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  • France orders 4,000 more evacuated as heat threatens fragile hold on vast wildfire

    France orders 4,000 more evacuated as heat threatens fragile hold on vast wildfire

    LEGE-CAP FERRET, France — As soaring temperatures return to southwestern Europe, French emergency officials have ordered the evacuation of nearly 4,000 people from coastal Atlantic tourist sites, raising the stakes for an unprecedented regional wildfire crisis that has already displaced hundreds of thousands across France and Spain.

    The sprawling Gironde wildfire west of Bordeaux, which has already burned through 420 square kilometers of land — an area four times the size of Paris — has been held at a standstill overnight by firefighting crews, who managed to douse flare-ups near coastal dunes and halt the fire’s advance. While regional authorities have categorized the blaze as stabilized, they warn this status does not mean the fire is fully contained: with thermometers climbing and humidity levels dropping, the inferno could easily resume its spread across drought-parched vegetation.

    The precautionary evacuation order issued Tuesday covers all tourist infrastructure in the Lacanau resort region, including popular campsites, holiday villages, seasonal residences and leisure parks stretching across Lacanau Ocean and both shorelines of Lacanau Lake. “We are currently in a highly fragile position,” Eric Brocardi, spokesperson for France’s national firefighters federation, told broadcaster BFMTV Tuesday. “Even with the predicted temperature rise, we will continue our offensive against this fire.”

    Since igniting last week, the Gironde blaze has proven wildly unpredictable, at times escalating into a self-sustaining firestorm that forced 220,000 people to flee their homes and vacation getaways. Even after 24 hours without expansion, officials warn that smoldering undergrowth along the fire’s 103-kilometer completed firebreak line could spark new outbreaks as conditions worsen. To date, 93 firefighters have been injured battling the blaze, key transport routes including the A63 highway remain partially closed, and most rail traffic south of Bordeaux is suspended.

    The tense standoff in Gironde stands in contrast to promising progress in neighboring Landes, where a separate destructive wildfire has officially been declared contained, allowing 15,000 of the more than 30,000 displaced residents and tourists to return to their properties starting Monday night. “The fire is fixed, that is good news for Landes,” French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed Monday evening, noting that containment means the fire’s advance has been fully halted with no new active outbreaks spreading. The reprieve comes as a major relief for summer vacation communities that were emptied when flames swept through regional forests and tourist hubs. Still, authorities stress the Landes fire is not fully extinguished: residual hot spots, combined with persistent drought and shifting winds, could reignite the blaze, and surveillance and damping operations will continue for days, if not weeks.

    All hard-won progress across both French fire zones faced an immediate test Tuesday as heat began building back up across the region. France’s national weather service placed Gironde under a yellow heat warning starting midday, forecasting inland temperatures between 33 and 35 degrees Celsius, with southeastern winds expected across the department.

    So far this year, more than 116,000 hectares of land have burned across France, part of a broader trend of extreme wildfire activity amplified by climate change. The European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service confirmed Western Europe saw its hottest June on record this year, with extreme heat and widespread drought creating ideal conditions for fires to spread and intensify across both France and Spain.

    Across the border in Spain, the situation remains even more severe, with hundreds of firefighters, military emergency brigades and water-dropping aircraft continuing to battle multiple major blazes, including the largest wildfire recorded in the country’s history. Spain entered its fourth major heat wave of the summer on Tuesday, with forecasts calling for temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius in many inland regions. To date, the ongoing wildfire crisis — which prompted the Spanish government to declare a first-ever national wildfire emergency — has forced roughly 79,000 people to evacuate and ordered another 30,000 to remain sheltered in their homes.

    The highest level of concern centers on two large blazes west of Madrid that have at times neared merging into a single mega-wildfire in the region’s wooded hills, while a separate blaze in the eastern province of Castellón has also triggered mass evacuations. The record-breaking wildfire in Ávila, west of Madrid, has already scorched more than 500 square kilometers of hilly rural terrain — an area five times the size of Barcelona. “Look at how the entire valley is burned. Look at the houses, look at what people have lost,” said David Gonzalez, a 48-year-old gardener who has used his personal van to deliver supplies to firefighting crews in Ávila. “We feel so much anger and helplessness. This is something inhuman.”

    This year alone, wildfires have burned more than 1,530 square kilometers across Spain — six times the total area scorched by wildfires in the same period of 2025, according to Spanish Ecology Minister Sara Aagesen. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has called for a unified national pact to address the growing wildfire risk, which scientists and policymakers agree has been significantly worsened by human-caused climate change.

    Across the two countries, the ongoing crisis has forced more than 330,000 people to flee their homes and tourist accommodations, marking one of the largest and most destructive wildfire outbreaks in recent European history.

  • Made by AI? EU tells firms to stick a label on it from Sunday

    Made by AI? EU tells firms to stick a label on it from Sunday

    Starting this Sunday, August 2, new mandatory transparency requirements for artificial intelligence-generated content will come into force across the European Union, as the bloc rolls out the first phase of its landmark comprehensive AI regulation. The core mandate of the new rules is simple but transformative: any AI system, from large language model-powered chatbots to AI-generated text, images, audio or video, must clearly disclose its artificial origin to end users, so that Europeans can immediately distinguish between authentic human-created content and synthetic AI output.

