health

Greenland's teenage boxers throwing punches to survive

BY FLORENT VERGNES

  • It was also a way to honour their mother, a former Greenland martial arts champion. 
  • When the bell rang, William let out a cry drowned out by the crowd: that night, the Greenlandic teen was boxing for his mother, who killed herself two years ago.
  • It was also a way to honour their mother, a former Greenland martial arts champion. 
When the bell rang, William let out a cry drowned out by the crowd: that night, the Greenlandic teen was boxing for his mother, who killed herself two years ago.
Suicide is one of Greenland's leading causes of premature death and the autonomous Danish territory has one of the highest suicide rates in the world.
An "epidemic", some Greenlanders call it, striking above all teenagers and young adults.
"Come on, crush him!" the crowd shouted, the smell of sweat heavy beneath the Arctic island's flag hanging above the ring.
William, 15, ducked the blows of his Danish opponent before he was hit with a straight punch and collapsed in the arms of the referee.
"I was devastated," he told AFP a few days later from his home in the capital Nuuk. 
"The morning of the match, I woke up crying, thinking of her. I promised her I would win," he said.
William's gaze occasionally drifted to a photograph of his smiling mother, Mette, hung on the wall. 
The former Danish colony faces numerous social challenges, including drug and alcohol addiction and social inequality.
When Denmark launched a major urbanisation drive in the 1970s, hundreds of the island's indigenous Inuit families were moved from their villages and pressed into apartment blocks in larger towns. 
Inuit culture is deeply rooted in the land and tight-knit community life, so leaving behind traditional hunting and fishing livelihoods triggered a sense of dislocation and loss of identity, experts say. 
According to medical journal The Lancet, the displacement left deep trauma and sent suicide rates soaring in the 1980s.
Young Greenlanders still feel the effects of traumas experienced by previous generations, a concept known as intergenerational transmission, another study in the International Journal of Circumpolar Health showed.
And access to mental health support remains limited. 

'Relief'

After his mother's suicide, William turned first to alcohol and drugs. 
His brother Kian, now 19, chose a different form of adrenaline: he pulled on boxing gloves "to clear my head". 
For the pair, boxing became an escape, where they could meet "positive people".
It was also a way to honour their mother, a former Greenland martial arts champion. 
Originally from northern Greenland, Mette had been placed in an orphanage in the capital Nuuk as her parents were unable to care for her.
A pile of her gold medals lay jumbled on the coffee table.
"When we were younger, we used to use her medals as trophies. We lost a couple of them," said William. "I feel like I owe her medals."
In 2023, suicide accounted for 7.4 percent of deaths in Greenland, according to the same study in The Lancet. 
"We all know at least one or two family members or friends who have killed themselves," said Kian. "Or many more."
"Not so long ago, two of my friends committed suicide," added William.
At a gym in Nuuk, a group of youths grunted through push-ups ordered by their coach, 27-year-old former boxer Philippe Andersen.
"Discipline is key," he told AFP. "A couple of months before the fight, no drinking, no smoking, nothing. Nothing fun."
Some may have been bullied, lost loved ones or face social problems "but we try not to think about it while we're boxing".  
"They often have something they're angry about," he said, adding boxing offered them "relief from their daily lives". 
When night falls and the gym empties, Nuuk's streets fill with teenagers. Along the coast, it's not unusual to see a lone teenager staring at the sea. 
Behind them, rows of Soviet-style apartment blocks tower over the cliff, remnants of Denmark's urbanisation drive in the 1970s.
On the crumbling facade of Block T, a light installation paid tribute to the victims of suicide.

Limited help

Despite a pressing need for psychological support, isolation in small settlements, coupled with a shortage of Kalaallisut-speaking staff, severely limits access to care. 
Most consultations take place online. 
But in recent years authorities have strengthened helplines and begun decentralising the training of mental health professionals to improve access to care.
Originally from Qaqortoq in the island's south, the brothers' family moved to the capital 10 years ago in search of a better life. 
This summer, William will leave for Denmark to continue his studies, far from his friends and older brother.
"It's very hard," he said. 
Spurred by his coaches, Kian said he hoped to join him and try out for Denmark's national boxing team -- a way for him "to move on".
fv/cbw/po/rh/giv/jhb

children

Brazil starts to restrict minors' access to social media

  • Digital platforms are required to demand "reliable" age verification to prevent minors under the age of 18 from accessing prohibited or inappropriate content, such as pornographic or violent material.
  • Brazil began implementing new measures on Tuesday to restrict minors' access to social media and prevent them from viewing violent or illegal content.
  • Digital platforms are required to demand "reliable" age verification to prevent minors under the age of 18 from accessing prohibited or inappropriate content, such as pornographic or violent material.
Brazil began implementing new measures on Tuesday to restrict minors' access to social media and prevent them from viewing violent or illegal content.
A law regulating children's use of social media was approved last year after a scandal involving the alleged sexual exploitation of minors on Instagram, and comes into effect this week.
The hyper-connected nation of 212 million people joins several other countries seeking to protect children from addictive social media algorithms.
Some, like Australia, have outright banned access, while others require stronger age verification measures or parental consent.
In Brazil, adolescents up to 16 years of age must now have their accounts linked to that of a legal guardian. 
Digital platforms are required to demand "reliable" age verification to prevent minors under the age of 18 from accessing prohibited or inappropriate content, such as pornographic or violent material.
"What our legislation did was ban self-declaration" as an age verification mechanism, as "that method is ineffective," said Iage Miola, Director of the National Data Protection Authority (ANPD), the government body tasked with implementing the law. 
Details on how the mechanism will work have not yet been released.
From Tuesday, a "transition period"  will start, during which the ANPD will outline the technical aspects of the law.
Miola said he had met with representatives from technology companies to review their proposals.
He said the preferred verification method was, for the time being, users uploading an identity document and providing biometric photo verification.
The law also requires digital platforms to remove content that appears to depict sexual exploitation or abuse, and notify Brazilian authorities. 
Companies that fail to comply with the new regulations face punishment ranging from fines of up to 50 million reais (approximately 9 million dollars) and account suspensions, to an outright "ban" in cases of repeated non-compliance. 
The law bans advertising aimed at children and adolescents, as well as so-called "loot boxes" --items within video games which users pay for to receive a surprise reward. 
"Unlike other countries, Brazil opted for a law that is not limited to regulating social media for children, but rather covers the entire internet," Renata Tomaz, a professor at the Getulio Vargas Foundation, told AFP.
jss/app/fb/sms

conflict

'We will wait for each one': Ukrainians greet POWs with tears and cheers

BY DARIA ANDRIIEVSKA

  • Gladka and the others stood with tears in their eyes, waving their hands and gripping giant Ukrainian flags.
  • Larysa Gladka was among hundreds of Ukrainians lining the road stretching towards the northern border, holding flags as they anxiously fixed their gaze at the horizon.
  • Gladka and the others stood with tears in their eyes, waving their hands and gripping giant Ukrainian flags.
Larysa Gladka was among hundreds of Ukrainians lining the road stretching towards the northern border, holding flags as they anxiously fixed their gaze at the horizon.
Their northern region of Chernigiv was occupied when Russian forces invaded four years ago. Now liberated, it is the gateway for freed Ukrainian prisoners of war heading home.
The 50-year-old Gladka, whose husband was killed fighting Russian troops and whose son is serving in the army, took a place at the roadside with her neighbours to be the first to welcome a convoy of Ukrainians freed from gruelling Russian captivity earlier this month.
"You rejoice and cry, and you tremble inside from the emotion -- seeing those eyes that are both sad and joyful and filled with tears," she told AFP during a recent prisoner exchange.
She had parked her car over on a hill overlooking the road for a better view into the distance.
Others scanned the horizon with binoculars.
After an agonising wait, the column of vehicles came into view. Ambulance sirens blared and bus horns wailed.
From the windows, out peered the emaciated faces of the newly freed Ukrainian prisoners, heads shaved and wounds visible.
Gladka and the others stood with tears in their eyes, waving their hands and gripping giant Ukrainian flags.

