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The United States slammed China's "intimidation campaign" on Wednesday after several African countries were reportedly pressured by Beijing to derail an official trip by Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te by revoking overflight permits.

Taiwan announced Tuesday that Lai was postponing his trip to Eswatini -- the island's only diplomatic ally in Africa -- after "Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar unexpectedly and without prior notice revoked the charter's overflight permits."

China claims Taiwan is part of its territory and opposes the self-governed island's participation in international organisations and exchanges with other countries.

"We are concerned by reports that several countries revoked overflight clearances to prevent the Taiwan president from visiting Eswatini," a US State Department spokesperson told AFP.

"These countries are acting at the behest of China by interfering in the safety and dignity of routine travel by Taiwan officials," the spokesperson added, without naming the countries.

"This is yet another case of Beijing waging its intimidation campaign against Taiwan and Taiwan's supporters around the world."

Lai's secretary-general Pan Men-an earlier said "the real reason is that the Chinese authorities exerted intense pressure including economic coercion."

Washington does not officially recognize Taiwan, but is the island territory's main security backer -- though the tone of that support has softened slightly under US President Donald Trump.

The US leader is due to meet China's President Xi Jinping next month.

Beijing said on Wednesday it had "high appreciation" for the African countries that blocked the permits for Lai's trip planned for this week.

"Relevant countries maintained support for the one-China principle, completely in line with... the basic norms of international relations, China expresses high appreciation," a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said in a statement.

Lai's last official overseas trip was in November 2024, when he visited Taiwan's Pacific allies and transited through the US territory of Guam.

Trump's administration reportedly denied Lai permission to transit in New York last year as part of an official trip to Latin America. Taiwan's foreign ministry denies that he was blocked.

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© Agence France-Presse

Luis Suarez scored his first goal of the Major League Soccer  season but Lionel Messi failed to get on the scoresheet as champions Inter Miami struck late to beat Real Salt Lake 2-0 on Wednesday.

Fans who had paid eye-watering ticket prices averaging more than $450 to see Messi play his first match in Salt Lake City were treated to a full 90 minutes from the Argentine. 

Messi created several chances but couldn't get past Brazilian goalkeeper Rafael Cabral and had to rely on fellow Argentine Rodrigo De Paul to break the deadlock in the 82nd minute.

De Paul's blast following a corner eluded the grasp of Cabral and slipped into the top-right corner.

Second-half substitute Suarez sealed the victory a minute later when he latched on to German Berterame's header and found the net with a left-foot strike.

"I think we played a great first half," De Paul told Apple TV after Miami's second straight victory under interim coach Guillermo Hoyos.

"It was a beautiful goal, and as long as it helps the team, that's great," he added after helping to end Salt Lake's six-match unbeaten run. 

Uruguayan Suarez, the 39-year-old former Liverpool and Barcelona attacker, got off the mark for 2026 with his 44th goal in 93 matches for Miami.

According to TickPick, Wednesday's match was the "most expensive MLS game of the season" with the average ticket price soaring to $468.

Messi's side are unbeaten since an opening day 3-0 defeat to Son Heung-min's Los Angeles FC. 

They remain second in the Eastern Conference with 18 points, one behind Nashville who have a game in hand.

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Inter Milan could have their first chance to seal the Serie A title on Sunday as the champions in waiting take on Torino while Napoli and AC Milan try to push back the celebrations by at least one more week.

Cristian Chivu's players lead both reigning champions Napoli and second-placed Milan by 12 points with five matches remaining in the league season.

And they will know if they can seal a 21st league crown for Inter this weekend by Friday night, when Napoli host relegation strugglers Cremonese.

Anything but a win for Napoli will allow Inter to take on Torino in Turin knowing that a win could give them the Scudetto with four matches to spare.

But they would then have to wait for the result of Milan's headline clash with Juventus at the San Siro, which is also key for those two teams' hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.

Winning the league with four matches to spare would be quite a feat as before the most recent international break Inter were wobbling and both Napoli and Milan looked ready to knock them off their perch.

