Benin leans into painful past to attract tourists

A desperate voice crackled down the phone -- Mariano Nkogo Mba Nchama's 22-year-old son pleaded for help to get home to Equatorial Guinea from Ukraine, where he is fighting for the Russian army.

Daniel Angel Masie Nchama is among nearly 1,800 Africans fighting in the Kremlin's war on Ukraine; some signed up voluntarily in the hope of high pay, others say they were tricked or coerced.

"Come and help me! I'm on the front line in Ukraine, I'm fighting for Russia," he begged Equatorial Guinea's President Teodoro Obiang Nguema in an anguished voice message sent to his parents.

The recording has spread widely on social media and caused a strong reaction in oil-rich but poverty-stricken Equatorial Guinea, ruled by Obiang for over 40 years.

Masie Nchama, a computer science student who dreamed of moving abroad, left the central African nation for military training but found himself forcibly enrolled in the Russian army and headed for war.

Panicked at the prospect of being sent to the front, he contacted his family late in March and appealed to the authorities for help.

"We need to find a plan to get me out of here quickly, because if they send me to the front line, it's going to be really hard. Once I'm there, there'll be no going back unless the war ends," Masie Nchama says in the recording.

His father said his son was contacted by a Cameroonian living in Russia, who sold him on the idea of a military training course and the promise of a job as a bodyguard. 

Now he is at a Russian military base in Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, after leaving Equatorial Guinea in December for Cameroon, where he got a Russian visa the following month -- a copy of which AFP has seen.

He was in Russia for just 45 days before being sent to the war zone.

"We were promised that after 10 months of military training, we would be given a job, but to our great surprise, we were sent to the front. I don't know if I'll come back," he says. 

- Diplomatic efforts - 

Following a TV report that also gained broad attention on social media, the Equatorial Guinean government confirmed in a statement the existence of a suspected recruitment network run by a Cameroonian national known by the pseudonym "Fabrice".

He apparently tricks young people by dangling the prospect of military training in Eastern Europe, then sends them to fight in Ukraine.

The government called for international actors to take steps to dismantle and prosecute the network. 

In a meeting with the Russian ambassador on March 31, the Equatorial Guinean vice president asked for Moscow's help to return Masie Nchama.

The envoy said Russia was committed to helping him and proposed cooperation with Equatorial Guinea to prevent such cases in the future, a statement by the African government said. 

As the war triggered by Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine has dragged on, Moscow has taken soldiers from allies such as North Korea, which is thought to have sent thousands of troops.

Moscow has also pushed a recruitment drive across the African continent, signing up fighters from Egypt to South Africa and from Ghana to Zimbabwe.

Ukraine estimates that more than 1,780 Africans from 36 countries are fighting alongside Russia in Ukraine. 

- Sent to the front -

In February, the All Eyes On Wagner (AEOW) organisation, which investigates Russian hybrid warfare, published the names of 1,417 Africans recruited by Moscow between January 2023 and September 2025 for the war.

More than 300 of them have died in Ukraine.

Moscow agreed recently to stop recruiting Kenyans after a network sent more than 1,000 fighters from the east African country to join Russian forces in Ukraine.

According to his father, Masie Nchama left with 36 young French-speaking Africans and another from Equatorial Guinea.

After training in Murmansk in northern Russia, the recruits were separated. 

"My son went to Donetsk while his compatriot was sent elsewhere in the Donbas," he told AFP. 

In a voice message which AFP has heard, he explained that he was forced to sign documents in Russian without understanding what they said. 

His father said he has photos, videos and audio recordings proving his presence in the Donetsk region, an area of active fighting.

The family has filed a complaint with the Equatorial Guinean police and demanded urgent action from the authorities.

Despite their fears, his parents still hope to see Masie Nchama again -- a fighter he is said to have relieved at the front has confirmed he is still alive.

sam/cc/pdw/kjm/cms

The latest developments in the Middle East war:

- Iran slams blockade -

Iran's military said a US threat to impose a naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian ports from Monday would be illegal and amount to "piracy", warning that no Gulf ports would be safe if its own were threatened.