    Policymakers specifically highlight deepfakes—AI-generated or manipulated text, images, video and audio designed to mimic real content—as a key area of concern. Officials note that generative AI has enabled bad actors to create and spread disinformation at an unprecedented scale, with content tailored to target specific audiences and disseminated in near real time, eroding the public’s ability to tell fact from synthetic content. The new rules are designed to preserve consumer trust in the content they encounter online, by ensuring clear disclosure of AI creation.

    Under the framework, companies can meet the requirement through a range of methods, including embedded watermarks and other detectable digital markers that flag AI origin. Non-compliance carries the threat of substantial fines, though the EU has clarified that the rules only apply to professionally generated AI content; individuals using AI tools for personal, non-professional purposes are entirely exempt from the mandate. AI-generated text intended to inform the public on matters of general interest that lacks human editorial oversight is also required to carry an AI label, while work categorized as artistic, creative, satirical or fictional receives a full exemption. All existing AI systems operating in the bloc have until December 2 this year to bring their operations into full compliance with the new requirements.

    The policy has drawn its share of criticism, with critics arguing that the rules place overly burdensome compliance demands on businesses, and note that rapid, widespread adoption of AI across all sectors could eventually lead to near-universal labelling requirements. But Ashley Casovan, a representative of the International Association of Privacy Professionals, downplayed these concerns, telling AFP that similar predictions of unmanageable compliance burdens have accompanied past new regulatory requirements, and that businesses will adapt over time.

    Many of the world’s largest technology companies have already begun implementing their own AI labelling systems in anticipation of the new rules. TikTok has required creators to label AI-generated images, audio and video for several years, and the platform reports that over three billion pieces of content already carry AI labels thanks to built-in detection and labelling tools. Meta has rolled out its own “AI Info” label for AI-powered posts on Instagram and Facebook, while Google has signed the EU’s voluntary AI transparency code of conduct and is collaborating with major industry players including Nvidia, OpenAI and Apple to develop standardized digital tagging tools.

    Even as companies prepare for compliance, some industry leaders warn that overlapping regulatory requirements could create unintended confusion for end users. Karen Massin, a policy lead at Google, warned that excessive regulatory complexity could prove counterproductive to the rules’ core goal, noting that if online platforms become flooded with overlapping AI labels and legal disclosures, it will become harder rather than easier for users to access the clear context they need to evaluate content.

  • ‘Nowhere to hide’: Tax office issued brutal warning as ex-public servant charged over alleged $1.3m GST fraud scheme

    ‘Nowhere to hide’: Tax office issued brutal warning as ex-public servant charged over alleged $1.3m GST fraud scheme

    In a high-profile joint law enforcement operation targeting serious financial crime, a 33-year-old former public servant from Broken Hill, New South Wales, has been formally charged with attempting to defraud the Australian Commonwealth out of more than $1.3 million via fraudulent Goods and Services Tax (GST) refund claims. The alleged scheme unfolded over a two-year period between 2020 and 2022, and authorities have used the arrest to issue a stark warning that tax fraud will not be tolerated anywhere in the country.

    The suspect was taken into custody at his Broken Hill residence on June 30, following a lengthy investigation led jointly by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and the Australian Federal Police (AFP), carried out under the umbrella of the Serious Financial Crime Task Force (SFCT). Body-worn and on-scene footage released by NSW Police shows uniformed officers escorting the man from his home into a waiting police vehicle following the arrest. A subsequent search of the property uncovered multiple electronic devices, which were seized as evidence for the ongoing case.

    According to law enforcement briefings, the former public servant first came onto the ATO’s radar through Operation Protego, the agency’s dedicated integrity task force focused on rooting out fraudulent activity. Investigators allege the suspect submitted falsified business activity statements using a fake Australian business entity to improperly claim the large GST refunds. He faces a single count of obtaining financial advantage through deception, one of the most serious financial crime charges under Australian Commonwealth law.

    Following the arrest and charging, ATO Deputy Commissioner Nicholas Shizas emphasized the critical importance of integrity in both public service and the national tax system. “Integrity is fundamental to public service – if you are not committed to this standard, the public service is not the right place for you,” Shizas said. He added that tax crime has “nowhere to hide” in Australia, pointing to the agency’s sophisticated detection systems and the proven collaborative capabilities of the SFCT and Operation Protego Integrity Taskforce. “This joint effort reflects the ongoing work of the SFCT to disrupt financial crime and respond to criminal behaviour, holding offenders accountable and protecting the integrity of the system,” he noted.

    AFP Acting Commander Tim Underhill echoed Shizas’ remarks, highlighting the collective commitment of partner agencies to safeguarding public funds. “These types of investigations are resource intensive and time-consuming, but the AFP and its partners are committed to preventing fraud and protecting taxpayers’ money,” Underhill said. He stressed that the alleged offending undermines the foundation of Australia’s tax framework, pulling critical funding away from vital community services that rely on consistent tax revenue. “There is no location in Australia where individuals can seek to lay low in the hope of avoiding law enforcement, we will locate you and bring you before the courts,” he added.

    After being granted strict bail conditions, the accused made a brief first appearance at the Broken Hill Local Court earlier this week. The case is scheduled for further progression through the Australian court system in coming months, as investigators continue to build their case against the former public servant.

