pensioner, 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal, from her Madrid flat.
The defeat was another political setback for Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and has renewed questions over whether his minority government can survive until the next scheduled general election in 2027.
His government's proposed measures, which included automatic renewal of tenancy contracts and restrictions on evicting vulnerable tenants, were voted down by opposition parties on Friday in Spain's parliament.
The defeat infuriated those protesting the country's increasingly expensive housing market.
Hundreds of protesters have been occupying a tent city set up a week ago in the heart of Madrid to press for reforms.
Late on Saturday groups of far-right protesters, some of them performing Nazi salutes, tried to get to the camp but were blocked by police.
One video posted on the website of Spanish daily El Pais showed police chasing some members of the group through the streets and the newspaper also reported that officers had made three arrests.
 
- General strike call - 
 
Earlier Saturday, demonstrators marched through the capital's streets. Authorities said 70,000 people participated, but the organisers put the figure at 500,000.
Smaller demonstrations took place in other cities, including Palma de Mallorca, Santander, Segovia and Toledo. In Valencia, five people were arrested after clashes with police, local media reported.
At the Madrid protest Marcos Sainz, a librarian of 26, said he used to rent a two-bedroom apartment with friends for a total monthly rent of 900 euros ($1,000). Today, a one-bedroom flat often costs 1,000 euros -- or half the median monthly salary in the capital, he told AFP.
He would protest rental spikes "until someone dares to regulate it all as (otherwise) we'll all have to leave Madrid and that would be a shame as I am from Madrid". 
"We are demanding a fundamental right," said Javier, a 31-year-old solar panel installer. "Decent housing, stability and conditions allowing us to construct a decent life project.
"I spend half of my salary on a tiny room," he added.
Valeria Racu, one of the spokespeople of the Tenants' Union organising the protest, said in a statement that the last eight days' protests had shown the effectiveness of people's power.
"Now begins real politics -- politics which has always belonged to the people and which will return once and for all to the streets," she added.
She repeated her union's call for a general strike.
 

Calls for early election

 
Housing has for years been a top concern for Spaniards as supply falls short of demand, with rents and house prices rising as elsewhere in the European Union.
Average rents in Spain have almost doubled over the past decade, while asking prices for homes have risen by about 90 percent, according to real estate website Idealista.
Abascal's eviction catalysed long-running anger about runaway housing costs.
The pensioner was forced to leave the Madrid flat where she had lived for more than seven decades after it was acquired by an investment company that sought to increase her rent by 275 percent, say housing campaigners.
The backlash led the property's new owners to reach a deal allowing her to return to the flat at a low rent.
The housing bills Sanchez's leftist coalition had presented to parliament were rejected after the Catalan separatist party Junts -- on whose support the government relies -- voted against them, arguing they lacked rigour.
Junts joined the main opposition Popular Party (PP) and the far-right Vox party in shooting down the measures.
PP leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo on Saturday urged Sanchez to call early elections "because the country can't take any more".
Recent opinion polls have generally placed the Popular Party ahead of the Socialists.
bur/jj/giv

Russia

Latvian exit polls suggest pro-European choice

BY DAMIEN SIMONART

  • Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs' centre-right United List party was in the lead with 35.6 percent, according to exit polls published by public media LSM.  "It's not the end still, but its higher than expected," Kulbergs told journalists following the announcement.
  • Exit polls from Latvia's parliamentary election published Saturday evening favoured Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs' party, suggesting the country will maintain its pro-European and pro-Ukrainian course.
  • Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs' centre-right United List party was in the lead with 35.6 percent, according to exit polls published by public media LSM.  "It's not the end still, but its higher than expected," Kulbergs told journalists following the announcement.
Exit polls from Latvia's parliamentary election published Saturday evening favoured Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs' party, suggesting the country will maintain its pro-European and pro-Ukrainian course.
But populist parties also had a good night after an election campaign dominated by fears over neighbouring Russia and the cost of living at home.
Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs' centre-right United List party was in the lead with 35.6 percent, according to exit polls published by public media LSM. 
"It's not the end still, but its higher than expected," Kulbergs told journalists following the announcement.
"That means people truly want change," he added, which he said meant "economic growth" and "a future for (Latvia's) children". Kulbergs only assumed the post of prime minister in May.
But his coalition, which pre-election polling had suggested would weaken, will probably not survive in its current form. 
One coalition partner, the Union of Greens and Farmers, appeared to have finished with only 3.7 percent -- below the five-percent threshold needed to enter parliament.
That, and the projected results from other other coalition parties, suggest Kulbergs will have to form a new ruling coalition.
While exit polls are usually reliable, voter reluctance to admit support for more radical parties may mean the populist parties perform better than anticipated.
"I do believe that the biggest increase (of the) actual results, compared to the exit polls, will be to the... Russian-speaking electorate's supported parties, which are the Sovereign Power and Latvia First," Roberts Kits, an analyst at the Latvian think tank LaSER, told AFP.
Sigita Struberga, secretary general of Latvian transatlantic association LATO, said it was too early to accurately predict the shape of any future coalition.
"We really need to wait for (the) real percentage, which might be slightly different from what we see at this point," she told AFP.

Populist gains

Security questions were the main topic during the campaign in Latvia, an EU and NATO member state sitting on the eastern flank of both blocs.
But populist parties gained ground by focusing on domestic issues such as the cost of living in this, the least affluent of the Baltic states.
Sovereign Power, criticised as pro-Russian by its detractors, finished in fourth place with 10.8 percent of the vote, according to exit polls. It has opposed military aid to Ukraine and further increases to defence spending, highlighting instead domestic economic problems. 
Despite its gains, the party is unlikely to enter government because most major parties have ruled out working with it. 
Another populist force, Latvia First, finished in second place (11.3 percent) according to exit polls. Led by businessman Ainars Slesers, it could prove a more viable coalition partner.
The Progressives, a pro-European social democratic party advocating stronger social protections and continued support for Ukraine, finished third at 11.1 percent, exit polls indicated.

Geopolitics and economics

Security remains central to political debate four years after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Latvia, a member of NATO and the European Union since 2004, views Russia as its principal security threat and has significantly increased defence spending in response.
It has sharply increased its defence spending since Moscow's 2022 invasion of Kyiv, now allocating nearly five percent of its GDP to defence. 
Most parties expected to enter parliament back both high military spending and maintaining aid to Kyiv.
But rising living costs, low wages, strains on the healthcare system and long-term population decline all featured prominently in campaign debates.
Voting patterns among Latvia's large Russian-speaking minority are also changing.
Once concentrated behind the Harmony party, which lost parliamentary representation in 2022, many voters are increasingly making choices based on economic and social issues rather than identity politics alone.
"Because we are the external border of Europe, we must have a strong economy, a strong Latgale, a strong border region," Kulbergs said.
"That is the main task." 
The preliminary, official results are expected on Sunday, at which point attention will quickly shift to the coalition talks, which could prove lengthy and complex.
bo/sw/ks/jj

conflict

Israel targets top Hamas leader in deadly Gaza strike on anniversary

  • Amoudi is considered Hamas's top person in the Gaza Strip.
  • Israel said on Saturday that it attempted to kill Hamas's top leader in the Gaza Strip in an airstrike on an apartment that local officials said killed five people, four of them women.
  • Amoudi is considered Hamas's top person in the Gaza Strip.
Israel said on Saturday that it attempted to kill Hamas's top leader in the Gaza Strip in an airstrike on an apartment that local officials said killed five people, four of them women.
The pre-dawn strike came on the anniversary according to the Jewish calendar of the October 7, 2023 attack, the deadliest-ever day for Israel which retaliated with a devastating offensive in Gaza.
The Israeli military said it aimed to kill Ali al-Amoudi, describing him as the "right-hand man" of slain Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar and saying he was involved in planning the October 7 attack.
Israel said it was reviewing whether it killed or injured him. 
It said it targeted him after learning that he was inside an apartment building, saying it showed that Hamas was using civilians as human shields.
"Today, al-Amoudi is the most senior Hamas figure in the Gaza Strip and is directly involved in Hamas's terror activities and in rebuilding the organisation for war. The terrorist was struck in order to remove the threat," a military statement said.
"Steps were taken to mitigate harm to civilians, including the use of precise munitions," the military said, adding it "regrets any harm caused to uninvolved individuals".
Israel killed Sinwar in Gaza in October 2024, in what many Israelis saw as a major symbolic victory, although Israel has vowed to keep destroying Hamas even since a US-brokered ceasefire was declared a year ago.
Amoudi is considered Hamas's top person in the Gaza Strip. The movement's leader Khalil al-Hayaa lives in Qatar and has tried to manoeuvre diplomatically to Hamas's advantage.
Hayaa agreed in July to a US plan for Hamas to give up its weapons, in what President Donald Trump hailed as a breakthrough but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed as insincere.
 

