OpenClaw

AI agent future is coming, OpenClaw creator tells AFP

BY KATIE FORSTER

  • While tech giants work out how agent tools could be used by businesses, the next AI innovation could come from "someone who just wants to have fun", Steinberger said.
  • Peter Steinberger's artificial intelligence agent tool OpenClaw has taken the tech world by storm with its ability to execute real-life tasks such as checking him in for his flight to Tokyo.
  • While tech giants work out how agent tools could be used by businesses, the next AI innovation could come from "someone who just wants to have fun", Steinberger said.
Peter Steinberger's artificial intelligence agent tool OpenClaw has taken the tech world by storm with its ability to execute real-life tasks such as checking him in for his flight to Tokyo.
AI is not yet a ubiquitous personal assistant for ordinary people, but "you'll see much more of that this year because this is the year of agents", Steinberger told AFP in the Japanese capital on Monday.
"There are still some things we need to do to make it better," the Austrian programmer said.
Demand is ramping up, however, with more developers now "making the future happen", he added in an interview during a gathering for OpenClaw enthusiasts.
When downloaded, OpenClaw can be connected to existing AI models and given simple instructions through instant messaging apps, as if to a friend or colleague.
Jensen Huang, head of the world's most valuable company Nvidia, this month hailed the tool -- whose symbol is a bright red lobster -- as "the next ChatGPT".
But all the buzz has raised concerns over the cybersecurity risks of allowing AI systems vulnerable to hacks to access personal data such as bank details.

Chinese 'momentum'

Steinberger built OpenClaw in November while playing around with AI coding tools in an attempt to organise his digital life.
He has since been hired by ChatGPT creator OpenAI "to drive the next generation of personal agents", the US startup's boss Sam Altman said in February.
"What you have to know about OpenClaw is, like, it couldn't have come from those big companies," Steinberger told AFP.
"Those companies would have worried too much about what could go wrong instead of just, like -- I wanted to just show people I've been into the future," he said.
While tech giants work out how agent tools could be used by businesses, the next AI innovation could come from "someone who just wants to have fun", Steinberger said.
At Monday's "ClawCon" event in Tokyo, where many of the hundreds of participants were dressed as lobsters, OpenClaw demos were held on stage and experts helped attendees install their agents.
Similar scenes have been seen across China, where users have been particularly quick to embrace OpenClaw's potential to organise emails, help with coding and a plethora of other digital tasks.
"If you see it as a competition, it certainly looks like China is gaining a lot of momentum" in the AI sector, Steinberger said.
"But right now there's still quite a bit of a leap between the best models from China and the best models in the US."

AI 'hammer'

OpenClaw's success in China has led national cybersecurity authorities and Beijing's IT ministry to issue official warnings over potential risks.
Is Steinberger concerned that people could use his tool for illicit purposes?
"Yes, I do worry a bit, especially because there's now a whole cottage industry of companies that try to make a big buck and make it even simpler to install OpenClaw," he said.
"I purposefully didn't make it simpler so people would stop and read and understand: what is AI, that AI can make mistakes, what is prompt injection -- some basics that you really should understand when you use that technology."
But at the end of the day, "if you build a hammer... you can hurt yourself. So should we not build hammers any more"?
A Reddit-like pseudo social network for OpenClaw agents called Moltbook, where chatbots converse, has also grabbed headlines and provoked soul-searching over AI.
"A lot of that was, in my view, very much driven by humans to just create those stories," Steinberger said, adding that joining OpenAI means he now has more resources to use on "cool ideas".
He said 2023-2024 "was the year of ChatGPT, last year was the year of the coding agent, this year's going to be the year of the general agent".
"I love that I helped a lot of people to bring AI from this scary thing into something that is fun and weird and gets them excited, because we need to to make it good for this next century," Steinberger explained.
"We need more people to think more about AI."
kaf/lga

leisure

Japan's cherry blossom season dazzles locals and tourists

  • - 'Good photo opportunity' - "We observed the cherry blossoms in full bloom on March 30," Kyoto Local Meteorological Office said.
  • Japanese locals and tourists packed the country's most stunning cherry blossom spots on Monday to enjoy the dazzling flowers at full bloom.
  • - 'Good photo opportunity' - "We observed the cherry blossoms in full bloom on March 30," Kyoto Local Meteorological Office said.
Japanese locals and tourists packed the country's most stunning cherry blossom spots on Monday to enjoy the dazzling flowers at full bloom.
The tiny white and pink petals of cherry flowers, known as sakura, herald the start of spring in Japan, and full bloom ushers in a brief period of boisterous outdoor parties held by residents.
Across the nation families and friends rolled out blankets and tarpaulins at parks, temples and even cemeteries over the weekend to eat and drink under cherry trees for traditional "hanami" or flower viewing gatherings.
Japanese people hold "very special feelings for sakura", said Tokyo resident Akiko Nyman, 48, as she admired flowers in crowded Ueno park in the centre of the capital.
"We love it, because it is so short... it doesn't last long, it comes every year, something very special," she said.
At this time of the year, weather forecasters are laser focused on when the blossom will peak in each city, and they advise excited residents on the best weather days for picnics and how long the flowers might last.
In the ancient capital of Kyoto, officials on Monday declared full bloom after examining a sample tree within the grounds of Nijo-jo Castle, a world heritage site.

'Good photo opportunity'

"We observed the cherry blossoms in full bloom on March 30," Kyoto Local Meteorological Office said.
Cherry flowers at ancient temples and shrines in Kyoto are particularly popular among visitors and locals.
Australian tourist Olivia Martell-Groves went all in for the seasonal experience, and donned a flower-printed kimono while marvelling at the flowers.
"We wanted to see them because they're really pretty, good photo opportunities and something you can only see in certain times of the year... and also it just feels so peaceful and nice," she said.
In Tokyo, the flowers reached full bloom during the weekend, entering a brief period of stunning beauty, before the petals will fall like flurries of snow.
The flowers symbolise both the youthful energy and the fragility of life in Japanese culture as full blooms only last about a week.
The season marks the start of the new business year when university graduates join the work force.
It is also a time of farewells, when school graduates leave their hometown while many corporate professionals receive assignments in new cities.
hih/aph/ane

US

Israel PM restores access after Latin Patriarch blocked from Holy Sepulchre

BY JAY DESHMUKH

  • After widespread backlash, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday the Latin Patriarch would get "full and immediate access".
  • Israel said the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem would regain access to Christianity's holiest site after the decision to block him from entering the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday triggered international condemnation.
  • After widespread backlash, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday the Latin Patriarch would get "full and immediate access".
Israel said the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem would regain access to Christianity's holiest site after the decision to block him from entering the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday triggered international condemnation.
Police prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa from entering the church, citing security concerns as Israel enforces a ban on gatherings in synagogues, churches and mosques during the ongoing war with Iran, which has brought missile strikes near holy sites.
After widespread backlash, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday the Latin Patriarch would get "full and immediate access".
The Latin Patriarchate said in a statement that Pizzaballa and the Custos of the Holy Land, Father Francesco Ielpo, were travelling privately without a ceremonial procession when officers at the church entrance forced them to turn back.
"As a result, and for the first time in centuries, the Heads of the Church were prevented from celebrating the Palm Sunday Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre," it said, calling the incident a "grave precedent" that disregards the sensibilities of Christians worldwide.
Palm Sunday, which opens Holy Week for Christians, marks Jesus Christ's final entry into Jerusalem, days before his crucifixion and resurrection, as described in the Gospels.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre contains the sites where Christians believe Christ was crucified, buried and resurrected.

