Bad Bunny makes history with sweeping Coachella set

AFP
New Delhi, India

 Apr 16, 2023,

Photograph:(Twitter)

This year is the first time Coachella hasn't booked a white headliner: following Bad Bunny, K-pop superstars Blackpink and the influential but reclusive R&B artist Frank Ocean top the bill at Coachella.

Bad Bunny was among Coachella's most hotly anticipated acts and the Puerto Rican reggaeton giant delivered late Friday, performing two hours of his numerous hits set against an homage to trailblazing Latino artists.

The megastar was the first Spanish-language and first Latin American act to headline the major festival, which takes place over two three-day weekends and traditionally kicks off the summer touring circuit.

It's but another notch on the belt of the artist born Benito Martinez Ocasio, the 29-year-old who is by most measures the biggest pop star in the world.

With tracks from "Vete" to "Titi Me Pregunto" to "Yo Perreo Sola," the artist shut down the festival's main stage in front of thousands of screaming fans, with trippy visuals and fireworks and flames bursting behind him.

The show also featured documentary-style footage with voiceovers contextualizing the history of the Latin American, and more specifically Caribbean, music that features heavily in his work. He also included extended dance breaks to classics including Ismael Rivera's "Las Tumbas" and El Gran Combo's "Brujeria."

Like many artists at Coachella, Bad Bunny brought on famous guests including Post Malone, who -- despite technical difficulties that rendered the artists at times inaudible -- performed an acoustic version of "La Cancion" to the crowd's delight.

Early in the set, Bad Bunny asked the crowd if they preferred he speak English or Spanish, and the response was a resounding vote for the latter.

Though he's already one of the world's top contemporary acts and played Coachella as a solo artist in 2019, he acknowledged the boundary that was broken Friday night as the night's top-billed performer: "There's never been someone like me before," he said in Spanish.

Blink and Blondie -

Hours before the groundbreaking set, fans witnessed the festival revive its turn-of-the-millennium rock roots, as Blink-182 gave a surprise show announced just one day prior.

The nostalgic headbanging moment was the pop-punk group's first performance with their original lineup in nearly a decade, and had droves of 30-somethings reliving the soundtrack to their youths.

Band members Travis Barker, Mark Hoppus and Tom DeLonge -- who are now all pushing or past 50 -- delivered the hits of middle school dances yore, including "The Rock Show" and "What's My Age Again."

By the set's close, the band had thousands of people belting out a moody "I Miss You" before a mass singalong of "All The Small Things."

After the set, many rushed to a neighboring tent to catch a blockbuster show from Blondie, who also delivered hits including "Heart of Glass" and "Call Me," and invited guest Nile Rodgers onstage.

- Globalized lineup -

But neither rock nor legacy acts dominated Friday's slate, which featured main stage shows from rappers Pusha T and Doechii, a performance from Nigeria's Burna Boy and DJ sets from the likes of Nora en Pure and Idris Elba. (Yes, that Idris Elba.)

Belgium's pop star Angele made her Coachella debut in a coveted nighttime slot, donning a disco ball of an outfit to perform her brand of jazz-inflected electro-pop alongside tightly choreographed dancers and occasional French subtitles on display behind her.

Belgium's Angele delivers French lesson with Coachella set (france24.com)

Los Angeles native Becky G donned a bright blue bikini and baggy JNCO jeans for her highly anticipated performance, which featured a smattering of her hits and some regional Mexican guest appearances paying homage to her Mexican-American roots.

"A lot of Latin artists are breaking a lot of barriers," fan Katherine Narvaez told AFP ahead of Becky G's show.

"It's amazing to see her grow as an artist and kill it at the show," the 28-year-old said.

Along with Bad Bunny and Becky G, the strong showing from Latinos this year includes rapper Eladio Carrion, Argentina's Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, and the Grammy-winning Kali Uchis.

This year is the first time Coachella hasn't booked a white headliner: following Bad Bunny, K-pop superstars Blackpink and the influential but reclusive R&B artist Frank Ocean top the bill at Coachella.

And the weekend is hosting perhaps the most international lineup Coachella has ever booked, including Spanish phenomenon Rosalia and Iceland's Bjork.

The elusive electronic producer Jai Paul is set to play his first public performance ever, while Diljit Dosanjh will become the first Punjabi singer to perform at Coachella.

Also on deck for the rest of the weekend are American indie rock supergroup boygenius -- which includes Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker -- and Charli XCX.

MONOPOLY CAPITALI$M

Microsoft's bid to buy games giant faces triple anti-trust thre


Raziye Akkoc
Sat, April 15, 2023 


Depending on which side you're on, tech giant Microsoft is either the hero fighting to bring some of the most popular video games to more people, or the villain on the brink of killing competition in the sector.

The Xbox-owner has embarked on a campaign to convince all three EU, UK and US regulators to back its $69 billion bid to take over Activision Blizzard, owner of hit games "Candy Crush" and "Call Of Duty".

The effort to create the world's third largest gaming company by revenue was launched last year but the company must now address concerns from all three regulators that if it takes control of such market-leading games it could stifle competition.

Sony, which produces the bestselling PlayStation console, says the deal will give Microsoft the power to limit rivals' access to the popular franchise. Microsoft argues it would not make financial sense for it to do so.

And the toughest authority to convince could be the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which in February issued preliminary findings that the takeover could harm competition and consumer choice.

The British market is smaller than that of the United States or the European Union, but if the CMA blocks the Activision Blizzard takeover, Microsoft would probably have to back down.

Microsoft would have to comply since removing all of its products from British users would mean losing a huge market, Anne Witt, a professor of anti-trust law at EDHEC business school in France, told AFP.

