protests

France workers strike, march for 'dignified wage'

politics

Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong given 10 more years for collusion

BY SAMMY HEUNG AND TOMMY WANG

  • The following year, Beijing imposed the sweeping national security law on Hong Kong that quashed dissent, prompting opposition groups to disband and activists to flee the city.
  • Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong was sentenced to 10 more years in jail on Thursday for colluding with foreign powers, the second time he has been penalised under the city's national security law.
  • The following year, Beijing imposed the sweeping national security law on Hong Kong that quashed dissent, prompting opposition groups to disband and activists to flee the city.
Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong was sentenced to 10 more years in jail on Thursday for colluding with foreign powers, the second time he has been penalised under the city's national security law.
Wong, 30, is one of the most globally recognised faces of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement and has already spent almost six years behind bars. He is now not due for release until late 2036.
The United States said his new sentence showed China would "go to extraordinary lengths to silence those who advocate for fundamental freedoms" in the city.
Britain, the European Union, Taiwan and Western human rights groups also condemned the move, while Beijing declared support for Hong Kong "cracking down on acts that endanger national security".
Wong was previously due to be freed in January after serving four years and eight months for subversion, under a national security law imposed on Hong Kong by the Chinese government.
But Hong Kong authorities used the same law to charge him again in June last year, accusing him of collusion with countries and entities to have sanctions imposed on the finance hub and China.
Wong was potentially facing a life term but the court decided "an appropriate starting point" to be 13 years, which was then reduced due to his guilty plea.
Wong said in his mitigation letter to the court, seen by AFP, that his future would not be defined by the past, and that the years he has spent behind bars have been the "most profound lessons" of his life.
 

Political star

 
With a heavy police presence at the court, Wong entered the dock looking calm in a blue shirt and black glasses, nodding to supporters.
After the sentencing, Wong thanked and waved to them as he left. Some wept and were heard saying: "We'll be waiting for your release."
Wong initially rose to prominence during earlier protests in 2014, known as the Umbrella Movement, and has been in and out of jail since 2017.
Authorities said he started international lobbying as early as 2016, when he promoted a bill that would allow the US president to impose sanctions over rights violations in Hong Kong.
During the 2019 marches, Wong was part of a delegation to the United States to lobby for the bill, which eventually passed.
The following year, Beijing imposed the sweeping national security law on Hong Kong that quashed dissent, prompting opposition groups to disband and activists to flee the city.
At the time, Wong vowed to "continue to defend my home -- Hong Kong -- until they silence me".
He was among dozens of pro-democracy figures jailed for subversion in 2024, in what was Hong Kong's largest national security trial. Some have since been released.
Wong's treatment showed there was "no scope for turning back to the more relaxed days" before the national security law, Steve Tsang, director of the China Institute at SOAS University of London, told AFP before the sentencing.
 

'Too heartbroken'

 
Britain's Foreign Office said Wong's sentencing was "a clear example" of how the national security law was used to "target individuals for political expression and participation", while an EU spokesman deplored the "exceptionally long prison term".
Taiwan, the democratic island claimed by China, criticised the "endless political persecution" of Hong Kong activists.
The UN rights office said in a statement to AFP they were "disturbed by continued imposition of harsh penalties" under the national security law, adding: "The sustained suppression of civic space in Hong Kong is very worrying."
Nathan Law, a fellow student leader in self-imposed exile and wanted by authorities, said it was "incredibly sad" to see Wong's fate, and described the extra jail term as a "farce".
But Hong Kong's leader, Chief Executive John Lee, defended it, saying Wong had an "utter disregard for the law".
Margaret Chan, a 61-year-old retiree and a long-time supporter of Wong, told AFP that she was "too heartbroken", noting that Wong would be "in his middle age by the time he is released".
Housewife ET Wong, who is not related to Joshua Wong, said he had "given his all" for Hong Kong.
"I see his contribution as entirely selfless."
syh-twa/dhw/mjw/ami

protests

France workers strike, march for 'dignified wage'

  • While the marches were largely peaceful, skirmishes between protestors and police broke out in some cities, including Lyon where at least one vehicle was torched and tear gas was fired.
  • Thousands of striking workers protested across France on Thursday against the rising cost of living in a new escalation following weeks of demonstrations, with police firing tear gas as violence and vandalism broke out in some cities.
  • While the marches were largely peaceful, skirmishes between protestors and police broke out in some cities, including Lyon where at least one vehicle was torched and tear gas was fired.
Thousands of striking workers protested across France on Thursday against the rising cost of living in a new escalation following weeks of demonstrations, with police firing tear gas as violence and vandalism broke out in some cities.
More than 270,000 people had already taken to the streets across the country, the interior ministry reported, before a major march kicked off in Paris from 2:00 pm (1300 GMT).
The demonstrations come as the eurozone's second largest economy battles to redress its finances, six months ahead of elections to replace centrist President Emmanuel Macron, with the far right leading in opinion polls.
The high school student movement that began with youths protesting over learning conditions has coincided with widespread anger over the rising cost of living and inequality, which culminated on October 17 in the worst rioting France has seen in years.
"The question today is not whether we're going to win" but rather "how much we're going to win", CGT union leader Sophie Binet said at the Paris rally. 
The unions are calling for across-the-board wage raises, tax reforms and better learning conditions for young people and have complained about police restrictions on certain protests.
While the marches were largely peaceful, skirmishes between protestors and police broke out in some cities, including Lyon where at least one vehicle was torched and tear gas was fired.
Winegrower Martin Thiberge said he wanted to take part in demonstrations that were drawing together people from across French society.
"We want to make a living from our work, to make a dignified wage," he said at the Lyon protest.
In Marseille, 31-year-old social worker Lea told AFP that she was "fed up with counting every cent". 
"This social movement has given us hope," she added. 
In Paris, the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe, popular among tourists, were closed for the day. 

School blockades

Dozens of high-schoolers protested in several cities, with the government reporting blockades at 81 out of the country's 3,700 high schools.
A high school student association said classes had been suspended at 1,000 secondary schools.
Around 16 percent of teachers nationwide were on strike, the education ministry said.
In Paris, police used tear gas to try to prevent students from blocking access to the Helene-Boucher high school in the city's east, an AFP reporter said.
Public and private education unions have called for strike action, as well as unions representing rail workers, public hospitals and postal services.
At the capital's Montparnasse train station, a psychologist who gave her name as Jeanne said her trip had been delayed.
"It's tedious to get up early, wait, and then see your train cancelled, but it's understandable there's a strike," she said.

Police violence alleged

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez announced Wednesday that 70,000 police officers and security forces would be deployed across the country, promising "an extremely firm response" to any "acts of violence" or disorder. 
The protests have been largely peaceful, though some disintegrated into clashes with police, who have fired tear gas and water cannon.
An attempted murder investigation has been launched after petrol bombs were thrown at security forces in Paris on Saturday.
The police response has been criticised as heavy-handed and internal police investigations have been launched over allegations of brutality.
Several teenage protesters have been seriously wounded and thousands arrested.
Similar protests have erupted in other European countries in recent weeks.
burs-giv/ah/ach 

rape

Russell Brand guilty of rape, three sexual assaults

BY HELEN ROWE

  • Brand was convicted of four sexual offences  -- one rape and three sexual assaults -- involving four women between 2005 and 2009 in different locations, including a radio station, the set of a DVD recording and Brand's home address.
  • British comedian Russell Brand was on Thursday found guilty by a London jury of one rape and three sexual assaults, involving a total of four women.
  • Brand was convicted of four sexual offences  -- one rape and three sexual assaults -- involving four women between 2005 and 2009 in different locations, including a radio station, the set of a DVD recording and Brand's home address.
British comedian Russell Brand was on Thursday found guilty by a London jury of one rape and three sexual assaults, involving a total of four women.
Brand, who closed his eyes but showed no emotion as the jury delivered the verdicts, was cleared of two rapes and one count of attempted indecent assault.
Judge Joel Bennathan warned the 51-year-old actor turned conservative, religious online guru that he faced a "significant custodial term".
Brand's wife Laura watched from the public gallery as the jury at London's Southwark Crown Court delivered their four unanimous guilty verdicts.
He was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on Monday. The maximum sentence in the UK for rape is life imprisonment.
Brand, who was briefly married to US popstar Katy Perry, reportedly also faces a further accusation of raping two more women, including a 16-year-old schoolgirl, and could face further criminal charges.
The allegations, which could not be reported earlier, were revealed at previous hearings of his four-week trial.
After the verdicts, the Metropolitan Police paid tribute to the "extraordinary courage, resilience and determination of the women who came forward and reported what happened to them".
"Brand used his influence, status and fame to exploit and sexually offend against women," the Met's Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy said in a statement.
"As his profile grew, so too did his sense of entitlement. I hope this conviction sends a clear message that no one is above the law, no matter how famous or powerful they may be," Furphy added.
 

