climate

Indonesia flood death toll passes 1,000 as authorities ramp up aid

BY SATYA ADHI

  • - Frustration grows - Frustration has been growing among flood victims, who have complained about the pace of relief efforts.
  • Devastating floods and landslides have killed 1,006 people in Indonesia, rescuers said Saturday as the Southeast Asian nation grapples with the huge scale of relief efforts.
  • - Frustration grows - Frustration has been growing among flood victims, who have complained about the pace of relief efforts.
Devastating floods and landslides have killed 1,006 people in Indonesia, rescuers said Saturday as the Southeast Asian nation grapples with the huge scale of relief efforts.
The disaster, which has hit the northwestern island of Sumatra over the past fortnight, has also injured more than 5,400, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency said.
The deadly torrential rains are one of the worst recent disasters to strike Sumatra, where a tsunami wreaked havoc in 2004 in the northern tip of the island.
The final toll is expected to rise, with the disaster agency's spokesman Abdul Muhari saying 217 people are still missing and that authorities were ramping up aid to the worst-affected areas. 
With vast tracts of territory destroyed by rain, mud and felled trees, 1.2 million residents have been forced to take refuge in temporary shelters. 
"Most of the houses here are gone, destroyed to the ground," said 50-year-old Sri Lestari, who is living in a tent with her three children in Aceh Tamiang district.
Their home was on the brink of collapse, after being pummelled by tree trunks carried by floodwater.
"Look at our house... how can we fix it?" her 55-year-old husband Tarmiji said.

Frustration grows

Frustration has been growing among flood victims, who have complained about the pace of relief efforts.
President Prabowo Subianto said Saturday the situation has improved, with several areas which had been cut off now accessible.
"Here and there, due to natural and physical conditions, there have been slight delays, but I checked all the evacuation sites: their conditions are good, services for them are adequate, and food supplies are sufficient," Prabowo said after visiting Langkat in North Sumatra province. 
On the main road that passes through Aceh Tamiang, AFP journalists saw a long line of trucks and private cars distributing food, water and other supplies. 
Many of the residents in nearby towns were camping outside in temporary structures, their homes filled with mud.
The disaster management agency's spokesman said more than 11.7 tonnes of aid had been delivered to Sumatra by sea, land and air on Saturday and that authorities were starting construction on temporary shelters for displaced residents. 
Costs to rebuild after the disaster could reach 51.82 trillion rupiah ($3.1 billion) and the Indonesian government has so far shrugged off suggestions that it call for international assistance.
Indonesia's meteorological agency warned that severe weather is expected to continue, particularly heavy rainfall on Sumatra.
bur-ebe/ceg/rsc 

wine

Women sommeliers are cracking male-dominated wine world open

BY MARINE DO-VALE

  • - 'Doesn't matter' - If the 1970s-1980s saw a few pioneering female sommeliers emerge, the real opening of the profession came "about 20 years ago", according to Fabrice Sommier, president of the French Sommeliers Union (UDSF).
  • Women who have fought their way to the top of the male-dominated wine sommelier world say their profession is becoming less sexist and more open -- even if men continue to win all the prizes.
  • - 'Doesn't matter' - If the 1970s-1980s saw a few pioneering female sommeliers emerge, the real opening of the profession came "about 20 years ago", according to Fabrice Sommier, president of the French Sommeliers Union (UDSF).
Women who have fought their way to the top of the male-dominated wine sommelier world say their profession is becoming less sexist and more open -- even if men continue to win all the prizes.
Now an established figure as resident wine advisor at Chambers restaurant in New York, Pascaline Lepeltier told AFP that when she first started out "a certain male clientele of a certain age didn't trust me" -- or would ask to see the real sommelier.
Argentina's Paz Levinson, who is in charge of wine at renowned French chef Anne-Sophie Pic's eateries, said she faced similar experiences in France.
"When I arrived in France, there were clients who tended to prefer a male sommelier, and a French one," the 47-year-old explained.
But now, more than 20 years into their professional careers, both women say the landscape has become more welcoming for women like them.
"Things have evolved in terms of gender balance. It’s not parity, but we're getting there," said Lepeltier, 44.
She remains the only woman to have been named Best Sommelier of France and she came fourth at the World's Best Sommelier competition in 2023.
But fewer than 10 percent of candidates at the latter competition are women, echoing the way men still pick up the vast majority of gastronomic awards such as Michelin stars or the top positions in "Best Of" lists.
Some women have broken through in the World’s Best Sommelier, with Canadian Veronique Rivest finishing second in 2013, Denmark's Nina Jensen ending runner up in 2019 and 2023, and Frenchwoman Julie Dupouy clinching third in 2016.
But none has yet won the title, which will be handed out next October in Lisbon.
"We still have the top spot to claim as the world's best sommeliers. We're keeping a lot of hope," said Levinson.

'Doesn't matter'

If the 1970s-1980s saw a few pioneering female sommeliers emerge, the real opening of the profession came "about 20 years ago", according to Fabrice Sommier, president of the French Sommeliers Union (UDSF).
Today, women account for nearly half of those in training in France and a new generation of female sommeliers is rising in top restaurants, spurred by sweeping societal changes that have broken down gender barriers.
"I've always behaved as if being a man or a woman didn't matter. It's passion that brings us together," said Agnese Morandi, sommelier at the two-star Table in Paris.
The 28-year-old Italian trained with Levinson, who "opened her mind" to non-alcoholic pairings -- a field she had never explored with her male supervisors.
It's an approach that still inspires her today, notably through the tea list she offers at Table.

Real difference?

There remains the question of whether gender differences lead men and women to perform the role differently.
For Alexandre Lesieur, a teacher at the Ecole de Paris des Métiers de la Table (EPMT), an elite catering school, the answer is yes.
Women "venture more into regions or products that are more niche" and suggest pairings that are "a bit gentler", he claims.
"I wouldn't say we have a different approach," counters Pauline Monclus, one of his apprentices, 25. "Everyone truly has their own personality, men and women alike."
After finishing fourth two years ago, Lepeltier is hoping she can do better at the World's Best Sommelier competition next year.
"Equality isn't here yet, and there are still unacceptable behaviours. But we're also much more supported and surrounded today than 20 years ago," she concludes, choosing to see the glass as half full.
mdv-adp/gv