"The restrictions imposed by criminal America on maritime navigation and transit in international waters are illegal and constitute an example of piracy," said a statement issued by the Iranian military's central command centre that was read on state television.

- China urges 'unimpeded' navigation -

China called for "unimpeded" navigation through the critical strait, through which a fifth of the global oil supply passes.

In a press conference, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun also urged diplomacy and called on the United States and Iran to abide by their ceasefire, after the failure of weekend peace talks in Pakistan.

He also called reports that China had supplied or intended to supply weapons to Iran "baseless smears", after Trump threatened Beijing with a "staggering" new tariff of 50 percent if it were to provide military assistance to Tehran.

- Russia offers uranium solution -

Russia said it would be ready to take in Iran's enriched uranium as part of any US-Iranian peace deal.

"This proposal was voiced by President (Vladimir) Putin in contacts with both the United States and regional states. The offer still stands, but has not been acted upon," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

- UK-France Hormuz talks -

France and Britain will work on putting together a "peaceful multinational mission" to restore traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, but it would be "separate from the warring parties", said French President Emmanuel Macron.

"In the coming days, together with the United Kingdom, we will organise a conference with those countries prepared to contribute alongside us to a peaceful multinational mission aimed at restoring freedom of navigation in the strait," Macron said.

- Pope not 'debating' Trump -

Pope Leo XIV said he had "no intention to debate" with Trump, after the US president criticised him over his comments on the war.

After the pope made a plea for peace, Trump said he was "not a big fan" of the pontiff, calling him "very liberal".

- Israel claims Lebanon town surrounded -

The Israeli military said its troops had surrounded the key town of Bint Jbeil in southern Lebanon and begun an assault on it, after killing more than 100 fighters from Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah there over the past week.

The announcement marks a significant advance in Israel's ongoing invasion of southern Lebanon.

- 'Long-time' effects -

Germany, Europe's biggest economy, will feel the effects of the energy shock from the war "for a long time to come, even after it is over", Chancellor Friedrich Merz told a news conference, as his government announced relief measures including a fuel-tax cut.

Elsewhere in Europe, Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles said Trump's threatened blockade "makes no sense".

- Trump says doesn't care -

Trump said he does not care if Iran comes back to negotiations with the United States.

"I don't care if they come back or not. If they don't come back, I'm fine," Trump told reporters.

- Countdown to US Gulf blockade -

The US military said it will blockade all Iranian Gulf ports on Monday at 1400 GMT.

"The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman," US Central Command said in a post on X, adding the United States would "not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports".

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Iranian security forces had full control over the crucial strait and warned enemies would be trapped in a "deadly vortex" in case of any "wrong move".

- Iran defiant -

Iran's parliament speaker, who led the weekend talks, said his country would not give in.

"If they fight, we will fight, and if they come forward with logic, we will deal with logic," Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said, cited by several Iranian news agencies.

"We will not bow to any threats, let them test our will once again so that we can teach them a bigger lesson."

- Oil rises above $100 again -

The US oil benchmark rebounded above $100 a barrel after peace talks failed and Trump ordered the blockade of Iranian ports.

A barrel of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for May delivery rose around seven percent to $103.55, while June delivery of international benchmark Brent rose seven percent to $101.83 in Monday trading.

burs/jhb

After years of holdups and bitter horse trading, EU leaders breathed a resounding sigh of relief at Viktor Orban's crushing defeat in Hungary's elections. 

From support for Ukraine to sanctions on Russia, the bete noire from Budapest repeatedly stalled some of the EU's key initiatives. 

Now, as his vanquisher Peter Magyar gears up to take power vowing to reset ties, the question is how quickly could these dossiers get unlocked? 

Here are five areas to watch:

- 90 billion euros for Ukraine? -

Most pressing is a desperately needed 90-billion-euro loan for Ukraine that Orban took hostage as he made opposition to helping Kyiv a key campaign plank. 