Christians among dead

 
An official at Gaza City's Al-Shifa hospital told AFP it received at dawn the bodies of five people and a number of injured following an airstrike in the Rimal neighbourhood.
It said the dead were two women and their daughters, as well as a man.
Mahmoud Bassal, the spokesman for the civil defence agency which operates as a rescue force under Hamas authority, said two missiles directly hit the apartment, causing a fire and damaging the building.
Two of the five victims were Christians, the hospital director said.
Mourners gathered later on Saturday at the small Greek Orthodox church of Saint Porphyrius in Gaza City for the funeral of the two women, identified as 56-year-old Maysaa Abu Daoud and her 36-year-old daughter Mary Al-Najjar.
Ihab Ayad, a relative of the women, said that they had been "minding their own business" at home when Israel carried out the strike.
"We didn't hurl stones or fire rockets. If any child among us carries a stone, they call him a terrorist, a murderer. But they possess the most powerful arsenal and destroy everything," he said.
Around 1,000 Christians, most of them Orthodox, live in the Palestinian territory. A larger Palestinian Christian community lives in the West Bank, although emigration has increased since the start of the war.
The Hamas-led October 7 attack killed 1,221 people, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
The massive Israeli offensive in response has left most of Gaza in ruins and killed more than 74,200 people, according to Gaza's health ministry, which is under Hamas authority and whose figures are considered reliable by the United Nations.
Israeli forces have killed more than 1,440 people since the announcement of the ceasefire a year ago, according to Gaza's health ministry.
The Israeli military has identified five deaths in its ranks over the same period, as well as the death of one civilian contractor.
az-str-sct/dcp

Global Edition

Lula, Bolsonaro wrap up campaigns ahead of knife-edge election

BY DAVID SALAZAR WITH ESTEBAN ROJAS IN SANTA BARBARA D'OESTE

  • Lula is locked in a tight battle against right-wing senator Flavio Bolsonaro, 45, the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, a close ally of Trump who is serving a 27-year sentence for attempting a coup after his failed 2022 re-election bid.
  • Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his rival Flavio Bolsonaro wrapped up their campaigns Saturday ahead of a nail-biter election that has been marred by scandals and mudslinging.
  • Lula is locked in a tight battle against right-wing senator Flavio Bolsonaro, 45, the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, a close ally of Trump who is serving a 27-year sentence for attempting a coup after his failed 2022 re-election bid.
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his rival Flavio Bolsonaro wrapped up their campaigns Saturday ahead of a nail-biter election that has been marred by scandals and mudslinging.
Lula, 80, toured Brazil's economic powerhouse Sao Paulo on the back of a campaign truck, cheered on by a sea of red and vowing to "defeat the far right."
The veteran leftist is seeking a fourth and final term in office, warning voters that Brazil's sovereignty is at stake in the face of pressure from US President Donald Trump.
Lula is locked in a tight battle against right-wing senator Flavio Bolsonaro, 45, the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, a close ally of Trump who is serving a 27-year sentence for attempting a coup after his failed 2022 re-election bid.
Opinion polls show neither candidate is likely to win the first-round election Sunday, and the two are in a statistical tie for an October 25 runoff.
Flavio Bolsonaro led a parade of hundreds of motorcycles in the interior of the state of Sao Paulo, in the style of his father. Unlike Jair Bolsonaro, he rode on the back of a campaign truck, and did not get on a bike himself.
"Let's go, Brazil wants change," he said in a video published before the rally.

The Trump factor

If Flavio Bolsonaro wins the election, Brazil will join a growing number of Latin American nations that have swung to the right in recent months.
Trump has not endorsed the senator, but has said he is "very closely" watching the election.
Lula has warned Trump against "meddling" in Brazil's election.
His supporters wore caps and T-shirts declaring: "Make Lula President Again" or "Brazil belongs to Brazilians."
Adriana Lima, 44, an early childhood educator clad all in red, told AFP that Lula was "the only president who cared about the people."
"We also have an issue with Trump wanting to treat Brazil like their backyard, so we absolutely cannot let that happen. It's a very important election."
Another Lula supporter, accountant Tiago Lorureto, 35, said the election was "a choice between democracy and barbarism."

'Never any money'

The younger Bolsonaro has run on a platform of hardline security policies and fiscal austerity, slamming Lula as "incompetent" and highlighting the high cost of living.
Marcelo Peressim, 50, who owns a packaging company, came out to Flavio Bolsonaro's rally with a portrait of the candidate's father.
"We work almost 24 hours a day to have a good life and provide a good life for our families... yet there's never any money left over for us to do anything," he said.
Homemaker Eliane Boscolo, 47, said Trump would not need to take an interest in Brazil's elections "if the country were doing well."
"We need things to improve here. If his intervention is necessary, I'm all for it," she added.

Scandals and insults

It has been a bitter campaign in the deeply divided nation. Policies and promises have been overshadowed by a barrage of scandals and personal attacks as candidates jockey for every undecided voter.
It emerged during the campaign that Flavio Bolsonaro was under investigation for corruption over the financing of the biopic "Dark Horse" about his father.
The project was bankrolled by jailed banker Daniel Vorcaro, who is under investigation in one of the country's biggest financial scandals that has ensnared many in power.
Massive online operations by both sides saw the rivals seize on every gaffe, accusation and rumor, quickly producing slick videos or AI-generated images for social media.
The stakes are high: In 2022, Lula beat Jair Bolsonaro by only 1.8 percentage points.
While the presidential election is in the spotlight, Brazil's nearly 160 million registered voters are also picking lawmakers, governors and some senators.
das-erc/fb/acb

US

Houthis say struck oil facility near Riyadh, as Saudis hit Sanaa

BY AFP TEAMS IN YEMEN AND SAUDI ARABIA

  • In neighbouring Saudi Arabia, flames and smoke were seen rising on Saturday afternoon from an Aramco facility south of Riyadh, an AFP journalist said.
  • Yemen's Houthis claimed an attack on an oil facility near the Saudi capital on Saturday, where an AFP journalist saw flames and smoke, and accused the Gulf kingdom of striking Sanaa dozens of times. 
  • In neighbouring Saudi Arabia, flames and smoke were seen rising on Saturday afternoon from an Aramco facility south of Riyadh, an AFP journalist said.
Yemen's Houthis claimed an attack on an oil facility near the Saudi capital on Saturday, where an AFP journalist saw flames and smoke, and accused the Gulf kingdom of striking Sanaa dozens of times. 
The foes have traded strikes since the Houthis seized all of Yemen's Red Sea coast and took control of the Bab al-Mandab strait in a lightning offensive last month.
Houthi-affiliated channel Al-Masirah TV reported that "Saudi enemy aircraft" hit Sanaa with 26 strikes, after earlier reporting "Saudi aggression" against the Yemeni capital, without providing details on the targets or casualties.
Two correspondents in Sanaa reported hearing loud explosions and seeing warplanes firing missiles at the city.
In neighbouring Saudi Arabia, flames and smoke were seen rising on Saturday afternoon from an Aramco facility south of Riyadh, an AFP journalist said.
While the Saudi authorities are yet to comment, late on Saturday, the Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group had targeted an oil facility in Riyadh with ballistic missiles and drones, adding that they sparked fires at the targeted sites.
The AFP journalist reported seeing firefighters attempting to extinguish a blaze at Aramco's Riyadh refinery, located south of the capital, while ambulances and police vehicles were stationed near the facility.
The Houthis' Al-Masirah channel earlier on Saturday also reported missile strikes on the telecommunications network in Yemen's northwestern governorate of Saada, one of the group's strongholds.
It comes after the Houthis said that Saudi Arabia bombed the Yemeni capital itself on Thursday night for the first time since renewed fighting broke out between the two sides in July.
 

Hunger warning

 
After several years of calm, Yemen was plunged back into civil war that month, pitting the Iran-backed Houthis, who control most of northwest Yemen including Sanaa, against Yemen's internationally recognised government.
The government, based in the city of Aden, controls much of the country's south and east -- a region that is larger but much less populated.
Hostilities were reignited after four years of a fragile truce when Iran sent a plane to Sanaa carrying a Houthi delegation.
The flight did not seek authorisation from Saudi Arabia, contravening a practice in place for a decade.
Riyadh retaliated with strikes on Sanaa airport, and in response the Houthis attacked Saudi territory for the first time since 2022.
Since then, fighting has intensified with the Houthis launching a lightning offensive in which they seized control of coastal regions along the Bab al-Mandab strait.
They have also struck multiple Saudi targets including oil infrastructure and the capital Riyadh while also announcing a naval blockade on Saudi shipping in the Red Sea.
The renewed fighting has worsened the already appalling humanitarian conditions in Yemen, one of the world's poorest countries, with the World Food Programme warning on Friday that three-quarters of the population was unable to meet its basic food needs.
 

