police

London police probe 'terror' incident after two Jewish men stabbed

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

diplomacy

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

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. 
pel/bjt/jgc

royals

King Charles touts 'solidarity' with US at 9/11 memorial

BY BEN TURNER

  • "We stand in enduring solidarity with the American people in the face of their profound loss," it added.
  • King Charles III declared his "enduring solidarity with the American people" Wednesday, as he visited the 9/11 memorial in New York as part of a state visit focused on healing strained ties between Britain and the United States.
  • "We stand in enduring solidarity with the American people in the face of their profound loss," it added.
King Charles III declared his "enduring solidarity with the American people" Wednesday, as he visited the 9/11 memorial in New York as part of a state visit focused on healing strained ties between Britain and the United States.
The four-day US tour, clouded by tensions over the Iran war, began in Washington with President Donald Trump warmly greeting the monarch and his wife Queen Camilla.
In New York, the royal couple laid a bouquet of white roses and a handwritten note at one of two reflecting pools that mark where the World Trade Center once stood. 
"We honour the memory of those who so tragically lost their lives on 11th September 2001," the note read, marking 25 years since the terror attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people. 
"We stand in enduring solidarity with the American people in the face of their profound loss," it added.
They arrived in a convoy of black vehicles and were accompanied by businessman and former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, who chairs the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.
Charles, wearing a navy suit, and Camilla, in a black dress, shook hands and spoke with victims' families, first responders and elected officials. 
The monarch was also seen laughing with Zohran Mamdani, the leftist New York mayor, who earlier said he would urge Charles to return to India the Koh-i-noor diamond, which the British Empire took in the 1800s.

'Greater together'

Charles ended his visit to New York by attending a star-studded gala at Christie's auction house, which focused on cultural ties across the Atlantic as well as the work of his youth charity, The King's Trust. 
Guests included former Vogue editor Anna Wintour, singer Lionel Richie, and designers Donatella Versace and Stella McCartney.
At the reception, Charles said the bond between Britain and the United States is "a relationship rooted in shared creativity, enterprise and values, reminding us that we are truly greater together."
He earlier discussed UK investment opportunities with business leaders, including Google-parent Alphabet president Ruth Porat and Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman, over canapes of British staples beef Wellington and fish and chips. 
That economic-focused event came after Trump this month threatened to backtrack on a trade agreement with the UK as he criticized Britain's lack of support over the Iran war.
In lighter engagements, the monarch also visited an urban sustainable farming project in Harlem where he fed chickens. 
Meanwhile, Camilla celebrated the 100th birthday of Winnie the Pooh at the New York Public Library by reading an excerpt from a story to local school children. 
She was joined by US actress Sarah Jessica Parker and thriller writer Harlan Coben.

'We stand united'

Security in New York was tight for the royal visit, which came just days after an apparent assassination attempt against Trump at a Washington press gala.
British officials will be pleased so far with the pomp-filled US welcome for Charles and Camilla, which has included a 21-gun salute, military jet flypast and a state banquet at the White House.
Trump, taking a jovial tone, has even joked about his Scottish-born mother having a crush on Charles. 
That is in stark contrast to his barbs at Prime Minister Keir Starmer for failing to join the war against Tehran. 
Charles used his address on Tuesday to Congress -- the first by a British monarch since his mother Queen Elizabeth II in 1991 -- to try to smooth over those tensions.
"Whatever our differences, whatever disagreements we may have, we stand united in our commitment to uphold democracy," he told lawmakers.
Addressing Congress during celebrations marking 250 years since American independence from Britain, Charles stressed how the two nations' partnership was "born out of dispute, but no less strong for it."
bjt/arp