culture

In Pakistan, 'Eternal Love' has no place on YouTube

BY SHROUQ TARIQ

  • But someone soon filed a petition to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), it said, seeking a ban and claiming the show goes against "Pakistan's religious and social values by showing unmarried men and women living together".
  • YouTube has hit pause on a dating show that whisked eight men and women from deeply conservative Pakistan to a sun-soaked Istanbul villa, where the strangers mingled, flirted and searched for chemistry.
  • But someone soon filed a petition to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), it said, seeking a ban and claiming the show goes against "Pakistan's religious and social values by showing unmarried men and women living together".
YouTube has hit pause on a dating show that whisked eight men and women from deeply conservative Pakistan to a sun-soaked Istanbul villa, where the strangers mingled, flirted and searched for chemistry.
What was meant to be a glittering escape into modern-day romance sparked a storm back home, turning the rose-petal drama into a cultural, traditional and religious flashpoint.
Dating and sex outside of marriage are prohibited by law in the Muslim-majority country, where public displays of affection can draw penalties.
The show "Lazawal Ishq", or "Eternal Love", aired 50 episodes before it was recently taken off YouTube in Pakistan, though it is still available elsewhere.
The format, reminiscent of the British reality hit "Love Island", pushed boundaries that Pakistani entertainment typically avoids.
"Our programme might not be watchable in Pakistan due to political reasons," the show posted on its Instagram page.
It advised Pakistani viewers to use virtual private networks (VPNs) to continue watching.
YouTube did not immediately reply to an AFP request for comment on why the show was suspended.
The show's trailer starts with the host, actress Ayesha Omer, entering the villa in a white dress, where she meets contestants who are to choose a partner of their liking and test their compatibility through 100 episodes.
Omer swiftly came under fire online for wearing a "Western dress" and hosting a show that "promotes obscene and immoral content", an increasingly common reaction to celebrities who deviate from Pakistan's conservative expectations.
Omer countered on Instagram that "this is not a Pakistani show... it is a Turkish production, but of course people in Pakistan can watch it."
- 'A lot of complaints' - 
The Urdu-language show proved popular, with the inaugural trailer getting over two million views.
The online buzz underscored a growing divide between Pakistan's younger, digitally connected audience and traditional gatekeepers anxious about changing values.
"It was something fun to watch. A show that showed that people in Pakistan can and do date even though it is frowned upon," said one viewer who requested anonymity to speak freely.
But someone soon filed a petition to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), it said, seeking a ban and claiming the show goes against "Pakistan's religious and social values by showing unmarried men and women living together".
The regulator acknowledged receiving "a lot of complaints" about "Eternal Love" but said it did not have jurisdiction over digital platforms.
PEMRA advised petitioning the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, which oversees online content. It did not respond to requests for comment.
It is not the first time YouTube has taken down a programme deemed offensive by conservative Pakistanis.
Last year, the show "Barzakh", a family drama that touched on topics including love and spirituality, was removed on claims it promoted LGBTQ relationships.
stm/js/ami

film

Oscar-nominated #MeToo film finally screened in Japan

BY TOMOHIRO OSAKI

  • "Sexual violence is a particular kind of crime with high risks of re-victimisation, and so-called rape myths remain strong," she told AFP. "I hope the film will hammer home the severity of sexual violence to many, and trigger a change in society."
  • A Japanese #MeToo campaigner's documentary premiered in her homeland on Friday after months of delays, with one audience member telling AFP she hoped it triggered a change in society.
  • "Sexual violence is a particular kind of crime with high risks of re-victimisation, and so-called rape myths remain strong," she told AFP. "I hope the film will hammer home the severity of sexual violence to many, and trigger a change in society."
A Japanese #MeToo campaigner's documentary premiered in her homeland on Friday after months of delays, with one audience member telling AFP she hoped it triggered a change in society.
Shiori Ito won a landmark 2019 civil case against a Japanese TV reporter accused of raping her -- a charge he denies -- and turned her ordeal into a film released last year and screened worldwide.
But some segments of "Black Box Diaries" contained video and audio that had been clandestinely shot or meant only for use in court, resulting in its Japan release being significantly delayed.
Publicist Toei Advertising announced last month the Oscar-nominated film would finally be shown in Japan after "revisions and adjustments" had been made.
"I've spent the last 10 years making this film thinking it was going to be a love letter to Japan", Ito told a screening event at a Tokyo cinema on Friday.
"It means a lot to me that this film was released in Japan, where I grew up and where I want people to face this issue," she said.
Ito, who received vicious online criticism for going public, had previously said that despite several high-profile cases, Japan has never seen an outpouring of #MeToo allegations.
Government surveys in Japan show few rape victims report the crime to the police, although the number of consultations at sexual violence support centres is rising.
"Black Box Diaries" tugged at the heartstrings of many who watched it Friday at cinema T-Joy Prince Shinagawa in Tokyo.
"I couldn't watch it without crying. It's a wonder that she's alive today, and I have nothing but full respect," Yuko Ono, a publishing house employee in her 60s, told AFP.

'Suffered in silence'

The film alleged that police attempts to arrest ex-journalist Noriyuki Yamaguchi, who Ito accuses of raping her in 2015, were aborted at the last minute at the order of "higher-ups".
Yamaguchi is known for having had close links with then-prime minister Shinzo Abe.
"She persistently forced open the monolithic police organisation -- that can greatly empower all these people who have suffered in silence," Ono said.
Niko Nagata, a 20-year-old university student, agreed.
"Sexual violence is a particular kind of crime with high risks of re-victimisation, and so-called rape myths remain strong," she told AFP.
"I hope the film will hammer home the severity of sexual violence to many, and trigger a change in society."
Ito also acknowledged that "various opinions" surrounding the documentary "made me feel very apologetic".
Some revisions were made to the latest edition screened, including editing out scenes and rendering some individuals unidentifiable, the director explained in a statement Friday.
Ito's former lawyer, Yoko Nishihiro, said in a statement reported by local media Thursday that the film was "freighted with serious human rights issues".
The lawyer and her team previously highlighted a secretly recorded phone conversation and other footage used without permission, including hotel CCTV shown in court.
tmo/aph/ami