  • Four decades after Chernobyl, a generational divide reshapes Italy’s nuclear debate

    Four decades after Chernobyl, a generational divide reshapes Italy’s nuclear debate

    Forty years after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster spread radioactive contamination across Europe and pushed Italy to abandon atomic energy entirely, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing administration is moving systematically to reintroduce nuclear power into the country’s energy portfolio, driven by urgent demands to boost energy independence amid ongoing global geopolitical shocks.

    The government’s strategy centers on courting a new generation of Italian voters, who frame modern nuclear energy as a critical low-carbon solution for climate action and a reliable bulwark against energy market volatility triggered by the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Energy policy experts note the administration is counting on this youth-driven support to override the deep-seated skepticism of older Italians who came of age during the 1986 Chernobyl crisis, and who have twice rejected nuclear power in national referendums over the past four decades.

    Next week, the Italian parliament is scheduled to vote on a government-backed bill that will establish the first formal legal framework for next-generation nuclear technologies in the country. If approved, the executive branch will have 12 months to draft detailed regulatory decrees covering every key stage of development, from reactor licensing and strict safety protocols to radioactive waste management and site selection for new facilities.

    Speaking to the Associated Press ahead of the parliamentary vote, Environment and Energy Security Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin explained the government’s current mandate: “Our duty at this moment is to lay the legal and regulatory groundwork, so that future decision-makers will have the structure they need to move forward with new reactor installations when the time comes.”

    ## A Historic Policy Reversal For Europe

    Italy’s ongoing nuclear debate comes as a growing number of European nations, including France and Poland, are expanding their existing nuclear programs to meet dual goals of cutting carbon emissions and strengthening energy security following Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Unlike these countries, which maintained their nuclear infrastructure after Chernobyl, Italy is attempting to rebuild an entire industry that was fully dismantled by public mandate decades ago.

    Italy was one of Europe’s earliest nuclear pioneers, with four operational reactors running across the country until the 1987 post-Chernobyl referendum effectively shut down the entire national nuclear program. A second attempt to revive nuclear development collapsed in the wake of Japan’s 2011 Fukushima disaster, when 94% of participating Italian voters rejected plans for new reactor construction.

    If successful, Italy’s current push would mark one of the most dramatic energy policy reversals in modern European history. Meloni’s government argues that surging electricity demand, legally binding European climate targets, and persistent energy security threats after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine collectively justify returning nuclear power to Italy’s energy mix.

    Pichetto Fratin projected that domestic electricity demand will grow by at least 30% over the next decade, a surge that cannot be met by renewable energy sources alone. Instead of reviving the large-scale conventional reactors of the past, the government is prioritizing small modular reactors (SMRs) and other cutting-edge nuclear technologies, which proponents argue come with improved safety features, greater operational flexibility, and far shorter construction timelines than traditional nuclear facilities.

    “We are working with third-generation advanced nuclear technology, which is far better aligned to our current energy needs,” Pichetto Fratin said. “It is much safer thanks to its small modular design, and can be built in a fraction of the time of older large-scale plants. When people ask me for a realistic timeline for the first operational reactor, I tell them 2033, 2034, or 2035.”

    Globally, nuclear power generates roughly 10% of the world’s total electricity supply, accounting for approximately one-quarter of all low-carbon energy produced worldwide. Italy’s planned nuclear comeback is part of a broader global resurgence of interest in atomic energy, driven by steady technological advances that have improved safety and reduced construction and operating costs for new facilities.

    ## Public Opinion Split Along Generational Lines

    At the decommissioned Latina nuclear power plant, located south of Rome, crews in protective gear continue to dismantle the remains of Italy’s first nuclear era even as policymakers in the capital debate how to launch a second. This striking contrast is not lost on Viviana Cruciani, who oversees nuclear decommissioning operations at the site, which is run by state-owned energy company Sogin.

    “There is one generation that came of age right after Chernobyl, and they still only see nuclear energy through the lens of that 1986 accident,” Cruciani told the AP. “But there is another, much younger generation that is enthusiastic about nuclear power, and they are frustrated that Italy has not moved forward to bring this technology back.”

    A 2024 public opinion survey conducted by Italian research firm Only Numbers found that roughly 55% of Italian voters support the construction of next-generation nuclear plants. Michele Governatori, a senior energy adviser at climate and energy think tank ECCO, noted that widespread support is particularly concentrated among younger demographics.

    “There is far greater openness to nuclear power especially among younger generations,” Governatori said, explaining that many young Italians associate nuclear energy with technological innovation rather than the historic accidents that shaped public opinion for older cohorts.

    Cruciani added that younger Italians are far more likely to frame nuclear power as a solution to future energy needs and climate change, rather than associating it with the nuclear disasters of the late 20th century. “I think nuclear power can help the environment too; it’s far more sustainable than fossil fuels,” said Cristian Giannetti, a 20-year-old tourist visiting Rome from the Tuscan coastal town of Forte dei Marmi. When asked about the risk of another Chernobyl-scale accident, Giannetti noted that decades of technological advancement have drastically reduced safety risks: “With the expertise and resources we have today, I think the probability of a major accident is really minimal.”

    Other supporters back a return to nuclear power for practical economic reasons. “We have a clear energy crisis in this country, so it is very important that nuclear power gets the green light in Italy too,” said Paola Giovannini Pasti, president of Confagricoltura Donna, the women’s division of Italy’s largest agricultural lobbying group.

