Latest news with #AgenceFrance-Presse
Gulf Today
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
Palestinian activist linked to Oscar-winning film gunned down by Israeli settlers
The Palestinian Authority's education ministry accused Israeli settlers in the West Bank on Monday of killing an activist linked to an Oscar-winning film, while Israeli police said they were investigating the incident. The ministry said on social media that Awdah Muhammad Hathaleen "was shot dead by settlers... during their attack on the village of Umm al-Khair" near Hebron, in the south of the occupied territory. The Israeli police earlier said it was investigating an "incident near Carmel," a settlement neighbouring Umm Al-Khair. Videos posted on social media showed Israeli settler Yinon Levy firing a gun during an altercation with Palestinians in Umm Al-Khair, near the Israel settlement of Carmel, in the south of the occupied West Bank. "An Israeli citizen was detained at the scene and then arrested by police for questioning," a police statement said. "Four Palestinians were arrested by IDF (Israeli military) soldiers in connection with the incident, along with two foreign tourists who were at the scene." "Following the incident, the death of a Palestinian was confirmed; his exact involvement in the incident is being verified," the police added. Awdah Hathaleen was a resident of Masafer Yatta, a string of hamlets located on the hills south of Hebron, which have been declared a military zone by Israel. Their efforts to prevent Israeli forces from destroying their homes was the subject of "No Other Land", which won Best Documentary at the Oscars in March. Its Israeli co-director, Yuval Abraham, posted a video on Instagram showing a man with a gun in his hand arguing with a group of people, while shouts can be heard in Hebrew and Arabic. "An Israeli settler just shot (Awdah Hathaleen) in the lungs, a remarkable activist who helped us film 'No Other Land' in Masafer Yatta," Abraham wrote. About three million Palestinians live in the West Bank alongside nearly half a million Israelis living in settlements, which are considered illegal under international law. At least 962 Palestinians, including many fighters but also many civilians, have been killed by Israeli soldiers or settlers since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023. At least 36 Israelis, including civilians and soldiers, have been killed there in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations, according to official Israeli data. Agence France-Presse
Al Bawaba
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Bawaba
France labels Israeli settler attacks in West Bank as terrorism amid rising Gaza famine
Published July 29th, 2025 - 03:24 GMT settlers targeted the Palestinian town of Jaba', northeast of Ramallah, pelting residents with stones and destroying solar panels. ALBAWABA- France has officially condemned Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank as 'acts of terrorism,' according to a statement by the French Foreign Ministry reported by Agence France-Presse (AFP). The designation marks a significant escalation in international criticism of Israeli settler terrorist actions against Palestinians. The statement follows a wave of violent incidents carried out by settlers, including the deliberate destruction of Palestinian agricultural land and olive trees in the Khalayel area near Al-Mughayyir village, east of Ramallah. Israeli settlers deliberately damaged Palestinian agricultural land and destroyed olive trees in the Khalayel area near Al-Mughayyir village, east of Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank. — Quds News Network (@QudsNen) July 29, 2025 In another attack, settlers targeted the Palestinian town of Jaba', northeast of Ramallah, pelting residents with stones and destroying solar panels. A video of the attack was shared online by Israeli human rights activist Itamar Greenberg, showing the chaos as settlers confronted local Palestinians. One human rights activist was reportedly injured. — Itamar Greenberg | איתמר גרינברג (@itamar_green) July 29, 2025 In parallel developments, the Netherlands has banned far-right Israeli ministers Itamar Ben Gvir (National Security) and Bezalel Smotrich (Finance) from entering the country, citing their roles in inciting settler violence and extremism in the West Bank. Meanwhile, Israeli military raids continued across the occupied West Bank. In Nablus, Israeli special forces arrested Palestinian Imad Al-Habash from the Ras Al-Ain neighborhood. In the Gaza Strip, the situation remains dire. Over 85 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces in a single day, including at least 16 civilians reportedly seeking humanitarian aid. Near the Morag separation line in southern Khan Younis, Israeli troops opened fire on crowds of aid seekers, causing dozens of injuries. © 2000 - 2025 Al Bawaba (