But a maximum nine points, and 12 goals scored, in the three matches since club football reconvened have turned things back in Inter's favour, and now it's just a matter of time before the discussion is officially over.

Inter come into the match with a domestic double in their sights after a thrilling win over Como booked them a place in next month's Italian Cup final, where they will face Lazio.

And regardless of how Napoli and Milan do, Inter know that four points from their remaining fixtures will seal the deal.

Milan find themselves in the odd position of potentially being able to hand the title to their local rivals, although that wouldn't be worse than two years ago, when they allowed Inter to win it by losing the Milan derby.

But Massimiliano Allegri's side are close to securing a return to the Champions League thanks to the eight-point gap separating them from fifth-placed Como.

Milan should finish in the top four even if they lose on Sunday, while Juve's situation is more precarious as they sit fourth and lead Como and sixth-placed Roma by five points.

Como, who threw away a two-goal lead before being knocked out of the Cup by Inter, have no easy task this weekend as they travel to an in-form Genoa team who could secure safety this weekend.  

Player to watch: Adrien Rabiot

France midfielder Rabiot faces his old team on Sunday and will be the driving force behind Milan's efforts against Juve alongside Luka Modric.

Rabiot has fully repayed Allegri's faith in him with six goals and four assists in 25 league appearances, his latest strike at Verona last weekend showcasing his powerful running and finishing ability.

The 31-year-old was snapped up by Milan, in large part due to Allegri's insistence, after he was dumped by Marseille in August following a violent bust-up with teammate Jonathan Rowe.

Rabiot was a midfield lynchpin for Juve's last Serie A title in 2020 and he went on to play four more seasons for the Turin giants before moving to Marseille.

Fixtures (times GMT)

Friday

Napoli v Cremonese (1845)

Saturday

Parma v Pisa (1300), Bologna v Roma (1600), Verona v Lecce (1845)

Sunday

Fiorentina v Sassuolo (1030), Genoa v Como (1300), Torino v Inter Milan (1600), AC Milan v Juventus (1845)

Monday

Cagliari v Atalanta (1630), Lazio v Udinese (1845)

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The walls around Equatorial Guinea's notorious Bata prison were freshly painted salmon-pink for Pope Leo XIV's visit Wednesday, but inside there was no masking the acrid smell of sweat and urine.

Shouting "freedom" in the pouring tropical rain, hundreds of inmates jumped in unison in the courtyard of the prison as they greeted the leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.

Dressed in bright orange or khaki-green uniforms, around 600 inmates lined up. The men, and around 30 women, all had their heads shaved. Some wore masks over their faces and plastic sandals on their feet.

In the Spanish-speaking country of close to two million, ruled with an iron fist since 1979 by Teodoro Obiang Nguema -- who has regularly been accused of rights abuses -- the US-born pontiff's visit offered officials a rare opportunity to burnish the image of a widely criticised prison system.

The carefully crafted red carpet reception for the papal visit was in sharp contrast to criticism of detention conditions.

In a 2023 report, the US State Department documented cases of torture, extreme overcrowding and deplorable sanitary conditions in Equatorial Guinea's prisons.

At the entrance, facing a tower encircled by a metal walkway where two guards stood watch, Justice Minister Reginaldo Biyogo Mba spoke to journalists, praising conditions at the facility.

Interviews with prisoners were forbidden.

- 'You are not alone' -

As Pope Leo arrived, rhythmic music blared from loudspeakers with inmates breaking into song and dance under the stern gaze of prison officers.

Without warning, a deluge began.

"Rain is a sign of God's blessing," the pope declared in Spanish, prompting raucous cheers and applause.

"The administration of justice aims to protect society," the US-born pontiff, 70, told detainees.

"To be effective, however, it must always promote the dignity of every person."

Leo's comments, although delivered diplomatically, represented an open critique unheard of in a country accused of stifling freedom of expression.

Pope Leo was on the 10th day of his African tour, following a hectic schedule that began on Wednesday with a mass in Mongomo, near the border with Gabon.

During the service, with President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo in the congregation, the Catholic leader called for "greater room for freedom" and human dignity to be safeguarded.

