Afghan Masomah 'proud' to be a voice for refugees at Olympics

Paris (AFP) – Masomah Ali Zada is "proud" to represent "all those who have been forced to flee their country" in her role as chef de mission of the Refugee team at the Paris Olympics, she told AFP.

Issued on: 25/06/2024 - 

Afghan cyclist Masomah Ali Zada says she is proud to represent people like her who have fled their countries 

© Joël SAGET / AFP

The 28-year-old Afghan has transferred seamlessly from Olympic cyclist for the Refugee team at the Tokyo 2020 Games to a managerial role and will be "the spokesperson for the 120 million displaced people round the world."

Masomah will be in charge of 36 athletes hailing from 11 countries and competing across 12 sports at the Games which run from July 26 to August 11.

"It fills me with great ride and is an immense honour to represent, along with this unique and special team, those people who have been obliged to flee their country," Masomah told AFP, speaking in French in a round of interviews at the Paris Games organisers' headquarters to commemorate United Nations Refugees Day.

Masomah has achieved a lot in the eight years since she arrived in France, gaining the right of asylum after being refused a visa in her first application and she recently obtained her masters in civil engineering at Lille University.

Masomah can relate to the refugees having been one herself -- she lived in Iran from the age of two to 10 before returning to Afghanistan.

"I know what it is to be a refugee," said Masomah, her eyes highlighted by eyeliner and her head covered by a black veil.

"I had bad experiences, which led me to wonder whether I would ever be respected and it posed a lot of questions over my future."

Masomah acknowledges she is in a better position than her female compatriots back in Afghanistan.

"When I compare my situation here, in France, where I can live and travel on my own, to that of Afghanistan-based women... I am sad and disappointed to be unable to do anything for them," said a visibly emotional Masomah.

Masomah Ali Zada, pictured at the Paris Olympics' organisers headquarters, had stones thrown at her when she rode her bike around Kabul

 © Joël SAGET / AFP

Since they returned to power in August, 2021, the Taliban has used its austere interpretation of Islam to erode women's rights.

Women have been de facto barred from sports as part of rules based on the Taliban government’s strict interpretation of Islam that have restricted their access to public spaces such as parks and gyms, as well as education and certain jobs.
'Any dream is possible'

Nevertheless Afghanistan will have a six-member team in Paris, three men and three women, after intense talks between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Afghan National Olympic Committee.

The latter has told AFP that all but one of the six team members are based outside the country.

"I am so happy there will be three Afghan women and they will be equal with the men," said Masomah, who added she will go along to cheer them on in their events.

Masomah, who belongs to the historically persecuted Hazara Shiite minority, said she experienced abuse and stigma when out on her bike in Afghanistan after she returned from Iran.

She said people would hurl stones and insults at her as she cycled at great speed around Kabul, but it only served to spur her on and she made the national team aged just 16.

"I grew up amid great inequality and insecurity," she said.

"We lived in fear, but when I got on my bike I felt free. I forgot about problems.

"I had the impression I was empowered, when in Afghanistan one thinks women are incapable of doing certain things," said Masomah, who finally left the country due to the hostility from the conservative elements of Afghan society.

Masomah, though, is keen to pursue a career in sport and one would not bet against her succeeding given how far her determination and courage has brought her so far.

"You must work really hard to fulfil your dream," she said.

"I had to put in three times the effort of a French student: between learning the language, the university courses, and the sport."

The fulfilment of her dream bore fruit in Tokyo.

"I lived my dream when the crowd cried out my name," said Masomah, who came last in the time-trial, one of the rare events, due to Covid restrictions, which spectators were permitted to attend.

"After that I said to myself any dream is possible to realise because I was there."

© 2024 AFP

More than 20,000 children missing amid Gaza war, NGO says

Issued on: 25/06/2024 

An estimated 21,000 children are missing in Gaza, with many thought to be buried under the rubble of destroyed buildings and presumed dead, according to a report published by Save the Children. Children account for around 40 percent of all deaths in Gaza, the NGO says.

Investigation highlights 'attack on press freedom' in Gaza war

A collaborative investigation by international media outlets on Tuesday shed light on the circumstances behind more than 100 Palestinian journalists and media workers being killed in the Gaza war, some while wearing a press vest.

Issued on: 25/06/2024 

Al Jazeera's bureau chief in Gaza, Wael Al-Dahdouh (C), during the funeral of his son Hamza Wael Dahdouh, a journalist who was killed in Rafah.

 © Mohammed Abed, AFP
By:NEWS WIRES
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A consortium led by investigative outlet Forbidden Stories and involving around 50 journalists from 13 organisations including AFP, The Guardian and the Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism group (ARIJ) took part in the four-month probe.

It looked into strikes involving journalists and media infrastructure since Israel launched a devastating offensive in the Gaza Strip in response to Palestinian militant group Hamas carrying out an unprecedented attack in Israel on October 7.

"More than 100 journalists and media workers have been killed," Forbidden Stories' Laurent Richard said in an editorial accompanying the Gaza Project's publication.