    ## Critics Raise Key Questions Over Cost and Political Feasibility

    Not all observers are convinced of the plan’s viability. “If we rely on nuclear as a backup for renewables, average energy costs become devastating. Unfortunately, it is not a good complement to renewables, and it is not cheap,” Governatori said. Pichetto Fratin has acknowledged that nuclear power is not a short-term fix for Italy’s current high consumer electricity prices: “Nuclear power will not lower consumers’ bills today. But the nuclear power we build tomorrow can help bring costs down over time.”

    Industry estimates put the cost of a single 300-megawatt SMR at between 3 billion and 6 billion euros, before accounting for additional infrastructure and national grid connection expenses. Pichetto Fratin said the government expects the majority of this funding to come from private sector investors, but critics argue cost remains the biggest flaw in the government’s case.

    “Nuclear power being built in Europe today comes with exorbitant costs,” Governatori said. “On one hand, costs are extremely high, and on the other, private investors are pulling back from the sector.” He also questioned whether SMR technology will deliver on promises of improved economics, noting that the design has yet to be proven commercially viable at scale. Even so, many critics agree that establishing a formal regulatory framework will allow future projects to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

    The biggest political hurdle for the government may ultimately be finding acceptable locations for new reactors and permanent radioactive waste storage. Italy still has not established a permanent national repository for its existing nuclear waste, most of which is currently stored at temporary facilities scattered across the country. Any future reactor or waste storage site will almost certainly face fierce local opposition.

    Even if parliament approves the upcoming framework bill, opponents including major environmental groups and left-wing opposition parties could force a new national referendum once specific reactor sites and waste storage plans are announced. Public opinion polls show that general support for nuclear power drops sharply when voters are asked whether they would accept a reactor in their home province, with roughly six in 10 Italians opposing local reactor development.

    “When you get down to the concrete questions of where the plant will be built and how much it will cost, it is very likely that public opinion will shift back to opposition,” Governatori said.

  • NRL teams: Panthers make bombshell call to axe Blaize Talagi as the Tigers bring Adam Doueihi straight back in after week from hell

    NRL teams: Panthers make bombshell call to axe Blaize Talagi as the Tigers bring Adam Doueihi straight back in after week from hell

    With just six regular-season matches remaining before the 2024 NRL finals kick off, premiership favourites Penrith Panthers have delivered one of the most shocking selection moves of the year, dropping young five-eighth Blaize Talagi to NSW Cup just seven weeks out from the title decider.

    The move comes after opposition teams have increasingly targeted Penrith’s left defensive edge, a strategy that paid major dividends for the Parramatta Eels in their match against the Panthers last round. Talagi, who missed seven tackles in the Eels clash, became the casualty of ongoing defensive struggles on that side of the field, with Cleary choosing veteran Jack Cogger to step into the starting role to partner playmaker Nathan Cleary for this weekend’s match against the Canberra Raiders.

    Speaking after last week’s loss to the Eels, Panthers head coach Ivan Cleary acknowledged the left edge has become a persistent problem for his squad, even as the club retains its status as the best defensive outfit in the NRL. “If they’ve been targeted for two years, we still remain the best defensive team. There were definitely some worries tonight, but on the balance, they can do better than that,” Cleary told reporters. While the call to drop a young player so close to the finals is a high-stakes gamble for the premiership hopefuls, it also gives Cleary enough time to test whether the reshuffled starting 13 is the combination that can carry the club to another premiership title.

    In other selection news across the league, Wests Tigers head coach Benji Marshall has made the surprising call to reinstate star halfback Adam Doueihi straight back into the starting side just one week after the playmaker was dropped from the squad amid internal club unrest. Despite growing calls from fans and pundits to send Doueihi to reserve grade, the halfback will partner former Panthers playmaker Jarome Luai in the halves for the upcoming round, with rookie Javon Andrews named on the reserves. His return is a much-needed boost for a Tigers side that has suffered a dramatic form slump in recent months, with young forward Heamasi Makasini also returning to the starting line-up in the centres.

    The Sydney Roosters have been hit with a double injury blow, with winger Billy Smith joining star outside back Daniel Tupou on the injury sidelines. The club has named Tommy Talau to step into the starting side, forming an all-new left edge combination for the upcoming round.

    For the Dolphins, young playmaker Isaiya Katoa has been named on the extended bench as he continues his recovery from a wrist injury, though the club has confirmed there is no guarantee he will make an early return to the field this weekend.

    There is major positive injury news for the Newcastle Knights, with star fullback Kalyn Ponga named to return this week just after the club confirmed playmaker Dylan Brown will miss the remainder of the season. Ponga’s return comes at a critical time for the Knights, who are also without back Dylan Brown for the rest of the campaign. The club has named a new halves combination of Fletcher Sharpe and Sandon Smith for their road trip to Brisbane, with Deine Mariner shifting into the centres to replace the injured Gehamat Shibasaki.

    South Sydney Rabbitohs forward Brandon Moore has been named to start at hooker despite managing ongoing calf issues, while young forward Tallis Duncan is in line for an earlier-than-expected return from injury in Sunday’s clash against the Cronulla Sharks. The New Zealand Warriors have brought Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad into the starting side to replace the injured Taine Tuaupiki, who is sidelined with a foot injury, while the Gold Coast Titans have welcomed back playmaker AJ Brimson and forward Kurtis Morrin from injury layoffs.