police

London police probe 'terror' incident after two Jewish men stabbed

BY ALEXANDRA DEL PERAL WITH JOE JACKSON

  • The stabbings follow a spate of arson attacks on synagogues and other Jewish sites in north London in recent weeks that have heightened security fears. 
  • Two Jewish men were wounded in stabbings in north London on Wednesday, investigated by police in the British capital as a "terrorist incident", after a series of antisemitic attacks in recent weeks.
  • The stabbings follow a spate of arson attacks on synagogues and other Jewish sites in north London in recent weeks that have heightened security fears. 
Two Jewish men were wounded in stabbings in north London on Wednesday, investigated by police in the British capital as a "terrorist incident", after a series of antisemitic attacks in recent weeks.
King Charles III and Prime Minister Keir Starmer led the condemnation of the "appalling" late morning assaults in Golders Green, which is home to a large Jewish population. 
Police said a 45-year-old man -- a British national born in Somalia -- was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. 
The two victims -- aged 76 and 34 -- were in a stable condition in hospital. The suspect, who also tried to stab police officers, was detained after initially being taken to hospital but discharged.
London's Metropolitan Police said he is believed to have been involved in another incident on Wednesday morning in southeast London in which one person suffered minor injuries.
In Golders Green, Met commissioner Mark Rowley, who faced shouts of "Shame on You" from a few hecklers, said the suspect had "a history of serious violence and mental health issues".
A little-known group believed to be linked to Iran, and which has claimed responsibility for the London arson attacks, said one of its "lone wolves" was behind the stabbings, the SITE Intelligence Group reported.
Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI) -- meaning The Islamic Movement of the People of the Right Hand -- made the uncorroborated claim in a video posted online, according to SITE.

Emergency meeting

Local resident Moshie, 20, told AFP he had been "shocked" by the incident and said he felt like violence was "escalating".
"Whenever I look around I have one thing in mind. Does this person have a knife? That's our life now," he said.
Starmer convened an emergency meeting of senior ministers and officials, telling broadcasters later he would meet Thursday with "criminal justice agencies to make sure that we have effective and swift justice in these cases".
"The government is taking action in relation to security, cohesion, extremism," he added. 
"But of course it's our responsibility to co-ordinate the immediate response here to this appalling attack, to ensure security is in place."

'Horrific'

King Charles III, who is on a state visit to the United States, said he was "deeply concerned" in a statement issued by Buckingham Palace.
The stabbings follow a spate of arson attacks on synagogues and other Jewish sites in north London in recent weeks that have heightened security fears. 
"After attacks on synagogues, Jewish institutions, community ambulances and now Jews targeted in Golders Green, the UK government can no longer claim this is under control," Israel's foreign ministry said on X.
The incident unfolded shortly after 11:00 am (1000 GMT), when the Shomrim Jewish neighbourhood watch group first reported that a knife-wielding man was "attempting to stab Jewish members of the public".
Shomrim members helped detain the suspect before police arrived and subdued him using an electroshock weapon. The response of the Jewish volunteers earned widespread praise.
The victims were also treated at the scene by Hatzola, a Jewish volunteer ambulance service.
The stabbings follow a deadly assault on a synagogue in Manchester last October on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur that killed two people and seriously injured three.

'Intolerable'

"Why do we have to live in fear? We're doing our best to live our lives as normal as possible, but every day is a struggle," Shomrim volunteer Steven Bak told AFP.
About 150 people protested late Wednesday near the site of the attack and were addressed by Richard Tice, the deputy leader of anti-immigrant party Reform UK.
Ephraim Mirvis, Britain's chief rabbi, told reporters the community was "strong" and "resilient" but "such attacks need to stop now".
"Zero tolerance -- that's what our community wants," he said.
The first London attack in late March saw four Hatzola ambulances set ablaze.
Other incidents include an attack on a synagogue in Kenton, northwest London, and the premises of a Jewish charity. Another synagogue in Finchley, north London, was targeted last week.
Police have arrested 28 people in total over the various attacks -- including Wednesday's -- since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran on February 28.
HAYI has claimed responsibility for many of them, and a spate of similar incidents across Europe.
Monitoring groups have reported a surge in antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents in Britain, particularly since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
bur-jj/jkb/rh/phz

