OPEC+ hikes oil production quotas, issues warning

Nepal's government has developed tough measures to stamp out insurance scams involving unnecessary helicopter rescues of trekkers, an official said Tuesday, a long-running racket threatening the country's vital tourism industry.

The Himalayan nation, home to eight of the world's 10 highest peaks including Everest, attracts thousands of trekkers each year, many walking remote high-altitude trails where emergency airlifts are costly.

But police say some operators have for years orchestrated fraudulent evacuations for insurance payouts, and 32 people have been charged after an investigation in an alleged $19.69 million scam.

"The government is taking several steps to ensure that there is investigation and immediate action against any fraudulent practices," Jaya Narayan Acharya, spokesman at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, told AFP.

"Tourism is an important industry. We must take corrective action against any malpractice."

Police say the scam worked by filing multiple insurance claims for a single rescue, meaning charter flight companies were paid several times for the same unnecessary flight.

Investigators said some trekkers were even intentionally made sick -- by serving contaminated meals or even adding baking soda -- to justify a helicopter ride out.

Trekkers were also pressured into airlifts even for minor illnesses, according to the chargesheet.

The ministry has said a "zero-tolerance policy" will be implemented to stamp out fraud, including investigations, and publicising those guilty of fraud.

It said a task force involving the police, tourist board and aviation officials would "strengthen oversight and conduct regular audits", as well as to ensure guides and trekking agencies were licensed.

A 2018 government probe identified 15 companies involved in similar scams, but no action was taken, allowing them to persist despite new guidelines introduced after warnings from insurers.

The investigation comes ahead of Nepal's lucrative climbing and trekking season, when mountaineers can pay tens of thousands of dollars, trusting their guides to lead them into highly dangerous peaks, where acute mountain sickness can be deadly.

Police said that there was "no evidence" to suggest Everest guides were involved in the scam.

The Nepal Mountaineering Association has also said there were "no verified cases of food poisoning or the alleged overdosing of Diamox (a drug used for altitude sickness) involving climbers in Nepal".

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The stars of legendary American crime drama "Charlie's Angels" reunited Monday at Los Angeles' PaleyFest to celebrate 50 years since the show catapulted the trio to fame.

Aired over five seasons between 1976 and 1981, the show became a cultural phenomenon that left its mark on television and starred Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith and Cheryl Ladd -- who joined after Farrah Fawcett left the show to pursue a movie career.

The series followed three powerful women who left the daily grind of the Los Angeles police force to become private detectives working for a mysterious boss named Charlie Townsend who spoke to them through an intercom.

It hoped to highlight the strength of women and fight against the archetype that women needed rescuing, Smith -- who played Kelly Garrett -- told AFP on the red carpet at Hollywood's legendary Dolby Theatre.

"Women came into their own, it was groundbreaking (and a) game changer for women," she said.

"Here we were chasing danger (and) we were not being rescued. We were not a wife, a nurse, a secretary, a girlfriend... we were these strong women that could take down a 200-pound man."

Jackson, 77, said she had "never doubted" the show's potential or that it would become a hit big enough to captivate audiences half a century later.

"It was unique, it was unusual, and the three of us had chemistry... we're still sisters today," the 77-year-old who played Sabrina Duncan told AFP.

Although the cast of "Charlie's Angels" changed several times, Smith, Jackson and Ladd formed the series' most enduring trio with Fawcett, who died in 2009, returning as a guest star in a few episodes as Ladd's older sister.

PaleyFest, organized by the Paley Center for Media, celebrates the best of American television.

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The latest developments in the Middle East war:

- 'Critical' stage - 

Iran's ambassador to Pakistan, which is mediating between Iran and the United States, said Tuesday that efforts to end the war were approaching a "critical" stage. 

"Positive and productive endeavours in Good Will and Good Office to stop the war is approaching a critical, sensitive stage," Ambassador Reza Amiri Moghadam wrote on X, without giving details.

- Iran train warning -

The Israeli army told Iranians to avoid taking trains until 1730 GMT on Tuesday.

"For your safety, we ask you to refrain from using trains or travelling by train throughout the country from now until 9 pm Iran time," the military wrote on its Persian-language account.

"Your presence on trains and near railway tracks puts your life in danger."

- Bridge closed -

Traffic across King Fahd Bridge, a major artery connecting Saudi Arabia and the island nation of Bahrain, was temporarily closed as a precaution, authorities said, following the issuance of security alerts in the area.

