UN

Nations commit to get nature goals back on track

BY NICK PERRY

  • "The progress we failed to achieve here is a series of missed opportunities to speed up our response to the loss of biodiversity," Barbut said in a lengthy statement sent to AFP, stressing that "nature will not wait for the pace of our negotiations."
  • Nearly 200 nations struck hard-fought agreements Friday at a UN biodiversity summit, but the outcome was accompanied by disappointment over missed opportunities to address humanity's destructive toll on nature.
  • "The progress we failed to achieve here is a series of missed opportunities to speed up our response to the loss of biodiversity," Barbut said in a lengthy statement sent to AFP, stressing that "nature will not wait for the pace of our negotiations."
Nearly 200 nations struck hard-fought agreements Friday at a UN biodiversity summit, but the outcome was accompanied by disappointment over missed opportunities to address humanity's destructive toll on nature.
Delegates cheered as crucial texts were approved in overtime but the celebrations were tempered by acrimonious debates and regret over limited progress on some of the most contentious issues.
The COP17 summit in Armenia sought to revive a landmark commitment to halt and reverse the destruction of nature by 2030 after global efforts to meet that goal fell short.
Over two bruising weeks in Yerevan, nations were urged to correct course to keep the pact alive and protect the plants, animals and ecosystems that sustain life on Earth.
The United Nations had warned that progress was insufficient to meet the goals of the 2030 target including protecting 30 percent of Earth's land and oceans, tackling pollution and invasive species, and boosting money for conservation.
"And that's it. Perfect," said COP17 president Hambardzum Matevosyan in Armenia as he brought down the gavel on two major texts, the final versions of which were still not available early Saturday.
But the outcome was "not commensurate" with the crisis engulfing the natural world, said French Ecological Transition Minister Monique Barbut on Saturday.
"The progress we failed to achieve here is a series of missed opportunities to speed up our response to the loss of biodiversity," Barbut said in a lengthy statement sent to AFP, stressing that "nature will not wait for the pace of our negotiations."
 

'Step forward'

 
The final plenary stretched through Friday night and well into the next morning, with negotiations turning sour as the hours dragged on. 
Even as some delegates left to catch flights, others stayed behind to argue technical points.  
Veteran COP observer Juliette Landry from the IDDRI think tank told AFP "there was a lot of push and pull in every direction" throughout the summit and "in that context, it's hard to get things accepted".
UN biodiversity chief Astrid Schomaker said the summit had achieved some "quite remarkable things at a moment when multilateralism is supposedly not functioning."
"Some of these more difficult subjects, we could not expect to have strong negotiated commitments. That was never the plan," she told reporters after the summit's close.
In a draft agreement of one closely watched text, nations were urged to "accelerate" their efforts and warned that "increased action" was needed to tackle the forces driving biodiversity loss.
This "represents a positive outcome... and though there are weaknesses, particularly on harmful subsidies, it does represent a step forward," Guido Broekhoven from WWF International told AFP.
Tackling subsidies and other incentives that encourage activities harmful to nature -- such as fossil fuels, intensive agriculture and overfishing -- was one of the most politically fraught agenda items at the summit.
"Even though the agreed decision text expresses it in weak terms, COP17 saw important political momentum to address harmful financial incentives, including subsidies," An Lambrechts from Greenpeace International told AFP.
A rare fight over science cast a pall over the summit, with a number of countries accused of undermining efforts to approve key reports in scenes that shocked even seasoned negotiators.
"We regret the increasing instances in which scientific evidence and its uptake has been challenged or constrained" by politics, said Swiss negotiator Gabriela Blatter in a statement on behalf of dozens of countries.
"Our delegations fully respect every state's right to safeguard national interest but science is not negotiable".
 

Finance feud

 
A separate row revolved around finding new cash sources to fund conservation efforts -- another hot-button issue with public budgets under strain amid an energy crisis and conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
The European Union led a charge for wealthy emerging economies such as China to contribute to global conservation efforts, a contentious issue at COP17.
In a sign of possible compromise, another draft text that circulated Friday invited countries outside the developed-country donors to voluntarily join the group.
Outstanding questions over the design of the Cali Fund -- a UN mechanism that hoped to attract billions of dollars in corporate contributions but is close to empty -- were left unresolved.
"By punting essential decisions to two years from now, parties have all but ensured the fund remains empty until then," said Pakhi Das from the nonprofit organisation Plant-for-the-Planet.
The COP17 summit decided early Saturday that Ecuador would host the next biodiversity talks in 2028 after the South American nation defeated rival candidate Panama in a secret vote.
np-alb/giv

SKorea

US, S.Korea, Japan vow 'complete' N.Korea denuclearization

  • US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi "reaffirmed their resolute commitment to the complete denuclearization" of North Korea during talks on Friday on the sidelines of a Group of 20 (G20) meeting in Atlanta in the US state of Georgia, the US State Department said.
  • The United States, South Korea and Japan reaffirmed their commitment to the "complete denuclearization" of North Korea on Saturday, as Pyongyang continues to reject disarmament ahead of possible talks with Washington.
  • US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi "reaffirmed their resolute commitment to the complete denuclearization" of North Korea during talks on Friday on the sidelines of a Group of 20 (G20) meeting in Atlanta in the US state of Georgia, the US State Department said.
The United States, South Korea and Japan reaffirmed their commitment to the "complete denuclearization" of North Korea on Saturday, as Pyongyang continues to reject disarmament ahead of possible talks with Washington.
Speculation is mounting over a potential meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at next month's APEC summit in China, with Trump making repeated overtures to Pyongyang for nuclear talks.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi "reaffirmed their resolute commitment to the complete denuclearization" of North Korea during talks on Friday on the sidelines of a Group of 20 (G20) meeting in Atlanta in the US state of Georgia, the US State Department said.
They also pledged "full implementation" of UN Security Council resolutions, including a ban on supporting revenue for North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
Despite long-running UN sanctions, North Korea, which is backed by Russia and China, has enshrined its status as a nuclear-armed state in law, with its regime repeatedly declaring its atomic arsenal permanent and irreversible.

Open to meeting

Trump has made repeated overtures to Pyongyang for nuclear talks, while scaling back joint military drills with ally South Korea.
The mercurial US leader even bucked long-held US policy last year by conceding that North Korea was already "sort of a nuclear power", while reaching out to Pyongyang for talks, saying he was "100 percent" open to a meeting -- a suggestion that went unanswered.
Analysts and South Korea's spy agency say Kim may have conveyed Pyongyang's position on potential talks with Trump to Beijing during a recent visit to the Chinese border city of Dandong.
South Korea's dovish President Lee Jae Myung -- who has repeatedly offered Pyongyang talks without preconditions -- suggested in September that Washington seek a freeze, rather than the immediate elimination, of the North's nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief.
Critics have said such an approach risks tacitly accepting North Korea as a nuclear-armed state while allowing Pyongyang to win sanctions relief without giving up its arsenal.
Analysts say China may also be moving towards tacit acceptance, pointing to the omission of North Korean denuclearisation from statements after Kim and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in June.
Pyongyang denounced a joint statement on Saturday by a group of nations monitoring sanctions implementations against it, vowing that "the stereotyped sanctions racket of the US and the West can neither influence the position of the DPRK (North Korea) as a nuclear weapons state".
cdl/cms

politics

Fears of violence as France braces for Halloween protests

BY ANTOINE BOYER AND ANNA SMOLCHENKO WITH AFP BUREAUS

  • Ahead of the protests, some shops and other businesses across France boarded up their storefronts.
  • France on Saturday braced for a third weekend of protests coinciding with Halloween, as shops boarded up and authorities scrambled to prevent a repeat of the street violence that swept the country two weeks ago.
  • Ahead of the protests, some shops and other businesses across France boarded up their storefronts.
France on Saturday braced for a third weekend of protests coinciding with Halloween, as shops boarded up and authorities scrambled to prevent a repeat of the street violence that swept the country two weeks ago.
The demonstrations come in an increasingly febrile political climate, with presidential elections six months away and far-right leader Marine Le Pen leading opinion polls.
President Emmanuel Macron this week said it was "not normal" for France to be in such a state of "turmoil" so close to a presidential election.
Around 70,000 security personnel will be deployed on Saturday, matching the number mobilised a week ago, as authorities seek to avert a repeat of the October 17 unrest.
More than 40 metro stations will be closed in the capital and tram services will also be disrupted. 
An aide to Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said they expected street violence on a scale "comparable" to the unrest two weeks ago, when images of clashes, looted shops and public buildings set ablaze were broadcast around the world.
The protest movement brings together Yellow Vest activists, trade unions, and high school and university students. It initially focused on the rising cost of living, inequality, and deteriorating learning conditions.
But following a security clampdown and serious injuries to some protesters, the movement broadened its demands to include greater protection of civil liberties and the right to protest.