Bail refused

 
Senior prosecutor David Roberts said outside the court Thursday that Brand was "predatory and used his celebrity status to commit sexual crimes". 
"He was a manipulator with an insatiable desire to get what he wanted regardless of whether consent was given or not," Roberts added.
Brand was convicted of four sexual offences  -- one rape and three sexual assaults -- involving four women between 2005 and 2009 in different locations, including a radio station, the set of a DVD recording and Brand's home address.
He had pleaded not guilty to all the charges saying that although he used to be promiscuous he had always had consensual sex.
The prosecution had earlier described him as a "ruthless, calculated and manipulative" sexual predator. 
Following the guilty verdicts, Brand's lawyer Ian Winter urged the judge to renew his bail over the weekend as "an act of humanity". 
Winter said he was asking for bail so Brand could "put his affairs in order and in particular to say goodbye to his three young children".
Judge Bennathan said he regretted the "hardship caused to the children".
But he said Brand had "considerable resources" and that whatever his good intentions were there were substantial grounds to "fear he might in the end not feel able to come along and face his sentence".
From the dock, Brand signalled to his defence team that he was okay, adding:  "I'm good, I'm good, I'm good" before being led out of the dock.
har/jkb/jj

rape

Russell Brand guilty of rape, three sexual assaults: UK court

  • Brand was convicted of four sexual offences  -- one rape and three sexual assaults -- involving four women between 2005 and 2009 in different locations, including a radio station, the set of a DVD recording and Brand's home address.
  • British comedian Russell Brand was on Thursday found guilty by a London jury of one rape and three sexual assaults, involving a total of four women.
  • Brand was convicted of four sexual offences  -- one rape and three sexual assaults -- involving four women between 2005 and 2009 in different locations, including a radio station, the set of a DVD recording and Brand's home address.
British comedian Russell Brand was on Thursday found guilty by a London jury of one rape and three sexual assaults, involving a total of four women.
Brand, who closed his eyes but showed no emotion as the jury delivered the verdicts, was cleared of two rapes and one count of attempted indecent assault.
Judge Joel Bennathan warned the 51-year-old actor turned conservative, religious online guru that he faced a "significant custodial term".
After the verdicts, London's Metropolitan Police paid tribute to the "extraordinary courage, resilience and determination of the women who came forward and reported what happened to them".
"Brand used his influence, status and fame to exploit and sexually offend against women," Met's Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy said in a statement.
"As his profile grew, so too did his sense of entitlement. I hope this conviction sends a clear message that no one is above the law, no matter how famous or powerful they may be," Furphy added.
Brand was convicted of four sexual offences  -- one rape and three sexual assaults -- involving four women between 2005 and 2009 in different locations, including a radio station, the set of a DVD recording and Brand's home address.
He had pleaded not guilty to all the charges saying that although he used to be promiscuous he had always had consensual sex.
The prosecution had earlier described him as a "ruthless, calculated and manipulative" sexual predator.
har/jkb/jj

Global Edition

Eisenkot tipped to seek Israel government with backing of Arab lists

BY YAELLE IFRAH

  • Both Arab lists on Thursday said they were backing Eisenkot.
  • Israel's largest Arab list on Thursday said it would back Gadi Eisenkot to form the next government, bolstering his chances of being picked over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who lost the support of an allied religious party.
  • Both Arab lists on Thursday said they were backing Eisenkot.
Israel's largest Arab list on Thursday said it would back Gadi Eisenkot to form the next government, bolstering his chances of being picked over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who lost the support of an allied religious party.
President Isaac Herzog was holding a second day of consultations with political parties after the October 27 election, in which neither Netanyahu -- a polarising right-winger who has led Israel through three years of war -- nor Eisenkot -- a former military chief promising to restore national unity -- secured enough votes for a majority.
Herzog will choose by himself whom to ask to form a new government, but traditionally the mandate is given to the person recommended by more parties, which would be Eisenkot.
Arab-majority lists won an unprecedented 19 seats in the election, making them potential kingmakers if Eisenkot's opposition chooses to work with them -- something which remains unclear.
Both Arab lists on Thursday said they were backing Eisenkot.
The Joint List, which bagged 11 seats, said in a statement that "it will inform the President of the State, Isaac Herzog, this evening of its decision to recommend that Gadi Eisenkot be tasked with forming the government".
Raam, which won eight seats, also endorsed Eisenkot.

Ultra-Orthodox exemptions

Meanwhile, United Torah Judaism, which backed Netanyahu after the previous five elections, in its meeting with Herzog declined to recommend Netanyahu again as prime minister, although it also did not side with Eisenkot.
The party informed Herzog "that it has decided not to recommend any member of Knesset to form a government", the president's office said in a statement, referring to the 120-member parliament in which United Torah Judaism has won seven seats.
Alongside Shas, another ultra-Orthodox party, they have pushed to maintain the exemption from military service for religious students.
Netanyahu has preserved the exemption but stopped short of enshrining it in law, in the face of major resentment from many other Israelis, as reservists serve multiple tours due to the wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.
"In whatever government is next formed, our immediate item is sorting out the status of Torah students," United Torah Judaism lawmaker Isaac Pindrus said.
Eisenkot, who has tried to appeal to secular Israelis from left to right, has been adamant about ending exemptions for military service. 
Some of his opposition allies have criticised the ultra-Orthodox -- who make up about 14 percent of the population but have far higher birthrates than secular Israelis -- as a drain on the state.
Observers say United Torah Judaism's tactic is likely aimed mostly at punishing Netanyahu and showing that their votes cannot be taken for granted, while they would still serve in a government if he were to form one.

Arab parties play key role

Once Herzog gives his mandate to a lawmaker, the person will have 28 days to form a government, with a potential 14-day extension. If the lawmaker fails, Herzog will then task someone else.
Netanyahu's bloc, including United Torah Judaism, has 53 seats in the new parliament, compared to 48 for Eisenkot's bloc.
Arab-majority parties scored historic gains on the back of anger over Netanyahu's hard-right government, whose ministers have vowed to treat  Arba-Israelis much like Palestinians in war-ravaged Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
Eisenkot could form a government with the Arab parties' numbers but would risk losing support from some in the opposition, notably Avigdor Liberman, a former Netanyahu aide turned outspoken critic, who nonetheless shares the outgoing government's hawkish views on the Palestinians.
Netanyahu has relentlessly attacked the opposition for even the prospect of an alliance with Arab lawmakers.
In a video Wednesday filmed in the prime minister's office, Netanyahu alleged there were "serious suspicions" that foreign powers put money into the election and questioned the loyalty of Arab citizens.
yif/sct-acc/lba/jsa

aviation

New hoax bomb threats hit European flights

BY ALEXANDRIA SAGE

  • The alerts forced the closure of one Warsaw airport and the deployment of Italian air force jets to protect flights.
  • Italian, French and Bulgarian fighter jets scrambled Thursday as about 20 flights were hit by a third day of hoax bomb alerts across Europe, authorities and airlines said.
  • The alerts forced the closure of one Warsaw airport and the deployment of Italian air force jets to protect flights.
Italian, French and Bulgarian fighter jets scrambled Thursday as about 20 flights were hit by a third day of hoax bomb alerts across Europe, authorities and airlines said.
The hoaxes involved flights from Greece to Britain, but particularly targeted low-cost carriers and flights to or from Bulgaria, Czech Republic and Italy.
Three flights were diverted but all the jets landed safely with no explosives found. 
No claim of responsibility was made for all the flights, but a threat against two flights sent to airports in Rome and published by an Italian newspaper contained misogynistic messages.
 