- Tehran synagogue 'destroyed' -

US-Israeli strikes early Tuesday "completely destroyed" the Rafi-Nia synagogue in Tehran, local media reported.

Iran has a small Jewish community, with the majority having fled in the aftermath of the 1979 Islamic revolution.

- Saudi petrochemical complex -

Overnight attacks on Saudi Arabia hit a petrochemical complex in an industrial area in the eastern city of Jubail, a witness who requested anonymity told AFP on Tuesday, hours after similar installations in Iran were struck.

Earlier, the Saudi defence ministry said air defences intercepted and destroyed seven ballistic missiles launched toward the country's east. 

- Philippine national killed -

A second Philippine national has been killed in the Middle East war after a missile struck a residential building in northern Israel, according to Manila's foreign affairs department.

The woman was killed in the port city of Haifa on Sunday "alongside her Israeli husband and elderly parents-in-law", the department said.

Israeli rescue services said Monday that the bodies of four people had been recovered from the rubble of a residential building in the city after it was struck by an Iranian missile the previous day. 

- Israel, Iran trade fire -

Explosions were heard in parts of Tehran and the nearby city of Karaj, Iranian media reported, as the Israeli military said it was carrying out a "wave" of airstrikes on Iran.

"Moments ago, explosions were heard in parts of Tehran and Karaj," local media outlets Fars and Mehr said on Telegram.

The Israeli military also announced its air defences were activated to respond to missiles fired by Iran.

- Two killed in Iraqi Kurdistan- 

A drone "coming from Iran" killed a couple in Iraqi Kurdistan after crashing into their home, local authorities reported.

Separately, two blasts were heard near Erbil airport, which hosts advisers from the US-led anti-jihadist coalition, in Iraq's northern autonomous Kurdistan region, an AFP journalist said.

Some hours earlier, air defence systems downed four missiles headed towards the US consulate in Erbil, a security source told AFP.

- Hormuz vote at the UN -

The UN Security Council is set to vote Tuesday for a resolution addressing Iran's threats to the Strait of Hormuz, diplomatic sources told AFP.

The latest draft, seen by AFP, demands Iran end its attacks on commercial vessels and halt "any attempt to impede transit passage or freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz."

But objections from several veto-holding permanent members have seen the text watered down and the latest draft does not expressly authorize force.

Tehran has virtually closed the key waterway since US-Israeli strikes targeting Iran on February 28, sending global oil and gas prices soaring.

- 'Arrogant rhetoric' -

After US President Donald Trump doubled down on his threats to raze Iran's infrastructure, an Iranian army spokesman said the "rude, arrogant rhetoric" was not impacting its actions.

- Trump threat -

Trump told a news conference that "the entire country" of Iran "could be taken out in one night and that night might be tomorrow night," if his ultimatum to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by 0000 GMT Wednesday was not met.

"Every power plant in Iran will be out of business, burning, exploding and never to be used again," he said, threatening the same for the country's bridges. "I mean complete demolition by 12 o'clock (0400 GMT), and it'll happen over a period of four hours -- if we wanted to."

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Canadian astronaut Jenni Gibbons was at the heart of NASA's control room in Houston on Monday, supporting her Artemis II crewmates remotely during their flight around the Moon.

As the backup astronaut for the mission, Gibbons trained alongside Americans Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman and fellow Canadian Jeremy Hansen and was responsible for communications with the crew as they made their milestone-rich lunar flyby.

Speaking with AFP, Gibbons describes the impact of the journey -- more than half a century since the first mission to the Moon:

– What was the atmosphere like in the control room?  –

The excitement at ground control was palpable, Gibbons said, adding that it was a "special" moment filled with tears, hugs and laughter.

"The excitement in the room for the descriptions (of space) that (the) crew called down was enormous. All the flight controllers have probably been inspired by Apollo and have been working their whole lives to see this happen," she said.

With their eyes glued to the spacecraft windows for nearly seven hours, the Artemis II team spent their day breaking records and making history.

"We broke the distance record for Apollo 13, the furthest that humans have ever traveled from our home planet. And the moment was special," Gibbons said.

"I think people were in tears at one point, people were grateful, people laughed, people hugged, and it was just one of my most cherished moments in my career."

- Why was the Moon flyby historic? –

"First of all, they were further from our home planet than anyone had been before," Gibbons said.