Religious freedom concerns

"War will not erase the resurrection. Grief will not extinguish hope," Pizzaballa said at a Palm Sunday mass he held later at the Church of All Nations, also known as the Church of Gethsemane, on the Mount of Olives.
The Patriarchate had already announced the cancellation of the traditional Palm Sunday procession from the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem, which normally draws thousands.
Israeli police said all holy sites in Jerusalem have been closed since the start of the war.
"The Patriarch's request was reviewed yesterday, and it was clarified that it could not be approved," it said in a statement to AFP.
"The Old City and the holy sites constitute a complex area that does not allow access for large emergency and rescue vehicles, which significantly challenges response capabilities and poses a real risk to human life in the event of a mass casualty incident," the force said.
In the Old City of Jerusalem, shops were shuttered and streets lay largely deserted as Christian worshippers expressed sorrow over the cancellation of the traditional Palm Sunday processions.
"This year because of the war we cannot celebrate in the streets like always," Simon Hosh, 25, a resident of the Old City, said.
"So, this year we just celebrate in the church. It's bad."
Pope Leo XIV, speaking after the Angelus prayer in Rome on Sunday, paid tribute to "the Christians of the Middle East, who suffer the consequences of a terrible conflict and in many cases cannot fully live the rites of these holy days".
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said barring the patriarch was a "violation of religious freedom" and urged Israel to guarantee worship "for all faiths".
World leaders from France, Spain, Italy and Jordan condemned the restriction. 
Netanyahu's office said there had been "no malicious intent" behind denying the cardinal entry.
The premier elaborated on Israel's security concerns in a post.
"Over the past several days, Iran has repeatedly targeted the holy sites of all three monotheistic religions in Jerusalem with ballistic missiles," Netanyahu wrote on X.
On March 16, Israeli police said they found missile and interceptor fragments at holy sites in the Old City, including near the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, sharing photos of debris on a roof near the church.
ha-ac-jd/abs/mjw

US

'Long live the shah': Iranian diaspora back war at Washington rally

BY VICTORIA LAVELLE

  • Not all supporters of the Iran war back Pahlavi outright, however.
  • More than 1,000 people of Iranian descent gathered in the US capital on Sunday to voice support for the war, riding on calls to bring back Iran's exiled crown prince who has emerged as a figure of intense interest.
  • Not all supporters of the Iran war back Pahlavi outright, however.
More than 1,000 people of Iranian descent gathered in the US capital on Sunday to voice support for the war, riding on calls to bring back Iran's exiled crown prince who has emerged as a figure of intense interest.
Reza Pahlavi, the US-based son of Iran's last shah who was ousted by the 1979 Islamic revolution, has positioned himself as a potential transitional leader following the killing of Tehran's supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes last month.
The rally on the lawn of the National Mall, not far from the White House, was a sea of Iranian and American flags, with chants of "USA! USA!" and "Javid shah" ("Long live the shah") bolstering the crowd, along with songs in Persian.
The former crown prince entered the global spotlight during anti-government protests in Iran, which peaked in January, where "Pahlavi will return" was among the slogans chanted nationwide.
"I agree with the war, because I think it was the only option," said Sharita Kord, a 25-year-old nurse from New York City who grew up in Iran.
As for whether 65-year-old Pahlavi should return to power, Kord said: "In this situation, you don't have any other choices."
Naz Riz, a 53-year-old attendee wearing a red "Make Iran Great Again" hat, called the conflict in Iran a "rescue operation" coordinated by Israel and the United States.
"They're like cockroaches. They're everywhere," Riz told AFP, referring to those in power in Iran.

'The best option'

Riz said she left Iran almost 30 years ago and thinks Pahlavi returning to power would be "the best option right now" to ensure a democratic transition in the country.
Nissam Crowe, another rally attendee, agreed, saying: "We want democracy. We want freedom."
The 57-year-old from Virginia was critical of the Iranian leadership, calling them "not the government for the people."
While Pahlavi was not at the rally as he was attending the CPAC conservative political conference in Texas, his wife and daughter both addressed the crowd.
Not all supporters of the Iran war back Pahlavi outright, however.
"I'm not a direct supporter of Pahlavi," Ehsan Terani, 45, of Montreal, told AFP.
"At least for the transition period, I don't think there is any other alternative."
She added that after the transition phase, she hopes to see "free elections so people can choose the ruling group."
vla/bdx/jgc/cms/mjw

misinformation

Dubious AI detectors drive 'pay-to-humanize' scam

BY ANUJ CHOPRA, WITH EDE ZABORSZKY IN VIENNA, MAGDALINI GKOGKOU IN ATHENS AND LIESA PAUWELS IN THE HAGUE

  • The tools returned AI flags regardless of input -- even for nonsensical text.
  • Feed an Iranian news dispatch or a literary classic into some text detectors, and they return the same verdict: AI-generated.
  • The tools returned AI flags regardless of input -- even for nonsensical text.
Feed an Iranian news dispatch or a literary classic into some text detectors, and they return the same verdict: AI-generated. Then comes the pitch: pay to "humanize" the writing, a pattern experts say bears the hallmarks of a scam.
As AI falsehoods explode across social media, often outpacing the capacity of professional fact-checkers, bogus detectors risk adding another layer of deception to an already fractured information ecosystem.
While even reliable AI detectors can produce false results, researchers say a crop of fraudulent tools has emerged online, easily weaponized to discredit authentic content and tarnish reputations.
AFP's fact-checkers identified three such text detectors that claim to estimate what percentage is AI-generated. The tools -- prompted in four languages -- not only misidentified authentic text as AI-generated but also attempted to monetize those errors.
One detector, JustDone AI, processed a human-written report about the US-Iran war and wrongly concluded it contained "88% AI content." It then offered to scrub any trace of AI for a fee.
"Your AI text is humanizing," the site claimed, leading to a page where "100% unique text" was locked behind a paywall charging up to $9.99.
Two other tools -- TextGuard and Refinely -- produced similar false positives and sought to monetize them.

'Scams'

AFP presented its findings to all three detectors.
"Our system operates using modern AI models, and the results it provides are considered accurate within our technology," TextGuard's support team told AFP.
"At the same time, we cannot guarantee or compare results with other systems."
JustDone also reiterated that "no AI detector can guarantee 100 percent accuracy."
It acknowledged the free version of its AI detector "may provide less precise results" due to "high demand and the use of a lighter model designed for quick access."
Echoing AFP's findings, one user on a review platform complained that "even with 100% human-written material, JustDone still flags it as AI."
AFP fed the tools multiple human-written samples -- in Dutch, Greek, Hungarian, and English. All were wrongly flagged as having high AI content, including passages from an acclaimed 1916 Hungarian classic.
The tools returned AI flags regardless of input -- even for nonsensical text.
JustDone and Refinely appeared to operate even without an internet connection, suggesting their results may be scripted rather than genuine technical analysis.
"These are not AI detectors but scams to sell a 'humanizing' tool that will often return what we call 'tortured phrases'" -- unrelated jargon or nonsensical alternatives -- Debora Weber-Wulff, a Germany-based academic who has researched detection tools, told AFP.

'Liar's dividend'

Illustrating how such tools can be used to discredit individuals, pro‑government influencers in Hungary claimed earlier this year that a document outlining the opposition's election campaign had been entirely created by AI.
To support the unfounded allegation, they circulated screenshots on social media showing results from JustDone.
The tools tested by AFP sought to lure students and academics as clients, with two of them claiming their users came from top institutions such as Cornell University.
Cornell University told AFP it "does not have any established relations with AI detector companies."
"Generative AI does provide an increased risk that students may use it to submit work that is not their own," the university said.
"Unfortunately, it is unlikely that detection technologies will provide a workable solution to this problem. It can be very difficult to accurately detect AI-generated content."
Fact-checkers, including those from AFP, often rely on AI visual detection tools developed by experts, which typically look for hidden watermarks and other digital clues.
However, they too can sometimes produce errors, making it necessary to supplement their findings with additional evidence such as open-source data.
The stakes are high as false readings from unreliable detectors threaten to erode trust in AI verification broadly -- and feed a disinformation tactic researchers have dubbed the "liar's dividend": dismissing authentic content as AI fabrications.
"We often report on misinformers and other hoaxsters using AI to fabricate false images and videos," said Waqar Rizvi from the misinformation tracker NewsGuard.
"Now, (we are) monitoring the opposite, but no less insidious phenomenon: claims that a visual was created by AI when in fact, it's authentic."
burs-ac/dw 

AI

Life with AI causing human brain 'fry'