GMA Network
11 hours ago
- GMA Network
Pope Leo warns against undermining human 'dignity' in AI, social media era
VATICAN CITY - Pope Leo XVI on Tuesday called on the world to protect human "dignity" online as it faces the "challenge" of AI, at the Vatican's first mass for Catholic influencers. "Nothing that comes from man and his creativity should be used to undermine the dignity of others," Leo told young Catholic social media figures, calling on the world to protect "our ability to listen and speak" in the "new era" of artificial intelligence. — Agence France-Presse
LeMonde
15 hours ago
- Politics
- LeMonde
Thailand accuses Cambodia of violating ceasefire, Phnom Penh denies any firing
Thailand's army accused Cambodia on Tuesday, July 29, of violating an hours-old truce, saying clashes continued despite a deal meant to end the bloody fighting that engulfed their jungle-clad frontier. Following peace talks in Malaysia on Monday, both sides agreed an unconditional ceasefire would start at midnight to end fighting over a smattering of ancient temples in disputed zones along their 800-kilometer border. "At the time the agreement took effect, the Thai side detected that Cambodian forces had launched armed attacks into several areas within Thai territory," said Thai army spokesman Winthai Suwaree. "This constitutes a deliberate violation of the agreement and a clear attempt to undermine mutual trust," he added in a statement. "Thailand is compelled to respond appropriately, exercising its legitimate right to self-defense." Cambodia's defense ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata insisted there had been "no armed clashes against each other in any regions". However, both sides said morning meetings scheduled between opposing regional commanders along the border as part of the truce pact had either begun or were still scheduled to start. "I saw photos of the two leaders shaking hands," said 32-year-old pharmacy worker Kittisak Sukwilai in the Thai city of Surin – 50 kilometers from the border. "I just hope it's not just a photo op with fake smiles – and that those hands aren't actually preparing to stab each other in the back." In Cambodia's Samraong city – 20 kilometers from the frontier –an Agence France-Presse (AFP) journalist said the sound of blasts stopped in the 30 minutes leading up to midnight, with the lull continuing until mid-morning. "The frontline has eased since the ceasefire at 12 midnight," Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said in a Tuesday morning message on Facebook. 'Good faith' Jets, rockets and artillery have killed at least 38 people since last Thursday and displaced nearly 300,000 more – prompting intervention from US President Donald Trump over the weekend. The flare-up was the deadliest since violence raged sporadically from 2008-2011 over the territory, claimed by both because of a vague demarcation made by Cambodia's French colonial administrators in 1907. A joint statement from both countries – and Malaysia, which hosted the peace talks – said the ceasefire was "a vital first step towards de-escalation and the restoration of peace and security". A spokesman for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in a statement Monday evening that "he urges both countries to respect the agreement fully and to create an environment conducive to addressing long-standing issues and achieving lasting peace". Both sides are courting Trump for trade deals to avert his threat of eye-watering tariffs, and the US State Department said its officials had been "on the ground" to shepherd peace talks. The joint statement said China also had "active participation" in the talks, hosted by Malaysian Prime Minister and ASEAN bloc chair Anwar Ibrahim in his country's administrative capital Putrajaya. Manet thanked Trump for his "decisive" support, while his counterpart, Thai acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, said it should be "carried out in good faith by both sides". Post-truce tariff deals Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn marked his 73rd birthday on Monday, but a notice in the country's Royal Gazette said public celebrations scheduled for Bangkok's Grand Palace had been canceled amid the strife. Each side had already agreed to a truce in principle, while accusing the other of undermining peace efforts and trading allegations about the use of cluster bombs and targeting of hospitals. Thailand says 11 of its soldiers and 14 civilians have been killed, while Cambodia has confirmed only eight civilian and five military deaths. More than 138,000 people have fled Thailand's border regions, while around 140,000 have been driven from their homes in Cambodia.