'Neither power nor enemy'

A police source pointed to "considerable nervousness" among the authorities.
"There is no reason to think this will go smoothly," the source said.
Alain Di Crescenzo, president of France's chamber of commerce, said business owners were worried.
"Shopkeepers can't wait for Saturday to be over," Di Crescenzo told broadcaster France Inter. 
"The information we have is that Halloween is not helping matters, because we're going to have people wearing masks."
Ahead of the protests, some shops and other businesses across France boarded up their storefronts.
"Behind these boards, there is neither power nor an enemy. Just a family and its work," read a message scrawled in black across the plywood protecting a Paris business.
The interior minister on Thursday warned of a "very high risk of public disorder", saying demonstrations would be allowed, but not in city centres.

'Night of darkness'

The Paris police prefecture tried to prevent demonstrators from marching between Bastille and Nation in eastern Paris, but a court overturned the ban.
Nunez said authorities had detected social media calls for Halloween gatherings on Saturday evening urging protesters to spark a "revolution".
Some posts on social media called on people to dress up and gather for a "night of darkness".
Nunez warned that protesters would not be allowed to wear masks concealing their faces.
On Friday, customers crowded into a costume shop in Paris, but manager Didier Jarsale said it was not his job to "ask every customer what they intend to do with what they buy."
"We're not here to act as police officers," he said.

Right to demonstrate

Authorities have acknowledged security and intelligence failures that helped pave the way for the clashes, widespread looting and vandalism that erupted on October 17.
Since then, they have moved to reassert control by restricting demonstrations and imposing curfews in several cities.
A night-time curfew will be imposed in the Republique and Chatelet-Les Halles neighbourhoods of Paris from 11:00 pm to 6:00 am on Saturday and Sunday.
More than 1,000 municipal workers will be mobilised in Paris over the weekend to clean up public spaces, the mayor's office said.
The unrest followed weeks of demonstrations by high school students campaigning for better learning conditions.
On top of the cost-of-living protests, the country was last week shaken by a shooting that killed one person and wounded seven, including an 11-year-old girl, outside Paris. Most of the victims were from foreign backgrounds.
The attack has triggered rallies against the normalisation of racist hatred.
as-bur/jj/hol

court

Polish riot police deployed as deposed court chief sets off crisis

BY BY GAëL BRANCHEREAU AND BERNARD OSSER

  • The president said he had called off an official trip to Senegal in mid-flight and ordered it back to Warsaw.
  • Poland's President Karol Nawrocki called off a visit to Africa mid-flight and returned to Warsaw, where police surrounded the constitutional court on Friday after the suspension of its chief justice triggered a standoff between the centrist government and the nationalist right.
  • The president said he had called off an official trip to Senegal in mid-flight and ordered it back to Warsaw.
Poland's President Karol Nawrocki called off a visit to Africa mid-flight and returned to Warsaw, where police surrounded the constitutional court on Friday after the suspension of its chief justice triggered a standoff between the centrist government and the nationalist right.
Dozens of police guarded the entrance to the court as followers of the opposition right-wing Law and Justice party (PiS) protested the ousting of constitutional court president Bogdan Swieczkowski.
The court's official X social media account said there had been a "coup d'etat" and some demonstrators chanted "Tusk traitor" as they condemned the government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk. 
Some tried to force their way through security barricades. Police said they had arrested three people who had tried to enter the court complex.
Tusk was "trampling on our constitutional rights", demonstrator Tomasz Zaleski told AFP outside the court.
Tusk's government has been trying for weeks to force out the court's judges, who were appointed by the previous PiS government that ruled from 2015 to 2023.
The court frequently ruled in favour of Polish legislation over EU law and the European Union accused Poland's highest court of being too close to the nationalist political power of the time.
 

Mid-flight chaos

 
Tusk, a strongly pro-EU figure, vowed to end the dispute with Brussels after winning an election in 2023. But the country's president, a right-wing independent, has blocked his nominations to the court.
Former PiS prime minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski addressed the demonstration and called for Nawrocki to act. The president said he had called off an official trip to Senegal in mid-flight and ordered it back to Warsaw.
Back in the capital, Nawrocki held a meeting with Swieczkowski and the court's first chief justice Zbigniew Kapinski at the presidential palace.
Nawrocki then entered the constitutional court building, his chief of staff Pawel Szefernaker said early Saturday, adding that the president was accompanied by Kapinski.
Nawrocki pushed his way through the crowds to enter the building, footage from local television showed.
The suspension of Swieczkowski was announced by another judge, Anna Korwin-Piotrowska, who said the move was needed to restore the rule of law.
Justice Minister Waldemar Zurek, who is also the attorney general, told journalists he had requested the lifting of the legal immunity of Swieczkowski and his deputy Bartlomiej Sochanski.
"This court has become private property; we must restore its proper functioning," he added.
Tusk justified the action in a comment on X.
"Restoring the rule of law is our duty," he said.
"After years of PiS-led lawlessness, this is a difficult process, sometimes painful, and it requires decisive action. There is no other way."
The constitutional court's official website was not accessible on Friday evening.
Its X account said there had been a "coup d'etat" and that Swieczkowski remained in office.
Korwin-Piotrowska could not become interim chief as she had not been sworn in by the president, it added.
Amid the confusion, Korwin-Piotrowska commented: "In modern Europe, a democratic state cannot function without a constitutional court... that acts as a guarantor of citizens' rights and freedoms."
bo-gab/tw/hol/tc

Russia

Trump admin approves potential Patriot missiles sale to Ukraine

  • But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said late Friday in a post on X that "deliveries may begin ONLY IN A FEW YEARS." "We are asking our American partners to find a solution for the time when there is a real danger and a real need to use PAC-3 interceptors," Zelensky said, using an acronym for the weapons.
  • The Trump administration on Friday green-lit the sale of 500 Patriot missiles to Ukraine, the State Department said, but the Ukrainian president warned deliveries could take years.
  • But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said late Friday in a post on X that "deliveries may begin ONLY IN A FEW YEARS." "We are asking our American partners to find a solution for the time when there is a real danger and a real need to use PAC-3 interceptors," Zelensky said, using an acronym for the weapons.
The Trump administration on Friday green-lit the sale of 500 Patriot missiles to Ukraine, the State Department said, but the Ukrainian president warned deliveries could take years.
The approval, which goes to Congress for review, comes after weeks of complaints by Ukrainian authorities that its supplies of the interceptor missiles were dwindling.
"The proposed sale will improve Ukraine's capability to meet current and future threats by improving its integrated air and missile defense capabilities," the department said in a statement.
The statement did not provide an estimate for when the weapons could be delivered to Ukraine.
But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said late Friday in a post on X that "deliveries may begin ONLY IN A FEW YEARS."
"We are asking our American partners to find a solution for the time when there is a real danger and a real need to use PAC-3 interceptors," Zelensky said, using an acronym for the weapons.
The Ukrainian leader suggested that the US and European allies could give his country missiles they have stockpiled now, which would later be replenished by this new purchase.
Patriot missiles are among the most important weapons Ukraine has to intercept Russian drones and missiles.
"This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a partner country that is a force for political and economic stability in Europe," the State Department said.
US-Ukraine tensions spiked earlier this month after Washington struck a diesel fuel deal with Russia. Ukraine also said that the US was slowing its access to satellite internet services and had stopped some intelligence sharing.
Tensions eased after Zelensky held talks with US envoys in Oslo on October 20.
The State Department said the weapons sale would be paid for with by donations from Ukraine's allies but not with US funds.
pnb/msp