Battle for Taiz

 
Fighting in recent days has centred on Taiz, where dozens of combatants were reported killed on Friday by sources on both sides.
The Houthis reported 55 of their fighters had been killed while government sources told AFP that 26 troops had died.
The battle for Taiz is taking place on several fronts, including highlands overlooking coastal areas recently seized by the Houthis.
While the Houthis have conquered swathes of territory, they have yet to take control of Taiz city, which is Yemen's third-largest after Sanaa and Aden.
The Houthis also on Friday said Saudi Arabia had launched 94 strikes against areas under their control in the past 24 hours.
Saudi authorities meanwhile reported a Houthi projectile had damaged a school in the city of Najran near the Yemen border.
Riyadh has reportedly requested help from the United States, a call so far rebuffed by US President Donald Trump.
On Saturday US media outlet Axios reported that top cabinet members in the Trump administration met the day before to discuss Yemen as well as the Iran conflict, citing three US officials.
The meeting was not officially announced.
ht/dcp/giv

Israel

UAE investigators say flydubai co-pilot was planning 'terrorist act'

  • "The co-pilot had attempted to carry out a terrorist act" and had "attacked the captain in the cockpit with the emergency axe and tried to take control of the aircraft", WAM quoted UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi as saying, referring to initial findings of the investigation.
  • UAE investigators have said the co-pilot of a flydubai flight to Israel this week was planning a "terrorist act" and used the cockpit's emergency axe to attack the captain, but they did not reveal his motive.
  • "The co-pilot had attempted to carry out a terrorist act" and had "attacked the captain in the cockpit with the emergency axe and tried to take control of the aircraft", WAM quoted UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi as saying, referring to initial findings of the investigation.
UAE investigators have said the co-pilot of a flydubai flight to Israel this week was planning a "terrorist act" and used the cockpit's emergency axe to attack the captain, but they did not reveal his motive.
During the flight on Wednesday, its Indian captain was assaulted by the co-pilot but managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to overpower the attacker and force an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
Initial findings from a UAE investigation did not disclose the co-pilot's nationality, according to a report Saturday by the country's state news agency WAM, but a Saudi source has confirmed to AFP that he was Omani.
Media reports have also said he had been barred from flying in his home nation over concerns about extremist views.
The reports came as the first flight carrying Israelis home from the United Arab Emirates landed in Tel Aviv after services were suspended following the attack, according to Israel's airport authority.
"The co-pilot had attempted to carry out a terrorist act" and had "attacked the captain in the cockpit with the emergency axe and tried to take control of the aircraft", WAM quoted UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi as saying, referring to initial findings of the investigation.
Passengers described rushing the cockpit and a fight for control after the plane plummeted -- losing around 17,000 feet of altitude in the span of a minute, according to the Flightradar24 website.
The wounded captain who opened the cockpit door has been hailed as a hero.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday invited Captain Smit Machchhar to the country as a guest of honour.
"You are a true hero of the brave peoples of India and Israel and you are a hero of the entire world," Netanyahu said in a video his office released of his telephone conversation with Machchhar.
 

'One last fight'

 
The Indian pilot told the Israeli premier how the attack unfolded, saying the assailant hit him in the back of the head after asking for time to pray, as devout Muslims do five times a day.
"My first thought was that there was catastrophic damage to the aircraft and something is not right," he said.
"But then after that the blows kept coming one after the other. That's when I realised that it's not the aircraft, it's the other guy who was in the cockpit with me."
While saying his memory was not entirely clear due to his injury, Machchhar said he managed to pull open the cockpit door "but I think he shut it back closed."
"I had that one last fight left in me," Machchhar explained, saying he knew he faced certain death if not.
"That's when I pushed against everything."
Earlier on Saturday the captain was pictured with UAE Deputy Prime Minister Hamdan bin Mohammed who visited him at his hospital bedside. 
 

'Radical indoctrination'

 
The co-pilot meanwhile is in custody in the UAE. Multiple media outlets identified him overnight as Hamam al-Hammami and said he had been banned from flying in Oman over concerns about his extremist views.
Netanyahu has said the suspect had undergone "Islamist radical indoctrination" and had attempted to crash the plane.
The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that Omani authorities had barred the pilot from flying over suspicions he had adopted radical ideological views, citing people familiar with the matter.
CNN, citing two sources also familiar with the matter, reported the pilot was removed from a job at Oman's national airline last year.
Al Arabiya, citing an informed source, also reported that Omani authorities had determined the co-pilot held extremist views.
The broadcaster said he had spent time in Syria, raising concerns he may have been influenced by radical groups there.
ABC News, citing senior intelligence and law enforcement officials familiar with the investigation, reported the suspect had allegedly been found in possession of extremist materials while a trainee.
US President Donald Trump warned on Thursday that if Iran was found to be linked to the attack the country would be "hit very hard".
Netanyahu has said Israel would check how the co-pilot had been cleared to work on flights to the country.
"We have constraints that say that you can't have pilots from countries that don't have diplomatic relations with Israel," Netanyahu told Fox News.
"Obviously he was able to go through that."
ht/vl/axn/jfx/dcp

luxury

Fashion industry in 'precarious moment', says Vivienne Westwood supremo

BY ADAM PLOWRIGHT

  • Asked about the commercial environment for fashion labels, with many creative directors under pressure, Kronthaler acknowledged the generally difficult trading conditions.
  • Vivienne Westwood creative director Andreas Kronthaler said the fashion industry was in a "precarious moment" as he unveiled his latest Spring-Summer collection for the British house at Paris Fashion Week.
  • Asked about the commercial environment for fashion labels, with many creative directors under pressure, Kronthaler acknowledged the generally difficult trading conditions.
Vivienne Westwood creative director Andreas Kronthaler said the fashion industry was in a "precarious moment" as he unveiled his latest Spring-Summer collection for the British house at Paris Fashion Week.
Kronthaler, the Austrian widower of Vivienne Westwood who took over after her death, found inspiration from African fabrics and his own penchant for night gowns for the typically whimsical designs of his SS27 collection called "Body and Soul".
A piece of African fabric bought at the Barbes market in Paris was one starting point, as was his decision to start wearing his night gown outside in the street during this summer's searing heatwaves. 
"I just lived my life in it, and I went on my bicycle and shopping and what not. And people really liked it," he told AFP. "And I thought that's nice, my life shirt."
"Orange Is the New Black" actress Natasha Lyonne headed down the catwalk wearing an animal print jacket with nothing underneath, as former supermodel Heidi Klum and actresses Rose McGowan and Paris Jackson looked on from the front row.
Asked about the commercial environment for fashion labels, with many creative directors under pressure, Kronthaler acknowledged the generally difficult trading conditions.
"We (Vivienne Westwood) are independent, and there are good sides to this, and of course there are hard sides to this. But it's okay," he told AFP. "We are living in a very precarious moment because things are not so secure in fashion."
Several top designers from Anthony Vaccarello at Saint Laurent, Pierpaolo Piccioli at Balenciaga and Chemena Kamali at Chloe have been linked to possible exits in recent news reports, although none of the labels have commented publicly. 
Elsewhere on Saturday, French luxury house Hermes presented its women's collection in the courtyard of the elite Republican Guard police unit in Paris, making the zip its leitmotif and the ultra-fine strap an accessory. 
Zips were used to modulate the length of skirts, they ran across leather jackets and down a flared blue pair of trousers.
The family-controlled maker of the famous Kelly bag, which generates nearly half of its sales from leather goods and saddlery, is also going through a rough patch, even though it is holding up better than the rest of the sector. 
On July 29, the group saw its share price plunge by as much as 11 percent during the session on the day it released its half-year results. Shares are down 39 percent since the start of the year.
Chief womenswear designer Nadege Vanhee will present the brand's first haute couture collection in January during Paris Couture Week. 
At the same time, British designer Grace Wales Bonner will make her runway debut as artistic director of Hermes menswear.
adp-dar/giv
 

Tigray

Ethiopia's Tigray rebels abandon regional capital as govt advances

  • "Ethiopian federal forces and allied forces have reportedly been observed in Mekelle city... across various locations," a humanitarian source said told AFP late Saturday, citing reports from staff on the ground.
  • Ethiopian federal forces had entered the Tigray state capital on Saturday, a humanitarian source told AFP, after residents reported that the region's rebels had abandoned the city. 
  • "Ethiopian federal forces and allied forces have reportedly been observed in Mekelle city... across various locations," a humanitarian source said told AFP late Saturday, citing reports from staff on the ground.
Ethiopian federal forces had entered the Tigray state capital on Saturday, a humanitarian source told AFP, after residents reported that the region's rebels had abandoned the city. 
Fighting erupted on September 23 in northern Ethiopia as the rebel Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) launched attacks into neighbouring states, raising fears of a return to the devastating 2020-2022 civil war.
But federal forces and pro-government militias have pushed them back in recent days and were heading north towards the regional capital, Mekelle.
"Ethiopian federal forces and allied forces have reportedly been observed in Mekelle city... across various locations," a humanitarian source said told AFP late Saturday, citing reports from staff on the ground.
Earlier, a journalist in the city told AFP that "TPLF militants and leaders are leaving Mekelle".  
He said government offices and police stations had been left without security personnel. 
The journalist could not be reached for more details, as telecommunications networks have been severely disrupted in Tigray since hostilities, making the few bits of information that emerge difficult to verify.

