conflict

'River on fire': Toxic fumes as Ukrainian drones pound Russian oil town

Israel

Oil crisis fuels calls to speed up clean energy transition

BY LAURENT THOMET

  • "The world is facing the biggest energy crisis in its history today," COP31 president-designate Murat Kurum said.
  • The oil crisis triggered by the Middle East war has underscored the need for the world to accelerate the clean energy transition, the COP31 president-designate and the UN's climate chief said Thursday.
  • "The world is facing the biggest energy crisis in its history today," COP31 president-designate Murat Kurum said.
The oil crisis triggered by the Middle East war has underscored the need for the world to accelerate the clean energy transition, the COP31 president-designate and the UN's climate chief said Thursday.
Crude prices have soared since the United States and Israel launched the war against Iran in late February and Tehran closed the Strait of Hormuz in response. That has fuelled calls for the world to ditch its reliance on fossil fuels.
"The fossil fuel cost crisis now has its foot on the throat of the global economy," Stiell said at a meeting on the energy transition hosted by the International Energy Agency (IEA) in Paris.
"From this tragedy, an immense irony is unfolding. Those who've fought to keep the world hooked on fossil fuels are inadvertently supercharging the global renewables boom," he said, without naming countries or companies.
The Paris meeting was being in held in the lead-up to the UN's COP31 climate summit in Antalya, Turkey, in November.
Diplomats and representatives from banks, oil firms and renewable energy companies attended the talks.
"The world is facing the biggest energy crisis in its history today," COP31 president-designate Murat Kurum said.
"We now know clearly that the global economy must transform its energy paradigm," said Kurum, who is also Turkey's climate minister.
"And the most critical step is to accelerate the transition to clean energy," he added.
IEA chief Fatih Birol said oil prices, which topped $126 per barrel on Thursday, were "putting a lot of pressure in many countries".
"Our world is facing a major energy and economic challenge," said Birol, adding that his agency, which advises its member countries on energy policy, was monitoring the situation.

'Real momentum'

The talks in Paris came as nearly 60 nations hailed progress at the end of a conference in Colombia aimed at speeding the shift away from planet-heating fossil fuels and break a stalemate on the issue at UN climate talks.
The Santa Marta conference was announced last year after nations failed to include an explicit reference to fossil fuels in the final deal reached at the UN COP30 climate summit in Brazil.
"Coalitions of the willing are already forging ahead," Stiell said, pointing to the gathering in Colombia.
"In key sectors right across the action agenda, COP31 in Turkey will provide a global stage to pick up the pace," he said. "We must seize this moment. We have no time to lose."
Stiell said that countries rich in renewables, such as Spain and Pakistan, had been shielded from the worst impacts of the fossil fuel cost crisis.
"Renewables offer safer, cheaper, cleaner energy that can't be held captive by narrow shipping straits, or global conflicts," Stiell said.
"That's why so many governments are pushing renewables plans into overdrive: to restore national security, economic stability, competitiveness, policy autonomy and basic sovereignty," he added.
China, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Germany, the UK, and others have been "clear that pushing forward with the renewables transition is a cornerstone of energy security", he added.
"This is real momentum," Stiell said. "We must harness it to accelerate a truly global shift."
lt/jj

space

European rocket blasts off with Amazon internet satellites

  • It was the second Ariane 6 launch carrying 32 satellites for Amazon Leo, the internet constellation of the giant US company founded by US billionaire Jeff Bezos.
  • Europe's most powerful rocket Ariane 6 launched on Thursday carrying a second batch of 32 satellites into space for Amazon's internet constellation, which is bidding to rival Elon Musk's giant Starlink.
  • It was the second Ariane 6 launch carrying 32 satellites for Amazon Leo, the internet constellation of the giant US company founded by US billionaire Jeff Bezos.
Europe's most powerful rocket Ariane 6 launched on Thursday carrying a second batch of 32 satellites into space for Amazon's internet constellation, which is bidding to rival Elon Musk's giant Starlink.
The rocket blasted off into overcast skies at 5.57 am local time (0857 GMT) from Europe's spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on the northeastern coast of South America, an AFP correspondent said.
It was the second Ariane 6 launch carrying 32 satellites for Amazon Leo, the internet constellation of the giant US company founded by US billionaire Jeff Bezos.
The launch also marked the second Ariane 6 mission using four boosters, its most powerful configuration.
The satellites are scheduled to separate an hour and 54 minutes after launch. They will be released into low-Earth orbit in small batches of twos and threes. 
Amazon Leo plans to intially deploy 3,200 satellites into space that will form a network to provide internet back on Earth.
However after delays there are currently just 239 in orbit, including some launched by the rival SpaceX company of fellow billionaire Musk, according to data provided to AFP on Wednesday by Look Up, a French startup specialising in space surveillance.
In March, Musk's Starlink internet constellation crossed the symbolic threshold of 10,000 satellites -- and now has 10,162 in orbit, the startup added.
The French company Arianespace, which operates the rocket, will carry out a total of 18 launches for Amazon Leo, its main commercial customer. 
Amazon Leo has become crucial for keeping Europe's relatively new Ariane 6 rocket competitive, because many European commercial customers have opted to rely on SpaceX for launches.
fro-neo/dl/jj

economy

Eurozone economy barely grows in first months of 2026

BY RAZIYE AKKOC

  • That comes after the cost of energy had been falling until March this year with data showing they fell by 3.1 percent in February.
  • Eurozone economic growth dropped to near zero in the first three months of 2026 as surging energy costs triggered by the Middle East war pushed inflation sharply up in April, data showed on Thursday.
  • That comes after the cost of energy had been falling until March this year with data showing they fell by 3.1 percent in February.
Eurozone economic growth dropped to near zero in the first three months of 2026 as surging energy costs triggered by the Middle East war pushed inflation sharply up in April, data showed on Thursday.
The figures will add to fears of stagflation -- high inflation coupled with low economic growth -- in the eurozone because of the Middle East conflict unleashed after the US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
The EU's official statistics agency said the 21-nation single currency area grew by a mere 0.1 percent in the first quarter, down from 0.2 percent in the final months of 2025 and slower than forecast by economists.
Eurozone inflation also jumped to three percent in April, from 2.6 percent in March because of a significant leap in energy prices, Eurostat said.
The inflation figure is sharply higher than the European Central Bank's two percent target for the eurozone.
The ECB is expected to hold interest rates steady again later on Thursday as policymakers weigh concerns about higher inflation against worries over weakening growth.
Economists warned against linking Thursday's growth data too much to the war.
The GDP figure "mainly reflects a sharp decline in Ireland and some seasonal factors for the eurozone, rather than the impact of the war", Nicola Nobile of Oxford Economics said.
"The 1Q growth figure is not particularly informative, as it was barely affected by the energy and supply shock caused by the war in the Middle East," Peter Vanden Houte of ING Bank said.
Nobile warned that the war's "negative effects will be more visible" in the second quarter of the year.