Orban's veto -- which he tied to a row with Ukraine over a damaged pipeline pumping Russian oil -- enraged his EU counterparts as it came after he gave his initial green light. 

Conservative Magyar is no major cheerleader for Kyiv, but if Orban doesn't budge in his remaining weeks in office then unblocking the loan could be an easy way for the newcomer to win over hearts and minds in Brussels.

It will also take two tango and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky will have to play ball over the pipeline and soften his rhetoric as well.  

"Sooner or later this has to resolve itself. Hopefully sooner," said one EU diplomat, talking as others on condition of anonymity. 

- Sanctions on Moscow -

In a similar vein, Magyar could also signal a shift in Budapest's approach to Russia by backing a stalled package of sanctions on Moscow over the Ukraine war. 

Orban -- who maintained good ties with Russia's Vladimir Putin despite the invasion -- was slammed by critics as acting like a trojan horse for the Kremlin inside EU summits.

Hungary repeatedly held up previous rounds of punishment on Moscow and, as the electioneering heated up, Orban threw a spanner in the fresh round of sanctions. 

By changing tune, Magyar can showcase a switch from Budapest.

That would then leave Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico -- the other most Moscow-friendly leader in the EU -- as the only holdout. 

- Ukraine's EU membership?

A longer term test will be over Ukraine's EU membership push.

Orban was an implacable opponent of Kyiv's bid and to the chagrin of Brussels and Ukraine was vetoing any progress.

Now he is on his way out, Magyar could show willing by greenlighting the opening of so-called negotiating "clusters" that EU officials insist Kyiv has long been ready for.

But Magyar, who has vowed a referendum on Ukraine's membership, is no pushover and there are still plenty of steps down the road for the push to be held up.

"We shouldn't expect Hungary to become super pro-Ukraine membership all of a sudden," said a second senior EU diplomat. 

Also, other countries cautious about Kyiv joining had hidden behind Orban's opposition. They may now have to come out of the shadows more. 

"The end of Hungarian obstruction to Ukraine's accession does not mean it will accelerate," summed up Sebastien Maillard from the Jacques Delors think tank. 

- Frozen funds for Hungary -

It's not just a one-way street for Magyar: he will be desperate to show that his promise to reset ties with Brussels can bring fast benefits to Hungary and its flagging economy. 

The EU has frozen some 18 billion euros in funds earmarked for Budapest over Orban's democratic backsliding, tackling graft and the treatment of LGBTQ issues.

Magyar has until the end of August to start pushing through reforms to try to secure the 10 billion euros left over from Covid recovery funds, or lose them for good.

Brussels could be willing to move fast on EU funds as it did for Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk after he took power a few years ago. 

"It would give Magyar an enormous boost to say 'look I'm coming back from Brussels with these funds," said another EU diplomat. 

- New mood? -

It may be a little harder to gauge, but EU officials will also be hoping for a more constructive atmosphere around the bloc's top table.

While they'd learned to live with his grandstanding, Orban's hardening stance towards the end -- and proximity to Moscow -- had seriously strained trust between leaders. 

"I think everyone will welcome Magyar with renewed enthusiasm," an EU official said. 

That's not saying that all will now be joy and harmony. EU leaders will still fight their corners tooth and nail, Magyar included.

"Magyar will want, as he did during the campaign, not to be caricatured as being a pawn of Brussels; do not expect him to say yes to everything," said the second EU diplomat. 

bur-del/ec/st

The US military said it would begin a blockade of all Iranian ports Monday, after talks between the warring sides in Pakistan collapsed, and despite the Iranian military warning that it would treat any such action as an act of piracy. 

Trump had announced on social media he would blockade the strategic Strait of Hormuz trade route that he has been demanding Tehran fully re-open, after Vice President JD Vance left negotiations with an Iranian delegation in Islamabad.

The US military said the blockade would begin at 1400 GMT, and apply to all ships leaving or seeking to dock at Iranian ports on either side of the key waterway.