'Our duty'

Prisoner swaps -- and the exchange of remains of dead soldiers retrieved from the battlefield -- are one of the only areas of cooperation between Moscow and Kyiv.
Since Russia's invasion in February 2022, Kyiv says more than 8,000 POWs have been returned, as well as the bodies of more than 17,000 dead soldiers.
The locals' tradition of heralding home the returnees, many of whom were detained for years, started with a small group of five or six people.
It has since grown into a network stretching the roads from the border with Belarus, where the swaps take place, with dedicated social media groups set up to track the buses, alerting the next town to get ready.
"It's a sign of gratitude, to thank the guys for protecting us, and so that they know that we are waiting for them," said Anna Kondratenko, an employee of a local village council.
"It is not our obligation, but our duty," the 33-year-old, whose brother-in-law was released after more than two years in Russian detention, said.
"These are our children, these are our warriors, they defended us," said Olga, 55, tearing up.
The latest exchange -- 500 Ukrainian for 500 Russian soldiers -- took place over two days in March, agreed as part of US-mediated talks on ending the war.
But with those negotiations now derailed by the war in the Middle East, the timing for the next release is unclear.

'Until the end'

Driver Andriy, 53, is one of the first Ukrainian faces many of the freed soldiers see as they clamber onto his bus.
"The guys are surprised that they are being welcomed like this," he told AFP.
"It's like a second birthday. There are no words. You get goosebumps. It brings tears to your eyes," Yaroslav Rumyantsev, who was released after 39 months in Russian captivity, said.
Many soldiers report ill-treatment or torture while in Russian captivity and are told nobody is waiting for them back home.
Bogdan Okhrimenko, who works with the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War that facilitates the swaps, said the organisation was constantly working to bring more Ukrainians home.
"As soon as we have achieved results in the negotiations, we are ready to carry out the next planned exchange," he told AFP. 
The war has displaced millions of Ukrainians, killed thousands of civilians and hundreds of thousands of soldiers, with much of eastern and southern Ukraine devastated.
Both sides claim to be capturing dozens more soldiers by the day.
With no end to the fighting in sight, the locals in Chernigiv say they will keep flocking to the roadside for as long as the buses keep coming.
"Until the end -- until everyone is exchanged. We will wait for each one. We will wait for all our guys," Kondratenko said. 
Fifty-year-old Anatoliy Devitsky was more direct.
"Until every last Russkiy is taken out and peace comes."
bur-jbr/jc/tw/lb

Ireland

Leftist New York mayor under pressure on Irish unity question

  • New York hosts the world's largest St. Patrick's Day parade, attracting two million spectators.
  • New York's leftist mayor, Zohran Mamdani, was facing pressure Tuesday over his position on Irish unification as he helped lead the city's St. Patrick's Day parade.
  • New York hosts the world's largest St. Patrick's Day parade, attracting two million spectators.
New York's leftist mayor, Zohran Mamdani, was facing pressure Tuesday over his position on Irish unification as he helped lead the city's St. Patrick's Day parade.
Mamdani has been an outspoken supporter of self-determination, particularly for the Palestinian people, a position that has put him at odds with pro-Israeli New Yorkers.
On Monday he declined to answer a question from an audience member about his position on Irish unity, saying "I gotta be honest, I haven't thought enough on that question."
And on Tuesday as Mamdani -- adorned with an Irish tricolor sash and shamrock boutonniere -- prepared to march in the city's parade, he was asked if he'd "had a chance to think more about a united Ireland."
"There's always more to learn, but I can tell you as someone who believes deeply in the principle of self-determination, that I think that should also be extended to the Irish. I think when it comes to the future of Ireland, the best people to listen to are the Irish," he said.
Following his answer Monday, Mary Rambaran-Olm, an academic specializing in medieval literature, said "can someone introduce Zohran Mamdani to the writings by his dad on British imperialism?" 
"Selective anti-imperialism, the family edition. Anyway, the Irish aren't waiting for Mamdani to comment on a united Ireland, so whatev," she posted on social media.
Mamdani's father is Mahmood Mamdani, a political science professor who has written several books about colonialism.
There is heated debate in both parts of Ireland -- the British-administered north, and the republic in the southern part which was declared in 1949 -- about the merits and disadvantages of reunification.
Sinn Fein, which seeks an end to British rule in Northern Ireland and the unification of the whole island of Ireland, currently holds sway in the north having come first in 2022 elections.
Social media users joked that New York's centrist governor, who sits to the right of Mamdani on many issues, had a more progressive position on Irish unity than the mayor.
When asked Tuesday if she supported a united Ireland, Governor Kathy Hochul said "indeed I do."
New York hosts the world's largest St. Patrick's Day parade, attracting two million spectators.
The Bay Ridge neighborhood in Brooklyn is known as "Little Ireland" and Irish-Americans make up more than four percent of New York's population, according to official data.
gw/bjt/mlm

conflict

In Ukraine, Sean Penn gifted Oscar made from train carriage hit by Russia

  • "This Oscar was made of the metal of a railway car" damaged in a Russian attack, it said, calling the statuette "a symbol of resilience".
  • US actor Sean Penn, who skipped Sunday's Oscars ceremony to visit Ukraine, has been gifted a symbolic version of the famous statuette made from the damaged metal of a train carriage hit in a Russian strike.
  • "This Oscar was made of the metal of a railway car" damaged in a Russian attack, it said, calling the statuette "a symbol of resilience".
US actor Sean Penn, who skipped Sunday's Oscars ceremony to visit Ukraine, has been gifted a symbolic version of the famous statuette made from the damaged metal of a train carriage hit in a Russian strike.
Penn, a staunch backer of Kyiv, scooped the best supporting actor award at the glitzy Hollywood ceremony for his role in dystopian dramedy "One Battle After Another" but chose to visit Ukraine instead of receiving the award in person.
Penn is a vocal advocate for Ukraine and has visited the country several times since Russia invaded, including to co-direct a documentary about President Volodymyr Zelensky, whom he calls a friend.
Ukraine's state rail group said Tuesday it wanted to make sure the star got his hands on the award -- in one form or another -- despite his trip to Kyiv.
"Sean Penn came to Ukraine and missed the Academy Awards -- so Ukrainian railway gave him one of his own," Ukrainian railways (Ukrzaliznytsia) said on X.
The company posted a video of its CEO gifting Penn a silver statue in the shape of an Oscar carved from a flat piece of metal.
"This Oscar was made of the metal of a railway car" damaged in a Russian attack, it said, calling the statuette "a symbol of resilience".
Penn had in 2022 gifted Zelensky one of his real Oscar statues during a visit to Ukraine.
The actor had won two previous awards for his roles in "Mystic River" and "Milk".
Zelensky told AFP in February that Penn's "One Battle After Another" was one of his most recently watched films.
bur-mmp/jc/rmb

animal

Two men in Kenyan court for ant-smuggling

  • Kequn, born in 1998 according to court documents, appeared alongside Kenyan national Charles Mwangi, 35, accused of selling him 1,300 ants for 100 Kenyan shillings ($0.77) each. 
  • Two men appeared in a Nairobi court on Tuesday accused of attempting to smuggle thousands of ants to China, a lucrative trade exposed last year in the east African country. 
  • Kequn, born in 1998 according to court documents, appeared alongside Kenyan national Charles Mwangi, 35, accused of selling him 1,300 ants for 100 Kenyan shillings ($0.77) each. 
Two men appeared in a Nairobi court on Tuesday accused of attempting to smuggle thousands of ants to China, a lucrative trade exposed last year in the east African country. 
Chinese national Zhang Kequn was arrested at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport last week with more than 2,200 ants, including 1,948 of the sought-after Messor cephalotes species, in his luggage. 
The insects are considered aphrodisiacs, delicacies and pets, said defence lawyer David Lusweti Namai. 
Messor cephalotes ants are particularly prized and can fetch around $100 each abroad. 
Kequn, born in 1998 according to court documents, appeared alongside Kenyan national Charles Mwangi, 35, accused of selling him 1,300 ants for 100 Kenyan shillings ($0.77) each. 
Mwangi was arrested on March 13 in the Rift Valley in possession of 1,000 live ants of an unspecified species and 113 Messor cephalotes ants hidden in syringes. 
He is accused of also selling ants to three people convicted for the same crime last year.  
That case involved two Belgian teenagers, who were arrested in possession of nearly 5,000 ants, mostly stored in test tubes. They were fined roughly $7,700. 
Kequn and Mwangi, who pleaded not guilty, are being prosecuted for wildlife trafficking without a permit and conspiracy, and face up to seven years in prison, according to their lawyer. 
The next hearing is on March 27.
jcp/jf/er/kjm

