Oscar-winner blasts Trump's 'mean' handling of migrant children

Venice (AFP) – Film legend Errol Morris said the separation of thousands of migrant children from their parents by Donald Trump's US administration was "inhumane and cruel" as his new documentary about the policy premiered at the Venice Film Festival Thursday.


Issued on: 29/08/2024 -

Legendary US documentary director Errol Morris (R) and US journalist Jacob Soboroff before the premiere of "Separated" at the Venice Film Festival 

© Marco BERTORELLO / AFP

"Do we need borders? Do we need immigration law? We do," the Oscar-winning US director told AFP ahead of the screening of his film "Separated". "But the idea is laws should be fair and humane."

"And this particular policy struck me, still strikes me, as inhumane, as cruel as mean."

In 2017, during Donald Trump's first year as US president, his administration raised the idea of separating children from their parents as a way to deter illegal immigration -- a key plank of his campaign.

Officially launched in April 2018, the "zero-tolerance" policy allowed criminal proceedings to be brought against anyone who crossed the US-Mexico border illegally, resulting in parents being immediately taken into custody without their children.

According to the documentary, which cited official government figures, at least 4,227 children were taken from their parents -- and more than 1,000 are still separated.

"What horrifies me is that they didn't keep records. They separated families in such a way that it might be impossible ever to reunite them," said Morris, 76.

The veteran director won an Oscar in 2004 for "The Fog of War", an astonishingly frank account of the Vietnam War by one its architects, former US secretary of defence Robert McNamara.

Divisive

Morris's new film -- being shown out of competition in Venice -- is based on a book by US journalist Jacob Soboroff, who helped expose the desperate plight of the children.

"He had called me and asked me if I knew anybody who might be willing to turn his book into a movie... I volunteered myself," Morris said.

The documentary is largely based on statements by Jonathan White, who was deputy director of the US Office for Refugee Resettlement (ORR) at the time and who opposed the policy applied by his superior, Scott Lloyd, who is also interviewed.

Lawsuits and a public outcry, even among Trump's own Republican Party, forced the administration by mid-2018 to halt the separations.

In practice, however, the Trump administration continued to separate families under another regulation which allowed undocumented parents to be arrested and deported if they had committed a serious crime.

Immigration remains a hugely divisive issue for many Americans ahead of November's presidential election, in which Trump is running against Vice President Kamala Harris.

A recent official US report found the government may have lost track of up to 32,000 unaccompanied migrant children in the past four years.

© 2024 AFP

The future of Switzerland's famed neutrality in doubt?


Issued on: 29/08/2024 

Video by:Delano D'SOUZAFollow

A new report out in Switzerland today sets out the impetus for security policy in the years to come. The country has prided itself on its neutrality, but since the war in Ukraine, could things start to change? Delano DSouza reports.

 

Switzerland 'realising it needs to partner more with NATO' as neutrality put in doubt


Issued on: 29/08/2024

As a bombshell new report commissioned by the Swiss Defense Ministry urges the country to work more closely with NATO, casting doubt on the future of a long-held policy of neutrality, Swiss journalist Richard Werly joins France 24 to discuss how Switzerland needs to adapt to a changing global security picture, particularly amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Coastal cities alarmingly slow to adapt to climate change: study

Paris (AFP) – Coastal cities are not doing enough to adapt to climate change, taking too long and implementing insufficient measures, according to a major study published this week.

Issued on: 29/08/2024 

ISAAC LAWRENCE / AFP/File

While flood barriers and pumping systems are a step in the right direction, "across all regions and income groups, scientifically reported adaptation in coastal cities remains at rather low depth, scope and speed," said the study published in Nature Cities, which looked at 199 cities worldwide.

Given the high exposure and vulnerability of many coastal cities, "this finding is alarming as adaptation to future climate change will require many cities to go beyond business as usual risk management," it said.

Short- and mid-term solutions, as many cities are implementing, could even have an adverse effect, the study warned, leading to a "lock-in and maladaptive path dependency in the long-term."

Instead, adaptation must aim at "transformation" of cities -- a change both of infrastructure and at the institutional level.

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Positive models cited in the report include Singapore, Hong Kong and several Swedish cities.

But in the majority, the study found that coastal cities focus primarily on combating sea level rise, various types of flooding, and to a lesser extent the risks posed by erosion and storms.

And for scientists such a scope is too narrow -- cities need to address other problems linked to climate change, such as heatwaves.
Institutions and households

By comparing data from 199 cities, listed in 683 scientific articles, the researchers found that the actors driving adaptation changed according to the country and income category.