It was unclear, however, how the military would enforce such a blockade. 

Despite the threats, there was no indication that there would be an immediate resumption of the war that came to a screeching halt with a ceasefire that took effect last week, and which had engulfed the region in violence.

Oil prices, which had tumbled with the truce, jumped around eight percent Monday, with both key WTI and Brent contracts topping $100 a barrel.

The weekend's failed talks dashed hopes of a swift deal to permanently end the war that has killed thousands and thrown the global economy into turmoil since it began in late February.

Traffic through the strait, a key route for global oil and gas shipments, has been heavily restricted since the start of the war, with Iran only allowing through some vessels serving friendly countries such as China.

A sense of dread spread across the Middle East as fears of renewed fighting rattled an already tense region. 

"Things could change at any moment," said Aishah, a 32-year-old economic consultant based in Doha. 

"It's more about taking each day as it comes."

- Uncertainty -

"The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman," US Central Command said, adding it would begin at 1400 GMT on Monday.

US forces would not impede vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports, it added.

In a lengthy social media post on Sunday, Trump said his goal was to clear the strait of mines and reopen it to all shipping, but that Iran must not be allowed to profit from controlling the waterway.

Nicole Grajewski, an assistant professor at Sciences Po's Center for International Research, said a US blockade was "not a minor coercive signal" but could rather be considered an effective resumption of the war.

Iran's military command issued a statement branding the upcoming blockade a criminal act of piracy and warned: "If the security of the Islamic Republic of Iran's ports in the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea is threatened, no port in the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea will be safe."

China, Washington's great power rival and a big importer of Iranian oil, also criticised the plan. 

"The Strait of Hormuz is an important international trade route for goods and energy, and maintaining its security, stability, and unimpeded flow is in the common interest of the international community," foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said, urging Iran and the US not to reignite the war.

Russia, Iran's main international ally, said Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would visit his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.

Among Washington's NATO allies, much criticised by Trump for their reluctance to follow him to war, Spain's Defence Minister Margarita Robles said the planned naval blockade "makes no sense".

"It's one more episode in this whole downward spiral into which we've been dragged," she said. 

And in a BBC radio interview, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain will not join the US blockade, adding adding the UK "is not getting dragged in" to the war with Iran. 

- 'We'll see' -

Pakistan, which hosted the weekend's failed talks, has said it hopes to continue facilitating a dialogue and has called on both sides to honour the fragile two-week ceasefire.

Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who led Tehran's delegation in Pakistan, said Tehran would "not bow to any threats" from Washington, while navy chief Shahram Irani called Trump's blockade threat "ridiculous".

The strait was far from the only friction point jettisoning global efforts led by Pakistan to end the war, which began on when Israel and the US launched strikes on Iran, which retaliated by attacking Gulf and Israeli cities.

The US delegation in Islamabad -- led by Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner -- was frustrated by Iran's refusal to give up what its right to what it insists is a civilian nuclear programme.

"I have always said, right from the beginning, and many years ago, IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!" Trump later posted.

Vance told reporters in Islamabad that Washington had made Tehran its "final and best offer," adding: "We'll see if the Iranians accept it."

burs/dc/ser

Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Monday Germany will slash fuel taxes as households struggle with the energy shock from the Middle East war, while warning the conflict will have long-lasting economic consequences.

The announcement came after oil prices surged again following the collapse of US-Iran peace talks and US President Donald Trump's decision to blockade the Strait of Hormuz. 

Merz said the war "is the root cause of the problems we face in our own country", and stressed Berlin was doing all it could to try to bring the conflict to an end.

Following talks between his CDU party and its coalition partners, Merz said his government had decided to cut the tax on petrol and diesel by around 17 euro cents ($0.19) for two months.

"This will very quickly improve the situation for drivers and businesses in the country, and above all for those who, mainly for professional reasons, spend a great deal of time on the road," he told a news conference in Berlin.

Fuel prices in Germany, like elsewhere, have jumped sharply since the outbreak of the US-Israeli war against Iran at the end of February.