Under escort, diversions

 
At least five flights received an air force escort after receiving bomb threats.
Bulgaria's air force escorted three Ryanair planes headed for Sofia from Madrid, Copenhagen, and London Stansted. All three planes were inspected and no explosives found, an interior ministry spokesperson told AFP.
French fighters accompanied an Aer Lingus flight from Dublin that was headed to Rome, diverting it to the Evreux military base 100 kilometers (60 miles) west of Paris.   
Other jets were also diverted. 
The Ryanair flight from London-Stansted to Sofia was diverted to Plovdiv Airport, east of the capital, while a Wizz Air flight from Milan to Warsaw was re-routed to Vienna, the airlines said.
 

Who and why

 
Italian newspaper Il Corriere della Sera published the text of a message sent to ADR, the company that manages Rome's airports. A company source confirmed the report to AFP.
"You are all accomplices in a criminal conspiracy, and for this we want to annihilate you. Right now explosive devices have been placed on the following flights: AY1751 Helsinki–Rome and EI402 Dublin–Rome,” read the message, with media noting it was written in "broken Italian".
“We Male State fighters with our actions today will leave a mark in history. Your feminist regime will remember it forever. The explosion will occur in 60 minutes. Today your sky will be red,” read the text.
There is a far-right movement in Russia called the Male State, but AFP could not confirm any link to the message. 
Prague Airport spokeswoman Denisa Hejtmankova told AFP the airport had received threats in emails from anonymous addresses.
The EU's transport commissioner, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, wrote on X that it was "too early to draw conclusions on whether the reported incidents are linked."
But European authorities say there has been rise in hybrid attacks, sometimes linked to Russia or Iran. 
 

Landing safely

 
Most of the flights targeted Thursday landed without incident at their original destinations. 
Those included a Lot Polish Airlines flight from Warsaw to Brussels and a Wizz Air flight from Milan to Bucharest.
In the Czech Republic, four targeted planes bound for Prague flown by Ryanair, Easy Jet and Sky Express all landed safely. 
"We perceive the credibility of the threats as low," said Czech police on X. "Nevertheless, we are not underestimating the situation, and all necessary security measures have been activated." 
Danish police said two threatened planes landed in Copenhagen as scheduled. "Our assessment is that there is no danger, and there has never been any danger, to passengers or anyone else at the airport," Copenhagen police told AFP. 
In Greece, Aegean Airlines said its flights from from Thessaloniki to Milan and from Athens to Vienna, had received "unfounded" threats.
Threats were directed at three flights linked to Madrid, although Spanish airport operator Aena declined to name the airlines nor give other details on the flights. It was not immediately clear whether the three flights included Ryanair's Madrid-Sofia flight. 
 
- Concerned travellers - 
 
Travellers at Rome's Fiumicino Airport expressed mixed feelings over the threats.
"It's very concerning, we're very concerned about the security in Europe in general, so it's very fearful to be here," Brazilian Natalia Lobo, 29, told AFP.
French traveler Ella Germain, 20, said the news reports had only created "a little bit of worry".
The flights represented a tiny percentage of Europe's air traffic on Thursday. Some 25,072 flights were scheduled across the continent, according to Eurocontrol, the continent's aviation safety body.
 

Earlier threats

 
On Tuesday, 10 flights were targeted with bomb threats. All turned out to be hoaxes. 
The alerts forced the closure of one Warsaw airport and the deployment of Italian air force jets to protect flights.
On Monday, a Wizz Air flight from London's Luton airport to Sofia was diverted due a bomb threat and made an emergency stop in Budapest.
ams/dt/tw

Global Edition

Trump faces new political reality as Democrats vow investigations

  • Trump had no public events scheduled for Thursday, according to a White House press schedule.
  • President Donald Trump was left to grapple on Thursday with the stinging rebuke from voters after a midterm election rout, while triumphant Democrats vowed to lower prices and combat the "cartel" within the White House in the new Congress.
  • Trump had no public events scheduled for Thursday, according to a White House press schedule.
President Donald Trump was left to grapple on Thursday with the stinging rebuke from voters after a midterm election rout, while triumphant Democrats vowed to lower prices and combat the "cartel" within the White House in the new Congress.
Trump faces a radically transformed and hostile political landscape after Democrats seized both the House of Representatives and the Senate in Tuesday's midterms.
The result was a personal humiliation for the 80-year-old Trump, leaving him as a lame duck president for the remaining two years of his term and signaling an end to his stranglehold on the Republican Party. 
Vice President JD Vance publicly split with Trump over the Iran war a day after the vote, saying the conflict was the "reason we lost" as he distanced himself from the unpopular war ahead of a possible 2028 White House run.
Democrats by early Thursday morning had control of 54 Senate seats and a strong majority in the House. 
Two Senate races -- in heavily Republican Mississippi and Alaska -- remained too close to call.
Democrats have vowed investigations into Trump and his administration and said the incoming majority would be focused on accountability and affordability. 
"The massive corruption the country has experienced from the Trump Cartel explains why very little is getting done to help everyday Americans," House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said Wednesday in a letter announcing his candidacy for speaker of the House.
"That changes immediately," he said, adding Democrats are "going to hold the crooks accountable."
Trump had no public events scheduled for Thursday, according to a White House press schedule.
First Lady Melania Trump was set to host officials from Moscow and Kyiv at the White House ahead of talks in Abu Dhabi aimed at ending the Ukraine war.

'Worst-case scenario'

Trump has attempted to brush off the election results.
He spent the beginning of his first public appearance on Wednesday talking to reporters about the marble and Corinthian columns of his new $400 million ballroom.
But he conceded that what Vance had said about the Iran war was "largely true because it drove the gasoline up" -- a key issue for voters angered by the rising cost of living.
"But at the same time, if I had it to do again, I'd have to do it again. Because long term, it's the only answer. You can't let Iran have a nuclear weapon," he said.
Trump added that he would "get along" with Democrats, repeating the conciliatory tone he took as the results emerged on Tuesday night, but repeated his threat to veto legislation that he didn't like. 
He warned that if his foes tried to impeach him for a third time it would "destroy" the Democratic Party.
Still, he remains the head of a party now wrestling with a resounding defeat that could spark Republican infighting.
"This is close to an extinction-level event for Republicans in many parts of the country as we have seen probably in the last 100 years," Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis said in public remarks on the results. 
DeSantis, who ran for president against Trump in 2024, noted Florida, where Trump-backed Byron Donalds became the state's first Black governor and Ashley Moody retained a Senate seat, was the only bright spot for Republicans this week.
"This is going to last far beyond just two years," he said of Republicans' election defeat.
"We just have to be very clear-eyed. This is probably the political worst-case scenario for a midterm election."
bur-lga/fox

games

Nintendo producer 'all nervous' as Zelda classic remake hits shelves

BY KILIAN FICHOU

  • "I'm all nervous about releasing the remake of 'Ocarina' because I don't know how it's going to turn out, I can't stop thinking about it," the 63-year-old Japanese creator, one of the most respected figures in video games, told AFP during a visit to Paris.
  • He has been behind some of Nintendo's biggest hits, but producer Eiji Aonuma still feels "nervous" as he awaits players' reactions to the new Zelda video game, "Ocarina of Time" out November 5.
  • "I'm all nervous about releasing the remake of 'Ocarina' because I don't know how it's going to turn out, I can't stop thinking about it," the 63-year-old Japanese creator, one of the most respected figures in video games, told AFP during a visit to Paris.
He has been behind some of Nintendo's biggest hits, but producer Eiji Aonuma still feels "nervous" as he awaits players' reactions to the new Zelda video game, "Ocarina of Time" out November 5.
"I'm all nervous about releasing the remake of 'Ocarina' because I don't know how it's going to turn out, I can't stop thinking about it," the 63-year-old Japanese creator, one of the most respected figures in video games, told AFP during a visit to Paris.
For over 25 years Aonuma has steered the series, which many people consider one of the best video games ever made.
Created in 1986 by Nintendo legend and Mario inventor Shigeru Miyamoto, who was Aonuma's mentor, the series has enjoyed growing success.
Its last two main installments, "Breath of the Wild" (2017) and "Tears of the Kingdom" (2023), sold more than 55 million copies between them.
 