Regional summit

"I am concerned that government and public property could be exposed to looting because there are no security forces in the city," a local resident told AFP. 
"Lawlessness could spread in the city, and I am also afraid for my life. I want us to quickly return to law and order," added another resident.
Neither the spokesperson for the Ethiopian National Defense Forces nor that of federal Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has responded to AFP's requests for comment.
A diplomatic source told AFP that a mini-summit on Sunday would bring together the presidents of Egypt, Eritrea and Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, as well as the head of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), Abdel Fattah al-Burhane, in Alamein, Egypt, on the sidelines of an African Business Forum.
The TPLF has long been the dominant force in Tigray, ousting a government-appointed administration earlier this year.
In a video message on Thursday, its leader Debretsion Gebremichael implied the TPLF would continue guerrilla-style attacks as they did when Mekelle fell to government forces in 2020. 
Their insurgent campaign ultimately led to the TPLF retaking the city in mid-2021.
"We operate under a strategy to strike the enemy wherever we choose," Debretsion said. 

Regional tensions

The conflict has triggered a breakdown in Ethiopia's relations with Eritrea and Egypt, which Ethiopia accuses of supporting the rebels. 
Ethiopia expelled 10 Eritrean diplomats and shut its embassy in Asmara on Thursday, while Eritrea responded that it would "sever all diplomatic ties". 
Eritrea accuses landlocked Ethiopia of planning to invade and seize access to its coastline.
The TPLF's Debretsion said in his video message that "the war is regional and it is a war to control the Red Sea".
Ethiopia also expelled an Egyptian diplomat without explanation, prompting a reciprocal move by Cairo.

Counter-offensive

The rebels initially made advances in neighbouring Afar and Amhara states, working alongside local militias. 
But they were pushed back this week, and the government launched a counter-offensive into Tigrayan territory along three axes towards Mekelle, according to the Critical Threats Project, part of the American Enterprise Institute think tank.
There were reports that Mekelle's airport, on the southern approach to the city, had fallen to a pro-government militia on Friday. 
But social media accounts are difficult to verify, media access is heavily restricted and there have been significant communications blackouts. 
Earlier, a humanitarian source told AFP on condition of anonymity that the TPLF had been entirely pushed out of Afar.
The TPLF ruled all of Ethiopia from 1991 to 2018, when it was marginalised with the rise of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who hails from the Oromia region. 
The tensions led to a civil war from 2020 to 2022 -- one of the deadliest in the world in recent times -- that left more than 600,000 dead, according to the African Union. 
The Pretoria peace agreement of 2022, brokered by African institutions and Washington, maintained an uneasy calm until last year, but was never fully implemented.
bur-giv/jj

conflict

Ex-PM says Putin cannot admit 'mistake' over Ukraine

BY ANNA SMOLCHENKO

  • Among ordinary Russians, Kasyanov said he saw "no grounds for a revolt", despite mounting war casualties and rising food prices.
  • Despite growing economic trouble and rising unease among ordinary Russians and the elite, President Vladimir Putin is not ready to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, his former prime minister said on Saturday.
  • Among ordinary Russians, Kasyanov said he saw "no grounds for a revolt", despite mounting war casualties and rising food prices.
Despite growing economic trouble and rising unease among ordinary Russians and the elite, President Vladimir Putin is not ready to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, his former prime minister said on Saturday.
Speaking to AFP in an interview, Mikhail Kasyanov, Russia's prime minister from 2000 to 2004, said he believed his former boss understood he had made a mistake by invading Ukraine in 2022 but would persist with the course he had set.
"He made a mistake that he cannot bring himself to admit," Kasyanov, 68, said in Paris. "He believed the reports from his security services that Ukraine was weak."
The former prime minister said he was not convinced the war would end next year, adding that Putin was buoyed by high oil prices resulting from the US-Iran conflict and by disagreements between the United States and Europe over how to deal with the Kremlin on Ukraine.
"Putin is, of course, rubbing his hands with glee," Kasyanov said. "He clearly believes he can continue the war without making any concessions. And he is convinced that he is winning a war of attrition against Ukraine."
He warned that the coming winter could be particularly brutal for Ukraine, urging Western countries to apply "psychological pressure on the Kremlin" by closing ranks and urgently supply Kyiv with Patriot missile interceptors to protect skies from intensifying Russian strikes on civilian infrastructure.
Putin, a former KGB agent who turns 74 on Wednesday, has insisted that millions of Russians support Moscow's war. Last month his ruling party won a record supermajority in elections that critics said were tightly controlled, with Putin portraying the vote as a show of support for the hostilities.
- 'Sense of fatalism' - 
Kasyanov, who left Russia in 2022, lives in exile in Riga. In 2023, Moscow designated him a "foreign agent", a term reminiscent of the Soviet-era label "enemy of the people".
The Kremlin critic said he remained in contact with some members of Russia's ruling elite.
"Fear reigns there -- I am talking about the ruling class.
"Everyone wants the war to end. An overwhelming majority does," he said.
"The difference lies in what kind of ending people want: some want the war to end in victory, some want it to end in Putin's defeat, and others simply want it to stop, regardless of the outcome."
Among ordinary Russians, Kasyanov said he saw "no grounds for a revolt", despite mounting war casualties and rising food prices.
"Russians have lived with high inflation for the past 30 years," he said. "They have grown accustomed to putting up with it."
But a new wave of large-scale military mobilisations could trigger street protests, he added.
Speaking on the sidelines of a conference organised by the Paris-based association Russie-Libertes for anti-Putin exiles, Kasyanov said Russia had become "practically totalitarian" over the past few years.
"There is a sense of fatalism, hostility toward one another, and serious tension in society," he said. "People are retreating into their own families, while negative feelings toward one another grow."
After being dismissed by Putin, Kasyanov joined the opposition and became one of the Kremlin's most vocal critics. Like many others, the start and duration of the war were a shock for him. Kasyanov told AFP in 2022 that the war could last about two years.
- 'Calculating cynic' - 
After the Kremlin chief on Thursday said Russia would consider using "all types of weapons" if its exclave of Kaliningrad were attacked, Kasyanov said Western countries should not be intimidated by Putin's sabre-rattling.
"The West's and Europeans' biggest mistake is that they are too afraid of Putin. He is not as strong as he appears," Kasyanov told a packed audience in Paris.
"Putin fears the nuclear button more than many Europeans do."
Kasyanov suggested that Putin wants foreigners to believe that "he is a psychopath" when in reality he is simply a "highly calculating cynic".
"And he is raising the stakes in the game."
Kasyanov said that with an increase in "hybrid attacks" Putin was provoking the West into taking measures that he could then exploit.
"He is a provocateur," he added. "The only modus operandi he understands is the one he learned at the KGB academy. He told me that himself."
But, Kasyanov said, he did not believe Putin was preparing for open war with Europe. 
"What Putin wants is respect. He wants to force all of Europe to give it to him."
as/sjw/rmb

NMacedonia

Bulgaria's Tsar Samuel returns 'home' after 1,000 years

BY ROSSEN BOSSEV WITH DORETEYA DACHKOVA

  • In exchange for the remains, Greece is to receive 48 objects pillaged by Bulgarian troops from churches and monasteries in northern Greece during World War I.   - 'Where he belongs' -   Martin Nestorov, a 42-year-old software engineer, told AFP he attended the ceremony "to welcome Tsar Samuel back to Bulgaria, where he belongs". 
  • More than 1,000 years after his death, the remains of what may be Tsar Samuel, one of the last major rulers of the First Bulgarian Empire, returned "home" on Saturday.
  • In exchange for the remains, Greece is to receive 48 objects pillaged by Bulgarian troops from churches and monasteries in northern Greece during World War I.   - 'Where he belongs' -   Martin Nestorov, a 42-year-old software engineer, told AFP he attended the ceremony "to welcome Tsar Samuel back to Bulgaria, where he belongs". 
More than 1,000 years after his death, the remains of what may be Tsar Samuel, one of the last major rulers of the First Bulgarian Empire, returned "home" on Saturday.
Greece and Bulgaria reached an agreement on their return this week, with Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev hailing the accord as "historic".
After a handover ceremony in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, the remains arrived in Sofia and were carried in a flag-draped coffin through the Bulgarian capital by a guard of honour. 
Crowds of onlookers cheered and fighter jets performed a flypast as the remains were taken to be laid in state in the Church of Saint Sofia, a 6th-century basilica that gave its name to the city.
In a speech to the crowds, Radev expressed his "deepest gratitude to (Greek Prime Minister) Kyriakos Mitsotakis for the wisdom and courage that led to this historic agreement" to return the remains.
The deal "further strengthens the strategic partnership, friendship and trust between our two countries", he added. 
A 21-gun salute rang out across the square where the ceremony took place as he finished speaking.
In exchange for the remains, Greece is to receive 48 objects pillaged by Bulgarian troops from churches and monasteries in northern Greece during World War I.
 