conflict

In shadow of Iran war, Gazans prepare for Eid

  • "Gaza is now forgotten and the world ignores the suffering of its people," Raeda Abu Diya said.
  • For the first time since war began in Gaza, Raeda Abu Diya has bought special clothes for her daughter for the upcoming Eid al-Fitr holiday, marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
  • "Gaza is now forgotten and the world ignores the suffering of its people," Raeda Abu Diya said.
For the first time since war began in Gaza, Raeda Abu Diya has bought special clothes for her daughter for the upcoming Eid al-Fitr holiday, marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Bu while a fragile ceasefire now holds in the Israel-Hamas war, Palestinians in Gaza fear the Iran war will make the world forget their suffering, and lead to prolonged shortages of crucial aid. 
"This year I decided that my children and I would be happy and celebrate with what is available to us," 38-year-old Abu Diya, who lives with her daughter and husband in a tent after their home was destroyed, told AFP. 
"The shelling is much less than before."
Her 15-year-daughter Fidaa is thrilled, proudly detailing the new jeans, T-shirt and jacket her mother got her to mark the holiday. 
She still misses her old room filled with all her belongings. 
But she hopes the upcoming celebration will mark the "beginning of the return of the sweet life to Gaza".
While the family hopes to make the most of the Eid al-Fitr, which should come either Thursday or Friday depending on the moon, her mother is worried that the US-Israeli war with Iran has drawn focus away from their plight.
With nearly all of Gaza's 2.2 million residents forced from their homes during over two years of war sparked by Hamas's attacks on Israel, many people still live in tents or makeshift shelters in enormous camps, facing shortages as well as persistent fear and uncertainty.
"Gaza is now forgotten and the world ignores the suffering of its people," Raeda Abu Diya said.
Each day she is glued to the latest news of the Middle East conflict from local radio stations that recently resumed broadcasting.
It is not just the current events that weigh upon her: the memory of relatives -- including her brother -- killed by Israeli strikes, is always with her. 
"We are trying to create a little joy, but sadness does not leave us," she said.
The truce in place since October between Israel and Hamas has seen the level of violence drop in Gaza -- even though there are still regular reports of Israeli strikes and deaths. 
The Israeli army, which under the terms of the ceasefire still controls about half of the Gaza Strip including all border areas, reported its troops killed three Palestinian fighters in one strike and one firefight in Gaza Saturday.
It reported killing six more Hamas fighters in a single strike in central Gaza Sunday.

'Tired of war'

For other Gazans, the upcoming holiday only compounds the difficulties they're already facing.
Ammar al-Buhaisi, who lives in Deir al-Balah, is struggling to get enough food, let alone new clothes for his children -- and has been avoiding their expectant questions. 
As the US-Israeli conflict with Iran engulfs the region, he said any "optimism for an improvement in the situation is diminishing". 
Hussein Duwaima, whose original clothes shop was destroyed, said life was coming back "gradually" in Gaza and demand has picked up ahead of the holiday as crowds of shoppers pack makeshift markets. 
Due to a lack of supply caused by the closure of Gaza's borders and steep transportation costs, the prices are high.
A child's shirt for example costs the equivalent of between $15 to $30, while a kilo of chocolates can be even pricier. 
Israeli forces completely or partially destroyed most of Gaza's markets during the war, though the market in Gaza City's Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood has been partly restored already.
Imad al-Bahtimi plays Eid chants on a loudspeaker at his stall to help "attract children and spread joy among the people". 
Hamas police officers have deployed again at markets and on the streets of Gaza since the start of the ceasefire. 
"It increases a sense of security," Bahtimi said.
Hossam al-Shafa received Eid clothes and sweets for his three children from a local charity. 
He said that Israel still bombs eastern areas of nearby Khan Younis on a regular basis, demolishing homes.
"We are tired of war and destruction," he said. 
Despite the ongoing dangers he and his wife are  trying their best to create a festive atmosphere, gathering firewood to bake cakes on their stove. 
"These are the best days we have had since the war began," he said. 
str-az/del/lba/ser

Deighton

Len Deighton, spy novelist who created the anti-Bond

  • But the anti-hero was baptised Harry Palmer for the hugely successful film version of the "Ipcress File" (the acronym changed to lower-case) starring Caine, which brought Deighton to a wider audience.
  • British writer Len Deighton, who has died at 97, created the sardonic working-class spy played by Michael Caine in the 1965 Cold War film "The Ipcress File".
  • But the anti-hero was baptised Harry Palmer for the hugely successful film version of the "Ipcress File" (the acronym changed to lower-case) starring Caine, which brought Deighton to a wider audience.
British writer Len Deighton, who has died at 97, created the sardonic working-class spy played by Michael Caine in the 1965 Cold War film "The Ipcress File".
Deighton "passed away peacefully on Sunday", his literary agent said, calling him "one of the greatest spy and thriller writers of the twentieth century".
Deighton's thick-bespectacled agent provided an antidote to the debonair Navy officer James Bond created by Ian Fleming. The character's rough edges also set him apart from gentleman spy George Smiley featured in books by John Le Carre.
Deighton's spy was anonymous in his first book, "The IPCRESS File" (1962), and its sequels "Horse Under Water" (1963), "Funeral in Berlin" (1964) and "Billion-Dollar Brain" (1966).
But the anti-hero was baptised Harry Palmer for the hugely successful film version of the "Ipcress File" (the acronym changed to lower-case) starring Caine, which brought Deighton to a wider audience.
Deighton, who like his spy also wore thick spectacles, lived life out of the limelight, rarely giving interviews.
Yet he sold millions of books in the English-speaking world and was translated into 20 languages over a career spanning half a century.

'Blunt instrument'

Reflecting on Deighton's legacy in 2021, the Financial Times newspaper mused that "The IPCRESS File" had "a plot that was impossible to follow, and a title that was an impenetrable acronym".
"Yet its appearance marked a sea change in the cold war spy novel and today the first edition is a collector's item," it said.
In an afterword to the 2009 edition of the book, Deighton recalled the enthusiastic reviews it garnered when it published in 1962.
"The critics were using me as a blunt instrument to batter Ian Fleming about the head," he wrote.
IPCRESS stands for "Induction of Psychoneuroses by Conditioned Reflex under Stress", the brainwashing to which a group of abducted British scientists are subjected in the novel.
The role of Harry Palmer helped propel Caine, a porter's son from gritty east London, to Hollywood glory.
Caine later praised writers like Deighton for giving him his big break.
"They started writing for working-class people, and it made all the difference," he said in 2017.
At the height of the Cold War in the 1980s, years before the Berlin Wall fell, Deighton produced what was widely considered his masterpiece: a set of three trilogies, largely based in his second home, Berlin, as well as in London.
Starting with "Berlin Game" (1983), "Mexico Set" (1984) and "London Match" (1985), he introduced another working-class spy: Bernard Samson, middle aged and jaded; and his defector wife Fiona.
"My whole Bernard Samson series was based on the belief that the Berlin Wall would fall before the end of the century," Deighton was quoted as saying in 2021, in Britain's New Statesman magazine.
Deighton also gained renown for his works on World War II military technology and techniques.
An inveterate foodie he also penned five cookery books, including "Len Deighton's Action Cook Book" (1965), that were based on cartoon strips, and worked in the 1960s as a travel writer for "Playboy".

