AI disinformation turns Nepal polls into ‘digital battleground’


By AFP
March 2, 2026


Around 80 percent of all of Nepal's internet traffic is through social media platforms - Copyright AFP Arun SANKAR

Anup Ojha

Slick AI-generated disinformation has flooded election campaigns in Nepal, which votes Thursday in the first polls since deadly protests triggered by a brief ban on social media overthrew the government.

The September 2025 protests were driven by tech-savvy youth angry at job shortages and flagrant corruption by an ageing political elite.

Now parties across the political divide are tapping social media to push their agendas and woo voters, especially the young, including a surge of people registering to cast their ballot for the first time.

But some of the content is manipulated or outright fake, experts and fact-checkers say.

“In a country where digital literacy is low, people believe what they see,” said Deepak Adhikari, editor of the independent NepalCheck team.

Kathmandu-based technology policy researcher Samik Kharel described a “digital battleground” in the run-up to the landmark vote, warning that Nepal lacked the expertise to monitor the onslaught of machine-generated content.

“It is even hard for experts to figure out what is real and fake,” Kharel told AFP.

Around 80 percent of all of Nepal’s internet traffic is through social media platforms, he said.

Internet analytics site DataReportal estimates more than 56 percent of Nepal’s 30 million people are online, including 14.8 million Facebook users and around 4.3 million on Instagram. About 2.2 million are on TikTok, according to the Internet Service Providers’ Association of Nepal.

“Disinformation remains a top concern that could undermine the integrity of the election process,” said Ammaarah Nilafdeen of the US-based Center for the Study of Organized Hate.

“Nepal… is grappling with the scale of the threat that disinformation poses to society and democracy at large.”



– Threat to democracy –



The protests last year began after the government moved to regulate social media, briefly banning at least 26 platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and X.

At least 77 people were killed in two days of unrest, parliament was set on fire, and the government of four-time prime minister KP Sharma Oli collapsed.

Activists used the group-chat app Discord to put forward their suggestion of interim leader — and days later their choice, 73-year-old former chief justice Sushila Karki, was appointed to lead the country to elections.

Social media is playing a key role again.

Loyalists of the ousted premier’s Marxist party have shared AI-generated images purporting to be drone photographs of a massive gathering — which were then reposted by top leaders, boasting a sea of more than 500,000 supporters.

Analysis by Nepali online fact-check experts TechPana found the images had been created using OpenAI’s ChatGPT, while police said less than 5,000 people were at the real event.

Another AI-generated video that circulated on TikTok purported to show Gagan Thapa, leader of the Nepali Congress party, urging voters to back a rival party. The platform has removed the video.

In neighbouring India, posts calling to restore Nepal’s deposed Hindu monarchy have made the rounds on social media, said researcher Nilafdeen.

Such “ideological pushes” online — in this case “amplified by Hindu far-right supporters in India” — stand in contrast to “domestic demands for strengthening democratic institutions”, she told AFP.



– Misinformation race –



The Election Commission says there is widespread use of hate speech and deepfake content, including videos created with readily available artificial intelligence tools purporting to show candidates insulting opponents or using obscene language.

“It is a concerning issue,” commission information officer Suman Ghimire said.

More than 600 cases have been passed on to the authorities, he added, with around 150 handled by police.

In one case, police detained a pro-royalist supporter, Durga Prasai, for social media posts allegedly meant to intimidate potential voters.

The Election Commission can impose fines or bar candidates from running, but experts say the sheer scale of disinformation and hate speech online outstrips any effective response.

“Candidates and people close to political parties not only compete to win, but also compete to spread misinformation,” said Basanta Basnet, editor-in-chief of news website Onlinekhabar, which has collaborated with Nepal FactCheck to verify posts.

The organisation has warned that “misinformation encourages citizens to take wrong decisions”, which in turn could undermine the “foundation of democracy”.

Can Anthropic survive taking on Trump’s Pentagon?


By AFP
March 2, 2026


Anthropic co-founder and CEO Dario Amodei says the San Francisco-based startup's AI assistant Claude will be tackling French, Italian, German, Spanish and other languages in Europe. - Copyright GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP Kimberly White
Alex PIGMAN

In an unprecedented dispute between the US government and a private business, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has declared AI company Anthropic a supply chain risk — a measure usually reserved for companies from adversary nations, like China’s Huawei.

The Pentagon is furious that Anthropic is insisting on certain conditions for the use of its technology — no mass surveillance or fully autonomous weapons systems — even as the military has been using the company’s models for classified operations for more than two years.

Some believe the decision could destroy one of America’s most high-profile companies in a unilateral act of corporate destruction.

– Will Anthropic survive this? –

The battle is bigger than the actual financial contract, which amounted to $200 million.

The existential threat is the supply chain designation, which means any company that works with the US military would have to prove it has no dealings with Anthropic.

Dean Ball, who helped craft the Trump administration’s own AI policy, called the decision “corporate murder,” warning that the message sent to every investor in America was unambiguous: do business on our terms, or we will end your business.

Anthropic has vowed to challenge the supply chain risk designation in court, calling it a “dangerous precedent for any American company that negotiates with the government.”

Legal experts say the company has strong grounds, but the court process could take months or longer — a serious vulnerability for a company that had hoped to go public this year and, given the fragile economics of the AI industry, must maintain investor confidence to survive.

Still, “Anthropic will suffer a setback when it loses the government as a client, but it will survive and continue to grow,” Erik Gordon, a business professor at the University of Michigan, told AFP.

The company for now “has one of the best products,” he said.

– Is this a win for OpenAI? –

Just hours after the US government banned Anthropic, rival OpenAI announced it had reached a deal for the Pentagon to use its AI models in classified systems.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said the agreement contains the same two limitations Anthropic had been insisting on.

But OpenAI appeared to enshrine these differently: while Anthropic tried to have the limits spelled out explicitly in the contract, OpenAI agreed that the Pentagon could use its technology for “any lawful purpose” — a formulation Anthropic had refused.