German growth beats forecasts

More worrying for policymakers is the rapidly increasing inflation, analysts said. 
Energy price rises rocketed to 10.9 percent in April, up from 5.1 percent in March.
That comes after the cost of energy had been falling until March this year with data showing they fell by 3.1 percent in February.
On a slightly more positive note, core inflation -- which strips out volatile energy and food prices and is closely watched by analysts -- slowed to 2.2 percent in April, slightly down from 2.3 percent last month.
The EU's biggest economy, Germany, did better than expected with growth of 0.3 percent in the first quarter of 2026. Analysts surveyed by financial data firm FactSet had forecast growth of 0.2 percent.
But France's economy stagnated in the first three months of the year.
Prices also rose in the two biggest economies of the EU.
Inflation in Germany accelerated to 2.9 percent in April, slightly up from 2.8 percent in March. Meanwhile, in France, inflation surged to 2.5 percent in April from two percent last month.
raz/del/sbk

RSF

Press freedom at lowest level in 25 years: RSF

BY ANDRéA BAMBINO

  • While it climbed 36 places in the rankings to 141 in the rankings, RSF warned that the press freedom situation there remained "very serious".
  • Press freedom has fallen to its lowest level in a quarter of a century, Reporters Without Borders warned on Thursday.
  • While it climbed 36 places in the rankings to 141 in the rankings, RSF warned that the press freedom situation there remained "very serious".
Press freedom has fallen to its lowest level in a quarter of a century, Reporters Without Borders warned on Thursday.
The media rights watchdog cited as examples US President Donald Trump's "systematic" attacks on journalists and Saudi Arabia, which executed a journalist in 2025.
"For the first time in the (RSF) Index's 25-year history, more than half the world's countries now fall into the 'difficult' or 'very serious' categories for press freedom," a statement said.
"The average score for all countries and territories worldwide has never been so low," it said.
At the same time, the share of the world's population living in a country where the press freedom situation is considered "good" has plunged from 20 percent to less than one percent.
Only seven countries in Northern Europe, led by Norway, fall into this category. 
The United States, which had already fallen from a "fairly good" to a "problematic" situation in 2024, the year of Donald Trump's re-election, has dropped a further seven places to 64, it said.
Beyond Trump's attacks on the press —- "a systematic policy" -- the situation in the United States has also been marked by the detention and subsequent expulsion of Salvadoran journalist Mario Guevara, who denounced the arrest of migrants, and by drastic cuts to funding for US international broadcasting, the report said.

'Meaningful sanctions' needed

"Vladimir Putin's Russia (172nd) has become a specialist in using laws designed to combat terrorism, separatism and extremism to restrict press freedom," RSF warned.
"As of April 2026, the country held 48 journalists behind bars". 
The steepest decline in 2026 was in junta-led Niger (120th, down 37 places).
That "underscored the wider decline in press freedom in the Sahel region seen in recent years as attacks by armed groups and ruling juntas have suppressed the right to balanced information from diverse sources," RSF said.
Norway held the top spot in the rankings for the 10th year running, said RSF, while Eritrea came last for the third straight year.
The biggest improvement in press freedom had been in Syria following the ouster of Bashar al-Assad in late 2024.
While it climbed 36 places in the rankings to 141 in the rankings, RSF warned that the press freedom situation there remained "very serious".
"Current protection mechanisms are not strong enough," said RSF's editorial director Anne Bocande. "International law is being undermined and impunity is rife.
"We need firm guarantees and meaningful sanctions," she added.
jj/ach 

royals

Mamdani calls on King Charles to return Koh-i-Noor diamond

  • "If I was to speak to the king, separately from that, I would probably encourage him to return the Koh-i-Noor diamond," the leftist mayor said, adding that his focus would be honoring those killed in the terror attacks.
  • New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called for King Charles to "return" the prized Koh-i-Noor diamond, which the British Empire took from the Indian subcontinent in the 1800s, on the third day of the monarch's state visit on Wednesday.
  • "If I was to speak to the king, separately from that, I would probably encourage him to return the Koh-i-Noor diamond," the leftist mayor said, adding that his focus would be honoring those killed in the terror attacks.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called for King Charles to "return" the prized Koh-i-Noor diamond, which the British Empire took from the Indian subcontinent in the 1800s, on the third day of the monarch's state visit on Wednesday.
Before greeting Charles and Queen Camilla at a 9/11 memorial event, Mamdani was asked what he would discuss with the king if he had the chance.
"If I was to speak to the king, separately from that, I would probably encourage him to return the Koh-i-Noor diamond," the leftist mayor said, adding that his focus would be honoring those killed in the terror attacks.
It's unclear whether Mamdani followed through and brought up the contentious subject with Charles when the two met.
The monarch was seen laughing with Mamdani and having a brief conversation after they shook hands.
Housed in the Tower of London, the massive 106 carat stone is the star of Britain's crown jewels, adorning the Crown of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.
The ownership of the jewel has been contested over the centuries, passing through the hands of Mughal emperors, Iranian shahs and Sikh maharajas before the Kingdom of Punjab gave it to Queen Victoria in 1849 as part of a peace treaty.
India has repeatedly and unsuccessfully sought the return of the priceless jewel.
While there is little doubt it was mined in India, its history thereafter is a mixture of myth and fact, with several countries including Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan also laying claim to the gem.
A politician from the anti-immigration Reform UK party was quick to slam the comments as an "insult to our King."
"This beautiful diamond is currently on display in the Tower of London," the party's home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf said in an X post. "That is where it will stay."
sla/aks

US

Iran defies Trump's blockade as oil prices soar

BY AFP TEAMS IN TEHRAN, WASHINGTON, BEIRUT AND JERUSALEM

  • "Any attempt to impose a maritime blockade or restrictions is contrary to international law... and is doomed to fail," Pezeshkian said, in a statement that warned the blockade that began on April 13 would be "a disruption to lasting stability in the Persian Gulf".
  • Iran warned the United States on Thursday that its naval blockade was doomed to fail, after President Donald Trump signalled it could be enforced for months to come, in a confrontation wreaking havoc on global energy markets. 
  • "Any attempt to impose a maritime blockade or restrictions is contrary to international law... and is doomed to fail," Pezeshkian said, in a statement that warned the blockade that began on April 13 would be "a disruption to lasting stability in the Persian Gulf".
Iran warned the United States on Thursday that its naval blockade was doomed to fail, after President Donald Trump signalled it could be enforced for months to come, in a confrontation wreaking havoc on global energy markets. 
Oil prices soared to a four-year high, with Brent crude for June delivery up 7.1 percent to more than $126 dollars a barrel, and Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian responded with a warning that the action would only further destabilise the region.
The United States imposed a blockade on Iran's ports, while the Islamic republic has maintained its stranglehold over the strategic Strait of Hormuz since the start of the Middle East war in February.
"Any attempt to impose a maritime blockade or restrictions is contrary to international law... and is doomed to fail," Pezeshkian said, in a statement that warned the blockade that began on April 13 would be "a disruption to lasting stability in the Persian Gulf".
Trump is expected to receive a briefing on Thursday on new plans for potential military action in Iran from Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of US Central Command, two sources with knowledge of US planning told news platform Axios.
This week Trump has reportedly told oil executives and national security officials to prepare for a long US blockade designed to force Tehran to surrender its nuclear programme, and, speaking to Axios, said: "They are choking like a stuffed pig. And it is going to be worse for them."
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Wednesday in a social media post that it had reached a "significant milestone after successfully redirecting the 42nd commercial vessel attempting to violate the blockade".
It said there are "41 tankers with 69 million barrels of oil that the Iranian regime can't sell", estimating the value at more than $6 billion.
Trump faces domestic political pressure to end the war, which is unpopular even with much of his base, has increased costs for American consumers and has unnerved US allies. 
Iran's economy is also suffering and the rial has fallen to historic lows against the dollar.  
Iran has sought to extract a price for being attacked by exerting control over the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which about one-fifth of global oil typically transits.