Official figures on the prison population in Equatorial Guinea are scarce and often out of date. 

"Hundreds of prisoners end up locked away for years on end, with no way of receiving visits from their lawyers and families," Amnesty International said in a 2021 report on their website.

"Their relatives do not know whether they are alive or dead." 

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Every actor in kabuki -- a traditional Japanese performing art celebrated for its striking makeup and elaborate costumes -- relies on one final, essential element to fully inhabit their role: the wig.

Ahead of a show at the famed Kabuki-za theatre in central Tokyo, wig master Tadashi Kamoji carefully places a topknot creation on a young performer in a flamboyant kimono costume. 

"A kabuki actor can't just walk onto the stage as he is... it's only when he puts on a wig that he truly becomes a kabuki performer," 60-year-old Kamoji told AFP.

"So we must take pride in our job with a sense of very heavy responsibility."

Often hidden behind the curtain, the profession has found itself in the international spotlight after "Kokuho" -- a box-office hit about two "onnagata", male players of female kabuki roles -- was nominated for Best Makeup and Hairstyling at the Oscars this year.

Dating back to the 17th century, Kabuki is a fusion of dance, drama and music, and sees actors don ornate costumes, wigs and heavy makeup for performances in old dialect on elaborate sets.

After a craftsman creates the wigs using human hair, Kamoji's job is to style them.

But his role goes beyond that of hairdresser.

"You cannot do a good job if you don't grasp the character's nature," said Kamoji, a fourth-generation "tokoyama" who joined the profession at 18.

Whether it's a middle-aged man with a strong sense of justice, or a high-ranking courtesan, a wig serves to convey age, social status, occupation and personality.

At his atelier, Kamoji spent two hours fashioning the wig for the young actor, sculpting beautifully curved sides and a topknot called a "mage" -- a classic hairstyle modern Japanese no longer wear -- for his sumo wrestler role.

Kneeling on a tatami floor, he sectioned the hair using a traditional comb and smoothed it with steaming irons, occasionally pulling a string with his teeth to secure strands.

These specialists are "truly indispensable," the wig's 33-year-old recipient Nakamura Tanenosuke, told AFP.

"There is almost no kabuki performance without wigs," said the actor, who has been working with the masters since the age of five and is sporting Kamoji's artistry this month for his show about a noble family feud.

- 'The final touch' -

Backstage at the Kabuki-za theatre, Tanenosuke covers his face in thick white foundation and his assistants help him pull on a large, navy-and-white striped kimono.

"The wig is the final touch that completes the transformation. I see each step as a switch leading to that exact moment when you fully become the character," Tanenosuke said.

"As well as the artistry of the actors, the beauty of the costumes and stage sets is also key to the audience's enjoyment, and I believe the wigs play a part too."

In total, there are around 400 types of wigs for female roles, and 1,000 for male parts.

A fresh creation is crafted for each performance and customised for each actor, taking between a few hours and a month to complete depending on the complexity.

Despite doing the job for four decades, Kamoji says he's only just come to believe he's capable.

"To this day, there are still things I learn from my father" who is 85, he said.

"It's endless. When I watch the seniors, it looks as though the hair is dancing in their hands.

"I don't think I'm there yet, but I suppose I will be able to control hair when I'm about my father's age."

But the efforts feel worthwhile when actors receive a huge cheer or a round of applause on stage.

"I feel as though part of it belongs to us," Kamoji said.

"If the audience thinks the actor looks brilliant, it makes me feel that our (wig) perhaps suited him. I very much feel a sense of joy in that."

nf/aph/fox/lga

Labourers sweated as they wheeled bags of clothes, shoes and accessories to a sprawling wholesale market in southern China, where shop owners hoped an upcoming visit by Donald Trump would see an easing of tariffs hitting their exports.

Factories in Guangdong province, China's production heartland, have borne the brunt of the president's mercurial policies and a blistering trade war that saw US levies on their goods reach an eyewatering 145 percent for many products.