rate

Brazil lowers benchmark rate to 14.5% in second consecutive cut

  • Lula, who is seeking a fourth term in October elections, has persistently railed against high interest rates, arguing that they stifle growth.
  • Brazil's Central Bank on Wednesday announced a second consecutive cut to its benchmark interest rate, one of the world's highest, in a boost for left-wing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as he courts a fourth term.
  • Lula, who is seeking a fourth term in October elections, has persistently railed against high interest rates, arguing that they stifle growth.
Brazil's Central Bank on Wednesday announced a second consecutive cut to its benchmark interest rate, one of the world's highest, in a boost for left-wing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as he courts a fourth term.
The bank lowered the key rate, known as the Selic, to 14.50 from 14.75 percent.
Lula, who is seeking a fourth term in October elections, has persistently railed against high interest rates, arguing that they stifle growth.
Despite cutting the Selic, the Central Bank said the uncertainty generated by the conflicts in the Middle East created "higher than usual" inflationary risks.
"In the current scenario characterized by a strong increase in uncertainty, the Copom (the bank's economic policy committee) reaffirms serenity and caution in the conduct of monetary policy," it said.
Global oil prices surged after the United States and Israel went to war with Iran in late February.
Lula has implemented measures to cushion the impact on Brazil's economy, notably suspending taxes on diesel, which truckers rely on to get goods to market.
Inflation nonetheless accelerated to 4.14 percent in March, driven by the fuel price hikes.
But Latin America's biggest economy is growing and unemployment is at historic lows.
Brazil, a net crude exporter according to the IEA, is relatively more insulated to exteral petroleum price shocks compared to countries that rely on imports.
rsr/cb/pnb

diplomacy

Putin, Trump discuss Iran, Ukraine in phone call: Kremlin

  • Trump added that Putin wanted to "help" end the US-Israeli war on Iran but that he had told the Russian leader to end the Ukraine invasion first.
  • Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with US counterpart Donald Trump, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Wednesday, adding the two leaders discussed the Middle East war and Ukraine.
  • Trump added that Putin wanted to "help" end the US-Israeli war on Iran but that he had told the Russian leader to end the Ukraine invasion first.
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with US counterpart Donald Trump, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Wednesday, adding the two leaders discussed the Middle East war and Ukraine.
The call lasted more than 90 minutes and was "frank and businesslike", Ushakov told reporters, including from AFP, during a phone briefing.
The presidents "paid particular attention to the situation regarding Iran and in the Persian Gulf", Ushakov said. 
"Vladimir Putin considers Donald Trump's decision to extend the ceasefire with Iran to be the right one, as this should give negotiations a chance and, overall, help to stabilise the situation."
But Putin also "highlighted the inevitable and extremely damaging consequences not only for Iran and its neighbours, but also for the entire international community, should the US and Israel resort to military action once again", Ushakov said.
He added Russia was "firmly committed to providing every possible assistance to diplomatic efforts" on the Middle East war, and said the call was held at Moscow's initiative.
In Washington, Trump told reporters he had had a "very good conversation" with Putin, though he said it had focused more on the Ukraine war than on Iran.
Trump added that Putin wanted to "help" end the US-Israeli war on Iran but that he had told the Russian leader to end the Ukraine invasion first.

Ukraine ceasefire offer

Ushakov also briefed journalists on the two leaders' discussion of the war in Ukraine, now in its fifth year following Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022.
"At Trump's request, Vladimir Putin described the current situation along the line of contact, where our troops are holding the strategic initiative and pushing back the enemy's positions," Ushakov told reporters.
"Both Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump expressed essentially similar assessments of the behaviour of the Kyiv regime led by (Volodymyr) Zelensky, which, incited and with the support of the Europeans, is pursuing a policy of prolonging the conflict."
Russia's assault on Ukraine has devastated swathes of Ukrainian territory, killed thousands of civilians and forced millions to flee their homes.
Putin said he was ready "to declare a ceasefire for the duration of Victory Day celebrations. Trump actively supported this initiative, noting that the holiday marks our shared victory," Ushakov said.
Russia marks Victory Day on May 9 to commemorate the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, celebrated each year with a military parade in central Moscow.
This year's event will be slimmed-down as a precautionary measure given the threat of Ukrainian retaliatory strikes, the Kremlin said earlier on Wednesday.
bur/jj/phz