The Artemis II team broke the distance record set by the 1970 Apollo 13 mission -- which they surpassed by more than 4,000 miles (more than 6,000 kilometers) -- when they reached the journey's furthest distance from Earth 252,756 miles (406,771 kilometers).

"The other Apollo missions flew much closer to the Moon. Seeing the perspective of our Earth that far away must have been absolutely incredible, and there were perspectives from the further side of the Moon that had never been illuminated during the Apollo missions," she added.

The team also sent back descriptions of never-before-seen terrain, Gibbons said, adding that "we've seen them in remote imaging, but this is the first time that the most sensitive cameras in the world, which are the human eyes have been able to observe them."

– Which description struck you the most? –

"With the date we launched at, the orbital mechanics were such that...  on the end of the lunar flyby, the crew witnessed an eclipse," Gibbons said.

"Because of that, they were able to see all of these incredible deep space and lunar features that weren't obscured by sunlight: a lot of really fine detail, even detail in the corona of the Sun as it passed behind the Moon.

"They actually flew with eclipse glasses to keep them safe today, so many of the people who have witnessed an eclipse on Earth could recognize that experience and connect with it."

Gibbons said the crew were also able to describe what they observed when the Moon was dark.

"They saw impact flashes on the surface, which means material hitting the surface of the Moon and creating new craters," she said.

"Those are something that we have not witnessed often. The Apollo astronauts maybe spoke about some of them, but they were really high priority science for us, so the fact that they saw four or five was just outstanding."

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Davorin Cetin was cleaning a yard in a Croatian village when a landmine exploded metres away, leaving him badly injured and killing a close friend instantly.

It took him two decades and more than a dozen operations before he felt safe stepping on grass again, haunted by what might lie beneath.

Croatia finally declared it was mine-free earlier this year, lifting a threat that had lingered for its people since its four-year war of independence began in 1991.

"That danger is gone. We can walk freely in our country," said Cetin, who was left severely disabled by the explosion.

But the toll was terrible. Over 200 people were killed by landmines and around 400 more injured.

It took Croatia 30 years to remove over 107,000 landmines and 470,000 unexploded ordnance at a cost of 1.2  billion euros ($1.4 billion) left after the conflict as the former Yugoslavia collapsed.

Yet for hundreds of landmine survivors and the families of victims, the legacy remains.

- 'Deep pain' -

The landmine that forever changed the Pievac family was laid just a short walk from their home in the village of Brodjani, near the central town of Karlovac.

Months after fighting had ended, the young family was walking along a path when a falling branch triggered a blast that killed Juraj Pievac's brother, fatally wounded his wife and disabled him for life.

His daughter miraculously escaped unharmed.

"It hit three of us, standing just a few metres apart," Pievac told AFP.

His family was among the Croats who fled the farming village when Belgrade-backed Serb rebels seized the area in 1991.

When fighting ended, the community slowly returned to rebuild the war-ravaged village -- waiting for them were deadly explosives hidden in homes and littering the surrounding land.

"It was a struggle. Somehow we made it through, but a deep pain remains," the 70-year-old grandfather said, after spending two years on crutches and undergoing lengthy rehabilitation for his arm and leg injuries. 

"However, the memories return, especially when I wake up at night," he said through tears while looking at a wedding photo of his wife. She was 36 when she died.

He has since returned to his farm and now shares the renovated home with his son's family. 

"What we had is gone and can never be brought back. I did what I could to keep our farm going."

- 'Walked straight into it' -

The UN first feared as much as one-fifth of Croatia had been affected by mines after Yugoslavia disintegrated in a bloody series of wars.

Although later efforts shrunk that estimate substantially, over 870 square kilometres (335 square miles) had to be cleared.

In neighbouring Bosnia, around 1.6 per cent of its territory is still suspected of having mines.

More than 600 have died there since the end of the war.

Among the victims in both countries are dozens of demining experts, killed while attempting to remove the deadly devices.

Mirsad Tokic, who worked disarming landmines for years, had several close calls before a blast took his leg in 2007.

The 57-year-old was drawn to the job despite the risks, enjoying the adrenaline-fuelled work that required absolute focus.

But when he stepped on a mine while working in a remote village near Croatia's Adriatic coast, his thoughts had drifted instead to his upcoming birthday party waiting for him back home.

"I just wanted to finish the task and rushed to clear a narrow path of vegetation... and walked straight into it."

The father of three said he would be glad to have a completely mine-free country.