The tit-for-tat escalation cooled off after Trump and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping agreed to a one-year truce in October, but manufacturers at the bustling Guangdong market told AFP that US orders had dwindled.

"It's very clear -- American customers have basically vanished," said Zhou Hua, a sales manager at denim company "1988".

Guangdong accounted for around a fifth of China's foreign trade last year, at a record 9.49 trillion yuan ($1.39 trillion), according to China's customs website.

The White House said last month that Trump will visit China on May 14-15, after delaying an earlier summit because of the war against Iran. 

China's foreign ministry has not confirmed the dates. 

Zhou hopes a Trump visit will mean a reduction in tariffs, which would lead to an increase in orders for his jeans.

While US orders accounted for only around 10 percent of his company's foreign trade, Zhou said the country is a fast fashion hub with "massive demand" for apparel, especially denim. 

For now, the company is focusing on exporting the jeans to other countries and also selling them within China.

"We can't put all our eggs in one basket," he added.

- Break the ice -

US tariffs on Chinese goods are a complex web of overlapping rates and product classifications that have evolved in recent years since Trump launched a trade war in his first presidential term.

A February ruling by the US Supreme Court struck down a broad swath of the president's global tolls launched last year.

Using a different legal framework, he swiftly announced a 10 percent global duty with a validity period of 150 days that also applies to Chinese goods.

A Trump summit in China would help to break the ice between Beijing and Washington, 1988's boss Guo Tao said.

"With the two countries fighting this tariff war, it's a lose-lose situation for everyone, it's not a win-win scenario," Guo told AFP. 

He is worried not just because of the tariffs but also rising costs of raw materials, exacerbated by the war in the Middle East. 

"As business owners, we simply seek a thriving economy, national stability and global peace," he said. 

"Only in a peaceful world can we, as merchants, expand our trade to every corner of the globe."

The corridors were packed with Chinese and foreign buyers haggling over prices, while shop owners touted products on live streams in front of glowing phone screens. 

A handbag seller surnamed Zhuang told AFP that while her small stall had not been directly hit by Trump's tariffs, she "definitely" felt the ripple effects as price-conscious consumers pulled back on spending.

- 'Strike back' -

"They may want to buy our goods but feel the price is too high and decide against it because these aren't necessities," Zhuang said, perched on a small stool unpacking her goods.

She said she would support Xi's decisions should he wish to be "good friends" with Trump.

"But as for expectations -- well, there really aren't any," she said, adding that Trump was "unreliable".

At another wholesale mall, iridescent streamers and gold mirror balls hung from the ceiling of Wen Linpeng's shop selling colourful soap bars, perfumes and make-up products.

Wen's business does not focus on the US market, but he hoped a Trump visit would bring about more cooperation between the two countries.

China will welcome Trump, Wen said, if the US leader comes with "genuine sincerity".

"If he were to adopt an unfriendly stance -- demanding concessions from China or attempting to coerce us into doing things we are unwilling to do, we would strike back with force," Wen told AFP.

"But if he is willing to cooperate with us, we would be more than happy to work with him."

isk/dhw/dan/lga

Asian stocks fell and oil prices rose Thursday as the United States and Iran appeared no closer to holding fresh peace talks and Tehran continued to refuse to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Hopes that the two would meet for a second round of negotiations in Pakistan have dissipated, with the Islamic republic targeting three container ships in the waterway and citing Washington's blockade as its reason for keeping it closed.

Investors have spent most of the week upbeat that a breakthrough to end the seven-week conflict will be made soon, while healthy earnings and a resumption of the AI trade has also provided support.

Crude prices jumped as much as four percent in early Asian business after global security monitors and Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Iranian forces had seized two ships and fired on a third in the Strait of Hormuz.

Tehran has said vessels must seek permission to leave or enter the Gulf through the waterway, which in peacetime accounts for around a fifth of the world's oil and gas exports along with other vital commodities.

However, the White House said Donald Trump did not consider the move to be a ceasefire violation because the vessels are not American or Israeli.

Meanwhile, Iran's parliament speaker said the Islamic republic would not reopen the Strait as long as the US naval blockade remained, calling it a "blatant violation" of the two countries' ceasefire.

