AFP - Squid Business

Taliban change tune towards Afghan heritage sites

In March 2001, the Taliban shocked the world by dynamiting the giant Buddhas of Bamiyan. Two decades later, they are back in power and claim to be making strides to preserve Afghanistan’s millennia-old heritage, including pre-Islamic relics.Even months before their takeover in 2021 the Taliban called for the protection of ancient artefacts in the country, sparking scepticism among observers.”All have an obligation to robustly protect, monitor and preserve these artefacts” and sites in Afghanistan, the Taliban authorities declared in February that year. They are “part of our country’s history, identity and rich culture”.Since their return to power and decades of war ended, archaeological finds — particularly related to Buddhism — have proliferated, with discoveries publicised by the authorities.In eastern Laghman province, niches carved into rocks in Gowarjan village are believed to have been storerooms dating back to the Kushan empire, which 2,000 years ago stretched from the Gobi desert to the river Ganges.Also in Laghman, carved Brahmi inscriptions have been found, along with a hollowed out stone slab used for pounding grapes for wine.”It is said that Afghan history goes back 5,000 years — these ancient sites prove it; people lived here,” said Mohammed Yaqoub Ayoubi, head of the provincial culture and tourism department.”Whether they were Muslim or not, they had a kingdom here,” he told AFP, adding that the Taliban authorities afford “a great deal of attention” to the preservation of these sites.In nearby Ghazni province, the information and culture head Hamidullah Nisar echoed the sentiment.Recently uncovered Buddhist statuettes must be “protected and passed down to future generations because they are part of our history”, he said.- ‘They value them’ -These relics would have likely met a different fate during the Taliban’s first rule from 1996 to 2001.Days after Taliban founder Mullah Omar ordered the destruction of all Buddhist statues to prevent idol worship, the gigantic 1,500-year-old Buddhas of central Bamiyan province were pulverised — the Taliban having been unmoved by international outcry.”When they returned, people thought they would have no regard for historical sites,” said Mohammed Nadir Makhawar, director of heritage preservation in Laghman, a position he held under the ousted Republic. “But we see that they value them.”In December 2021, the Taliban reopened the Afghan National Museum, where they had once destroyed pre-Islamic artefacts.The following year, they reached out to the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) to help preserve the historic Buddhist site of Mes Aynak, where there is also a copper mine under a development contract with a Chinese consortium.”The request was unexpected,” said Ajmal Maiwandi, the head of AKTC in Afghanistan, who even noted an “enthusiasm” from the authorities to support the conservation work.”I think the Taliban have understood how much the destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas damaged their reputation,” said Valery Freland, director of the ALIPH foundation, the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage.”They seem concerned today with preserving material heritage in all its diversity,” he added. However, experts have highlighted that the Taliban authorities do not extend the same concern to intangible heritage: music, dance, folklore and anything involving women remain a red line in their severe interpretation of Islam.And while a historic synagogue in Herat city was preserved after the Taliban takeover, local authorities have recently resisted media attention on the site and the city’s former Jewish community.- ‘Cautiously optimistic’ -Afghanistan has signed several conventions on heritage since the Taliban’s first reign, with its destruction deemed a war crime in 2016.Beyond the risk of angering the international community — whose recognition the Taliban seek — Afghanistan’s heritage represents “a potential lever for the country’s tourism and economic development”, said an industry expert speaking on condition of anonymity.However, the authorities face two major challenges, the source said, pointing to a lack of financial resources and the departure — following their takeover — of “the archaeological and heritage elite”.Security could hamper tourism ambitions as well; a group visiting Bamiyan was targeted in a deadly militant attack last year.In the tiny Laghman museum, a plastic bag and newspaper serve as protection for the statuettes, one of which depicts the face of a Buddhist goddess.It was discovered last year in the courtyard of a farm, among milling cows and goats.Ayoubi says he needs help to properly conserve and study them to determine their precise age, a process hampered by four decades of war in Afghanistan.Looting has also proved an ongoing challenge, with no fewer than 30 sites still being “actively pillaged”, according to a 2023 study by University of Chicago researchers.Even if preservation projects have not been disrupted, Maiwandi remains “cautiously optimistic”.”The situation in Afghanistan can change quickly,” he said.