"It would be wonderful if no one ever had to experience such a tragedy again."

- 'A miracle' -

Cetin, who is a campaigner for landmine victims, said the chance to live without the everyday fear of mines was an important moment for Croatia.

"A huge, great job was done."

But he said victims required long-term support, including mental health care.

Cetin himself battled post-traumatic stress disorder for years, but found solace in nature, fishing and his motorcycles.

"I don't live in the past. I've welcomed a grandchild, my daughter has graduated," the 62-year-old said, smiling gently.

"Life is a miracle."

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The leader of Taiwan's largest opposition party is in China for the first time in 10 years.

Kuomintang (KMT) chairwoman Cheng Li-wun sees her visit as laying the foundation for "peace and stability" with Beijing, which claims Taiwan is part of its territory and threatens to use force to annex it.

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te's government and his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which reject China's claims of sovereignty and are detested by Chinese leaders, suspect Beijing is trying to increase its influence over the KMT and block US arms sales.

Here is what you need to know: 

- Who is Cheng Li-wun? - 

Once a fierce campaigner for Taiwan's independence, Cheng Li-wun, 56, is now a strident supporter of closer ties with China and believes a rapprochement with Beijing is key to cross-strait peace.

A former talk show host and legislator, Cheng's victory in the KMT chairperson elections last year stunned observers and many in her party, who had considered her the dark-horse candidate.

Cheng has stirred controversy since taking office, declaring Taiwanese people should be proud of their Chinese heritage and that Russian President Vladimir Putin is not a dictator.

She has been criticised for being too pro-Beijing, even by members of the KMT, which is traditionally seen as the party more friendly towards China.

- Where is the KMT on China? - 

The KMT was based in China until 1949 when Chiang Kai-shek and his nationalist KMT troops fled to Taiwan to set up a rival government after losing a civil war to the communist forces.

The KMT claimed rulership of all China -- just as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) claimed Taiwan.

Relations between the KMT and the CCP remained hostile for decades.

A turning point came in 2005 when then-KMT chairman Lien Chan made an "ice-breaking" visit to Beijing to meet then-Chinese President Hu Jintao.

It was the first time leaders of the two parties had met since the end of the civil war and it paved the way for regular party-to-party exchanges.

Beijing says its "historic mission" is the "reunification" of Taiwan with China, but it has not officially provided a timeline for when it hopes to take Taiwan.

Many in the KMT support unification with China but only if it becomes a democracy.

Cheng has deflected questions about her position, saying recently it was "premature" to discuss a final solution and what was needed now was "peaceful and stable cross-strait relations."

- Where does the DPP stand? -

Beijing severed high-level contact with Taipei in 2016 after Tsai Ing-wen of the DPP won the presidential election and rejected China's claim of sovereignty over the island.

While the DPP has roots in Taiwan's democratic and independence movements, Tsai's position was there is no need for Taiwan to make a formal declaration of independence as it is "already independent" -- a view shared by her successor Lai.

Cross-strait relations have deteriorated since Lai secured an unprecedented third consecutive presidential term for the DPP in 2024.

Lai has said "Taiwan is clearly a country" and argues Beijing distorts a UN resolution to claim the island is not a sovereign state.

China's military has depicted Lai as a cartoon worm in official communications, calling him a "parasite poisoning Taiwan island".

Lai, like Tsai, has pledged to maintain the status quo with China, and has expressed a willingness to communicate with Beijing if there was "parity and dignity".

Unlike Cheng, however, Lai does not acknowledge the concept that there is only "one China" -- a precondition Beijing says is necessary for cross-strait dialogue to resume.

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As the four Artemis astronauts approached a high point of their lunar mission -- getting slung around the far side of the Moon -- NASA staffers crowded into Houston's famed mission control room Monday for a team photo.

They were all smiles as countdown clocks ticked and the Orion spacecraft flew ever closer to Earth's cratered neighbor, a mission years in the making come to fruition at last.

By most metrics it's been a rough year for science in the United States -- the Trump administration has slashed funding, halted projects and devastated workforces.

But then, NASA sent astronauts around the Moon for the first time in half-a-century, deeper into space than ever before.

The moonshot has served as a "massive positive moment," said exploration scientist Jacob Bleacher.

"People have been working on this for months, years -- over a decade in some cases," he told AFP.

The majority of Americans, including NASA scientists, weren't yet born when the Apollo era first sent astronauts to the Moon in the late 1960s.