crime

British porn star to be deported from Bali after small fine

  • Earlier on Friday, Billinger and an associate -- 27-year-old Liam Andrew Jackson -- were fined 200,000 rupiah (about $12) for breaking traffic regulations.
  • Controversial British adult film star Bonnie Blue will be deported from Indonesia's Bali island, an immigration official said Friday, after earlier receiving a small fine for traffic violations.
  • Earlier on Friday, Billinger and an associate -- 27-year-old Liam Andrew Jackson -- were fined 200,000 rupiah (about $12) for breaking traffic regulations.
Controversial British adult film star Bonnie Blue will be deported from Indonesia's Bali island, an immigration official said Friday, after earlier receiving a small fine for traffic violations.
Local police last week raided a studio in Badung, a popular tourist district near the resort island's capital, Denpasar, detaining Blue, 26, whose real name is Tia Billinger.
Three men -- two Britons and an Australian -- were also taken on suspicion of producing pornographic content after the raid.
Police said, however, they found no evidence of adult material. 
Husnan Handano, immigration spokesman at Denpasar International Airport, told AFP that Blue will be deported early Saturday morning.
"Her flight will be at 12:30 am (Friday 1630 GMT)," Husnan said, adding more details would be provided later.
Earlier on Friday, Billinger and an associate -- 27-year-old Liam Andrew Jackson -- were fined 200,000 rupiah (about $12) for breaking traffic regulations.
"The defendants have lawfully committed the offense jointly and continuously," Denpasar District Court judge I Ketut Somanasa said.
During the December 4 raid, police seized a dark blue pickup truck labeled "Bang Bus."
British tabloid Daily Mail reported on Wednesday that the vehicle appeared to have been untaxed since 2023 and had allegedly been illegally repainted from white to blue without re-registration.
Billinger's lawyer, Edward Pangkahila, told AFP his clients would comply fully with the authorities.
"I suggested to them to apologise to the people of Bali if this has caused any public unease," Pangkahila added.
Although Bali is predominantly Hindu and a magnet for millions of foreign visitors, Muslim-majority Indonesia strictly forbids the production of pornographic material, which carries penalties of up to 12 years in prison and a fine of $360,000.
Billinger gained fame for her provocative stunts as an adult content creator. 
Her case comes amid renewed complaints by Balinese officials over unruly foreign tourists, following a string of deportations in recent years — including several Russian influencers expelled for posing nude at sacred sites.
str-dsa-jhe/fox

drugs

Escapism or exaltation? 'Narco-culture' games raise concern in Mexico

BY ARTURO ILIZALITURRI

  • - Hell's Troop - Dozens of war-like games can be found on online platform Roblox, which allows programming enthusiasts to design their own video games for others to play.
  • In violence-riddled Mexico, children as young as 13 are hooked on bloody video games that vividly recreate the horrors of the country's narco war.
  • - Hell's Troop - Dozens of war-like games can be found on online platform Roblox, which allows programming enthusiasts to design their own video games for others to play.
In violence-riddled Mexico, children as young as 13 are hooked on bloody video games that vividly recreate the horrors of the country's narco war.
Some experts say it's a way of coping. Critics, including President Claudia Sheinbaum, see it as monetized glorification of a genre known as "narco culture."
With thousands of daily users, the games allow players to choose whether they want to be a cartel hitman, a police officer or a soldier.
There are wild chases and brutal shootouts, gold-plated pistols, personalized bulletproof helmets, and souped-up cars.
"It really draws me in, seeing things I'd like to have in real life -- for example, who wouldn’t want to have a Lamborghini, or a big truck, a big house?" gaming fanatic Alan Crespo, a 24-year-old farmer from San Blas on Mexico's Pacific coast, told AFP.
Crespo is on the older side of the player age spectrum, with most between 13 and 18 and hailing primarily from northern Mexican states like Sinaloa, Chihuahua and Baja California -- synonymous with cartel violence.
This age group was born amid the wave of violence unleashed in 2006, when the Mexican government militarized the fight against drug trafficking -- a strategy that has claimed nearly half a million lives.

Hell's Troop

Dozens of war-like games can be found on online platform Roblox, which allows programming enthusiasts to design their own video games for others to play.
The most popular ones attract up to 1,000 users a day. The games are free, though players can purchase better weapons or uniforms with real money.
The more realistic and gruesome a game is, the more popular, developers say.
"Players aren't interested in seeing made-up names of criminal groups," said Angel Villaverde, a 19-year-old who designs games on his computer in Monterrey in Mexico's northeast.
Users of the game "Tamaulipas Belico," for example, can choose to play as a member of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) or of the Northeast Cartel (CDN).
Both have been designated "foreign terrorist organizations" by US President Donald Trump and are responsible for innumerable deaths, including of civilians.
Matches entail killing off one's enemies to take control of buildings, usually gas stations or shops.
Opponents patrol in camouflaged army pickups or in vehicles decorated with a demon drawing and the number 666 -- the insignia of the CDN's Tropa del Infierno (Hell's Troop) armed wing, known for its extreme brutality.

'Apology for violence'

Mexico's so-called "narco-culture" can also be found in music, films and fashion items glorifying the criminal life.
Sheinbaum rejects what she considers an "apology for violence" and has launched a campaign against the sub-culture, including an eight-percent tax on video games with violent content.
Behavioral scientists say that through gaming, young people may feel they have a sense of control over a violent reality that makes them anxious.
Student Alejandro Solorzano, 18, a game developer from Tijuana, notes that players are "fascinated by going around doing criminal activities."
"It's something warlike, it's something grotesque, but it's fictional at the same time" he told AFP.
Ainhoa Vasquez of Chile's Federico Santa Maria Technical University, says gaming may also be a way of "making sense" of a violent society, of "transferring real anguish" to a fictional realm.
These experiences can be "a catharsis," said Vasquez, who studies cultural representations of the drug trade. 
The platform Roblox, which reported some 112 million daily users worldwide in the second quarter of this year, recently tightened its controls to protect minors. 
Among other measures, it implemented a system to verify users' ages to prevent harassment by adults on the platform. 
str-ai/lp/mel/mlr/jgc

exams

South Korea exam chief quits over complaints of too-hard tests

  • This month, South Korea's National Assembly approved an amended law banning private English-language educational institutes from administering entrance tests to preschoolers.
  • The chief organiser of South Korea's notoriously gruelling university entrance exams has resigned -- after complaints that an English test he designed was just too difficult.
  • This month, South Korea's National Assembly approved an amended law banning private English-language educational institutes from administering entrance tests to preschoolers.
The chief organiser of South Korea's notoriously gruelling university entrance exams has resigned -- after complaints that an English test he designed was just too difficult.
South Korea's college entry exam, known locally as the "Suneung", is essential for admission to top universities and widely regarded as a gateway to social mobility, economic security and even a good marriage.
But this year just over three percent of exam-takers scored top marks in the English test -- the lowest since absolute grading was introduced for the subject in 2018.
Students were given just 70 minutes to answer 45 questions.
One question singled out for criticism asked students to assess the political philosophers Immanuel Kant and Thomas Hobbes and analyse their views on the rule of law.
Another asked students to consider the nature of time and clocks, while another probed how the idea of existence might apply to video game avatars.
These sparked significant backlash in a country where the exam is taken so seriously that flights are grounded nationwide for 35 minutes during the English listening test to eliminate any potential noise.
In response, Oh Seung-keol, the chief of Korea's Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation, stepped down.
He felt "a heavy sense of responsibility for the English section of the test, which did not align with the principles of absolute evaluation", the institution said in a statement sent to AFP.
He also apologised for "causing concern to test-takers and their parents, and for causing confusion in the college entrance exam process".
The agency also issued a separate apology, saying it "takes seriously the criticism that the test failed to meet the appropriate level of difficulty and the goal of reducing students' academic burden".
The use of the portmanteau "culturtainment" in the test was also the source of confusion -- even from the academic behind the phrase.
Stuart Moss, a senior lecturer at Leeds Beckett University in the UK, said he was "very surprised" to see the phrase featured.
"I am also of the opinion that this word should never have featured in the exam due it not being in common English usage," he said in an e-mail reply to a South Korean test-taker reported by local daily Munhwa Ilbo.
Enormous pressure placed on students in South Korea's ultra-competitive education system has been partly blamed for teenage depression and suicide rates that are among the highest in the world.
This month, South Korea's National Assembly approved an amended law banning private English-language educational institutes from administering entrance tests to preschoolers.
And test scores have long been a highly sensitive and scrutinised issue.
This week, the nephew of Samsung Electronics chief Lee Jae-yong -- one of South Korea's most powerful and wealthy families -- made headlines after he reportedly failed just one question on the exam, earning him admission to the nation's top Seoul National University.
cdl/oho/kaf