"A complete ceasefire only has meaning if it is not violated through a naval blockade... Reopening the Strait of Hormuz is not possible amid a blatant violation of the ceasefire," speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on X.

Still, Trump's Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said he "has not set a firm deadline to receive an Iranian proposal" for talks.

"Ultimately, the timeline will be dictated by the commander in chief," she told journalists.

Oil prices remained elevated, with Brent holding above $100 following a surge Wednesday, though they pared Thursday's initial gains.

Most equities fell, though, with Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney, Singapore and Wellington all down.

But Seoul rallied more than one percent to a new record thanks to a fresh rally in the tech sector that has been the backbone of a surge in the Kospi index this year.

Taipei, Manila and Jakarta were also up.

"Whether it's conflict fatigue or confidence that the conflict between the US and Iran will be resolved soon, there is limited evidence that the rise in the oil price dampened bond and equity markets," said National Australia Bank's Skye Masters.

However, she added that the Washington Post had reported a senior Defence Department warned it could take six months to fully clear the Strait of Hormuz of mines and that such an operation would probably not unlikely start before the end of the war.

"It is questionable whether financial markets are correctly pricing the reality that supply constraints will remain an issue for some time," she wrote.

Raphael Olszyna-Marzys, of Bank J. Safra Sarasin, added: "Financial markets are pricing a high likelihood that traffic through the Strait of Hormuz will soon normalise. 

"Our game-theory model suggests that a narrow agreement to reopen the strait is in both parties' best interests. This outcome remains our base case. But it also reveals that a misreading of the other party's intentions could lead to a further ratcheting-up of tensions before we get there."

Investors took some heart from strong earnings reports, with South Korean chip titan SK hynix posting a nearly 400 percent jump in net profit that hit a record for January-March thanks to the artificial intelligence boom.

That came after Tesla announced forecast-topping first-quarter profits and Texas Instruments offered a healthy outlook.

Bloomberg said almost 80 percent of the S&P 500 firms that have reported first-quarter earnings had beaten analyst estimates so far. 

- Key figures at 0230 GMT -

West Texas Intermediate: UP 0.7 percent at $93.65 a barrel

Brent North Sea Crude: UP 0.6 percent at $102.47 a barrel

Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 1.1 percent at 58,952.11 (break)

Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.9 percent at 25,926.59

Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.1 percent at 4,100.38

Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1710 from $1.1709 on Wednesday

Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3501 from $1.3506

Dollar/yen: DOWN at 159.41 yen from 159.49 yen

Euro/pound: UP at 86.73 pence from 86.70 pence

dan/lga

The Detroit Pistons used dominant defense and a third-quarter scoring spree to beat the Orlando Magic 98-83 on Wednesday and level their NBA Eastern Conference playoff series at one game apiece.

Cade Cunningham scored 27 points and handed out 11 assists and Tobias Harris added 16 points and 11 rebounds for Eastern Conference top seeds Detroit, who were stunned in game one of the best-of-seven series on Sunday.

Clearly stung by that upset on their home floor, the Pistons set an early defensive tone with seven of their 11 blocks in the first quarter, but it was tied 46-46 at halftime.

The Pistons opened the third quarter on an 11-0 scoring run to finally gain some separation and by the time they polished off a 38-16 third period they were in total control.

"We just played defense," Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "It's that simple. When we play defense at the level we're capable of, it triggers everything for us."

The Pistons, who had six players score in double figures, snapped an 11-game home losing streak in the playoffs that dated back to May 2008.

Now the series shifts to Orlando for game three on Saturday and game four on Monday.

Jalen Suggs scored 19 points and Paolo Banchero added 18 for Orlando, but the Magic were held to their lowest points total all season, lower than an 87-point total in a loss to Toronto in March.

bb/aks

Marissa McCann was perfect. The junior threw the 13th perfect game in program history Wednesday, striking out 11 batters in a dominant 7-0 win over Southern Illinois University Edwardsville at Mizzou Softball Stadium.