Pastry chef

Deighton was born in Marylebone, London, on February 18, 1929 to parents in the employment of the gentry -- his father a chauffeur and his mother a cook.
He did his military service in the Royal Air Force, shortly after World War II, and was trained as a photographer.
He then studied art and, after stints as an air steward and assistant pastry chef, became an illustrator and graphic designer for publishing and advertising firms in the UK and United States.
He designed the UK first edition dust jacket of Jack Kerouac's beatnik novel "On the Road".
Deighton's interest in spy fiction was inspired by witnessing, as an 11-year-old boy, the arrest of a neighbour of White Russian descent, Anna Wolkoff, who turned out to be a Nazi spy.
In 1969 he left England to live in southern California, later moving to a number of other locations, including Ireland, Germany, Austria and Portugal before settling on the Channel island of Guernsey.
He married his Dutch wife Ysabele de Ranitz, a graphic designer, in 1980. They had two sons.
After the success of the Samson trilogies, he continued writing for a time, but his star waned and he largely retired from publishing.
jmy-am/aks/rmb

Ramadan

Millions of Indonesians in Eid travel exodus

  • Holiday-goers have flocked to major train stations and seaports in recent days, and the navy has deployed two warships to help transport travellers for what is one of the world's largest annual mass migrations of people.
  • Tens of millions of Indonesians are travelling by motorcycle, car, plane or boat to their hometowns in an annual exodus for the Eid holiday that begins in the world's largest Muslim-majority country on Wednesday. 
  • Holiday-goers have flocked to major train stations and seaports in recent days, and the navy has deployed two warships to help transport travellers for what is one of the world's largest annual mass migrations of people.
Tens of millions of Indonesians are travelling by motorcycle, car, plane or boat to their hometowns in an annual exodus for the Eid holiday that begins in the world's largest Muslim-majority country on Wednesday. 
Like China's Lunar New Year holiday or Christmas elsewhere, the mass movement kicks off an extended holiday as many in the Southeast Asian archipelago celebrate the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan with family.
Holiday-goers have flocked to major train stations and seaports in recent days, and the navy has deployed two warships to help transport travellers for what is one of the world's largest annual mass migrations of people.
Nearly 144 million Indonesians are expected to take part in this year's exodus, known locally as "mudik", senior infrastructure minister Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono told a press conference last week.
The projection was slightly down from last year's figure of more than 154 million voyagers.
The Indonesian navy on Tuesday sent its KRI Banda Aceh warship packed with holiday-goers from Jakarta to the Javan cities of Semarang and Surabaya, while another travelled from the capital to the Bangka Belitung islands off Sumatra.
The free service has become an annual tradition, and more than 1,400 people signed up to travel by warship this year.
"Hopefully next year we can add more routes," Navy chief of staff Muhammad Ali said in a statement. The military has not said how much is budgeted for providing the service.
The government has declared seven days of public holidays for the Eid season, urging revellers to not all travel on the same day.
It is also allowing civil servants to work remotely for five days over the period in a bid to ease traffic congestion.
On the island of Bali, Eid coincides this year with an annual Day of Silence to be marked by Hindus on Thursday, when locals and tourists alike will be expected to stay at home for 24 hours and refrain from working, travelling, or using electricity.
Long queues have formed at the resort island's Gilimanuk port, forcing travellers leaving Bali to wait for hours to cross the strait to Java island, according to media reports.
Authorities have deployed more ferries and sped up loading and unloading procedures try and ease the congestion, the transport ministry said Monday.
mrc/mlr/abs

AI

Sao Paulo AI policing nabs criminals, and a few innocents

BY FACUNDO FERNáNDEZ BARRIO

  • Studies in several countries have suggested that AI facial recognition systems tend to make more mistakes with black people.
  • In the heart of Sao Paulo, a "prisonometer" keeps a live tally of people jailed due to Latin America's largest AI facial-recognition system, but its successes have been marred by mistaken arrests.
  • Studies in several countries have suggested that AI facial recognition systems tend to make more mistakes with black people.
In the heart of Sao Paulo, a "prisonometer" keeps a live tally of people jailed due to Latin America's largest AI facial-recognition system, but its successes have been marred by mistaken arrests.
The digital counter stands outside the Smart Sampa monitoring center, where dozens of police officers watch images streaming in from 40,000 cameras in the Brazilian megalopolis.
Latin America's largest city has long battled high rates of crime, and the AI technology was introduced in 2024 to scan the streets and compare images to those in judicial databases.
Smart Sampa's dragnet has swept up 3,000 fugitives, while nearly 4,000 people have been caught in the act of committing a crime.
"With the fugitives the system captured, we could fill seven prisons. Today I can no longer imagine Sao Paulo without Smart Sampa," municipal security secretary Orlando Morando told AFP about the program, which costs about two million dollars per month to run.
To show how it works, he uploads a photo of himself to the system. Within seconds, images of him in various locations around the city of 12 million people pop up on the screen.
"It reminds me of the book 1984 (by George Orwell), with all that control of people: I love it, I approve 100 percent," said Sonia Ferreira Silva, a 68-year-old retiree, standing next to a Smart Sampa truck serving as a mobile surveillance post on the iconic Avenida Paulista.

Mistaken arrests

But the system is far from foolproof.
Official transparency reports analyzed by AFP show that more than 8 percent of people identified as fugitives and arrested in Smart Sampa's first year had to be released due to errors.
At least 59 detainees were freed because the system mistook them for other people.
In December, an 80-year-old retiree spent hours under arrest because Smart Sampa confused him with a rapist.
And a month earlier, a group of psychiatric patients were attending therapy at a mental health center when armed police burst in and handcuffed one of them.
After hours at the police station, the detainee was released, and authorities said his arrest warrant was no longer valid.
The system relies not only on street cameras but also on cameras in public buildings -- including health centers -- and private buildings that agree to participate.
At least 141 people were arrested due to outdated warrants, but the Sao Paulo government argues that those mistakes are the judiciary's responsibility, not theirs.
"No one remained imprisoned by mistake: the people were released," said Morando.

'Civil control'

Among the fugitives captured by Smart Sampa, almost half had their crimes classified as "other."
Nearly all of them are people who owe child support, a civil offense "that has little to do with public security," according to the report "Smart Sampa: Transparency for whom? Transparency of what?"
"Smart Sampa is presented as a solution to crime but is used for civil control," warns Amarilis Costa, director of the lawyers' network Liberdade and a co-author of the report.
The government denounces attempts to "discredit" Smart Sampa, boasting the city had seen a nearly 15 percent drop in robberies in 2025.
In 2024, nearly one in five cellphone robberies in Brazil, including violent muggings, occurred in Sao Paulo.

'No prejudice'

The racial identity of more than half of those found guilty and jailed after being caught by Smart Sampa is not included in official data.
Costa said this creates an information gap that makes it impossibe to know whether Smart Sampa suffers from "algorithmic racism" in a country with one of the world's largest black populations.
Studies in several countries have suggested that AI facial recognition systems tend to make more mistakes with black people.
The government argues that the lack of racial data is the responsibility of the justice system.
"Smart Sampa has no prejudice -- we do not arrest people based on color," said Morando, the security secretary.
Most Smart Sampa arrests have occurred in outlying neighborhoods, with many of those detained migrants from poorer regions of Brazil's interior.
ffb/app/fb/jgc

crime

Sweden's prisons prepare to house young teens

BY NIOUCHA ZAKAVATI

  • The legislation still needs to pass parliament, but Rosersberg is one of eight prisons preparing to house young offenders starting July 1.
  • North of Stockholm, the Rosersberg prison is making preparations to house children as young as 13 in response to a much-criticised juvenile judicial reform expected to take effect in July.
  • The legislation still needs to pass parliament, but Rosersberg is one of eight prisons preparing to house young offenders starting July 1.
North of Stockholm, the Rosersberg prison is making preparations to house children as young as 13 in response to a much-criticised juvenile judicial reform expected to take effect in July.
The minority right-wing government, which is backed by the far-right Sweden Democrats, announced in January that it would reduce the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 13 for crimes punishable by at least four years in prison.
Its goal is to break a surge in children being recruited by criminal networks as hitmen to carry out bombings and shootings, knowing they would not face prison time if caught.
Until now, minors who committed serious offences were placed in secure youth care homes (SiS-hem), but these homes have faced problems, including reports of them becoming recruitment grounds for gangs.
The legislation still needs to pass parliament, but Rosersberg is one of eight prisons preparing to house young offenders starting July 1.
"You have to keep in mind that it may be the first time they sleep away from home, and then it's here in an institution," prison director Gabriel Wessman told AFP during a tour.
Preparations include transferring some adult inmates to other facilities, building classrooms and remodelling cells.
One unit has been emptied of its 51 adult inmates to make room for up to 24 minors.
The austere, concrete yards are being redone. 
"It will be nicer, more green bushes, more sofas, more places to train, and of course, take away the cigarette boxes. They are not allowed to smoke," Wessman explained.
Each young person will be placed in a 10-square-metre (108-square-feet) single cell, previously shared by two adults. The cells are equipped with TVs, and the walls have been repainted green.
There will be six youths per corridor, with a shared shower and a dedicated yard. Each corridor will have its own classroom.