"Today's Gaza journalists have long known that their 'press' vests do not protect them," he wrote.

"Worse still, the protective gear might further expose them."

06:03   FOCUS 

© FRANCE 24

Carlos Martinez de la Serna, of the Committee to Protect Journalists, expressed shock at the toll.

"This is one of the most flagrant attacks on press freedom that I remember," he told the investigation.

The Israeli military said it "does not intentionally harm journalists, and that journalists may have been harmed during air strikes or operational activities aimed at military targets".

"Many of the cases mentioned in the report are actually cases of militants who were killed during military activity, but reported as journalists," it added.
'Supposed to identify and protect us'

The probe found that four journalists were allegedly killed or wounded by a drone while wearing a press vest.

Fourteen in total were killed, wounded or allegedly targeted while wearing their protective gear describing them as a member of the "press".

At least 40 journalists and media workers were killed while at home in Gaza, it added.

"Whereas the press vest was supposed to identify and protect us according to international laws... it is now a threat to us," said Basel Khair al-Din, a Palestinian journalist in Gaza who believes he was targeted by a drone strike while wearing a press vest.

ARIJ also surveyed 239 surviving journalists from June 6 to June 16. More than 200 had been displaced from their homes by the war, it found.

Seventy-two said they had lost family members. Of those, 11 reported their own children had been killed.

13:04

SCOOP © FRANCE 24

As part of the probe, AFP looked with other media into a strike on its Gaza bureau on November 2, after its staff had evacuated but while it was still broadcasting a livestream of the war from a camera on its balcony.

They found the strike to likely have been caused by an Israeli tank.

The Israeli military has said the bureau was not targeted but damage to it could have been caused by a "shock wave or shrapnel" from another attack.

AFP global news director Phil Chetwynd has called for a "very clear and transparent investigation" from the Israeli authorities into the incident.
'Completely unacceptable'

He also said that more than 100 journalists and media workers having been killed in the Gaza Strip in such a short time was "completely unacceptable".

"And the thing that worries me most is that it's not causing a scandal. Around the world I don't see the voices of the various governments complaining," he added.

Hamas' attack on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,195 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.

The militants also seized hostages, 116 of whom remain in Gaza although the army says 42 are dead.

Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 37,626 people, also mostly civilians, the health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza says.

Shuruq Asad, spokeswoman for the Palestinian Journalist Syndicate (PJS), said more than 70 media offices had been bombed since the start of the war and she too was taken aback by the lack of global outrage.

"I don't think this would be the reaction of the world if there was 100 Ukrainian journalists killed," she said, referring to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

(AFP)

Media probe finds Israeli tank fire likely hit AFP Gaza office

Paris (AFP) – A collaborative investigation by AFP and international media outlets published Tuesday points to Israeli tank fire likely being the cause of blasts that damaged the global news agency's Gaza bureau on November 2.

Issued on: 25/06/2024 - 

A gaping hole is shown on November 3, 2023 in the Hajji building which houses Agence France Presse (AFP) news bureau in Gaza City, amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas 

© Bashar TALEB / AFP/File

A consortium led by investigative outlet Forbidden Stories and involving around 50 journalists from 13 outlets carried out a four-month probe into several strikes involving journalists and media infrastructure since the war in Gaza erupted on October 7.

The strike on the AFP bureau, less than a month into the fighting sparked by Palestinian militant group Hamas attacking Israel, did not cause any casualties as staff had evacuated the site.

But the office's 11th-floor server room was severely damaged.

On a balcony on the floor below, an AFP camera was capturing live images of the Israeli offensive in the Hamas-ruled territory and beaming them to viewers around the world.

As the camera kept rolling, it caught the very moments the bureau was hit.

As part of the investigation, journalists and experts pored over archives of this live footage, images of the aftermath of the strike and satellite imagery to try to determine the cause of the blast.

Five experts consulted said the damage to the server room was likely caused by a tank, a weapon not owned by any other party in the conflict apart from Israel.

The Israeli military has said "the building was not targeted in any way", and in June said the incident was under review.

The strike on the AFP bureau, less than a month into the fighting sparked by Palestinian militant group Hamas attacking Israel, did not cause any casualties as staff had evacuated the site 

© Bashar TALEB / AFP/File

Here is a breakdown of what the investigation has revealed:
What happened?

Since 1993, AFP has had a bureau in the Gaza Strip.

In 2015, it moved to the three top floors of the 12-storey Hajji building in Gaza City's Rimal neighbourhood, two blocks from the Mediterranean Sea.

When conflict broke out on October 7, some of AFP's team of seven journalists, one technician and one accountant in the territory had been working for the agency for over two decades.

AFP has been particularly proud of the Gaza bureau, especially in view of the limited presence of foreign press in the Palestinian territory, the agency's global news director Phil Chetwynd said.

Damage incurred from a November 2, 2023 strike on AFP's Gaza office server room, in Gaza City © - / AFP/File

AFP staff "have a great attachment to the people who work there and the very difficult work that they do", he said.