Draft NZ law seeks ‘biological’ definition of man, woman

US lawmakers in El Salvador to push for deported migrant’s release

A delegation of Democratic lawmakers visited El Salvador on Monday in a new push to secure the release of a wrongly deported US resident at the center of a mounting political row.Kilmar Abrego Garcia was sent back to his country and remains imprisoned there despite the US Supreme Court ordering President Donald Trump’s administration to facilitate his return to the United States.”There is no reason for me to believe that our administration, the Trump administration, is doing anything to facilitate his safe return home, and that is simply unacceptable,” congresswoman Yassamin Ansari told reporters after meeting US embassy officials.”It isn’t just about Kilmar. It is the fact that our government is relentlessly going after any immigrant that’s trying to come to the United States or is in the United States without any regard for due process,” the Arizona representative said.Ansari was accompanied by fellow US House Democrats Robert Garcia, Maxwell Frost and Maxine Dexter.Frost said there was “zero indication” that the Trump administration was trying to bring Abrego Garcia back.”But we’ve got to be clear — this isn’t just about him. This is also about every single person in the United States. The constitution applies to all people in our country. Due process applies to all people in our country,” the Florida representative added.Frost said that Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele’s administration had denied a request for the group of US lawmakers to meet with the deported man.- Trump doubles down -The visit comes days after Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, the state where Abrego Garcia has lived for years with his wife and child, arrived in the Central American country.Van Hollen eventually managed to meet with Abrego Garcia after multiple efforts.Trump’s administration has paid El Salvador millions of dollars to lock up nearly 300 migrants it says are criminals and gang members — including Abrego Garcia.The 29-year-old was detained in Maryland last month and expelled to El Salvador along with 238 Venezuelans and 22 fellow Salvadorans who were deported shortly after Trump invoked a rarely used wartime authority.El Salvador’s President Bukele has vowed not to return Abrego Garcia to the United States, but on Sunday proposed to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to exchange his countrymen for “political prisoners” in Venezuela.Maduro responded on Monday in his weekly address by calling Bukele a “systematic and serial violator of human rights” and demanding the Venezuelans’ “unconditional release.”The Trump administration admitted that Abrego Garcia was deported due to an “administrative error,” and the Supreme Court ruled that the government must “facilitate” his return.But Trump has since doubled down, insisting Abrego Garcia is in fact a gang member.Bukele, who was hosted at the White House last week, said he did not have the power to return Abrego Garcia.The migrant’s supporters note he had protected legal status and no criminal conviction in the United States.”My parents fled an authoritarian regime in Iran where people were ‘disappeared’ — I refuse to sit back and watch it happen here,” Ansari said in a statement.”What happened to Kilmar Abrego Garcia is not just one family’s nightmare — it is a constitutional crisis that should outrage every single one of us,” said Dexter, a congresswoman from Oregon.Abrego Garcia told Van Hollen that he was initially imprisoned at the Terrorism Confinement Center, a mega-prison for gang members, but was later transferred to a jail in the western department of Santa Ana.