politics

Russia uncompromising as Rubio hosts G20 talks in shadow of conflicts

BY BEIYI SEOW AND LEON BRUNEAU

  • Instead of a final declaration, the two days of talks are expected to conclude Saturday with a chair summary drafted by the United States.
  • Russia showed no sign Friday of softening its stance on Kyiv as G20 foreign ministers opened talks in the United States, with the Ukraine and Iran wars deepening rifts between the sprawling forum's members.
  • Instead of a final declaration, the two days of talks are expected to conclude Saturday with a chair summary drafted by the United States.
Russia showed no sign Friday of softening its stance on Kyiv as G20 foreign ministers opened talks in the United States, with the Ukraine and Iran wars deepening rifts between the sprawling forum's members.
Sharp disagreements emerged around the table, with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas accusing Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov of presenting "lies" on issues like the conflict in Ukraine.
"He put forward a lot of lies, a lot of false narratives" that Europeans were able to push back on, Kallas told AFP.
European officials also sought to put more pressure on Moscow, particularly to secure a ceasefire in the Black Sea, a key agriculture export corridor.
Lavrov, in turn, was "quite provocative" in his remarks, a European diplomatic source said.
At a press conference, Lavrov criticized Europeans for their "arrogant boycott" while praising the willingness of US President Donald Trump's administration to engage with Moscow.
Plans for a traditional family photo of G20 ministers were called off as some European officials objected to appearing alongside Lavrov, a diplomatic source told AFP.
European leaders have opted not to appear in photos with Russian delegations at other G20 meetings this year, as fighting drags on more than four years after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
A US official said the picture was cancelled to avoid allowing "a ceremonial photo opportunity to become a diplomatic distraction."
The gathering in Atlanta, taking place just days before US midterm elections, sets the stage for a G20 leaders' summit at Trump's Doral resort in Miami in December.
But it also comes as global energy prices have rocketed since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran in February. Tehran retaliated by choking off the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for oil and gas transit.
Even as the United States seeks to focus on economic growth, trade imbalances and supply chain challenges -- covering areas like energy and critical minerals -- few breakthroughs are expected.
Instead of a final declaration, the two days of talks are expected to conclude Saturday with a chair summary drafted by the United States.

'Decent talk'

Still, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told an opening plenary that the world faces a critical "moment of choosing" as it grapples with "interconnected economic and geopolitical crises."
He urged the Group of 20 forum -- which includes China, France, Germany, India, Japan and Russia -- to work together against threats like strains on global energy and food supply chains, and on freedom of navigation.
Rubio spoke briefly with Lavrov on the sidelines of the G20 meeting, with the Russian minister saying both sides had a "decent talk."
Moscow has been shunned by most of the West since it invaded Ukraine, and Lavrov himself remains under international sanctions.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said that "there is no normality with Russia," and pledged to again "call on Russia to finally accept Ukraine's offer of a ceasefire, starting in the Black Sea."
Rubio's interactions with Lavrov in Atlanta are being closely watched as Washington pursues diplomacy on Ukraine while seeking Moscow's cooperation on reining in fuel prices, a key campaign issue in US midterms.
Lavrov's G20 appearance comes ahead of fresh negotiations expected between Moscow, Kyiv and Washington in November.
Analysts say his presence is not surprising as Washington has welcomed Russian officials to this year's G20 events, while excluding member South Africa.
Trump has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to Florida in December as well and eased some sanctions on Moscow while touting a deal for Russia to sell diesel as prices soared, squeezing Americans.
Another issue key to the US agenda is freedom of navigation. 
A US State Department official flagged "shared resolve to confront urgent crises and keep critical sea lanes open to commerce without threats or tolls."
But the possibility of further escalation in the Middle East is mounting, with Trump signalling he could attack Iran after Tuesday's midterm elections.
lb-lob-bys/sst

court

Polish riot police deployed as deposed court chief sets off crisis

BY BY GAëL BRANCHEREAU AND BERNARD OSSER

  • The president said he had called off an official trip to Senegal in mid-flight and ordered it back to Warsaw.
  • Poland's President Karol Nawrocki called off a visit to Africa in mid-flight as riot police deployed around the country's constitutional court Friday following the suspension of its chief justice in a battle between the centrist government and the nationalist right.
  • The president said he had called off an official trip to Senegal in mid-flight and ordered it back to Warsaw.
Poland's President Karol Nawrocki called off a visit to Africa in mid-flight as riot police deployed around the country's constitutional court Friday following the suspension of its chief justice in a battle between the centrist government and the nationalist right.
Dozens of police guarded the entrance to the court as followers of the opposition right-wing Law and Justice party (PiS) protested the ousting of constitutional court president Bogdan Swieczkowski.
The court's official X social media account said there had been a "coup d'etat" and some demonstrators chanted "Tusk traitor" as they condemned the government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk. 
Some tried to force their way through security barricades. Police said they had arrested three people who had tried to enter the court complex.
Tusk was "trampling on our constitutional rights", demonstrator Tomasz Zaleski told AFP outside the court.
Tusk's government has been trying for weeks to force out the court's judges, who were appointed by the previous PiS government that ruled from 2015 to 2023.
The court frequently ruled in favour of Polish legislation over European Union law and the EU accused Poland's highest court of being too close to the nationalist political power of the time.

Mid-flight chaos

Tusk, a strongly pro-EU figure, vowed to end the dispute with Brussels after winning an election in 2023. But the country's president, a right wing independent, has blocked his nominations to the court.
Former PiS prime minister Jaroslaw Kaczysnki addressed the demonstration and called for Nawrocki to act. The president said he had called off an official trip to Senegal in mid-flight and ordered it back to Warsaw.
Back in the capital, Nawrocki held a meeting with Swieczkowski and the court's first chief justice Zbigniew Kapinski at the presidential palace. No details were given of any possible action. 
The suspension of Swieczkowski was announced by another judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska who said the move was needed to restore the rule of law.
Justice Minister Waldemar Zurek, who is also the attorney general, told journalists he had requested the lifting of the legal immunity of Swieczkowski and his deputy Bartlomiej Sochanski.
"This court has become private property; we must restore its proper functioning," he added.
Tusk justified the action in a comment on the X platform.
"Restoring the rule of law is our duty," he said.
"After years of PiS-led lawlessness, this is a difficult process, sometimes painful, and it requires decisive action. There is no other way."
The constitutional court's official website was not accessible on Friday evening.
Its X account said there had been a "coup d'etat" and that Swieczkowski remained in office.
Korwin-Piotrowska could not become interim chief as she had not been sworn in by the president, it added.
Amid the confusion, Korwin-Piotrowska commented: "In modern Europe, a democratic state cannot function without a constitutional court (...) that acts as a guarantor of citizens' rights and freedoms."
bo-gab/tw/acb

conflict

'Breath of fresh air' truce brings hope to Ukraine's ravaged Kherson

BY CéLIA LEBUR

  • The Russian army seized Kherson in 2022 and occupied it for eight months before Kyiv's forces took back control.
  • Gardener Volodymyr Omeltchenko, rake in hand, looked up at the sky with an expression of near disbelief -- only the pitter-patter of rain and the sound of a lawnmower broke the silence of Freedom Square, a central area of the Ukrainian city of Kherson which has been relentlessly bombarded by Russian forces.
  • The Russian army seized Kherson in 2022 and occupied it for eight months before Kyiv's forces took back control.
Gardener Volodymyr Omeltchenko, rake in hand, looked up at the sky with an expression of near disbelief -- only the pitter-patter of rain and the sound of a lawnmower broke the silence of Freedom Square, a central area of the Ukrainian city of Kherson which has been relentlessly bombarded by Russian forces.
Over the past three days, a humanitarian ceasefire that has made it possible to evacuate inhabitants of Oleshky, a nearby town under Russian occupation and gripped by hunger.
That ceasefire has been a "breath of fresh air", said the 38-year-old father with piercing blue eyes.
But that respite is short lived, as it is due to expire on Sunday.
"We have to use this time to get things done... we're pruning the rose bushes for winter," he said.
Towering over the threadbare lawn, Omeltchenko worked on what was the seat of the regional administration -- an imposing white stone Stalinist-era building almost completely razed by Russian strikes last year. 
Only the side wings remain, bearing testimony to its former splendour.
The Russian army seized Kherson in 2022 and occupied it for eight months before Kyiv's forces took back control.
It has since become one of the most dangerous cities in Ukraine for civilians.
The Russian army has rained down glide bombs, missiles and drones that hunt people down in the streets -- such as a vegetable seller or workers repairing a roof -- as chilling reels posted on Telegram by Russian soldiers show.
 