Employers will also be able to pay their staff tax-free bonuses of up to 1,000 euros ($1,170) to mitigate the impacts of inflation, which has already started rising in Germany, the government announced. 

Merz warned, however: "At the same time, we cannot offset every single outcome on the market with government funds... The state cannot absorb all uncertainties, not all risks, not all disruptions in global politics."

The government plans to bring forward an increase in tobacco taxes to finance the reduction in fuel duties, Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said.

Germany, Europe's biggest economy, has been hard hit by the surge in energy costs at a time when many of its power-hungry manufacturers were already facing headwinds from US tariffs and fierce Chinese competition.

Merz warned the war's effects were likely to be long-lasting. "The German economy will face a significant burden over an extended period," he said.

Leading economic institutes this month slashed their growth forecast for Germany to just 0.6 percent for 2026, down from a pre-war prediction of 1.3 percent.

sr/fec/rmb

Pope Leo XIV headed to Algeria on Monday at the start of an 11-day tour of Africa, the first international trip of his papacy that risked being overshadowed by criticism from US President Donald Trump.

Leo will become the first ever leader of the world's Catholics to visit the Muslim country of Algeria, where he aims to help "build bridges between the Christian and Muslim worlds," the Archbishop of Algiers Jean-Paul Vesco told AFP. 

Yet just hours before he left Rome, at around 0700 GMT, Leo became the target of criticism from Trump, who railed against the pope's entreaties for an end to violence in the Iran war.

"I'm not a big fan of Pope Leo," Trump told reporters, accusing the pontiff of "toying with a country (Iran) that wants a nuclear weapon".

Trump later suggested cardinals only elected Leo pope in May 2025 because he was American, and a potential bridge to Washington -- before posting an AI-generated image seemingly depicting himself as Jesus Christ.

Leo had criticised as "unacceptable" Trump's threats against civilians in Iran, although he did not name the president, while he has also previously criticised the Trump administration's "inhuman" treatment of migrants.

- Personal significance -

Trump's comments risk overshadowing the Africa trip, which will take in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea, covering more than 18,000 kilometres (11,000 miles) between April 13 and 23.

The pope's first stop on Monday will be the Algerian capital of Algiers, where he will meet with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, address diplomats and pay tribute to the victims of Algeria's 1954-1962 war of independence against France.

Already in Algiers ahead of the historic visit, the atmosphere of an imminent celebration pervaded the air, with walls repainted, roads repaved and green spaces adorned with plants and flowerpots. 

The visit to Algeria is also infused with personal significance for the pope as the country was the home of Saint Augustine (354-430), whose spiritual legacy permeates his pontificate.

The influential Christian theologian laid the foundations for the 13th century Augustinian order to which Leo belongs, one based on communal living and service. 

In his very first speech as pope, Leo presented himself as a "son" of Augustine, whose writings he often quotes. As head of the order, before becoming pope, the former Robert Francis Prevost twice visited Algeria.  

On Tuesday, the pope will visit the northeastern city of Annaba -- formerly the ancient Roman city of Hippo -- the one-time home of the saint whose autobiographical "Confessions" is a seminal work within the Christian tradition. 

Father Fred Wekesa, the rector of the Saint Augustine Basilica at Annaba where Leo will celebrate mass, said the pope's upcoming visit would give his small flock a "message of encouragement and solidarity".

- 'Capable of peace' -

Monday's itinerary also includes a visit to the Great Mosque of Algiers -- with the world's highest minaret -- and the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa, overlooking the Bay of Algiers.

Leo plans to pray privately in the chapel dedicated to 19 priests and nuns murdered during Algeria's 1992-2002 civil war. 

The pope will not, however, visit the Tibhirine monastery, whose monks were kidnapped and murdered in 1996, an event still shrouded in mystery.  

Wekesa lamented shadows still cast by Algeria's bloody civil war, when 200,000 people were killed in the conflict between Islamists and security forces.