Islands in the sky

 
Poetic, melancholy and ground-breaking for its era, what set the original "Ocarina" apart was its sweeping story, shifting between the childhood and adulthood of its hero, Link.
Floating islands in the sky, a wind-swept ocean -- "The Legend of Zelda" under Aonuma's direction has evolved to offer ever vaster and more open worlds.
The series centres on the adventures of the green-clad warrior Link, who battles the evil demon Ganondorf across the ages trying to save Princess Zelda.
"I've worked a lot on using space to surprise players and spark their imagination," said the designer, in order to "create games that instil in them the joy of exploration".
Infusing the saga with this intrepid spirit is where the Japanese creator says he feels he has made his mark on the series. 
It is "the very essence of Zelda today."
 

Karakuri dolls and 3D

 
To keep players engaged, the Zelda saga alternates between major releases, smaller titles, side adventures and remakes of older titles.
"Ocarina of Time" is by far the most ambitious of its remakes, and its release is part of the 40th anniversary of the saga.
The new installment has a special meaning for Aonuma, the son of a telecommunications engineer and second of three children.
The original "Ocarina of Time", released in 1998, was the first project he worked on with Miyamoto.
At university Aonuma studied design and in particular 3D composition through Karakuri dolls -- traditional Japanese automatons.
A keen drawer, he joined Nintendo somewhat by chance in the late 1980s and worked as a graphic artist before being spotted by the Mario creator, who brought him onto the team working on the fifth Zelda game.
"It was the first time Nintendo was creating games in 3D," he recalls.
He went on to take the helm of its sequel, "Majora's Mask" (2000), and directed several installments before moving into a producer role to oversee the development of the saga.
 

Young blood

 
Some of the younger members of his team have never played the original "Ocarina", bringing a freshness to the creative mix for the remake.
"It's thanks to these young people, by thinking about how to adapt the game in the best possible way, how to make it fun once you have the controls in your hands, that this remake came into being," he says. 
On Friday in Paris, Aonuma was made Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters at the French culture ministry, an honour also bestowed two decades earlier on Miyamoto.
In his thank-you speech Aonuma said "the road travelled has not always been easy," but he does not yet seem ready to pass the baton. 
"I'm very interested to see what the younger staff will imagine" for future titles, he said, adding that he was "extremely happy" to offer his guidance so they can "think together" about the next Zelda.
kf-eab/rlp

Zelda

Gamers get nostalgic as Zelda remake hits shelves

  • In a five-star review for the Guardian newspaper, Keza MacDonald wrote: "Nintendo's modern Zelda team have turned one of the best games of the 1990s into one of the best games of the 2020s, and made time-travellers out of us all."
  • Gaming fans around the world excitedly welcomed the release on Thursday of Nintendo's latest addition to its long-running Zelda series, "Ocarina of Time".
  • In a five-star review for the Guardian newspaper, Keza MacDonald wrote: "Nintendo's modern Zelda team have turned one of the best games of the 1990s into one of the best games of the 2020s, and made time-travellers out of us all."
Gaming fans around the world excitedly welcomed the release on Thursday of Nintendo's latest addition to its long-running Zelda series, "Ocarina of Time".
The game, a remake of a classic 1990s edition, is being released as part of the 40th anniversary of the action-adventure saga.
It has already won widespread praise, with a score of 96 out of 100 on aggregator site Metacritic by the eve of its release, putting it among the best-reviewed titles of the year so far.
"I used to play (Zelda) a lot on the Nintendo 64 when I was little, so I'm really excited about this remake, especially the improved graphics," 27-year-old fan Takumi Kawata told AFP in Tokyo, referring to the console first released in 1996.
His brother Kousuke Kawata, 31, added that Zelda visuals are "absolutely stunning, especially the beautiful forests".
The series centres on the adventures of green-clad warrior Link, who battles the evil demon Ganondorf across the ages trying to save Princess Zelda.
US tourist Marissa Olvera reminisced that she had spent "a whole summer" playing the original "Ocarina of Time" when she was a child.
"I just loved it. It was a bonding experience with my brothers," she told AFP, adding that the trailer for the remake had "brought back a lot of those feelings".

Rave reviews

Created in 1986 by Nintendo legend and Mario inventor Shigeru Miyamoto, the Zelda series has enjoyed growing success.
Its last two main installments, "Breath of the Wild" (2017) and "Tears of the Kingdom" (2023), sold more than 55 million copies between them.
Eiji Aonuma, who produced the new "Ocarina of Time", told AFP last month he was "all nervous" about the release.
"I don't know how it's going to turn out, I can't stop thinking about it," he said.
The reviews so far have gone some way to allaying his fear, with US outlet IGN calling it an "exceptional remake of an incredible game and a rich adventure that stands on its own".
In a five-star review for the Guardian newspaper, Keza MacDonald wrote: "Nintendo's modern Zelda team have turned one of the best games of the 1990s into one of the best games of the 2020s, and made time-travellers out of us all."
Market analysts will be watching to see how much the title can boost sales of the Switch 2, which became the world's fastest-selling games console on its 2025 release.
Nintendo reported a drop in quarterly net profit on Thursday as those sales, but maintained its annual forecasts.
kf/jxb/eab/tc/kaf-cg/mjw

textile

Bangladesh garment workers largely return after wage protests

  • She said she had been ready to resume work, but her factory had informed workers it would remain closed until Sunday. sa/pjm/hmn
  • Garment workers in Bangladesh largely resumed work on Thursday after days of wage protests, although some factories remained closed and isolated demonstrations continued.
  • She said she had been ready to resume work, but her factory had informed workers it would remain closed until Sunday. sa/pjm/hmn
Garment workers in Bangladesh largely resumed work on Thursday after days of wage protests, although some factories remained closed and isolated demonstrations continued.
Bangladesh's garment wage board agreed on Wednesday to raise minimum pay in the key sector, which generates around four-fifths of the country's export earnings, worth up to $38 billion.
Gazi Jasim Uddin, who heads the police unit for industrial zones, said protests had dropped sharply compared with recent days.
"In Narayanganj, more than 95 percent of garment factories have resumed operations," Uddin told AFP.
There were isolated protests in Gazipur and Ashulia, also industrial areas near Dhaka.
"Workers in Ashulia went to factories and started coming out an hour later," he said. "In Gazipur protesters tried to occupy the highway."
The South Asian nation of 170 million people is the world's second-biggest garment exporter behind China, making clothes for some of the world's best-known brands.
Workers are demanding a minimum monthly wage of 30,000 taka ($240), a 140 percent increase on the current 12,500 taka.
The wage board, comprising representatives of employers and workers, was set up by the government on Sunday to negotiate a pay rise.
In a statement to reporters, the board said the new minimum wage would be announced in December and take effect in January.
The dispute reflects longstanding tensions in an industry that employs more than four million people but has been dogged by complaints over pay, working conditions and labour rights.
On Wednesday, before the deal was announced, tens of thousands of workers marched through industrial areas, with some hurling bricks, setting fire to police vehicles and erecting barricades as police fired tear gas to disperse crowds.
Monowara, 35, a garment worker in Gazipur, said large numbers of police officers were still patrolling the area.
She said she had been ready to resume work, but her factory had informed workers it would remain closed until Sunday.
sa/pjm/hmn