BY THOMAS URBAIN

  • Consultants at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) have dubbed the phenomenon "AI brain fry," a state of mental exhaustion stemming "from the excessive use or supervision of artificial intelligence tools, pushed beyond our cognitive limits."
  • Heavy users of artificial intelligence report being overwhelmed by trying to keep up with and on top of the technology designed to make their lives easier.
  • Consultants at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) have dubbed the phenomenon "AI brain fry," a state of mental exhaustion stemming "from the excessive use or supervision of artificial intelligence tools, pushed beyond our cognitive limits."
Heavy users of artificial intelligence report being overwhelmed by trying to keep up with and on top of the technology designed to make their lives easier.
Too many lines of code to analyze, armies of AI assistants to wrangle, and lengthy prompts to draft are among the laments by hard-core AI adopters.
Consultants at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) have dubbed the phenomenon "AI brain fry," a state of mental exhaustion stemming "from the excessive use or supervision of artificial intelligence tools, pushed beyond our cognitive limits."
The rise of AI agents that tend to computer tasks on demand has put users in the position of managing smart, fast digital workers rather than having to grind through jobs themselves.
"It's a brand-new kind of cognitive load," said Ben Wigler, co-founder of the start-up LoveMind AI. "You have to really babysit these models."
People experiencing AI burnout are not casually dabbling with the technology -- They are creating legions of agents that need to be constantly managed, according to Tim Norton, founder of the AI integration consultancy nouvreLabs.
"That's what's causing the burnout," Norton wrote in an X post.
However, BCG and others do not see it as a case of AI causing people to get burned out on their jobs.
A BCG study of 1,488 professionals in the United States actually found a decline in burnout rates when AI took over repetitive work tasks.

Coding vigilance

For now, "brain fry" is primarily a bane for software developers given that AI agents have excelled quickly at writing computer code.
"The cruel irony is that AI-generated code requires more careful review than human-written code," software engineer Siddhant Khare wrote in a blog post.
"It is very scary to commit to hundreds of lines of AI-written code because there is a risk of security flaws or simply not understanding the entire codebase," added Adam Mackintosh, a programmer for a Canadian company.
And if AI agents are not kept on course by a human, they could misunderstand an instruction and wander down an errant processing path, resulting in a business paying for wasted computing power.

'Irritable'

Wigler noted that the promise of hitting goals fast with AI tempts tech start-up teams already prone to long workdays to lose track of time and stay on the job even deeper into the night.
"There is a unique kind of reward hacking that can go on when you have productivity at the scale that encourages even later hours," Wigler said.
Mackintosh recalled spending 15 consecutive hours fine-tuning around 25,000 lines of code in an application.
"At the end, I felt like I couldn't code anymore," he recalled.
"I could tell my dopamine was shot because I was irritable and didn't want to answer basic questions about my day."
A musician and teacher who asked to remain anonymous spoke of struggling to put his brain "on pause", instead spending evenings experimenting with AI.
Nonetheless, everyone interviewed for this story expressed overall positive views of AI despite the downsides.
BCG recommends in a recently published study that company leaders establish clear limits regarding employee use and supervision of AI.
However, "That self-care piece is not really an America workplace value," Wigler said.
"So, I am very skeptical as to whether or not its going to be healthy or even high quality in the long term."
tu-gc/js

tourism

High hopes at China's gateway to North Korea as trains resume

BY PETER CATTERALL

  • One Chinese tourist from the northeastern city of Shenyang told AFP that a peek at North Korea from Dandong was close enough for him.
  • Now retired, Wang Meili wants to see the world -- including North Korea, the reclusive nation that lies across the river from her lifelong home in northeastern China.
  • One Chinese tourist from the northeastern city of Shenyang told AFP that a peek at North Korea from Dandong was close enough for him.
Now retired, Wang Meili wants to see the world -- including North Korea, the reclusive nation that lies across the river from her lifelong home in northeastern China.
North Korea has long kept tight control over foreign visitors, and effectively sealed its borders at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic six years ago.
It has since partly reopened and restored daily passenger train services with China this month, but has not yet resumed issuing tourism visas to Chinese citizens, who once made up the bulk of its overseas visitors .
"We'd like to get visas to go. I've already got my passport," said 68-year-old Wang, who grew up in the border city of Dandong.
In another apparent sign of North Korea's reopening, Air China is set to resume flights to Pyongyang on Monday.
But for now, only those with work or study visas can go.
AFP journalists in Dandong, the main gateway for cross-border travel and trade, saw a mostly empty passenger train rattle over a bridge into North Korea this week.
Nearby, tourists on another bridge, partly destroyed by US bombs during the Korean War, posed for photographs and peered through binoculars at the North Korean city of Sinuiju on the opposite shore.
Tour boats took curious sightseers to gaze at North Koreans cycling along the Yalu river separating the two countries or cleaning boats on the bank. Uniformed guards stood at regular points along the boundary.
Li Shuo, the manager of a Dandong-based travel agency, said the resumption of passenger train services had had "no impact" on his business.
Unable to run tours into North Korea, he has been offering trips through border areas so customers can catch glimpses into the secretive state from a distance.
"We can only wait for news" on tourism visas, Li said, adding that they "would be a good thing for domestic tourists".
"Many people want to go," he said.

'The people are brainwashed'

Others were less keen.
One Chinese tourist from the northeastern city of Shenyang told AFP that a peek at North Korea from Dandong was close enough for him.
"It's totalitarian over there, the people are brainwashed," he said, declining to provide his name given the sensitivity of the topic and his public-sector job.
"Actually, there's brainwashing here in China too, but it's not as severe," he said.
AFP also spoke to tourists from outside mainland China -- including Hong Kong, Japan and Australia -- all drawn to Dandong for a rare view of the country it borders.
Louis Lamb, a 22-year-old nurse from Brisbane, told AFP that travelling into North Korea was "a bucket-list item".
"You can see (North Korea) from a certain perspective in what we see from our media," said Lamb, adding that he would like to experience the country for himself.
Although stretches of the opposite riverbank appeared "desolate", he said, "it's a lot more developed than I thought".
China is a major backer for diplomatically isolated North Korea, though Pyongyang has notably drawn closer to Russia since the start of the Ukraine war.
But trade with China, much of it through Dandong, is a key lifeline for North Korea's moribund economy, under UN sanctions because of its nuclear weapons programme. 
Cross-border shipments swelled to $2.7 billion last year and have nearly rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, according to Chinese customs data.
AFP journalists saw a steady stream of trains and freight trucks hauling cargo from Dandong to Sinuiju.

'Going home soon'

For some in Dandong, North Korea's tentative reopening kindled hope of returning home.
Thousands of North Koreans are thought to reside in the city of two million people, despite sanctions banning them from working overseas.
North Korea's abrupt border closure in 2020 stranded many of them abroad for years, and Pyongyang later beefed up defences along the frontier to dissuade illegal crossings.
Staff at a North Korean restaurant in Dandong forbade AFP journalists from filming or taking photos of a large screen showing a patriotic music and dance performance.
One waitress from Pyongyang told AFP she had been in China for over six years without returning home.
Western experts say such workers endure miserable living and working conditions, have their movements restricted and see most of their wages commandeered by the North Korean state.
But after a long wait, travel between the two nations now seemed to be getting easier, the waitress said, declining to give her name.
"I'll be going home soon."
pfc/dhw/mjw

sport

Let's get physical: Singapore's seniors turn to parkour

BY MARTIN ABBUGAO

  • Her classmate Boon said one time she brought her grandchildren to a neighbourhood playground and taught them to jump onto a platform and do forward rolls.
  • In a corner of suburban Singapore, Betty Boon vaults a guardrail, crawls underneath a slide, executes forward shoulder rolls and scales a steep slope, finishing the course to applause.
  • Her classmate Boon said one time she brought her grandchildren to a neighbourhood playground and taught them to jump onto a platform and do forward rolls.
In a corner of suburban Singapore, Betty Boon vaults a guardrail, crawls underneath a slide, executes forward shoulder rolls and scales a steep slope, finishing the course to applause.
"Good job!" the 69-year-old's coach cheers.
This is "geriatric parkour", where around 20 retirees learned to tackle a series of relatively demanding exercises, building their agility and enjoying a sense of camaraderie.
Boon, an upbeat grandmother, said learning parkour has aided her confidence and independence as she ages.
"When you're weak, you will be dependent on someone," she told AFP after sweating it out with her parkour classmates in suburban Toa Payoh, under the shadow of government-built apartment blocks.
"I feel more alive, it's a whole new world."
The discipline has gained a devoted following of senior citizens in the city-state, which is among the world's fastest-ageing countries.
Singapore is projected to become a "super-aged" nation this year, meaning the proportion of residents aged 65 and above exceeds 21 percent.
By 2030, one in four Singaporeans will be aged 65 and above, according to the health ministry.
As the society greys, various activities and industries have mushroomed up to cater to seniors' needs, including social activities and group exercise classes.
Coach Tan Shie Boon, 33, said he was initially met with scepticism when he started offering parkour classes for older students in 2017, especially due to the risk of injury.
But his idea was to share manoeuvres that could help seniors with their balance, stamina and coordination.
"It's meaningful, I can see the impact of my work," he said.