Swarms of drones

 
Daily life in Kherson is now horrific. 
"Drones fly over constantly, in swarms. To get to work, we move on foot, from tree to tree, hiding as we go," said Omeltchenko, who can walk like this for an hour every morning, because driving is even more dangerous.
Vehicles are systematically targeted. 
"Of course I'm afraid. But we have no choice. Where would we go and where's the money? There's practically nowhere left to go" he said, resigned to staying in the city with his wife and children despite the likely resumption of hostilities as soon as the truce ends. And a harsh winter looms. 
Around 63,000 people still live in Kherson, compared with more than 280,000 before the Russian invasion, according to Oleksandr Tolokonnikov, deputy head of communications for the regional administration. 
"Russia is trying to make Kherson uninhabitable, but it will not succeed in paralysing the city," he told AFP.
"Despite all the threats, residents keep working and do everything in their power every day to keep Kherson alive." 
People try to use routes covered by anti-drone nets, which according to Tolokonnikov stretch over more than 70 kilometres (45 miles) in the city. 
The region has 15 underground hospitals, with 11 more under construction. 
"We've got used to it," said Iryna Chapoval, 51, who works in a clinic. 
"We try to stay positive: you have to take care of yourself, stay very alert to avoid being hit. We live in a state of permanent alert, never letting our guard down," said the lively woman in her fifties. 

'We've already seen it all'

 
No one is under any illusions. The war will resume as soon as the ceasefire shortly before 11:00 pm on Sunday. 
"It's quite possible that they are moving equipment," said Ivan, 50, standing amid the shells of burned-out cars, referring to Russian troops.
The electrical engineer, who only gave his first name, has sent his wife and 10-year-old daughter to a calmer town away from the front line.
But he is staying despite the fact that the facade of his building was ripped open by a guided aerial bomb.
"If everyone leaves, the city will become empty, lifeless," he said. 
Kostiantyn, who also gave one name, sells pet food and says he has not taken "a single day off" in months.
"There are a lot of (abandoned) animals here and they have to be fed," the 45-year-old said. 
He shrugged off the prospect of more fighting. "Occupation, liberation, bombardments… honestly, how could it be worse? We've already seen it all." 
cl/ach/jj/tw

Guyana

British king reflects on colonial atrocities in Guyana

  • That is an incredible achievement," Charles said Friday.
  • Britain's King Charles paid homage to fallen soldiers and reflected on colonial atrocities in Guyana during a whistle-stop tour of the former colony on Friday.
  • That is an incredible achievement," Charles said Friday.
Britain's King Charles paid homage to fallen soldiers and reflected on colonial atrocities in Guyana during a whistle-stop tour of the former colony on Friday.
The monarch is looking to draw attention to climate change during his nine-day visit to three Caribbean countries.
But Britain's central role in slavery and mistreatment of its colonial subjects have traced the contours of the trip.
Joined by Guyanese Prime Minister Mark Phillips, Charles laid ceremonial wreaths on the graves of soldiers who fought for Britain before independence in a Georgetown cemetery.
At an execution site of local people during British colonial times, the king paused to reflect in a gesture meant to indicate his awareness of this past injustice.
Several heads of state of ex-colonies have requested an apology for colonization and the transatlantic slave trade, which profited British royals for centuries.
The king has acknowledged this reality but has stopped short of saying sorry. A formal apology must come from the British government.
"A lot of the wealth of the United Kingdom was derived from Guyana," lawmaker Terrence Campbell told AFP at a small demonstration.
"This is an appropriate time and place for the King to maybe have a change of heart and issue that apology for slavery," he said.
The palace instead wants the Caribbean trip to focus on the present and the future, particularly the current threat of climate change.
The King's Foundation funds several environmental projects in oil-rich Guyana, which is a small country mostly covered in forests.
Guyana has "managed to keep an enormous percentage of your forests. That is an incredible achievement," Charles said Friday.
He was speaking at the Global Biodiversity Alliance Conference, where Indigenous communities, governments, the private sector, researchers and financial institutions discuss international conservation efforts.
The faint cry of protesters could be heard in the distance as Charles visited Umana Yana, a thatched hut and traditional Indigenous gathering place.
Following solo stints in the Bahamas and Guyana, the king will be joined by his wife, Queen Camilla, in Antigua and Barbuda, where he will address a Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) summit.
The summit will include slavery reparations discussions, according to Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey.
str-cc/pnb

Argentina

Trump, Milei under pressure to explain Bolsonaro flight from Brazil

BY JUAN SEBASTIAN SERRANO

  • Argentina's foreign minister on Friday denied that Brazil had asked Buenos Aires to explain its role in Bolsonaro's flight.
  • US President Donald Trump and Argentina's Javier Milei faced mounting pressure Friday to explain the role their countries played in helping Flavio Bolsonaro flee Brazil after he had his passports cancelled.
  • Argentina's foreign minister on Friday denied that Brazil had asked Buenos Aires to explain its role in Bolsonaro's flight.
US President Donald Trump and Argentina's Javier Milei faced mounting pressure Friday to explain the role their countries played in helping Flavio Bolsonaro flee Brazil after he had his passports cancelled.
The 45-year-old Brazilian senator bolted his country two days after being defeated by incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in a presidential election on Sunday.
He had been ordered to surrender all his passports due to an ongoing investigation into him on suspicion of money-laundering.
However, he left the country in a cloak-and-dagger operation via Argentina and Ecuador, and landed in Florida on Wednesday, where he declared himself the rightful "leader" of Brazil.
Bolsonaro refused to concede defeat after his loss, which came as a shock after he won a first-round election and had been seen as the narrow favorite.
According to the Argentine migration authority, Bolsonaro boarded a private plane on Tuesday evening in northeastern Puerto Iguazu, 40 minutes after entering Argentina by land.
While Bolsonaro's Brazilian passport and diplomatic passport had been cancelled, he also holds an Italian passport, which he used to board a private jet in Argentina, according to a flight document seen by AFP.
A Brazilian diplomatic source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that Argentina's diplomatic representative had been summoned for a "routine meeting" to "provide explanations" on Thursday.
Brasilia recalled its ambassador and downgraded diplomatic ties with Buenos Aires in August after repeated insults from Milei, who called Lula "a thief" and "corrupt."
Argentina's foreign minister on Friday denied that Brazil had asked Buenos Aires to explain its role in Bolsonaro's flight.
"FALSE. There was no request for information," Pablo Quirno wrote on X.
 

Outliers in not accepting result

 
Bolsonaro thanked Milei and Trump in his first statement after fleeing the country.
Milei has not recognized Lula's election victory and Trump said the poll was a "disgrace" and "very strange."
However, Lula's victory has been recognized by global leaders from across the political spectrum, Brazil's electoral court, Bolsonaro's own party -- which holds a majority in Congress -- and other right-wing allies.
In the United States, Democrat lawmakers wrote a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio to request "an immediate accounting" of his department's role in helping Bolsonaro leave Brazil.
Luis Grande, head of the Baires Fly airline which carried Bolsonaro, told AFP on Thursday he had been hired by a broker "who lives in the United States."
Some US media, including the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, have reported that the plane was chartered by Jason Miller, an adviser to Trump.
The White House has not commented on the matter.
 