Pour se nourrir, l’Indonésie risque une déforestation massive

Pour ne plus dépendre des importations de riz et nourrir ses 280 millions d’habitants, l’Indonésie a lancé un vaste projet visant à l’autosuffisance alimentaire mais qui, en Papouasie, risque de se traduire, selon des ONG, par la plus grande déforestation au monde.L’ampleur réelle du projet est difficile à déterminer et même les déclarations du gouvernement sur sa taille varient.Au minimum, l’objectif est de planter plusieurs millions d’hectares de riz et de canne à sucre dans la région de Merauke, en Papouasie, région reculée de l’est de l’Indonésie.Menaçant des espèces en danger ainsi que les engagements climatiques de Jakarta, le projet risque aussi d’accentuer les violations des droits humains dans une région en proie à des troubles et à des abus militaires présumés, sur fond d’insurrection séparatiste.La déforestation est déjà en cours, avec plus de 11.000 hectares défrichés, soit plus que la superficie d’une ville comme Paris, indique Franky Samperante de l’ONG de défense de l’environnement et des droits des autochtones Yayasan Pusaka Bentala Rakyat.L’analyse réalisée par le groupe Mighty Earth et la start-up The TreeMap montre les zones déjà défrichées, notamment des forêts primaires et secondaires naturelles sèches et marécageuses, ainsi que des forêts secondaires de mangrove et des zones de savane et de brousse.”Habituellement, la déforestation résulte du fait que le gouvernement ne fait pas son travail”, souligne pour l’AFP Glenn Hurowitz, responsable de Mighty Earth.”Mais dans ce cas précis, c’est en fait l’Etat qui dit que nous voulons défricher certaines de nos dernières forêts, tourbières riches en carbone, habitats d’animaux rares”, ajoute-t-il.- “Tragédie” -Pour les défenseurs de l’environnement, ce projet méconnaît l’écosystème local. “En Papouasie du Sud, le paysage et l’écosystème sont constitués de forêts de plaine”, explique M. Samperante pour qui “il y a souvent une incompréhension, voire un dénigrement” de ces écosystèmes.Selon une cartographie réalisée par Mighty Earth, le projet menace un écosystème plus large, notamment des tourbières et des forêts qui, selon le groupe, devraient être protégées par un moratoire gouvernemental sur le défrichement.”La tragédie de ce projet, c’est que l’Indonésie a fait beaucoup de progrès pour briser le lien entre l’expansion agricole et la déforestation”, souligne M. Hurowitz. “Malheureusement, ce projet à lui seul menace de compromettre tous les progrès”.Le vaste archipel présente l’un des taux de déforestation les plus élevés au monde. Dans le même temps, la Papouasie conserve certaines des plus grandes étendues encore intactes.Le groupe de réflexion indonésien Celios estime qu’un tel niveau de déforestation pourrait totalement remettre en cause l’objectif de Jakarta de zéro émission nette d’ici 2050.Mais pour le gouvernement du président Prabowo Subianto qui a fait de ce projet d’autosuffisance alimentaire l’une de ses priorités, les critiques émises ignorent les réalités agricoles et économiques de l’Indonésie.En janvier, il a déclaré que le pays était bien parti pour stopper ses importations de riz d’ici fin 2025.Sollicité par l’AFP, le ministère de l’Agriculture n’a pas réagi dans l’immédiat.En Papouasie, les semis de riz vont bon train. Dans le district de Kaliki, un journaliste de l’AFP a pu voir des agriculteurs, soutenus par des soldats, cultiver des rizières sur des terres récemment défrichées.”Cet endroit (était) autrefois un terrain improductif et négligé”, a assuré Ahmad Rizal Ramdhani, un soldat en treillis, faisant office de chef de groupe. Mais l’affirmation est remise en cause par l’analyse satellite de Mighty Earth, qui a découvert qu’au moins deux zones de la région défrichées pour la riziculture chevauchaient des tourbières officiellement répertoriées.Un défrichement auquel l’armée apporte un large concours. Ainsi Yohanis Yandi Gebze, un agriculteur local, explique-t-il que les soldats lui ont donné “des outils, du matériel agricole et des machines” pour la culture du riz.- Intimidation -Ex-colonie néerlandaise, la Papouasie a déclaré son indépendance en 1961, mais l’Indonésie voisine en a pris le contrôle deux ans plus tard, en promettant un référendum. En 1969, un millier de Papous ont voté en faveur de l’intégration à l’Indonésie, lors d’un scrutin reconnu par les Nations unies.Ce vote est régulièrement critiqué par les indépendantistes mais Jakarta fait valoir que sa souveraineté sur la Papouasie a été établie par l’ONU.Depuis lors, Jakarta est accusé de réprimer violemment un conflit séparatiste qui dure depuis des décennies.Concernant ce projet agricole, “la communauté se sent intimidée”, indique Dewanto Talubun, directeur du groupe de défense de l’environnement et des droits humains Perkumpulan Harmoni Alam Papuana, basé à Merauke.”Tous les membres de la communauté ne sont pas d’accord avec ce projet mais ils ne peuvent pas directement refuser”, ajoute-t-il.”Presque tous les jours, des violations des droits de l’homme se produisent”, ajoute M. Samperante.Des doutes surgissent également concernant la viabilité du projet. “Les sols de Merauke sont probablement trop acides et le climat trop extrême… pour cultiver du riz”, estime David Gaveau, fondateur de The TreeMap.Les voix critiques ne contestent pas les besoins de sécurité alimentaire de Jakarta, mais estiment que le projet pourrait être mené ailleurs, sur des terres agricoles abandonnées.”Cela devrait être fait dans des endroits capables de l’absorber. Sans détruire le magnifique patrimoine naturel et les terres communautaires de l’Indonésie”, juge M. Hurowitz.