Not just for youngsters

Parkour, a discipline that originated in France, focuses on overcoming physical obstacles like walls, gaps and platforms without any aid.
Often called the "art of displacement," it involves running, jumping, climbing, rolling and vaulting to quickly dart from one point to another.
The activity has a young, athletic following, but coach Tan and his students insist it can be suitable for every age.
"When people hear the word parkour, they think it's only for youngsters who can jump from rooftops," said retired banker and parkour enthusiast Irene Chuah, 67. "We don't do that. We jump over benches."
Tan, who specialises in coaching senior citizens in his classes across Singapore, tailors all the stunts to match the capabilities of his students, aged between their early 50s to 83.
"The whole point of parkour is to improve your agility ... you'll be faster in your reaction," he said.
"When seniors fall, they get severely injured because they have a lack of coordination, balance and agility. They're not fast enough to react in time," he added.
Chuah experienced firsthand how the moves she learned in parkour class can apply outside of practice.
When a trolley she was pushing at a supermarket hit an obstacle, it overturned and pulled her over.
But thanks to her training, she managed to jump over the mess, remain on her feet and escape unharmed.
"Nobody helped me because the people thought I was young," Chuah told AFP with a laugh.
Retired kindergarten teacher Ling Ying Ying, 66, said doing parkour helped her to be able to mop the floor on her knees "like we used to do when we were young."

'Dare to do'

At the fitness space in Toa Payoh, the parkour students also practised traversing down an incline and scaling a low wall during the 90-minute session.
A couple of students jumped over a gap after some encouragement.
Life after retirement used to be "quite dull", Chuah said.
"After parkour, I can go line dancing, and I can remember the steps. You dare to do a lot of things that you think only young people can do," she added.
Her classmate Boon said one time she brought her grandchildren to a neighbourhood playground and taught them to jump onto a platform and do forward rolls.
When she looked back, she saw a line of other children wanting to try the moves.
"Since then, I became like the favourite grandmother. The children recognise me even when I'm far away," she said.
mba/jhe/lb/ane/ceg

demonstration

Cherry blossoms, kite-flying and 'No Kings' converge on Washington

BY MICHAEL MATHES

  • One woman said she traveled from Boston to Washington to see the cherry blossoms, but wound up also flying a dragon-shaped kite with her friend and learning about the day of protest that includes anti-Trump demonstrations in 3,000 cities and towns across America.
  • A boisterous "No Kings" rally competed for visitors' attention Saturday in Washington, as people also packed the National Mall for a kite-flying festival and the US capital's favorite annual rite of spring: communing with the cherry blossoms.
  • One woman said she traveled from Boston to Washington to see the cherry blossoms, but wound up also flying a dragon-shaped kite with her friend and learning about the day of protest that includes anti-Trump demonstrations in 3,000 cities and towns across America.
A boisterous "No Kings" rally competed for visitors' attention Saturday in Washington, as people also packed the National Mall for a kite-flying festival and the US capital's favorite annual rite of spring: communing with the cherry blossoms.
The trio of colorful and competing events left the city's monument area thronged with tourists, activists and selfie-seekers -- a tapestry of political protest, environmental tourism and family fun. 
"Where we come from there's not a lot of stuff like this, and there were so many people, like thousands, and it was a really cool experience for me" to attend the protest against President Donald Trump, said Casey Chafik, a 15-year-old visiting from Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
As she and her parents dodged kites and their strings, Chafik -- still three years away from being able to vote -- told AFP it was important to gather with "people like me who believe in the same thing and who are willing to stand up for what is right."
"History is happening right in front of our eyes right now," the teen added, "and it's important that we're speaking up for what we believe in at such an important time."
For hours on a crisp, blue-sky day, kite flyers mingled with sign-wavers, sharing space on the National Mall as they pursued their dueling missions.

'Messy and chaotic'

"The planning could have been a little better," quipped Greg Erlandson as he walked toward the US Capitol hoping to catch some speakers for the anti-Trump rally.
"But it's kind of nice seeing everybody out here. I'm sure there are people who are Trump supporters or people who don't know what's going on and they're seeing the signs (held by protesters). That's a good thing," the 72-year-old former publisher from Maryland said.
"This is what democracy looks like. It's kind of messy and chaotic."
Erlandson said he showed up as an "act of solidarity" with other people unhappy with how the country is being run.
"I don't know that rallies bring political change, at least not immediately," he said. "But at the same time I think it's a way of realizing that you're not alone."
One woman said she traveled from Boston to Washington to see the cherry blossoms, but wound up also flying a dragon-shaped kite with her friend and learning about the day of protest that includes anti-Trump demonstrations in 3,000 cities and towns across America.
"It's great to see the 'No Kings' rally, and for people to speak up about whatever they want," said the 28-year-old who asked not to be named.
Earlier in the day, thousands of protesters marched past the famed Lincoln Memorial. Some held up oversized papier-mache heads of Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other members of the president's cabinet, along with a banner reading "Arrest them!"
Todd, a 30-year resident of Washington and progressive film director, said he joined the protest "to represent and to be inspired" by other activists critical of Trump's policies and behavior.
"But this ability to integrate with all kinds of other celebrations makes it kind of unique," the 65-year-old, who asked that only his first name be used, told AFP.
The blending of multiple events in a space commonly nicknamed "America's front yard" allows the politically motivated and the less aware to "show up and start a conversation," he said.
mlm/jgc

protest

Protesters rally in London against UK far-right rise

  • Saturday's march also came less than six weeks before voters head to the polls for elections to Scotland's parliament, the devolved assembly in Wales and local councils in London as well as some other parts of England.
  • Tens of thousands of people marched through central London Saturday to protest against the far right, weeks ahead of local elections and six months after Britain saw one of its largest far-right demonstrations.
  • Saturday's march also came less than six weeks before voters head to the polls for elections to Scotland's parliament, the devolved assembly in Wales and local councils in London as well as some other parts of England.
Tens of thousands of people marched through central London Saturday to protest against the far right, weeks ahead of local elections and six months after Britain saw one of its largest far-right demonstrations.
Organised by hundreds of civic groups, including trade unions, anti-racism campaigners and Muslim representative bodies, Saturday's Together Alliance event was billed as the biggest in UK history to counter right-wing extremism. 
A separate pro-Palestinian march had also converged with the main rally.
While organisers claimed half a million had turned out in total, the police gave a figure of around 50,000.
Protesters carrying placards with slogans like "no to racism" and "you cannot divide us" marched from near Marble Arch to Whitehall near the UK parliament for a planned rally featuring various speakers.
They included left-wing politicians like Zack Polanski, leader of the increasingly popular Green Party, singer Billy Bragg and members of English reggae band UB40. 
"Days like this are here to send a message... we are unstoppable," Polanski told the event, which appeared to have attracted people of all ages from across Britain. 
Student Emily Roth told AFP there was "a global toxic climate and the UK is not fighting it".   
"The government is obsessed with immigration but that's not our biggest problem," the 23-year-old said as she walked the route.
The London police, which had promised a "significant policing presence" to ensure various protests passed off safely and lawfully, later said officers had made 25 arrests.
It noted 18 of those followed an alleged protest near the Together Alliance rally in support of Palestine Action, an activist group banned under anti-terror law.
The London force announced earlier this week it would resume such arrests after pausing them in the wake of the High Court last month upholding a challenge against the government ban.