aviation

Son of MH370 flight victim seeks answers after 11 years

BY ISABEL KUA

  • Jiang Hui, 52, told AFP at his home in Beijing.
  • Jiang Hui remembers his mother waving him goodbye as she left for her Malaysia Airlines flight, a bag slung across her shoulder and promising to return with souvenirs from her trip.
  • Jiang Hui, 52, told AFP at his home in Beijing.
Jiang Hui remembers his mother waving him goodbye as she left for her Malaysia Airlines flight, a bag slung across her shoulder and promising to return with souvenirs from her trip.
Jiang Cuiyun, then a 72-year-old retiree, was one of 239 people aboard flight MH370 when it vanished from radar screens on March 8, 2014, en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
Despite the largest search in aviation history, the plane has not been found, and its enduring mystery remains a source of lasting pain for the victims' loved ones.
"Who would have imagined that something so improbable would happen to their own family?" Jiang Hui, 52, told AFP at his home in Beijing.
He has spent more than a decade seeking answers alongside the relatives of other Chinese victims, who made up two-thirds of the passengers.
The Malaysian government recently announced that the search for the missing plane will resume at the end of December.
And a Beijing court ordered the airline this week to pay over 2.9 million yuan ($411,000) in compensation to some of the passengers' families.
But Jiang and other victims' relatives remain frustrated by what they say is a lack of "openness" from the Malaysian government and the airline.
Jiang now runs a social media group where the families share news on MH370 developments and offer each other support.
They have asked for information including the coordinates of the new search area and the kinds of equipment and vessels being used, he told AFP.
"But we have still not received any response so far," he said.
He added some families feel that the search may be "just for show and wouldn't yield any results".

Years of anguish

Jiang has campaigned around the world for investigation efforts to resume, in hopes of one day finding out what happened to his mother.
When the search for the plane was suspended in 2017, "that period, I believe, was the hardest of all", he said.
His home is littered with reminders of the tragedy.
Books on the disaster line his shelves, along with a model of the Boeing 777 he said helped him understand the structure of the plane his mother was on when she disappeared.
Jiang showed AFP his trove of old T-shirts he wore at MH370 family gatherings over the past decade, and a collection of documents including letters to China's foreign ministry, court records and maps.
"All these are historical records," he said, gesturing at his files.
There are no ongoing legal cases in Malaysia, which lost 50 people, including 12 crew members, in the disaster.

'Inhumane'

This week's compensation ruling in Beijing applies to each of the families of eight passengers legally declared deceased.
But 23 cases, including Jiang's, are still pending because the families of some passengers have not made similar declarations, the court said.
Jiang said the court statement implies that if he does not do that, he will not receive a payout.
"I feel that this is asking me to declare my mother deceased without any evidence, which is very difficult for me to accept," he said.
"I find it quite inhumane."
He remains set on searching for answers.
"Finding the plane, finding my loved one, and finding the truth -- I believe this is something I must do in my life," he told AFP.
He is driven by the bond he shared with his mother, an ordinary but strong woman who he said worked hard for her family.
"I imagined that when the children were older, we, as a family, would travel together, and she would be able to enjoy her later years," he said.
"I feel that finding her and uncovering the truth is the greatest way I can show my respect for her now."
isk/dhw/mjw

environment

Toll in deadly Indonesia floods near 1,000, frustrations grow

  • In Sumatra's Aceh province, scene of a cataclysmic tsunami in 2004, residents are slowly piecing back their lives, but frustrations over the pace of relief efforts are growing. 
  • The death toll in Indonesia's devastating floods closed in on the 1,000 mark Thursday as hundreds of thousands more continued to face shortages, with frustration growing over relief efforts.
  • In Sumatra's Aceh province, scene of a cataclysmic tsunami in 2004, residents are slowly piecing back their lives, but frustrations over the pace of relief efforts are growing. 
The death toll in Indonesia's devastating floods closed in on the 1,000 mark Thursday as hundreds of thousands more continued to face shortages, with frustration growing over relief efforts.
Disaster mitigation agency spokesman Abdul Muhari said 990 people had died by late Thursday in the deluge, which laid waste to the northwestern island of Sumatra -- the biggest disaster of its kind in recent years. More than 220 people are still missing.
Tropical storms and monsoon rains have pummelled Southeast and South Asia this month, triggering landslides and flash floods from the rainforests of Sumatra to highland plantations in Sri Lanka - and more rains are predicted.
In Sumatra's Aceh province, scene of a cataclysmic tsunami in 2004, residents are slowly piecing back their lives, but frustrations over the pace of relief efforts are growing. 
"People don't know who to rely on," said Syahrul, a 39-year-old resident in the northern city of Bireuen, scene of widespread devastation.
Residents have "lost hope... even trying to muster hope for themselves. At this point, they can't rely on the government at all, given how badly this has been handled," he told AFP.
In nearby Lhokseumawe, residents were still fighting to keep the mud at bay.
"Nearly 15 days after the flood, every day, all we've been able to do is clean our house on the inside only," said Sariyulis, 36.
"The outside can't be cleaned anymore because of the mud," he told AFP
Most flood victims were complaining about the lack of help from authorities, Sariyulis added.
"We keep hearing a lot of talk about how floods can be handled by each province, but what we're experiencing is the opposite."
"After more than two weeks, we're still grappling with the same issues. If you ask about progress, it's been minimal," he said.
Muzakir Munaf, Aceh's governor, told reporters that an ongoing emergency response needed to be extended for another two weeks "to carry out rehabilitation and urgent infrastructure repairs".
But the most urgent need was for medicines, and people were getting ill, Muzakir told reporters.
"Our communities are experiencing skin diseases, coughs, itching, and other ailments caused by the flooding," he said.
Costs to rebuild after the disaster could run up to 51.82 trillion rupiah ($3.1 billion) and the Indonesian government has so far shrugged off suggestions to call for international assistance.
str-das-jhe/fox
  