"It is unthinkable that Microsoft would completely withdraw from the UK. It's not only video games, it's Windows," Witt said, referring to Microsoft's globally dominant PC operating system.

Witt pointed to the UK regulator's recent decision to order Facebook owner Meta to sell animated graphics startup Giphy, ruling that the deal would harm competition.

"The CMA is the first competition agency ever to have prohibited a big tech acquisition," Witt said AFP.

- 'Loss-making' -

If the CMA takes a harder line than Brussels on the Microsoft and Activision Blizzard deal, it would mark the first time since Brexit that the UK regulator has differed from the EU in such a major case.

But deep-pocketed Microsoft could appeal to the competition appeals tribunal, where experts say they have a real chance of winning.

And Microsoft appeared to get a reprieve last month when the CMA narrowed the scope of its probe to cloud gaming -- agreeing with Microsoft that if the firm made "Call of Duty" exclusive to the Xbox console it "would be significantly loss-making".

The CMA is expected to rule by April 26, while the EU is due to decide by May 22, so there is space for them to diverge from each other -- or for either to disagree with the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

"It's possible for the UK and EU and then even the FTC, to say that it is anti-competitive," said Eleanor Fox, a professor at New York University law school.

"And it's possible to have divergence on what is the right remedy, whether you stop the whole thing or whether you allow Microsoft to make certain promises."

- FTC fight -

The case is emblematic of regulators' newly focused attitude towards big tech companies, and Witt said the British regulator seems to be taking on a leadership role among its peers.

The European Commission is expected to be an easier hurdle than Britain.

During Microsoft executive Brad Smith's visit to Brussels, he appeared confident the EU would rubber stamp the acquisition after the company showed evidence of its deals with cloud gaming service providers.

Microsoft argues that these will give 150 million more people access to games like "Call of Duty".

Meanwhile, Microsoft still has to face down a challenge in its US home market from the FTC, which has filed suit to block the takeover, alleging the firm had previously acquired smaller gaming companies to take the games exclusive.

But Witt said the chances that the FTC could convince a US court to slap down the deal were "very low".

raz/dc/lth

Brazil's Lula raises Russia war mediation with China, UAE

Issued on: 16/04/2023 

This handout image provided by the UAE's Presidential Court on April 15, 2023, shows UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan and Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Abu Dhabi 

© Ryan CARTER / UAE PRESIDENTIAL COURT/AFP

Abu Dhabi (AFP) – Brazil's president on Sunday said he had discussed joint mediation for Russia's war in Ukraine with China and the United Arab Emirates, accusing the United States and Europe of prolonging the conflict.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who was wrapping up an official visit to China and the UAE after returning for a third term in office, said the two countries and others should join a "political G20" to try to end the war.

The veteran leftist, who has faced accusations of being overly cosy with Russian President Vladimir Putin, also remarked that the war was caused "by decisions made by two countries".

"President Putin doesn't take any initiatives to stop the war. (President Volodymyr) Zelensky from Ukraine doesn't take any initiatives to stop the war," Lula, speaking through an official translator, told reporters in Abu Dhabi.

"Europe and the US continue to give their way of contribution to continue the war. So they have to sit around the table and say, 'That's enough'."

While in China, Lula accused Washington of "encouraging" the war by supplying weapons to Ukraine.

He also lashed out at the dollar's dominance in global trade, calling for a new currency for transactions between the BRICS countries -- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
Biofuel deal

The 77-year-old said he spoke to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, about forming a group of countries to mediate, styled after the G20 group of advanced economies.

"The G20 was formed to bail out the (world) economy that was in crisis," Lula said.

"Now it's important to create another kind of G20 to end this war and establish peace. This is my intent and I think that we'll manage to have great success.

"Yesterday I talked to the sheikh about the war. I talked to Xi Jinping about the war. And I think that we're meeting a set of people that prefer to talk about peace than war. And so I think we're going to have success."

Lula said he had already discussed his initiative with US President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and the leaders of some South American countries.

Despite his comments about the US, the 77-year-old, who returned to power in January after serving two terms from 2003 to 2010, is also seeking closer ties with Washington.

His visit to China and the UAE, postponed by a bout of pneumonia, came after a meeting with US President Joe Biden in February.

Unlike Western powers, neither China nor Brazil has imposed sanctions against Moscow over Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The UAE has maintained a neutral stance in the conflict.

Lula, who was due to fly back to Brazil early on Sunday, said his delegation had signed deals worth $10 billion in China.

Earlier, Brazil and the UAE announced a series of deals, including an investment of up to $2.5 billion for a biodiesel project by the UAE-controlled Mataripe refinery in Brazil.

The UAE will host the COP28 UN climate talks later this year, and Brazil is a candidate to host the 2025 edition.

© 2023 AFP

'Not our friends': Anger with Russia builds in Armenia


AFP
Issued on: 16/04/2023 

Protesters in front of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh, the disputed region sought by both Armenia and Azerbaijan, in December 2022 

© Davit GHAHRAMANYAN / AFP


Yerevan (AFP) – Standing in a busy street flanked by green sycamores near Yerevan's Opera House, Artur Sargsyan says Russia is an unreliable partner and Armenia should look for allies elsewhere.

"I dream of a day when Armenia leaves the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) and the Russian sphere of influence," said Sargsyan, a 26-year-old philologist, referring to the Moscow-led regional pact.

"Russia and the CSTO have not helped Armenia during a very difficult time," he told AFP, referring to the inaction of the security bloc in the face of hostilities with arch-foe Azerbaijan.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has sent shock waves across former Soviet countries and prompted Moscow's traditional partners to seek allies elsewhere.

A key illustration of Russia's diminishing regional influence is Armenia, until now one of Moscow's closest allies.