Mandatory school

The most important thing "is compulsory schooling up to age 16," the director said.
The cafeteria in the adjacent building, located between the adult and youth sections, has been demolished to make way for a classroom. 
The prison staff must be reinforced -- twice as many guards will be deployed for each child as for adults, and the guards will have to take on new responsibilities.
"We will always have to take into account the principle of the best interests of the child. It will be a bit different," said Wessman, who has only worked with adults in his 20 years of working in the prison system.
"It's not something we thought about every day in our previous work," he added, noting that younger inmates will have different needs and rights.
"In a way, we become their legal guardians. How do we handle, for example, a child who doesn't want to get up in the morning and go to school? It will be a challenge," he says.
Unlike adults, the younger inmates will always be accompanied by guards, whether to play football, paint or make sure they go to school and do their homework. 
They will be locked in their cells between 8:00 pm and 7:00 am. Each room is equipped with an intercom to contact guards if needed.

Credibility eroded

The reform has been controversial. 
Most of the dozens of organisations and authorities consulted on the proposal -- including the prison administration -- were against the measure that many consider counterproductive.
"This is not going to stop children from committing offences... on the contrary, it risks having the opposite effect, with crime starting at an even younger age," Julia Hogberg, a legal adviser to children's rights group Bris, told AFP.
Incarcerating someone that young "is harmful to the child's development" and increases the risk of reoffending, according to Hogberg.
"We have kept the same age of criminal responsibility for more than 150 years, including during periods with high crime rates," she said.
"The fact that we are now choosing to lower the age of criminal responsibility will undermine Sweden's credibility as a model country when it comes to children's rights."
The right-wing government, which came into power with a promise to crack down on crime, is currently trying to rapidly push through a slew of reforms in various areas ahead of legislative elections in September.
nzg/ef/jll/yad/lga/lb

inequality

Talks towards international panel to tackle 'inequality emergency' begin at UN

  • He highlighted the important role that the IPCC has played in providing a scientific basis and "enhancing understanding of why we're seeing climate change", insisting something similar was needed to address the inequality crisis.
  • Talks towards creating a new international panel to address extreme wealth disparities, modelled on the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), opened in Geneva on Monday.
  • He highlighted the important role that the IPCC has played in providing a scientific basis and "enhancing understanding of why we're seeing climate change", insisting something similar was needed to address the inequality crisis.
Talks towards creating a new international panel to address extreme wealth disparities, modelled on the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), opened in Geneva on Monday.
The founding committee of the new International Panel on Inequality (IPI), made up of country representatives and inequality experts including Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz, was holding its first meeting at the UN's European headquarters.
The meeting marked the first step towards creating a scientific and policy platform dedicated to understanding and addressing inequality worldwide.
The new body, inspired by the IPCC, was recommended in a G20 report authored by Stiglitz, demanding action to address a global "inequality emergency", which it warned was undermining both democracy and economic progress.
"We have an inequality crisis. I think everybody recognises that," Stiglitz told AFP, adding that the problem was "clearly" getting worse.
He pointed out that the world's richest one percent captured 41 percent of all new wealth between 2000 and 2024.
By contrast, "the bottom 50 percent has gotten something like one percent", he said. "It's just glaring."
"Inequality is a betrayal of people's dignity, an impediment to inclusive growth and a threat to democracy itself," South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said when Stiglitz's report was launched late last year under his country's G20 presidency.
"Addressing inequality is our inescapable generational challenge."

'Poverty amidst plenty'

Ramaphosa, whose country has been ranked by the World Bank as the most unequal on the planet, has said he will bring forward a motion on the IPI at the UN General Assembly. 
The founding committee, made up of representatives of Brazil, Norway, South Africa and Spain, alongside UN agencies, civil society and academic experts, has been tasked with defining the IPI's mission, governance and operational framework.
Observers said the aim was to create the panel by the end of the year. 
Stiglitz's report called out the current situation of "poverty amidst plenty; unbridled wealth at the top amidst hunger at the bottom". 
"Wealth can undermine democracy because those with great wealth may have disproportionate influence on the economy and politics," it warned.
Speaking to AFP, Stiglitz highlighted the situation in the United States, where you have "unlimited campaign contributions", providing the very wealthy with huge sway.
"We moved to a system of not one person, one vote, but one dollar, one vote," he warned.
He highlighted the important role that the IPCC has played in providing a scientific basis and "enhancing understanding of why we're seeing climate change", insisting something similar was needed to address the inequality crisis.
With the climate crisis, "the world rightly recognised that if you're going to solve the problem, you have to have scientific evidence, an understanding theory of what's going on", he said.
nl/rjm/rl

health

Filipinas seek abortions online in largely Catholic nation

BY PAM CASTRO AND ARA EUGENIO

  • In January, a lawmaker filed a resolution calling for an investigation into the growing number of Filipinas resorting to social media for help in ending their pregnancies. 
  • Jane had been bleeding heavily for days before finally seeking help, not from a hospital but from the man who sold her the pills meant to end her six-week pregnancy.
  • In January, a lawmaker filed a resolution calling for an investigation into the growing number of Filipinas resorting to social media for help in ending their pregnancies. 
Jane had been bleeding heavily for days before finally seeking help, not from a hospital but from the man who sold her the pills meant to end her six-week pregnancy.
Abortions are strictly outlawed in the mainly Catholic Philippines, forcing women to turn to a patchwork of providers operating in the online shadows.
While rare in practice, Philippine law allows for prison terms of up to six years for abortion patients and providers, leaving thousands of Filipinas to search for solutions in online forums where unlicensed sellers promote abortifacients.
"It was very painful, as if my abdomen was being twisted," Jane, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, told AFP, describing the visit where the seller, a purported doctor, inserted a pill into her cervix without anaesthesia.
Jane was warned not to disclose the abortion if anything went wrong, she said.
"I heard stories that some women were reported to the police, ignored or left to die when they reached the hospital," the 31-year-old added.
While post-abortion care has been legal for over a decade, many health workers remain hesitant to provide it, over fears of being arrested or losing their licenses, said Junice Melgar, whose Likhaan Center for Women's Health serves Manila's poorest.
"I believe that a lot of providers... would like to help. They might find it ethical, but it's a scary proposition for them," she said.

'A chilling effect'

As women have flocked to online sources, authorities have taken notice.
In January, a lawmaker filed a resolution calling for an investigation into the growing number of Filipinas resorting to social media for help in ending their pregnancies. 
The Senate last year also urged the Department of Health and the Food and Drug Administration to crack down on what a top lawmaker called "brazen crimes".
But Jane, while acknowledging the potential safety issues, said she feared targeting online sources would only further limit access to a much-needed medical procedure.
"There might be a chilling effect, and we won't know where else we can get the proper information," she said.
A reproductive health services law passed in 2012 aimed to normalise comprehensive sex education and free contraceptives across the country.
But the measure faced fierce opposition from the Catholic Church and conservative legislators, who weakened its implementation.
Funding was slashed, healthcare workers were allowed to refuse services, and access to emergency contraceptives like Plan B was heavily restricted.
"The Catholic Church will always oppose abortion and its applications," priest Dan Cancino of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines told AFP, citing its commitment to the preservation and dignity of human life.
In rare situations, such as ectopic pregnancies that threaten a woman's life, interventions that might lead to fetal death can be morally permissible, he said.
But the Church's position against "intentional abortions" is absolute, he said, even in cases of rape or on grounds of mental health or financial hardship.
Cancino said the Church provides support to mothers and children facing unintended pregnancies, though he admitted those efforts remain "very fragmented".
Lawyer Clara Padilla of the Philippine Safe Abortion Advocacy Network (PINSAN), meanwhile, said even legal exceptions for rape, incest or health risks would "not be enough", noting most abortions were sought by married women with at least three children.