OpenAI also says its technology will be cloud-only, preventing models from being embedded directly into weapons hardware, and that an engineer will be deployed to oversee classified use.

Anthropic said it would challenge Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth’s classification of the company as a supply chain risk – Copyright AFP Giuseppe CACACE

Critics are calling on OpenAI employees to quit or put pressure on their leadership to support its archrival Anthropic.

“OpenAI caved and framed it as not caving, and screwed Anthropic while framing it as helping them,” said Miles Brundage, OpenAI’s former head of policy research, on X.

– Silicon Valley’s reaction –

The Trump administration’s assault on Anthropic sent shockwaves across Silicon Valley, hardening political battle lines that have now divided the tech world.

Anthropic’s most prominent antagonist is venture capitalist David Sacks, the White House’s chief AI policymaker, who has long argued that the company’s safety-first approach will slow innovation and cede ground to China.

He is closely aligned with Emil Michael, the Pentagon’s de facto chief technology officer and a veteran of Uber during its most aggressive phase, when the company was known for its scorched-earth approach to entering new markets.

Coming out in support of Anthropic, hundreds of engineers at Google, Amazon, Microsoft and OpenAI signed petitions and open letters urging their leaders to refuse Pentagon demands for unrestricted AI use.

At the executive level the picture was more divided. No major tech company has publicly defended Anthropic, though several executives at competing firms, speaking anonymously in the media, expressed concern that the ban sets a dangerous precedent.

Elon Musk, by contrast, posted that “Anthropic hates Western Civilization,” aligning publicly with the administration.

Activists pressure Milan Fashion Week to go fully fur-free


By AFP
March 1, 2026


Anti-fur campaigners are hoping to step up pressure on Milan Fashion Week to ban brands who still use fur. - Copyright AFP Miguel MEDINA

Alexandria SAGE

Animal activists have been turning up the heat on Milan Fashion Week to adopt a fully fur-free policy, with dozens of protesters demonstrating outside the Giorgio Armani show on Sunday.

Although the Armani Group went fur-free a decade ago, activists hope the powerful luxury company can pressure the National Chamber of Italian Fashion (CNMI), which organises fashion week, to disallow brands which use fur from participating.

Sunday’s demonstration was one of several protests carried out this week in Milan by international anti-fur activists organised under the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (CAFT).

Behind a barricade and large banner saying “Milan Fashion Week Go Fur-Free”, activists with a megaphone yelled “Shame on you for what you do!” as Armani guests left the show.

Use of fur in the global fashion industry has dramatically fallen in recent years due to concerns about animal cruelty, changing trends and new synthetic alternatives.

But there remain notable holdouts, such as Fendi, owned by French conglomerate LVMH, a storied Italian luxury brand whose roots are in fur.

Pierre-Emmanuel Angeloglou, the chief executive of Fendi, sits on the board of directors of the CNMI along with brands like Dolce & Gabbana, Prada and Ermenegildo Zegna, which have already rejected fur.

Campaigners hope the anti-fur designers can convince Milan Fashion Week to ban fur, as London and New York have done.

Smaller fashion weeks, including in Berlin, Copenhagen and Amsterdam, have also gone fur-free.

“It won’t be Fendi that helps us reach our goal, because they have no interest in pushing this issue forward, but other brands might be able to contribute,” Alberto Bianchi, 25, one of the protest’s organisers, told AFP.

The CNMI did not respond to an AFP request for comment.

– Step forward? –

The activists had demonstrated Wednesday outside Fendi’s Milan headquarters where its runway show took place.

Inside, newly seated designer Maria Grazia Chiuri showed a collection that included “remodelled” furs, or old furs reworked.

Bianchi said that focus on recycling could possibly be seen as “a step forward” but cautioned that LVMH is still actively investing in the use of fur.

“I see it as a one-off move maybe to do a bit of greenwashing,” he said.

“As long as we still have fur farms in Europe and we still have the possibility of importing it, it’s a gesture that doesn’t change the underlying idea,” Bianchi added.

The coalition won a victory in late January when pressure campaigns led to shipping giant DHL and cosmetics company Wella withdrawing as sponsors of Milan Fashion Week.

Later this month, the European Commission is expected to rule on a 2023 citizens’ initiative that called on the EU to ban fur farms and the killing of animals such as mink, foxes, raccoon dogs or chinchillas solely for their pelts.

Activists cite the cruelty inherent in fur farming, in which the animals are crammed into tiny wire battery cages before being gassed or electrocuted.

Milan Fashion Week ends on Monday, with focus now turning to Paris Fashion Week — which similarly does not have an anti-fur policy.

Macron to set out how France’s nuclear arms could protect Europe

By AFP
March 1, 2026


France's Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier moored at Malmo port - Copyright TT NEWS AGENCY/AFP Johan NILSSON

Valerie LEROUX

France will on Monday unveil how it could use the European Union’s only atomic arsenal to protect the continent in an unstable world, with Russia becoming increasingly aggressive and the United States turning away.

The speech by French President Emmanuel Macron, at France’s Ile Longue nuclear submarine base, comes after the launch of US and Israeli attacks against Iran in a campaign that risks destabilising the Middle East.

“What we are experiencing demonstrates that in the world to come, power and independence will be two indispensable forces for dealing with the proliferation of threats,” said a member of Macron’s team.

Macron is set to update France’s nuclear doctrine as Russia’s war against Ukraine grinds into a fifth year and NATO allies worry about Washington’s wavering commitment to Europe.

“There will undoubtedly be some significant shifts and developments,” a source said of the speech set to be delivered from 1415 GMT Monday.

European nations, which have relied on the US nuclear deterrent throughout the Cold War and in the decades since it ended, are increasingly debating whether to bolster their own atomic arsenals.