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the tiny Caucasus country of around three million people has relied on Russia for its military and economic support. The country hosts a Russian military base and many people in the country speak Russian.

But now many in Armenia say they cannot forgive Moscow for shirking its responsibility to defend their country militarily against Turkey-allied Azerbaijan.

The two Caucasus nations have fought two wars for control of the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, and the latest conflict in 2020 led to Armenia's defeat and the loss of swathes of territory it had controlled for years.

The frustration with Moscow, which is bogged down in Ukraine, has grown further after Azerbaijan blocked the sole land link between Karabakh and Armenia in mid-December.

"Armenia is a small country and it must join a Western bloc, an alliance where it will receive real help," said another Yerevan resident, Arpine Madaryan.

"We should leave the CSTO. They are not helping us, they are not our friends," added the 42-year-old English teacher.

'Trust at historic low'

During the six weeks of fighting that claimed thousands of lives in autumn 2020, Turkey backed Azerbaijan diplomatically and militarily, while Armenia was left alone in the face of the much more powerful enemy.

The Kremlin only intervened diplomatically.

President Vladimir Putin brokered a ceasefire deal that saw Yerevan cede territory it had controlled for decades, and Russia deployed peacekeepers to oversee the fragile truce.

In Armenia, the deal was seen as a national humiliation.

Its prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, has openly complained to Putin about "problems" with Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh and appealed to the international community to help prevent "genocide" in Azerbaijan's breakaway region.

In January, Armenia scrapped plans to host CSTO drills, but has so far refused to quit the pact altogether.

An international arrest warrant for Putin issued in March over the Ukraine war has added to the tensions between Moscow and Yerevan.

Russia has warned Armenia against ratifying the International Criminal Court's founding treaty, whose members would be expected to make the arrest if Putin steps foot in their territory.

Since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and the military mobilisation of hundreds of thousands of men, Armenia has seen an influx of tens of thousands of Russians.

But while ordinary Russians are welcome in the country, the mood against Moscow's elites is palpably changing.

"The trust in Russia is at its historic low in Armenia," said political analyst Vigen Hakobyan.

"The disappointment in Russians is so deep that it could fuel anti-Russian sentiment over time."

Another analyst, Hakob Badalyan, added: "The overwhelming majority of the Armenian elites are anti-Russian."

'Pragmatic considerations'

But Armenia's future trajectory is not clear, and many analysts say the small country cannot afford to quit the CSTO.

In the majority-Armenian region of Karabakh, many expressed mixed feelings about the Russian peacekeepers, still seen as the only protecting force against Azerbaijan.

"Russian peacekeepers are deterring the Azerbaijanis who want to kill all the Armenians and expel us from our homes," a 56-year-old Karabakh resident told AFP on condition of anonymity.

"But when a whole village and important military positions are taken by Azerbaijani forces overnight, we begin to doubt the Russians' integrity," he added.

Clashes between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces are frequent. On Tuesday, seven servicemen died in the latest shootout along the two countries' shared border.

Independent Russian analyst Konstantin Kalachev said Moscow did not want to hurt ties with Azerbaijan's patron Turkey over Armenia.

"Moscow has refrained from taking sides in the conflict out of pragmatic considerations," he told AFP.

"Armenia has nowhere to go in any case."

© 2023 AFP

Iraq’s ancient treasures sand-blasted by climate change

Ancient Babylonian treasures are slowly disappearing again under windblown sand in a land parched by rising heat and prolonged droughts

In the next 10 years, it is estimated sand could have covered 80 to 90 per cent of the archaeological sites, says archaeologist


Agence France-Presse
Published:  16 Apr, 2023

The Sumerian ruins of Umm al-Aqarib, “the Mother of Scorpions”, in the southern desert province of Dhi Qar, Iraq. Photo: AFP


Iraqi archaeological marvels that have survived millennia and the ravages of war now face a modern threat: being blasted and slowly buried by sandstorms linked to climate change.


Ancient Babylonian treasures, painstakingly unearthed, are slowly disappearing again under windblown sand in a land parched by rising heat and prolonged droughts.


Iraq, one of the countries worst-hit by climate change, endured a dozen major sandstorms last year that turned the sky orange, brought daily life to a halt and left its people gasping for air.

The masonry of an old structure at the Umm al-Aqarib archaeological site, frequently buried by sandstorms due to desertification, in the district of al-Rifai in Iraq’s southern Dhi Qar province. Photo: AFP


When the storms clear, layers of fine sand cover everything – including the Sumerian ruins of Umm al-Aqarib, “the Mother of Scorpions”, in the southern desert province of Dhi Qar.




Sandstorms have slowly begun to reverse years of work there to unearth the temples’ terracotta facades and many priceless artefacts, said archaeologist Aqeel al-Mansrawi.


Archaeologists in Iraq have always had to shovel sand, but now the volumes are growing.



After a decade of worsening storms, sand at Umm al-Aqarib now “covers a good part of the site”, that dates back to around 2350 BC and spans more than five square kilometres, he said.


In the past, the biggest threat was looting of antiquities at the ruins, where pottery fragments and clay tablets bearing ancient cuneiform script have been discovered.
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Now the changing weather and its impact on the land, especially creeping desertification, spell an additional threat to ancient sites all across southern Iraq, according to Mansrawi.



“In the next 10 years,” he said, “it is estimated that sand could have covered 80 to 90 per cent of the archaeological sites.”

Archaeologist Aqeel al-Mansrawi inspects old bricks and masonry remains at the Umm al-Aqarib archaeological site. Photo: AFP


The fabled land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers hosted some of the world’s earliest civilisations, the remains of which are under threat in modern-day Iraq.



The oil-rich country is still recovering from decades of dictatorship, war and insurgency and remains plagued by misrule, corruption and widespread poverty.