'Difficult times'

 
Bolsonaro, who is the son of former far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro, has found himself isolated and the object of ridicule at home, after his departure and proclamation that he will lead the opposition from abroad.
Speculation has switched almost immediately to who would lead the right with Flavio out of the country, and the future of the Bolsonaro movement.
Jair Bolsonaro, 71, is serving a 27-year sentence under house arrest for plotting a coup against Lula after his 2022 election loss.
His wife, Michelle Bolsonaro, who was just elected senator, released a statement on Instagram on Friday referring to Jair Bolsonaro as "our leader."
"We are living through difficult times. We need to reflect and only then act," she wrote.
"My husband stresses that this is a time for unity, not for looking for people to blame," she said.
jss-fb/cc/msp

politics

France fears new street violence at Halloween protests

BY ANTOINE BOYER AND ANNA SMOLCHENKO WITH AFP BUREAUS

  • More than 1,000 Paris city workers will be mobilised over the weekend to clean up public spaces, the mayor's office said.
  • Shops and businesses in Paris and other French cities on Friday boarded up windows amid fears of fresh street violence during a third consecutive weekend of protests -- this time clashing with Halloween.
  • More than 1,000 Paris city workers will be mobilised over the weekend to clean up public spaces, the mayor's office said.
Shops and businesses in Paris and other French cities on Friday boarded up windows amid fears of fresh street violence during a third consecutive weekend of protests -- this time clashing with Halloween.
Authorities have said face-covering masks will not be allowed at the demonstrations that come in an increasingly febrile political climate, with presidential elections just six months away and far-right leader Marine Le Pen leading opinion polls.
President Emmanuel Macron this week said it was "not normal" for France to be in such a state of "turmoil" so close to a presidential election.
Around 70,000 security personnel will again be deployed on Saturday as authorities seek to prevent a repeat of October 17 unrest when thousands of businesses were damaged or looted.
More than 40 Paris metro stations will be closed and tram services will also be disrupted. 
An aide to Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said street violence on a scale "comparable" to the unrest two weeks ago was expected. Images of clashes, looted shops and public buildings set ablaze were broadcast around the world.
"There are concerns about acts of vandalism and attempted looting," the aide said.
A police source pointed to "considerable nervousness" among authorities.
"There is no reason to think this will go smoothly," the source said.
Alain Di Crescenzo, president of France's chamber of commerce, said businesses were worried.
"Shopkeepers can't wait for Saturday to be over," Di Crescenzo told broadcaster France Inter. 
"The information we have is that Halloween is not helping matters, because we're going to have people wearing masks."
 
- 'Night of darkness' - 
 
Nunez on Thursday warned of a "very high risk of public disorder", saying demonstrations would be allowed, but not in city centres.
The Paris police prefecture tried to prevent demonstrators from marching between Bastille and Nation in eastern Paris, but a court overturned the ban.
The interior minister said authorities had detected social media calls for Halloween gatherings on Saturday evening urging protesters to spark a "revolution". 
Some social media posts called on people to dress up and gather for a "night of darkness".
Nunez warned that protesters would not be allowed to wear masks concealing their faces.
On Friday morning, customers crowded into a costume shop in Paris, but manager Didier Jarsale said it was not his job to "ask every customer what they intend to do with what they buy."
"We're not here to act as police officers," he said.
 

Right to demonstrate

 
Authorities have acknowledged security and intelligence failures that enabled the clashes, looting and vandalism that erupted on October 17. Since then, they have moved to reassert control by restricting demonstrations and imposing curfews in several cities.
A night curfew will be imposed in the Republique and Chatelet-Les Halles neighborhoods of Paris from 11:00 pm to 6:00 am on Saturday and Sunday.
More than 1,000 Paris city workers will be mobilised over the weekend to clean up public spaces, the mayor's office said.
The protest movement, which brings together Yellow Vest activists, trade unions, and students, initially focused on the cost of living, inequality, and deteriorating learning conditions.
But following the security clampdown, the movement broadened its demands to include greater protection for civil liberties and the right to protest.
The unrest followed weeks of demonstrations by high school students campaigning for better learning conditions.
On top of the cost-of-living protests, France was last week shaken by a shooting that killed one person and wounded seven outside Paris. Most of the victims were from foreign backgrounds. The attack has triggered rallies against racism.
bur-as/tw

diplomacy

Canada, EU launch new alliance with deals on Ukraine, minerals, AI

BY UMBERTO BACCHI

  • Already sharing a free trade agreement, Canada and the EU have sought to move closer together since Trump's shock return to power. 
  • The EU and Canada announced an alliance Friday aimed at cementing their own relations in the face of President Donald Trump's moves to tear up US ties with its old partners.
  • Already sharing a free trade agreement, Canada and the EU have sought to move closer together since Trump's shock return to power. 
The EU and Canada announced an alliance Friday aimed at cementing their own relations in the face of President Donald Trump's moves to tear up US ties with its old partners.
Canada agreed to contribute to a 90-billion-euro ($103 billion) support loan for Ukraine and work closer with Brussels on anything from critical minerals to artificial intelligence, after a two-day summit in Montreal.
"The world's becoming more dangerous and divided. Our societies are being shaken by new storms," Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told a press conference, mentioning eroding democratic norms and "the weaponization of trade."
"Together, Canada and the European Union are anchoring the ground. Anchoring our ground to uphold our values while forming a protective canopy under which our citizens can all thrive," he said after talks with EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa.
Already sharing a free trade agreement, Canada and the EU have sought to move closer together since Trump's shock return to power. 
Both Canada and the EU have been hit with US tariffs and territorial threats.
In Montreal, they sketched out a two-tier partnership that von der Leyen, the European Commission president, stressed was "not against anyone else, but for our common strength."
But the plan was partially overshadowed by an intra-EU squabble over what the new relationship should be called, which led to some mixed messaging at the summit. 
Unable to fully join the bloc, Canada would become its first "associate member," von der Leyen, said doubling down on a term opposed by Germany and a handful of other EU states. 
The group had successfully pushed to have the label dropped from a joint summit statement, arguing it doesn't exist in EU treaties and needed defining. 
Von der Leyen was, however, backed by Carney who also used the title as he addressed journalists after the talks, adding its "substance" would be determined in the coming months.
In Brussels' view, the term defines the unique partnership the EU has with Canada and entails aligning policies, such as on climate and artificial intelligence, Canada joining some EU programs, and creating a stable governance framework.
- Broader alliance - 
As part of this Canada will have a more stable presence at the EU table.
Carney will take part in an EU leaders summit in June and European commissioners and Canadian ministers would hold a separate meeting in the spring, Costa, the European Council president, said. 
More broadly, Canada and the EU would form the "nucleus" of a larger "alliance for the future" open to other partners, von der Leyen said. 
This "will focus on increasing our collective sovereignty and resilience in areas such as AI, energy, critical minerals, quantum, and beyond," Carney said. 
A senior EU official explained a key part of it would be coordinating economic security measures, like tariffs, so that they do not inadvertently harm members of the group. 
To kick off work, Brussels and Ottawa signed a digital trade deal and a separate pact allowing the European Investment Bank to back Canadian critical mineral projects. 
Canada is rich in rare earths and critical minerals Europe currently sources mostly from China but needs massive infrastructure investment to jump-start its mining industry.
The allies agreed to deepen cooperation on satellite connectivity and navigation and artificial intelligence -- a field where they are playing catch-up with the US and China.
They also launched work towards Canada's participation in EU initiatives like the Erasmus program, which allows university students to spend a semester abroad, and the Galileo satellite program -- an alternative to the American Global Positioning System (GPS).
Europe opened its supercomputing infrastructure to Canadian researchers, industry and start-ups. 
Finally, Carney said Canada will join the EU's 90-billion-euro support loan for Ukraine with an initial participation of 500 million euros, in what von der Leyen described as "a powerful message" of support to Kyiv.
Brussels has been looking for help to plug gaps in Kyiv's finances, as Russia's war of invasion grinds on.
mg-ub/pnb