'Worried'

The Together Alliance march followed a rally organised last September by far-right activist Tommy Robinson that drew up to 150,000 people, many of whom draped themselves in English and British flags. 
That event was marred on its fringes by what police called "unacceptable violence" which saw clashes with officers that left several of them seriously injured.
Robinson is planning a follow-up rally in mid-May.
Saturday's march also came less than six weeks before voters head to the polls for elections to Scotland's parliament, the devolved assembly in Wales and local councils in London as well as some other parts of England.
Anti-immigration figurehead Nigel Farage's hard-right Reform UK party, which has been leading in national polls for over a year, is predicted to perform well across the contests.
Robert Gadwick, 48, who had travelled from Bath in western England for Saturday's march, said he was "worried" about Reform's rise. 
"We've been there with Brexit -- it's all the same lies and yet some people decide to believe it," he told AFP. 
"We need to speak the truth... voting for Reform is a vote for more chaos and more uncertainty and we certainly don't need more chaos."
Retiree Rose Batterfield, of central England, echoed the sentiment, saying the "current political climate" concerned her.
"I don't really recognise Labour anymore," she said of the country's centre-left ruling party which has been criticised for shifting to the right.
"The idea that you can implement far-right ideas in order to stop the far right is nonsense."
jj/jxb

Internet

Indonesian kids brace themselves for social media ban

BY MARCHIO GORBIANO

  • Several countries have proposed teen social media bans since Australia's landmark move in December to stop users under 16 from holding accounts on many popular platforms.
  • Bradley Rowen Liu, 11, wonders what he will do with himself once Indonesia's social media ban for under-16s enters into force on Saturday.
  • Several countries have proposed teen social media bans since Australia's landmark move in December to stop users under 16 from holding accounts on many popular platforms.
Bradley Rowen Liu, 11, wonders what he will do with himself once Indonesia's social media ban for under-16s enters into force on Saturday. As things stand, he spends most of his free time on TikTok.
The primary schooler is one of about 70 million children the government is hoping to shield from the threats of cyberbullying, pornography and internet addiction.
Several countries have proposed teen social media bans since Australia's landmark move in December to stop users under 16 from holding accounts on many popular platforms.
But Indonesia is among the first to act as concerns grow over the impact of such apps on kids' mental and physical wellbeing.
YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live and Roblox -- deemed "high-risk" platforms by authorities in the Southeast Asian nation -- will from Saturday start deactivating underage accounts.
Liu, who says he can easily spend five hours a day on TikTok at weekends, told AFP he worries the ban will leave him driftless.
"Maybe I'll do some other activities," he shrugged, without much conviction.
"But I think I'm going to ask my dad or my mom to help me access" the video-sharing app, the boy said after class at a private academy in Jakarta where he learns computer coding.

Onus on platforms

"Parents no longer have to fight alone against the giants of the algorithm," communications minister Meutya Hafid said when she announced the ban three weeks ago.
Like in Australia, the Indonesian rules place the onus on platforms to regulate teen access.
Non-compliance of the ban, which will be phased in over time, will put defaulters at risk of a fine or even a suspension.
Indonesia has not said how it plans to monitor implementation, and the communications ministry did not respond to AFP's requests for comment.
It is part of a global reckoning over the potential harms of social media for minors.
A Los Angeles jury on Wednesday found Meta and YouTube liable for harming a young woman through the "addictive design" of their platforms, ordering the companies to pay $6 million in damages.
Britain's upper house of parliament voted this week in favour of banning children from social media, piling pressure on the government to follow suit.

'Brain rot'

Though annoyed about the looming interdiction, Liu concedes even he is worried about screen addiction.
"Sometimes I have to remember to keep track of time... Like when it's a holiday, I kind of get really attached to my phone."
A fellow pupil, 15-year-old Maximillian, said he spends too much time on social media, leaving him feeling "unproductive". He supports the ban.
Some want the government to go even further.
Randi Putra Chaniago, who teaches at the academy, said social media -- including the surreal AI-generated clips known as brain rot -- was a distraction in class.
"It's concerning, really, because some of this 'brain rot' content is weird and can disturb children's way of thinking," he said.
The 23-year-old, who uses YouTube to teach some classes, said the ban would challenge teachers to find better educational tools.
The P2G Indonesian Teachers' Association, for its part, wants the government to ban cellphones in classrooms altogether.

'Unhealthy use'

YouTube parent company Google said the two platforms have already introduced features allowing parents to limit scrolling time.
It said AI tech will be launched in Indonesia by next year to determine a user's age.
But "blanket account restrictions... will deprive young people accessing YouTube of the protections, parental controls, and security features we've integrated into supervised accounts", it argued in a statement.
TikTok said it would work with the government to ensure "teens can continue to access safe online spaces".
And gaming platform Roblox pledged to introduce "additional controls" for minors.
Karina Adistiana, an Indonesian educational psychologist, told AFP several studies have shown that intensive social media use is harmful for young people.
"Intensive in the sense that social media becomes the child's main world. That's where the danger lies," she said.
"Depression, difficulty concentrating, trouble sleeping, anxiety, constantly wanting to check notifications -- those are clearly signs of unhealthy use in children."
mrc/mlr/kaf/lga

energy

Myanmar travellers ride the rails as fuel prices rise

BY HLA-HLA HTAY

  • At Naypyidaw station, 26-year-old monk Zanaka said he was taking a train for the first time in his life.
  • Myanmar's ageing railway stations are bustling with life, crowded with passengers as surging fuel prices due to the Mideast war drive commuters to choose trains over costly planes and cars.
  • At Naypyidaw station, 26-year-old monk Zanaka said he was taking a train for the first time in his life.
Myanmar's ageing railway stations are bustling with life, crowded with passengers as surging fuel prices due to the Mideast war drive commuters to choose trains over costly planes and cars.
On a journey from the country's largest city Yangon to the capital Naypyidaw AFP journalists sat in air-conditioned carriages full of travellers napping and sharing tea, fried rice and instant noodles.
First class adult train tickets cost 19,000 kyats ($4.50), while the cheapest bus fares for the route now start at 35,000 kyats.
At one point on Thursday the train chugged past a queue of trucks waiting for fuel -- the trains themselves run on diesel, with the state railway company maintaining its own stocks.
People dozed on station benches or sat on luggage on  platforms as they waited for their trains.
Myanmar has been consumed by a civil war since 2021, when a military coup swept aside Aung San Suu Kyi's democratically elected government, sparking armed resistance to junta rule.
Rail travel is not traditionally the most popular mode of transport in the country, and many trains are older and less comfortable, while much of the network was built under British colonial rule. 
But people from rural areas have long relied on affordable railways to journey between cities -- despite occasional attacks by rebel forces targeting trains since 2021.
"The costs are high if we use a car. Also there are not many security checkpoints on the train," said Zeya Ko Ko, 28, a passenger on the Naypyidaw train.
"Buses are also challenging as fuel can run out in some areas due to the fuel crisis."