Emmanuel Macron has proposed to consider how France – the European Union’s only nuclear power – could contribute to protecting Europe – Copyright AFP Ludovic MARIN

Paris has been in talks with countries including Germany and Poland over how France could use its atomic arsenal to help protect the continent.

Last year, Macron said he was ready to discuss possible deployment of French aircraft armed with nuclear weapons in other European countries.

Macron said in February he was considering a doctrine that could include “special cooperation, joint exercises, and shared security interests with certain key countries.

France maintains the world’s fourth-largest nuclear arsenal, estimated at around 290 warheads. Britain, which is no longer a member of the EU, is the only other European nuclear power.

By contrast, the United States and Russia, the world’s two main atomic powers, have thousands of nuclear warheads each.

– ’27 buttons’ –

Reassurances from US officials that Washington’s deterrent would continue to cover Europe under the NATO alliance have done little to quell European fears of fickleness under US President Donald Trump.

“It is clear that we will need to reflect together on how French and British deterrence can fit into a more assertive European defence,” Bernard Rogel, who served as top military adviser to Macron, told AFP.

But how exactly nuclear cooperation would work between the EU’s 27 states is another story.

Rogel insisted that control over the launch decision will remain in French hands.

“I can’t see us having 27 buttons. From a credibility standpoint, that just doesn’t work,” he said.

– ‘Only a good thing’ –

Rafael Loss, a policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said leaders should find confidence in European support for strengthening nuclear deterrence.

He said people in Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland now tend to support rather than oppose the idea of developing an alternative European nuclear deterrent.

“If there’s going to be some kind of bigger European investments in France or UK’s nuclear deterrence, that’s only a good thing,” Finland’s defence minister Antti Hakkanen told AFP in February.

Florian Galleri, a historian specialising in nuclear doctrines, warned that Macron would have to tread carefully, pointing to his low approval ratings one year before the end of his presidency.

Macron’s address could also spark a backlash ahead of the 2027 presidential election, in which Marine Le Pen’s eurosceptic far-right is seen as having its best chance yet at winning the top job.

“There is a consensus on possessing nuclear weapons in France, but not on nuclear policy,” Galleri said.

The far-right has already issued a warning.

“If Mr. Macron thinks he can give France’s nuclear weapon to the EU, he will face impeachment proceedings for treason,” Philippe Olivier, an advisor to Le Pen, said on X.

Warming El Nino may return later this year: UN


By AFP
March 3, 2026


El Nino helped make 2024 the hottest year on record, fuelling extreme weather events - Copyright AFP LUIS TATO

The warming El Nino weather phenomenon could return later this year as its cooling opposite La Nina fades away, the United Nations said Tuesday.

The UN’s World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said the recent, weak La Nina was expected to give way to neutral conditions, which could then swing into El Nino before the end of 2026.

La Nina is a naturally occurring climate phenomenon that cools surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. It brings changes in winds, pressure and rainfall patterns.

The WMO said there was a 60-percent chance of neutral conditions during the three-month window from March to May, with a 30-percent chance of La Nina conditions, and El Nino at a 10-percent probability.

There is a 70-percent chance of neutral conditions during April-June.

In May-July, the chance of neutral conditions drops back to 60 percent, with the chances of El Nino at 40 percent.

“The WMO community will be carefully monitoring conditions in the coming months to inform decision-making,” said Celeste Saulo, who heads the UN’s weather and climate agency.

“The most recent El Nino, in 2023-24, was one of the five strongest on record and it played a role in the record global temperatures we saw in 2024,” the WMO secretary-general said.

El Nino contributed to making 2023 the second-hottest year on record and 2024 the all-time high.



– Above-average temperatures –



The WMO underlined that naturally occurring climate events such as La Nina and El Nino take place against the backdrop of human-induced climate change, which is “increasing global temperatures in the long-term, exacerbating extreme weather and climate events, and impacting seasonal rainfall and temperature patterns”.

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says there is a 50- to 60-percent chance of El Nino developing during the July-September period and beyond.

“Seasonal forecasts for El Nino and La Nina help us avert millions of dollars in economic losses and are essential planning tools for climate-sensitive sectors like agriculture, health, energy and water management,” said Saulo.

“They are also a key part of the climate intelligence provided by WMO to support humanitarian operations and disaster risk management, and thus save lives,” she said.

The WMO’s latest Global Seasonal Climate update says there is a widespread global signal for above-average land surface temperatures for March to May.

Rainfall predictions in the equatorial Pacific show a lingering La Nina-like pattern, but in other parts of the world the signal is more mixed, it says.

El Nino may return in 2026 and make planet even hotter


By AFP

March 2, 2026


El Nino causes wetter conditions in some parts of the world, such as here in Kenya in 2023 - Copyright AFP Tony KARUMBA
Laurent THOMET

The warming El Nino weather phenomenon could form later this year, potentially pushing global temperatures to record heights.

There is a 50- to 60-percent chance of El Nino developing during the July-September period and beyond, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The World Meteorological Organization will issue an update on El Nino on Tuesday.

Here’s what you need to know about El Nino and its cooler sister, La Nina:

– Why the name? –

El Nino and its cooler sister La Nina are two phases of a natural climate pattern across the tropical Pacific known as the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO).

Peruvian and Ecuadoran fishermen coined the term El Nino (“the boy” or “the Christ Child”) in the 19th century for the arrival of an unusually warm ocean current off the coast that reduced their catch just before Christmas.

Scientists chose the name La Nina as the opposite of El Nino. Between the two events, there is a “neutral” phase.

– El Nino –

El Nino can weaken consistent trade winds that blow east to west across the tropical Pacific, influencing weather by affecting the movement of warm water across this vast ocean.

This weakening warms the usually cooler central and eastern sides of the ocean, altering rainfall over the equatorial Pacific and wind patterns around the world.

The extra heat at the surface of the Pacific releases energy into the atmosphere that can temporarily drive up global temperatures, which is why El Nino years are often among the warmest on record.