'Where he belongs'

 
Martin Nestorov, a 42-year-old software engineer, told AFP he attended the ceremony "to welcome Tsar Samuel back to Bulgaria, where he belongs". 
Tsanka Zlatkova, 65, a retired art historian, added: "I am here because I am Bulgarian, and a Bulgarian is returning to his homeland."
Samuel, who reigned from 997 to 1014, led several campaigns against the Byzantine Empire with his brothers, one of whom he later executed.
He gradually extended his authority over a swathe of the Balkans, making the Lake Prespa and Lake Ohrid region, now mostly in North Macedonia, his powerbase.
But the Byzantines regained the upper hand after 1001, soundly defeating Samuel's army in 1014.
Samuel is said to have died of shock when he saw thousands of his defeated soldiers returning home blinded on the orders of Byzantine emperor Basil II, known as the "Bulgar Slayer".
Samuel's state fell under Byzantine rule four years later.
While Radev said future generations would now be able to pay homage to their ancestors, Mitsotakis hailed the remains as having "incalculable cultural and spiritual but also emotional value".
 

Competing claims

 
But Bulgaria is not the only country to have claims on Samuel, with a huge statue of the tsar standing in the North Macedonian capital Skopje.
His legacy has become a bone of contention between the two neighbours, with Macedonians claiming him as "their" ruler.
Some historians have likened the dispute to the French and German tug-of-war over Charlemagne.
In 2022, a bilateral commission recommended presenting Samuel as the head of a state that "most contemporary historiographers consider to be the Bulgarian Empire", based in what is currently North Macedonia.
The supposed remains of Samuel were discovered by Greek archaeologist Nikolaos Moutsopoulos in the 1960s.
Moutsopoulos led excavations on the Greek island of Saint Achilleios on Little Prespa Lake near the border between Greece and Albania and not far from the frontier with North Macedonia.
They found the skeleton of a man measuring about 1.6 metres (5 feet 3 inches), along with remnants of a rich silk fabric edged with gold and decorated with bird motifs.
The attribution to Samuel is based on clues including the location of the tomb, the sumptuousness of the garment, the age of the deceased and an old fracture.
Bulgaria officially opened talks on the return of the remains in 2007, and they became a major issue in relations with Greece.
The deal this week also sparked a row in Bulgaria over who should claim the credit, with history playing a major role in this month's presidential election.
Incumbent Iliana Iotova, backed by Radev and promoting ties both with Moscow and the EU and NATO, is playing the patriotic card, having launched her campaign in Veliki Preslav, former capital of the First Bulgarian Empire.
rb-frj-sr/rmb
 
 
 

conflict

Russia warns diplomats to leave Kyiv over new strikes threat

  • Hours after the attack, the Russian authorities warned of more strikes, issuing a fresh call for diplomats and foreigners to leave the city and refrain from visiting Ukraine.
  • Russia on Saturday issued a new call for diplomats and foreigners to leave Kyiv, warning the Ukrainian capital of new "massive" air attacks hours after striking another major bridge in the city.
  • Hours after the attack, the Russian authorities warned of more strikes, issuing a fresh call for diplomats and foreigners to leave the city and refrain from visiting Ukraine.
Russia on Saturday issued a new call for diplomats and foreigners to leave Kyiv, warning the Ukrainian capital of new "massive" air attacks hours after striking another major bridge in the city.
Moscow has ramped up its pummelling of Kyiv, launching waves of drones at the city, targeting key infrastructure and putting the capital on a near-constant state of alert against attacks.
The strike on the Northern Bridge on Saturday morning wounded two people and damaged road surface and trolleybus overhead wires restricting traffic, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
AFP reporters saw traces of an explosion on a pedestrian walkway and technicians repairing power lines on the bridge.
Hours after the attack, the Russian authorities warned of more strikes, issuing a fresh call for diplomats and foreigners to leave the city and refrain from visiting Ukraine.
"We note with concern that not everyone has heeded these warnings, and that individuals are knowingly exposing themselves to mortal danger," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.
The Russian ministry also stated that "responsibility for any potential negative consequences rests entirely with those who ignore this warning."
Moscow issued a similar warning in May but heads of state and governments from countries backing Ukraine have defied it by travelling to the war-torn country and the capital in show of support. 
On Friday, Klitschko said the city was in a "very dramatic situation" and should now be on a war footing as the enemy was "tearing Kyiv apart" with strikes on bridges and energy infrastructure.
President Volodymyr Zelensky accused his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, of ripping up the rulebook of armed conflict by sanctioning massive attacks on civilian areas, an accusation the Kremlin has rejected.
 
Traffic chaos
 
Kyiv has been increasingly under aerial bombardment in recent months, with the attacks and alerts disrupting daily life and sowing traffic chaos.
Long lines of stationary cars and buses clogged major roads on Friday as commuters sought alternate routes, with some forced to continue their journeys on foot.
Air raid sirens warning of approaching threats sound almost round the clock, urging the city's estimated three million people to seek shelter.
Strikes across the country in recent days have also caused power outages in several regions in the east, north and centre, with grid operator Ukrenergo urging consumers to limit usage even as demand increases with colder weather.
Ukraine braces for another difficult winter. Last year, heating and power were cut for days on end as temperatures plunged to -20C.
The grinding war, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, has turned into Europe's bloodiest conflict since World War II.
Ukraine has appeared to stabilise the front in recent months, but depleted air-defence stocks since the start of the US-Israeli war in Iran have left its cities exposed to Russian barrages.
The US-brokered peace efforts are effectively frozen as Moscow has shown no signs of dropping its maximalist conditions to end the war, including a demand that Ukraine cede territory in the east that Russia's troops have not captured.
bur-mmp/rmb

military

North Korea says test of intermediate-range strategic missile included use of AI

BY CLAIRE LEE

  • Hours later, Kim Yo Jong, the sister of Pyongyang's leader Kim Jong Un, said the missile fired in the morning was an "intermediate-range strategic missile".
  • North Korea said it tested an intermediate-range strategic missile on Saturday that involved the use of AI, hours after Seoul said Pyongyang had launched a ballistic missile. 
  • Hours later, Kim Yo Jong, the sister of Pyongyang's leader Kim Jong Un, said the missile fired in the morning was an "intermediate-range strategic missile".
North Korea said it tested an intermediate-range strategic missile on Saturday that involved the use of AI, hours after Seoul said Pyongyang had launched a ballistic missile. 
The launch took place days after Seoul's military demanded an apology from Pyongyang for a blast that wounded three South Korean soldiers in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that it blamed on the North.
Pyongyang has denied responsibility for last month's explosion and called South Korea "despicable" on Friday, undercutting overtures by Seoul's civilian leadership seeking a return to dialogue. 
Early Saturday, "our military detected a ballistic missile launched from the Wonsan area of North Korea toward the East Sea," Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said, referring to the body of water also known as the Sea of Japan.
"South Korea, the US, and Japan are maintaining a robust defense posture through close information sharing regarding North Korean ballistic missiles," it said, adding the missile flew more than 700 kilometres (435 miles).
Hours later, Kim Yo Jong, the sister of Pyongyang's leader Kim Jong Un, said the missile fired in the morning was an "intermediate-range strategic missile".
She said the projectile is "capable of changing its flight orbit at a low altitude and AI was introduced into it", without elaborating further on the use of artificial intelligence.
She said it meant "there is no way to avoid" the missile's attack, and claimed Kim Jong Un believed "any country in the world could not have access to such technology for at least several years".
Her latest statement followed Kim Jong Un's remarks last month stressing the need to raise "the level of artificial intelligence" in the country's weapons systems.
Kim Yo Jong claimed whenever North Korea "applied the wave-like trajectory mode", South Korea "failed to track the targets from their first skip points".
Analysts say North Korea could be rapidly advancing its missile technology with Russian military support in exchange for sending troops to support its war against Ukraine.
"AI is increasingly being incorporated into military technology worldwide, and ballistic missiles are no exception," Hong Sung-pyo, senior researcher at the Seoul-based Korea Institute for Military Affairs, told AFP.
"AI can assist with target information and launch operations, while the wars in Ukraine and Iran have shown how linking AI with drones and missiles can enhance their operational effectiveness."
Hong said it was too early to conclude North Korea's claims about the missile's capabilities were accurate.
"North Korea's missile technology is not particularly advanced compared with leading military powers," he said. 
"While missiles that manoeuvre in their terminal phase are difficult to intercept, that does not mean they can strike their targets with perfect accuracy."