First time

Since the US-Israel war against Iran began nearly a month ago, global fuel prices have soared with international shipping disrupted and fears of shortages, especially in import-reliant Asia.
In Myanmar, prices at the petrol pump have jumped and the junta has instituted fuel-saving measures, including alternate day bans on private vehicles, based on odd- or even-numbered licence plates.
Long queues of cars and motorbikes have formed at petrol stations around the country in the last three weeks.
"We have difficulty travelling for urgent health problems. As private vehicles are being restricted with even-odd numbers, we cannot leave right away when we are sick," said Pearl Hmway, a 53-year-old restaurant owner from Mandalay region, as she waited for for a train home.
A Naypyidaw station official told AFP more people were using trains because of fuel shortages, and extra services had been laid on.
"The government increased the number of scheduled trains because of higher demand," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media.
Passengers said train tickets were selling out quickly, making booking them online harder.
At Naypyidaw station, 26-year-old monk Zanaka said he was taking a train for the first time in his life.
Bus fares had risen alongside fuel prices, making his journey twice as expensive by road as by rail, he explained.
"That's why we are taking the train on the way back," he said. 
"The train is faster and there's no need to wait in a queue."
bur-sco/slb/ane

climate

Tech-equipped Indigenous firefighters protect Thai forests

BY SALLY JENSEN

  • "Both local communities and state agencies are taking the issue more seriously, leading to tighter controls over burning and fire outbreaks," Mathaphan told AFP. The Hmong, an Indigenous ethnic group originally from the mountains of southern China, have lived on these slopes in northern Thailand since migrating in the mid-20th century.
  • In the dry-season heat of northern Thailand, Hmong villagers zip through forested slopes, blasting tinder with leaf blowers and cutting through brush with machetes, while others scan for smoke on live feeds from their phones.
  • "Both local communities and state agencies are taking the issue more seriously, leading to tighter controls over burning and fire outbreaks," Mathaphan told AFP. The Hmong, an Indigenous ethnic group originally from the mountains of southern China, have lived on these slopes in northern Thailand since migrating in the mid-20th century.
In the dry-season heat of northern Thailand, Hmong villagers zip through forested slopes, blasting tinder with leaf blowers and cutting through brush with machetes, while others scan for smoke on live feeds from their phones.
Across about a dozen villages in the hills of Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, just above the city of Chiang Mai, Indigenous volunteers patrol on foot and clear firebreaks while also deploying drones and treetop cameras -- all to detect blazes early and defend Thailand's second-largest city from wildfire smoke.
"The forest we protect is part of the national park -- the lungs of Chiang Mai," said Mathaphan Phuchakritdapa, who started the firefighting volunteer force a decade ago and is chief of Suthep subdistrict.
"If it burns, the city's lungs are destroyed. That's why we have to take care of it as best we can."
He and his team shifted to tech-driven firefighting after devastating wildfires in 2020 tore through the mountains above the tourism-dependent city.
The blazes lasted weeks in March and April that year, killing at least five people and injuring and displacing residents and wildlife.
The thick smoke from fires then and since has regularly pushed Chiang Mai to the top of global air pollution rankings.

'Worst in my life'

Satellite imagery from the peak of the 2020 crisis showed northern Thailand blanketed by dense clusters of fire hotspots, with nearly 400 recorded in Chiang Mai province in a single day.
"It was the worst fire I've seen in my life," said Mathaphan, adding it took more than 40 days to bring it under control.
The hotter, drier weather caused by climate change creates the conditions for more frequent and destructive fires, and accumulated dry leaves can intensify them and accelerate their spread.
Outbreaks are often linked to human activities such as clearing forest and brush for foraging, hunting and agriculture.
To control air pollution, Chiang Mai authorities announced a strict five-month ban on open burning from the beginning of this year.
Authorities often blame local "hill tribes", while those communities say fires are set by outsiders for commercial purposes.
Data from NASA's fire monitoring service shows far fewer fires in the region in mid-March this year compared to the same period in 2020.
"Both local communities and state agencies are taking the issue more seriously, leading to tighter controls over burning and fire outbreaks," Mathaphan told AFP.
The Hmong, an Indigenous ethnic group originally from the mountains of southern China, have lived on these slopes in northern Thailand since migrating in the mid-20th century.
Volunteer teams roar through the hills on motorbikes, blasting away leaves with blowers and drowning out the buzz of a drone capturing footage of the blaze-prone landscape.

'Giving back'

Mongkol Yingyotmongkolsaen, a 47-year-old Hmong volunteer, returned from the city three years ago and began applying his skills as a photographer to firefighting.
He installed low-cost, internet-connected video cameras high among treetops that share live feeds with villagers who can remotely monitor conditions in real time.
Mongkol also flies standard and infrared drones to monitor for fires from above, track any flames that are spreading and detect heat at night.
This allows teams to identify hotspots earlier, plan safer routes and contain fires more quickly, he said, making their work much easier.
"This is my way of giving back to my community," he added.
Across the subdistrict, each household contributes a volunteer, forming a network of about 270 people managing nearly 1,600 hectares of forest.
Monitoring this vast area requires about 1.5 million baht ($45,000) a year to cover the cost of food, fuel and equipment maintenance.
But the community receives only around 50,000 baht annually in government funding -- an amount the local chief, Mathaphan, said is insufficient.
Still, their volunteer-based approach to fire prevention has become a model for other communities, he said -- helping shift perceptions of Hmong villagers who are often blamed for deforestation and "destructive" farming practices.
"We are not destroying the forest," Mathaphan said. "We are protecting it."
ci-sjc/sco/fox

conservation

Sacred leaf offers hope for Vanuatu's threatened forests

BY CHRIS MCCALL

  • But they acknowledge that the leaf and even growing national and international attention to Vatthe's importance are far from enough.
  • The feather-shaped namele leaf is so central to Vanuatu it features on the national flag, and now it is being enlisted to protect some of the country's most important forests. 
  • But they acknowledge that the leaf and even growing national and international attention to Vatthe's importance are far from enough.
The feather-shaped namele leaf is so central to Vanuatu it features on the national flag, and now it is being enlisted to protect some of the country's most important forests. 
By invoking a traditional taboo against touching the sacred leaf, conservationists and locals hope to keep loggers away from places like Vatthe Conservation Area -- a candidate for UNESCO World Heritage status.
Located on Vanuatu's largest island Espiritu Santo, Vatthe is home to astonishing biodiversity, hosting over two-thirds of the South Pacific archipelago's land and freshwater birds and many of its endemic species.
But just a single ranger, traditional chief Bill Tavue, patrols the 2,720-hectare site, whose name means "estuary" in the local Na language.
Lack of funding for conservation projects, disregard for government regulations and the need to clear land for farming means that logging is common, making Tavue's battle to protect the forest all the harder.
So he hopes that the glossy green leaf of the namele, which resembles a small palm, can help him protect what remains.
The plant, known to science by the botanical name Cycas seemannii, grows across the western Pacific region, but holds particular significance in Vanuatu.
"In our culture, no one is allowed to touch the namele, only the moli," Tavue said, using a local word for chieftain.
When a namele leaf is placed somewhere, people know not to touch anything nearby, he explained.

Leaf of peace

Tavue comes from Matantas, a small village on the north coast of Espiritu Santo, one of the more than 80 islands that make up the Vanuatu archipelago.
When Portuguese navigator Pedro Fernandez de Quiros landed there in 1606, he believed he had discovered the fabled "Great Southern Land".
In those days, Vanuatu's tribes used the namele leaf to mark boundaries that could not be crossed on pain of death -- a technique applied after wars to protect peace agreements.
More recently, locals in Matantas realised the leaf could help protect the forest, and began publicising its presence in Vatthe as a way to keep outsiders away.
The idea has caught on, and the government in Vanuatu's capital Port Vila now officially advocates that chiefs elsewhere use similar taboos to protect nature.
Traditional law still holds real sway in Vanuatu -- the country's Malvatumauri Council of Chiefs is made of up custom chiefs from across the nation and holds real political power.
Proponents of invoking the namele leaf taboo for conservation say it has helped keep Vatthe Conservation Area largely intact, despite few other protections.
But they acknowledge that the leaf and even growing national and international attention to Vatthe's importance are far from enough.
After one recent cyclone, Chinese loggers working in Vanuatu were given permission to pick up dead wood in the reserve.
But locals allege that was used as cover to log inside the area.
Officials at Vanuatu's Department of Forests and Department of Environmental Protection and Conservation did not respond to AFP's requests for comment about those claims.
While Vanuatu has tough forestry laws, it is unclear how effective those measures have been in practice.