“All else being equal, a typical El Nino event tends to cause a temporary increase in the global mean temperature on the order of 0.1C-0.2C,” Nat Johnson, an NOAA meteorologist, told AFP.

El  Nino occurs every two to seven years.

It typically results in drier conditions across southeast Asia, Australia, southern Africa, and northern Brazil, and wetter conditions in the Horn of Africa, the southern United States, Peru and Ecuador.

– Another record? –

The last El Nino occurred in 2023-2024, contributing to making 2023 the second highest year on record and 2024 the all-time high.

Carlo Buontempo, director of the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, told AFP in January that 2026 could be “another record-breaking year” if El Nino appears this year.

However, El Nino’s impact would be higher in 2027 than in 2026 if it develops in the second half of this year, said Tido Semmler, a climate scientist at Ireland’s National Meteorological Service.

“It takes time for the global atmosphere to react to the El Nino,” he said.

“Having said this, there is a risk of 2026 being the warmest year on record even without El Nino, due to the global warming trend,” Semmler told AFP.

“2027 would face an increased risk of getting a record warm year if El Nino developed in the second half of 2026,” he added.

– La Nina –

The latest La Nina episode was relatively weak and short lived, starting in December 2024 and due to enter a neutral phase during the Februady-April period.

La Nina cools the eastern Pacific Ocean for a period of about one to three years, generating the opposite effects to El Nino on global weather.

It leads to wetter conditions in parts of Australia, southeast Asia, India, southeast Africa and northern Brazil, while causing drier conditions in parts of South America.

La Nina did not stop 2025 from being the third hottest on record.

– New calculation –

The NOAA adopted in February a new way of determining El Nino and El Nino events.

The old Oceanic Nino Index (ONI) compared the three-month average sea surface temperature one region of the Pacific with a 30-year average in the same area.

But as the oceans have been warming rapidly, that old 30-year average can be out of date.

The new method, the Relative Oceanic Nino Index (RONI), compares how warm or cool the east-central Pacific is compared to the rest of the tropics.

The NOAA said RONI is a “clearer, more reliable way” to track El Nino and La Nina in real time.

Belgium seizes Russian ‘shadow fleet’ tanker


By AFP
March 1, 2026


Prosecutors said that the 'Ethera' flew under the flag of Guinea - Copyright Belga/AFP NICOLAS MAETERLINCK

Umberto BACCHI

Belgium’s special forces boarded and seized an oil tanker from the “shadow fleet” Russia uses to circumvent Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine, in an overnight operation announced Sunday.

The Belgian government said the “vessel from Russia’s shadow fleet” was intercepted in the North Sea, with aerial support from French military helicopters.

Defence Minister Theo Francken said the tanker was escorted to the port of Zeebrugge to be seized, after being intercepted in Belgium’s exclusive economic zone.

Prosecutors identified the ship, which was said to be on its way back to Russia, as the “Ethera”.

The tanker flew the flag of Guinea, but an on-board inspection confirmed suspicion that it was sailing under a false flag, they said.

“Ship documents were found that are suspected of being false,” the federal prosecutor’s office said in a statement, adding that authorities have opened a criminal investigation.

“If a ship sails under a false flag, this means that it does not comply with several international regulations,” the statement added.

French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed on X that French naval forces assisted in the operation, calling it a “major blow” to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet”.

Russia has used a flotilla of ageing tankers of opaque ownership to get around restrictions on its lucrative crude exports imposed over its 2022 all-out invasion of Ukraine.

The Belgian defence ministry said the seized tanker was on the European Union’s sanction list. The EU has blacklisted hundreds of vessels in a bid to sap Moscow’s war chest.

“Sanctions only matter if they are enforced. Today, we enforced them,” Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot, who is also Belgium’s deputy prime minister, said on X.



– ‘Resolute and justified’ –



The operation was carried out alongside Belgium’s G7, Nordic and Baltic partners and in coordination with France, he added.

France provided air support with two NH90 helicopters, the defence ministry said.

Footage of the operation posted online by Macron showed Belgian forces rope down from the aircraft to board the ship.

“I congratulate our armed forces on their professional and decisive conduct during tonight’s successful operation, and thank our French partners for providing essential support,” Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever wrote on social media.

Russia’s embassy in Belgium said it had not been officially notified of the tanker’s detention, nor informed about the nationality of its crew.

“The embassy is currently taking the necessary steps to determine whether there are Russian citizens on board and to ensure their legal rights if confirmed,” it said in a Telegram post.

Sanctions aimed at limiting Moscow’s revenues used to pursue its war have shut out many tankers carrying Russian oil from Western insurance and shipping systems.

Some experts and political leaders also suspect “shadow fleet” vessels of carrying out sabotage, as part of a “hybrid war” by Russia against Western countries.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed Belgium’s “strong action against Moscow’s floating purse” and thanked France for supporting the operation.

“This particular vessel has long been under US, EU, and UK sanctions, but nonetheless continued to illegally transport Russian oil using a false flag and forged documents,” he wrote on X.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga added that “such resolute and justified action” was required to deprive Russia of resources to continue its war against Ukraine.

“We urge all partners to follow this example, counter Russia’s shadow fleet resolutely through sanctions and concrete action, and advance peace through strength,” he said.

In February, it was revealed that two employees of a Russian private security company were aboard another suspected Russian “shadow fleet” tanker seized by France in September.

The two men were employed by Moran Security Group, a Russian private security company, and were tasked with monitoring the crew and gathering intelligence, a source with knowledge of the matter told AFP.

French forces boarded another suspected Russian tanker, the Grinch, in January.

France arrests activists blocking ship over alleged Russia uranium links


By AFP
March 2, 2026


Greenpeace has repeatedly accused France of maintaining ties with Russia's state-owned energy company - Copyright AFP Manaure Quintero

Etienne Balmer

Police arrested four Greenpeace activists on Monday for blocking a cargo ship in France that they alleged was transporting uranium from Russia for the country’s nuclear power plants.