Compounding its woes, Iraq is also one of the five countries most affected by some effects of climate change, including drought, according to the United Nations.



Upstream dams in Turkey and Iraq have reduced the flow of its big rivers, and more water is wasted by Iraq’s ancient irrigation system and outdated farming practices.


Summer temperatures topping 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) now often batter Iraq where droughts have parched agricultural areas, driving farmers and pastoralists into crowded cities.


“The sandstorms became more frequent, the wind became dustier and the temperatures increased,” said Jaafar al-Jotheri, professor of archaeology at Iraq’s Al Qadisiyah University.



“The soil has become more fragile and fragmented because of the lack of vegetation and roots,” he explained.

An aerial plan view of an ancient structure at the Umm al-Aqarib archaeological site in the district of al-Rifai in Iraq’s southern Dhi Qar province. Photo: AFP


As more farmers flee the countryside, “their land is left behind and abandoned and its soil becomes more exposed to the wind”.



Winds picked up “more sediment fragments that reach the archaeological sites”, Jotheri said, adding that the “sand and silt cause physical weathering and disintegration of buildings”.


The problem is compounded by salinisation, said Mark Altaweel, professor of Near East Archaeology at University College London.


During extreme heat, he explained, water on the land surface evaporates so quickly that the soil does not reabsorb the crystals, which are left behind as a crust.


“When it’s hyper dry, the water quickly evaporates and that leaves that salt residue,” he said, adding that “you can see it on the bricks”.


Jotheri said that salt in the earth carried by sandstorms caused “chemical weathering for archaeological buildings”.

The masonry of an old structure at the Umm al-Aqarib archaeological site in Iraq’s southern Dhi Qar province. Photo: AFP


Iraqi authorities insist they are tackling the complex and multi-layered problem.


The government “is working to contain the sand dunes”, said Chamel Ibrahim, director of antiquities of Dhi Qar province.


He pointed to a plan to plant a “green belt” of trees at a cost of about $3.8 million.


But Jotheri voiced doubt, saying that to keep the vegetation alive, “you need a lot of water”.


When it came to climate change, he said, “we are the country facing the most and acting the least. We are at the bottom of the list in terms of acting against climate change.”

Israeli judicial protest movement again crowds Tel Aviv


AFP
Sat, April 15, 2023

Thousands of Israelis again took to the streets of Tel Aviv late Saturday to protest government judicial reforms they view as an attack on democracy.

The 15th consecutive week of protest came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on March 27 announced a "pause" to allow for dialogue on the reforms which were moving through parliament and split the nation.

"Let's save democracy" read signs in a sea of Israeli flags waved by demonstrators. AFP journalists also reported smoke bombs and flares being set off.

Smaller protests also took place in the northern port of Haifa and outside the home of Justice Minister Yariv Levin in Modiin.

Israeli media reported tens of thousands had turned out, as occurred in some previous demonstrations.

"We are fighting for our democracy. We have no other country," one demonstrator, Nadav Tamir, 61, told AFP.

Karen Baron, a 45-year-old Tel Aviv psychiatrist, said: "I didn't want to come today but my sister told me, 'We have no choice', and it's true. We have no choice -- we can't lower our guard. We have to defend our country."

The proposals would curtail the authority of the Supreme Court and give politicians greater powers over the selection of judges.

Netanyahu's government, a coalition between his Likud party and extreme-right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish allies, argues the changes are needed to rebalance powers between lawmakers and the judiciary.

Saturday's demonstration came a day after US rating agency Moody's announced it was lowering Israel's rating from "positive" to "stable".

It said the change "reflects a deterioration of Israel's governance, as illustrated by the recent events around the government's proposal for overhauling the country's judiciary.

"While mass protests have led the government to pause the legislation and seek dialogue with the opposition, the manner in which the government has attempted to implement a wide-ranging reform without seeking broad consensus points to a weakening of institutional strength and policy predictability," Moody's noted.

alv/srm/it

WEEKEND OF ASSASSINATIONS

Former Indian lawmaker and brother shot dead on live TV

Issued on: 16/04/2023 -

Police and media surround the area where former MP Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf were shot in Uttar Pradesh, India, Saturday, April 15, 2023

. © Rajesh Kumar Singh, AP

Text by:NEWS WIRES

A former Indian lawmaker convicted of kidnapping and facing murder and assault charges was shot dead along with his brother in a dramatic attack that was caught live on TV in northern India, officials said Sunday.

Atiq Ahmad and his brother, Ashraf Ahmad, were under police escort on their way to a medical checkup at a hospital on Saturday night when three men posing as journalists targeted the two brothers from close range in Prayagraj city in Uttar Pradesh state.

The men quickly surrendered to the police after the shooting, with at least one of them chanting “Jai Shri Ram” or “Hail Lord Ram,” a slogan that has become a battle cry for Hindu nationalists in their campaign against Muslims.

Uttar Pradesh is governed by India’s ruling Hindu-nationalist Bhartiya Janata Party.

Police officer Ramit Sharma said the three assailants came on motorcycles posing as journalists.

“They managed to reach close to Atiq and his brother on the pretext of recording a byte and fired at them from close range. Both sustained bullet injuries on the head," he said.

“It all happened in seconds," Sharma said.

On Thursday, Atiq Ahmad's teenage son and another man, who had both been blamed for a recent murder, were killed by police in what was described as a shootout.

Atiq Ahmad, 60, was jailed in 2019 after he was convicted of kidnapping. He was a local lawmaker four times and was also elected to India's parliament in 2004.

His lawyer, Vijay Mishra, said the incident was shocking as “it is a clear failure of the police in ensuring the safety" of his clients.

Opposition parties criticized the killings as a security lapse.