Adel Zaanoun, a journalist whose career with AFP in Gaza spans three decades, said the bureau in the Hajji building, with its view onto the Mediterranean Sea and over large parts of the city, had been useful for coverage, but also "a safe haven in times of war".

"It's our second home," he said.

It is from the office in the Hajji building that staff initially covered the conflict, with the agency sharing the bureau's address and coordinates with the Israeli military within the first day of the war.

The AFP team left on October 13, the same day Israel demanded all civilians leave Gaza City.

But the camera on its 10th-floor balcony continued filming.

As tanks slowly encircled Gaza in early November, it was live streaming images from the city.

On November 2 around midday local time, blasts rocked the AFP bureau, severely damaging the server room and leaving a gaping hole in one of its outside walls.

The live camera on the balcony on the floor below, connected to solar panels, was not hit and kept rolling.

After a few temporary interruptions, it only stopped coverage definitively on November 12, when no one was around to reboot the transmission system.

A consortium led by investigative outlet Forbidden Stories and involving around 50 journalists from 13 outlets carried out a four-month probe into several strikes involving journalists and media infrastructure since the war in Gaza erupted in October 

© - / AFP/File

AFP on November 4 called on Israel for "an in-depth and transparent investigation" into the exact involvement of its military in the strike.

The Israeli military said there had been an Israeli "strike near the building to eliminate an immediate threat" that "might have caused debris", but "the building was not targeted in any way".
What do the live footage and images of damage show?

Archived live footage from the camera shows bright flashes in the distance several seconds before blasts rock the building, with several experts establishing a correlation between the two.

Five said it was likely tank fire that had hit the building.

Trevor Ball, a former US army explosives expert, said the damage to the server room was consistent with tank fire.

On a scale of one to 10, "I would go with a 10 due to the small amount of damage and fragments consistent with tank rounds," he said.

British ammunition expert Adrian Wilkinson noted the damage inside the 11th-floor server room was consistent with a 120mm M339 "bunker buster shell" containing 2.3 kilos of explosive known to have been used by Israeli tanks during the Gaza war, and not owned by any other party in the conflict.

"No other actor has a weapon system that fires line of sight with a warhead of 2.3 kilos, which is consistent with the damage caused inside the building," he said.

Damage showed "the device certainly detonated inside the building", he added.

"A debris strike would not cause the damage observed," he added, dismissing the Israeli military's claim.

He said the building was likely targeted.

"The weapon type and accuracy inherent in the Israeli tank weapon system means that the weapon hit the target it was aimed at," he said.

"Why it was fired? I cannot comment."

A weapons expert from the French military, who agreed to speak on condition of anonymity, said that there was a "more than a seven out of 10" chance that it was an Israeli tank shell that caused the damage.

"If it had been a different kind of projectile, we would have seen different kinds of shrapnel," he said.

War Noir, an independent weapons researcher who works under a pseudonym, said it was highly probable the live stream footage had caught a tank firing at the building.

"It is very likely that most of the attacks in the streams were caused by a tank gun," he said.

Asked for clarification about the November 2 attack during the investigation, the Israeli military appeared to repeat its previous statement.

"The offices of the AFP agency were not the target of the attack and damage to them could have been caused by the shock wave or shrapnel," it said, without clearly saying to what attack they referred or mentioning the date.

It added the incident was under review.
Remaining questions

Where did the tank fire originate from?

For each strike, the live footage captures a flash, a strike on the building and then the sound of a muzzle blast.

Knowing the speed of sound, consortium journalists calculated the distance between the flash of the weapon going off and the camera that captured the sound of its detonation, placing the origin of fire at around three kilometres (1.8 miles).

Positioning that radius over a satellite map, it located the possible point of departure to a wasteland northeast of the AFP bureau.

While analysis of images could not clearly establish a line of sight from that plot, the investigation could not categorically exclude that one existed.

The ongoing nature of the conflict meant that a journalist could not be sent back there to take extra pictures.

But Israeli tanks were in that area around that date.

Satellite images of the area on November 3, the day after the strikes, show what look like vehicle tracks on that patch of wasteland.

Satellite imagery company Maxar sent partners views of other areas of the city on November 2, the day of the strikes on the AFP bureau, but for the full wasteland area said it did not have "imagery that we can provide".

It also remains unclear why the building was struck.

AFP has no indication that any Hamas members were in the building on November 2 or in the days prior, said global news director Chetwynd.

The team did not hear any unusual activity going on near the camera in parts of the live stream footage that they viewed from November 2 and days before.

It is also unclear if the live stream was being targeted.

But the strikes come within a series of incidents involving the Israeli army and media over the course of the war.

Less than an hour before the strike on the AFP office, a strike hit another tower block nearby called the Ghefari building, on whose 16th floor a local outlet called the Palestinian Media Group (PMG) was also shooting live footage.

Its clients since the start of the war had included international news agency Reuters.

That strike damaged the 16th floor of Ghefari, wounding one of its journalists.

PMG's Hassan Madhoun said a second strike again hit his offices in the Ghefari tower on November 3 from a different direction, and he was certain "it was targeting the cameras".