Bangkok Post
18 hours ago
- General
- Bangkok Post
'Absolute madness': Thailand's pet lion problem
CHIANG MAI — Behind a car repair business on a nondescript Thai street are the cherished pets of a rising TikTok animal influencer: two lions and a 200-kilogramme lion-tiger hybrid called "Big George." Lion ownership is legal in Thailand, and Tharnuwarht Plengkemratch is an enthusiastic advocate, posting updates on his feline companions to nearly three million followers. "They're playful and affectionate, just like dogs or cats," he told Agence France-Presse (AFP) from inside their cage complex at his home in the northern city of Chiang Mai. Thailand's captive lion population has exploded in recent years, with nearly 500 registered in zoos, breeding farms, petting cafes and homes. Experts warn the trend endangers animals and humans, stretches authorities and likely fuels illicit trade domestically and abroad. "It's absolute madness," said Tom Taylor, chief operating officer of conservation group Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand. "It's terrifying to imagine, if the laws aren't changed, what the situation is going to be in 10 years." The boom is fuelled by social media, where owners like Mr Tharnuwarht post light-hearted content and glamour shots with lions. "I wanted to show people... that lions can actually bond well with humans," he said, insisting he plays regularly with his pets. He entered Big George's enclosure tentatively though, spending just a few minutes being batted by the tawny striped liger's hefty paws before retreating behind a fence. Since 2022, Thai law has required owners to register and microchip lions, and inform authorities before moving them. But there are no breeding caps, few enclosure or welfare requirements, and no controls on liger or tigon hybrids. Births of protected native species like tigers must be reported within 24 hours. Lion owners have 60 days. "That is a huge window," said Taylor. "What could be done with a litter of cubs in those 60 days? Anything." Illicit trade Taylor and his colleagues have tracked the rise in lion ownership with on-site visits and by trawling social media. They recorded around 130 in 2018, and nearly 450 by 2024. But nearly 350 more lions they encountered were "lost to follow-up" after their whereabouts could not be confirmed for a year. That could indicate unreported deaths, an animal removed from display or "worst-case scenarios", said Taylor. "We have interviewed traders (in the region) who have given us prices for live and dead lions and have told us they can take them over the border." As a vulnerable species, lions and their parts can only be sold internationally with so-called Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites) permits. But there is circumstantial evidence of illicit trade, several experts told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity to avoid angering authorities. Media reports and social media have documented lions, including cubs, in Cambodia multiple times in recent years, though Cites shows no registered imports since 2003. There is also growing evidence that captive lion numbers in Laos exceed Cites import licences. In Thailand, meanwhile, imports of lion parts like bones, skins and teeth have dropped in recent years, though demand remains, raising questions about how parts are now being sourced. Thai trader Pathamawadee Janpithak started in the crocodile business, but pivoted to lions as prices for the reptiles declined. "It gradually became a full-fledged business that I couldn't step away from," the gregarious 32-year-old told AFP in front of a row of caged cubs. She sells one-month-olds for around 500,000 baht (US$15,500), down from a peak of 800,000 baht as breeding operations like hers increase supply. Captive lions are generally fed around two kilogrammes (4.4 pounds) of chicken carcasses a day, and can produce litters of two to six cubs, once or twice a year. Ms Pathamawadee's three facilities house around 80 lions, from a stately full-maned nine-year-old to a sickly pair of eight-day-olds being bottle-fed around the clock. They are white because of a genetic mutation, and the smaller pool of white lions means inbreeding and sickness are common. Sometimes wrongly considered a "threatened" subspecies, they are popular in Thailand, but a month-old white cub being reared alongside the newborns has been sick almost since birth. It has attracted no buyers so far and will be unbreedable, Pathamawadee said. She lamented the increasing difficulty of finding buyers willing to comply with ownership rules. "In the past, people could just put down money and walk away with a lion... Everything has become more complicated." Legal review Ms Pathamawadee sells around half of the 90 cubs she breeds each year, often to other breeders, who are increasingly opening "lion cafes" where customers pose with and pet young lions. Outside Chiang Mai, a handler roused a cub from a nap to play with a group of squealing Chinese tourists. Staff let AFP film the interaction, but like all lion cafes contacted, declined interviews. Pathamawadee no longer sells to cafes, which tend to offload cubs within weeks as they grow. She said several were returned to her traumatised and no longer suitable for breeding. The growing lion population is a problem for Thailand's Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), admitted wildlife protection director Sadudee Punpugdee. "But private ownership has existed for a long time... so we're taking a gradual approach," he told AFP. That includes limiting lion imports so breeders are forced to rely on the domestic population. "With inbreeding on the rise, the quality of the lions is also declining and we believe that demand will decrease as a result," Mr Sadudee said. Already stretched authorities face difficult choices on enforcing regulations, as confiscated animals become their responsibility, said Penthai Siriwat, illegal wildlife trade specialist at WWF Thailand. "There is a great deal of deliberation before intervening... considering the substantial costs," she told AFP. Owners like Tharnuwarht often evoke conservation to justify their pets, but Thailand's captive lions will never live in the wild. Two-year-olds Khanom and Khanun live in a DNP sanctuary after being confiscated from a cafe and private owner over improper paperwork. They could survive another decade or more, and require specialised keepers, food and care. Sanctuary chief vet Natanon Panpeth treads carefully while discussing the lion trade, warning only that the "well-being of the animals should always come first". Big cat ownership has been banned in the United States (US) and United Arab Emirates (UAE) in recent years, and Thailand's wildlife rules are soon up for review. Mr Sadudee is hopeful some provisions may be tightened, though a ban is unlikely for now. He has his own advice for would-be owners: "Wild animals belong in the wild. There are plenty of other animals we can keep as pets."