Although some people still viewed Algeria "through the lens of the 'dark years'," Leo's visit will allow the world to see "the hospitality and generosity of the Algerian people," said Wekesa. 

"We are capable of living together in peace."

Although Algeria's constitution guarantees freedom of worship, subject to conditions, human rights groups say the repression of religious minorities is continuing. 

Three human rights groups called on Leo last week to push the issue during his visit. 

burs-ams-ar/ach 

US President Donald Trump told reporters Sunday that he is "not a big fan" of Pope Leo XIV, after the global leader of Catholics made a plea for peace amid the war in the Middle East.

The 70-year-old American pope publicly implored leaders on Saturday to end the violence, telling worshippers at St Peter's Basilica: "Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!"

"I'm not a big fan of Pope Leo. He's a very liberal person, and he's a man that doesn't believe in stopping crime," Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.

He accused the pontiff of "toying with a country that wants a nuclear weapon."

Trump later doubled down on his comments to reporters with a post on Truth Social, saying: "I don't want a Pope who thinks it's OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon."

"Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy," he said.

The president added that Leo had only been elected "because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump." 

"If I wasn't in the White House, Leo wouldn't be in the Vatican."

Trump later posted an AI-generated image seemingly depicting himself as Jesus Christ. 

In the image, the president appears dressed in red and white robes as he cures a man with his healing hand. The American flag is shown over his shoulder. 

Trump and the White House have previously shared AI-generated images, including one that showed the president dressed as the pope.

- Rejecting a rift -

Washington and the Vatican have rejected reports of a rift.

On Friday, a Vatican official denied reports that a top Pentagon official gave the church's envoy to the United States a "bitter lecture" over Pope Leo's criticisms of the Trump administration.

The story in the Free Press -- which the Pentagon had already dismissed as "distorted" -- reported that Cardinal Christophe Pierre was summoned in January to the Pentagon, where he was given a dressing-down by US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby.

The military official reportedly told the cardinal that the United States "has the military power to do whatever it wants -- and that the Church had better take its side."

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement "the account presented by certain media outlets regarding this meeting does not correspond to the truth in any way."

While both parties insist the meeting was cordial, the Holy See and the White House have openly been at odds over the Trump administration's hardline mass deportation campaign -- which the pope called "inhuman" -- and the use of military force in the Middle East and Venezuela. 

When Trump made genocidal threats against Iran Tuesday -- saying "A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again" -- the pontiff slammed the "truly unacceptable" statement and urged parties to "come back to the table" for negotiations. 

Earlier this month, Pope Leo hailed the news of a ceasefire between the United States and Iran as a "sign of real hope."

But peace talks between the United States and Iran, held in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, ended abruptly and without a resolution on Saturday, with US Vice President JD Vance telling reporters after a marathon-session of talks that Washington has delivered its "final and best offer."

sla/cms/lkd/lga

Brazilian singer Luisa Sonza brought her newly released album "Brutal Paraiso" to Coachella this weekend in a performance she described as "a unique experience."

"I don't think I've felt that way, like I was doing something for the first time in a long time," Sonza told AFP in an interview at the Empire Polo Club, where the California music festival is held.

Sonza performed Saturday on the Gobi Stage -- which year after year hosts indie and alternative acts -- in front of a crowd that danced and sang along in an intimate yet energetic atmosphere.

"Doing a show with the new album was almost like being at the beginning of my career again. It was very special, a dream come true," said the 27-year-old singer, who brought along Argentine reggaeton artist Emilia to perform their collaboration "bunda."

Sonza reflected on "Brutal Paraiso," an album she composed to "talk about life and its difficulties and beauties."

"Life is brutal, but it is also a paradise, and it's about going through many different moments," said Sonza, who is from Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil.

The project, released just before Coachella, blended a diverse range of rhythms such as pop, Brazilian funk, R&B and bossa nova -- a mix that, for Sonza, is the essence of Brazil.

"People from outside think that Brazil is just one thing, but Brazil is a country where we are a whole world in one (place). And I think that, obviously, is part of me," she said.