In southern Lebanon on October 13, an AFP team and reporters from other media outlets including Reuters and Al Jazeera were capturing images of clashes on the Israeli border, when they were also hit, killing a Reuters journalist and seriously wounding an AFP photographer who later had a leg amputated.

Al Jazeera was streaming live from the location at the time.

An AFP investigation in December also pointed to a tank shell only used by the Israeli army in the high-tension border region.

More recently, Israel last month briefly blocked the AP news agency's live video of Gaza from southern Israel.

For Shuruq Asad, spokeswoman for the Palestinian Journalist Syndicate (PJS), the intent of the November 2 strike was clear.

"This is a clear and direct attack on a press office," she said.

"Israel knows the importance of the live streams... how important they are for the international press which use these wire services."

Irene Khan, the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, said such footage could also sometimes be used as evidence.

"Where there is strong potential for a war crime being committed, obviously the live stream becomes critical evidence," said Khan.
What's next?

Chetwynd, AFP's global news director, called for "a very clear and transparent investigation into both the incident in southern Lebanon and the incident in our bureau in Gaza".

"Any kind of attack in which journalists or media structures are damaged or hurt is extremely serious and in both these incidents there are real concerns that there was some kind of targeting of either individuals or media infrastructure," he said.

UN expert Khan stressed, that even if the offices were empty, "according to international humanitarian law, media infrastructure is civilian infrastructure, so targeting it would be potentially a war crime".

burs-gf-sbh-cf-ah/jm

© 2024 AFP

Ghana's cocoa farmers turn to smuggling as currency falls

Suhum (Ghana) (AFP) – Ghanaian cocoa farmer Isaac Antwi says he has to smuggle his beans to Ivory Coast to sell them at a decent profit even as international prices for the commodity recently surged.


Issued on: 25/06/2024 -

Higher production costs and the Ghanaian currency's fall have hurt cocoa farmers

 © CRISTINA ALDEHUELA / AFP/File

He is not the only farmer to have turned to illicit trade in the world's number two cocoa producer as the country's currency, the cedi, has fallen sharply and production costs have soared.

"With the cedi losing value every day, selling in Ghana just doesn't cut it," said Antwi, who lives in Suhum, in the Eastern Region, 74 kilometres (46 miles) from the capital, Accra.

"The prices are better across the border, and the stronger currency means I can feed my family and pay off my debts."

Ghana is emerging from one of it worst economic crisis in years after securing a $3 billion credit from the International Monetary Fund and restructuring most of its debt.

But the depreciation of the cedi, which has lost over 20 percent of its value against the dollar this year, has severely impacted the profitability of cocoa farming even as international prices topped $10,000 per tonne in March before receding in recent months.

Production costs have jumped, with fertilisers and other materials needed to farm becoming increasingly expensive.

Poor road networks have also inflated transportation costs, further squeezing farmers' margins.

Cocoa farmers are obliged to sell their produce to the state-run Ghana Cocoa Board or COCOBOD, which fixes prices to help protect farmers from market volatility.

In April, the government increased the cocoa price paid to farmers to $2,188 (33,120 cedi) per tonne, a 58.26 percent hike.

But this has not been enough to offset the rising costs and the lure of higher prices in Ivory Coast and Togo.

"If the government increased the cocoa price to match our neighbours, the smuggling would stop," said another Suhum farmer, Serwaa Adjei. "We need to survive."
Smallholder farmers

Ghana's cocoa sector, which accounts for about 10 percent of the nation's GDP, is heavily reliant on smallholder farmers.

These growers, however, have found themselves in an increasingly precarious situation.

Dennis Nyameke, a veteran farmer from the Western Region, explained the economics behind smuggling.

"A bag of cocoa sells for at least $137 in Ghana, but when we smuggle it to Ivory Coast, we can get close to $152," he said.

"With four children to care for, I can't afford to ignore that difference."

Despite efforts by the state-run COCOBOD to tackle these challenges, farmers say they are still struggling.

Fiifi Boafo, head of public affairs at COCOBOD, acknowledged the impact of smuggling, illegal mining and adverse weather conditions on cocoa production.

Cocoa cultivation in Ghana and Ecuador 

© Gabriela VAZ, Gustavo IZUS / AFP

Illegal mining for gold, known locally as Galamsey, is rife in rural Ghana, impacting water supplies and keeping farmers from land.

"Illegal mining activities are cutting off farmers from their farms and polluting water bodies needed to irrigate cocoa farms," Boafo told AFP.

He said climate change had also impacted cocoa yields.

"We are doing a lot to improve the situation of the farmers. We are motivating cocoa farmers by paying them more for their produce," he said.

"But the economic pressures are immense, and we are fighting a tough battle."

Obed Owusu-Addai, a campaigner at EcoCare Ghana, a group that works for community rights, called for comprehensive reforms.

"The government must take urgent action to stabilise the cedi and support farmers with subsidies and better infrastructure," he said.