accident

Relatives' anguish grows as Spain identifies train crash dead

BY OSCAR DEL POZO WITH ROBIN BJALON IN TOLEDO

  • A Portuguese citizen who worked on one of the trains is among the dead, Portugal's government said on Friday in the first confirmation of a foreign victim.
  • Distraught relatives of the 69 victims of Spain's second high-speed train collision this year endured growing anguish on Friday as the authorities worked to identify the bodies.
  • A Portuguese citizen who worked on one of the trains is among the dead, Portugal's government said on Friday in the first confirmation of a foreign victim.
Distraught relatives of the 69 victims of Spain's second high-speed train collision this year endured growing anguish on Friday as the authorities worked to identify the bodies.
Wednesday's crash in the central region of Castilla-La Mancha is one of Europe's deadliest rail accidents this century and raised fresh questions about the safety of the world's second-largest high-speed network.
Relatives of the victims, who have been providing DNA samples to help the identification work, face an agonising wait for news as rescue crews sift through the wreckage and bodies are examined in morgues.
Javier Barrio, whose wife Carmen de Santana was caught up in the accident, was among the families staying in the central city of Toledo which has received most of the bodies.
"We are doing what we can, crying. I've got my two children here who are supporting me a lot, but we're having a really hard time," Barrio said.
His wife, who was close to retirement, was making a final work-related trip. Barrio said her death was not confirmed but that the chance of finding her alive was "extremely remote".
Esther San Emeterio, who is awaiting news of her brother, said the "anxiety" her family was experiencing was "crossing a line".
"Last night I went to bed incredibly frustrated, outraged, ashamed that no one is telling us anything."

Foreigners among missing

Castilla-La Mancha's leader Emiliano Garcia-Page warned "we do not rule out there being more dead," saying the emergency services had collected "31 bags of partial remains" that complicated the identification work.
The legal authorities in charge of the process have said 67 reports for missing people remain active, including 14 for foreign nationals.
They concern citizens from the United States, Canada, Australia, France, Japan, Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela, Tunisia and the Czech Republic.
The missing person reports could coincide with the bodies, all but 12 of which remained unidentified.
A Portuguese citizen who worked on one of the trains is among the dead, Portugal's government said on Friday in the first confirmation of a foreign victim.
Another 39 injured people remained in hospital in Castilla-La Mancha, but their evolution was "reasonably positive", Garcia-Page added.

'Shattered confidence'

The accident happened on a key line linking Madrid to the southern city of Seville, which was also the scene of a collision in January that killed 46 people in the region of Andalusia.
Train driver union Semaf has called two fresh strikes at state operator Renfe for November 10 and 12 demanding "structural measures" for rail safety, after maintaining a stoppage on Thursday that had been organised before the accident.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who is battling unfavourable polls before a November 29 general election, conceded on Friday that trust in the high-speed network was "shattered" but pledged "solutions" to avoid further such accidents.
Socialist Transport Minister Oscar Puente rebuffed demands from the right-wing opposition to resign, speaking of his "duty" to improve the system and restore public confidence.
The accident occurred when a Renfe service ploughed into the back of a stationary train belonging to private Spanish company Iryo outside the village of Urda, around 130 kilometres (80 miles) south of Madrid.
The failure of an automatic safety system called LZB halted all trains on a 63-kilometre stretch of track, but a control centre authorised the Renfe service to resume its journey while the Iryo remained stationary.
Puente insisted that LZB, which is not the most modern automatic rail safety system, was "very reliable" and used in other European countries including Britain, Germany and Austria.
The head of the main conservative opposition Popular Party that leads most polls, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, accused the government of "not replacing an obsolete security system when it should have done".
"If they do not resign, we will remove them at the ballot box," Feijoo told a press conference.
bur-imm/ds/ach 

FATF

Monaco taken off global money-laundering 'grey list'

  • Bulgaria, which had been put on the grey list in 2023, also welcomed its removal.
  • Global anti-money laundering watchdog the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) said Friday it had removed Monaco and three other countries from its "grey list", two years after it put the principality among its territories requiring increased monitoring.
  • Bulgaria, which had been put on the grey list in 2023, also welcomed its removal.
Global anti-money laundering watchdog the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) said Friday it had removed Monaco and three other countries from its "grey list", two years after it put the principality among its territories requiring increased monitoring.
Bulgaria, Democratic Republic of Congo and the Ivory Coast were also removed from the list, the organisation said after a plenary meeting.
The countries had completed promised action plans "and will no longer be subject to the FATF's increased monitoring process," it added.
The Paris-based FATF monitors efforts by more than 200 countries and jurisdictions to prevent money laundering and the financing of terrorism.
Grey list nations are considered to have "strategic deficiencies" in countering money laundering and terrorist financing, while cooperating with the FATF to correct the problems.
Long known as a playground for the rich and famous, tiny Monaco, with a population of less than 40,000, attracts moneyed residents from around the world with its extremely favourable tax regime, with no income or wealth taxes.
The FATF said Monaco had made "significant progress" in strengthening the effectiveness of its efforts to counter money laundering and terrorist financing.
"This decision recognizes more than two years of concrete, rigorous and coordinated work by all of the State’s authorities and departments," the head of Monaco's government, Christophe Mirmand, said in a statement.
The FATF had urged the Mediterranean principality to boost resources for investigators and prosecutors and increase seizures of property suspected to derive from criminal activities.
It called for more effective cooperation on countering money laundering and terrorist financing, and for officials to send more requests to identify and seek the seizure of criminal assets abroad.
Monaco introduced an offence of presumed money laundering to facilitate the prosecution of cases involving suspicious funds.
It also boosted funding for its financial regulator and created a special unit in the public prosecutor's office.
"We do not see this as a finish line: what matters now is what Monaco delivers over the long term," Mirmand added.
Dozens of money-laundering probes were underway in 2025, and convictions rose from three in 2021 to 28 in 2025, according to Monaco's authorities.
Bulgaria, which had been put on the grey list in 2023, also welcomed its removal.
This "means more confidence in our country, more investment and more jobs," Prime Minister Roumen Radev said in a statement.
It will also facilitate Bulgaria's international financial transfers, he added.
Democratic Republic of Congo had been on the grey list since 2022 and Ivory Coast since 2024.
The exit of the four countries leaves 18 on the FATF's grey list, including Bosnia, Bolivia, Iraq, Syria, Yemen and the British Virgin islands.
Three countries are on the FATF's black list of countries that are high risk for money laundering and terrorism financing: Iran, Myanmar and North Korea.
mpa/rl/tw

royals

Scottish police probe Andrew, Epstein stay at royal castle: UK media

  • "We have received information and active inquiries are ongoing but these are at a very early stage," Police Scotland said in a brief statement to some UK media, without elaborating on the probe.
  • Scottish police are in the "very early stage" of probing the late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's reported stay at the royal Balmoral estate at the invitation of ex-prince Andrew, UK media reported Friday.
  • "We have received information and active inquiries are ongoing but these are at a very early stage," Police Scotland said in a brief statement to some UK media, without elaborating on the probe.
Scottish police are in the "very early stage" of probing the late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's reported stay at the royal Balmoral estate at the invitation of ex-prince Andrew, UK media reported Friday.
Epstein, who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking, is believed to have visited the British monarch's estate in northeast Scotland in 1999 along with his jailed ex-girlfriend and accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell.
The pair are thought to have stayed following an invite from Andrew, who has previously acknowledged his friendships with both but has denied all allegations of wrongdoing.
"We have received information and active inquiries are ongoing but these are at a very early stage," Police Scotland said in a brief statement to some UK media, without elaborating on the probe.
The Daily Express newspaper reported the inquiries were related to alleged trafficking of women to the Scottish Highlands castle -- now the property of King Charles III, but at the time belonging to his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
AFP has contacted Police Scotland for comment.
At least ten UK police forces are probing Andrew and Epstein's links to Britain. 
Police Scotland had previously appealed for information about Epstein's alleged chartering of private jets to transport women through Edinburgh Airport.
The king last year stripped his brother, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, of royal titles and ousted him from his residence in Windsor amid continued fallout from his ties to Epstein.
The former prince was briefly arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office related to Epstein, as police searched his properties.
He has denied wrongdoing, and won a legal challenge over the searches this month after police agreed the warrants they obtained were "unlawful" -- although the investigation remains ongoing.
The latest line of inquiry, according to the Daily Express which broke the story, was linked to Epstein and Maxwell's reported 1999 visit to Balmoral, with the US probe into Epstein including pictures of him and Maxwell in Balmoral.
Scandal has engulfed the king's younger brother since one of Epstein's accusers, Virginia Giuffre, claimed that she had been trafficked three times to have sex with Andrew when she was a teenager.
The ex-prince has repeatedly denied the claims. He settled a US civil lawsuit in 2022 brought by Giuffre while not admitting liability.
The UK police probes followed new revelations from documents relating to the American financier released by the United States this year, including emails in which Andrew appeared to share potentially confidential information with him.
aks/jj/gv