Sonza doesn't see musical genres and their rhythms as a label to fit into, but rather "as the feelings I had to sing about."

The Brazilian star, who is experiencing a meteoric rise in her career, maintained that music is what guides her.

"You have to have the courage to follow what you believe in, to take risks," she said. "I don't like to stay the same; I like to create and discover new things."

"Music keeps me moving, alive," she added.

The Coachella performance, a milestone in her burgeoning career, feels like a taste of what's to come for the artist as she prepares to embark on an international tour -- "showing the world a bit of 'Brutal Paradise'."

pr/mvl/lga/tc

A woman will command Australia's army for the first time since its founding 125 years ago, Defence Minister Richard Marles said Monday as he unveiled the "deeply historic" appointment.

Lieutenant general Susan Coyle was named Australia's Chief of Army following a three-decade career during which she has served in the Solomon Islands, Afghanistan and the Middle East.

"Her achievement means that she will be the first woman to command a service in Australian history," Marles told reporters. 

"And it is a deeply historic moment. As Susan said to me, you cannot be what you cannot see." 

Australia's army is in the throes of a major transformation, equipping itself with long-range firepower, drones and other modern combat tools.  

Coyle stressed her experience in areas such as cyber-warfare. 

"This breadth of experience provides a strong foundation for the responsibilities of command and the trust placed in me," she said.

sft/oho/tc

Iranian authorities executed at least 1,639 people in 2025, the highest number since 1989, two NGOs said Monday, warning it risked using capital punishment even more extensively after protests in January and the war against Israel and the US.

The number of executions represented an increase of 68 percent on the 975 people Iran put to death in 2024, and also included 48 women who were hanged, Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) and Paris-based Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM) said in their joint annual report.

If the Islamic republic "survives the current crisis, there is a serious risk that executions will be used even more extensively as a tool of oppression and repression", the report said.

IHR -- which requires two sources to confirm an execution, the majority of which are not reported in Iranian official media -- said that the figure represented an "absolute minimum" for the number of hangings in 2025.

The figure amounted to an average of more than four executions per day.

The report said the number of executions was by far the highest since IHR began tracking it in 2008, and was the most reported since 1989, in the earlier years of the Islamic revolution.

The NGOs also warned that "hundreds of detained protesters remain at risk of death sentences and execution" after being charged with capital crimes over January 2026 protests against the authorities -- quashed by a crackdown that rights groups say left thousands dead and tens of thousands arrested.

"By creating fear through an average of four to five executions per day in 2025, authorities tried to prevent new protests and prolong their crumbling rule," said IHR director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam.

- 'Creating fear' -

Even during the war against Israel and the United States that began on February 28, Iran has hanged seven people in connection with the January protests: six convicted of membership in the banned opposition group People's Mujahedin of Iran (MEK), and one dual Iranian-Swedish citizen charged with spying for Israel.

Raphael Chenuil-Hazan, executive director of ECPM, said: "The death penalty in Iran is used as a political tool of oppression and repression, with ethnic minorities and other marginalised groups disproportionately represented among those executed."

The report noted that the Kurdish minority in the west and the Baluch in southeast -- both of whom largely adhere to the Sunni strain of Islam rather than the Shia branch dominant in Iran -- are particularly targeted.

Almost half of those executed were convicted of drug-related offences, the report said. 

At least 48 women were executed, the highest number recorded in more than 20 years and a 55 percent increase from 2024, when 31 women were hanged, according to the NGOs.

Of these, 21 women were executed for the murder of their husbands or fiances, the report said. Rights groups have said women executed for killing spouses or relatives were often in abusive relationships.

Almost all hangings were carried out inside prisons, but public hangings more than tripled to 11 in 2025, the report said.

Iran's penal code allows for other methods of capital punishment, but in recent years all known executions have been carried out by hanging. 

Rights groups including Amnesty International say Iran carries out the most executions of any nation worldwide per capita, and the most of any country other than China, for which no reliable data is available.

sjw/smw/ceg