'The issue is always nuclear'

Top US officials, including Vice President JD Vance, twice turned back last week from trips to Pakistan to negotiate with Iran.
US officials contend they do not know who is speaking for Iran, whether it is the hardline and increasingly empowered Revolutionary Guards or diplomats, after Israeli strikes killed a series of top leaders.
Tehran residents speaking to AFP journalists in Paris reported a sense of despair.
"Every time in recent years that negotiations have taken place, the economic situation of the people has only gotten worse. Sanctions have either started or intensified," a 52-year-old architect told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. 
"The issue is always nuclear. There's no talk about people, the economy or freedom. People have the right to not even want to hear the word 'negotiation'," he said.

'Collapse'

Iran proposed easing its chokehold over the Strait of Hormuz if Washington lifts its blockade and broader negotiations take place. 
But the Trump administration has insisted that Iran's nuclear programme be on the table.
Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who has emerged as a key figure since the start of the war, said Wednesday the US naval blockade of the country aimed to create division and "make us collapse from within".
Violence has continued on the war's Lebanese front, despite a recently extended ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed armed group that drew Lebanon into the war by firing rockets at Israel. Israel responded with strikes and a ground invasion.
For the first time since the ceasefire began, the Lebanese army said on Tuesday that an Israeli strike had targeted its troops, wounding two soldiers in the south. Another strike on Wednesday killed a Lebanese soldier, it said.
"Israel must finally realise that the only path to security is through negotiations, but it must first fully implement the ceasefire in order to move on to negotiations," Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said.
A UN-backed report said Wednesday more than 1.2 million people in Lebanon were expected to face acute hunger due to the latest war.
burs/dc/ser

earnings

Air France-KLM trims 2026 outlook over Middle East war impact

  • Air France, KLM and Transavia have relatively little exposure to the Middle East, where disruptions due to air travel were the most severe.
  • Air France-KLM cut back its 2026 outlook as it said higher fuel prices caused by the Middle East war would weigh down its fuel bill by more than a third.
  • Air France, KLM and Transavia have relatively little exposure to the Middle East, where disruptions due to air travel were the most severe.
Air France-KLM cut back its 2026 outlook as it said higher fuel prices caused by the Middle East war would weigh down its fuel bill by more than a third.
The airline group which also includes budget airline Transavia said it now expects to expand capacity by two to four percent this year, down from its earlier forecast of three to five percent.
Air France-KLM announced a net loss of 252 million euros ($294 million) in the first quarter, an increase of one percent from the same period last year.
"While fuel price increases are not yet reflected in the results we present today, they are expected to weigh on the coming quarters," said chief executive Benjamin Smith.
The war triggered by US and Israeli attacks on Iran at the end of February has nearly halted shipping traffic via the Strait of Hormuz, through which around a fifth of the world's oil normally passes.
Jet fuel prices more than doubled in the first few weeks of the war.
Air France-KLM, like many other European airlines, tries to cushion the impact of price swings by locking in supplies in advance, and said didn't feel the impact in March.
Despite this the airline group said it expects to add 2.4 billion euros to its annual fuel costs, with 1.1 billion in this quarter.
Like other airline groups, Air France-KLM said it had increased fare prices to compensate.
Air France, KLM and Transavia have relatively little exposure to the Middle East, where disruptions due to air travel were the most severe.
The group said other markets held up well.
Revenues rose by 4.4 percent to nearly 7.5 billion euros during the quarter, just beating analyst expectations compiled by financial data provider Factset.
It carried 22.3 million passengers, an increase of 2.3 percent, and increased seat occupancy by 0.3 percentage points to 86.3 percent.
Shares in Air France-KLM rose 1.3 percent in morning trading in Paris while the blue-chip CAC 40 index was down 1.1 percent overall.
hh/rl/jj

conflict

'River on fire': Toxic fumes as Ukrainian drones pound Russian oil town

  • "Look, look at that," Yevgenia, a pensioner with a shopping bag and wearing a face mask, said, pointing at a layer of black dust and soot on a car nearby.
  • Plumes of black smoke towered over the southern Russian town of Tuapse on Wednesday where residents wore face masks to shield themselves from polluted air after multiple Ukrainian drone strikes on a major oil refinery in the coastal town.
  • "Look, look at that," Yevgenia, a pensioner with a shopping bag and wearing a face mask, said, pointing at a layer of black dust and soot on a car nearby.
Plumes of black smoke towered over the southern Russian town of Tuapse on Wednesday where residents wore face masks to shield themselves from polluted air after multiple Ukrainian drone strikes on a major oil refinery in the coastal town.
Ukraine, fending off Russia's full-scale offensive launched in 2022, has in the past weeks stepped up its strikes targeting Russian oil infrastructure hubs: refineries, ports and depots.
It calls the campaign fair retribution for the assault that has ravaged swaths of Ukrainian territory, killed tens of thousands of civilians and forced millions to flee their homes.
Ukrainian drones have hit Tuapse's sprawling oil facilities three times over the past two weeks -- most recently overnight from Monday to Tuesday, triggering a local state of emergency as a column of thick smoke rose from the site.
"The water in the river was on fire," Vladimir, a 63-year-old pensioner and Tuapse resident, told AFP as he looked over the grey smoky skyline.
As the wind gusted, toxic fumes and the smell of burnt oil spread through the city, perched on Russia's Black Sea coast.
Roads and pavements were covered with a sticky film.
Residents were told to stay indoors and schools closed in the town of some 60,000.
Officials said Wednesday the level of benzene -- a toxic carcinogen found in petrol -- in the air was elevated.
"Look, look at that," Yevgenia, a pensioner with a shopping bag and wearing a face mask, said, pointing at a layer of black dust and soot on a car nearby.
"It's impossible to clean it all up quickly. They bombed us three times in a month," she said. 
Vladimir and Yevgenia did not provide their full names for security reasons.

Contaminated soil

The burning oil terminal is located right next to the city centre, close to pedestrian areas and the road to the resort city of Sochi -- a favoured summer escape for the Russian elite, including President Vladimir Putin.
On Tuesday, Putin lashed out at Kyiv, accusing the Ukrainian authorities of resorting to "overt terrorist methods" and intensifying drone strikes "against civilian infrastructure".
"The latest example is the strikes on energy facilities in Tuapse, which could potentially cause serious environmental consequences," Putin said.
Kyiv says it only targets energy and military sites -- designed to hobble Russia's war machine and cast as a legitimate response to Russia's nightly barrages of its cities.
Three people have been killed, including a 14-year-old girl, in the series of Ukrainian attacks on Tuapse in April, local officials said.
Around 600 people were working "around the clock" to mitigate the consequences of the strikes, including an environmental clean-up operation, a regional crisis task force said on Telegram.
It said that "nearly 10,000 cubic metres of oil-contaminated soil and water-oil mixture have been collected from the shore and in the Tuapse River".
For Tuapse residents, the strikes have brought the consequences of Russia's four-year offensive on Ukraine home.
"I've already lived through one war," he said, referring to Russia's wars in Chechnya, a few hundred kilometres across the Caucasus mountains, following the collapse of the Soviet Union. 
"Now here's another one."
bur/yad

wildlife

Teen with 30 tortoises under clothes nabbed at Thai airport

  • The Thai customs department said the tortoises -- protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) -- commanded a high price on the black market, placing their total estimated value at around $9,000.
  • Thai authorities arrested a teenager at a Bangkok airport for allegedly smuggling 30 protected tortoises valued at about $9,000 that were taped under her clothing, wildlife officials said Wednesday.
  • The Thai customs department said the tortoises -- protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) -- commanded a high price on the black market, placing their total estimated value at around $9,000.
Thai authorities arrested a teenager at a Bangkok airport for allegedly smuggling 30 protected tortoises valued at about $9,000 that were taped under her clothing, wildlife officials said Wednesday.
Thailand is a major transit hub for wildlife smugglers who often sell highly prized endangered animals on the lucrative black market in Asia.
Authorities became suspicious of the 19-year-old Taiwanese woman's unusual movements as she prepared to board a flight to Taipei early Tuesday, Thailand's wildlife conservation department said in a statement.
A search at Suvarnabhumi airport's departure terminal uncovered the Indian star tortoises -- 29 alive and one dead -- strapped to her body, the department said.
"The suspect had used adhesive tape to immobilise the animals, packed them into cloth bags and attached them to her body to evade detection," it added.
The Thai customs department said the tortoises -- protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) -- commanded a high price on the black market, placing their total estimated value at around $9,000.
The woman was charged with illegally transporting animals and evading customs controls.
Authorities said they were investigating whether she was part of a wider smuggling network.
Indian star tortoises are classified as a vulnerable species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which says they have been targeted to meet international demand for use as "exotic pets".
The surviving tortoises were transferred to wildlife conservation officials for care and to serve as evidence.
ci/sco/cms