"It's not just about higher prices; it's about creating a sustainable environment for our farmers to thrive."
Revenue falls

The cocoa sector, also battling an outbreak of Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease, has seen a significant decline in production and revenue in recent years.

Ghana has lost harvests from nearly 500,000 hectares of land in recent years, according to COCOBOD, or about 29 percent of Ghana's total cocoa production area of 1.7 million hectares.

Ghana's struggles have global implications.

Industry experts estimate that over 100,000 tonnes of cocoa beans have been smuggled into Ivory Coast from Ghana since last year.

Smuggling, combined with other challenges, led to a $500-million drop in cocoa revenue in the first quarter of 2024, according to recent data released by the Bank of Ghana.

Boafo said Ghana's cocoa production is projected to reach 800,000 tonnes by year-end, reversing the significant losses of recent years.

With over one million people reliant on the cocoa industry in Ghana, the stakes are high.

"We're very optimistic," Boafo said.

© 2024 AFP

Hot cocoa prices bring sweet profits, danger to Ecuador producers

Buena Fe (Ecuador) (AFP) – Julia Avellan had been tempted to quit the cocoa business before prices unexpectedly exploded on the international market this year, bringing historic profits to Ecuador's farmers.


Issued on: 25/06/2024 -

Cocoa prices skyrocketed in March after a poor harvest in West Africa, and remain at record-highs since partially sliding back

But the "golden" cocoa bean has not escaped the attention of criminals in the small South American nation, wracked by gang violence in recent years.

Avellan, 41, walks through her lush plantation in the central Los Rios province, stopping to slice open a reddish cocoa pod, extracting the slimy bean that will be fermented, dried and roasted on its way to becoming chocolate.

Cocoa prices skyrocketed in March after a poor harvest in West Africa, reaching $10,000 per ton in New York. Prices have since dropped back but are still three times higher than last year.

Countries whose governments do not regulate cocoa prices -- such as Ecuador -- have seen some of the best profits.

Avellan said she has sold a quintal (100 pounds, 45 kilograms) of cocoa beans for $420, compared to around $60 before the boom which barely covered her investments and "made you feel like quitting as a cocoa farmer."

A worker prepares fresh cocoa to be stored before fermentation

"Thanks to these prices, we are going to be more sustainable for our family. We will be able to take care of our plants with even more dedication, because now it truly is the golden seed," she told AFP.
Stolen trucks transporting cocoa

But the bounty has also ushered in danger in a country brought to its knees by organized crime, forcing everyone from shrimp farmers to banana growers to fork out millions in extra security.

"These prices are historic, we have never had them," said Ivan Ontaneda, president of the national association of cocoa exporters (Anecacao).

A worker arranges sacks of cocoa using a forklift at the Fumisa plant of fine aroma cocoa exporter Ecokakao in Buena Fe canton, Los Rios province, Ecuador 

He said exporters had already spent around $20 million on security last year, and fears are high that cocaine will end up in their shipments.

Los Rios is one of the most violent provinces in Ecuador with a murder rate of 111 per 100,000 inhabitants.

The figure is even higher than in neighboring Guayas state, whose port capital Guayaquil is the main hub for cocaine trafficking to the United States and Europe.

"My colleagues have been kidnapped. Not even eight days ago, a young man was kidnapped. They have stolen cars (trucks loaded with cocoa) from companies," said Avellan.

The threat of crime leads to an "increase in costs" in the cocoa chain, Marco Landivar, manager of a processing plant for the exporter Eco-kakao, told AFP.

"The cargo has to go with private security, all movements to port have double custody," he adds.
More expensive chocolate

After the Ivory Coast and Ghana, Ecuador is the world's third-largest cocoa grower, producing some 420,000 tons a year.

After the Ivory Coast and Ghana, Ecuador is the world's third-largest cocoa grower, producing some 420,000 tons a year 

In recent months, unfavorable weather conditions and devastating diseases in aging plantations have battered crops in West Africa, tipping the scale in favor of the Latin American country.

In Ecuador, small farmers produce 80 percent of the country's cocoa beans, while the rest are grown by larger plantations.

The beans, the seed of the fruit of the cocoa tree, are dried under the hot equatorial sun in storage centers before being shipped off to delight chocolate lovers around the world.

In 2023, cocoa generated $1.3 billion for Ecuador. In the first four months of this year alone, the country has sold $774 million worth, according to the central bank.

Ecuador's main markets for cocoa are Indonesia, Malaysia, the United States, the Netherlands and Belgium.

The soaring cocoa price has also led to wild speculation and demand for "much more liquidity, which the export sector does not have at the moment," said Ontaneda.

A worker holds the fruit of the cocoa tree, the precious bean encased in white pulp 

He said it was like "blood for the sharks" on the floors of stock exchanges.

"Speculative funds entered the market to buy cocoa in paper form," before it was harvested, sending prices soaring.

While some local producers reap the benefits, Ontaneda and other experts warn that the soaring prices will force people to cut back on their chocolate habits.