Around 20 protestors carrying signs reading “Stop toxic contracts” and “Solidarity with Ukrainians”, blockaded the Mikhail Dudin at the northern port of Dunkirk early on Monday morning, to prevent it from unloading its cargo, an AFP journalist observed.

French authorities then arrested four individuals, Dunkirk police told AFP, adding that the blockade was lifted around 09:00 am (0800 GMT).

Greenpeace has repeatedly accused France of maintaining ties with Russia’s state-owned energy company, Rosatom, despite President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.

Activists, some on kayaks, had impeded the ship while a large banner stretched across the lock read, “Uranium: EDF loves Putin” — a jab at the French state-owned energy giant.

In 2018, France’s EDF signed a 600-million-euro ($700 million) deal with a Rosatom subsidiary, Tenex, for reprocessed uranium from French nuclear power plants to be sent to Russia to be converted and then re-enriched before being reused in power production.

Rosatom has the only facility in the world — in Seversk in Siberia — capable of carrying out key parts of the conversion of reprocessed uranium to enriched reprocessed uranium.

“This trade, which indirectly fuels Putin’s war, must stop,” said Pauline Boyer, an energy campaigner for Greenpeace France on Monday.

The environment group alleges it has “on numerous occasions” observed the Mikhail Dudin unloading Russian natural and enriched uranium in France.

– Repeated round trips –



An AFP analysis of Global Fishing Watch tracking data shows the Mikhail Dudin has made more than 20 round trips between Dunkirk and the Russian ports of Vistino, Ust-Luga and Saint Petersburg since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022.

The Baltiyskiy-202 — another vessel that Greenpeace alleges has transported uranium between France and Russia — has completed more than 15 round trips during the same period.

Both sail under the Panamanian flag and are owned by companies registered in Hong Kong, according to the International Maritime Organisation’s register.

EDF did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for comment.

In 2022, France ordered EDF to halt its uranium trade with Rosatom when Greenpeace first revealed the contracts in the wake of Russia’s invasion.

But in March 2024, Jean-Michel Quilichini, head of the nuclear fuel division at EDF, said the company planned to continue to “honour” its 2018 contract.

France in March 2024 said it was “seriously” looking at the possibility of building its own conversion facility to produce enriched reprocessed uranium.

AFP analysis of French customs data shows that in 2025, France imported at least 112 tonnes of enriched uranium and its compounds from Russia, accounting for a quarter of total purchases by volume — a level stable compared to 2024.

These imports however fell significantly between 2022 and 2024.

Geopolitical storm leaves isolated Greenlanders hanging by a telecoms thread


By AFP
March 2, 2026


The vast majority of Greenlanders oppose joining the United States, polls show - Copyright AFP/File ANGELA WEISS

Florent VERGNES

In the Greenlandic village of Kapisillit, a crisis meeting has just begun.

With one table and just two chairs, all members of the local administration are present.

Vanilla Mathiassen, a 64-year-old Danish teacher, has summoned the village chief to discuss her concerns about US President Donald Trump’s desire to annex Greenland and the fear that communications could be cut one day.

“If something serious were to happen, I would shout ‘Help! Get out!”, said an agitated Mathiassen.

“I’ve put in a request for a satellite phone,” village chief Heidi Nolso responded.

Since returning to the White House in 2025, Trump has repeatedly threatened to take control of Greenland, a Danish autonomous territory, alleging this is needed to ensure US national security.

While Trump’s threats have ebbed in recent weeks, locals remain shaken.

Here in Kapisillit in western Greenland, a cluster of coloured houses cling to the hillside in a frozen fjord.

Around 30 people live in the settlement, surviving from hunting and fishing.

Located about 75 kilometres (47 miles) from the capital Nuuk, Kapisillit is remote and isolated.

Like hundreds of other villages in Greenland, now caught up in a geopolitical storm, the settlement depends on a fragile and costly telecommunications network.

– ‘Vulnerable’ –

On the snowy Kapisillit hillside lies a long, yellow building. As Nolso opens the door, a rancid odour escaped.

“This is the old medical clinic. It’s been empty for several months,” she told AFP.

The settlement is reachable only by boat.

Residents are accustomed to medical appointments online and emergency evacuations by helicopter.

In the event of a heart attack, “it’s too late”, Nolso said.

Without a telecommunications network, it would be impossible to contact Nuuk.

“It would be terrible if we were to be cut off from the world,” she admitted.

About 30 people live in the remote village of Kapisillit, surviving from hunting and fishing – Copyright AFP Florent VERGNES

In terms of connectivity, Greenland is “the most vulnerable country in the Arctic”, said Signe Ravn-Hojgaard, head of Danish think tank Digital Infrastruktur.

The vast Arctic island is connected to the world by two subsea fibre optic cables to Canada and Iceland, in addition to satellite coverage in the north and east.

The cables are nearing the end of their lifespan and a simultaneous cut — as in 2019 — would leave inhabitants without an internet connection for months.

“Greenland expects its network to be increasingly targeted, as the Arctic is becoming a conflict zone,” researcher and Arctic connectivity expert Michael Delaunay told AFP.

Amid the tensions with Washington, Nuuk secured funding from Copenhagen in October 2025 for a third undersea cable.

– Frequent cuts –

Kapisillit’s red wooden schoolhouse has a bell, library and Soviet-era hunting rifle to fend off polar bears.

“I communicate with Nuuk from this tablet,” Mathiassen said, pulling off her sealskin mittens to turn on the device.

“I have a big computer but it hasn’t worked since I arrived,” she said.

“Because of the distance, it’s too difficult (to fix).”

Outside the window, the relay tower connecting the village to the world is visible. It was down for a few days and the network was unstable.