'Despicable'

Seoul and the US-led United Nations Command found that last month's explosion inside the DMZ was caused by North Korean mines laid on the South side of the border.
North Korea's military has placed mines and built anti-tank barriers along the frontier as part of efforts to permanently seal it off following leader Kim Jong Un's designation of South Korea as his country's "principal enemy" in 2024.
The mines responsible for the blast, which left three soldiers wounded, were believed to have been laid as part of Pyongyang's border fortification work, according to South Korea's defence minister Kang Shin-chul.
South Korea's dovish President Lee Jae Myung had urged Pyongyang on Thursday to return to dialogue, despite his military demanding an apology a day earlier. 
Kim Yo Jong responded by calling Seoul "really despicable" on Friday and once again denied Pyongyang was behind the blasts.
She ridiculed Lee's latest overture, calling it "the climax of the farce that everyone should watch" and said the military's demand her country apologise was "quite ridiculous".
Kim also warned Pyongyang was "ready for everything" Seoul might do over the mine blast -- remarks followed the next morning by Pyongyang's missile launch.
Analysts said the launch would be viewed as a show of force in response to the South Korean government's diplomatic efforts, effectively rejecting engagement.
"Seoul called for easing tensions, but Pyongyang answered by escalating them," Yang Moo-jin, former president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, told AFP.
"The message is that the North is pursuing... confrontation in response to goodwill," he added.
cdl/lga

auto

Asian carmakers besting US rivals at home, China poised to strike

BY ELODIE MAZEIN

  • "The broader market story continues to be the growing (sales), and mostly on the strength of Asian automakers," said Charlie Chesbrough, a senior economist at Cox Automotive.
  • Major US automakers have watched their domestic market share shrink even more thanks to their Asian competitors -- a situation that may worsen if Chinese firms are able to enter the US market, an idea floated by President Donald Trump.
  • "The broader market story continues to be the growing (sales), and mostly on the strength of Asian automakers," said Charlie Chesbrough, a senior economist at Cox Automotive.
Major US automakers have watched their domestic market share shrink even more thanks to their Asian competitors -- a situation that may worsen if Chinese firms are able to enter the US market, an idea floated by President Donald Trump.
"The broader market story continues to be the growing (sales), and mostly on the strength of Asian automakers," said Charlie Chesbrough, a senior economist at Cox Automotive.
The analyst said that Asian brands are expected to account for more than half of US new vehicle sales in the third quarter, for the second quarter in a row, "approaching record-high market share levels."
At the same time, Detroit's historic Big Three -- General Motors, Ford and FCA/Stellantis (which makes Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge) -- will see their market share dwindle to a bit more than 36 percent, the lowest on record.
Chesbrough says the trend is rooted in the fact that Asian companies have "significant advantages" over US firms on hybrid vehicles, which more and more consumers are embracing given the volatile price of gas due to conflict in the Middle East.
GM is still the overall leader in terms of US sales, but Japan's Toyota is quickly catching up.
GM has slipped from 17.4 percent market share in 2025 to 16.7 percent in the first nine months of this year. Toyota meanwhile went from 15.2 percent to 15.6 percent in the same period, according to Cox Automotive.
In the third quarter, GM sales fell 5.5 percent to 670,974 units, while Toyota sales rose 0.6 percent to 633,223 units.
A similar pattern emerges when comparing Ford and Hyundai-Kia, which are third and fourth, respectively. Market share and sales are down for the Dearborn, Michigan, heavyweight, and up for the South Korean group.
Cox even predicted that Ford would soon drop to fourth place, but Hyundai-Kia's sales did not advance as much as estimated, so Ford remained in the number three spot.
FCA US sits in sixth place behind Japan's Honda.
Michael Orange, head of US retail sales for FCA US, said Friday the companies were operating against "a highly competitive industry backdrop."
And the situation could get worse.

Deal, with conditions

In mid-September, Trump said he was "okay" with the idea of Chinese cars on American highways, as long as their manufacturers opened factories in the United States and hired American workers.
He made the comments before Chinese President Xi Jinping paid him a visit, his first trip to the White House in more than a decade.
Lobbyists representing carmakers, parts manufacturers and dealers reacted quickly, asking Trump to "keep the door firmly shut to Chinese automakers seeking to sell, import or manufacture vehicles inside the US."
Among those who signed the letter were the American Auto Policy Council, which represents the Big Three, and Auto Drives America, which represents carmakers from Japan, Germany and other countries with US plants. 
Peter Nagle, an expert at Mobility Global, estimated recently that Chinese makers such as BYD, Geely and SAIC could sell up to 1.7 million cars in the United States -- about 11 percent of the market -- from now until 2038, according to Bloomberg.
Importing Chinese vehicles is not strictly forbidden, but punitive customs duties and tariffs imposed by multiple governments would make it prohibitively expensive.
According to industry observers, these punitive measures allow the US to avoid a massive influx of low-cost Chinese vehicles, a fate seen in Europe, Australia, Southeast Asia and Latin America.
Last month, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation -- which includes all carmakers present in the United States -- called on congressional leaders to put in place a "permanent ban" on Chinese cars, citing high-risk hardware and software they use.
Such a ban would include sale, importation and manufacturing on US soil.
Alliance president John Bozzella justified the request by invoking national security and the need to curb what he called "China's strategy to dominate global automotive manufacturing."
He accused Chinese carmakers of "dumping subsidized vehicles with connected software and hardware... capable of collecting, processing and transmitting sensitive vehicle and consumer data to the Chinese Communist Party."
elm/sst/pnb

technology

US regulator finds Boeing 737 MAX software bug 'not a safety concern'

  • "Following a thorough review, a panel of FAA safety experts on Friday determined a software issue in certain Boeing 737 MAX flight computers is not a safety concern," the US regulatory agency said in a statement.
  • A software bug that delayed the US certification of Boeing's 737 MAX 10 aircraft does not pose a safety concern, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Friday after an investigation.
  • "Following a thorough review, a panel of FAA safety experts on Friday determined a software issue in certain Boeing 737 MAX flight computers is not a safety concern," the US regulatory agency said in a statement.
A software bug that delayed the US certification of Boeing's 737 MAX 10 aircraft does not pose a safety concern, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Friday after an investigation.
The glitch was found in a cockpit software update to the plane model and can cause an automated navigation feature to fail when planes shift their approach to landing.
"Following a thorough review, a panel of FAA safety experts on Friday determined a software issue in certain Boeing 737 MAX flight computers is not a safety concern," the US regulatory agency said in a statement.
The FAA's review board reached this conclusion about the software bug's safety "because pilots retain full control of the aircraft and the indications to the flight crew are clear and unambiguous."
"As with any situation, the FAA will consider appropriate action if it receives new information about this issue."
Boeing will also send a bulletin to airlines detailing the issue and instructing employees how to recognize and respond to the situation should it take place.
"We will continue to follow the lead of the FAA as our engineers work on the next software update," Boeing said in a statement to AFP.
The aerospace giant on Monday said it had "informed all 737 operators about a software issue where pilots may not have access to automated flight guidance during a specific landing scenario."
Boeing on Friday added that it was working to formalize a procedure with airlines that would allow pilots to restore automated flight guidance in case the glitch occurs.
Despite the FAA review, neither the regulator nor Boeing said whether the certification process for the 737 MAX 10 would be unfrozen.
The model is the last of four 737 MAX planes to receive regulator certification to enter service.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said Monday at a press conference that the MAX planes certified by the FAA thus far are safe but that "we will be delaying the 10 until... we're satisfied we don't have an issue here."
elm/tu/ph/jgc/pnb

politics

New rallies urged in France as protests disrupt over 730 schools

BY FREDERIC BOURIGAULT, ULRIKE KOLTERMANN AND STUART WILLIAMS

  • In the western city of Brest, police used tear gas at the Kerichen high school as pupils hurled projectiles at security forces, an AFP photographer said.
  • French high school students on Friday lit fires and hurled projectiles at police who responded by firing tear gas, as activists urged new rallies in an escalating protest movement demanding better conditions in education.
  • In the western city of Brest, police used tear gas at the Kerichen high school as pupils hurled projectiles at security forces, an AFP photographer said.
French high school students on Friday lit fires and hurled projectiles at police who responded by firing tear gas, as activists urged new rallies in an escalating protest movement demanding better conditions in education.
The government says that the pupils in their mid-to-late-teens studying in lycees have every right to air grievances but has condemned violence which has included a policeman being chased, kicked and beaten by a group of youths.
In La Ciotat in southern France, a teacher was sprayed with petrol before being physically assaulted by two individuals, officials said.
A young man wounded in Tours lost the use of his right eye, the city's prosecutor said Friday. He was injured on Wednesday as students clashed with police, said the local prefecture.
On Friday, unions and student groups urged protesters to keep up the pressure on the government and stage new rallies on Tuesday.
"High school students are expecting concrete measures from this government, and so far we have not received them," said Ryad Rani, head of the USL high school union.
The movement, which began in the Paris region in September and spread nationwide, has seen teenage pupils at lycees in their final years of schooling block access to buildings and clash with police. 
The students say their school hours are excessively long, conditions inadequate including overheated classrooms, and that there are too many staff absences. 
The protests have had political reverberations seven months before voters choose President Emmanuel Macron's successor.
Of the country's 3,700 schools, 735 were affected "in one way or another" on Friday, down 30 percent from Thursday, Education Minister Edouard Geffray said after talks with activists.
He said that three staff members had been injured, compared with 31 on Thursday.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said there had been 1,747 arrests on Friday, adding there had been "projectiles thrown, attacks on law enforcement, teachers, journalists, passersby."
Geffray said an action plan aimed at "speeding up the replacement" of absent teachers would be launched.
 