The myth loomed large, but it was past tense -- until now.

"It's just surreal," said Bleacher, speaking from NASA's Science Mission Operations Room in Houston's famed Johnson Space Center.

"This is my generation's first chance to step up and really do this," he said. 

"I like to think about it as walking through a doorway into how humankind explores the solar system going forward."

- 'Reinvigorate' -

US President Donald Trump has pressured NASA to get boots on the lunar surface before his second term ends in 2029.

But just last week the White House simultaneously proposed slashing the space agency's overall budget by 23 percent and significantly curtailing its science program funding.

And like many US government agencies, NASA has faced "significant cuts to their workforce," said Clayton Swope, a space policy expert at of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

With Artemis 2, "I think they have delivered," he told AFP. "It's been under very challenging circumstances."

For Amanda Nahm, a program scientist for NASA Headquarters, the successful Artemis II launch and unfolding mission offer "a good morale boost."

"We all work at NASA because of this -- and I think it's helping remind us" that "our base mission is this hard, exciting exploration -- seeing new things, trying out new things we've never done before," she told AFP.

"I think it will hopefully reinvigorate us all."

As they carry out their mission, the team of four astronauts have been routinely asked to reflect on the weight of the torch they carry.

They regularly bring the focus back to their role in a project they see as much bigger than themselves.

And frequently, they also cite the work of the team "we're lifted up by," as mission commander Reid Wiseman put it.

"We just feel like we're lifted up by the team that supports us, and you just sort of execute the plan," Wiseman said as the crew soared away from their home planet.

"A lot of people telling us how to work this and manage this vehicle, and a lot of great training, and you just kind of go step by step, which I think is pretty remarkable, what this team can do," he added.

"It really highlights their excellence."

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The UN Security Council is expected to vote Tuesday on a watered-down resolution calling for the unblocking of the Strait of Hormuz -- far from the sponsoring Gulf countries' initial goal of obtaining clearance to free it by force.

The vote is expected at 11:00 am (0300 GMT), though the outcome is not certain. The text in question has been diluted in recent days in the hope of avoiding rejection.

A draft seen by AFP on Monday no longer mentions authorization to use force -- even defensively.

The vote comes just hours before Donald Trump's 8:00 pm (midnight GMT) deadline for Iran to make a deal or face the US military destroying its power plants and bridges.

Bahrain, with the backing of the United States and other oil-exporting Gulf countries, launched negotiations two weeks ago on a draft that would have given a clear UN mandate to any state wishing to use force to unblock the strait.

Iran has imposed an effective blockade on the critical waterway since the United States and Israel launched the war on February 28, sending ripple effects throughout the global economy.

"We cannot accept economic terrorism affecting our region and the world, the whole world is being affected by the developments," Jamal Alrowaiei, Bahrain's ambassador to the UN, said last week.

But objections from several veto-holding permanent members -- including France, Russia and China -- have forced the text to be watered down and the vote delayed multiple times.

French opposition appeared to be lifted by the addition of wording that meant any action would need to be "defensive."

The Security Council adopted a strong resolution against Tehran in mid-March, condemning its blocking of the strait.

The Council must now "swiftly develop the necessary defensive response" to the situation, French Ambassador Jerome Bonnafont said on Thursday.

- Veto? -

However, Russia, a long-standing ally of Iran, as well as China could still veto the text. For this reason, a vote scheduled for last Friday was delayed.

The latest draft reviewed by AFP "strongly encourages states...to coordinate efforts, defensive in nature, commensurate to the circumstances, to contribute to ensuring the safety and security of navigation, including through the escort of merchant and commercial vessels," rather than explicitly authorizing force.

It also "demands," that Iran "immediately cease all attacks against merchant and commercial vessels and any attempt to impede transit passage or freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz."

Additionally, it calls for the end to attacks on civilian water, oil, and gas infrastructure.

"Bahrain and its backers would secure a clear diplomatic rejection of Iran's obstruction of the Strait, even if they fell short of obtaining authorization for the use of force," Daniel Forti, the head of UN affairs at the International Crisis Group, told AFP. 

"Meanwhile, China and Russia would succeed in preventing the Council from endorsing a potentially escalatory military response, even if the text sidesteps the roles of the US and Israel in the conflict."

UN Security Council mandates authorizing member states to use force are rare.