'We don't destroy'

The leaf taboo holds weight in Espiritu Santo's mountainous west as well, where grassroots environmentalists created the Santo Sunset Environment Network to protect their forests.
They make educational visits to schools in villages often only accessible by hours-long boat rides and have persuaded chiefs there to ban logging and invoke the namele leaf and other taboos to enforce it.
Those caught breaking the taboo risk being fined a chicken or a pig -- a traditional form of currency in Vanuatu once used to pay 'bride prices'. 
Project manager Joses Togase said that logging is driven by poverty and a lack of understanding about the impact.
"They need money, but they were not realising the negative impact on the resources," he said.
In some areas, trees are cleared to grow subsistence crops like yams, cassava, taro and sweet potato, with growing communities seeing little option but to expand into forests.
Richard Rojo, the network's vice-chairman, is himself a subsistence farmer turned environmentalist, motivated by the need to protect his country's forests for his children and descendants.
"I just hope they will enjoy their resources, in their place, just as I am enjoying it now," he said.
In Matantas, ranger Tavue's parents, retired chief Solomon and his wife Purity say they are saddened by the state of the forest. 
"We have taboos. We don't destroy our rivers. We don't destroy our resources," Purity said. 
"Now we find out that the forest is starting to be damaged. The people started to slowly walk into the forest."
Her son trained four others to help him patrol, but they all gave up the unpaid work.
Tavue wants to see payment for forest protection, like carbon credit programmes, that can help fund work like his.
"We really want this conservation area to continue.
"If you don't have money you cannot continue."
str/oho/djw/sah/cms

AI

AI used to make 'fetishised' images of disabled women

BY ANNA MALPAS

  • Some account owners use artificial intelligence to manipulate real images of non-disabled women, making them appear to have Down syndrome, a genetic condition caused by an extra chromosome.
  • British charities and disability advocates have slammed a trend for using AI to generate "fetishised" images of women with disabilities and genetic conditions including Down syndrome, vitiligo and albinism.
  • Some account owners use artificial intelligence to manipulate real images of non-disabled women, making them appear to have Down syndrome, a genetic condition caused by an extra chromosome.
British charities and disability advocates have slammed a trend for using AI to generate "fetishised" images of women with disabilities and genetic conditions including Down syndrome, vitiligo and albinism.
The photo-realistic sexualised images, which have gained millions of views on social media, are deceptive as they are often not labelled as AI-generated.
Some account owners use artificial intelligence to manipulate real images of non-disabled women, making them appear to have Down syndrome, a genetic condition caused by an extra chromosome.
One such TikTok video of a young woman dancing in shorts and a cropped top has had 4 million views since last year.
The British Down's Syndrome Association condemned the "alarming trend". 
"This is a scam and is not only in bad taste but is potentially offensive and hurtful to people who have Down's syndrome," the charity said in comments sent to AFP.
Disabled women and girls already face a higher risk of sexual violence globally.
In Britain, women with disabilities are nearly twice as likely to be sexually assaulted, according to the Office for National Statistics.
The images show "very fetishised bodies" and "very sexual content", said Aisha Sobey, a University of Cambridge researcher studying generative AI.
Kamran Mallick, CEO of Disability Rights UK, said the images are "exploitation" and recall "historical freak shows of people being wheeled out for the amusement of others".
These AI influencers "are mostly young white women," said Emanuel Maiberg of the 404 Media tech news outlet who has covered the trend.
"It certainly seems like content that is more outrageous, novel, or weird, gets more engagement."
Higgsfield, a platform for generating virtual models, gives creators options to add scars, burns, albinism -- a lack of melanin pigmentation -- and vitiligo, which causes white patches on the skin. 
"The internet doesn't want a perfect face. It wants character. So give them scars, give them style," says a promotional video for Higgsfield, adding "AI influencers with vitiligo have been really popular lately".

'Harmful and unacceptable'

The AI images are often medically unlikely or impossible.
One creator labelled as based in Germany shows an AI model with albinism in a strappy vest top driving a car without glasses -- despite the fact that many with the condition have poor eyesight.
An Instagram account with millions of views shows a woman in swimsuits and gymwear whose body is bisected by vitiligo so she is exactly half white and half brown.
"This form of AI use is harmful and unacceptable," the Vitiligo Society told AFP.
"When AI creates fictional individuals with vitiligo and portrays them as authentic members of the community, this crosses into the territory of misinformation," said the British charity.
Real influencers with albinism told AFP that most AI-generated content fetishises the condition and is inaccurate.
US influencer Kayla Ludlow, who has 857,000 followers on TikTok, said in a video responding to AFP's questions that she could understand people trying filters out of curiosity.
But "especially with the AI model content, that just seems like it's a fetish," she said.
Unlike real influencers, the models "don't have a personality or a life or something for you to be invested with", she said.
"It just feels wrong to fetishise albinism in that way," said British influencer Mio, 22, who posts about makeup and skincare to her more than 47,000 followers on Instagram and TikTok. 
"I think the main reason is to make money, which is so intensely wrong."
AI images perpetuate "misinformation", for example that people with albinism have red eyes, she said.
Other AI models trivialise and sexualise severe medical conditions.
One Instagram page with 400,000 followers, apparently based in the United States, shows conjoined twins in bikinis on the beach. 
am/rhb/jkb/sbk/ane

kidnapping

Police detain French ex-cop suspected of killing mothers of his children

BY LEVI FERNANDES

  • Portuguese police said that the two found bodies were of the "partner and ex-partner" of the suspect, but that "procedures to identify the victims and consolidate the evidence are ongoing".
  • Portuguese police have arrested a former French police officer suspected of killing his partner and his ex-girlfriend after kidnapping them and their children.
  • Portuguese police said that the two found bodies were of the "partner and ex-partner" of the suspect, but that "procedures to identify the victims and consolidate the evidence are ongoing".
Portuguese police have arrested a former French police officer suspected of killing his partner and his ex-girlfriend after kidnapping them and their children.
Cedric Prizzon, a one-time member of the Paris police and a former rugby league youth international, is also a fathers' rights activist who had been involved in a bitter public custody battle with his former partner.
He had been stripped of his custody rights and had already been already convicted of harassing his former partner, after he illegally took their son to Spain for several weeks in 2021.
Portuguese police said they found "two bodies buried... in an isolated place" late Wednesday, a day after stopping the 42-year-old Prizzon in a car near Meda in the north of the country with his two children, a boy of 12 and an 18-month-old baby girl.
Officers found a pump-action shotgun, fake documents and number plates, and 17,000 euros ($19,600) in cash in the vehicle.
Portuguese police said that the two found bodies were of the "partner and ex-partner" of the suspect, but that "procedures to identify the victims and consolidate the evidence are ongoing".
A court in Vila Nova de Foz Coa, not far from where Prizzon was detained, remanded him in custody on Thursday evening after several hours of questioning. 
He is suspected of aggravated homicide, desecrating a corpse and kidnapping, judicial officials said. 
The two children are to be returned to France, authorities said.

'Unhinged'

French police have been hunting Prizzon since the women disappeared from their homes in the Aveyron area of south-central France last week.
The search for the powerfully built rugby prop forward began after his former partner disappeared on Friday.
The 40-year-old did not show up for work in an insurance company and her son was not at school.
Prizzon, his new partner, aged 26, and their baby daughter were also missing from their home in the nearby village of Savignac. 
Detectives quickly suspected that Prizzon was behind the abductions.
As part of a bitter battle against his ex-partner over their son, Prizzon had mounted a campaign against her on social media, accusing her of endangering their child. 
He also took part in protests along with other fathers who had lost custody of their children.
Locals in the two villages where the women lived were horrified by their deaths.
One woman in her 60s told AFP that although she thought Prizzon was "unhinged", she "thought he would never go so far".
bur-pdw/js