The richest coastal areas take a technological approach to dealing with climate change and the major players are institutions.

Meanwhile, lower-income cities located mainly in Africa, Asia, and South and Central America, have no other choice but to rely on a "behavioural and cultural" effort for populations to adapt.

In lower-income coastal cities, there is a lack of institutional and/or technological support, making it "more likely individuals/households are reported as prime adaptation actors."

The poorest economies remain under-represented in the scientific literature, which complicates their adaptation.

"A considerable gap in research that needs to be addressed urgently," the study warned.

© 2024 AFP

'We need to evolve': Paralympic athletes showcased every four years but largely out of the spotlight


Issued on: 29/08/2024 

Medals are up for grabs in a wide array of world-class competitions at the Paris Paralympics, which opened in a colourful and hope-filled ceremony ahead of 11 days of competition. The action includes track, cycling, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, sitting volleyball, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby, badminton, archery, goalball -- a form of football for the visually impaired -- and boccia, a version of bowls. French President Emmanuel Macron declared the Games open on Wednesday during a ceremony in a balmy Place de la Concorde in central Paris -- the first time a Paralympic opening ceremony has taken place away from the main stadium. The 4,400 competitors from 168 delegations paraded into the arena as the sun set with host nation France entering last to a standing ovation from 30,000 spectators. The fine weather was in sharp contrast to the heavy rain which fell throughout the Olympics opening ceremony on July 26. International Paralympic Committee (IPC) president Andrew Parsons told the athletes and spectators he hoped for an "inclusion revolution", before Macron officially declared the Games open. The Paralympic flag was carried into the square by John McFall, a British Paralympic sprinter who has been selected by the European Space Agency to be the first 'parastronaut'. French Olympian Florent Manaudou brought the flame into the arena to complete the four-day torch relay. Five French Paralympians, including 2020 gold medallists Alexis Hanquinquant and Nantenin Keita, lit the already-iconic cauldron in the Tuileries Gardens. Of the 35 Olympic venues, 18 will be used for the Paralympics including the ornate Grand Palais and the Stade de France. For a look at all of the world-class action, FRANCE 24 is joined by Alasdair Donaldson, Head of Para Sport at Loughborough University.

Paris Paralympics 'highlighting challenges faced by all disabled people'

Issued on: 29/08/2024 
04:14

Danielle Brown, a former Paralympic archer who won gold for Great Britain in Beijing and London, joins France 24 to talk about what she's looking forward to at the Paris Paralympics following last night's spectacular opening ceremony, which she praised for highlighting the daily challenges faced by all disabled people, not just athletes.

Chinese tech giant Huawei posts 34.3% rise in first-half sales

Beijing (AFP) – Chinese tech giant Huawei said Thursday that sales surged in the first half of the year, even as it struggles under the weight of sanctions that have deprived it of technology from the United States.

Issued on: 29/08/2024 -

Chinese tech giant Huawei has for several years been at the centre of an intense technological rivalry between Beijing and Washington © STR, STR, STR / AFP

The Shenzhen-based company has for several years been at the centre of an intense technological rivalry between Beijing and Washington, with US officials warning its equipment could be used to spy on behalf of Chinese authorities -- allegations it denies.

Since 2019, the sanctions have cut Huawei off from global supply chains for technology and US-made components, hammering its production of smartphones at the time.

On Thursday it posted sales of $58.72 billion in January-June, an on-year increase of 34.3 percent. That compares with 3.1 percent growth in the same period last year.

It did not break down net profit. Huawei is a private company that is not publicly traded and is therefore not subject to the same obligations as other companies to publish detailed results.

The firm's profit margin reached 13.2 percent in the period, down from 15 percent a year earlier, it said. It did not provide other financial details.

"We grew our revenue in the first half of 2024 by making the most of opportunities in digitalization, intelligence, and decarbonization," a Huawei spokesperson said.

"Our consumer and intelligent automotive solution businesses grew rapidly," they said, adding "our ICT infrastructure, cloud, and digital power businesses remained steady."

Huawei remains the world's leading equipment manufacturer for 5G, the fifth generation of mobile internet, and has been involved in infrastructure projects in several countries.

It was once among the world's top three smartphone makers, alongside Samsung and Apple.

But US sanctions have forced it to refocus on sectors such as software, enterprise computing, and even electric vehicles with the Aito brand.

The electric vehicle sector is booming in China, the world's largest market, where local brands have risen in popularity in recent years.