(AP)

AND ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION

(ACTUALLY ANTI-G7 PROTESTER)

Japan PM Urges Better Security after Blast Targets Speech

Sunday, 16 April, 2023 - 

A man is held by police officers after an object was thrown near Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during a speech in Wakayama, Japan, on April 15, 2023. Reuters
Asharq Al-Awsat

Japan needs to increase security as Group of Seven officials visit, the country's prime minister said Sunday, a day after an explosive was thrown at him during a campaign event.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida escaped unharmed after the device, reportedly a pipe bomb, was thrown towards him as he campaigned in the western city of Wakayama on Saturday.

A 24-year-old man was arrested, but has so far revealed nothing about his motives in the attack, which came as Japan hosts two G7 ministerial meetings.

"At a time when high-ranking officials from all over the world are visiting... Japan as a whole needs to maximize its efforts to ensure security and safety," Kishida told reporters on Sunday.

"It's unforgivable such a violent act was committed during an election campaign," AFP quoted him as saying.

He said he expected police to step up security measures in the wake of the incident, which came less than a year after Japan's former prime minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated by a gunman in the western city of Nara.

Japanese prime minister unharmed after blast heard at speech


UPDATED ON: APRIL 15, 2023 / CBS/AFP

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was evacuated from a port in Wakayama after someone threw an explosive device in his direction, but he was unharmed in the incident, local media reported Saturday, and a man was arrested at the scene.

Several reports, including by Kyodo news agency, said an apparent "smoke bomb" had been thrown but there were no signs of injuries or damage at the scene. It wasn't immediately clear what the explosive device was or how many the suspect had.

Kishida was in the city to deliver remarks in support of a ruling party candidate when a disturbance rippled through the crowd gathered to hear him speak.

Footage from national broadcaster NHK showed the prime minister turning to look backwards as a person was detained by security and people moved away, some shrieking.

Seconds later, a blast was heard and white smoke filled the air. Cell phone video captured the chaos as the crowd scattered after the sound of the blast.

Footage and photos from the scene showed a silver, pipe-like object on the ground, but it was not immediately clear whether it had caused the blast and smoke.

Government officials said a man had been arrested on suspicion of obstruction of business. He has been identified as a 24-year-old man from the Hyogo region, a Wakayama police official told AFP. There was no immediate information on a potential motive.

One witness Saturday told NHK television that she was standing in the crowd when she saw something come flying from behind. After a sudden loud noise, she fled with her children. Another witness said people were screaming and that he saw someone being apprehended right before the explosion occurred.

"I ran frantically, and then, 10 or so seconds later, there was a loud sound and my kid started crying. I was stunned, my heart is still beating fast," one woman told NHK.

A man at the scene told the broadcaster that "when we all stopped in front of the podium, someone started saying 'culprit!' or something, or 'an explosive was thrown,' so everyone started dispersing fast."

"And then, about 10 seconds after the culprit was captured, there was a blast," he said.

Kishida was unharmed, and soon resumed campaigning, including a stop at a local train station.

"There was a loud blast sound at the previous speech venue. Police are investigating details, but I'd like to apologize for worrying many people and causing them trouble," he said.

"An election that's important to our country is taking place, and we must work together and follow through on it."

He made a campaign stop later in the day in Chiba, east of Tokyo, despite the incident, which his party's election strategy chairman Hiroshi Moriyama described as an "unforgivable atrocity."

Saturday's attack comes ahead of nationwide local elections, including several by-elections for vacated parliamentary seats, with voting scheduled for April 23.

Last July, former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was fatally shot while giving an outdoor speech in the western Japanese city of Nara. Police arrested the suspect at the scene, and he was later charged with murder.

The country bolstered security around politicians after Abe's assassination. Security at local campaign events in Japan can be relatively relaxed, in a country with little violent crime and strict gun laws.

The head of Japan's National Police Agency, and the local police chief, resigned in the wake of Abe's assassination after an investigation confirmed "shortcomings" in the security for the former leader.

The incident comes as climate and energy ministers from the Group of Seven countries meet in the northern city of Sapporo, and a day before the bloc's foreign ministers arrive in the resort town of Karuizawa for talks.

Japan will host the G7 leaders' summit next month in Hiroshima and security concerns have regularly been raised.

SEE

https://nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/sffaudio-usa/mp3s/TheAssassinationBureauLtdByJackLondon.pdf

Hundreds of Houthi prisoners, 16 Saudis freed on day two of swap

Houthi rebels free 16 Saudis, three Sudanese as Riyadh also releases hundreds of Yemeni prisoners on second day of detainee exchange.

An exchange of nearly 900 prisoners from Yemen's civil war started on April 14, the biggest swap since 2020 [Saleh al-Obeidi/AFP]

Published On 15 Apr 2023

Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni Houthi rebels have freed hundreds of prisoners of war as part of a multi-day exchange amid concerted efforts to end Yemen’s eight-year-old war, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Saturday’s first flight left the southern Saudi city of Abha for Yemen’s Houthi-held capital Sanaa with 120 Houthi rebel prisoners, ICRC public affairs and media adviser Jessica Moussan said.

It was followed by a flight from Sanaa to Riyadh carrying 20 former detainees, among them 16 Saudis and three Sudanese, according to the state-affiliated Al Ekhbariya channel.

Sudan is part of the Saudi-led military coalition fighting in Yemen and has provided ground troops for the conflict.

Standing on the tarmac at Sanaa International Airport, Mohammed al-Darwi, a Houthi prisoner released in the exchange, told Al Jazeera: “We are happy to return to Sanaa after we were in the prisons of the enemy.”