conflict

'Get them there alive': Ukraine's railways under Russian barrage

BY VICTORIA LUKOVENKO

  • While visibly anxious, Styrchuk said she believed relentless Russian attacks had made Ukrainians more resilient.
  • Aboard the morning high-speed train from the Ukrainian capital Kyiv to Poltava, some 300 kilometres to the east, 24-year-old Daryna Styrchuk was nervous.
  • While visibly anxious, Styrchuk said she believed relentless Russian attacks had made Ukrainians more resilient.
Aboard the morning high-speed train from the Ukrainian capital Kyiv to Poltava, some 300 kilometres to the east, 24-year-old Daryna Styrchuk was nervous.
"I didn't sleep well because I was worried about air raid alerts, delays and evacuations," she told AFP on the journey.
Travelling by train is the only way for her to reach her family -- but massive Russian attacks on trains, stations and railway infrastructure have turned simple journeys into dangerous, gruelling heavily delayed expeditions.
On Thursday, a week after AFP travelled with Styrchuk, a Russian drone smashed into a platform next to two waiting trains at Dnipro, killing at least 14 people.
Over Russia's almost five-year invasion of Ukraine, the railway has become a critically important means of transportation. 
With airspace closed to civilian aircraft, travel both within and to and from the country relies heavily on trains.
Since the beginning of 2026 alone, Russian attacks have damaged 4,856 railway facilities, including 380 locomotives and 146 carriages, according to Ukrainian Railways. 
"The enemy has chosen our passenger services as a target," Oleg Golovashchenko, head of the state operator's passenger company, told AFP.
Amid an uptick in strikes, Ukraine started pausing and evacuating trains when there was the danger of an attack.
Now, every day sees between 100-200 evacuations, triggering widespread hours-long delays across the entire country.
 

'Everything tightens'

 
The Kharkiv-Kyiv route, which AFP journalists travelled, connects Ukraine's two largest cities. 
Trains trundling to and from the northeastern terminus, some 30 kilometres from the Russian border, stop frequently due to the threat of attack.
As the overnight train departed Kharkiv, passengers preparing to sleep were warned that their rest could be interrupted by an emergency evacuation.
"We brought them aboard the train, we must get them to their destination alive," train attendant Mykola Kryvenko, 50, told AFP.
Several hours into the journey, the quiet of the carriage was suddenly broken by the sound of hurried footsteps and knocks on compartment doors.
"Evacuation, evacuation," the train attendant said, waking the slumbering travellers.
Russian drones were nearby.
Within minutes, a platform filled with anxious people listening intently to sounds in the sky, as the attendants urged passengers to move away from the carriages.
The sound of the approaching drone grew louder.
Some started running for cover, moments before the sky lit with an explosion in the near distance.
Unharmed, most of the passengers edged further and further away from the train.
Among them was marketing specialist Kateryna Kumratova, 35, and her four-year-old daughter, Nina.
Asked how she felt, she summed it up in a word: "fear".
With the sound of drones still heard intermittently in the sky, Kumratova and her daughter headed towards a shelter. 
"Everything tightens inside when you realise that the shelter is still far away and your child is beside you," she said once inside the room.
Another explosion sounded, but within minutes, everyone began returning to the train. 
The danger has passed, the crew announced, and the journey continued.
 

'Ready for anything'

 
The approaching winter -- one many Ukrainians fear will be the harshest since the start of the war -- is expected to make train travel more difficult still.
Authorities are warning of possible disruptions to electricity, water and heating as Russia's attacks on energy infrastructure intensify.
And as temperatures drop below freezing, evacuation will become more challenging.
Ukrainian Railways plans to introduce preventative stops to allow passengers to remain on board.
Blankets and heating pads have also been prepared to keep people warm, Golovashchenko said.
Kumratova already carries an extra backpack with warm clothes and other essentials to make evacuations easier to bear for herself and her young daughter.
"It's still better to travel by train with a child, even despite these evacuations," she said.
While visibly anxious, Styrchuk said she believed relentless Russian attacks had made Ukrainians more resilient.
"I think we're ready for anything now."
vl/jc/nl/eab

accident

Tears, fear, anger: relatives of Spain train crash dead await fate

BY ROBIN BJALON

  • - 'Scared' of train travel - This week's accident is Spain's second high-speed rail disaster this year -- a double blow to a network that had been a source of national pride.
  • Marisa Liebana could barely hold back her tears as she sought news about her nephew Francisco Jose, one of the 69 victims of this week's high-speed rail crash in Spain.
  • - 'Scared' of train travel - This week's accident is Spain's second high-speed rail disaster this year -- a double blow to a network that had been a source of national pride.
Marisa Liebana could barely hold back her tears as she sought news about her nephew Francisco Jose, one of the 69 victims of this week's high-speed rail crash in Spain.
Francisco Jose, 32, worked in Madrid and had caught a train south to the region of Andalusia on Wednesday to spend a few days with his parents. He was never seen again.
"The outcome has been very tough and very sad," Marisa said in the central city of Toledo, which has received most of the bodies from the collision outside the village of Urda.
"He was in the prime of his life," added Marisa, who said she felt "powerless" as she accompanied her brother Cecilio outside a reception centre for the victims' relatives in Toledo.
Inside the building, Civil Guard officers confirmed the dreaded news that their nephew had been found dead.
"We are devastated," Cecilio said, echoing the sentiment of the dozens of families affected by one of Europe's deadliest train disasters this century.
His sister, Francisco Jose's mother, could not come to Toledo. "She is distraught. She is seeing psychologists, receiving treatment, and she's in a really bad way," explained Marisa.

'Frustrated, outraged'

Forensics teams are working around the clock and have identified 12 bodies, but for many relatives the wait is proving unbearable.
Esther San Emeterio, who is waiting for news of her brother Pepe, said the "anxiety" her family was experiencing was "crossing a line".
"Last night I went to bed incredibly frustrated, outraged, ashamed that no one is telling us anything."
Javier Barrio, whose wife Carmen de Santana had caught the train as one of her final work-related trips before her retirement, said "we are doing what we can, crying."
No DNA match or death certificate has been issued confirming her death, but Barrio is resigned to the worst, faced with the "extremely remote" chance of finding her alive.
"I've got my two children here who are supporting me a lot, but we're having a really hard time," he said.
Other families preferred not to speak as they paced up and down the area, overcome with shock, some with tears welling in their eyes.
Others found solace in an embrace with a loved one.
Ricardo, who is the friend of a family that suffered a bereavement, said the victim's parents had endured three days without knowing what had become of their child.
"And now he's in a body bag. It's incredibly harsh," said Ricardo.