states

Democratic 'blue wave' swept through state capitals across US

BY ULYSSE BELLIER

  • Democrats this week won complete control of government in five states -- Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Nevada -- and were on the verge of doing the same in Arizona as of early Thursday.
  • The blue wave Democrats rode to retake control of the US Congress this week extended into state-level races, as the party won majorities in a number of legislatures previously held by Republicans.
  • Democrats this week won complete control of government in five states -- Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Nevada -- and were on the verge of doing the same in Arizona as of early Thursday.
The blue wave Democrats rode to retake control of the US Congress this week extended into state-level races, as the party won majorities in a number of legislatures previously held by Republicans.
Democrats secured new trifectas -- control of both chambers of the legislature and the governor's seat -- in at least five states in Tuesday's midterms, flipping at least 11 state legislative chambers from Republican control, according to data from NGO State Navigate late Wednesday. 
The victories mean the party will have the power to lead policy decisions on everything from health care to taxation in states such as Texas and Georgia, where they had long taken a backseat.
"Democrats are on track to have their largest net gain in state legislative seats in the 21st century," Chaz Nuttycombe, State Navigate's executive director, told AFP.
"It's not a blue wave; it's a blue cataclysm."
Among the most striking results are in Texas, where Democrats wrested the majority in the state's lower chamber from Republicans for the first time since 2002 while also winning the governorship. 
In Georgia, Keisha Lance Bottoms turned the governor's seat blue for the first time in more than two decades, and Democrats similarly flipped control of the legislature's lower chamber. 
– Far from Washington gridlock – 
President Donald Trump has vowed to use his veto powers to reject legislation from the incoming Democratic Congress, a move that could lead to gridlock at the national level.
Experts have suggested the state-level gains could circumvent that issue.
Democrats this week won complete control of government in five states -- Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Nevada -- and were on the verge of doing the same in Arizona as of early Thursday.
"They won't have to be frustrated by vetoes and Senate filibusters, which are no doubt going to frustrate Democrats at the national level," said Thad Kousser, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, referring to the state Democratic trifectas. 
The victories will allow Democrats the freedom to legislate on prominent policy points.
Kousser noted that many of the most pressing issues in voters' lives are now decided at the state level, referencing the 2022 Supreme Court decision ending federal abortion protections and giving states the power to dictate their own abortion laws. 
Data centers and artificial intelligence have also emerged as top issues as the Trump administration has shied away from regulatory action.
In Texas, Democratic Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa campaigned on tighter regulations for AI data centers.
"The key issues that matter most for Americans' daily lives are things like education, criminal justice and medical care, and those policies are primarily made by states," Kousser said.
Nuttycombe of State Navigate put it this way: "State governments are much more efficient than Congress and can actually get things done."
"Some of these states haven't had Democratic trifectas in decades; the legislators will feel they have a lot of catching up to do."
ube/ph/lga/fox

conflict

Gaza turns rubble into power with homemade wind turbines

  • "That's when the idea of a wind turbine came to mind.
  • Above a maze of tents in a crowded displacement camp in Gaza, homemade wind turbines made from scrap metal and salvaged debris spin in the sea breeze, bringing electricity to struggling Palestinians.
  • "That's when the idea of a wind turbine came to mind.
Above a maze of tents in a crowded displacement camp in Gaza, homemade wind turbines made from scrap metal and salvaged debris spin in the sea breeze, bringing electricity to struggling Palestinians.
In the southern Khan Yunis camp, Kamal Al-Dabary, a former engineering student, has put his skills to work for families who, like most Gazans, live in displacement with no direct access to the tiny territory's shattered power grid.
According to the World Bank, more than 90 percent of Gaza's power generation and distribution capacity was destroyed in April 2026, much of it in Israeli strikes that devastated homes and infrastructure.
Sitting on the ground, Dabary tinkered with electrical wires, metal parts and basic tools on a plastic table.
After carefully twisting cables together and testing them with a multimeter, a small bulb flickered on, then another, signalling that the current was flowing.
"When solar panels were still relatively affordable, we bought one and kept moving it around to follow the sun," the 60-year-old, displaced by the fighting between Israel and Hamas, told AFP. 
The war was triggered by the Palestinian Islamist movement's deadly October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
But after three years of war, prices have soared as aid and commercial supplies trickled into Gaza through crossings tightly controlled by Israel.
A single solar panel now costs at least 15,000 shekels (nearly $5,000), putting it out of reach for most Gazans, Dabary said.

'Changed everything'

"We haven't had work or income for three years," he added. 
"That's when the idea of a wind turbine came to mind. Why not harness the wind? So we salvaged parts from the rubble." 
The turbines are built from scooter motors and old water tanks cut into blades. 
As the wind turns the blades, they drive a motor that generates electricity. The power then passes through circuits assembled from parts recovered from destroyed homes before being stored in batteries. 
This provides enough electricity to charge phones and run lights, fans and even electric razors, small comforts that have become a luxury for families still living in tents and shelters. 
Nearly all of Gaza's residents were displaced at least once during the war, and most now live in a small area still under Hamas rule, while Israel controls more than 60 percent of the territory along its perimeter.
"They help us hold on... until God delivers us from this ordeal and we can return home," said Dabary, known locally as Abu Ayman.
The output remains modest. But in a camp where shortages are constant, every watt counts. 
The system "has changed everything," said 50-year-old Saleh ben Hasan.
With healthcare and medication hard to access in Gaza, the power can also help keep medical equipment running. 
"If a child needs a nebuliser (a device used to inhale medicine) in the middle of the night, who else can we turn to?" he said.
"Electricity is needed... So we turn to our brother Abu Ayman."
vid-anr/lba/rh/tc

conflict

US first lady to host Ukrainian, Russian officials at White House

  • "First Lady Melania Trump will personally bring representatives of Russia and Ukraine, two nations actively at war, together at the White House," her office had previously said in a statement.
  • US First Lady Melania Trump will host officials from Moscow and Kyiv at the White House on Thursday, ahead of talks in Abu Dhabi aimed at ending the Ukraine war.
  • "First Lady Melania Trump will personally bring representatives of Russia and Ukraine, two nations actively at war, together at the White House," her office had previously said in a statement.
US First Lady Melania Trump will host officials from Moscow and Kyiv at the White House on Thursday, ahead of talks in Abu Dhabi aimed at ending the Ukraine war.
The talks have revived hopes for peace, as Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine grinds through its fifth year, and a recent rapprochement between presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin has raised concerns the United States could turn its back on Kyiv. 
Moscow's adviser for international economic cooperation, Kirill Dmitriev, and human rights ombudsman Yana Lantratova plan to meet Melania Trump on Thursday "provided that all logistical arrangements work out", Russia's state-owned TASS news agency reported Wednesday, citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Ukraine's human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, announced he would also be meeting Melania Trump in Washington.
"I am heading to Washington. Important meetings lie ahead. But while I am on the road, I want to ask you something: If you could convey a single message to U.S. First Lady Melania Trump, what would you say to her?" Lubinets wrote on Facebook on Wednesday.
"First Lady Melania Trump will personally bring representatives of Russia and Ukraine, two nations actively at war, together at the White House," her office had previously said in a statement.
The meeting comes after Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had "very detailed, hour-and-a-half-long" conversations with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner ahead of next week's meeting in Abu Dhabi, the first talks between all three sides since February.
 

Rare halt in fighting

 
Earlier Wednesday, Zelensky awarded the first lady a national honor for her role in brokering a partial ceasefire that allowed the evacuation of civilians from a Russian-occupied town.
"I hereby decree that the Order of Princess Olga, First Class, be awarded to Melania Trump, First Lady of the United States of America," a decree read on the Ukrainian presidential website.
The text acknowledged her "significant personal contribution to humanitarian support for Ukraine, and for active human rights and charitable work."
"Mrs. Trump independently initiated engagement" to secure "a ceasefire in Oleshky and the surrounding Kherson region," her office said in a statement.
The first lady was expected to speak at 11:00 am (1600 GMT) Thursday at the White House.  
Melania Trump, the wife of US President Donald Trump, had announced the localized truce between Ukrainian and Russian forces last month to allow for residents of Oleshky on the southern front to leave after suffering weeks of shortages of food and medicine.
The rare halt in fighting, which was respected by both sides, allowed roads to be demined and residents to depart for either Ukraine or Russia.
"This achievement marks an unprecedented diplomatic initiative by an American First Lady," her office's statement said Tuesday.
The first lady has also been involved in efforts to return Ukrainian children taken to Russia.
bur/phz/jgc/tc/fox

Global Edition

Race for 2028 heats up after US midterms firestorm

BY DANNY KEMP

  • He predicted in an interview with AFP in September Trump's presidency "as we know it would be over after the midterms.
  • President Donald Trump's stunning midterms defeat by the Democrats has upended another US election -- the race to replace him in the White House in 2028.
  • He predicted in an interview with AFP in September Trump's presidency "as we know it would be over after the midterms.
President Donald Trump's stunning midterms defeat by the Democrats has upended another US election -- the race to replace him in the White House in 2028.
The crushing defeat for the Republicans is particularly stinging for Vice President JD Vance, who had been the frontrunner but now risks being seen as tied to his lame-duck boss. 
But the midterms are a potential launchpad for rising Democratic stars like Georgia senator Jon Ossoff, whose youthful vibe has already drawn comparisons to former president Barack Obama.