The Sanaa-Riyadh flight also included a brother and son of Tareq Saleh, a member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council and nephew of ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Other flights on Saturday included a second Abha-Sanaa leg with 117 Houthis on board, and three more carrying a combined 100 Houthis to Sanaa from the government-held Yemeni town of Mokha.

The exchange came after 318 prisoners were transported on Friday on four flights between government-controlled Aden and the rebel-held capital, Sanaa, reuniting with their families before next week’s Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr.

The prisoner exchange, which involves the release of more than 800 prisoners from all sides of the conflict, is a confidence-building measure coinciding with an intense diplomatic push to end Yemen’s war, which has left hundreds of thousands dead from the fighting as well as knock-on effects, such as food shortages and lack of access to healthcare.

Path to peace?

Analysts say eight years after mobilising a coalition to crush the Houthis, the Saudis have come to terms with the fact this goal will not be met and are looking to wind down their military engagement.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who was a 29-year-old defence minister when the war began, has since become the kingdom’s de facto ruler and is keen to focus on his sweeping “Vision 2030” domestic reform agenda.

The Saudi exit strategy appears to have taken new impetus from a landmark rapprochement deal announced with Iran last month.

“This [the prisoner swap] is the first concrete result of not only the Omani mediation but also the Iran-Saudi agreement which is beginning to bear fruit in Yemen and elsewhere in the region,” Nabeel Khoury, former US deputy chief of mission in Yemen, told Al Jazeera.

The China-brokered agreement calls for the Middle East heavyweights to fully restore diplomatic ties following a seven-year rupture and has the potential to remake regional ties.

Saudi Arabia is also pushing for the reintegration into the Arab League of Iran ally Syria, more than a decade after its suspension over President Bashar al-Assad’s brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protests.

On Friday, the kingdom, which once openly championed Assad’s removal, hosted top diplomats from eight other Arab countries in the Red Sea city of Jeddah for talks on Syria. It issued a statement highlighting the “importance of having an Arab leadership role in efforts to end the crisis”.

Returned Houthi prisoners pray on the tarmac upon arrival at Sanaa International Airport [Mohammed Huwais/AFP]

In Yemen, active combat has reduced over the past year following a United Nations-brokered truce that officially lapsed in October but has largely held.

A week ago, a Saudi delegation travelled to Sanaa, held by the Houthis since 2014, for talks aimed at reviving the truce and laying the groundwork for a more durable ceasefire.

The delegation, led by Ambassador Mohammed al-Jaber, left Sanaa late on Thursday without a finalised truce but with plans for more talks, according to Houthi and Yemeni government sources.

Even if Saudi Arabia manages to negotiate a way out of the war, fighting could flare up again among the different Yemeni factions.

“Saudi Arabia has been struggling to draw down its military involvement in Yemen and … seeks a long-term sustainable peace that will allow it to focus on its economic priorities,” said Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House.

“Yet, despite its intention, it will be the longtime broker, investor and conflict guarantor of Yemen.”

Speaking from Washington, DC, former Yemeni detainee Hisham al-Omeisy agreed while the average Yemeni is desperate for peace, a real end to the war may be a long way still.

“A lot of people think that the end of the war will happen in a few weeks or months. I would caution against that,” he told Al Jazeera.

“It [peace] will take at least a year or two because the conflict is not just between the Houthis and the Saudis. It’s protracted and polarised with many parties and factions inside Yemen that need to be brought into an inclusive, holistic, and comprehensive [peace] process.”

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES

Red Cross: Yemen rebels, Saudi coalition begin prisoner swap

By AHMED AL-HAJ and SAMY MAGDY

April 14, 2023

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Houthi prisoners are greeted as they arrive to Sanaa airport, Friday, April 14, 2023. An exchange of more than 800 prisoners linked to Yemen's long-running war them began Friday, the International Committee for the Red Cross said. The three-day operations will see flights transport prisoners between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's capital, Sanaa, long held by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.

 ((AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)

SANAA, Yemen (AP) — An exchange of more than 800 prisoners linked to Yemen’s long-running war began on Friday, the International Committee for the Red Cross said. The United Nations-brokered deal, in the works for months, comes amid concerted diplomatic efforts to negotiate an end to the conflict.

The three-day operation will be the most significant prisoner exchange in Yemen since the Saudi-led coalition and their rivals, the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, released more than 1,000 detainees in October 2020.

Thousands of people are still believed to be held as prisoners of war since the conflict erupted, with others missing. But Fabrizio Carboni, the Red Cross’ regional director, said the release “gives a sense of momentum” for efforts to end the war.

“This will show that there is no way back to violence,” Carboni told journalists. The Red Cross later said that a total of 318 detainees were released on Friday.

In Sanaa, the Houthi-held capital of Yemen, dozens of former prisoners descended from a plane to a marching band and traditional Yemeni dancers, wearing ribbons with the colors of the Yemeni flag. Family members and a reception line of Houthi political leaders greeted the released with hugs and kisses.


An injured man was seen supported by medical workers. Carboni acknowledged some former prisoners needed medical care before making their flight, but “nothing out of the ordinary.”

Meanwhile, prisoners released by the rebel Houthis took flights to Aden, the seat of the country’s internationally recognized government allied with Saudi Arabia. Two rounds of simultaneous flights Friday between Aden and Sanaa transferred the prisoners.

As part of the exchange, flights will transport prisoners from government-controlled cities inside Yemen and Saudi Arabia to Sanaa, said Majed Fadail, a deputy minister for human rights for Yemen’s government.

Yemen’s conflict began in 2014 when the Houthis seized Sanaa and much of the country’s north. The internationally recognized government fled to the south and then into exile in Saudi Arabia.