“Yesterday, two helicopters landed right here. They tinkered with something, then left again,” Mathiassen recalled.

Tablets on the windowsill gather dust, remnants of an abandoned online school project.

Education authorities called in Mathiassen as an on-site teacher after frequent network cuts, even though there are just two pupils.

She teaches her class in Danish and has a local assistant to help her with Greenlandic.

Each morning when 11-year-old Tulliaq and seven-year-old Viola arrive, they put their phones in a box.

“They prefer to speak to their aunt or uncle elsewhere in Greenland than learn Danish,” Mathiassen said sourly.

Tulliaq complies reluctantly. His phone is his only link to his friend who lives in Scotland.

Once kids turn 14, they leave the settlement to continue their schooling in Nuuk. Few return.

Social networks have become a vital link for community life in Greenland.

“All relationships, including those of elected officials, go through Facebook or Messenger,” explained Mikaa Blugeon-Mered, an Arctic specialist.

For Washington, this represents an “invaluable treasure trove of intelligence on Greenlandic decision-makers”.

Experts have warned of a rising number of fake Facebook accounts and a growing polarisation of Greenland’s public debate, in a context where the local population is generally not well-versed in the risks of information manipulation.

The threat is even more serious given the fragility of Greenland’s society.

– Suicide –

During a break, Mathiassen pulled a photo album from the cupboard.

On the yellowing front page, 20 or so young Greenlanders smile, feet planted in the snow. On the back, the inscription reads “Class Picture 1997”.

The assistant searched for herself in one of the pictures, then scanned the faces, pensive.

“Many of them are dead,” she said quietly. “Suicide.”

The rural exodus of the 1970s, encouraged by Copenhagen, shattered Greenland’s social model.

Staying in touch with loved ones has become a vital need.

But access remains difficult, with an internet subscription costing around $173 a month.

“Only the rich can afford it,” lamented Nolso, noting that many elderly people live solely on their pensions.

“If we had Starlink, everything would be easier.”

The satellite internet terminals from US company SpaceX are banned in Greenland, where national operator Tusass has a telecommunications monopoly.

Under its pricing model, residents of larger, more affluent towns subsidise isolated areas where costs would otherwise be prohibitive.

Direct competition would jeopardise this balance.

In April 2025, a massive power outage in Spain deprived part of Greenland of telephone service, as it depends on Spanish satellites.

Tusass considered a deal with SpaceX to beef up its network.

But in October it ultimately turned to French company Eutelsat — despite it being less efficient — amid fears of US interference.

“Geopolitics played a major role in the choice of a European operator over an American one,” said Delaunay, noting that in Nuuk’s eyes, Starlink is a “foreign and unstable actor”.

Through the school window, a fishing boat could be seen cutting through the waters in the bay.

When storms lash Nuuk, a Danish navy frigate can sometimes be seen as well.

“What would I do if I saw US or Russian ships arriving?”, asked Mathiassen.

“A young boy told me, ‘If they come, I have a weapon and I know how to use it.'”

For now, her plan is to follow “the people here”.

In February 2025, a two-day storm destroyed some houses and cut Kapisillit off from the world.

“In case of an emergency, we would have had no help from Nuuk,” Nolso said.

But, she noted, “Greenlanders are patient people”.

If everything stops, “they’ll just return to nature”.

Greenland is ‘open for business’ — kind of, says business leader


By AFP
March 1, 2026


Greenland's fishing industry is the main sector on the Arctic island 

- Copyright AFP Florent VERGNES

Florent VERGNES

As Greenland’s rare earths and minerals are sized up, the head of the Arctic territory’s main business group has warned against deals simply shipping its resources and profits overseas.

Christian Keldsen, head of the Greenland Business Association, told AFP that the government must avoid saying that Greenland is “open for business” when in reality, long and difficult negotiations lie ahead.

Some other countries may become frustrated, Keldsen said, calling for balanced development in the autonomous Danish island in the global spotlight since US President Donald Trump returned to power.

Trump, who said Greenland should come under US control for security reasons, alarmed Denmark and other European nations by at one point refusing to rule out the use of force. As its ice covering melts, Greenland’s mineral resources are increasingly coveted.

Greenland has long survived on subsidies from the Danish government that account for about 20 percent of its economy. It knows it needs massive investment to survive on its own.

“The risk obviously is that if you open the floodgates too much, you’re going to get companies in and they’re going to take everything out and all the revenue goes out of the country as well,” said Keldsen, whose office is in a wooden house in the capital Nuuk.

“So finding the right balance of creating local value and wealth and at the same time being attractive to investors and to the projects — that’s what we need to be finding.”



– ‘Interested in business’ –



Fishing, mainly cod, is Greenland’s main industry, and the key Royal Greenland fishing company is a semi-state enterprise.

The island’s telecoms and electricity companies are also state-owned, given the difficulties in providing services to the many isolated corners of the territory of just 57,000 people.

Greenland wants to develop tourism and its mining sector — but not for nothing.

In November, the parliament passed a law restricting the purchase of property and land use rights of foreign entities.

And Keldsen said the public-dominated economic model is not suited to a sudden opening up.

“So our government is saying, ‘we’re open for business’. And we say, please don’t say ‘open for business’. Please say ‘we’re interested in business’.

“Because it takes five minutes of due diligence for any lawyer in France or the US or Canada or Denmark to say, it’s not very open for business.”

According to Keldsen, Greenland was “always in control of everything domestically”.

“We were in control of the offering, the pricing, demand, everything. But now we have to trade with the outside world.”



– Mineral resources –



North American and European companies are interested in Greenland’s vast mineral resources that could play a crucial role in many new tech and defence industries.

A lot of people think that “the money is just going to come flooding out of the underground”, said Keldsen, who predicted disappointment for many.

Mining can take decades to become profitable, and the high cost makes revenues uncertain.