'People need this'

More than 250 women are hospitalised every day due to complications from unsafe abortions, according to a PINSAN study. About three of them die.
Padilla said her group has documented cases of women binding their stomachs, inserting wire hangers into their cervix, or even asking people to kick them in attempts to induce abortion.
"Some people are opposing (abortion) because it's against their morals," Padilla said.
"We're just saying that people need this, and you shouldn't be barring them from accessing healthcare that can save their lives."
Even if contraceptives were easily available, abortion would remain a necessary backstop for women for whom an unplanned pregnancy can mean sliding further into poverty and violence, said the Likhaan Center's Melgar.
"There will be rapes, there will be other circumstances where protection simply does not work," she said.
Jane, who said she suffered from abdominal pain, weakness and loss of appetite for up to three months after the procedure, told AFP she would make the same decision if forced to do it over.
"When you talk about abortion in the Philippines, the discussion is reduced to whether it is legal or moral. People forget that abortion is a health issue," she said. 
"This is my body, my health, my life, and it's up to me to decide what happens to it."
pam-ae/cwl/lkd/mjw

film

Stars bring glamour to Oscars red carpet

BY SUSAN STUMME

  • - Hockey stars, real and fictional - Shane Hollander has made it to the Academy Awards.
  • Hollywood's best and brightest stars on Sunday hit the red carpet for the 98th Academy Awards, the movie industry's biggest night.
  • - Hockey stars, real and fictional - Shane Hollander has made it to the Academy Awards.
Hollywood's best and brightest stars on Sunday hit the red carpet for the 98th Academy Awards, the movie industry's biggest night.
Here are some of the top looks:

Spring hues

Pops of spring color were a welcome sight on the red carpet.
Jessie Buckley, who won the best actress Oscar for her portrayal of William Shakespeare's grief-stricken wife in "Hamnet," looked regal in a red Chanel off-the-shoulder bodice and flowing pink ball skirt.
Chase Infiniti, who plays Leonardo DiCaprio's daughter in "One Battle After Another" is not a Oscar nominee -- but she has definitely arrived on the red carpet.
Infiniti oozed glamour in a lilac sleeveless Louis Vuitton dress with a fitted bodice and a cascade of ruffles tumbling from her hip to the floor, creating a long train.
And veteran director Spike Lee brought a splash of color to his ensemble of muted neutrals with a bright purple hat and bow tie. In the past, he has worn the hue to honor Prince.

Black and white

Black and white is a perennial favorite of the stars, and best actress nominee Rose Byrne embraced it, while also adopting the spring trend in a strapless black Dior gown covered in white blooms.
Byrne, nominated for her performance in "If I Had Legs I'd Kick You," told ABC the film was an "examination of parenthood."
Emma Stone, in Byrne's category for "Bugonia," rocked a shimmering white Louis Vuitton floor-length gown with cap sleeves.
And Teyana Taylor, who has ruled the red carpet all awards season, wore a black and white feathered sleeveless Chanel gown with a sheer panel over her toned stomach.
Best actor winner Michael B. Jordan ("Sinners") wore a custom Louis Vuitton black suit with a Chinese-inspired stand collar and onyx buttons.

Hockey stars, real and fictional

Shane Hollander has made it to the Academy Awards.
"Heated Rivalry" stars Hudson Williams has been everywhere since the gay hockey love story series went viral -- carrying the Olympic torch in Italy, appearing on "Saturday Night Live" alongside co-star Connor Storrie and now, the Oscars.
Williams rocked an all-black Balenciaga ensemble -- double-breasted suit, shirt and tie -- with a glittering brooch to finish the look.
But the Hollywood hockey star was not the only one at the Dolby Theatre.
Hilary Knight and Hannah Bilka, two of the stars of Team USA's gold medal winning women's ice hockey squad, were ready for their closeup on the Oscars red carpet.
bur-sst/mdo

US

Iran says women's football captain withdraws Australia asylum bid

BY STUART WILLIAMS WITH DAVID WILLIAMS IN SYDNEY

  • Seven members of Iran's visiting football delegation competing in the Women's Asian Cup had sought sanctuary in Australia after they were branded "traitors" at home for refusing to sing the national anthem. 
  • The captain of the Iranian women's football team which played in the Asian Cup in Australia has withdrawn her bid for asylum, state media said Sunday, making her the fifth member of the delegation to change her mind.
  • Seven members of Iran's visiting football delegation competing in the Women's Asian Cup had sought sanctuary in Australia after they were branded "traitors" at home for refusing to sing the national anthem. 
The captain of the Iranian women's football team which played in the Asian Cup in Australia has withdrawn her bid for asylum, state media said Sunday, making her the fifth member of the delegation to change her mind.
A former player and a Persian-language TV channel based outside Iran said the players had been pressured to reverse their stance through threats against families back home. But Iranian authorities have in turn accused Australia of pressuring the players to stay.
Captain Zahra Ghanbari, a striker and the national team's top goalscorer, has withdrawn her asylum application and will now head from Australia to Malaysia and from there fly back to Iran, the state-run IRNA news agency said. 
Three players and one backroom staff member had already in previous days withdrawn their bids for asylum and travelled to Malaysia.
Seven members of Iran's visiting football delegation competing in the Women's Asian Cup had sought sanctuary in Australia after they were branded "traitors" at home for refusing to sing the national anthem. 
The football drama has unfolded against a backdrop of war in the Middle East unleashed by US-Israeli air strikes on Iran, which also followed protests against the clerical system that peaked in January.
Following the captain's reported move to go back on her asylum request, only two of them are now set to remain in Australia. The players returning to Iran were at a hotel in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur awaiting their onward travel.
There was no immediate comment from Australian authorities on Ghanbari's situation.
Last week one player had changed her mind, followed by two players and the one staff member who left Australia on Saturday.
Australia Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said in a statement that day that "three members of the Iranian Women's Football Team made the decision to join the rest of the team on their journey back to Iran". 
He said that after informing Australian officials of their decision "the players were given repeated chances to talk about their options", he said.
The Australian government gave team members the opportunity to seek refuge but players faced "incredibly difficult decisions", the minister said.

'Cruelty and desperation'

But Shiva Amini, a former Iranian national futsal player who now lives in exile, wrote on X that she had heard information that Iran's Football Federation, working with the Revolutionary Guards, "placed intense and systematic pressure on the players' families in Iran".
Amini, who herself left Iran after a controversy involving not wearing the hijab, said that authorities pressured the mother of Ghanbari and added this "shows the level of cruelty and desperation they are willing to use to force these athletes to comply".
Opposition television channel Iran International said it had also received information that the families have been threatened, with Ghanbari's mother summoned by the Guards' intelligence branch at home and her daughter then informed of the interrogation.
Rights groups have repeatedly accused Iranian authorities of pressuring athletes abroad by threatening relatives or with the seizure of property if they defect or make statements against the Islamic republic.
Iranian media reports hailed her move, with IRNA saying she was "returning to the embrace of the homeland" and the Mehr news agency describing it as a "patriotic decision".
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had lauded the bravery of the women, vowing they would be welcomed with open arms.
The Iranian players caught international attention when they fell silent as the national anthem played ahead of a tournament match in Australia, an act viewed as a symbol of defiance against the Islamic republic.
The side in later matches sang the Islamic republic's anthem.
A presenter on Iranian state TV branded the players "wartime traitors", fuelling fears they could face persecution, or worse, if they returned home. 
djw-sjw/jsa

conflict

Deadly Israeli settler violence surges in West Bank during Iran war

BY LOUIS BAUDOIN-LAARMAN

  • Abu Falah sits in an area particularly prone to settler attacks and army violence, with near-daily incidents in neighbouring villages.
  • When Israeli settlers attacked their West Bank village of Abu Falah, Milia Hamayel told her son not to try to fight them off, but the 30-year-old went to defend a friend's land anyway.
  • Abu Falah sits in an area particularly prone to settler attacks and army violence, with near-daily incidents in neighbouring villages.
When Israeli settlers attacked their West Bank village of Abu Falah, Milia Hamayel told her son not to try to fight them off, but the 30-year-old went to defend a friend's land anyway.
"I called him two or three more times and he didn't answer. After that -- may God have mercy on him -- that was it," she told AFP, her lips trembling as she looked at a framed picture of her son, Thaer. 
A little while later Thaer was dead, shot and killed alongside another man from the village, Palestinian authorities said. A third Palestinian man died from suffocation after the Israeli army fired tear gas, they said. 
While the world's attention is focused on the US-Israeli war with Iran, the Israeli-occupied West Bank has experienced a surge in deadly settler violence. 
Since the start of the month, six Palestinians have been shot dead in settler attacks, according to a tally of data from the Ramallah-based health ministry.
Israeli human rights group B'Tselem said the increase in bloodshed "indicates the intensification of Israel's ethnic cleansing efforts under cover of the war with Iran".
That sentiment was shared by Palestinians on the ground. 
"It seems that when the Iran war began, the settlers saw it as a golden opportunity," Ibrahim Hamayel, a resident of Abu Falah who tried to push back the settlers, told AFP.
Hamayel, who is not related to the man who died, said that the attacks had multiplied since Israel launched its campaign against the Islamic republic on February 28.
The figures appeared to back him up. 
In the 28 months between the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023 and the start of the war with Iran last month, 24 Palestinians were killed by settlers, according to OCHA.
In addition to roughly three million Palestinians, more than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements and outposts in the West Bank, which are illegal under international law.