Pour se nourrir, l’Indonésie risque une déforestation massive

US to impose new duties on solar imports from Southeast Asia

The United States on Monday announced its intention to impose tariffs of up to 3,521 percent on solar panels from Southeast Asia, a move aimed at countering alleged Chinese subsidies and dumping in the sector.The tariffs on companies from Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam will still need to be ratified at a meeting of the International Trade Commission in June.The decision unveiled Monday comes after anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations filed around a year ago by several US and other solar manufacturers.Those companies took aim at “unfair practices” that were said to have weighed on the US domestic solar market, particularly raising concern over Chinese-headquartered companies operating out of the Southeast Asian countries.While Monday’s move came after a year-long investigation, it follows on the heels of US President Donald Trump launching blistering trade wars through tariffs around the globe.Trump’s tariffs, which have seen the White House impose eyewateringly high levies before suspending some of them to allow for negotiations, are aimed at reducing US trade imbalances.The Commerce Department’s statement said the new recommended tariffs on solar cells, however, were taking specific aim at “transnational subsidies.””In the CVD investigations involving Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, Commerce found that companies in each country were receiving subsidies from the Government of China,” the statement said, referring to countervailing duty probes.”These are among the first CVD investigations wherein Commerce has made an affirmative finding that companies received transnational subsidies.”The case was brought by Hanwha Qcells, First Solar, Convalt Energy and others.For the duties to be finalized, the International Trade Commission has until early June to make a final determination.Among firms targeted were Chinese companies Jinko Solar and Trina Solar.Products from Cambodia are set to face duties of up to 3,521 percent, according to the Commerce Department.Jinko Solar faced duties of 40 percent for exports from Malaysia and around 245 percent for goods from Vietnam.Trina Solar in Thailand will see duties of more than 375 percent, and more than 200 percent for products from Vietnam.If imposed, the new levies will come on top of the blanket 10 percent levy imposed by Trump since early April on products entering the United States from most trading partners.In 2023, the United States imported $11.9 billion in solar cells from the countries named in the latest action, according to official data.

Action collective pour fédérer des hôteliers français et espagnols s’estimant lésés par Booking

Deux cabinets d’avocats veulent fédérer les hôteliers en France et en Espagne afin qu’ils obtiennent réparation “pour leurs pertes liées à des commissions excessives” de la plateforme Booking, a indiqué mardi à l’AFP l’un des avocats à l’initiative de cette action, Marc Barennes.Pour lancer leur action, les cabinets Eskariam en Espagne et Geradin Partners à Paris s’appuient notamment sur une récente décision de la Cour de justice de l’Union européenne, de septembre 2024, qui remet en cause les “clauses de parité” imposées par Booking.Ces clauses sont des “dispositions contractuelles qui empêchaient les hôtels et autres hébergeurs de proposer des prix plus bas ou de meilleures conditions sur d’autres canaux de vente, restreignant ainsi leur liberté commerciale”, indique un communiqué.Ils se réfèrent également à des décisions des autorités de concurrence espagnole et italienne “qui remettent en cause les pratiques illicites de Booking.com”.En France, un site internet () propose de recueillir les données des hôteliers qui ont utilisé Booking entre 2015 et 2024 afin d’évaluer leur préjudice potentiel, mettant en avant la perspective d’obtenir “réparation pour les commissions excessives” versées à la plateforme néérlandaise, filiale du géant américain Priceline Group.”Les hôtels indépendants pourraient percevoir des dizaines, voire des centaines de milliers d’euros d’indemnisation. Pour les chaînes, les préjudices se chiffrent en millions d’euros”, peut-on lire sur ce site.Le cabinet d’avocats a fait évaluer les pertes totales des hôteliers liées à Booking en France à 1,5 milliard d’euros, selon Marc Barennes.Dans le cadre de la législation sur les marchés numériques (DMA), Booking fait partie des géants de la “tech” soumis dans l’Union européenne à de nouvelles règles de concurrence plus strictes.La plateforme ne peut ainsi plus obliger les hôteliers européens à proposer leurs meilleurs prix sur son site.En outre, Marc Barennes souligne qu’étant un acteur particulièrement scruté par la Commission européenne dans le cadre du DMA, Booking ne pourra pas se permettre de prendre des mesures de représailles contre les hôteliers décidant de demander réparation.Les recours seront financés par une société de financement de litige qui se rémunèrera avec un pourcentage des indemnités obtenues en cas de victoire (entre 25 et 30%) et les hôteliers n’auront donc rien à débourser, selon l’avocat.- “Front uni”-Des discussions sont en cours avec d’autres cabinets d’avocats pour étendre l’initiative à d’autres pays, notamment l’Italie et le Portugal, “dans le but d’élargir la couverture européenne et de construire un front juridique uni contre Booking.com”.En France, Marc Barennes souhaiterait pouvoir saisir le tribunal de commerce d’ici la fin du mois d’octobre.Si les organisations patronales de l’hôtellerie ne disposent pas de statistiques officielles sur la part d’hôtels utilisant Booking en France, elles pointent régulièrement du doigt la domination de la plateforme en matière de réservation hôtelière.En Europe, les réservations directement auprès de l’hôtel ne représentaient que 33% du chiffre d’affaires en ligne des hôtels en 2024, le reste venant de plateformes comme Booking ou Expedia, selon les données de la société spécialisée en technologies hôtelières D-Edge.Et selon la plateforme de données Statista, Booking est la plateforme la plus utilisée en France pour réserver un hôtel ou un logement touristique, devant Airbnb.Marc Barennes est par ailleurs à l’initiative d’une action similaire dans le secteur de l’hôtellerie/restauration : celle opposant les restaurateurs aux émetteurs de titres-restaurant, sanctionnés pour pratiques anti-concurrentielles en France.Quelque 8.000 points de vente ont rejoint cette procédure annoncée en 2021, et retardée en raison de difficultés d’accès aux documents permettant d’évaluer le préjudice, des borderaux papier remontant à plusieurs années, explique l’avocat qui mène cette action via sa société Brandeis Fiducie.”On espère pouvoir déposer la demande d’indemnisation avant la fin de l’année”, précise-t-il.