vape

Mexico approves punishing vape sales with jail time

  • Mexico's Senate approved the legislation on a 67-37 vote Wednesday, a day after it passed through the country's lower chamber of Congress.
  • Mexico's Congress gave final approval on Wednesday to a bill establishing penalties of up to eight years in prison for selling electronic cigarettes and similar products.
  • Mexico's Senate approved the legislation on a 67-37 vote Wednesday, a day after it passed through the country's lower chamber of Congress.
Mexico's Congress gave final approval on Wednesday to a bill establishing penalties of up to eight years in prison for selling electronic cigarettes and similar products.
Mexico is now poised to join a handful of countries with laws imposing criminal penalties related to vaping.
Members of President Claudia Sheinbaum's Morena party had argued the measure would protect the health of young people and close legal loopholes that have allowed the devices to be promoted as safe.
Opponents of the bill claim its ambiguity could lead to abuses by authorities. 
With this reform, "electronic cigarettes and other similar systems or devices" are prohibited, said Senate President Laura Itzel Castillo.
Mexico's Senate approved the legislation on a 67-37 vote Wednesday, a day after it passed through the country's lower chamber of Congress. It now goes to Sheinbaum's desk to be signed into law. 
The number of vape users in Mexico was estimated at 2.1 million people out of a total population of about 132 million, according to an official survey on smoking in 2023.
bur-lga/fox

climate

Warmer seas, heavier rains drove Asia floods: scientists

  • They include heavier rainfall and warmer seas linked to climate change, as well as weather patterns such as La Nina and the Indian Ocean Dipole.
  • Warmer seas and heavier rains linked to climate change, along with Indonesia and Sri Lanka's unique geographies and vulnerabilities, combined to produce deadly flooding that killed hundreds, scientists said Thursday.
  • They include heavier rainfall and warmer seas linked to climate change, as well as weather patterns such as La Nina and the Indian Ocean Dipole.
Warmer seas and heavier rains linked to climate change, along with Indonesia and Sri Lanka's unique geographies and vulnerabilities, combined to produce deadly flooding that killed hundreds, scientists said Thursday.
Two tropical storms dumped massive amounts of rain on the countries last month, prompting landslides and flooding that killed more than 600 people in Sri Lanka and nearly 1,000 in Indonesia.
A rapid analysis of the two weather systems carried out by an international group of scientists found a confluence of factors drove the disaster.
They include heavier rainfall and warmer seas linked to climate change, as well as weather patterns such as La Nina and the Indian Ocean Dipole.
The research could not quantify the precise influence of climate change because models do not fully capture some of the seasonal and regional weather patterns, the scientists said.
Still, they found climate change has made heavy rain events in both regions more intense in recent decades, and that sea surface temperatures are also higher due to climate change.
Warmer oceans can strengthen weather systems and increase the amount of moisture in them.
"Climate change is at least one contributing driver of the observed increase in extreme rainfall," said Mariam Zachariah, one of the study's authors and a research associate at Imperial College London.
The analysis, known as an attribution study, uses peer-reviewed methodologies to assess how a warmer climate may impact different weather events.
The scientists found extreme rainfall events in the Malacca Strait region betwen Malaysia and Indonesia had "increased by an estimated 9-50 percent as a result of rising global temperatures," said Zachariah.
"Over Sri Lanka, the trends are even stronger, with heavy rainfall events now about 28-160 percent more intense due to the warming we have already experienced," she told reporters.
While the datasets "showed a wide range," Zachariah added, "they all point in the same direction, that extreme rainfall events are becoming more intense in both study regions."
The scientists said other factors were also at play, including deforestation and natural geography that channeled heavy rain into populated flood plains.
The two tropical storms coincided with the monsoon rains across much of Asia, which often brings some flooding.
But the scale of the disaster in the two countries is virtually unprecedented.
"Monsoon rains are normal in this part of the world," said Sarah Kew, climate researcher at the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, and study lead author.
"What is not normal is the growing intensity of these storms and how they are affecting millions of people and claiming hundreds of lives."
sah/fox

tourism

US plans to order foreign tourists to disclose social media histories

  • Applicants would need to provide their social media histories from the last five years, according to the notice.
  • The administration of US President Donald Trump plans to order visa-exempt foreign tourists to disclose their social media histories from the last five years before entering the country, according to an official notice.
  • Applicants would need to provide their social media histories from the last five years, according to the notice.
The administration of US President Donald Trump plans to order visa-exempt foreign tourists to disclose their social media histories from the last five years before entering the country, according to an official notice.
The proposal laid out in a notice published Tuesday in the Federal Register would apply to visitors from 42 countries, including Britain, France, Australia and Japan, who do not need a visa to enter the United States.
Currently, those travellers only need apply for a waiver known as the Electonic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), which still requires them to provide certain personal details.
Under the proposed new rules, the collection of social media data would become a "mandatory" part of ESTA applications.
Applicants would need to provide their social media histories from the last five years, according to the notice.
They would also have to submit other "high-value data fields" including phone numbers from the last five years, email addresses from the past decade, personal details of family members and biometric information.
The public has 60 days to comment on the proposal.
The Trump administration has tightened curbs on entering the United States, part of a sweeping crackdown on migration.
Along with Mexico and Canada, the country will host the 2026 World Cup, which is certain to attract large numbers of soccer fans from across the world. 
bur-mjw/ami

AI

Not lovin' it: McDonald's pulls Dutch AI Christmas ad

  • But the generative AI ad from the Big Mac maker's Netherlands division sparked a (Mc)flurry of criticism on social media.
  • Burger chain McDonald's said on Wednesday it had removed an AI-generated Christmas advertisement in the Netherlands after it was criticized online.
  • But the generative AI ad from the Big Mac maker's Netherlands division sparked a (Mc)flurry of criticism on social media.
Burger chain McDonald's said on Wednesday it had removed an AI-generated Christmas advertisement in the Netherlands after it was criticized online.
The advert, titled "the most terrible time of the year," depicts Christmas chaos, with Santa caught in a traffic jam and a present-laden Dutch cyclist slipping in the snow.
The message: retreat to a McDonald's restaurant until January and ride out the festive season.
But the generative AI ad from the Big Mac maker's Netherlands division sparked a (Mc)flurry of criticism on social media.
"This commercial single-handedly ruined my Christmas spirit," said one user. "Good riddance to AI slop," posted another.
McDonald's Netherlands said in a statement to AFP: "The Christmas commercial was intended to show the stressful moments during the holidays in the Netherlands.
"However, we notice -- based on the social comments and international media coverage -- that for many guests this period is 'the most wonderful time of the year.'"
Melanie Bridge, chief executive of The Sweetshop Films, which made the ad, defended its use of artificial intelligence in a post on LinkedIn.
"It's never about replacing craft, it's about expanding the toolbox. The vision, the taste, the leadership...that will always be human," she said.
"And here's the part people don't see: the hours that went into this job far exceeded a traditional shoot. Ten people, five weeks, full-time," Bridge added.
But this too sparked online debate.
Emlyn Davies, from independent production company Bomper Studio, replied to the LinkedIn post: "What about the humans who would have been in it, the actors, the choir?
"Ten people on a project like this is a tiny amount compared to shooting it traditionally live action."
Coca-Cola recently released its own AI-generated holiday ad, despite receiving backlash when it did the same last year.
The company's new offering avoids close-ups of humans and mostly features AI-generated images of cute animals in a wintry setting.
ric-arp/acb