    Melbourne Storm have named young utility Trent Toelau to replace injured captain and hooker Harry Grant at dummy-half this round, with rookie Hayden Watson set to make his NRL debut after being named on the bench. Young centre Jack Howarth will miss the clash against the Canterbury Bulldogs, with Manaia Waitere recalled to the starting side in his place.

  • 6 refugees speak out as UN-backed treaty to help people fleeing war and persecution marks 75 years

    6 refugees speak out as UN-backed treaty to help people fleeing war and persecution marks 75 years

    GENEVA — Tuesday brings a landmark milestone: 75 years since the adoption of the 1951 Refugee Convention, the foundational global treaty forged in the aftermath of World War II’s catastrophic chaos to extend safety to people fleeing war, violence and targeted persecution. For three-quarters of a century, supporters of the agreement estimate it has saved more than 10 million lives, but rising anti-asylum policies across the globe have left the treaty’s core principles facing unprecedented pressure.

    Driven by the collective trauma of mass displacement that followed World War II, the 1951 Convention revolutionized global refugee protection by formalizing a universal legal definition of who qualifies as a refugee, outlining their inalienable rights, and setting binding standards for how signatory nations must treat people seeking safety. Today, nearly 150 countries are party to the agreement, which centers on the non-negotiable principle of non-refoulement — a rule prohibiting states from sending refugees back to territories where they would face credible threats of persecution, torture, or severe harm.

    “It codified a simple but powerful principle that people forced to flee persecution, conflict or violence must be able to find safety and protection,” explained Elizabeth Tan, director of international protection and solutions for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). “The entire framework rests on a universal truth: no community, no nation, is immune to the outbreak of war, the rise of persecution, or sudden, catastrophic upheaval.”

    Despite the convention’s decades of success, compliance has eroded sharply in recent years, as a growing number of nations have closed their borders to asylum seekers and rolled back long-standing protections. During the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump, the United States broke with decades of established policy to implement a controversial policy of forcing asylum seekers to wait out their claims in third countries, setting a global precedent that weakened the international asylum system.

    The urgency of upholding the convention has never been clearer: global data shows more than 41 million people around the world are currently forcibly displaced from their homes, with nearly 70% of this population hosted by low- and middle-income nations that often lack the resources to support large refugee populations. The International Committee of the Red Cross has documented more than 130 active armed conflicts across the globe, a number that experts warn could push millions more people to flee their homes in coming years.

    To mark the 75th anniversary, six refugees from across the globe shared their firsthand experiences of displacement and how the convention changed — and saved — their lives:

    ### Rohingya Fleeing Ethnic Cleansing in Myanmar
    Sayed Alom, a humanitarian aid worker, is one of the roughly 700,000 Rohingya who fled systematic violence and persecution carried out by Myanmar’s military in 2017, crossing the border into Bangladesh where he has remained confined to overcrowded refugee camps outside Cox’s Bazar ever since.

    Recalling the violence that forced his family to flee, Alom described atrocities that include mass rape, the burning of entire villages, and the killing of children. “We were persecuted until we could no longer live there,” he said. What he expected would be a temporary stay before returning home has stretched into years of limbo, made worse by rising crime including kidnapping for ransom, and recurring natural disasters that have destroyed camp infrastructure. “The situation has become imaginably worse,” he added.

    ### Escaping Nicaragua’s Deadly Government Crackdown
    Human rights lawyer Juan Carlos Arce counts himself among the millions of people whose lives have been saved directly by the 1951 Convention. In 2018, a brutal government crackdown on anti-government protesters left hundreds dead across Nicaragua. Arce worked for the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights, which documented the state-led violence, leading President Daniel Ortega’s regime to label the organization a terrorist group.

    Arce fled Nicaragua on foot, first seeking asylum in Costa Rica. When attacks on Nicaraguan opposition figures and human rights defenders in Costa Rica turned deadly, he was resettled to Barcelona, Spain, last year through a joint UNHCR and International Organization for Migration program. “Feeling safe and protected, that is priceless,” he said during an interview in Barcelona.

    ### A Palestinian Refugee Decades Waiting in Lebanon
    At 88 years old, Hussniyah Ahmad Ghozlan has lived in the Shatila Palestinian refugee camp in Beirut, Lebanon, for more than seven decades. She was a child when her family was forced to flee their village in what is now Israel during the 1948 war. Though she has never heard of the 1951 Convention — she never learned to read or write — she has built a life in the camp, raising children and sustaining her family through work. “We got by because we worked, raised our children and built our lives,” she said.

    ### A Jewish WWII Displaced Person Who Found Welcome in the U.S.
    Hershel Greenblat, now 85, was born in a cave in Ukraine in 1941, where his Jewish family hid from Nazi persecution during World War II. After the war ended, his family spent years in displaced person camps in Austria before being approved to immigrate to the United States in 1949. He still remembers his father waking him in the middle of the night to see the Statue of Liberty as their ship pulled into New York Harbor, and the welcome boxes filled with supplies packed by American middle schoolers for new refugee arrivals.

    Decades later, Greenblat, who has lived in Atlanta for most of his life, says refugees today face a drastically different reception. Though he had not previously heard of the 1951 Convention, he says all refugees deserve access to protection, work and education. “Refugees in the ’50s worked their butts off to get what they wanted, what we needed,” he noted.