In mid-February there were 138 mining licences, but only two operating mines. Most of the licences are held by small speculative concerns hoping to sell on their rights later at a profit.

And Greenlandic authorities tightly control the allocation of licences and who they go to, said Keldsen.



– Interference ‘not good’ –



According to Keldsen, the US leader’s ambitions in the Arctic region have also led to a tourism boom.

He sees the US as a key partner for Nuuk, which is seeking to attract more American investors.

“The interference in domestic politics is not good,” the business leader said.

“But the good things coming out of this is there is a dialogue with Denmark to a much better degree,” as well as with the EU, Canada, and the US itself.

While some businesses see an opportunity to strengthen US ties, others are “second-guessing” their decisions to work with American customers or investors as they are “afraid of what would that do to their reputation”.

The fraught context has resulted in closer dialogue between Nuuk and Copenhagen, particularly on defence, and has stimulated European business interest.

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen is expected in Greenland to discuss new strategic investments in March.

Showdown looms between Tesla and German union


By AFP
March 2, 2026


Tesla's German factory in Gruenheide near Berlin - Copyright US NAVY/US CENTRAL COMMAND/AFP -

Clement KASSER

An industrial relations showdown looms this week as Germany’s powerful IG Metall union is seeking to gain control of the works council at US billionaire Elon Musk’s Tesla plant outside Berlin.

The works council, an elected body of employees that negotiates pay deals and working hours with management, has long been an unshakeable component of German corporate life, especially in the auto sector.

But at Tesla’s “Gigafactory”, it has been a persistent bugbear for the management since the plant opened in 2022 — with this week’s Monday-to-Wednesday ballot marking a high point in tensions.

In one corner, there is Musk, the world’s richest man and a staunch advocate of libertarian ideals.

In the other, there is a century‑old metal workers’ union defending Germany’s tradition of workers’ rights and accusing the US carmaker of engaging in “union busting”.

Outside the factory, which employs around 10,000 people in rural Gruenheide in Brandenburg state, an IG Metall banner calling for “change” hangs next to a giant mural celebrating labour solidarity.

IG Metall has accused the carmaker of poor working conditions and covert redundancies, all enabled by the lack of a collective agreement to protect workers — almost unheard‑of in Germany’s automotive industry.

The union won the previous elections in 2024 with 39 percent of the vote. But then four non‑union lists seen as more accommodating toward management joined forces to secure a majority.

– ‘A real exception’ –



Tesla “is a real exception” in Germany given the absence of a union majority in the works council, said Ernesto Klengel of the Hans-Boeckler Foundation, which has close ties to the trade unions.

He charged that at Tesla “the management has so far not placed any value on constructive cooperation”.

Although it is not unusual for various parties to seek to influence in works council elections, this “highly confrontational approach” is unprecedented, he said.

For Tesla, the dispute is another headache in Europe, where sales have been hit amid strong Chinese competition.

In Germany there has also been a backlash against the e-car pioneer after Musk strongly supported the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

A number of Tesla staff spoke to AFP outside the plant, all asking not to be named given the sensitivity of the labour issues at play.

One of them, a logistics worker from Nigeria, said he was one of around 100 candidates in the plant for IG Metall.

He said he had been working at Tesla for three years and charged that management “does not listen to employees”, whereas “IG Metall is working hard to represent our interests”.

He also complained that workers from the African community did worse “in the allocation of promotions and certain benefits” and that “very few” African employees were team leaders at the plant.

Another employee, who asked to be called Vikram, said “many colleagues complain about harassment and other problems because they take breaks”.

Tesla did not respond to a request from AFP for comment on the allegations.

Another worker, who identified himself as Ali, 31, said he was very satisfied at Tesla, particularly with his salary.

“They give us everything — shares, good facilities,” the body shop worker told AFP.

– Musk threat –



Andre Thierig, the director of the site, has told local media that Tesla pays its employees better than its competitors do and has argued that collective agreements are destroying German industry.

In early February, Thierig accused a member of IG Metall of illegally recording a works council meeting.

The union promptly declared that it was preparing legal action against what it called “obstruction of union activity”.

Musk himself has weighed in on the dispute, warning that there will be no further investment in the factory if IG Metall becomes the majority union.

Jan Otto, regional manager of IG Metall in eastern Germany, retorted that the US billionaire should “accept the rules of the game of co-determination and democracy in German companies”.

Otto has called on the government of Brandenburg to step in.

Contacted by AFP, the regional economy ministry said it “encourages companies in Brandenburg, including Tesla, to conclude collective agreements” and offer “attractive working conditions”.

Canada and India strike agreements on rare earth, uranium

By AFP
March 2, 2026


India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) met with Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney in New Delhi - Copyright AFP Joe Klamar

India and Canada on Monday reached a string of agreements, including on critical mineral cooperation and a “landmark” uranium supply deal for nuclear power, the countries’ leaders said in New Delhi.

The pacts, which also covered technology and promoting the use of renewable energy, were announced after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney hailed a fresh start in the relationship between their nations.

“Our ties have seen a new energy, mutual trust, and positivity,” Modi said.

Ties effectively collapsed in 2023 after Ottawa accused New Delhi of orchestrating a deadly campaign against Sikh activists in Canada, accusations India rejected.

Carney’s visit — his first to India since taking office last year — is not only aimed to reset strained ties, but also to push efforts to diversify trade beyond the United States.

“There has been more engagement between the Canadian and Indian governments in the last year than there has been in more than two decades combined,” Carney said in New Delhi, in a speech alongside Modi.

“This is not merely the renewal of a relationship. It is the expansion of a valued partnership with new ambition, focus, and foresight, a partnership between two confident countries charting our own course for the future.”



– ‘New opportunities’ –



Energy-hungry India — the world’s most populous country with 1.4 billion people — has ambitious plans to expand nuclear power capacity from its current eight to 100 gigawatts by 2047.