© 2024 AFP

Divas never die: Eternal appeal of opera singer Maria Callas

Paris (AFP) – Nearly 47 years after her death, one of opera's greatest stars, Greek soprano Maria Callas, is again taking centre stage at the Venice Film Festival played by Angelina Jolie in a new biopic.

Issued on: 29/08/2024 

Greek opera star Maria Callas, pictured in April 1971 in Paris, six years before her death 

The film "Maria" by Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larrain -- who has previously tackled other female icons including Jackie Kennedy and Princess Diana -- portrays the final days of a singer whose voice and style forever marked the world of opera.

Here are some of the turning points in the life of "La Divina".

A star is born

Callas received a standing ovation hailing her arrival as a new star as the curtain fell on the last act of Ponchielli's "La Gioconda" in Verona, Italy, on August 2, 1947.

Maria Callas and her husband Giovanni Battista Meneghini © / AFP/File

She was born Sophia Cecilia Anna Maria Kalogeropoulou on December 2, 1923, in New York -- her family name later shortened to Callas.

Her family later moved back to Greece, where she started performing at the age of eight.

In Verona she met Giovanni Battista Meneghini, a wealthy industrialist who was passionate about opera. Twenty-eight years her senior, he became her impresario and then husband in 1949.

In 1954 she lost around 30 kilos (66 pounds) and transformed herself into the ultimate diva, taking top parts in the most well-known operas.
The Rome scandal

On January 2, 1958, Callas opened the Rome season with "Norma" in the presence of Italy's president, Giovanni Gronchi. But at the end of the first act, she lost her voice and refused to continue.

The temperamental diva was accused of being capricious as there had been whistles during one of her arias. But she insisted to the media: "As you could see, I could no longer speak."
Onassis, her great love

Greek opera diva Maria Callas and Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis had a passionate nine-year relationship 

In 1959 Callas left Meneghini to embark on a passionate nine-year affair with Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis.

"Late at night one could see him, with Callas, in an Athens taverna where, having taken off his jacket and undone his tie, he showered the orchestra with gold and broke, as is Greek custom, piles of plates," AFP reported.

In 1968 Onassis left Callas to marry Jackie Kennedy, the widow of assassinated US president John F. Kennedy.
Curtain call
Greek opera diva Maria Callas, who will be portrayed by Angelina Jolie in a biopic at the Venice Film Festival © - / AFP/File

Callas turned her back on opera in 1965. On February 20 she triumphed in "Tosca" in Paris.

"The moment she appeared in the church in the first act, in a pink dress wrapped in a large deep-orange scarf, her arms full of flowers, the applause was such that it drowned out the music and the first lines were inaudible," AFP wrote.

But during a performance on May 29, she fell ill.

On July 5, she took to the stage despite the advice of her doctor for the last time in London, with Queen Elizabeth II in the audience.

A final tour

Greek opera diva Maria Callas gets a standing ovation after her last appearance in Paris in 1973 © - / AFP/File

In 1973 Callas undertook an international tour of recitals.

In Paris, "bouquets rained onto the stage", accompanied by standing ovations and cries of "Vive Maria!", AFP wrote, even if the critics were "less enthusiastic".
Her last breath

Callas died at her Paris home on September 16, 1977, aged 53, after a heart attack.

"I have just seen her on her bed," said Michel Glotz, her former artistic director, in an AFP report.

"It was the image itself of 'La Traviata' as she performed it in 1956 at Milan's La Scala. There was not a line on her face. It seems like she was just resting," he said.

© 2024 AFP

Stop using our songs, ABBA tells Trump

Stockholm (AFP) – The record label for iconic Swedish pop group ABBA said Thursday it has demanded that US presidential hopeful Donald Trump stop playing its music at his campaign rallies.

Issued on: 29/08/2024 - 

Sweden's ABBA is one of the most popular music groups of all time

© Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP/File

Universal Music in Sweden said videos had surfaced of ABBA's music being played at at least one Trump event.

"We have demanded that (the material) be taken down and removed," Universal Music AB told AFP in an email.

"Universal Music Publishing AB and (record company) Polar Music International AB have not received any request (to use the music), so no permission or licence has been given to Trump," it said.

Swedish daily Svenska Dagbladet said its reporter had in July attended a Trump rally in Minnesota -- known for its strong Swedish community -- where "The Winner Takes it All" was played.

The reporter said the song was followed by a 10-minute video clip, projected on a big screen, of ABBA in its heyday playing some of its biggest hits, including "Money, Money, Money" and "Dancing Queen".