swatting

Romanian behind 'swatting' attacks in US gets four years in prison

  • "Members of Congress, cabinet officials, the heads of federal law enforcement agencies, churches, journalists -- Thomasz Szabo and his followers targeted them all with swatting calls and fake bomb threats designed to send armed police to their doors," US Attorney Jeanine Pirro said in a statement.
  • A Romanian man was sentenced to four years in prison on Wednesday for making bomb threats and triggering "swatting" attacks on dozens of US officials and lawmakers, the Justice Department said.
  • "Members of Congress, cabinet officials, the heads of federal law enforcement agencies, churches, journalists -- Thomasz Szabo and his followers targeted them all with swatting calls and fake bomb threats designed to send armed police to their doors," US Attorney Jeanine Pirro said in a statement.
A Romanian man was sentenced to four years in prison on Wednesday for making bomb threats and triggering "swatting" attacks on dozens of US officials and lawmakers, the Justice Department said.
Thomasz Szabo, 27, who was extradited from Romania in November 2024, pleaded guilty in June to conspiracy and making threats involving explosives.
"Members of Congress, cabinet officials, the heads of federal law enforcement agencies, churches, journalists -- Thomasz Szabo and his followers targeted them all with swatting calls and fake bomb threats designed to send armed police to their doors," US Attorney Jeanine Pirro said in a statement.
"Swatting" takes its name from the heavily armed SWAT teams, short for Special Weapons and Tactics, that are dispatched to tackle high-risk emergencies in the United States.
The law enforcement response is often prompted by a caller who reports a false violent crime at a home.
The calls to law enforcement made by Szabo and his co-conspirators included fake bomb threats and false claims of homicides, suicides, kidnappings and mass shootings.
According to court documents, Szabo was the organizer and moderator of chat groups formed in 2020 where the conspirators communicated with one another.
He used the monikers "Jonah," "Plank," "Rambler," and "War Lord," among others.
Among the false reports made to US law enforcement were a December 2020 threat to commit a mass-shooting at synagogues in New York City and a January 2021 threat to detonate a bomb at the US Capitol and kill then President-elect Donald Trump.
cl/sla

diplomacy

African oil producers defend need to drill at fossil fuel exit talks

  • - 'Our right' - Senegal struck a similar tone, balancing climate and development priorities after relatively recent offshore oil and gas discoveries in the West African nation.
  • Oil-rich African nations at global fossil fuel phaseout talks in Colombia said Wednesday they would keep drilling to support economic growth, highlighting tensions between climate and fiscal realities for developing producers.
  • - 'Our right' - Senegal struck a similar tone, balancing climate and development priorities after relatively recent offshore oil and gas discoveries in the West African nation.
Oil-rich African nations at global fossil fuel phaseout talks in Colombia said Wednesday they would keep drilling to support economic growth, highlighting tensions between climate and fiscal realities for developing producers.
Ministers and envoys from nearly 60 nations are meeting in Santa Marta, a city on the Caribbean coast, for the first-ever global conference on transitioning the world away from planet-heating oil, gas and coal.
The conference has unfolded as oil prices surged Wednesday to their highest level since early 2022, deepening fears over global energy security and underlining risks to fossil fuel reliance as the Iran war drags on.
But this is particularly difficult for developing producers highly reliant on fossil fuel revenue -- a message some in Santa Marta have been echoing.
"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.
"We are phasing down, and we are saying that there should be early planning... It must be fair to all."
Chidi said winding down fossil fuels would take time in Nigeria, the world's sixth most populous country and boasting some of Africa's largest oil and gas reserves. 
"People are going to lose their jobs... How are you trying to re-engage them in other sectors?" he said, stressing the need for debt reform and other financial assistance to make that change possible.