© MARCOS PIN / AFP Photo

© 2024 AFP

China premier calls to 'oppose decoupling' at economic forum

Dalian (China) (AFP) – China's premier called Tuesday for countries to "oppose decoupling", as economic tensions simmer between Beijing and the European Union, a key trading partner that is preparing to impose new tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles next month.


Issued on: 25/06/2024 

Li Qiang spoke at the opening of a World Economic Forum conference known as the 'Summer Davos'

 © Pedro Pardo / AFP

Friction between the West and the world's second-largest economy has intensified in recent years, as geopolitical hotspots crop up around the world and Beijing and Washington compete for supremacy in advanced technology.

"We should broadly open our minds, work closely together, abandon camp formations, (and) oppose decoupling," said Li Qiang, China's second-ranking leader who has been tasked by President Xi Jinping with managing economic affairs.

Li's comments came during a speech at the opening of a World Economic Forum conference known as the "Summer Davos", held this year in the northeastern Chinese city of Dalian.

The premier also called on parties to "maintain the stability and smooth operation of industrial and supply chains, promote the liberalisation and facilitation of trade and investment, guide and promote healthy global development, and gather powerful efforts for world economic growth".

Worries about a disengagement between China and major economies in the West have rumbled for years as they clash over a range of issues including trade and technology.

Last month, the United States hiked tariffs on $18 billion worth of imports from the country, targeting strategic sectors like electric vehicles, batteries, steel and critical minerals, a move Beijing warned would "severely affect relations between the two superpowers.

China is also facing heightened scrutiny from the European Union, which is preparing to impose tariffs of up to 38 percent on its EVs by July 4, citing concerns over unfair competition caused by heavy state subsidies.

The duties will be provisional until November, when they are set to come into full effect.

European leaders including Commission head Ursula von der Leyen have insisted the bloc does not intend to decouple from China, seeking instead to "de-risk" its market as political confrontations with Beijing mount.

China's government has continuously denounced the pending tariffs as "purely protectionist", arguing that the success of its domestic EV industry is due to innovation and supply chain efficiency rather than government support.

Beijing has agreed with European counterparts to enter into negotiations as an investigation by Brussels into the matter continues.

© 2024 AFP

Major Niger uranium mine back in public control: govt

Niamey (Niger) (AFP) – Niger on Monday confirmed one of the world's biggest uranium mines had returned to public control after revoking the operating licence of French nuclear fuel producer Orano.


Issued on: 25/06/2024

Niger's military rulers have have broken ties with France, the former colonial power and traditional partner 

The company last week said it had been excluded from the Imouraren mine in northern Niger, in a move that highlighted tensions between France and the West African country's military rulers.

The government had not reacted before releasing a statement on Monday saying the Imouraren mine had returned "to the public domain of the state".

It justified revoking the licence by saying Orano "never honoured its commitments" despite two "formal notices" handed to it by the mines ministry in February 2022 and March this year.

Orano on Thursday said it had "taken note" of the withdrawal of the licence from its subsidiary Imouraren SA.

The move came despite its recent resumption of "activities" at the site, which had been fulfilled in line with the government's wishes, according to Orano.

The company added that it was "prepared to keep open all channels of communication" with the authorities while reserving the right to contest the decision in national or international courts.

The Imouraren mine sits on an estimated 200,000 tonnes of uranium, used for nuclear power and weapons.

But development was frozen after the collapse in world uranium prices following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan.

Niger's military rulers have vowed to review mining concessions in the country since taking power in a July 2023 coup, as part of its focus on national sovereignty.

They have also broken ties with France, the former colonial power and traditional partner, and turned towards Russia which is seeking to extend its influence in the region.

Niger in 2022 accounted for about a quarter of the natural uranium supplied to European nuclear power plants, according to data from the atomic organisation Euratom.

© 2024 AFP

UNESCO wants to add Stonehenge to list of endangered heritage sites

Paris (AFP) – The UN's cultural organisation said Monday it recommended adding Stonehenge, the renowned prehistoric site in England, to its world heritage in danger list, in what would be seen as an embarrassment for London.

Issued on: 25/06/2024

Stonehenge in southwest England -- carved and constructed at a time when there were no metal tools -- symbolises Britain's semi-mythical pre-historic period, and has spawned countless legends 

© William EDWARDS / AFP

The site has been in the UN organisation's sights because of British government plans to construct a controversial road tunnel near the world heritage site in southwestern England.

In a written decision seen by AFP, the World Heritage Committee recommended that Stonehenge be added to the UN body's heritage in danger list "with a view to mobilising international support".

The decision will have to be voted upon by the member states of the World Heritage Committee at a meeting in New Delhi in July.

One diplomat told AFP that the decision will likely be approved.

Stonehenge has had UNESCO world heritage status since 1986.

Placement on the UN body's heritage in danger list is seen as a dishonour by some countries.

Last July the British government approved the construction of a controversial road tunnel near Stonehenge despite efforts by campaigners to halt the £1.7 billion ($2.2 billion) project.

The diplomat pointed out that London had decided to approve the project "despite repeated warnings from the World Heritage Committee since 2017."