environment

Kennedy's health movement turns on Trump administration over pesticides

BY ISSAM AHMED

  • "I supported Kennedy during his independent presidential run, and supported him over to the Trump administration as well," she told AFP, adding that she believes he is doing an overall "excellent job."
  • Yes to rethinking childhood vaccines, but no to more chemicals in agriculture: supporters of US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are in open revolt over the Trump administration's approval of new, highly persistent pesticides.
  • "I supported Kennedy during his independent presidential run, and supported him over to the Trump administration as well," she told AFP, adding that she believes he is doing an overall "excellent job."
Yes to rethinking childhood vaccines, but no to more chemicals in agriculture: supporters of US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are in open revolt over the Trump administration's approval of new, highly persistent pesticides.
The clash pits President Donald Trump's pro-industry instincts against the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement -- a diverse coalition of holistic-health moms, medical-freedom advocates and health-and-wellness influencers who envision a cleaner, less toxic world.
At the heart of the matter is the Environmental Protection Agency's recent decisions to green light new pesticides that critics -- including many scientists -- class as toxic "forever chemicals" known as PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. 
Under Trump's second term, the EPA has approved two such new substances -- insecticide isocycloseram and fungicide cyclobutrifluram -- with proposals to approve several more.
MAHA views that as a deep betrayal and has launched a pressure campaign, including an online petition that has drawn more than 7,000 signatures calling for the removal of EPA administrator Lee Zeldin.
"We're calling him out because he is making a liar out of Trump," Zen Honeycutt, the founder and executive director of the Moms Across America advocacy group, told AFP, recalling the president's promise to protect Americans from harmful chemicals.

'Really concerning'

Zeldin, for his part, lashed out in a sarcastic post on X, writing, "not everything on the internet is true," and arguing that molecules with a single fluorine-carbon bond are not in fact "forever chemicals."
That narrow definition was adopted by the EPA in 2021 under then-president Joe Biden, but it conflicts with those used by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development and by independent academic institutions.
"We were equally as critical of the definition when used by the previous administration," David Andrews, a chemist and acting science officer at the nonprofit Environmental Working Group, told AFP.
While these compounds don't build up in the body the way better-known PFAS chemicals do -- such as those used in nonstick cookware -- they break down into trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), which is highly toxic to reproductive systems and "is increasingly being detected in people, crops and waterways around the globe," Andrews said.
"As someone who myself is on a fertility journey, this is something that's really concerning for the increase of infertility rates in the United States," MAHA influencer Iliriana Balaj and CEO of Live Healthillie, told AFP.
- 'Excellent job' -  
The petition was started by Kelly Ryerson, who co-founded American Regeneration to help farmers move away from pesticides, and who has admired Kennedy since his years as an environmental lawyer fighting Monsanto.
"I supported Kennedy during his independent presidential run, and supported him over to the Trump administration as well," she told AFP, adding that she believes he is doing an overall "excellent job."
She highlighted his pledge to close a loophole that lets companies self-affirm food ingredients as safe, while Honeycutt pointed to Kennedy's pressure on food companies to remove synthetic colorings.
Both praised a recommendation by a panel appointed by Kennedy -- a longtime vaccine skeptic -- that newborns no longer receive the hepatitis B shot at birth.
Yet Ryerson said she found it "incredibly disappointing" to see Trump's EPA -- which Zeldin has vowed to use as a vehicle "to unleash American prosperity" -- appoint two former chemical-industry lobbyists to key roles.
For now, tensions may be cooling. Ryerson met with Zeldin personally Tuesday, calling it an "excellent first step."
Asked by AFP at a regenerative farming event Wednesday about the schism, Kennedy said: "We're in discussions with Lee Zeldin at EPA, and we're very, very confident of his commitment to make sure to reduce toxic exposures to the American people."
Whatever happens next, Ryerson said she was heartened that pesticides are now more on the public's mind than ever.
"We're done now with having this poison in our food supply. So what are we going to do about it? And I think that now it's up for grabs as to which party really wants to run with it."
ia/iv

rights

French first lady comments spark feminist backlash

BY MARINE PENNETIER AND ALICE HACKMAN

  • "They legitimise hatred toward feminists -- who are already the targets of cyberbullying, death threats and assaults -- and they downplay the severity of sexual violence by reducing the denunciation of crimes to a mere 'disturbance of public order'."
  • A vulgar slur France's first lady used to describe activists has ignited a feminist backlash in a case they say downplays the severity of sexual violence.
  • "They legitimise hatred toward feminists -- who are already the targets of cyberbullying, death threats and assaults -- and they downplay the severity of sexual violence by reducing the denunciation of crimes to a mere 'disturbance of public order'."
A vulgar slur France's first lady used to describe activists has ignited a feminist backlash in a case they say downplays the severity of sexual violence.
A video published on Monday appears to show Brigitte Macron, 72, describing as "stupid bitches" ("sale connes" in French) activists who this weekend disrupted the show of an actor and comedian accused -- but not charged -- with rape.
The first lady's office has said her backstage comments on Sunday only intended to criticise the "radical method" of the protest a day earlier against 51-year-old Ary Abittan.
But several high-profile actresses have joined in a #SalesConnes (#StupidBitch) trend on social media.
"I'm a stupid bitch. And proud to be one," Oscar-winning "La Vie en Rose" actress Marion Cotillard posted to her 1.7 million Instagram followers on Tuesday.
The hashtag has also appeared in the streets of Paris.
"The stupid bitches send you their regards, Brigitte," read a message on a wall from the group behind the weekend protest, according to a video it posted on social media.
In another, the #NousToutes ("All of us") group told the president's wife that investigators "dropping a case", as had happened with the allegations against Abittan, was not tantamount to "innocence".