'Our right'

Senegal struck a similar tone, balancing climate and development priorities after relatively recent offshore oil and gas discoveries in the West African nation.
"We are fully aware of the global challenges that require a transition," Serigne Momar Sarr, a technical adviser at Senegal's environment ministry and its sole representative at the conference, told AFP.
"What we wish to assert is our right to development, exercised with full responsibility."
Sarr said Africa accounted for just a fraction of global emissions and said Senegal would pursue a strategy of using gas for power, industry and exports while gradually shifting to cleaner energy.
"We are making this transition at the same time as our extractive activities," he said.
The conference was convened after frustration with the UN climate talks, where efforts to tackle fossil fuel use -- the main driver of global warming -- have stalled.
The world's biggest producers of oil, coal and gas -- the United States, China, Saudi Arabia and Russia -- did not attend, nor did oil-rich Gulf states.
While the gathering is not expected to produce binding commitments, organizers hope it will set out concrete proposals for countries willing to accelerate a managed decline of fossil fuel use.
"Each economy has different circumstances," Spain's Climate Minister Sara Aagesen told AFP.
np-app/mlm

US

Iran officials leave Canada before FIFA Congress over airport 'insult': Iranian media

  • The Iranian football federation (FFIRI) president, secretary general and deputy secretary general "returned to Turkey on the first flight due to the inappropriate behaviour of the immigration officials at the airport and the insult to one of the most honourable organs of the Iranian Armed Forces", several outlets reported, without providing further details.
  • Top Iranian football officials have left Canada before the start of the FIFA Congress because of the behaviour of officials during immigration checks at Toronto's international airport, Iranian media reported Wednesday.
  • The Iranian football federation (FFIRI) president, secretary general and deputy secretary general "returned to Turkey on the first flight due to the inappropriate behaviour of the immigration officials at the airport and the insult to one of the most honourable organs of the Iranian Armed Forces", several outlets reported, without providing further details.
Top Iranian football officials have left Canada before the start of the FIFA Congress because of the behaviour of officials during immigration checks at Toronto's international airport, Iranian media reported Wednesday.
The global football body's gathering of member nation representatives will be held this week in Vancouver, the British Columbia city which is also hosting seven matches in the World Cup that Canada will co-host with the United States and Mexico this summer.
The Iranian football federation (FFIRI) president, secretary general and deputy secretary general "returned to Turkey on the first flight due to the inappropriate behaviour of the immigration officials at the airport and the insult to one of the most honourable organs of the Iranian Armed Forces", several outlets reported, without providing further details.
In 2024, Canada designated Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a terror group, barring its members from entering the country. 
The Iranian federation's president Mehdi Taj is a former IRGC member.
The Iranian reports said the officials had travelled to Canada with "official visas" before turning around.
Canada said it couldn't comment on specific cases due to privacy laws but affirmed in a statement sent to AFP that "IRGC officials are inadmissible to Canada and have no place in our country."
"We have taken strong action to hold the IRGC to account and will continue to do so," Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said. 
Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said last month that removing IRGC officials from Canada is a "top priority", amid reports that hundreds of IRGC members have residency permits for Canada, which has one of the world's largest Iranian diaspora populations. 
Doubt has risen over the Iranian team's attendance at the World Cup because of the Middle East war that began on February 28 with a massive wave of US-Israel attacks.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio insisted last week that Iran's footballers would be welcome at the global spectacle.
But he warned that the United States may yet bar entry to members of the Iranian delegation it judged to have ties to the Revolutionary Guard, which is also designated a terrorist organisation by Washington and several other governments.
No one "from the US has told them they can't come", Rubio said.
FFIRI had said it was negotiating with FIFA to relocate the country's World Cup matches from the United States to Mexico.
But FIFA President Gianni Infantino told AFP last month that Iran would be at the World Cup and that they would play "where they are supposed to be, according to the draw".
The FIFA chief reiterated that stance in Washington earlier this month.
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