The planned tunnel is intended to ease congestion on an existing main road to southwest England that gets especially busy during the peak holiday periods.

Experts have warned of "permanent, irreversible harm" to the area.

Druids have held protests against the tunnel at a site they consider sacred and where they celebrate the summer and winter solstice -- the longest and shortest days of the year.

Built in stages between around 3,000 and 2,300 BCE, Stonehenge is one of the world's most important prehistoric megalithic monuments in terms of its size, sophisticated layout and architectural precision.

UNESCO runs a list of sites with World Heritage status around the world, a prestigious title that countries compete to bestow on their most famous natural and man-made locations.

A listing can help boost tourism -- but it comes with obligations to protect the site.

The port city of Liverpool in northwest England lost its World Heritage status for its docks in 2021 after UNESCO experts concluded that new real estate developments in the city had taken too much of a toll on its historical fabric.

© 2024 AFP

'Urgent' for Australia to protect Great Barrier Reef: UNESCO

Sydney (AFP) – Australia must take "urgent" action to protect the Great Barrier Reef, including setting more ambitious climate targets, the UN's cultural organisation has warned.

Issued on: 25/06/2024 

Large parts of the Great Barrier Reef have bleached and risk dying 

© DAVID GRAY / AFP

In a draft decision, UNESCO also asked Australia to submit an update on protection efforts early next year, but stopped short of recommending the reef be placed on its list of endangered heritage sites.

The decision, released late Monday, was welcomed by Australia's Minister for the Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek as a "huge win".

"We are acting on climate change, improving local water quality, protecting our marine life, dealing with invasive species, and investing a record amount of money into reef programs," she said in a statement Tuesday.

But the UNESCO decision, which will guide a meeting of the World Heritage Committee in New Delhi next month, warns the world's largest coral system "remains under serious threat."

"Urgent and sustained action is of utmost priority," it added.

The fate of the reef has been a recurrent source of tension between UNESCO and Australian authorities, with the World Heritage Committee threatening to put the world's largest coral system on its list of "in danger" global heritage sites.

Behind-the-scenes diplomacy and lobbying from Australia have avoided such a move and commitments from the Labour government of Anthony Albanese have drawn praise from the Paris-based organisation.

The draft decision welcomed some of the steps taken by Australia, including on water quality around the reef and restrictions on gill-net fishing.

But it expressed "high concern" about land clearing threatening water quality, and said Australia should "set more ambitious emission reduction targets."

Citing the ongoing mass bleaching of the reef, it asked for an update by next February, rebuffing Australia's request to wait until 2026.

It also urged Australia to make public "as soon as possible" details on reef mortality rates in the latest round of bleaching.

Plibersek said the agency had recognised Australian efforts to protect the reef.

"Today's draft decision is a huge win for Queensland, a huge win for the thousands of people who rely on the reef for work, and a huge win for all the plants and animals that call it home," she said.

Environmental groups, however, said the UNESCO decision should be a "wake-up call".

"UNESCO has asked Australia to set more ambitious climate targets, and given us a February 2025 deadline to submit a progress report -- the clock is ticking," said Greenpeace Australia Pacific CEO David Ritter.

The World Wide Fund for Nature-Australia also released new images on Tuesday showing bleached and dead coral on the reef.

The group urged Australia to commit to a federal emissions reduction target of at least 90 percent below 2005 levels by 2035 and to stop approving new fossil fuel projects.

Australia currently targets reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 43 percent from 2005 levels by 2030 and achieving net zero by 2050.

© 2024 AFP

World not ready for climate change-fuelled wildfires: experts

Paris (AFP) – The world is unprepared for the increasing ferocity of wildfires turbocharged by climate change, scientists say, as blazes from North America to Europe greet the northern hemisphere summer in the hottest year on record.


Issued on: 25/06/2024 - 

While extra resources have been poured into improving firefighting in recent years, experts said the same was not true for planning and preparing for such disasters 

© Darren HULL / AFP/File

Wildfires have already burned swathes through Turkey, Canada, Greece and the United States early this season as extreme heatwaves push temperatures to scorching highs.

While extra resources have been poured into improving firefighting in recent years, experts said the same was not true for planning and preparing for such disasters.

"We are still actually catching up with the situation," said Stefan Doerr, director of the Centre for Wildfire Research at the UK's Swansea University.

Predicting how bad any one blaze will be -- or where and when it will strike -- can be challenging, with many factors including local weather conditions playing into calculations.

But overall, wildfires are getting larger and burning more severely, said Doerr, who co-authored a recent paper examining the frequency and intensity of such extreme events.

A separate study published in June found the frequency and magnitude of extreme wildfires appeared to have doubled over the past 20 years.

By the end of the century, the number of extreme wildfires around the globe is tipped to rise 50 percent, according to a 2022 report by the UN Environment Programme.

Doerr said humanity had not yet faced up to this reality.

"We're clearly not well enough prepared for the situation that we're facing now," he said.

Climate change is a major driver, though other factors such as land use and the location of housing developments play a big part.