'No, not tonight'

Activists on Saturday interrupted a stand-up show by the comedian, wearing masks of the actor bearing the word "rapist" and shouting "Abittan rapist".
A woman who had been seeing him accused the actor of rape in 2021, saying he had forced her into a sexual act to which she did not consent.
But investigators in 2023 dropped the case, and an appeals court in January upheld that decision.
"The court found him innocent after an inquiry lasting more than three years," his lawyer Caroline Toby told AFP.
She said: The "judges who ruled on this case are unanimous that he is innocent. The case is closed."
The woman who accused Abittan said she had said "no, not tonight" to the sexual act he wanted, and then "cried out in pain" when he ignored her.
Investigating magistrates, who decided in July 2023 not to press charges, recognised she suffered from "undeniable" post-traumatic stress.
But they argued the probe "contradicted" some of her statements, notably citing ex-girlfriends who described the comedian as a respectful partner.
French prosecutors last year dropped six out of 10 rape or sexual assault cases for not being strong enough to go to court, according to a government report in November.
It was not immediately clear how many cases are then thrown out by investigating magistrates.

'Legitimise hatred'

A member of the first lady's team argued her words should be seen as "a critique of the radical method employed by those who disrupted the show".
But Greve Feministe, a collective of around 60 feminist groups whose name translates as "Feminist Strike", demanded a public apology.
Brigitte Macron's comments "are not trivial," they said in a statement.
"They legitimise hatred toward feminists -- who are already the targets of cyberbullying, death threats and assaults -- and they downplay the severity of sexual violence by reducing the denunciation of crimes to a mere 'disturbance of public order'."
Brigitte Macron has herself been the victim of gender-related cyber-bullying.
She and President Emmanuel Macron have filed a defamation lawsuit in the United States over a false claim online that she was assigned male at birth, and she is suing several people in France over the same rumour.
In the wake of the #MeToo movement, France has been rocked by a series of accusations of rape and sexual assault against well-known cultural figures.
Screen icon Gerard Depardieu was in May convicted of sexually assaulting two women on a film set in 2021, and is to stand trial charged with raping an actor in 2018. He denies any wrongdoing.
The president in 2023 defended Depardieu, saying the actor was the target of a "manhunt" and he stood behind the presumption of innocence.
bur-mep-ah/sjw/jhb

livestock

Veggie 'burgers' remain on table as EU talks stall

  • Lawmakers at the European Parliament in October backed a proposal to reserve a list of labels including burger and sausage for foods containing meat.
  • EU wrangling over whether to give plant-based "sausages" and veggie "burgers" the chop and restrict such labels to meat products will grind on into next year after countries and lawmakers failed to reach a deal on Wednesday.
  • Lawmakers at the European Parliament in October backed a proposal to reserve a list of labels including burger and sausage for foods containing meat.
EU wrangling over whether to give plant-based "sausages" and veggie "burgers" the chop and restrict such labels to meat products will grind on into next year after countries and lawmakers failed to reach a deal on Wednesday.
Many of Europe's livestock farmers see plant-based foods that mimic meat as potentially misleading for consumers, and a threat to their already troubled sector.
Lawmakers at the European Parliament in October backed a proposal to reserve a list of labels including burger and sausage for foods containing meat.
The European Union's 27 member states Wednesday looked to hash out the initiative with negotiators from the parliament as part of a broad-ranging package of new measures to protect farmers.
But after several hours of talks, no agreement was reached. Negotiations are set to continue next year.
Some countries seem reticent to move ahead with a ban.
Food retailers in Germany, Europe's largest market for plant-based alternative products, have spoken out against the move, along with environmentalists and consumer advocates.

Beatle with a beef

Among high-profile opponents of the ban is former Beatle and prominent vegetarian Paul McCartney, who co-signed a letter to the EU's executive arguing against the measure.
"We urge you not to adopt these restrictions, as we are deeply concerned about the significant global impact they could have," the letter said.
"The evidence is clear: existing legislation already protects consumers; consumers themselves overwhelmingly understand and support current naming conventions."
But livestock farmers argue the opposite, with French industry group Interbev saying current labelling "confuses consumers and undermines recognition" of meat products.
EU consumption of plant-based alternatives to meat products has grown five-fold since 2011, according to data from BEUC, a consumer group.
Concerns over animal welfare and greenhouse gas emissions by livestock farms as well as health arguments have fuelled the boom.
This is not the first time there has been a push to beef up rules on the labelling of such products in the EU.
The debate has stirred emotions in France, which passed a similar label ban in 2024 to appease angry farmers -- only for it to be overturned the following January in line with a ruling by the EU's top court.
And a similar proposal was rejected by European lawmakers in 2020.
The balance of power has since shifted, as the 2024 European elections saw big gains by right-wing parties that cultivate close ties to the farm sector.
But even among those groups, there is no clear consensus, with centre-right leader Manfred Weber insisting the proposal was "not a priority at all".
adc/ub/ec/jhb

teenagers

Instagram users given new algorithm controls

  • The Meta-owned app is introducing "Your Algorithm," accessible through an icon in the upper right corner of Reels -- a user's video feed -- which displays the topics Instagram believes users are interested in based on their viewing history. 
  • Instagram on Wednesday unveiled a new AI-powered feature that lets users view and adjust the algorithm shaping their Reels feed, calling it a pioneering move toward greater user control.
  • The Meta-owned app is introducing "Your Algorithm," accessible through an icon in the upper right corner of Reels -- a user's video feed -- which displays the topics Instagram believes users are interested in based on their viewing history. 
Instagram on Wednesday unveiled a new AI-powered feature that lets users view and adjust the algorithm shaping their Reels feed, calling it a pioneering move toward greater user control.
The Meta-owned app is introducing "Your Algorithm," accessible through an icon in the upper right corner of Reels -- a user's video feed -- which displays the topics Instagram believes users are interested in based on their viewing history. 
In a blog post, Meta said users can now directly tell the platform which subjects they want to see more or less of, with recommendations adjusting accordingly in real time.
Social media platforms have faced mounting pressure from regulators and users alike to provide greater transparency around algorithmic content curation, which critics say can create echo chambers or promote harmful content.
But companies also see algorithms as their platform's 'secret sauce' for engaging users and have often resisted greater transparency.
"Instagram has always been a place to dive deep into your interests and connect with friends," the company said in its blog. "As your interests evolve over time, we want to give you more meaningful ways to control what you see."
The feature shows users a summary of their top interests and allows them to type in specific topics to fine-tune their feed.
Instagram said it is "leading the way" in offering such transparency and control, with plans to expand the feature beyond Reels to Explore and other sections of the app.
The tool launched Wednesday in the United States and will roll out globally in English "soon," the company said.
The move came as Australia, in a world-first, banned people under age 16 from a raft of popular social media apps, including Instagram. The government said it aimed to "take back control" from tech giants and protect children from "predatory algorithms."   
arp/msp/mlm