Republicans in turmoil

The MAGA coalition that shot Trump to power in 2016 and 2024 effectively collapsed in Tuesday's midterms, leaving any presumptive Republican heir with a mountain to climb.
Long seen as the odds-on favorite for the Republican nomination in 2028, Vance is the most obvious victim after hitching his wagon to Trump throughout the midterms campaigns with rallies in swing states.
The ambitious 42-year-old quickly tried to distance himself from the electoral disaster, blaming it on Trump's unpopular war on Iran in a long thesis posted on X on Wednesday.
But voters are likely to reject his attempts to disown Trump. 
It's a familiar problem for US vice presidents. Former Democratic candidate and vice president Kamala Harris suffered from a similar problem in 2024 when she said that "there's not a thing that comes to mind" when asked how she'd differentiate herself from Joe Biden.
"The bad news for Vance is that sitting vice presidents seldom win the presidency," James Lindsay of the Council for Foreign Relations, said.
Trump's Secretary of State Marco Rubio's name has also been bandied about. 
Rubio, 55, has kept a far lower profile during the midterms but any top official in Trump's administration will struggle to wash their hands of the Iran war.
The Republicans' midterm disaster could, however, be a boost for other possible candidates.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, 48, who ran against Trump for the Republican nomination in 2024, has suddenly become very vocal.
He described the Democratic sweep as "the political equivalent of a meteor strike" -- and pointed out that it was only in his own state that Republicans held them off.
Texas Senator Ted Cruz, 55, has also left the door open, having run against Trump in 2016 -- although his chances may have been harmed by the Democrats' stunning senate and governor wins in the midterms in his state.
- Democrats on a high - 
The Democratic field is crowded but the midterms have given some likely candidates a boost.
Ossoff's reelection as Georgia Senator has fueled speculation about a 2028 run by a telegenic politician who has already gained attention for mocking Trump's relationship with a young staffer.
The 39-year-old has said that he has "zero interest in running for president" but his swiftly-declared win in Georgia -- and his victory speech -- have bolstered his status in the party.
Before the midterms Kamala Harris, 62, had been the favorite for the nomination, but there are many in the party who would prefer to have someone without a losing track record.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, 53, who was interviewed by Harris to be her running mate in 2024, had a good night on Tuesday as he stormed back to reelection in the key battleground state.
Outgoing California Governor Gavin Newsom, 59, is another big name who has repeatedly taken on Trump. He predicted in an interview with AFP in September Trump's presidency "as we know it would be over after the midterms.
But Newsom, like Harris, may be seen as more of an old guard figure in a party that is looking to its rising stars.
A prominent but potentially divisive choice would be left-wing New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who said in September that she was weighing a run, musing about whether a Latina could win in a country that rejected female nominees in 2016 and 2024.
Other possible contenders include former Chicago mayor Rahm Emmanuel, JB Pritzker, the billionaire Illinois governor who set out a lengthy national agenda after winning a third term on Tuesday, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, and Arizona senator and former astronaut Mark Kelly.
dk/dw

food

Bread shortage threatens to plunge more Sudanese into hunger

  • Mahmoud, 44, says she and her husband now spend their combined salaries on bread alone.
  • Nearly three and a half years into Sudan's unrelenting war, soaring costs and a nosediving currency have left people like Sawsan Mahmoud struggling to afford even the most basic staple -- bread.
  • Mahmoud, 44, says she and her husband now spend their combined salaries on bread alone.
Nearly three and a half years into Sudan's unrelenting war, soaring costs and a nosediving currency have left people like Sawsan Mahmoud struggling to afford even the most basic staple -- bread.
Most bakeries in the capital Khartoum have shut their doors because of surging wheat prices and fuel shortages.
Mahmoud, 44, says she and her husband now spend their combined salaries on bread alone.
"The situation has become unbearable," the mother of three said. "We've reduced the amount of bread we eat and now only have it with one meal a day."
"We have to set aside 900,000 pounds ($88) a month to buy it. That's almost my salary and my husband's combined."
The price of a loaf in Khartoum has doubled from 250 to 500 Sudanese pounds over the past week.
International organisations have been sounding the alarm over the possible spread of famine, already declared in parts of the country, while around 20 million people suffer from severe food insecurity.
In one of the few bakeries still operating in the capital, Abir Mohammed complained that "we used to eat bread with all our daily meals; now we can't do that".
Sudan imports most of its wheat, making prices vulnerable to the deterioration of the local currency. 
Over the past month, the Sudanese pound has lost about 25 percent of its value against the dollar, hitting a record low of more than 10,500 pounds to the dollar before recovering slightly to around 10,200 on Wednesday. 
The dollar was worth 500 Sudanese pounds in 2023, when the war broke out between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the army.
 
– 'No flour' –
 
Inside Mohammed al-Fateh's bakery in Khartoum, workers mixed flour, water and yeast into a thick dough, which they divided into round discs and slid into the oven on long wooden paddles.
Within minutes, the dough turns into the traditional flatbread that forms an essential part of Sudanese meals.
"Many bakeries have closed because there is no flour in the market," Fateh said, adding: "You can spend a whole day or two at the distribution centre and still come back empty-handed."
In Khartoum's southern Al-Azhari neighbourhood, Mutawakil Ahmed Babiker is struggling to keep his bakery afloat after the price of flour doubled.
He also pointed to "power cuts that have forced us to buy fuel for the generator".
"Most likely I will close the bakery," he said. 
"We sell a loaf of bread for 500 pounds, which is less than its cost, but I can't raise the price because of people's circumstances."
Khartoum and parts of eastern Sudan are suffering widespread power outages after repeated drone attacks on power stations.
Across the capital, Sudanese have returned to lining up outside public kitchens, waiting for free meals.
Many of these kitchens had stopped operating when the army retook control of the capital and expelled the RSF in March 2025.
The Ombada Emergency Room in Omdurman, which coordinates community kitchens in the area, has warned that "the circle of need is expanding to include thousands of families and displaced people".
It cautioned of "a shortage of food supplies and soaring prices, making access to even a single daily meal a dream".
Poverty rates in Sudan have soared to 80 percent, according to data from the central bureau of statistics, while inflation registered an astounding 99 percent last year.
 
– 'No fuel' –
 
Outside Khartoum, most wheat supplies arrive in the form of aid, but fuel shortages and spiralling prices, along with road closures due to the fighting, prevent deliveries.
The war has divided the country into rival zones of influence: the army holds Khartoum and central and eastern Sudan, while the RSF controls the vast Darfur region in the west and parts of the south.
More than 200,000 people in South Kordofan and North Darfur states are experiencing famine, according to UN-backed reports that also warn it could spread to eight cities by 2027.
The falling currency has further weakened the government's ability to buy fuel, most of which the country imports.
Speaking to AFP from his car outside a petrol station, civil servant Yasser Mohammed said: "I've been here since six in the morning."
By 4:00 pm, he said he still had not obtained any petrol and had missed a day of work.
In an Omdurman market, where business was slow, Al-Muradi Awad complained of poor living conditions as he shopped for groceries.
"The nutritional value of each meal has declined," Awad said.
"The price of a kilogram of meat ranges between 50,000 and 70,000 pounds. If you could previously afford to buy two kilograms of meat, today you will buy 125 grams."
bur-ab-lom/jsa/rh/tc

diplomacy

What the US midterms mean for ties with China

BY DANAI HOWARD AND MARY YANG

  • -   Winning control of both houses in the US Congress puts Democrats in a position to limit Trump's liberal use of tariffs on Chinese products in the two years he has left in office, analysts say.
  • A sweeping victory for Democrats in US midterm elections this week, giving them control of Congress, presents both an opportunity and challenge for top rival China, analysts say.
  • -   Winning control of both houses in the US Congress puts Democrats in a position to limit Trump's liberal use of tariffs on Chinese products in the two years he has left in office, analysts say.
A sweeping victory for Democrats in US midterm elections this week, giving them control of Congress, presents both an opportunity and challenge for top rival China, analysts say.
Here is how the outcome of the vote, which offers the Democratic Party the power to stymie President Donald Trump's maverick foreign policy, could impact the thorny relationship between Washington and Beijing:
 

Will tariffs be limited?