US

Trump warns Iran blockade could last months, sending oil prices soaring

BY AFP TEAMS IN TEHRAN, WASHINGTON, BEIRUT AND JERUSALEM

  • Oil prices soared to four-year highs, with US benchmark Brent spiking more than seven percent to $126.41 for June delivery, while West Texas Intermediate was up around three percent to $110.31.
  • President Donald Trump said a US naval blockade against Iran could last months, leading oil prices to spike to their highest level in more than four years, which held into Thursday.
  • Oil prices soared to four-year highs, with US benchmark Brent spiking more than seven percent to $126.41 for June delivery, while West Texas Intermediate was up around three percent to $110.31.
President Donald Trump said a US naval blockade against Iran could last months, leading oil prices to spike to their highest level in more than four years, which held into Thursday.
Trump is expected to receive a briefing on Thursday on new plans for potential military action in Iran from Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of US Central Command, two sources with knowledge told Axios.
With diplomacy between Iran and the United States at a standstill after false starts, Trump spoke by phone Wednesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who warned him of "damaging consequences" if the United States and Israel resume their war on Iran.
Meeting oil executives, Trump contended that the blockade of Iranian ports -- which Tehran has demanded must end before any deal -- was more effective than bombing.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Wednesday on X that it had reached a "significant milestone after successfully redirecting the 42nd commercial vessel attempting to violate the blockade".
It said there are "41 tankers with 69 million barrels of oil that the Iranian regime can't sell", estimating the value at more than $6 billion.
Trump has faced intense political pressure to end the war, which is unpopular even with much of his base, having increased costs for American consumers and unnerved US allies.
Trump, speaking to Axios, said of the naval action on Iran: "They are choking like a stuffed pig. And it is going to be worse for them."
Oil prices soared to four-year highs, with US benchmark Brent spiking more than seven percent to $126.41 for June delivery, while West Texas Intermediate was up around three percent to $110.31. Both later pared the gains.
Iran has sought to extract a price for being attacked by exerting control over the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which about one-fifth of global oil typically transits.

'The issue is always nuclear'

The US leader on Wednesday lashed out at German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, threatening to reduce the number of its troops in Germany over Berlin's refusal to back the war in Iran or contribute to a peacekeeping force in the Strait of Hormuz.
Merz has become a target of Trump's ire after saying earlier this week that Iran was "humiliating" Washington at the negotiating table.
Top US officials including Vice President JD Vance twice turned back last week from trips to Pakistan to negotiate with Iran, which has voiced doubts about Trump's sincerity for diplomacy.
US officials contend they do not know who is speaking for Iran, whether it is the hardline and increasingly empowered Revolutionary Guards or diplomats, after Israeli strikes killed a series of top leaders.
The UN Development Programme warned that the war, which has also sent the price of fertilizer soaring, could plunge more than 30 million people into poverty in 160 countries.
"It's development in reverse," UNDP chief Alexander De Croo told AFP.
But despite the defiance of the cleric-run state, the Iranian rial fell to historic lows against the dollar.
Tehran residents speaking to AFP journalists in Paris reported a sense of despair.
"Every time in recent years that negotiations have taken place, the economic situation of the people has only gotten worse. Sanctions have either started or intensified," a 52-year-old architect told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. 
"The issue is always nuclear. There's no talk about people, the economy or freedom. People have the right to not even want to hear the word 'negotiation'," he said.

'Collapse'

Iran has proposed easing its chokehold over the Strait of Hormuz as Washington lifts its blockade and broader negotiations take place. The Trump administration has been skeptical of the proposal.
Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who has emerged as a key figure since the start of the war, said Wednesday the US naval blockade of the country aimed to create division and "make us collapse from within".
Violence has continued on the war's Lebanese front, despite a recently extended ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed armed group that drew Lebanon into the war by firing rockets at Israel. Israel responded with strikes and a ground invasion.
For the first time since the ceasefire began, the Lebanese army said on Tuesday that an Israeli strike had targeted its troops, wounding two soldiers in the south. Another strike on Wednesday killed a Lebanese soldier, it said.
"Israel must finally realise that the only path to security is through negotiations, but it must first fully implement the ceasefire in order to move on to negotiations," Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said.
A UN-backed report said Wednesday more than 1.2 million people in Lebanon were expected to face acute hunger due to the latest war.
burs-arp/ane/jsa

internet

No 'meaningful' shift from social media sites after Australia teen ban: govt report

BY STEVEN TRASK

  • "Australia's world-leading social media laws are not failing.
  • There was "no meaningful shift" away from big tech platforms like TikTok and Instagram in the immediate wake of Australia's world-leading teen social media ban, government documents obtained by AFP show.
  • "Australia's world-leading social media laws are not failing.
There was "no meaningful shift" away from big tech platforms like TikTok and Instagram in the immediate wake of Australia's world-leading teen social media ban, government documents obtained by AFP show.
Australia in December banned under 16s from a raft of popular social media platforms, launching a world-first crackdown designed to protect children from online bullying and "predatory algorithms".
There is strong global interest in whether Australia's laws could provide a blueprint for how to rein-in increasingly powerful tech giants.
Government documents obtained by AFP using freedom of information laws give an early glimpse into how the restrictions are working.
They showed that platforms such as Instagram and TikTok were still "dominating app store rankings and downloads" one month on from the ban.
Data compiled throughout January showed "no meaningful shift away" from these platforms, noted an internal briefing from Australia's eSafety Commission.
Users dabbled with other apps not covered by the ban but "largely returned to major, established platforms", officials wrote in the briefing dated February 2.
A separate document cautioned it was hard to draw firm conclusions from app download data so soon after the ban.
"Limitations of this data are that it does not reflect usage of an app or the age of the user, however it gives early indicators if an app is rising in popularity."
One of the chief concerns driving Australia's social media ban was the desire to stamp out cyberbullying. 
Complaints of cyberbullying on banned social media platforms increased 26 percent when comparing January 2026 with January 2025, the documents said.
Complaints had largely stemmed from TikTok. 
A spokeswoman for the eSafety Commission -- Australia's online watchdog -- said the documents only covered a short period of time as the laws were bedding down.
"Continued analysis as more data becomes available will support more robust, evidence-based conclusions regarding longer-term trends, reporting behaviours and impacts of (a minimum age for social media)," the commission told AFP in a statement.
TikTok was approached for comment.