'Violent repression'

 
Students and police traded accusations of violence.
James, a high school student in the northern city of Lille, denounced what he called "extremely violent police repression, which inevitably fuels students' anger."
"When we see fellow students being beaten, choked, blinded in one eye, and tear-gassed from all sides while we're simply trying to have a dialogue with the government, of course it makes people angry," he said.
In the western city of Brest, police used tear gas at the Kerichen high school as pupils hurled projectiles at security forces, an AFP photographer said.
Interior Minister Nunez said images from the eastern city of Belfort showing a group of youths encircle a lone policeman and kick him to the ground were of a "rare violence and intolerable".
In Paris on Friday, fire damaged the entrances of two high schools, with the fire brigade called to extinguish the blazes, an AFP photographer said. 
The police force has launched internal probes after accusations of brutality against demonstrators.
In the southern city of Toulouse, protesters administered eye drops to each other after police used tear gas, AFP images showed.
In Aubervilliers, north of Paris, police used batons and riot shields to control protesters.
 

'Children in danger'

 
The government has accused the hard left France Unbowed (LFI) -- whose firebrand leader Jean-Luc Melenchon is again standing for the presidency -- of being behind the movement.
Senior LFI official Manuel Bompard had accused the government of "descending into conspiracy theories".
The education minister said "the high school student movement is being held hostage by ultra-violent fringe groups".
Geffray told BFMTV at least 65 staff members had been injured, including 40 high school principals, since the start of the movement.
Some 170 students have been wounded while over 100 high schools have suffered "severe damage", he added.
"What matters now is ensuring our children are no longer out on the streets, because they are in danger."
According to Nunez, more than 300 police officers and gendarmes were injured.
burs-ach/jj

politics

G7 agrees deal to ease global energy supply concerns

BY VALERIE LEROUX WITH UMBERTO BACCHI IN BRUSSELS

  • The seven countries agreed to a coordinated release through the International Energy Agency (IEA) of 100 million barrels "to begin immediately over four months, including a frontloaded substantial diesel release within the first 20 days," the leaders said in a statement released by Macron's office.
  • G7 countries agreed Friday to release 100 million barrels of diesel and crude oil to ease global energy supply concerns, as President Donald Trump hailed the decision and said the US would not impose a threatened diesel export ban.
  • The seven countries agreed to a coordinated release through the International Energy Agency (IEA) of 100 million barrels "to begin immediately over four months, including a frontloaded substantial diesel release within the first 20 days," the leaders said in a statement released by Macron's office.
G7 countries agreed Friday to release 100 million barrels of diesel and crude oil to ease global energy supply concerns, as President Donald Trump hailed the decision and said the US would not impose a threatened diesel export ban.
The announcement came following a video conference of G7 leaders chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron after Washington stepped up pressure on Europe to release strategic reserves and threatened a diesel export ban.
The talks, convened by Macron after a conversation with Trump, focused on coordinating a response to soaring fuel prices among the other G7 economies of Britain, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States.
The US-Israeli war with Iran has sent energy prices skyrocketing, coming back to bite Trump at home with high fuel costs that have become a key issue ahead of midterm congressional elections in a month.
Trump had floated the possibility of banning US exports of diesel, which is used in trucks and other hauling vehicles, an alarming prospect for the EU, which relies heavily on fossil fuel imports.
The seven countries agreed to a coordinated release through the International Energy Agency (IEA) of 100 million barrels "to begin immediately over four months, including a frontloaded substantial diesel release within the first 20 days," the leaders said in a statement released by Macron's office.
They also said there would be no ban on diesel exports between them.
"We reaffirm our commitment to refrain from export restrictions on energy and energy products between G7 countries and call on all producers to refrain from imposing bans that could exacerbate market tensions," the leaders said.
"Our citizens' concerns about energy prices remain a top priority."
Trump said European countries had agreed to release a "massive amount" of diesel from their reserves.
"The process will begin immediately," he posted on his Truth Social network.
"Europe has a lot of diesel and they're going to be making a major world contribution -- and so are we," Trump said later, adding "Europe did a great thing". 
"And we're not going to be doing the export ban," he said.

US pressure

Earlier the EU pushed back hard against US threats to impose a diesel export ban, something Macron also warned against during his conversation with Trump.
The flurry of diplomatic activity came a day after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent cranked up the pressure on European nations.
"American farmers, truckers, and businesses should not be left carrying the burden of a global diesel shortage," he said.
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright likewise held talks with his British counterpart Miatta Fahnbulleh on the crisis, including on the UK's strategic reserves.
British dairy farmer Keith Blackshaw, in the Derbyshire hamlet of Newhaven, complained of a "vicious circle" with high fuel prices being passed onto customers.
"I'd like to see Mr Trump support us a little bit more really," the 69-year-old said. "He looks after his own. Maybe we should do the same, look after our own."
The 32 members of the IEA agreed last March to unlock 400 million barrels of oil from reserves, their largest release ever. 
- 'Sanctions against Russia' - 
Earlier this week, IEA chief Fatih Birol said European nations had yet to release part of those stocks, which could happen soon. 
About a third was yet to come to market, Birol said, adding that further releases were possible since 80 percent of overall IEA stocks were "still in our pocket".
Diesel prices in the United States and Europe have hit record highs in recent weeks, with an export ban imposed by major producer Russia in response to Ukrainian attacks on fuel facilities also contributing to global market pressures. 
The G7 leaders said on Friday: "We will maintain sanctions against Russia while working with the IEA and global partners to prevent further spillovers into fuel, gas, and other commodity markets."
Energy prices surged in the eurozone in September, pushing inflation to 3.8 percent, the highest level in three years.
bur-ub-as/ach/jgc

China

China a better influence in Latin America than US: poll

  • It showed 57 percent of people in Latin America considering the United States to be a positive influence, down from 60 percent in 2020.
  • China's influence in Latin America is now viewed more positively than that of the United States, a major poll conducted in 17 Latin American countries showed Friday.
  • It showed 57 percent of people in Latin America considering the United States to be a positive influence, down from 60 percent in 2020.
China's influence in Latin America is now viewed more positively than that of the United States, a major poll conducted in 17 Latin American countries showed Friday.
The 2026 Latinobarometro survey showed that China overtaking the United States in terms of influence for the first time since the annual survey began in 1995.
It showed 57 percent of people in Latin America considering the United States to be a positive influence, down from 60 percent in 2020.
China, meanwhile, was considered a positive influence by 65 percent of respondents, a jump from 48 percent six years ago.
Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic were the only countries in the region where US influence was deemed more positive than that of China.
The report partly attributed the shift to Washington's "almost complete absence" from the region in the two decades after the 2003 Iraq War.
During that time, Latin America "drew closer to other powers, to China, to the European Union, to Japan," Marta Lagos, director of Latinobarometer, told AFP.
Lagos said China had won over Latin American populations by allowing them to access cheaper imports.
"The void that China fills is the void in people's pockets, more than anything else," she said.
The growing disaffection towards the United States comes nearly halfway through Trump's second term, during which he has openly asserted his desire for hegemony over Latin America, as part of what he calls the "Donroe Doctrine."
 

- US popularity drops -

 
As a country, the United States remains more popular than China, with 63 percent saying they had a favorable view of the world's top economy, compared to 58 percent for its arch-rival.
But America's popularity was markedly down compared to 2024, when Democratic president Joe Biden was in the White House and 73 percent had a favorable view of the United States.
The "Donroe Doctrine" blends Trump's first name with that of James Monroe, the fifth US president, who more than two centuries ago declared Latin America the United States' exclusive sphere of influence.
Trump's push to restore US dominance in what Washington calls "our hemisphere" was in evidence in January when the United States overthrew Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro.
The Latinobarometro poll showed a majority of people in all but one country -- Argentina -- approving of Maduro's capture by US special forces.
But only 35 percent considered it benefited Venezuela, compared to 28 percent who said it harmed the Caribbean country.
Citizens of Venezuela itself were, however, among those who viewed US influence most positively.
Chile-based Latinobarometro is a non-profit organization that surveys opinions on a range of issues, from democracy to the economy, security and migration.
The 2026 survey was based on some 19,200 face-to-face interviews carried out in 17 countries between May 7 and June 17, with a margin of error of 1 percent.
cb-gma/md/mjf
 
 
 

Tigray

Ethiopian pro-government militia claims Tigray airport as regional tensions spike

  • In a post on X, the pro-government militia, the Tigray Peace Force, claimed to have "taken full control of Mekelle Alula Aba Nega Airport" roughly 10 kilometres (six miles) outside the regional capital.
  • Pro-government militias in Ethiopia on Friday claimed they had captured a major airport near the Tigrayan capital from rebels, as the conflict triggered a breakdown in the country's relations with Eritrea and Egypt.
  • In a post on X, the pro-government militia, the Tigray Peace Force, claimed to have "taken full control of Mekelle Alula Aba Nega Airport" roughly 10 kilometres (six miles) outside the regional capital.
Pro-government militias in Ethiopia on Friday claimed they had captured a major airport near the Tigrayan capital from rebels, as the conflict triggered a breakdown in the country's relations with Eritrea and Egypt.
Fighting erupted last week in northern Ethiopia as the rebel Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) launched attacks into the states of Afar and Amhara, raising fears of a return to the devastating 2020-2022 civil war.
The government accuses Eritrea of supporting the TPLF, and the two countries broke diplomatic relations on Thursday.
Ethiopia expelled 10 Eritrean diplomats and shut its embassy in Asmara, while Eritrea responded that it would "sever all diplomatic ties".
Ethiopia also expelled an Egyptian diplomat without explanation, prompting a reciprocal move by Cairo. The two were already at odds over Addis Ababa's new Nile mega-dam, with Egypt strengthening ties with Eritrea in recent months.
Eritrea has long feared landlocked Ethiopia plans to invade and seize access to its coastline.
The TPLF's leader, Debretsion Gebremichael, said in a video published late Thursday that "the war is regional and it is a war to control the Red Sea".
The African Union, based in Ethiopia, said it was "following with concern the heightened tensions between Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt", urging "maximum restraint".