    ### From South Sudanese Refugee to NBA and Olympic Basketball Star
    Wenyen Gabriel’s story is one of the most visible success stories enabled by the convention. Born in Khartoum, Sudan, in 1997 to parents who had fled civil war in southern Sudan, Gabriel and his family first sought refuge in Egypt before being resettled to New Hampshire in the United States when he was two years old.

    Standing 6-foot-10, Gabriel earned a basketball scholarship to the University of Kentucky before going on to play in the NBA. In 2024, he represented the newly independent nation of South Sudan at the Paris Olympic Games. Just this week, he was named a UNHCR goodwill ambassador. “We had to struggle and figure out how to become something inside of the United States,” he said. “It’s not easy to make something of yourself in a foreign country.”

    ### Syrian Swimmers Who Paved Their Own Path to Safety in Germany
    Yusra and Sarah Mardini’s story of escaping Syria’s civil war in 2015 captured global attention, becoming the subject of a major feature film. After fleeing first to Lebanon then Turkey, the two sisters paid smugglers to take them across the Mediterranean to Greece. When their overloaded motorboat began to take on water, the competitive swimmers jumped into the sea and pushed the boat to shore, saving everyone on board.

    After a dangerous trek through the Balkans, the pair received asylum in Germany, and Yusra was named a UNHCR goodwill ambassador in 2017. Though Syria’s civil war has formally ended, and roughly 1.3 million Syrian refugees have returned home, Yusra says healing and rebuilding will take time. “After such an ordeal, change doesn’t just happen overnight. You can’t just snap your fingers,” she said. “But I do believe that my country and its people are very strong, and that I’m going to contribute in the best way possible.”

    This report features contributions from AP journalists across five countries, with on-the-ground reporting from Barcelona, Beirut, Atlanta, and Cox’s Bazar.

  • Confronting gang members at the heart of Ecuador’s drug battle

    Confronting gang members at the heart of Ecuador’s drug battle

    Ecuador, a nation once celebrated for its peaceful reputation, is now locked in an escalating battle against brutal drug-linked gangs that have thrown the country into chaos. In recent months, violent organized crime connected to international drug trafficking has exploded across the nation, leaving a trail of death, fear, and instability that has forced security forces to adopt aggressive frontline strategies to regain control.

    BBC correspondent Orla Guerin recently gained exclusive access to accompany Ecuador’s national police on one of their regular patrols through territories that have become the epicenter of the country’s drug war, offering a rare on-the-ground look at the risks officers face every day. The patrol routes wind through neighborhoods where gang influence runs deep, and where police face constant threats of ambushes, targeted attacks, and open confrontations with heavily armed criminal groups.

    According to senior police officers Guerin spoke with during the patrol, the force has seen its workload skyrocket as drug crime surges. Gangs fighting over control of key smuggling routes to Europe and North America have engaged in daily street clashes, mass prison riots, and targeted assassinations of public officials, journalists, and rival gang members. The rapid growth of the crisis has stretched police resources thin, leaving officers under-equipped and overstretched even as they work around the clock to push back against criminal expansion.

    Despite the constant danger, officers told Guerin they remain committed to reclaiming communities from gang control. The patrol Guerin joined stopped at multiple checkpoints, searched vehicles for weapons and drug shipments, and conducted targeted stop-and-searches of individuals matching suspect descriptions. Each step of the operation was carried out with heightened vigilance, a reflection of the ever-present risk that any routine stop could turn violent.

    The on-the-ground reporting underscores the depth of Ecuador’s current security emergency: what began as small-scale local gang activity has evolved into a full-blown drug conflict that threatens the country’s long-term stability, and challenges police to find new ways to stem the tide of violence.

  • On the front line of Ecuador’s drugs war, police fight gangs, guns and corruption

    On the front line of Ecuador’s drugs war, police fight gangs, guns and corruption

    Deep in the violence-plagued coastal city of Durán, Ecuador, police captain Jean Carlos Bustamante confronts an enemy on two fronts: ruthless drug-trafficking gangs that terrorize local communities, and widespread corruption embedded within the very institutions meant to stop them. At 34, a former special forces operator and the oldest member of his hand-picked, trusted team, Bustamante knows the cost of this fight all too well — he has already lost three close colleagues to gang violence, and lost his own fear years ago, even as his parents live in constant dread for his safety.

    On a recent operation at dusk, Bustamante led his unit into the core of Los Aguilas (The Eagles) gang territory, a gritty neighborhood where homes are secured with iron bars and residents stay silent out of deadly fear. Acting on a tip that illegal weapons were stashed in an abandoned property, the team lined up against an exterior wall, breached the door with a battering ram, and seized two handguns and assault rifle ammunition — a small but critical win, as Bustamante notes, that removes two deadly weapons from criminal circulation. Still, he acknowledges it is a minor victory in a grinding war of attrition: gangs hold far more firepower and financial resources than the underfunded state security apparatus can match.