The Houthi takeover prompted a Saudi-led coalition to intervene months later and the conflict turned into a regional proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, with the United States long involved on the periphery, providing intelligence assistance to the kingdom. However, international criticism over Saudi airstrikes killing civilians saw the U.S. pull back its support.

The war has killed more than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters.

The prisoner exchange had been scheduled to start earlier in the week but was delayed because of apparent logistical reasons.

The deal calls for the Houthis to release more than 180 prisoners, including Saudi and Sudanese troops fighting with the Saudi-led coalition, and four Yemeni journalists. The journalists were detained in recent years and sentenced to death by a Houthi-controlled court in a trial described by Amnesty International as “grossly unfair.”

The deal also includes the release of top military officials held by the Houthis since the start of the war. Among those released Friday were Maj. Gen. Mahmoud al-Subaihi, who was the defense minister when the war erupted, and Nasser Mansour Hadi, the brother of former Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi.





In return, the Saudi-led coalition and Yemeni government are scheduled to release more than 700 Houthis they hold, the rebels said.

Saudi Arabia has already freed 13 Houthi detainees who returned to Sanaa on April 9, ahead of a trip by Saudi ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed bin Saeed al-Jaber, to the Yemeni capital. Including those detainees, the deal should see 869 prisoners released, the Red Cross says.

Al-Jaber’s visit to Sanaa was part of Oman-brokered talks between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, aiming to revive a nationwide cease-fire that expired in October and relaunch inter-Yemeni peace talks to end the conflict. Those talks concluded on Friday and were “serious and positive,” said Mohammed Abdul-Salam, the chief Houthi negotiator, adding there will be another round of talks. He didn’t give further details.

A deal last month between Saudi Arabia and Iran to restore ties has boosted negotiations between the kingdom and the Houthis and invigorated hopes of a negotiated settlement to the Yemeni conflict.

“You need a form of political courage to agree on a peace plan … and that’s in the hand of the parties,” said Carboni, the Red Cross official.

Hans Grundberg, the U.N. envoy for Yemen, lauded the release and said that “thousands of Yemeni families are still waiting for the return of their loved ones.” He also urged for a U.N.-brokered solution to end the war.

However, some analysts fear that Saudi Arabia’s withdrawal could see a new version of the conflict erupt between Yemen’s rival administrations. There are also secessionists who want to restore a separate country of South Yemen, which existed from 1967 to 1990.

“I see prospects for temporary peace between the Saudis and the Houthis but escalation of violence within Yemen,” said Nadwa Dawsari, a nonresident scholar with the Middle East Institute, a Washington-based think tank.

Yemen also remains home to al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, viewed by Washington as a dangerous offshoot of the Islamic extremist group. The group has been able to take advantage of the conflict’s chaos to establish bases in the south of the country.

The Arab world’s most impoverished country, Yemen is also struggling with devastated infrastructure and gutted medical services that the prisoners, many of whom are injured and seriously ill, will be coming home to, said Afrah Nasser, a nonresident fellow at the Arab Center Washington DC.

“This is the sad part of this happy news,” she said.

Magdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report.

Sudan clashes kill at least 25 in power struggle between army, paramilitaries

2023/04/15


By Khalid Abdelaziz and Nafisa Eltahir

KHARTOUM (Reuters) -Clashes between Sudan's main paramilitary group and the armed forces on Saturday killed at least 25 people, a doctors' group said, in an apparent struggle for control amid the country's halting moves toward elections after a military coup.

The Sudanese Doctors' Union said 183 people were wounded in fighting between the military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). It was unclear whether the victims were civilians.

The group said it recorded deaths at Khartoum's airport and the nearby city of Omdurman as well as in the cities of Nyala, El Obeid and El Fasher, which are west of the capital Khartoum.

The paramilitary RSF claimed to have seized the presidential palace, army chief's residence, state television station and airports in Khartoum, the northern city of Merowe, El Fasher and West Darfur state. The army rejected those assertions.

The Sudanese air force late on Saturday told people to stay indoors while it conducted what it called an aerial survey of RSF activity, and a holiday was declared in Khartoum state for Sunday, closing schools, banks and government offices.

Gunfire and explosions could be heard across the capital, where TV footage showed smoke rising from several districts and social media videos captured military jets flying low over the city. Eyewitnesses reported shooting in adjoining cities.

A Reuters journalist saw cannon and armoured vehicles deployed on the capital's streets and heard heavy weapons fire near the headquarters of both the army and RSF.

Army chief General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan told Al Jazeera TV the RSF should back down: "We think if they are wise they will turn back their troops that came into Khartoum. But if it continues we will have to deploy troops into Khartoum from other areas."

The armed forces said on Facebook it would not negotiate with the RSF unless the paramilitary force dissolved. The army told soldiers seconded to the RSF to report to nearby army units, which could deplete RSF ranks if they obey.

The RSF leader, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemedti, called Burhan a "criminal" and a "liar". The military and RSF, which analysts say is 100,000 strong, have been competing for power as political factions negotiate forming a transitional government.

"We know where you are hiding and we will get to you and hand you over to justice, or you die just like any other dog," he said in an interview with the station.

A prolonged confrontation between the RSF and army could plunge Sudan into widespread conflict as it struggles with economic breakdown and tribal violence, and could also derail efforts to move towards elections.

The clashes follow rising tensions over the RSF's integration into the military. The disagreement has delayed the signing an internationally backed agreement with political parties on a transition to democracy.

A coalition of civilian groups that signed a draft version of that agreement in December called on Saturday for an immediate halt to hostilities, to stop Sudan sliding towards "the precipice of total collapse".

"This is a pivotal moment in the history of our country," they said in a statement. "This is a war that no one will win, and that will destroy our country forever."