'Global interest'

A raft of nations are now reportedly mulling a similar social media crackdown.
The documents showed that Israel, the United Kingdom, Norway and New Zealand met with Australian officials after expressing an "interest" in the ban.
"eSafety has experienced significant global interest in the world's first social media minimum age legislation, including implementation and compliance," the commission said.
"The internet doesn't stop at the border and nor should our efforts to minimise harm, especially to children."
Australia in March accused big tech companies of "failing to obey" their obligations under the new laws.
The eSafety Commission found a "substantial proportion of Australian children" were still scrolling banned platforms.
"Australia's world-leading social media laws are not failing. But big tech is failing to obey the laws," Communications Minister Anika Wells told reporters at the time.
"Australia will not let the social media giants take us for mugs."
Tech companies face fines of up to $33.9 million (Aus$49.5 million) under the laws.
More than five million accounts belonging to underage Australian users have been removed since the laws came into effect, according to government figures.
sft/oho/abs

inquiry

Australian Jewish group warned of 'attack' before Bondi mass shooting: inquiry

BY STEVEN TRASK

  • The report detailed how, just days before the attack, a Jewish volunteer group had warned police about the threat of violence at Hanukkah celebrations.
  • A Jewish community group warned police a terror attack was "likely" just days before two gunmen killed 15 people in a mass shooting at Australia's Bondi Beach, an inquiry said on Thursday.
  • The report detailed how, just days before the attack, a Jewish volunteer group had warned police about the threat of violence at Hanukkah celebrations.
A Jewish community group warned police a terror attack was "likely" just days before two gunmen killed 15 people in a mass shooting at Australia's Bondi Beach, an inquiry said on Thursday.
Sajid Akram and son Naveed are accused of opening fire as Jewish families thronged Bondi Beach for a Hanukkah celebration in December, carrying out Australia's deadliest mass shooting for 30 years.
Australia's Jewish community "was the evident target of the attack", a high-powered royal commission tasked with investigating the shooting concluded in an interim report.
The report detailed how, just days before the attack, a Jewish volunteer group had warned police about the threat of violence at Hanukkah celebrations.
"A terrorist attack against the NSW Jewish Community is likely and there is a high level of antisemitic vilification," the Community Security Group wrote in an email released by the inquiry.
The security group said they were told police could not provide dedicated officers for the December 14 festival, but would send mobile patrols to "check in and monitor the event".
Jewish community leader Alex Ryvchin said organisers were struck by a "general feeling of unrest" ahead of the Hanukkah festival.
"The police are the ones that make decisions around resourcing, and it seems like this was not adequately done," he told national broadcaster ABC.
"We need to understand why those resourcing decisions were made."
State premier Chris Minns said he took "responsibility" for failing to protect the victims.
"If we had known what was going to happen, we would have put an army down there."
Police commissioner Mal Lanyon said officers had considered the information provided by the Jewish group.
"There were police present on that occassion, there had been a risk assessment, and there were certainly roving police throughout the area on that evening."
The inquiry said police should consider ramping up security arrangements at future Jewish celebrations "that have a public facing element".
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters it was a matter for the New South Wales state government.
He said he would "implement all the recommendations" of the report.
"I can assure the Australian public that the government will do everything necessary to protect the community in the wake of the Bondi attack," he said.
The federal royal commission -- the highest level of government inquiry -- has been tasked with probing everything from intelligence failures to the rise of antisemitism in Australia.
It also found that the country's counter-terrorism capabilities "could be improved".
Several recommendations related to national security were redacted to protect sensitive information and ongoing investigations.

'We demand answers'

The mass shooting has sparked national soul-searching about antisemitism and widespread anger over the failure to shield Jewish Australians from harm.
Australia announced a suite of gun law reforms following the shootings, including a nationwide gun buyback scheme.
The buyback scheme has since stalled as the federal government struggles to convince Australia's states and territories to sign on.
Australia should "prioritise efforts" to get the buyback up and running, the inquiry recommended.
Victims' families penned an open letter in December urging Albanese to establish the inquiry.
"We demand answers and solutions," they wrote.
Royal commissions hold public hearings and can sometimes run for years.
The inquiry is led by Virginia Bell, a widely respected former High Court judge.
Alleged gunman Sajid Akram, 50, was shot and killed by police during the assault. 
His 24-year-old son Naveed, an Australian-born citizen who remains in prison, has been charged with terrorism and 15 murders.
sft/oho/abs

Christchurch

New Zealand mosque killer loses bid to overturn convictions

BY BEN STRANG

  • The judges said the court received a notice of abandonment of appeal signed by Tarrant using a "self-styled moniker" but the document was thrown out because it was not dated or witnessed.
  • White supremacist killer Brenton Tarrant lost on Thursday an appeal seeking to overturn his conviction and sentence for shooting dead 51 people at two New Zealand mosques in 2019, court documents showed.
  • The judges said the court received a notice of abandonment of appeal signed by Tarrant using a "self-styled moniker" but the document was thrown out because it was not dated or witnessed.
White supremacist killer Brenton Tarrant lost on Thursday an appeal seeking to overturn his conviction and sentence for shooting dead 51 people at two New Zealand mosques in 2019, court documents showed.
The 35-year-old admitted to carrying out New Zealand's deadliest modern day mass shooting before being sentenced to life in prison in August 2020.
He appealed to the Court of Appeal in February, saying "torturous and inhumane" detention conditions during his trial made him incapable of making rational decisions when he pleaded guilty.
"I did not have the mind frame or mental health required to be making informed decisions at that time," Tarrant said at the time.
The panel of three judges said the court "does not accept Mr Tarrant's evidence about his mental state."
"There were inconsistencies in Mr Tarrant's own evidence, and his evidence is at odds with the detailed observations of prison authorities and the assessments of mental health professionals at the time of him entering his pleas."
The judges found Tarrant's guilty pleas were voluntary and "he was not coerced or pressured in any way to plead guilty".
"The evidence overwhelmingly demonstrates that he was not suffering any significant psychological impacts as a result of his prison conditions at the time he pleaded guilty," the court said.
The court said Tarrant's "proposed conviction appeal is utterly devoid of merit".
"The facts concerning Mr Tarrant's offending are beyond dispute. He has not identified any arguable defence, or indeed any defence known to the law."

'Huge relief'

Tarrant's penalty of life imprisonment without parole was the stiffest in New Zealand history.
Armed with an arsenal of semi-automatic weapons, Tarrant attacked worshippers at two mosques in Christchurch on March 15, 2019.
He published an online manifesto before the attacks and then livestreamed the killings for 17 minutes.
His victims were all Muslim and included children, women and the elderly.
The court's decision was complicated one week after Tarrant's February hearing when he sought to abandon his appeal entirely.
The judges said the court received a notice of abandonment of appeal signed by Tarrant using a "self-styled moniker" but the document was thrown out because it was not dated or witnessed.
Tarrant filed a second notice later that week, again using a pseudonym, which was dated and witnessed.
He said he "no longer wishes to have a lawyer" and the appeal should not continue as "it would likely lead to a miscarriage of justice".
Lawyers acting for the survivors and families of victims told national broadcaster RNZ the decision had been a "huge relief".
"The law has now done its job," they said.
"The families, and frankly all of us, will be spared the trauma of reliving the 15th of March all over again in a trial.
"It is a huge relief that the difficult and often unsupported journey families are on will not now be added to by the great burden of a new trial. It would have been unimaginably traumatic."
bes/oho/abs

diplomacy

Key points from the first global talks on phasing out fossil fuels

  • "This journey that began here in a coal port of the Caribbean Sea, now voyages to the Pacific Ocean," said Tuvalu's Climate Minister Maina Talia.
  • The first global conference on transitioning away from fossil fuels wrapped up on Wednesday -- but what progress was made in Santa Marta, a coal port on the Caribbean coast?
  • "This journey that began here in a coal port of the Caribbean Sea, now voyages to the Pacific Ocean," said Tuvalu's Climate Minister Maina Talia.
The first global conference on transitioning away from fossil fuels wrapped up on Wednesday -- but what progress was made in Santa Marta, a coal port on the Caribbean coast?
Here are a few takeaways:

Roadmaps

France made headlines on the opening day of the conference when it published a "roadmap" detailing its path to eliminating the use of all fossil fuels for energy by 2050.
Analysts said no other country had published such a clear and comprehensive phaseout plan and it sent an important signal from a major economy about its direction on fossil fuels.
The splash caused some grumbling in Santa Marta as some pointed out that France was not announcing new policy but existing pledges under a different title.
Other nations contested that there was no widely accepted definition of a roadmap, and that they too had timelines to phase out coal and other planet-heating fuels, as well as renewable energy targets and plans for decarbonizing heavy industry.
Leo Roberts from the E3G climate change think tank said a roadmap should be guided by science and make a fossil fuel phaseout a "central planning principle" around which other policies gravitate.
  