    Ecuador, once a peaceful South American tourist haven, has transformed into a global hub of cocaine trafficking in less than a decade. According to President Daniel Noboa, roughly 70% of all cocaine bound for Europe and North America now transits through the country. Colombian and Peruvian producers, the world’s top two cocaine suppliers, ship product into Ecuador, where local gangs with ties to Mexican cartels and Albanian organized crime syndicates coordinate onward smuggling. These criminal networks exploit the country’s poorly patrolled long Pacific coastline, weak border management, and under-resourced security services to move millions of dollars worth of narcotics every year. Last year alone, Ecuador recorded more than 9,200 homicides, one of the highest murder rates globally, despite a harsh two-year government crackdown on organized crime.

    Critics argue the hardline crackdown has backfired. While top crime leaders have been taken into custody, the fragmented gang landscape has only spawned more small, violent factions competing for territory and smuggling routes. Many Ecuadorians have grown convinced that the war on gangs can never be won — but Bustamante refuses to stop fighting. In a second operation, he used a surveillance drone to spot three suspected micro-traffickers selling small quantities of drugs on the edge of a local playground. The team quickly tracked the suspects to a residential address, breached the door, and detained all three, discovering tiny $1 packets of an addictive heroin mix stashed in a flowerpot. Though one suspect was formally charged, the other two were released — a common outcome, according to senior police, who blame systemic corruption in the judiciary and prosecutor’s office for undermining their work.

    Durán police deputy commander Colonel Santiago Gavilanes sums up the frustration: “We imprison them, and they release them. We know because when we carry out raids, we recapture them. Some of those who are released kill people and leave orphans behind.” Gavilanes says gangs have the capital to “buy laws, judges, and politicians,” a claim verified by an anonymous officer who told the BBC he had twice been offered a life-changing bribe to cooperate with criminal networks. After turning the offer down, he learned gangs had detailed information on his work and location, leaked by a corrupt colleague. “You never know who is watching,” he said — a sentiment repeated by almost every officer interviewed in Durán.

    Local police claim incremental progress: the city’s murder rate has fallen by half in the first six months of the year, streets are no longer completely deserted after 7 p.m., and public dismemberments of rival gang members, once common, have become far rarer. Colonel Gavilanes says the force has managed to contain gang activity, but full control will be a slow, medium-term process. That progress, however, is constantly undermined by institutional corruption. In an interview arranged through a contact on gang-held territory an hour outside Durán, a mid-level gang leader who goes by the pseudonym Jonathan openly admitted he pays four local police officers between $1,500 and $2,000 per month for advance warning of upcoming raids. “Whenever they’re going to do an operation, they call me,” he said. “They tell me to hide things, and to get out of here. When they arrive, they find nothing.”

    Now 37, Jonathan joined a gang at 18 to earn enough money to feed himself. He walks openly through neighborhood streets in daylight, armed alongside his crew, which includes teenagers as young as 17. He admitted to killing eight people, saying he only targets rival gang members who try to seize his territory, and has no regrets about recruiting underage members or selling drugs in the community. Human rights workers confirm that gangs in Ecuador often recruit boys as young as 12, training them to work as hitmen by the time they turn 15. Jonathan is blunt about the persistence of the drug trade: “If they shut us down, another gang will come along, and if they shut that one down, there will be another.” He expects to die violently, like most gang leaders: “Death is paid by death. But if they come to kill me, I won’t make it easy for them.”

    Back in Durán, just two nights later, the cycle of violence played out as usual. Under flashing police lights, the body of a young man lay next to a motorbike, killed in a revenge killing by a rival gang. A witness, who spoke only on condition of anonymity, described how two attackers on a motorbike shot the man six times, finishing him with a bullet to the head after he fell. “We are used to this now because it happens every day,” the witness said. “You might just step outside and catch a stray bullet. You can’t even go out or talk to friends or family because someone could shoot you.” He echoed the widespread doubt that the government’s campaign will ever change things: “Criminals are like ghosts. They pop up wherever they please.” As the forensic team loaded the body into a refrigerated van, another corpse was already waiting inside — another chapter in Ecuador’s endless, bloody war on drug-fueled organized crime.

  • Hong Kong activist allowed to stay in UK after deportation threat

    Hong Kong activist allowed to stay in UK after deportation threat

    A weeks-long entry uncertainty for former Hong Kong pro-democracy opposition leader Wu Chi-wai has reached a resolution, with UK border authorities reversing an initial deportation order and approving a six-month stay for the 63-year-old to reunite with his family already based in the country.

    Wu, who stepped down as leader of the now-disbanded Democratic Party and was one of the most prominent figures in Hong Kong’s 2019 pro-democracy movement, arrived at London Heathrow Airport last Wednesday. He told BBC Chinese that upon landing, border officials detained him for nearly 10 hours and initially blocked his entry. After initial processing, officers gave him only a one-week temporary leave to remain, ordering him to report back to the airport ahead of a scheduled deportation.

    In a turn of events on Monday, Wu confirmed that UK Border Force had reversed its initial decision, approving his entry under the standard visa-free terms for eligible travelers and granting the full six-month stay he was originally due to receive.

    Wu is one of the 47 high-profile pro-democracy figures collectively known as the “Hong Kong 47”, who were convicted in a widely debated national security trial following the 2019 protests. He was released from prison in June this year after serving more than five years behind bars on charges including subversion.

    The veteran opposition figure’s goal for the trip has long been family reunification: his wife and son relocated to the UK in 2022 and 2023 respectively, and Wu told reporters he had only been able to connect with them via monthly letters and phone calls since their departure. Ahead of his travel, Wu said he contacted staff at the British Consulate General in Hong Kong to confirm whether his entry would face any barriers related to his criminal record. He added that consular representatives assured him there would be no issues, and agreed to pre-notify UK Border Force of his criminal history and travel itinerary.