'They were all masked'

Abu Falah resident Ibrahim Hamayel told AFP at the scene where the clash unfolded that when the settlers came "they were all masked and some of them were carrying firearms."
He pointed to the spot where one of the men had died that day in an olive tree grove. Blood stained the white limestone rocks, blending in with the West Bank's distinctive reddish soil.
Little stone circles had been laid as impromptu memorials to the men at the site where they died, a little Palestinian flag flapping above one. 
The Israeli military told AFP that troops were sent to Abu Falah, northeast of the Palestinian city of Ramallah, after receiving reports of Palestinians being attacked by Israeli settlers, and "acted to disperse those involved using crowd dispersal measures".
It condemned the violence from Israeli settlers and acknowledged reports of three Palestinian deaths, including one from suffocation but did not specify whether he died from the tear gas used by the military.
Palestinians and Israeli rights groups say that the goal of harassment is to drive Palestinians from the land, one rocky hill at a time.
"Their aim is to implement their plans: displacement, confining Palestinian villages to their built-up areas only", Ibrahim Hamayel told AFP.
The UN says 180 Palestinians have been displaced since the war with Iran started on February 28, and 1,500 since the start of 2026.
"The level of violence in the West Bank is unacceptable," the European Union said in a recent statement, adding that many Palestinian communities "have been attacked, (their) properties damaged and livelihoods destroyed" since the Iran war began.
This comes after settler violence consistently breached record levels since the start of the war in Gaza, with displacement this year already at 90 percent of 2025 levels, per OCHA figures.

'Every day'

Muath Qassam, 32, also went to push back the settlers in Abu Falah, but he was initially unaware of the three deaths that shook his village.
"They hit me with a club on the head. As soon as that happened to me, I lost consciousness and woke up in the hospital", he told AFP from his home five days later, a large bandage on his forehead and yellowing bruises under his eyes.
Abu Falah sits in an area particularly prone to settler attacks and army violence, with near-daily incidents in neighbouring villages.
"Every day there are problems", Qassam said. 
"Every day the settlers establish new outposts. We are not safe from them at all."
lba/del/jd/dcp/jfx

US

'Dubai is safe': UAE pushes to contain fallout from Iran onslaught

  • Dubai-based influencers have showcased support for the government and invoked a sense of national belonging -- hammering home the message that the country was as safe as ever.
  • Dubai is scrambling to preserve its image as a safe haven despite Iran's onslaught, with influencers rallying behind the government's message as authorities crack down on those sharing footage of strikes.
  • Dubai-based influencers have showcased support for the government and invoked a sense of national belonging -- hammering home the message that the country was as safe as ever.
Dubai is scrambling to preserve its image as a safe haven despite Iran's onslaught, with influencers rallying behind the government's message as authorities crack down on those sharing footage of strikes.
For decades, the Gulf was seen as an oasis of safety in a tumultuous Middle East, with the United Arab Emirates branding itself the safest country in the world and boasting of its very low crime rates.
But that image has now been shattered.
Iran has fired over 1,800 missiles and drones at the Emirates, more than any other country targeted by Tehran in the conflict, upending its aura of tranquillity despite its air defence intercepting a vast majority of the projectiles. 
Dubai-based influencers have showcased support for the government and invoked a sense of national belonging -- hammering home the message that the country was as safe as ever.
Kuwaiti-American reality star Ebraheem Alsamadi, known from "Dubai Bling", said in a video that he would stay in the UAE despite US consular advice, calling it "the safest country in the world, and nothing can change that".
"This has been my home for the past 16 years and I'm not going to leave it in 16 seconds... I will stand by this country as it stood by me," he added.
Authorities have also doubled down on their messaging as fears grow that war could do long-term damage to Dubai's reputation and its economy.
Dubai's Instagram account shared an emotional song to its 5.8 million followers that says "Dubai is safe, will always be safe".
Safety had long been inseparable from the city's identity. 
"Those in charge of that strategy are now debating how to evolve it in the face of this obvious insecurity, but for now are deferring to their habits," said Ryan Bohl, a geopolitical analyst at Rane Network.
The UAE is also, he said, "hoping the war will be short enough that people will not associate war with the country. And one of the best ways to do so is to minimise the impact of the conflict on the UAE itself".

Safeguarding reputation

Roughly 90 percent of people living in the UAE are foreigners, a crucial workforce for diversifying the economy away from oil towards tourism and services.
Retaining and attracting foreign talent remains key to that programme.
The tourism sector is acutely susceptible to security issues, but "different tourists from different parts of the world have different risk tolerances," Bohl said.
To combat further fallout, authorities have doubled down on pushing an image of normality during the war.
In the early days of the war, UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan walked with his massive entourage through Dubai Mall.
At flagship tourist sites like Dubai Mall and JBR beach, foot traffic has reduced to a trickle as visitors have fled the country.
Emaar, a major real estate developer that runs famous shopping centres including Dubai Mall, has warned shops and restaurants against closing or operating at reduced hours during the war. 
"Such actions undermine public order, create unnecessary concern and adversely affect the reputation and economic standing of the United Arab Emirates," the company said, in a note sent to the shops seen by AFP.

'Sharing rumours'

Footage of drone strikes and smoke billowing above the city has been shared widely, while fleeing tourists recounted tales of escaping Dubai under fire to international media.
To avert further reputational damage, authorities moved swiftly.
Dubai police warned against "sharing rumours" but also "photographing or sharing security or critical sites".
Other Gulf countries have taken similar measures, with Qatar arresting more than 300 people.
The UAE attorney general ordered the arrest and urgent trial of a number of people for publishing videos of interceptions or "misleading, fabricated content".
The Emirati crackdown has sparked backlash after Western media covered the arrests.
This strategy "will backfire for specific audiences, particularly Westerners and others from democracies who are used to having freedom of expression," said Bohl.
This week, many companies evacuated Dubai's financial district as Iran threatened US and Israel-linked economic targets.
It will be key for the UAE, and especially Dubai, which cannot rely on oil for revenue, to showcase that it is still safe for investments.
"If major investors, particularly in infrastructure, technology, real estate, etcetera, no longer believe that their investments are safe this would have a much more significant impact and the diversification plans of the UAE," he said.
bur/dc/dcp/jfx

insurance

Who covers AI business blunders? Some insurers cautiously step up

BY THOMAS URBAIN

  • Dawson cited a commercial real estate firm that tried to have its AI agent covered as a regular employee but had to revert to a special policy.
  • As more businesses trust artificial intelligence "agents" to independently grow their revenues, some insurance firms are stepping in to cover any mistakes -- while others are steering clear.
  • Dawson cited a commercial real estate firm that tried to have its AI agent covered as a regular employee but had to revert to a special policy.
As more businesses trust artificial intelligence "agents" to independently grow their revenues, some insurance firms are stepping in to cover any mistakes -- while others are steering clear.
"The whole intent of using advanced AI is to substantially replace human assistance and oversight in decisions," said Phil Dawson, head of AI policy and partnerships at the specialist insurer Armilla.
The trend of "agentic AI" has taken off, with bots handling computer tasks by themselves and businesses trimming ranks of human workers as a result.
"That really challenges some of the fundamental logic of existing insurance coverage," Dawson said.
Companies in the AI race are striving to perfect the technology, but they have not eliminated the possibility of errors such as "hallucinations" in which fabricated output is confidently presented.
AI-related liability risks have been largely accounted for implicitly under insurance policies in what is referred to as "silent coverage", analyst Sonal Madhok and law professor Anat Lior said in a research paper published late last year by the brokerage firm Willis Towers Wa000_96CW39Vtson.
However, they argue that the situation is similar to the liability coverage questions raised in the early years of cybercrime.
"We can expect policies to explicitly address AI in the near future, ending the silent coverage era," Lior and Madhok said.
Insurers are already moving beyond their "wait-and-see approach" when it comes to AI mishaps, according to Jonathan Mitchell, head of the financial sector practice at brokerage firm Founder Shield.
Some standard insurance policies now include "absolute AI exclusion" clauses that expressly deny coverage for AI-related mishaps, Mitchell said.
Dawson cited a commercial real estate firm that tried to have its AI agent covered as a regular employee but had to revert to a special policy.