Frontlines

On the frontlines in northern Ethiopia, the Tigrayan rebels appeared to be suffering a pushback.
The government is now engaged in a counter-offensive pushing into Tigrayan territory along three axes towards the capital Mekelle, according to the Critical Threats Project, part of the American Enterprise Institute think tank.
In a post on X, the pro-government militia, the Tigray Peace Force, claimed to have "taken full control of Mekelle Alula Aba Nega Airport" roughly 10 kilometres (six miles) outside the regional capital.
The claims could not be independently verified, with media prevented from travelling to affected areas and significant communications disruptions.
Earlier, a humanitarian source told AFP on condition of anonymity that the TPLF had been pushed out of Afar.
"The humanitarian situation has little changed as they raided and destroyed as they left and there is no access to food in the north," they said, speaking from the area.
Conflict monitor ACLED said pro-government forces had retaken control of the Afar towns of Abala, Erebti and Megale, while the Critical Threats Project said the Ethiopian military had "largely repelled the rebel offensive".

Drone strikes

For the first time, the conflict appeared to reach the capital overnight Wednesday-Thursday when an explosion was reported at the defence ministry, housing the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) headquarters.
Drone strikes were the "most likely" cause, a diplomatic source based in the city told AFP, "though we haven't been able to obtain imagery or independent confirmation".
The devices used were likely FPV (First-Person View) drones -- "essentially militarised commercial drones fitted with an explosive charge", the source said, adding that an army base in the capital was hit around the same time.
Though the military has a far more substantial fleet of drones, rebel forces have deployed them against airbases and airports elsewhere in the country -- including three attacks last Sunday in Oromia and Amhara states, according to ACLED.
The Critical Threats Project said rebel forces had "launched a drone strike campaign across Ethiopia", including Addis Ababa, to demonstrate "its ability to expand the conflict across the country".
The government and army have refused to comment on the strikes in the capital, which were also reported to AFP by residents and workers near the army headquarters in the Tor Hayloch area of Addis Ababa.
tfg-er-rbu/ach 

Global Edition

Lula, Bolsonaro trade blows in final scramble for votes in Brazil

BY FACUNDO FERNANDEZ BARRIO WITH LUCIA LACURCIA IN RIO DE JANEIRO

  • Washington suspended consular services in Brasilia over "security concerns" and Australia closed its embassy for the same reason.
  • President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and rival Flavio Bolsonaro are pulling no punches in a last-ditch effort to win voters ahead of Sunday's election in Brazil, where the US suspended consular services Friday over security concerns.
  • Washington suspended consular services in Brasilia over "security concerns" and Australia closed its embassy for the same reason.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and rival Flavio Bolsonaro are pulling no punches in a last-ditch effort to win voters ahead of Sunday's election in Brazil, where the US suspended consular services Friday over security concerns.
US President Donald Trump said he was "very closely" watching the nail-biter poll, which comes after a string of recent right-wing victories across Latin America.
Washington suspended consular services in Brasilia over "security concerns" and Australia closed its embassy for the same reason. Neither gave details.
Police said in a statement they had executed two search and seizure warrants to investigate possible threats to US diplomatic facilities but "no evidence has been found to corroborate the initially reported risks."
US pressure has loomed large over an insult-driven, scandal-littered campaign that has done little to mend Brazil's political fragmentation.
Edinho Silva, president of Lula's Workers' Party (PT), told journalists that the US closing its consulates "makes absolutely no sense. It is one of the ways Trump has to vie for Brazilian public opinion."
Veteran leftist Lula, 80, is in a dead heat with the son of far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro in polls that predict an October 25 runoff, which will take place if no candidate gets more than half the first-round vote.
"The race is tied but not at a standstill," Felipe Nunes, director of the Quaest polling institute, told AFP.
Horns honked raucously at a Lula rally in Rio de Janeiro attended by thousands on Friday.
"The left has put itself in a position of defending the poorest, the weakest, the minorities," said Alex de Oliveira Rangel, a 55-year-old evangelical pastor.
"As Christians, we have to defend the values that are right for society and defend democracy, which is under serious threat from the right," he told AFP.
Flavio Bolsonaro meanwhile called for a "mega-motorcade" of motorcycles at his final campaign rally in Sao Paulo state on Saturday.
 
- Saintly spat, gynecological gaffe - 
 
Keenly aware of undecided voters, both sides have kept a close eye on anything they can twist to their advantage.
In recent days, the debate lasered in on Brazil's patron saint, Our Lady of Aparecida, as rumors erupted that Flavio Bolsonaro planned to demote her if elected.
Bolsonaro, 45, issued fierce denials as Lula appeared clutching a statue of the beloved saint, declaring that "messing" with her was "unacceptable."
The electoral court ordered Thursday that posts with the "untrue" claims be taken down.
Next, Bolsonaro and his supporters pounced when Lula said that men were "cowards" when it comes to getting their prostates examined, while "women learn to receive a touch from a young age," referring to gynecological exams.
Clips of his comment circulated widely on social media as if it were an allusion to abuse.
Amid all the drama, many of the nation's 160 million registered voters are disenchanted with their options.
"It's really turned into a circus," said Gisele Sousa, 45, a clothing shop employee in the southeastern city of Juiz de Fora. "My vote won't go to any of them."

Tough foe

 
Lula is seeking a fourth non-consecutive term, boasting he is fitter than ever despite his advanced age.
He made Brazilian sovereignty a central plank of his campaign, warning Trump not to "meddle" in Brazilian elections.
The former union leader has overseen a drop in inflation and unemployment while massively curbing deforestation in the Amazon rainforest.
But voters complain about a high cost of living, and many are jaded by violence and crime.
The president unveiled a flurry of crowd-pleasing measures in recent weeks, increasing social welfare payments and banning sports betting that has ensnared many in debts and gambling addiction.
Bolsonaro vowed that Lula would be "ousted from the presidency" on Sunday.
The once little-known Bolsonaro, a senator since 2019, has proven a tough foe for Lula, even as it emerged Bolsonaro was under investigation for corruption over the financing of the biopic "Dark Horse" about his father.
He was forced during the campaign to admit he had asked jailed banker Daniel Vorcaro, at the heart of one of Brazil's largest financial fraud cases, to bankroll the film.
ffb-fb-ll/cc/mjf

investment

Argentina unveils passports-for-investment scheme

  • The Citizenship by Investment Program announced by the government proposes two "simple and transparent mechanisms" for obtaining an Argentine passport.
  • Argentine President Javier Milei's government said Friday that the country would offer citizenship to foreigners who invest at least $350,000 in the country.
  • The Citizenship by Investment Program announced by the government proposes two "simple and transparent mechanisms" for obtaining an Argentine passport.
Argentine President Javier Milei's government said Friday that the country would offer citizenship to foreigners who invest at least $350,000 in the country.
South America's second-largest economy attracted the lowest level of foreign direct investment of any major Latin American economy in 2025, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
The Citizenship by Investment Program announced by the government proposes two "simple and transparent mechanisms" for obtaining an Argentine passport.
Investors can either make a "direct, non-refundable contribution of $350,000 to the National Treasury" or "subscribe to an $800,000 government bond created specifically" for the purpose.
The spouses and children of applicants can also secure citizenship, in exchange for a contribution of $100,000 to the Treasury, or $25,000 if they are under 18 years of age. 
"The resources obtained will be used to continue strengthening the fiscal and financial position of the Argentine Republic," the government said.
Writing on X, the economy ministry said that the investments would be subject to a "rigorous evaluation process (...) guaranteeing the traceability of funds, the prevention of money laundering, and national security."
The program comes days after the Supreme Court abolished limits on the purchase of rural land by foreigners.
The court on Tuesday upheld a 2023 decree by Milei repealing a 15-percent cap on foreign ownership of such land in place since 2011. 
Veterans of Argentina's 1982 war with Britain over the Falkland Islands -- known to Argentines as Las Malvinas -- had bitterly opposed the decree, accusing Milei of "putting the Republic of Argentina up for sale."
A demonstration has been called for next week to condemn the change in the land ownership law, which the opposition will seek to block in Parliament. 
According to the OECD, Argentina received $3.134 billion in foreign direct investment last year, a fraction of $76.877 billion attracted by Brazil and the $40.871 billion secured by Mexico.
 
sa/lm/cb/md