'Spaghetti' science

One of the key outcomes was the creation of an expert scientific panel to advise governments, cities or regions in planning their own pathways away from fossil fuels.
Carlos Nobre, a Brazilian climate scientist and one of the driving forces behind the panel, told AFP: "It will provide all the solutions -- to implement them, and to finance them." 
The Scientific Panel for the Global Energy Transition was amusingly dubbed the "Spaghetti" group because of its acronym -- SPGET.

Fossil Free Zones

Popular among grassroots movements, the concept of "Fossil Free Zones" is slowly gaining traction in international meetings and found fertile ground in Santa Marta.
These zones aim to encompass territories that -- due to their ecological importance, from the Amazon to the Congo Basin and Indonesian rainforest -- are protected by governments that prohibit all hydrocarbon exploration and extraction within them.
The Earth Insight expert group estimates that there are 58 such protected areas worldwide. 
Colombia, for example, banned the extraction of fossil fuels and minerals in the Colombian Amazon last year to "stop the expansion of the extractive frontier," said Colombia's Environment Minister Irene Velez Torres, host of the Santa Marta conference.

New hosts

Colombia passed the baton to Tuvalu, a tiny island nation in the Pacific Ocean that will host the next fossil fuel phaseout conference in 2027.
The low-lying island is seriously threatened by rising sea levels, and has been a strong voice on the international stage for impoverished countries imperiled by climate change.
"This journey that began here in a coal port of the Caribbean Sea, now voyages to the Pacific Ocean," said Tuvalu's Climate Minister Maina Talia.
Activists urged countries to turn up in numbers, despite the distance.
"I think the fact that the Pacific is far away cannot be an excuse," Nikki Reisch, from the Center for International Environmental Law, told AFP in Santa Marta.
"The Pacific Island countries are constantly bearing the burden of coming to other fora and trying to get their voice heard."
np-app/aks

Global Edition

Mountain festival marks spring arrival high above Tokyo

  • At dawn, the Shinto priests in court robes -- joined by people dressed as armoured samurai warriors and children in ceremonial attire -- set off on a kilometre-long climb back to the summit shrine.
  • A centuries-old festival that heralds spring drew hundreds of worshippers to a mountain in Tokyo on Wednesday, as robed Shinto priests led a procession to a sacred shrine at the summit.
  • At dawn, the Shinto priests in court robes -- joined by people dressed as armoured samurai warriors and children in ceremonial attire -- set off on a kilometre-long climb back to the summit shrine.
A centuries-old festival that heralds spring drew hundreds of worshippers to a mountain in Tokyo on Wednesday, as robed Shinto priests led a procession to a sacred shrine at the summit.
The Hinode Sai, or Sunrise festival, is believed to have started when wandering ascetics climbed Mount Mitake in search of enlightenment. Each spring, it attracts devotees from across Japan to the still largely untouched mountaintop about 55 kilometres (30 miles) from Tokyo's metropolitan area.
The annual two-day ritual sees the shrine's deity -- carefully wrapped in white silk and hidden from public view -- brought from the summit down to a temporary "resting place" at the mountain's base before being returned in a celebratory ascent.
Shrine officials say participants receive the deity's blessing, offering protection for households and freedom from illness for the year ahead.
The ritual, which has continued since the Middle Ages, according to the shrine's website, also symbolises the arrival of spring.
The silent procession began Tuesday evening, winding through a mountain village past devotees and shuttered shops bestowing blessing as it went.
Guided by lantern light, priests took the wrapped deity down to its overnight resting place believed to be where it originally descended from the heavens.
At dawn, the Shinto priests in court robes -- joined by people dressed as armoured samurai warriors and children in ceremonial attire -- set off on a kilometre-long climb back to the summit shrine.
Their pilgrimage culminated with the echo of conch shells through the forest as the procession completed its final ascent of 330 stone steps to the mountaintop.
acr-tmo/abs/cms

internet

Australia's 'most beautiful' street fed up with viral fame

BY OLIVER HOTHAM

  • Others are setting up a committee to demand the road be declared a one-way street -- a bid to halt the seemingly endless stream of cars slowing to a halt as they film the viral view.
  • Viral posts of an Australian street dubbed the country's "most beautiful" have enticed coachloads of visitors to a picturesque seaside town -- and locals have had enough of it.
  • Others are setting up a committee to demand the road be declared a one-way street -- a bid to halt the seemingly endless stream of cars slowing to a halt as they film the viral view.
Viral posts of an Australian street dubbed the country's "most beautiful" have enticed coachloads of visitors to a picturesque seaside town -- and locals have had enough of it.
Just a two-hour drive south of Sydney, Gerringong is much like many other photogenic hamlets along Australia's east coast, with multi-million-dollar properties set against stunning views of the azure blue sea.
But recent posts on Instagram, TikTok and as far afield as China's RedNote showing the town's Tasman Drive have left residents fuming that their little slice of paradise has turned into an internet sensation.
"It's getting beyond a joke for a small country town," Peter Hainsworth, 81, told AFP as tourists frolicked on the rolling hills nearby.
"You've got people who are trying to do three-point turns, they're standing in the middle of the road taking photographs, they're leaving their rubbish.
"Everyone's fed up."
Nearby, tourists posed in the middle of the road for selfies to the fury of a sweary local resident on a bicycle who declined to speak to AFP.
Overtourism concerns have sparked backlash in many hotspots worldwide, from European cities Barcelona and Venice to Japan -- where officials erected a barrier to block a popular view of Mount Fuji in 2024 because of the disruptive behaviour of unruly tourists.
Some Gerringong residents have resorted to extreme measures, turning on garden sprinklers to prevent tourists from taking pictures on their lawns.
Others are setting up a committee to demand the road be declared a one-way street -- a bid to halt the seemingly endless stream of cars slowing to a halt as they film the viral view.
One neighbour reportedly sold their house to escape the furor.
"It's nice to see people enjoying it, but really, it's just getting a bit too much," resident Linda Bruce, 76, told AFP on a hill next to the viral view.
"It's just so weird to see so many people coming all this way for the view."
Thanks to the massive reach of the posts, which have racked up millions of views, tourists have come from across Asia -- an "unusual" sight in Gerringong, Bruce said.
"I mean, it's an amazing country, and it's there to share... it's just a bit much for the locals."