Universal Music in Sweden said videos had surfaced of ABBA's music being played at at least one Trump event © Olivier TOURON / AFP

With their catchy melodies and glittering costumes, Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny and Anni-Frid -- whose initials make up the name of the group -- personified disco around the globe until they stopped performing in 1982.

The group is the latest in a slew of artists who have asked the US Republican presidential candidate to refrain from using their music at rallies and events, including Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Celine Dion and the Rolling Stones.

© 2024 AFP

Separatist group claims deadliest day in recent history in Pakistan's Balochistan


Issued on: 29/08/2024 

Video by:Shahzaib WAHLAH

At least 70 people died in coordinated attacks in Balochistan, southwest Pakistan, on Monday in assault claimed by the BLA, the Balochistan Liberation Army, raising questions about the deteriorating security situation in the province as it struggles with a pro-independence insurgency and Islamist armed groups. Our correspondent Shahzaib Wahlah reports from Balochistan with the collaboration of Mujib Achikzia.

Hong Kong journalists found guilty of sedition in landmark case

Human rights groups have condemned a Hong Kong court ruling on Thursday, which found two former chief editors of the shuttered news outlet Stand News guilty of sedition. Chung Pui-kuen and Patrick Lam were the first journalists to be convicted of sedition since Britain handed Hong Kong over to China in 1997.


Issued on: 29/08/2024 - 

Chung Pui-kuen, the former chief editor of Hong Kong's Stand News, leaves a Hong Kong court on August 29, 2024. 

© Peter Parks, AFP

By: NEWS WIRES

Hong Kong pro-democracy news outlet Stand News and its two former chief editors were found guilty of sedition on Thursday, the first conviction of its kind since the city came under Chinese rule in 1997.

The verdict is part of a crackdown on free speech in the former British colony that has seen critics of China jailed or forced into exile, following huge pro-democracy protests in 2019.

Editors Chung Pui-kuen, 54, and Patrick Lam, 36, are the first journalists to be convicted of sedition since Britain handed Hong Kong over to China in 1997, and the ruling drew resounding international condemnation.

Chung and Lam were in charge of Stand News, a Chinese-language website that gained a massive following during the protests in 2019, before it was raided and shut down in December 2021.

On Thursday, district court judge Kwok Wai-kin said the pair were guilty of "conspiracy to publish and reproduce seditious publications". The parent company of Stand News, Best Pencil Limited, was also found guilty.

"The line (Stand News) took was to support and promote Hong Kong local autonomy," according to a written judgement by Kwok.

"It even became a tool to smear and vilify the Central Authorities (Beijing) and the (Hong Kong) SAR Government."

Kwok also pointed to 11 articles published by Stand News that "caused potential detrimental consequences to national security" and had the intention of "seriously undermining" authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong.

Lam was absent from court on Thursday due to illness.

The judge granted the duo bail before their sentencing on September 26.
Colonial-era law


Chung and Lam were charged under a colonial-era law, which punishes sedition with a maximum jail term of two years.

A recent security law enacted in March raised the jail term for sedition to seven years.

In response to the verdict, the European Union called on Hong Kong to "stop prosecuting journalists".

"The ruling risks inhibiting the pluralistic exchange of ideas and the free flow of information, both cornerstones of the economic success of Hong Kong," a EU spokesperson said.

Speaking outside court, police chief superintendent Steve Li said the verdict "clearly illustrated the necessity and lawfulness" of the enforcement actions in 2021 against Stand News.

Asked if the verdict would further affect press freedom, Li said it would "actually help".

"It would let everyone know what kind of problems could risk breaching the law," he said.

'Not seditious'


But Beh Lih Yi from the Committee to Protect Journalists said the ruling showed that Hong Kong was "descending further into authoritarianism".

"Journalism is not seditious," she said.

Sarah Brooks, Amnesty International's China Director, called the verdict "one more nail in the coffin for press freedom in Hong Kong".

Hong Kong has seen its standing in global press freedom rankings plummet in recent years.


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Chung had testified that the outlet was a platform for free speech and defended his decisions to publish articles critical of the government.

But prosecutors accused them of bringing "hatred or contempt" to the Chinese and Hong Kong governments.

More than 100 people, including supporters and media professionals, queued up for spots in the public gallery on Thursday morning.

The verdict was also attended by representatives from various consulates -- including the United States, Britain, France, European Union, and Australia.