The RSF accused the army of carrying out a plot by loyalists of former strongman President Omar Hassan al-Bashir - who was ousted in a coup in 2019 - and attempting a coup itself. A 2021 coup ousted the country's civilian prime minister.

RSF SAYS EGYPTIAN TROOPS SAFE

Eyewitnesses reported fighting in many areas outside the capital. Those included heavy exchanges of gunfire in Merowe, northern Sudan, eyewitnesses told Reuters.

The RSF shared a video that it said showed Egyptian troops who "surrendered" to them in Merowe. Egypt's military said the troops were in Sudan for exercises with their Sudanese counterparts.

Hemedti told Sky News Arabia the Egyptians were safe and the RSF would cooperate with Cairo on their return.

The video showed men dressed in army fatigues crouched on the ground and speaking to RSF members in an Egyptian Arabic dialect. Unconfirmed reports by open-source intelligence analysts said several Egyptian Air Force fighter planes and their pilots were captured by the RSF along with Sudanese weapons and military vehicles.

Clashes also erupted between the RSF and army in the Darfur cities of El Fasher and Nyala, eyewitnesses said.

International powers - the U.S., Russia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Nations, the European Union and the African Union - all called for an immediate end to the hostilities.

After a phone call, the Saudi, U.S. and UAE foreign ministers called for a return to the framework agreement on the transition to democracy, the Saudi state news agency reported.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke with Burhan and Hemedti, according to Guterres' spokesperson, and appealed for a return to dialogue. Guterres also spoke with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Egypt's presidency said.

Chad closed its border with Sudan while Ethiopia and Kenya called for restraint.

A Saudi Arabian airlines plane came under fire at Khartoum airport and the carrier suspended flights to and from Sudan, the state-owned airline said. Egypt's national airline, Egyptair, said it was suspending flights to Khartoum for 72 hours. Social media video showed frightened passengers cowering on the floor of Khartoum airport and a destroyed U.N. aircraft on the tarmac.

(Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz in Khartoum and Nafisa Eltahir in Cairo; Writing by Nafisa Eltahir, Michael Georgy, Giles Elgood and Cynthia Osterman; Editing by Alex Richardson, Jan Harvey, Frances Kerry and Daniel Wallis)



© Reuters

Clashes escalate across Sudan between army, paramilitaries

Issued on: 15/04/2023 -

Regional France 24 Correspondant Bastien Renouil reports that fighting between the Sudanese army and paramilitaries is still ongoing in Khartoum and several major cities. Conflicting information is also being reported. However, Renouil is able to confirm that the airstrip at Khartoum airport saw heavy fighting, several civilians have been killed with dozens injured and there have been clashes at the presidential palace, amongst other things. 

 

03:27

Mars CEO sees 'moral' duty in tackling climate change

Marie-Morgane LE MOEL
Fri, April 14, 2023 


The new chief executive of Mars, maker of M&M's sweets, chewing gum and pet food, says companies have a "moral" duty to reduce their environmental footprint as the world battles climate change.

Poul Weihrauch, a Dane who took the reins of the US-based group in September, acknowledges that the food industry has a big impact on the environment, with its plastic wrappers and its contribution to deforestation and carbon emissions.

Big companies have a "massive opportunity" to have an impact against climate change, Weihrauch told AFP.

"It's an important area of development for Mars to be known for changing the curve and not only talk about it," he said in an interview in Paris.

The family-owned multinational, whose brands include the Mars and Snickers chocolate bars, Pedigree pet food and Wrigley's chewing gum, aims to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

The century-old company, whose businesses include pet care veterinary clinics, has invested $1.1 billion in striving to achieve that target since 2020 and plans to double the amount in the next three years.

"In the food (industry) there are thousands of ingredients that are being worked on," Weihrauch said.

"Today, some of them are not better from a carbon point of view. Some of them may have health issues. So it's a long development. It's just the start but it's going to explode with new innovative solutions," he added.

- 'Profit and purpose' -

Mars' investments include using wind power for its veterinary clinics, ensuring a more sustainable cocoa supply and finding new packaging for thousands of products.

"We have a moral obligation to invest in these areas and carbon solutions," Weihrauch said.

Instead of extracting oil from palm trees, companies can use algae, "which has a much better carbon neutrality", he said.

"When you design pet food, there's a huge carbon footprint difference between having lamb in the recipe or having beef. So our food designers need to take every single ingredient that goes into a food product and redesign it."

CDP, a non-profit organisation that tracks and rates the climate pledges of companies, gave Mars an "A" for its climate change efforts in 2022 and an A-minus for its forests programmes, including on palm oil.

A company must have a strong financial foundation to be able to invest in sustainability, Weihrauch said.

"We don't believe that profit and purpose don't work hand in hand. They do. Unless you grow a healthy company you won't make a difference," he said.

The company has diversified its business since the beginning.

In a major move, Mars acquired veterinary clinics group VCA for $9 billion in 2017. A year later, it took over another pet care firm, Europe's AniCura.

- 'Fantastic' M&M's campaign -

The company's pet care division now accounts for 60 percent of Mars' overall sales, or just under $50 billion last year.

The sector is expected to grow by eight percent annually in the United States over the next seven years, according to Morgan Stanley.

Speaking at the Royal Canin flagship shop in Paris, Weihrauch said Mars was not going to abandon its sweets business.

"The world would be a pretty boring place without chocolate," he said.

He also defended an M&M's publicity campaign that courted controversy in the United States.

The brand introduced a new "spokescandy", Purple, calling the addition a symbol of "acceptance and inclusivity". The colour is often associated with the LGBTQ community.

Right-wing Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson criticised M&M's as "woke" and the company said in January it was pausing the ad campaign.

"We made a fantastic campaign," Weihrauch said, adding that it "did a lot of good for the brand".