'Totally stunned'

Some of the tourists have had less far to travel.
Sagar Munjal, a 28-year-old taxi driver living in Parramatta, near Sydney, drove down with friends to see the view after spotting it on Instagram.
"My eyes were totally stunned," he said.
"You can enjoy the coastal drive with the beach plus beautiful mountains."
"I was amazed to see that."
Andy Liao, a property developer originally from Chengdu, China who now lives in Sydney, told AFP he and his family had driven down after seeing the street on RedNote.
"The landscape is so beautiful," he said. "That's why I drove two hours."
But Andy said he understood why locals might be annoyed with the attention.
"If I'm living here, I don't want too many people coming to my backyard."
Others were less sympathetic to the residents' plight.
Kevin Medina, a 22-year-old cook from Colombia, provoked a string of expletives from one local when he took selfies on the roadside.
"They should be really happy, because are they getting more people to know this beautiful place."

'Why are they doing this?'

Chief among the locals' complaints is that the tourists are not spending money in the area -- they simply show up, snap their selfies and leave.
Deputy mayor and local business owner Melissa Matters told AFP the financial impact was mixed.
"Some businesses are experiencing not a lot of uptake," but others "are doing quite well out of it", she said.
And while many residents had moved down from the big city seeking a quiet life, Matters said Gerringong was hardly a stranger to outsiders.
"We've always been about tourism here."
Back on Tasman Drive, tourists excitedly posed for pictures next to a speed bump sign as a grumbling resident glared at them.
"You sort of wonder, why are they doing this?" Bruce said.
"Is it because they really, really love the area and think it's so wonderful to see the view, or are they just ticking off another box on their to-do list?"
oho/djw/ami/cms

diplomacy

Nations urged to 'go further' as fossil fuel exit talks wrap in Colombia

BY NICK PERRY AND ANNA PELEGRI

  • Nearly 200 countries agreed at COP28 in 2023 to transition away from fossil fuels, but efforts to turn that pledge into action have stalled.
  • Nearly 60 nations hailed progress in the fight to exit fossil fuels as a breakaway conference wrapped up in Colombia on Wednesday -- but now face the harder work of turning words into action.
  • Nearly 200 countries agreed at COP28 in 2023 to transition away from fossil fuels, but efforts to turn that pledge into action have stalled.
Nearly 60 nations hailed progress in the fight to exit fossil fuels as a breakaway conference wrapped up in Colombia on Wednesday -- but now face the harder work of turning words into action.
Ministers and envoys gathered in the coal port of Santa Marta in the hope of speeding the shift away from planet-heating fossil fuels and breaking a stalemate at the UN climate talks.
The conference was announced last year after nations failed to include an explicit reference to fossil fuels in the final deal reached at the UN COP30 climate summit in Brazil. 
But organizers say it gained momentum after the US-Israel attacks on Iran ignited a global energy crisis -- underscoring the risks of reliance even as some nations looked to fossil fuels to plug supply gaps.
From tiny island states to European powers and emerging markets, nations attended the conference voluntarily after an effort to tackle fossil fuels head-on at last year's COP30 failed.
"Countries are taking steps," said Dutch Climate Minister Stientje van Veldhoven, whose country co-hosted.
"Everybody who is here is here because they want to move further than where they are right now, and they think that we can be stronger together.
"Together we can be stronger -- and we can go further."
No binding commitments were expected but Colombian Environment Minister Irene Velez Torres said "big results" were achieved nonetheless.
She pointed to the creation of an expert panel of world-renowned climate scientists tasked with helping governments on their own transitions -- a daunting task in particular for developing nations dependent on oil and gas.
She thanked nations for coming together "to talk about the challenges (and) to talk about the taboos."
"When they look back at us from the future...They will remember that we were there and working on the challenges of our time," she said.
The climate-threatened Pacific nation of Tuvalu was also named as host of next year's conference with Ireland in what was seen as a crucial signal that the momentum would carry on beyond the first edition.

'Good atmosphere'

Many major fossil fuel producers turned out for the event, from wealthy economies like Canada and Norway to developing oil giants like Angola and Brazil.
The United States, China, Saudi Arabia and Russia -- among other major producers and consumers of fossil fuels -- did not show up.
The conference bypassed the United Nations climate process altogether, reflecting a growing impatience with its failure to tackle fossil fuels, the main driver of global warming.
Many nations spoke of the relief at not having to cobble an agreement by consensus between nearly 200 nations -- a process that takes nearly two weeks at the annual COP climate summits and often ends in bitter disappointment.
"You could really feel it there -- that it's somehow a new beginning or a wake-up call, like things can't go on this way," German environment state secretary Jochen Flasbarth told reporters, noting "a very good atmosphere here."
Away from the conference rooms on the Caribbean coast, oil prices surged Wednesday to their highest level since early 2022, underlining the risk of fossil fuel reliance.
The global energy crisis triggered by the Middle East war dominated the talks, with fossil fuels cast as a threat to energy independence as much as the climate.

Tough message

For many nations -- particularly developing fossil fuel producers -- phasing out a major source of state revenue is easier said than done.
"Not phasing out -- phase down. That is the message," Onuoha Magnus Chidi, an adviser to Nigeria's regional development minister, told AFP in Santa Marta.
"People are going to lose their jobs...How are you trying to re-engage them in other sectors?" said the delegate from one of Africa's biggest oil and gas producers.
Nearly 200 countries agreed at COP28 in 2023 to transition away from fossil fuels, but efforts to turn that pledge into action have stalled.
The discussions in Santa Marta would feed into a voluntary "roadmap" aimed at moving the world away from fossil fuels being compiled by Brazil, said Ana Toni, CEO of last year's COP30. 
np-app/sla

waste

Bali drowning in trash after landfill closed

BY DIAJENG VAYANTRI DEWI IN DENPASAR WITH MARCHIO GORBIANO IN JAKARTA

  • "As a business owner, this is a real nuisance," Yuvita told AFP. She has dipped into her meagre profits to pay a private company to remove the trash from near her stall.
  • Buckets of blooms adorn Yuvita Anggi Prinanda's sidewalk flower stall in Bali, but their perfume can't mask the stench of accumulating trash bespoiling parts of the resort island famed for its natural beauty. 
  • "As a business owner, this is a real nuisance," Yuvita told AFP. She has dipped into her meagre profits to pay a private company to remove the trash from near her stall.
Buckets of blooms adorn Yuvita Anggi Prinanda's sidewalk flower stall in Bali, but their perfume can't mask the stench of accumulating trash bespoiling parts of the resort island famed for its natural beauty. 
Bali's largest landfill was declared off-limits for organic waste from the beginning of April, as the government moves to enforce a longstanding ban on open tips.
But with no immediate alternatives provided, trash is piling up in the streets and attracting rats, or being set alight by frustrated residents, causing acrid smoke that has prompted health concerns.
"As a business owner, this is a real nuisance," Yuvita told AFP.
She has dipped into her meagre profits to pay a private company to remove the trash from near her stall.
"Some customers, perhaps bothered by the smell, ended up not making a purchase," the 34-year-old told AFP.
Her shop alone generates about four large black bags full of waste every day, mostly leaves and flower cuttings -- adding to the island's estimated 3,400 tons of daily garbage output.
On paper, Indonesia has banned open landfills since 2013, but it is only now attempting to fully implement the measure.