(AFP)


'Hit my heart': trial of Hong Kong editors leave journalists in tears

Hong Kong (AFP) – When sedition charges against Hong Kong news editors Chung Pui-kuen and Patrick Lam were first read out in court, former employees of the now-shuttered Stand News broke down in tears in the public gallery.


Issued on: 29/08/2024 - 16:05

Chung Pui-kuen, the former chief editor of Hong Kong's now shuttered pro-democracy news outlet Stand News, leaves the district court in Hong Kong 

© Peter PARKS / AFP
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The courtroom in the landmark trial became a battleground for debate about the merits and limits of press freedom in Hong Kong.

The former British colony once boasted one of the freest media environments in the world. But after Hong Kong saw pro-democracy protests in 2019, an ensuing government crackdown and the enactment of security laws have effectively quelled dissent.

"It was like a humiliation," recalled a former Stand News reporter who did not want to give his real name -- as with all other ex-employees who spoke to AFP in the months following the trial that began in October 2022.

"We were all very emotional and cried when we heard the allegations."

Similar scenes unfolded Thursday after Chung, 54, and Lam, 36, were found guilty of "conspiracy to publish and reproduce seditious publications".

Their Chinese-language website gained prominence for its coverage of Hong Kong's pro-democracy protests, with its reporters often livestreaming events before authorities quashed the movement.

Stand News chief editor Patrick Lam was arrested in December 2021 after the police raided the newsroom © Daniel SUEN / AFP

By late 2021, police raided Stand News offices and froze its assets under a sweeping security law.

Another former employee, who worked there for three years, burst into tears on Thursday when a defence lawyer read out a letter penned by Lam after the verdict was announced.

"We documented Hong Kong as best we could, trying to leave a first draft of history before these people and events disappeared," wrote Lam, who was not present in court due to illness.

"The only way for journalists to defend the freedom of the press is to report, just like everyone who is still holding fast to their posts today."

The teary reporter, who now works for a different publication, said Lam's letter "really hit my heart".

"He was trying to remind us what values and principles we should adhere to," he told AFP after the ruling.

"The very simple essence of being a journalist is to keep reporting."

- 'Muddy the waters' -

Hong Kong was once known for its freewheeling media scene, a sharp contrast to mainland China which remains one of the most oppressive places for journalists worldwide.

Police raided the offices of pro-democracy news outlet Stand News in December 2021 © Daniel SUEN / AFP

Thursday's verdict made Chung and Lam the first journalists to be convicted under a colonial-era sedition law since the finance hub was handed over to China in 1997.

Prosecutors cited the outlet's interviews with pro-democracy activists and op-eds critical of a security law imposed by Beijing in 2020 as proof of sedition, but during the trial, Chung defended the decision to publish diverse viewpoints.

Former Stand News employees attending the trial saw their work dissected by prosecutors for any hint of sedition.

One columnist said he realised it was dangerous for journalists to question the security law, which prompted further self-censorship across the industry.

"The overall strategy was to muddy the waters, so as to keep (the media) guessing."

Another former reporter said she felt enraged watching prosecutors use "absurd excuses to shut down and delete our work".

In the end, she decided to quit journalism.

"I don't want anyone else to pay a high price for what I wrote," she said.

- 'Pay the price' -

For some, the parrying Chung did on the witness stand sent a message.

"The real audience was the public," an ex-Stand News features writer said.

"In terms of conveying his views on independent media and how it used to exist in this society, I think the message was delivered."

Media researcher Carol Lai, who attended the verdict on Thursday, agreed.

The media wait outside the district court ahead of sedition verdict of Stand News and its two editors © Peter PARKS / AFP

"The trial is not just about them but about the whole industry... It's very depressing, but (Chung's testimony) gave me a lot of positive inspiration."

After he and Lam were granted bail pending their sentencing next month, Chung left the court to face a sea of reporters.

He paused briefly for photographers, then left without saying a word.

But in a letter submitted to court by his lawyers post-verdict, Chung said many Hong Kong journalists, including his former employees, were "determined" to stay in news.

"Some (Hong Kongers) are so concerned about the freedom and dignity of the people in their communities that they are willing to pay the price of losing their own freedom. It is the inescapable responsibility of journalists to faithfully record and report."

© 2024 AFP

EU top diplomat seeks sanctions on Israeli ministers

Issued on: 29/08/2024 - 

03:17

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Thursday he will urge the bloc's 27 member states Thursday to back sanctions on Israeli ministers accused of fomenting "hatred" towards Palestinians.