food

Not just pizza: Italian cuisine makes UNESCO list

  • Pizza-making in Naples already features on the UN cultural agency's list of intangible heritage, as does espresso coffee.
  • UNESCO recognised Wednesday that Italian food is more than pizza, pasta and gelato, adding the range and ritual of the famed cuisine to its list of intangible cultural heritage.
  • Pizza-making in Naples already features on the UN cultural agency's list of intangible heritage, as does espresso coffee.
UNESCO recognised Wednesday that Italian food is more than pizza, pasta and gelato, adding the range and ritual of the famed cuisine to its list of intangible cultural heritage.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, whose hard-right government has championed "Made in Italy" products as part of her nationalist agenda, hailed the recognition that she said "honours who we are and our identity".
"Because for us Italians, cuisine is not just food or a collection of recipes. It is much more: it is culture, tradition, work, wealth," she said in a statement.
Pizza-making in Naples already features on the UN cultural agency's list of intangible heritage, as does espresso coffee.
Meloni's government proposed the much wider "cucina italiana" in 2023.
The government said it was the first time the entire scope of a nation's cuisine has made the cut.
Culinary rival France in 2010 won UNESCO recognition for "the gastronomic meal of the French". That more celebratory affair, which begins with an aperitif and ends with liqueurs, includes four courses. 
In Rome's Trastevere neighbourhood on Tuesday, the co-owner of the small "Da Gildo" trattoria, Leonora Saltalippi, said Italy's cuisine had centuries of mothers and grandmothers to thank.  
"It is all a heritage born from the vision of women in the kitchen," the 43-year-old restauranteur told AFP. 
They "have cooked for centuries and found, in the small things from the land and the poverty of the ages, a flavour that starts with oil and ends up in everything they touch," she said.
Pouring a delicate stream of olive oil over a plate of fettuccini with artichokes, she noted that across the country, every family had their own recipe, "with nothing written down".
Customer Tiziana Acanfora, 51, added: "What certainly makes the difference is the care and love with which things in general are prepared, not just the kitchen."
At a table nearby, US tourist Naomi King polished off an oxtail stew "that I would recommend a hundred times over".
"Italian food is one of the better foods in terms of flavour in the world," she told AFP, highlighting the huge variety she and her husband had eaten since arriving in Italy.
The focus on local fruits and vegetables also made the difference, she added: "They know how to take that and make it into something special."
ams/ar/tw

culture

Indian festival of lights Diwali joins UNESCO heritage list

  • The new announcements will join UNESCO's list of cultural heritage, whose purpose is to "raise awareness of the diversity of these traditions" and protect them in future.
  • India's festival of lights, Diwali, was on Wednesday announced as an addition to UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list, sparking celebrations. 
  • The new announcements will join UNESCO's list of cultural heritage, whose purpose is to "raise awareness of the diversity of these traditions" and protect them in future.
India's festival of lights, Diwali, was on Wednesday announced as an addition to UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list, sparking celebrations. 
The United Nations cultural agency, meeting in the Indian capital New Delhi from Tuesday to Thursday, is examining dozens of nominations from as many as 78 countries.
The new announcements will join UNESCO's list of cultural heritage, whose purpose is to "raise awareness of the diversity of these traditions" and protect them in future.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the announcement, saying the festival was "very closely linked to our culture and ethos".
"It is the soul of our civilisation. It personifies illumination and righteousness," he said in a statement on social media, adding the move "will contribute to the festival's global popularity even further".
The Delhi government is organising several events, including special illumination of buildings and decoration across major roads, along with a massive lamp-lighting ceremony.
As one of Hinduism's most significant festivals, millions of Indians celebrate Diwali, also known as Deepavali, not just in India but globally. 
Many people, including those from the Sikh and Jain religious communities, observe it as a five-day festival which symbolises the triumph of good over evil. 
Celebrations, which happen on the new moon day in either late October or November, usually see lighting of lamps and bursting of firecrackers.
In much of north India, Diwali marks the return of Hindu Lord Rama to Ayodhya after defeating the demon king Ravana.
The festival is also strongly associated with worship of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity.
India's foreign ministry said Diwali's addition to the UNESCO list was a "joyous moment" for the country.
ash/abh/ceg

livestock

Veggie 'burgers' at stake in EU negotiations

  • Lawmakers at the European Parliament in October backed a proposal to reserve a list of labels including burger and sausage for foods containing meat. 
  • EU countries and lawmakers will wrangle Wednesday over whether to give plant-based "sausages" and veggie "burgers" the chop, amid a push to restrict such labels to meat products. 
  • Lawmakers at the European Parliament in October backed a proposal to reserve a list of labels including burger and sausage for foods containing meat. 
EU countries and lawmakers will wrangle Wednesday over whether to give plant-based "sausages" and veggie "burgers" the chop, amid a push to restrict such labels to meat products. 
Many of Europe's livestock farmers see plant-based foods that mimic meat products as potentially misleading for consumers, and a threat to their already troubled sector.
Lawmakers at the European Parliament in October backed a proposal to reserve a list of labels including burger and sausage for foods containing meat. 
The EU's 27 member states will now look to hash out the initiative with negotiators from the parliament as part of a broad-ranging package of new measures to protect farmers. 
Some countries seem reticent -- and officials say it may need more rounds of negotiations to reach an agreement.  
Food retailers in Germany, Europe's largest market for plant-based alternative products, have spoken out against the move, along with environmentalists and consumer advocates.
Among the high-profile opponents is also former Beatle and famed vegetarian Paul McCartney, who co-signed a letter to the EU's executive arguing against the measure.
"We urge you not to adopt these restrictions, as we are deeply concerned about the significant global impact they could have," the letter said. 
"The evidence is clear: existing legislation already protects consumers; consumers themselves overwhelmingly understand and support current naming conventions."
But livestock farmers argue the opposite, with French industry group Interbev saying it "confuses consumers and undermines recognition" in meat products.  
EU consumption of plant-based alternatives to meat products has grown five-fold since 2011, according to data from BEUC, a consumer group. 
Concerns over animal welfare and greenhouse gas emissions from livestock farms as well as health arguments have fuelled the boom. 
This is not the first time there has been a push to beef up rules on the labelling of such products in the EU.
The debate has stirred emotions in France, which passed a similar label ban in 2024 to appease angry farmers -- only for it to be overturned the following January in line with a ruling by the EU's top court.
And a similar proposal was rejected by European lawmakers in 2020.
The balance of power has since shifted, as the 2024 European elections saw big gains by right-wing parties that cultivate close ties to the farm sector.
But even among those groups there is no clear consensus, with centre-right leader Manfred Weber insisting the proposal was "not a priority at all".
adc/del/ub/rmb