 
Winning control of both houses in the US Congress puts Democrats in a position to limit Trump's liberal use of tariffs on Chinese products in the two years he has left in office, analysts say.
That could be a potential blow to Trump, who has wielded duties throughout a frenzied US-China trade war before the two sides reached a truce, set to expire in January.
If Democrats limit Trump, that means he "will be less able to leverage a tariff card in negotiations with China", said Wu Xinbo, dean at the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai.
However, Democrats will also have to weigh their actions against the popularity of Trump's tariffs among US businesses.
Congress will "take every opportunity to thwart (Trump's policies) over the next two years", said Drew Thompson, a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University.
But Democrats will still have to tread carefully on further restricting tariffs that "are popular with unions, blue-collar workers and small businesses... who have historically been a base constituency for the Democrats", Thompson said.
Congress will be "less inclined to support measures that would sharply escalate pressure on China if doing so risks raising costs for American consumers and businesses or increasing the likelihood of conflict", said Patricia Kim, a foreign policy fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington.
 

Taiwan a 'game changer'?

 
The issue of Taiwan, the US-backed democratic island claimed by Beijing, could be a "game changer", said Neil Shearing, group chief economist at Capital Economics.
Washington is Taipei's most important security backer and has sold billions of dollars' worth of arms to Taiwan that the island would use to fend off a potential Chinese attack.
But Trump threw the US stance into question in May when he declared that US arms sales to Taiwan could be a bargaining chip in talks with China. His administration has since delayed for months a $14-billion batch of weapons.
China could use the remaining two years of Trump's presidency to increase pressure on Taiwan, particularly if Beijing "judges that Washington is distracted or that Trump would be willing to agree terms to not intervene", Shearing wrote in a note.
Trump, who recently hailed his "great friendship" with China's President Xi Jinping, has so far resisted political pressure from Democrats -- and some Republican lawmakers -- to greenlight the arms package.
But a Democrat-controlled Congress "may force Trump to resume arms sales to Taiwan next year", Wu said.
"If that happens, that will also undermine the stability of US-China relationship."
Alternatively, for China, renewed support of Taipei from the US Congress may be "a stronger incentive for (Beijing) to play it safer with Taiwan", said Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute.
Nevertheless, Thompson pointed out, while Congress can pass bills requiring Trump to approve an arms sale, the president retains the power to veto it "or simply ignore it".
 

Will Beijing treat Trump as a lame duck?

 
From China's perspective, even though Trump has been politically weakened by the midterms, Beijing is unlikely to change its strategy towards working with him, analysts say.
"Beijing is likely to continue cultivating him through high-profile, leader-to-leader engagement with Xi Jinping, viewing this as the least costly way to manage relations with Washington," said Kim.
"Neither Beijing nor Washington appears to expect or seek a fundamental improvement in bilateral relations," she added.
Tsang of the SOAS China Institute said "Trump being relegated to lame-duck status will be used by the Chinese to put more pressure on him".
But, he added, Beijing is "calculating" and "would not want to push too hard and trigger Trump behaving totally irresponsibly".
mya-dhw/ami/abs

India

India's 'Lord of the Rings': filmmakers hail 'Ramayana' epic

BY JOE JACKSON

  • The release and its global nature were "a very important moment" for Indian cinema, he added.
  • The makers of an Indian blockbuster based on the ancient Hindu epic Ramayana have hailed the new film as an unprecedented fusion of homegrown and Hollywood talent, calling it India's first truly global release.
  • The release and its global nature were "a very important moment" for Indian cinema, he added.
The makers of an Indian blockbuster based on the ancient Hindu epic Ramayana have hailed the new film as an unprecedented fusion of homegrown and Hollywood talent, calling it India's first truly global release.
"Ramayana: Rise of a Legend" -- in cinemas worldwide from Thursday -- has been more than a decade in the making, with a reported mega $420 million combined budget.
It draws on the talents of Oscar winners in visual effects and music, buoyed by a stellar cast featuring some of Indian cinema's biggest names.
"People from all over the world came in to work on this project," Bollywood superstar Ranbir Kapoor told AFP in London before its release. 
"So we really had the platform to really express (ourselves) in the best way possible."
The film, inspired by the millennia-old Sanskrit epic that serves as a foundational text for Hindus, chronicles the virtuous Rama's (Kapoor) battle to save his kidnapped wife Sita from the evil demon king Ravana, played by fan-favourite Yash, who goes by one name.
This latest screen adaptation featuring flying elephants and gargantuan-sized demons is bursting with computer-generated visual effects, known in the industry as VFX.
The brainchild of producer Namit Malhotra, his UK-headquartered visual effects arm DNEG has won eight Academy Awards for work on films including "Inception" and "Dune".
The movie, which has Hindi and English versions, has been scored by Oscar-winning composers Hans Zimmer and A.R. Rahman, while its action directors and production designers boast numerous Hollywood credits.
Planned as a two-part spectacle, the creators believe it heralds a breakout moment globally for India's film industry, which has yet to win an Oscar in the coveted film categories.

'Authentically Indian'

"It's the largest production in the history of Indian cinema," said Malhotra, who has branded it India's "Star Wars" or "Lord of the Rings".
"The story and the scale and the spectacle is something that the world, I think, is ready to consume."
Long dominated by mass-market Hindi-language Bollywood, Indian cinema churns out around 2,000 films each year and has been expanding its global appeal.
That has been fuelled in part by the country's strong diaspora networks and increasing access to Bollywood offerings on streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
With its English version, Hollywood special effects and epic battle scenes, "Ramayana" appears aimed at international audiences as much as the movie-mad country of 1.4 billion people.
Made by Malhotra's Mumbai-based Prime Focus Studios and actor Yash's Monster Mind Creations, with Sony Pictures the international distributor, it eschews some hallmarks of traditional Bollywood, in particular its elaborate song-and-dance routines.
But many of Bollywood's core ingredients -- melodrama, romance and action alongside awe-inspiring landscapes and a long running time of nearly three hours for the English version -- are present.  
"It's a very original telling of a very original story from India, and it makes no compromises in that regard. It keeps it authentically Indian," Malhotra said.
Yash, a hugely popular figure in India's Kannada-language cinema who co-produced and co-stars in "Ramayana", told AFP that "East and West have come together in a true sense". 
The release and its global nature were "a very important moment" for Indian cinema, he added.