“In civil nuclear energy, we have struck a landmark deal for long-term uranium supply,” Modi said, adding the countries would also work together on small modular reactors and advanced reactors.

Carney said they had agreed the launch of a “strategic energy partnership with significant potential” including CAN$2.6 billion ($1.9 billion) uranium supply agreement “supporting India’s nuclear ambitions”.

Carney added that Canada was “well positioned to contribute, as a reliable supplier” of liquefied natural gas (LNG), from its west coast.

“As India seeks access to critical minerals for its manufacturing, its clean-tech, and its nuclear plants, Canada’s resource base and world-leading companies position it as a strategic partner,” he said.

The two countries agreed last year to resume negotiations on a proposed free-trade deal, the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.

“Our target is to reach $50 billion in bilateral trade,” Modi said. “This is why we have decided to finalise a comprehensive economic partnership soon,” he added, saying it “will open new opportunities to invest and create jobs in both countries”.



– Defence deal –



Carney said he wanted to reach a deal on the “ambitious agreement” by the end of the year to “reduce barriers and increase certainty”, also said the nations were renewing security cooperation through a “new defence partnership”.

Canadian pension and wealth funds have already invested $73 billion in India.

Before Carney took office last year, Ottawa accused Modi’s government of direct involvement in the 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a naturalised Canadian citizen who was part of a fringe group that advocated for an independent Sikh state called Khalistan.

Khalistan militants have been blamed for the assassination of an Indian prime minister and the bombing of a passenger jet.

India has repeatedly dismissed the Canadian allegations, which sent relations into freefall, with both nations expelling a string of top diplomats in 2024.

Ties improved after Carney took office in March 2025, and envoys have since been restored.

After India, Carney will travel to Australia and Japan — part of a wider push to broaden Canada’s economic partnerships.

Carney has made reducing Canada’s heavy reliance on the US economy a centrepiece of his foreign economic policy.

In 2024, before US President Donald Trump returned to office and upended global trade with a flurry of tariffs, more than 75 percent of Canadian exports went to the United States. Two-way trade that year exceeded $900 billion.

So far Trump has broadly adhered to the North American free-trade agreement he signed during his first term, and about 85 percent of US-Canada trade remains tariff-free.

But at the same time, Trump has also imposed painful industry-specific tariffs, and there are fears that if he scraps the broader trade deal, the Canadian economy will be hit hard.

burs-pjm/mtp

Canada’s Carney to mend rift, boost trade as he meets India’s Modi


By AFP
March 1, 2026


Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney greets Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a G7 meeting last year in western Canada - Copyright AFP Idrees MOHAMMED
Abhaya SRIVASTAVA

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will seek to reset strained ties and push efforts to diversify trade beyond the United States when he meets his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Monday.

The talks in New Delhi are expected to cover trade and investment, clean energy, defence, critical minerals and artificial intelligence, officials from both sides have said.

A major focus will be reviving negotiations for a long-discussed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.

Speaking to business leaders in Mumbai on Saturday, Carney said the planned deal, which he was looking to seal by the end of the year, could double bilateral trade by 2030.

“This visit marks the end of a challenging period, and more importantly, the beginning of a new, more ambitious partnership between two confident and complementary nations,” he said.

Carney’s visit is a key step forward in ties that effectively collapsed in 2023 after Ottawa accused New Delhi of orchestrating a deadly campaign against Sikh activists in Canada.

India’s foreign ministry said Carney’s visit marked a “significant step” in strengthening relations.

India is seeking to attract more overseas investments and says Canadian pension and wealth funds have already invested $73 billion.

Energy-hungry India — the world’s most populous country, with 1.4 billion people — hopes Canada can support its ambitious plan to expand nuclear power capacity.

– ‘Strategic partner’ –

“We can be India’s strategic partner in critical minerals for India’s manufacturing, clean tech, and nuclear industries,” Carney said.

“And India can help us double our grid with clean power by 2040.”

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is in India to boost trade between the two countries – Copyright AFP Indranil Mukherjee

Before Carney took office last year, Ottawa accused Modi’s government of direct involvement in the 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a naturalised Canadian citizen who was part of a fringe group that advocated for an independent Sikh state called Khalistan.

Khalistan militants have been blamed for the assassination of an Indian prime minister and the bombing of a passenger jet.

Former prime minister Justin Trudeau’s government further alleged India had directed a broader campaign of intimidation against Sikh activists across Canada.

India has repeatedly dismissed the allegations, which sent relations into freefall, with both nations expelling a string of top diplomats in 2024.

Strategic analyst and author Brahma Chellaney said Carney’s trip was “intended to close one of the most acrimonious diplomatic chapters between two major democracies in recent memory”.

“For two pluralistic democracies navigating an uncertain century, this may prove to be the most sustainable foundation of all,” he said on X.

Ties between New Delhi and Ottawa improved after Carney took office in March 2025, and envoys have since been restored.

– ‘Enormous opportunities’ –

“Building true strategic autonomy requires diversification, not isolation,” Carney said.

“It creates enormous opportunities for India and Canada to work together, to limit risks, to increase prosperity, and to build sovereignty.”

Carney has made reducing Canada’s heavy reliance on the US economy a centrepiece of his foreign economic policy.

In 2024, before US President Donald Trump returned to office and upended global trade with a flurry of tariffs, more than 75 percent of Canadian exports went to the United States. Two-way trade that year exceeded $900 billion.

So far Trump has broadly adhered to the North American free-trade agreement he signed during his first term, and about 85 percent of US-Canada trade remains tariff-free.

But at the same time, Trump has also imposed painful industry-specific tariffs, and there are fears that if he scraps the broader trade deal, the Canadian economy will be hit hard.

Carney is trying to boost commerce with Europe and Asia as a strategy to backstop Canada’s economy, should free trade with Washington collapse.

After India, Carney will travel to Australia and Japan — part of a wider push to broaden Canada’s economic partnerships.

burs-abh/mjw