- 'We cannot fight the fires' -

Fires do not respect borders so responses have evolved between governments to jointly confront these disasters, said Jesus San-Miguel, an expert for the European Commission Joint Research Centre.

The EU has a strong model of resource sharing, and even countries outside the bloc along the Mediterranean have benefited from firefighting equipment or financial help in times of need, San-Miguel said.

But as wildfires become increasingly extreme, firefighting simply won't be a fix.

"We get feedback from our colleagues in civil protection who say, 'We cannot fight the fires. The water evaporates before it reaches the ground,'" San-Miguel said.

"Prevention is something we need to work on more," he added.

Wildfires have already burned swathes through Turkey as extreme heatwaves push temperatures to scorching highs © Mahmut BOZARSLAN / AFP

Controlled burns, grazing livestock, or mechanised vegetation removal are all effective ways to limit the amount of burnable fuel covering the forest floor, said Rory Hadden from the University of Edinburgh.

Campfire bans and establishing roads as firebreaks can all be effective in reducing starts and minimising spread, said Hadden, an expert on fire safety and engineering.

But such efforts require funding and planning from governments that may have other priorities and cash-strapped budgets, and the return is not always immediately evident.

"Whatever method or technique you're using to manage a landscape... the result of that investment is nothing happens, so it's a very weird psychological thing. The success is: well, nothing happened," said Hadden.
'Short memories'

Local organisations and residents often take the lead in removing vegetation in the area immediately around their homes and communities.

But not everyone is prepared to accept their neighbourhood might be at risk.

"People don't think that it will happen to them, but it eventually will," San-Miguel said, pointing to historically cold or wet climates like the US Pacific Northwest that have witnessed major fires in recent years.

'People don't think that it will happen to them, but it eventually will,' fire expert Jesus San-Miguel said © ETIENNE TORBEY / AFP/File

Canada has adapted to a new normal of high latitude wildfires, while some countries in Scandinavia are preparing for ever-greater fire risk.

But how best to address the threat remains an open question, said Guillermo Rein from Imperial College London, even in places where fire has long been part of the landscape.

Even in locations freshly scarred by fire, the clearest lessons are sometimes not carried forward.

"People have very short memories for wildfires," said Rein, a fire science expert.

In July 2022, London witnessed its worst single day of wildfires since the bombings of World War II, yet by year's end only academics were still talking about how to best prepare for the future.

"While the wildfires are happening, everybody's asking questions... When they disappear, within a year, people forget about it," he said.

© 2024 AFP

Science of beverage sipping: Is coffee good for you or bad for you?


By Dr. Tim Sandle

June 23, 2024

DIGITAL JOURNAL

Morning coffee. — Image © Tim Sandle

One scientific study about the benefits of drinking coffee tends to be counterbalanced by another that draws out neutral or ill-health effects. What is the right answer? When it comes to your genetics, the answer is complicated.

Of course, such an answer depends on how much coffee is consumed, with six cups of coffee a day were considered the upper limit of safe consumption. But is it more complicated than that and does the answer relate to the individual?

While the effects of coffee consumption on human health remains a knotty question, but one thing is certain: coffee is a psychoactive substance.

Researcher Dr. Sandra Sanchez-Roige, from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry, has been leading a team examining coffee-consumption characteristics of people from a 23andMe database.

The research team collected genetic data as well as self-reported coffee-consumption numbers to assemble a genome-wide association study. The idea was to make connections between the genes that were known to be associated with coffee consumption and the traits or conditions related to health.

The researchers used these data to identify regions on the genome associated with whether somebody is more or less likely to consume coffee. From this they proceeded to identify the genes and biology that could underlie coffee intake.

The data suggests the particular gene variants that a person inherits from their parents influence how much coffee they are likely to consume.

Sanchez-Roige says the genetic influence on coffee consumption was the first of two questions the researchers wanted to address.

“The second is something that coffee lovers are really keen on learning,” she explains. “Is drinking coffee good or bad? Is it associated with positive health outcomes or not?”

The answer is not definitive. The group’s genome-wide association study of 130,153 U.S.-based 23andMe research participants was compared with a similar UK Biobank database of 334,649 Britons, revealing consistent positive genetic associations between coffee and harmful health outcomes such as obesity and substance use.

A positive genetic association is a connection between a specific gene variant (the genotype) and a specific condition (the phenotype).

Conversely, a negative genetic association is an apparent protective quality discouraging the development of a condition. The findings get more complicated when it comes to psychiatric conditions.

It was also found that the relationship between genotype and phenotype is more different than the relationship between coffee and tea.

One factor influencing the interpretation of the data is that coffee comes in a variety of forms, from instant to frappuccino, and is consumed amid cultural norms that differ from place to place.

The researchers conclude that to unravel the relationships between genetics and the environment, more research is needed, research focusing not only on coffee/caffeine intake but also other substance-use issues.

So, for the time being the question of coffee and the impact on health remains unanswered.

The research appears in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, titled “Genome-wide association studies of coffee intake in UK/US participants of European ancestry uncover cohort-specific genetic association