'Not a good look'

At Kuta beach, a popular tourist spot regularly inundated with plastic debris that washes ashore, rubbish bags are piled up waist-high in a parking lot.
"You have many rats here at nighttime. The smell is not very good... it's not a good look," said Australian visitor Justin Butcher.
Around seven million tourists visited Bali last year, vastly outstripping the island's native population of around 4.4 million, and contributing to Bali's waste output. 
People caught dumping or burning trash risk up to three months' jail time and a 50-million rupiah (nearly $3,000) fine, according to I Dewa Nyoman Rai Dharmadi, the head of Bali's public order agency, but many feel they have no other choice.
On April 16, hundreds of sanitation workers drove waste-filled trucks to the governor's office in protest.
"If we don't collect our client's trash, we are in the wrong, if we collect it, where do we dispose it?" said protester I Wayan Tedi Brahmanca.
In response, the local government said it would allow limited disposal of waste at Suwung as a temporary measure until the end of July.
But from August, the government has vowed to end all open landfills nationwide, though it is unclear what alternatives will be in place by then.
- 'People need guidance'  - 
Nur Azizah, a waste management expert at Gadjah Mada University, told AFP the Suwung landfill received about 1,000 tons of waste per day and has been overcapacity for years.
Up to 70 percent is organic waste that "is dangerous because over time it generates methane, which could explode and cause landslides".
This has happened several times, including a March collapse at Indonesia's largest landfill outside Jakarta that buried trucks and food stalls, killing seven people.
Nur said the only long-term solution was a mass campaign to educate people on managing organic waste, mainly through composting. 
Yuvita agreed. 
"People need guidance. It's like when someone cannot swim, they shouldn't be told to jump right in," she said. 
The head of Denpasar's environment and forestry agency Ida Bagus Wirabawa told AFP the government has been running awareness campaigns since last year, and handing out composting containers.
Indonesia's 284 million people produce more than 40 million tons of rubbish per year, nearly 40 percent of it food waste and nearly a fifth plastic, according to the environment ministry.
Only about a third gets "managed", meaning recycled or processed, according to Nur. 
The rest ends up in nature.
Fewer than a third of the country's 485 landfills have shuttered since the ban on open dumping came into force on paper about 13 years ago.
"We have not been managing waste properly, resulting in an emergency in all cities and regencies," then-environment minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq told reporters recently. He has since been replaced.
The government aims to break ground on several waste-to-energy projects in June, including one in Bali that could process about 1,200 tons of waste daily, but these could take years to come online.
mrc/mlr/sah/cms

television

Finland's Eurovision favourite brings flames and a frantic violin to Vienna

BY ANNA KORKMAN

  • Having ended up in last place 11 times, a win "would mean a lot... to the Finnish people," Lampenius said, who herself lives in Sweden.
  • Beaming with excitement, Finnish violinist Linda Lampenius and singer Pete Parkkonen entered a studio in Helsinki for their final rehearsals, before departing to Vienna, where they are tipped to win Eurovision.
  • Having ended up in last place 11 times, a win "would mean a lot... to the Finnish people," Lampenius said, who herself lives in Sweden.
Beaming with excitement, Finnish violinist Linda Lampenius and singer Pete Parkkonen entered a studio in Helsinki for their final rehearsals, before departing to Vienna, where they are tipped to win Eurovision.
Pointing to the mock-up stage where she would polish her stride in a shiny silver gown and steep high heels while intensely playing the strings of her antique 1781 Gagliano violin, Lampenius, 56, told AFP they would be practising "over and over."
Smiling behind a pair of stylish glasses, Parkkonen, 36, said he was "super excited" to "see how the world's biggest TV show is done and be a part of it".
With two weeks remaining until the Eurovision Song Contest Final on May 16, international betting sites give the Nordic country around a 30 percent chance of winning, far ahead the other favourites Denmark, Greece and France. 
When meeting AFP, the two performers were relaxed and bubbly -- in stark contrast to their dramatic and intense stage personas.
Blending classical violin with pop and rock, their "Flamethrower" is "a three-minute burst of drama" of "very high musical quality," Eurovision expert Anna Muurinen told AFP. 

'A helping hand'

A story about the fear of showing your true self, the song was inspired by Lampenius' own past from before she met her husband more than 20 years ago.
"At that time, I was behaving a little bit like this flamethrower," she explained.  
"I let people fall in love with me but then if they got to know me too close, I got scared, because I was afraid that that person would leave me when they knew me for real." 
Parkkonen, who appears on stage as enigmatic and brooding while lamenting his unanswered love next to a flaming confessional, hoped the song will serve as "a helping hand". 
The song is an "example of where not to go" while conveying the importance of speaking to each other and showing emotions, he said. 
Lampenius and Parkkonen had not met before the production of the song but the violinist reached out after she decided he would be the perfect vocalist to accompany her. 
As a classical violinist who began her concert career at the age of eight, Lampenius is already internationally acclaimed.  
In Finland, her private life has also received media attention over the years.
"And now here we are, life is crazy," said Parkkonen, who became famous after appearing in the Finnish reality TV show "Idols" in 2008.

Live violin  

Lampenius has requested permission from organiser EBU (European Broadcasting Union) to perform live with her violin in Vienna, as instruments featured on stage are typically pre-recorded.
"We don't know yet, so we will inform everyone at the same time when we get the final answer," she said.  
Finland has only claimed the top honour in the competition once when heavy metal band Lordi's monster-themed act won the hearts of the audience.
Having ended up in last place 11 times, a win "would mean a lot... to the Finnish people," Lampenius said, who herself lives in Sweden.
"I got goosebumps," she said when asked about the significance of a win. 
It would also mark the first time a song performed in Finnish won, Eurovision expert Muurinen noted. 
"Finland's cultural uniqueness has suddenly become a strength," she said. 
The 70th edition of the Eurovision occurs at a time when the event is facing a crisis.
More than 1,000 artists have urged a boycott, and several countries have pulled out in protest over Israel's participation.
Only 35 countries will be competing for the top prize in the Austrian capital, marking the smallest edition in recent years.
Parkkonen explained that the duo decided to take part in the Eurovision "with humanity and music". 
"Of course, we don't want people to suffer, all the children... it's awful... but we think of our music, we want to connect with people through love and music," Lampenius said. 
ank/jll/phz/ane

culture

Anti-Bezos campaign urges Met Gala boycott in New York

  • But the billionaire couple's stake in the gala has angered activists, who primarily oppose Bezos's business practices. 
  • A poster campaign opposing Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's involvement in the upcoming Met Gala cropped up across New York's streets and subways Wednesday, calling for a boycott of the star-studded event.
  • But the billionaire couple's stake in the gala has angered activists, who primarily oppose Bezos's business practices. 
A poster campaign opposing Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's involvement in the upcoming Met Gala cropped up across New York's streets and subways Wednesday, calling for a boycott of the star-studded event.
Bezos and his wife Lauren Sanchez Bezos are lead sponsors and honorary co-chairs of the high-profile fundraising event, to be held May 4, which draws A-listers across entertainment, sport, fashion and business. 
But the billionaire couple's stake in the gala has angered activists, who primarily oppose Bezos's business practices. 
One poster depicts a bottle filled with urine on a red carpet -- a reference to some Amazon drivers having to urinate in bottles due to a lack of bathroom breaks. 
Another portrays Bezos in a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) uniform, as Amazon's cloud computing subsidiary has a contract with the divisive agency leading President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. 
Behind the campaign is a group founded in Britain called "Everyone Hates Elon" -- which, a spokesperson stressed, "also targets other billionaires" beyond Elon Musk, the world's richest person. 
"I think it feels really powerful to take action," said the spokesperson, who asked for anonymity due to fears of retaliation.
"I think it's speaking to a need that people have to stand up to some of these people that are controlling our lives."
The group says it has received more than 14,000 pounds ($19,000) to fund its campaign in New York -- mainly from small donations averaging 10 pounds.
The Met Gala is often criticized for its displays of immense wealth and has previously drawn protests over economic inequality, environmental concerns, and the war in Gaza. 
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