Action collective pour fédérer des hôteliers français et espagnols s’estimant lésés par Booking

Auto Shanghai to showcase electric competition at sector’s new frontier

The world’s biggest auto show opens Wednesday in Shanghai, with foreign carmakers raring to show they can compete against the ultra-competitive Chinese firms that dominate the sector’s new electric frontier.As the petrol engine’s primacy stutters, traditional industry expos like Paris and Detroit are scrambling to re-invent themselves — but in Shanghai the era of cleaner engines and AI-powered operating systems will be very much on display already.The government’s historic backing of EV and hybrid development means China is now leading the charge in the sector.In 2024 EVs and hybrids made up 26 and 19 percent respectively of total car sales in the country, according to Inovev. “It’s the only country that manages to get the automobile sector’s industrial giants cohabiting with the innovation of a multitude of startups — operational excellence and (production) volume with innovation and daring,” Deloitte analyst Guillaume Crunelle told AFP. Auto Shanghai, which runs until May 2, will see a flurry of launches for electric, high-tech new models — luxury SUVs, saloons and multi-purpose vehicles — all designed and built in record time.Dozens of brands will take part, from state-owned behemoths to start-ups such as Li Auto and Xpeng, tech giants with skin in the game like Huawei, and consumer electronics-turned-car company Xiaomi. Analysts consider the Chinese market, the world’s largest, younger-leaning and more open to novelty. But it is also fiercely cutthroat. Some start-ups have already gone bust, while brands including SAIC Motor, BYD and Geely are engaged in a brutal price war. Reports that two of China’s largest state-owned auto enterprises are planning to merge, meanwhile, suggest the government is pushing companies to consolidate, eliminating inefficiencies to create new global leaders, analysts say. “They are in a phase of rationalisation and simplification directed by the state,” Crunelle said. Many companies are also looking to expand overseas, in the hope increased sales in markets including Southeast Asia, Europe and Latin America will safeguard their future. – German woes -Foreign carmakers have also found themselves caught out by the new market conditions, none more so than the Germans. After years of market domination in China, Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes have seen sales fall as domestic brands’ stars have risen. Volkswagen is hoping to bounce back at this year’s show with three vehicles developed in and for China, a first for the German group, as well as an advanced autonomous driving system.Volkswagen’s China chief Ralf Brandstatter told a German newspaper that foreign manufacturers still had a card to play in China, as Beijing is betting “once again more on foreign investment” as its economy slows.Faced with “an extreme price war”, the group had decided to “remain profitable” at the expense of sales and market share, he said Saturday. The group aims to revitalise itself through cost-cutting, helped by a partnership with China’s Xpeng.In Shanghai, German manufacturers will have to prove “they are at the cutting edge of innovation… if they want to even retain their current market share”, analyst Stefan Bratzel told AFP. It is already too late to regain their past market supremacy, he added, echoing comments made by former Porsche CFO Lutz Metschke.German carmakers cannot give up entirely on China, though, especially with looming uncertainty caused by Donald Trump’s threatened tariff rises on European countries. The US president’s policy has wreaked even more havoc on US-China trade, with the countries at an impasse over staggeringly high reciprocal duties. One of the biggest US companies active in China, Tesla, will not be attending Auto Shanghai, despite its two massive factories in the city. Elon Musk’s EV giant has not exhibited at a major car show in China since 2021, when a one-woman protest over an alleged brake failure went viral on social media. However, US brands including Cadillac, Buick and Lincoln will still present at the show, with most models on display produced and sold locally.