'Scared' of train travel

This week's accident is Spain's second high-speed rail disaster this year -- a double blow to a network that had been a source of national pride.
Another collision between two trains in the southern region of Andalusia in January killed 46 people on the same line linking Madrid to the city of Seville.
"Who's going to get on a train now? Now you're scared when you do," said Cecilio, who wants such disasters to never happen again.
Spain was observing the second of three days of national mourning on Friday, with the public demanding answers just weeks before an early general election on November 29.
The right-wing opposition is already demanding the resignation of the transport minister and has lambasted Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who is seeking re-election.
"Lots of lives have been lost in nine months. I think this should make everyone reflect -- the whole of society, the politicians -- about why this is happening in the 21st century," Cecilio said.
"I am not blaming one side or the other, but something is going wrong here."
rbj/imm/ds/ach 

pope

Pope Leo makes history with US midterm vote

  • The Chicago-born pontiff "has exercised his right to vote as a United States citizen, whenever he was eligible to do so" and believes in "the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes," it said.
  • Pope Leo XIV, the Catholic Church's first US-born pontiff, has voted in the United States midterm elections, the first known time a pope has voted in a political election.
  • The Chicago-born pontiff "has exercised his right to vote as a United States citizen, whenever he was eligible to do so" and believes in "the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes," it said.
Pope Leo XIV, the Catholic Church's first US-born pontiff, has voted in the United States midterm elections, the first known time a pope has voted in a political election.
The head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, who has clashed with US President Donald Trump, submitted his mail-in ballot in Chicago, the Vatican said Friday.
The Chicago-born pontiff "has exercised his right to vote as a United States citizen, whenever he was eligible to do so" and believes in "the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes," it said.
A rift earlier this year between US President Donald Trump and the pope sparked global headlines.
Leo and Trump repeatedly clashed over papal criticism of the harsh crackdown on immigration in the United States and of the war on Iran, with Trump calling the pontiff "weak" on crime and "terrible" on foreign policy.
The pope said he was "not afraid" of Trump.
In April, after Trump's threat to destroy Iran, Leo called on everyone to do their part for peace, urging them to "contact the authorities -- political leaders, congressmen -- to ask them, to tell them, to work for peace and to reject war and violence."
The crucial US midterm elections are scheduled to be held on November 3.
In September, Leo urged the faithful to shake off "all passivity and indifference" toward current events.
"We cannot remain as unengaged spectators; rather, we must listen with our hearts, allow ourselves to be challenged, and become involved," he said during the weekly general audience in St Peter's Square.
Robert Francis Prevost, as he was known before his papal election, voted in Democratic primaries in 2008 and 2010 and in three Republican primaries in the years that followed, according to the New York Times, citing state and local records.
In primary elections in Illinois, voters may choose any party's ballot at the polls, and Prevost varied in his selection, it said.
Prevost spent nearly two decades as a missionary in Peru and has both US and Peruvian citizenship.
"The Holy Father has also confirmed that, during his years of residence in Peru he exercised his right to vote whenever he was eligible to do so," the Vatican said.
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Bitcoin

Binance heist: How were cryptocurrency billions stolen?

BY LUCIE LEQUIER

  • -   Binance, the world's largest platform by digital currency trading volume, claims to have 335 million users. 
  • Binance, the world's biggest cryptocurrency exchange, estimates that assets worth $6.3 billion were impacted by a hacking attack against the trading platform. 
  • -   Binance, the world's largest platform by digital currency trading volume, claims to have 335 million users. 
Binance, the world's biggest cryptocurrency exchange, estimates that assets worth $6.3 billion were impacted by a hacking attack against the trading platform. 
But how was such a theft possible, and what does it reveal about the security of cryptocurrencies? AFP takes a look. 
 

Is Binance reliable?

 
Binance, the world's largest platform by digital currency trading volume, claims to have 335 million users. 
That compares to the reported 741 million cryptocurrency owners worldwide cited by Crypto.com. 
However, Binance has faced its fair share of scandals. Its former CEO, Changpeng Zhao, was convicted in the United States in 2024 for violating anti-money laundering laws, though he was later pardoned by President Donald Trump.
It has faced further US legal troubles, including being accused of selling assets that qualify as unregistered securities. 
In France, Binance is suspected of having failed to meet its obligations regarding the oversight of client funds. 
Having failed to obtain authorisation under the European Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) regulation, Binance recently announced a partial suspension of its operations within the European Union.
 

A secure technology?

 
Cryptocurrencies are based on a technology called blockchain, a digital ledger that records transactions and is designed to make falsification particularly difficult. 
Transfers are authorised using "private keys" -- long strings of characters kept secret. However, this does not fully protect funds from theft.
"Even when you think you are using one of the most robust exchanges in the world, it can still be hacked," Stephane Ifrah, an analyst at Coinhouse, told AFP.
 

How can hackers still get in?

 
To gain access to private keys or the systems that authorise transfers, hackers can exploit a software vulnerability, deploy malicious software, or target individuals -- for instance through phishing. 
Some keys are stored on hardware wallets that are not connected to the internet. 
However, these devices are not immune to attacks. Funds belonging to users of the French firm Ledger were stolen after malicious components were inserted into devices sold by a third-party retailer.
In the case of Binance, the investigation is pointing toward a "compromised" laptop of one of its engineers, in addition to "points of breach", the platform said on X. 
 
- Who are the hackers? - 
 
While there has been no official confirmation, analyst firms TRM Labs, Chainalysis and Elliptic point to hackers linked to North Korea, specifically the group known as TraderTraitor or the "Lazarus Group".
The amount purportedly stolen is four times the sum that the same hackers -- according to the FBI -- siphoned from the platform Bybit in February 2025. 
That theft totalled $1.5 billion, which at the time was the largest ever cryptocurrency heist. 
According to Elliptic and Chainalysis, some of the funds stolen from Binance have been traced to the same pool of assets as those taken in a recent hack of the platform Bitget, which the victim attributed to Pyongyang.
 

Is it possible to recover the money?

 
Binance says that around $3 billion of the affected crypto -- nearly half the total amount affected -- has been frozen with help from issuers and infrastructure partners.
But the freezing of assets does not mean the funds have been recovered. 
According to Ifrah, the attackers could employ anonymisation tools, such as cryptocurrency "mixers" or "tumblers", designed to make tracking the stolen assets more difficult. 
Binance asserts that it will cover the losses resulting from the hack. 
But as Ifrah states, "it is clear that there is no such thing as zero risk".
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politics

France boards up ahead of Halloween protests

  • "Shopkeepers can't wait for Saturday to be over," Di Crescenzo told broadcaster France Inter on Friday.
  • Shops and other businesses in Paris and other cities on Friday were boarding up windows as France braced for a third consecutive weekend of protests that coincide with Halloween celebrations.
  • "Shopkeepers can't wait for Saturday to be over," Di Crescenzo told broadcaster France Inter on Friday.
Shops and other businesses in Paris and other cities on Friday were boarding up windows as France braced for a third consecutive weekend of protests that coincide with Halloween celebrations.
Around 70,000 security personnel will be deployed on Saturday, matching the number mobilised a week ago, as authorities sought to prevent a repeat of the October 17 unrest when thousands of businesses were damaged or looted.
Alain Di Crescenzo, president of France's chamber of commerce, said on Friday that business owners were worried about fresh street violence.
"Shopkeepers can't wait for Saturday to be over," Di Crescenzo told broadcaster France Inter on Friday. "We're not feeling reassured," he added.
"The information we have is that Halloween is not helping matters, because we're going to have people wearing masks."
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said on Thursday that demonstrations would be allowed, but "not in city centres, where there is a risk of public disorder."
The Paris police prefecture only authorised a march on the outskirts of Paris.
The UNEF student union accused the authorities of seeking to "silence the voice of young people" and said it intended to march from Bastille to Nation in eastern Paris despite the ban.
Nunez also said authorities had detected social media calls for Halloween gatherings on Saturday evening urging protesters to spark a "revolution."
A police source said that Nunez had raised the alarm because "there is a risk. And it discourages the less daring from taking part."
Authorities have acknowledged security and intelligence failures that helped pave the way for the clashes, widespread looting and vandalism that erupted on October 17. Since then, they have moved to reassert control by restricting demonstrations and imposing curfews in several cities.
Another source said there was "a great deal of nervousness" at the Paris police headquarters and security agencies.
"On the 17th, they were caught off guard," the source said. 
"Now the slightest piece of information is being turned into intelligence reports, and officers are being deployed left, right and centre."
The protests come in an increasingly febrile political climate, with presidential elections just six months away and far-right leader Marine Le Pen leading opinion polls.
The protest movement, which brings together Yellow Vest activists, trade unions, and high school and university students, initially focused on the rising cost of living, inequality, and deteriorating learning conditions.
But following the security clampdown, the movement broadened its demands to include greater protection for civil liberties and the right to protest.
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