The last time a Missouri pitcher threw a perfect game was in 2022, when Lauren Krings did it against Bradley in six innings. McCann did it in seven.

“It almost made me want to tear up seeing the way that my teammates ran out of the dugout and were just so excited for me,” McCann said. “That just shows a lot about the closeness of this team.”

With six of Missouri’s final seven games coming against No. 6 Arkansas and No. 11 Tennessee, the win couldn’t have come at a better time. At 25-24, Missouri now sits one game above the .500 threshold required to qualify for an at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament.

Following its weekend series loss to South Carolina and with a tough schedule ahead, Missouri wanted to add one more game to boost its chances of getting at or above .500 by the end of the season. The Tigers reached out to programs in the area that were willing to add an additional midweek game. SIUE answered the call and was added to the schedule.

Missouri wasted no time taking care of business. After Stefania Abruscato doubled in the first, Abby Hay drove her in with a single to score the Tigers' first run. In the third, Abruscato added one more with a solo home run to deep center field, extending the lead to 2-0.

The Tigers added two more in the fifth. Pinch running for Hay, Linny Ramsey scored from first after a wild pitch and throwing error. Claire Cahalan, who reached second on the same error, rounded third after Saniya Hill singled through the infield.

In the sixth, Abby Carr singled through the right side to drive in Addy Waits, who had reached on a walk. Hay then crushed a ball to deep center field, adding two more and giving MU a 7-0 lead.

While Missouri produced 12 hits on the day, the Tigers left seven runners stranded with multiple outs on the base paths. In the first, Waits was thrown out at home after rounding third on Abruscato’s double. In the second inning, Hill was cut down at second in an aggressive attempt at a double.

“We don’t get an opportunity to run as often against some of our SEC competition,” Anderson said. “It was kinda testing the limits a bit. Let’s do some things in game speed that we don’t normally get to do, to learn from them and be able to take advantage of opportunities later on.”

The Tigers open a three game road series against No. 6 Arkansas at 5 p.m. on Friday in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The game will be available to watch on SEC Network+.

A meeting of G7 nations on the environment begins in Paris on Thursday but climate change has been left off the agenda to avoid a row with the United States.

The office of France's ecology minister Monique Barbut said the two-day meeting would focus on "less contentious issues" in an effort to appease the largest and most powerful G7 member. 

"We chose not to address the climate issue head-on... because the United States' positions on this subject are well known," the ministry said.

"We wanted to prioritise G7 unity, particularly to protect this forum."

President Donald Trump's administration has withdrawn the United States from global agreements on climate change and weakened environmental protections since he returned to office in 2025.

France, Italy, Canada, Japan, Germany and the United Kingdom are sending their environment ministers to the meeting of the Group of Seven industrialised economies.

Washington will be represented by Usha-Maria Turner, assistant administrator for the Office of International and Tribal Affairs at the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Barbut's office said attendees would discuss themes including ocean conservation, biodiversity funding, and the transformation of dry areas into desert.

Activists were critical of the decision to leave climate off the agenda.

Gaia Febvre from activist group Climate Action Network said "a G7 moving at the pace of the United States cannot claim to respond to the crises of the century".

"By yielding to pressure, it weakens collective action and renounces its potential leading role," she told AFP.

It takes place just days before more than 50 countries meet in Colombia for the first-ever global conference dedicated to phasing out fossil fuels, the main driver of climate change.

- Forests and funding - 

France is spearheading an initiative to raise public and private finance for the protection of biodiversity and hopes to win the backing of other G7 nations.

Barbut's ministry hopes to announce $800 million in funding for national parks in around 20 African countries, according to sources close to the matter.

Jean Burkard, advocacy director at WWF France, welcomed this inclusion on the G7 agenda but said any funding "must be additional and not compensate" for cuts elsewhere to state budgets for nature. 

The G7 meeting also hopes to reach a political declaration on desertification and security, while sessions on oceans will look to strengthen an alliance on marine protected areas. 

Other sessions are planned, including on water pollution, while a visit to Fontainebleau woodland south of Paris is also scheduled Thursday as part of a session dedicated to forests.

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