    Despite early media speculation that Wu planned to seek political asylum in the UK, he has repeatedly denied that claim. Initial border pushback came after officials questioned whether he qualified as a “genuine visitor” solely entering the country to see family, Wu said.

    Human rights advocacy group Hong Kong Watch, which had publicly called on UK authorities to approve Wu’s entry, welcomed the final decision in a Monday statement. “This is the right outcome, and it should never have taken this long,” said Megan Khoo, the group’s policy director. “He should never have faced the prospect of removal back to the city that jailed him.”

    Wu entered the UK using a British National (Overseas) passport, a special travel document issued to Hong Kong permanent residents before the city’s handover to Chinese rule on July 1, 1997. BNO passport holders are typically eligible for six months of visa-free entry to the UK under existing rules.

    In 2021, following the Chinese central government’s implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law and a sweeping crackdown on pro-democracy activism that saw dozens of opposition figures jailed or forced into exile, the UK government launched a special BNO visa pathway. The program allows eligible BNO holders to gain the right to live, work and study in the UK, with a clear path to British citizenship after a multi-year residency period.

    Official UK government data shows that as of recent reports, more than 230,000 Hong Kong BNO holders have been approved for the special visa, with nearly 170,000 already completing their relocation to the UK.

    When contacted by BBC Chinese for comment on Wu’s case, the UK Home Office, which oversees the Border Force, said it does not issue public comments on individual immigration cases. It added that “the UK government remains steadfast in its support for the Hong Kong community in the UK.”

    A spokesperson for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government also told the outlet that the administration has not received any request for consular assistance from Wu related to the trip.

  • ‘Hasn’t gone as expected’: Melbourne Storm faces 16-year first unless they can produce a miracle run

    ‘Hasn’t gone as expected’: Melbourne Storm faces 16-year first unless they can produce a miracle run

    For nearly two decades, the Melbourne Storm have been a constant presence in the NRL finals, not missing a post-season berth since 2008. But that 16-year unbroken run is on the brink of collapse, as the club grapples with the most devastating injury crisis veteran head coach Craig Bellamy has ever faced during his decades-long tenure at the club.

    Storm enforcer Stefano Utoikamanu, who has emerged as one of the team’s standout performers in recent weeks despite the squad’s struggles, has openly acknowledged the odds are stacked against his side – but remains defiant that a miracle run to the finals is still on the cards.

    Last week’s gut-wrenching narrow loss to the South Sydney Rabbitohs left Melbourne six points adrift of the top eight on the NRL ladder, with just six rounds remaining in the regular season, including one bye. To even have a shot at sneaking into the finals, the Storm are required to win all five of their remaining fixtures, which would see them finish the regular season on 32 points. Even that clean sweep may not be enough, however, as the club will also need other results around the competition to go their way to claim a spot in the top eight.

    The road ahead is far from easy, too. This week, Melbourne faces the ninth-placed Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in a critical clash that will set the tone for their final stretch. Later in the season, they are also scheduled to take on ladder leaders the Penrith Panthers, as well as a red-hot Cronulla Sharks side – with the Sharks clash doubling as a 10-year anniversary commemorating the pair’s iconic 2016 grand final showdown.

    The biggest obstacle to the Storm’s finals push is the unprecedented injury toll that has ripped through the club’s starting lineup. Key playmaker Cameron Munster is currently sidelined with a knee injury, while captain and hooker Harry Grant is also out of action with a hamstring strain. Four more established first-team stars – Eli Katoa, Xavier Coates, Will Warbrick and Tui Kamikamica – have already been ruled out for the remainder of the season with long-term injuries.

    Against all odds, Utoikamanu says the squad has maintained the veteran club’s famous “next man up” mentality, embracing the unexpected opportunity that has opened up for young emerging players to step into first-grade roles. “There are a lot of new boys, but there are also a lot of new opportunities for boys to push for the team this year and next year. I’m pretty excited to go into this game and try to get a win,” the forward said.

    The club’s overall record this season could have been far kinder, Utoikamanu pointed out: four of the Storm’s losses this year have come by four points or fewer, meaning fine margins have been all that has stood between Bellamy’s side and a much higher ladder position. “Our whole season has been pretty crazy with the boys that have gone down,” Utoikamanu said after his best performance of the season against South Sydney last week. “We’ve just got to move on. (We have a) next-man-up mentality and we just focus on who we have here and how we can get the win.

    “It is tough for everyone, but I think it’s probably tougher for the boys who are actually out. This year probably hasn’t gone as expected. We’ve lost a fair couple of games when we had that seven-game losing streak. But in saying that, there were a lot of games with not much in it where we lost by a couple of points, so that’s a positive in itself. There are a lot of good teams coming through, and a lot of the good teams we’ve played, we haven’t lost by much. We can take a lot of confidence out of a lot of games.”

    Bellamy has emphasized the same message to his makeshift squad all season, Utoikamanu added, encouraging every player to lean into their individual strengths to contribute to the team, rather than trying to replace the absent stars. With everything on the line over the coming weeks, the Storm will look to pull off one of the most unlikely finals qualifications in recent NRL history.