'AI malfunction' protection

Founder Shield incorporates "AI malfunction and hallucination" scenarios specifically into professional services policies covering losses the technology causes clients.
The scope of such policies can be extended, for a price, beyond computer networks to cover real world harm such as AI mistakenly ordering too much inventory for a company.
Armilla tests AI models for vulnerabilities before committing to coverage and assesses whether the client's risk management framework adheres to international standards.
But like other insurers, Armilla can decline to take on certain risks.
For example, it avoids providing coverage for anything related to medical diagnostics or applications focused on mental health.
Munich Re, a global titan that does both insurance and reinsurance, provides coverage for companies that design AI models as well as those that use the technology.
"This risk of a model making errors or hallucinating cannot be fully avoided in any technical way," said Munich Re's head of AI insurance, Michael von Gablenz.
"AI systems, at the end of the day, are statistical models; and any statistical model has uncertainty in it," he said.
The AI risk brings with it great opportunity for insurers, though, with von Gablenz estimating the size of the market could eclipse that of cybersecurity insurance.
The Deloitte Center for Financial Services projects the global AI insurance premium market could grow to as much as $4.8 billion by 2032.
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Congress

US Republican leaders in spotlight over anti-Muslim rhetoric

BY FRANKIE TAGGART

  • - 'A serious issue' - So far, however, Republican leaders have largely avoided directly condemning the remarks.
  • Republican leaders in the US Congress are facing mounting pressure to respond to anti-Muslim rhetoric after a series of inflammatory remarks and policy proposals reignited debate over Islamophobia in American politics.
  • - 'A serious issue' - So far, however, Republican leaders have largely avoided directly condemning the remarks.
Republican leaders in the US Congress are facing mounting pressure to respond to anti-Muslim rhetoric after a series of inflammatory remarks and policy proposals reignited debate over Islamophobia in American politics.
The latest controversy was sparked by statements from House Republicans including Andy Ogles of Tennessee and Randy Fine of Florida that critics say cross the line from security concerns into hostility toward Muslims as a religious group.
The rhetoric has been emboldened by Donald Trump, say his opponents, pointing to the president's first-term restrictions on entry from several Muslim-majority countries -- a policy widely referred to as a "Muslim ban."
Civil rights groups and Democratic lawmakers argue the move -- along with Trump's past sharing of anti-Muslim propaganda on social media -- helped normalize harsher rhetoric about Islam in American politics. 
Ogles triggered the latest uproar on Monday when he posted on social media that "Muslims don't belong in American society," adding that "pluralism is a lie."
The remarks drew swift condemnation from Democrats and civil rights groups.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations described Ogles as an "anti-Muslim extremist," while Democratic lawmaker Shri Thanedar pointed to constitutional protections for religious freedom and fired back: "Maybe it's YOUR values that don't belong in American society."
But Ogles's remarks were not an isolated incident. 
Fine has written that Americans should be afraid of Islam and previously suggested that if forced to choose between "dogs and Muslims," the choice would not be difficult.
In the Senate, Tommy Tuberville -- who is running to be governor of Alabama -- has posted warnings about Muslims in the United States, including a post that appeared to describe them as being "inside the gates."
The rhetoric has sparked furious exchanges across social media and in Congress, with Arizona congresswoman Yassamin Ansari accusing Fine of "vile racism" and demanding to know whether House Speaker Mike Johnson would take action.

'A serious issue'

So far, however, Republican leaders have largely avoided directly condemning the remarks.
When asked about Ogles's post, Johnson said only that the wording used by some members was "different language than I would use," adding that concerns about the imposition of Islamic law in the United States were "a serious issue."
Critics said the response reflects a broader reluctance to confront the issue, noting that a simple statement rejecting religious bigotry would have been politically easy -- yet none has been issued by House Republican leaders.
Meanwhile, the rhetoric appears to be spreading rather than receding.
An analysis by The Washington Post found that since the start of 2025 nearly 100 Republican members of Congress have posted about Islam or Muslims on social media -- and almost all of the posts were negative.
Two-thirds referenced themes such as radical Islam, Sharia law, extremism or terrorism.
The Post's analysis also found that several lawmakers had called for deporting Muslims or banning Islamic immigration. 
Lawmakers from Texas were among the most prolific posters, with Chip Roy writing more than 100 posts referencing Islam this year, the analysis found.
The social media activity reflects a broader political strategy taking shape within parts of the Republican Party, critics say.
Some commentators argue that anti-Muslim rhetoric is being used to mobilize voters feeling pressured by economic concerns and worried about the ongoing US conflict in Iran.
Civil rights advocates say the rhetoric also mirrors themes pushed by far-right activists outside government, who have called for deporting Muslims or banning Islamic immigration entirely.
The escalation has spilled into legislative proposals. 
Almost 40 Republican lawmakers, including Ogles and Fine, have floated or backed measures banning immigration from Muslim-majority countries.
Supporters say such proposals are aimed at national security. Opponents argue they blur the line between counterterrorism and religious discrimination.
A handful of Republicans have expressed discomfort with the tone of the debate. 
Thom Tillis of North Carolina described Ogles's comments as "ridiculous," while Don Bacon of Nebraska pointed to the Constitution's prohibition on religious tests for public office.
ft/acb

Global Edition

South Sudan models dominate global catwalks but visas a problem

BY ROSE TROUP BUCHANAN

  • All skinny-long limbs and charming attitude, Agou has what it takes for the runway, but politics is standing in the way of her dream. 
  • Heels click on cracked paving stones as fantastically long-limbed men and women practice moves they hope will whisk them away from South Sudan, one of the fashion world's favourite scouting locations.
  • All skinny-long limbs and charming attitude, Agou has what it takes for the runway, but politics is standing in the way of her dream. 
Heels click on cracked paving stones as fantastically long-limbed men and women practice moves they hope will whisk them away from South Sudan, one of the fashion world's favourite scouting locations.
Many hope to follow in the footsteps of their compatriot Awar Odhiang, who went from a refugee camp in Ethiopia to closing Chanel's Paris Fashion Week show last year. 
South Sudan has been mired in conflict, poverty and corruption since its independence in 2011, but the success of its models has been a ray of positivity. 
No less than nine of the top 50 models currently listed on Models.com are originally from the east African country. 
"Paris, Milan, London -- the fashion industry is dominated by South Sudanese boys and girls at the moment," said Doris Sukeji, founder of the Jubalicious modelling agency in the capital Juba. 
"Mostly it's the skin colour. That is how most of the South Sudanese get signed. They are looking for very dark models," she said. 
One of the first to blaze a trail was Alek Wek, scouted in London in the 1990s after her family fled an earlier war. 
It was an image of Wek on her mother's Facebook feed that inspired Yar Agou, 19, now signed with Jubalicious. 
"Damn! I saw her and I thought that is me one day if God is there. I want to make it like her," she told AFP in Juba. 
All skinny-long limbs and charming attitude, Agou has what it takes for the runway, but politics is standing in the way of her dream. 
She was supposed to be working at the recent Milan Fashion Week, but her visa was rejected at the last minute. For now, she is working as a cleaner, hoping there will be more opportunities.

'Heartbroken'

Successful models can earn tens of thousands of dollars in a season, a life-changing amount in South Sudan where 92 percent live under the poverty line.
But Sukeji said seven men and women had been rejected for visas in recent months despite having work sponsors, as the climate against immigrants hardens in the West. 
"You get heartbroken," she said.
Bichar Hoah, 24, raised by a single mother in Kakuma refugee camp in neighbouring Kenya, was recently rejected for a European visa.
"There are some people who discourage us by saying that we tried and failed... (but) I want to represent South Sudan as a model," he said, hoping to change the narrative around his country.

'A chance'

But even those who make it abroad face immense challenges in an industry known for relentless turnover. 
Clients constantly want "new faces," Sukeji said.
There are added challenges in a conservative country like South Sudan. 
As well as physical requirements -- tall but not above 5 foot 11 (1 metre 80) for women -- Sukeji must also contend with families who view modelling as a cover for prostitution.
"I always ask them to give the boy or the girl a chance," she said.
She brings them in for free training, which can take up to three months, taking a 10-percent cut if they get work.
Her trainer, drilling the models with the precision of a military sergeant when AFP visited, said many were like "newborn babies" when they started.
But as the young models gathered on a Juba rooftop to practice their struts, there was hope for a future beyond South Sudan's poverty and ever-present threat of war. 
"One day, really, South Sudan will change," said Agou.
All hope they can emulate the likes of Anyier Anei, who landed international modelling gigs and recently starred in French film "Coutures". 
"Failure is less frightening than having dreams you never try to achieve," Anei told Harper's Bazaar recently. "Even with fear, you have to take that risk."
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