regulation

EU accuses four porn platforms of letting children access adult content

BY RAZIYE AKKOC

  • "Children are accessing adult content at increasingly younger ages and these platforms must put in place robust, privacy-preserving and effective measures to keep minors off their services," EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen said in a statement.
  • The European Union accused four pornographic platforms on Thursday of allowing children to access adult content in breach of digital rules, putting the companies at risk of large fines.
  • "Children are accessing adult content at increasingly younger ages and these platforms must put in place robust, privacy-preserving and effective measures to keep minors off their services," EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen said in a statement.
The European Union accused four pornographic platforms on Thursday of allowing children to access adult content in breach of digital rules, putting the companies at risk of large fines.
At the same time, Brussels also launched a separate wide-ranging probe into Snapchat over suspicions it is failing to adequately protect children online.
The move comes as pressure is piling up globally on social media to ensure children's safety, with a US ruling this week that found Meta and YouTube liable for harming a young woman because of their platforms' addictive design seen as a possible turning point. 
There are also expanding efforts, especially in Britain and France, to force porn sites to check users' age to prevent children from accessing online smut.
The European Commission said it preliminarily found Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX and XVideos failed to protect children's rights and wellbeing in violation of the Digital Services Act (DSA) under the investigation launched in May 2025.
The EU said minors could access all four platforms by a simple click confirming they are over 18, and accused the companies of prioritising their reputation over children's safety.
The commission told the porn platforms they need to implement age verification measures that preserve privacy while preventing children from seeing harmful content.
"Children are accessing adult content at increasingly younger ages and these platforms must put in place robust, privacy-preserving and effective measures to keep minors off their services," EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen said in a statement.
If confirmed to be in breach, the EU can fine the platforms up to six percent of their respective global turnover.
Pornhub is owned by Cyprus-based Aylo and Stripchat is also headquartered on the Mediterranean island. XNXX and XVideos are based in the Czech Republic.
XVideos told AFP that the EU was "asking us to commit suicide for nothing", adding that age checks would do "nothing to prevent minors from accessing adult content, as we know they will simply move to other, less safe sites that are completely out of reach of regulators".

Transatlantic alignment on minors?

As the EU announced its wide-ranging probe into Snapchat, the commission said it feared the platform was "exposing minors to grooming attempts" and information about the sale of illegal products like drugs.
"Snapchat appears to have overlooked that the Digital Services Act demands high safety standards for all users," Virkkunen said.
Snapchat has around 97 million monthly active users in the EU.
The company said its users' safety and well-being were a "top priority".
"We have fully cooperated with the commission to date -- engaging proactively, transparently and working in good faith to meet the DSA's high safety standards -- and we will continue to do so," a Snapchat spokesperson said.
The EU's actions come after a Los Angeles jury on Wednesday found Meta -- the American parent company of Facebook and Instagram -- and YouTube liable for harming a young woman through the addictive design of their platforms.
Virkkunen welcomed the verdict, which handed plaintiffs in more than a thousand similar pending cases significant leverage, saying it sent "a very clear message" that platforms need to take seriously "the risks they are posing".

More EU moves

Facebook and Instagram are also under investigation in the EU in two separate probes, one of which is focused on how the platforms protect children.
Virkkunen indicated there would be preliminary findings "soon" in the case, especially regarding the probe's focus on age verification.
In a watershed moment, the EU last month told Chinese-owned platform TikTok to change its "addictive design" or face heavy fines under the EU's DSA.
The EU is also developing an age verification app with pilot schemes ongoing in six member states including Denmark and France.
Brussels says when it is rolled out, it will be a "user-friendly and privacy-preserving age verification method".
raz/sbk

politics

Cuban children's heart hospital makes tough choices amid US blockade

BY LISANDRA COTS

  • Herminia Palenzuela, a 79-year-old doctor, said the William Soler Pediatric Hospital must now make "very difficult" decisions.
  • Doctors at Cuba's main pediatric heart hospital face wrenching decisions as a US fuel blockade further strains an already fragile health system: which children receive life-saving treatment first -- and which must wait longer.
  • Herminia Palenzuela, a 79-year-old doctor, said the William Soler Pediatric Hospital must now make "very difficult" decisions.
Doctors at Cuba's main pediatric heart hospital face wrenching decisions as a US fuel blockade further strains an already fragile health system: which children receive life-saving treatment first -- and which must wait longer.
During a visit by AFP journalists, mothers wearing medical masks were bedside next to children sitting or laying in dim rooms, with the sun providing the only light through the windows.
Universal health care is one of the proud achievements of the Cuban revolution, but the island's hospitals have struggled with shortages and aging equipment for years.
The situation has deteriorated since US President Donald Trump imposed a de facto oil blockade in January, with Cubans enduring daily blackouts that last several hours.
Herminia Palenzuela, a 79-year-old doctor, said the William Soler Pediatric Hospital must now make "very difficult" decisions.
Children with the least serious cases are "at the end of the list and simply wait," she said.

'Lucky' so far

The hospital treats newborns, children, and pregnant women whose fetuses have been diagnosed with severe congenital heart defects.
It has 100 beds, but they are not all used as doctors says they must conserve equipment and medical supplies for the sickest patients.
"Resources are always reserved for that type of patient, because they are the ones who could die at any moment," said Palenzuela, her face etched with anguish.
"We would like to operate more. We would like to do more, but the resources don't allow us to do so," said Palenzuela, who founded the hospital in 1986.
Yaima Sanchez waited in a dimly lit hallway for her nine-year-old son to be seen and given the portable device needed to monitor his heart rate.
"I come here with the faith that the doctors will see me with whatever they have available," said Sanchez, whose son has tachycardia, an abnormally fast heartbeat.
"Sometimes the device isn't there, or it's dead because there are no batteries," she told AFP. "So far, we've been lucky, but you never know."

'Dramatic levels'

With daily blackouts affecting Cubans across the island -- including two nationwide outages last week alone -- the government has prioritized hospitals, which are equipped with generators to ensure they never go dark.
Palenzuela said she can only visit the hospital three times a week. Colleagues walk several kilometers to work every day. A transport system has been set up for health workers, but not all have access to it.
In Havana, nurses and doctors in white lab coats are among people seen hitchhiking along the capital's famous Malecon seafront promenade.
According to the health ministry, more than 96,000 Cubans, including 11,000 children, are waiting for surgeries due to the energy crisis.
The director of the William Soler hospital, Eugenio Selmam, said a US trade embargo in force since 1962 has always made it difficult for Cuba to get medicine and medical equipment.
"It's something we have lived with for decades," Selmam said. "But now, with this new situation, it has reached dramatic levels."
The United Nations, which is in talks with Washington to allow imports of fuel for its aid work in Cuba, has proposed an action plan to keep critical services running in the country.
"If the current situation continues and the country's fuel reserves are exhausted, we do fear a rapid deterioration, with the potential loss of life," the UN's coordinator in Cuba, Francisco Pichon, said Wednesday.
The hospital this week received a shipment of medicine, food and hygiene products from an international humanitarian aid convoy that brought 50 tonnes of supplies to Cuba by sea and air.
"The situation is clearly complicated," said Martina Steinwurzel, a 41-year-old Italian activist and member of the Our America Convoy.
As volunteers and medical staff stacked boxes of donated supplies in a hospital room, Steinwurzel looked around and said: "These are people who have resisted for many years, and now they are living through a siege they have never experienced in their history."
lis/rd/lt/mlm

trial

UK PM 'very keen' to curb addictive social media after US ruling

  • "I'm very keen that we do more on addictive features within social media," he added.
  • UK leader Keir Starmer said Thursday he was "very keen" to tackle addictive features on social media following a landmark US ruling that found Meta and YouTube liable for harming a young woman.
  • "I'm very keen that we do more on addictive features within social media," he added.
UK leader Keir Starmer said Thursday he was "very keen" to tackle addictive features on social media following a landmark US ruling that found Meta and YouTube liable for harming a young woman.
Britain's government is currently considering new restrictions for popular social media apps, as countries around the world grapple with how to keep children safe online.
Starmer said officials would study "very carefully" Wednesday's decision by a jury in Los Angeles, which found that Meta and YouTube were negligent in the design and operation of their platforms.
The jurors ordered the companies to pay $6 million in damages, including $3 million in punitive damages, holding them accountable for the mental health toll of their design choices.
"The status quo isn't good enough. We need to do more to protect children," Starmer said during a visit to Finland.
"I'm very keen that we do more on addictive features within social media," he added.
The two chambers of Britain's parliament are currently in a stand-off over whether the government should follow Australia and issue a blanket ban on social media for children under 16.
The unelected upper House of Lords voted in favour of prohibiting social media for under-16s for a second time late Wednesday, piling pressure on the government to follow suit.
MPs in the House of Commons, where Starmer's Labour party enjoys a huge majority, have already rejected the proposal once.
Starmer has not ruled out a ban but is awaiting the outcome of a public consultation, due to close on May 26.
pdh/jkb/jj