'Personal connection'

In the film, Sita, played by South Indian star Sai Pallavi, is a fearless, fighting character.
She and other cast members highlighted the responsibility they felt in their roles, since many Indians have "a very personal connection with these characters". 
"It was quite challenging because you have to silence every part of you that wants to overperform and ... let the character speak for itself," Pallavi told AFP.
The filmmakers constructed a massive set in Mumbai for the central story settings, while VFX teams worked there and in London and Vancouver.
Although the movie was shot entirely in Hindi, the creators wrote an English-language screenplay for the global release.
English dialogue was added to a separate master version using both the cast and voice artists and traditional lip syncing techniques.
For director Nitesh Tiwari, evoking the ancient poem's messaging was paramount.
"There's a certain sense of timelessness to the emotions and the values which Ramayana stands for and that is exactly what we wanted to bring to the rest of the world," he said.
jj/jkb/phz/tc

inflation

Bank of England set to raise rate as inflation jumps

  • Australia's central bank raised its key interest rate to an 18-year high of 4.85 percent on Tuesday, citing the prolonged war in the Middle East and persistent inflationary pressures. bur-bcp/rl/tc  
  • The Bank of England is expected to raise on Thursday its benchmark interest rate for the first time in more than three years as soaring energy costs push up global inflation.
  • Australia's central bank raised its key interest rate to an 18-year high of 4.85 percent on Tuesday, citing the prolonged war in the Middle East and persistent inflationary pressures. bur-bcp/rl/tc  
The Bank of England is expected to raise on Thursday its benchmark interest rate for the first time in more than three years as soaring energy costs push up global inflation.
The BoE is forecast to tighten borrowing costs by a quarter point to 4.0 percent, finally catching up with the US Federal Reserve and European Central Bank in tightening borrowing costs since the start of the Middle East conflict.
Along with Ukraine's strikes on Russian refineries, disruptions to energy supplies owing to the US-Iran war has caused record-high diesel prices around the world.
"Borrowers are braced for at least one rate hike" from the BoE this year as "consumer confidence has been jarred by the prospect of prices edging ever higher in the wake of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East", noted Danni Hewson, head of financial analysis at AJ Bell.
The BoE last raised its rate in August 2023 and has kept the cost of borrowing at 3.75 percent since December.
Latest official data showed Britain's annual inflation rate accelerated by more than expected in September, rising to 3.5 percent on surging fuel prices.
UK inflation is forecast to hit around four percent in the new year with millions of Britons facing a jump in energy bills, even after the government offered some assistance in its annual budget announcement last week.
Alongside its monetary policy update, the BoE will reveal its latest forecasts for UK economic growth and inflation, which analysts expect to come in similar to recent estimates from the country's Labour government and International Monetary Fund.
Both said last month that they expect Britain's economy to have grown this year before slowing in 2027.
"We expect the Bank to raise its forecasts for near-term growth and inflation in its monetary policy report, but higher energy prices could ultimately weigh on its growth forecasts further ahead," said Nomura analyst George Buckley.
Australia's central bank raised its key interest rate to an 18-year high of 4.85 percent on Tuesday, citing the prolonged war in the Middle East and persistent inflationary pressures.
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schools

Google turns off AI for schoolchildren by default

  • The feature was switched on by default for students at schools that had already enabled Gemini.
  • Google has said it will switch off its AI tools for schoolchildren by default, after drawing criticism for pushing artificial intelligence features to students while schools are still debating how the technology should be used in classrooms.
  • The feature was switched on by default for students at schools that had already enabled Gemini.
Google has said it will switch off its AI tools for schoolchildren by default, after drawing criticism for pushing artificial intelligence features to students while schools are still debating how the technology should be used in classrooms.
The search engine juggernaut dominates technology in American schools. Its education apps, including Gmail, Docs and the Classroom platform, are used in classrooms across the country, and its low-cost Chromebook laptops are the devices US schools most often issue to students.
Under the changes Google announced in a blog post on Tuesday, Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom and Search will be turned off for K-12 student accounts until school administrators switch them on.
Google told AFP the new controls would be rolled out worldwide, beginning in the United States, but that it had not yet set a date.
The changes also mean schools will not be able to give students Google Search without its AI features.
Chris Phillips, Google's vice president for education, told The New York Times that "Search and A.I. are deeply integrated," as AI features are now built into the company's search engine.
If a school bans AI, he said, students "will not have access to search, and they'll see a message from their school that indicates it's not available."
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani accused Google on X of "trying to use its monopoly power to force AI into our public schools."
"No corporation should have the power to dictate how we teach our children," he wrote.
More than 150 million students worldwide use Google Classroom, according to a letter Senators Richard Blumenthal and Josh Hawley sent to the company last month asking why AI features had been made the default on school devices.
In August, Google opened its Gemini chatbot in Classroom to students of all ages.
Students were shown starter prompts tied to their specific class and assignment, offering guided help or study guides, practice quizzes and flashcards built from their course materials.
The feature was switched on by default for students at schools that had already enabled Gemini.
New York and Los Angeles both announced plans in September to restrict access to AI tools on school devices.
"We are reviewing Google's announcement and its potential implications for schools, educators and students," a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Unified School District told AFP.
The spokesperson said the district believes AI can improve teaching and learning if it is introduced carefully and with clear safeguards, and pointed to district principles requiring that technology support rather than replace teachers and protect student privacy.
New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) are seeking more details from Google about the policy change, but the Gemini chatbot and AI mode are already disabled on Chromebooks used by students in NYC, a spokesperson for the district told AFP.
"NYCPS has also made requests to Google to disable the AI Overview displayed in the Google search result for students," the spokesperson said.
In a statement on X, Google said Tuesday's changes give "schools more choice, not less."
"We know there's concern about students using AI to shortcut schoolwork, and schools have told us they want control," Google said.
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pope

Peru, the country that shaped Leo's path to pope

  • Peru in the 1990s was convulsed by violence, as the state waged war against brutal Maoist Shining Path insurgents.
  • Living in Peru for nearly two decades profoundly shaped Robert Prevost's path to the papacy. 
  • Peru in the 1990s was convulsed by violence, as the state waged war against brutal Maoist Shining Path insurgents.
Living in Peru for nearly two decades profoundly shaped Robert Prevost's path to the papacy. 
As a missionary, parish priest and later as bishop in northern Peru he ministered to the poor, denounced the excesses of power and lobbied for action on climate change.
"I love Peru very much, the Peruvian people, that is part of who I am," the US-born pontiff told his biographer Elise Ann Allen last year.
Prevost took Peruvian citizenship in 2015. As Pope Leo XIV, he returns to the country next week as part of a three-nation South American tour.

Father Roberto

Born in Chicago in 1955, Prevost was sent to Peru as a missionary in 1985 by the Augustinian order, tasked with transforming the small town of Chulucanas in poverty-stricken Piura region into a Catholic diocese. 
"His approach to poverty would have been different without knowing Peru and getting his hands dirty, because it's not the same in the United States," theologian Veronique Lecaros, author of a book about the pope's time in Peru, told AFP.
In Chulucanas, residents welcomed him warmly and Hispanicized his name, calling him Father Roberto. 
Two months after arriving, he contracted typhoid fever and was hospitalized for the first time in his life, as he recounted to Allen. 
In 1986, he returned to the United States, where he took charge of vocations and missions for the Augustinians. 

No 'typical gringo'

He came back to Peru in 1988 to settle in the northwestern city of Trujillo, for what would be his longest stay in the country, until 1999. 
As head of an Augustinian seminary he was simultaneously superior, teacher, parish priest and ecclesiastical judge.
Peru in the 1990s was convulsed by violence, as the state waged war against brutal Maoist Shining Path insurgents.
The Shining Path murdered three foreign priests -- two Poles and an Italian -- in August 1991 in the northern region of Ancash.
The Augustinian order suggested foreign friars leave Peru and offered Prevost a bodyguard, which he declined.
"I don't look like the typical gringo. I'm a little bit darker" in complexion, he is quoted as saying in Allen's biography.
"I think it's very important to stay at the sides of the people we're serving and to be with them. And that's what we did," he added.

Wading through floodwaters

In 1999, he returned to the United States as head of the Augustinians in Chicago. 
But his enduring love affair with Peru, particularly its arid north, persisted.
After a 15-year hiatus, he was back in 2014, this time as a bishop appointed by Pope Francis to administer the diocese of Chiclayo. 
In one of his first acts as bishop he participated in a beatification mass for the three priests murdered in 1991.
Prevost was a passionate ambassador of Francis's encyclical "Laudato Si,'" which focuses on caring for the planet as "our common home."
He also sought to heal the wounds of Peru's past, urging former president Alberto Fujimori, who was tried and imprisoned for gross human rights violations by the security forces, to "personally apologize" to the victims.
As his mission was drawing to a close, Prevost also defended the right to protest during deadly anti-government demonstrations and traveled to a region hit by flooding to advocate for the victims, standing ankle-deep in water.
In April 2023, he moved to Rome as head of the Dicastery for Bishops, the Vatican body responsible for pre-selecting bishops.
Two years later, in his first speech as pope from the balcony of St Peter's Basilica, he gave a special mention to Peru and his "beloved diocese of Chiclayo."
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