During the 1990 Gulf War, a vote allowed a US-led coalition to intervene in Iraq after it invaded Kuwait.

In 2011, NATO obtained the green light to intervene in Libya when Russia abstained from a vote. Moscow later fumed that this had led to the fall of Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.

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When Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool last met in the Champions League a year ago, the Anfield outfit were marching towards the Premier League title and were described as "an almost perfect team" by the French club's coach Luis Enrique.

Fast forward to this season and a formidable PSG appear clear favourites as the sides clash again in the Champions League quarter-finals, with the first leg in Paris on Wednesday.

PSG's triumph on penalties against Liverpool in the last 16 last season was pivotal on their run to a first ever Champions League title.

They had to overturn a 1-0 defeat at home in a first leg they completely dominated before holding their nerve at Anfield, and the two teams have set off on different trajectories since.

Arne Slot's side somewhat ran out of steam after that, albeit having done more than enough to get over the line in the Premier League.

This season has been a huge disappointment, however, and they return to Paris in especially downbeat mood after a chastening 4-0 defeat against Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

- 'So tough' -

That had Slot saying his team lacked fighting spirit, while captain Virgil van Dijk suggested they had given up and admitted it would be "very difficult" for Liverpool to lift themselves against PSG.

"But we have a responsibility, not only to ourselves but especially to the fans and, if we want to make something out of this season, we have to try and do something special in the next three games," he said, with the Champions League tie taking place either side of an awkward clash with Fulham.

"The matter of fact is now, PSG are waiting for us. It will be so tough again. So we have to be ready mentally as soon as possible," Van Dijk added.

Liverpool have won just one of their last five matches and have suffered 15 defeats in this campaign.

Securing a return to Europe's top table for next season has to be the main aim now for a team currently lying fifth in the Premier League.

PSG, in contrast, have had a tricky season at times due to injuries but look like they might be returning to their very best form at the right time.

A 3-1 win over Toulouse last Friday, featuring one marvellous goal from reigning Ballon d'Or Ousmane Dembele, helped them extend their lead atop Ligue 1 to four points from nearest challengers Lens, with a game in hand.

But the Champions League is what really matters -- the French league even accepted their request to postpone this Saturday's key trip to Lens to allow them to concentrate fully on Liverpool.

"I think we have shown for a long time that we are ready, regardless of the competition, but there are obviously things we can improve," warned Luis Enrique.

Dembele is fully fit and firing, but Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was the inspiration in the last round, when PSG destroyed Chelsea 8-2 on aggregate -- Wednesday's game will be their 14th against Premier League opposition since January 2025.

- Ekitike back in Paris -

There is one obvious weakness in PSG's ranks, however -- they have not successfully replaced goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, the hero in last season's shoot-out against Liverpool who is now at Manchester City.

Lucas Chevalier was signed as the Italian's successor but has lost his place to Matvey Safonov, the Russian who made two glaring mistakes to cost his side a goal at the weekend.

"A goalkeeper is like any other player. They can make mistakes, because that's normal in football," said Luis Enrique.

The key for the visitors, meanwhile, could be Hugo Ekitike, Liverpool's leading scorer this season with 17 goals, who comes up against the club where he failed to make an impact earlier in his career.

Ekitike, 23, joined PSG from Reims in 2022 but scored just four goals in 18 months before leaving for Eintracht Frankfurt.

He struggled to break into an attack featuring Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar but returns to his homeland as a genuine contender to start for France at the World Cup.

"Hugo is a great player. He is really in form so we are just hoping he won't be against us," said PSG's Dembele, his international teammate.

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Antoine Griezmann's Barcelona story ended in the depths of misery but as he returns to Camp Nou in the Champions League quarter-finals, the French forward is desperate to close out his time with Atletico Madrid on the greatest of highs.

Diego Simeone's side, defeated in the 2014 and 2016 finals, have never lifted the trophy and veteran forward Griezmann, who will move to MLS side Orlando City at the end of the season, has not won a trophy with Atletico since the 2018 Europa League and subsequent UEFA Super Cup.

Griezmann switched Atletico for Barca in 2019, lasting just two years in the Catalan capital before returning to Simeone's side on loan, and making the return permanent in 2022.

During that short stint in Barca colours Griezmann missed out on Atletico's La Liga title win in 2021, a trophy that has eluded him through his career.

At Barca he was on the receiving end of the brutal 8-2 thrashing by Bayern in the 2020 Champions League quarter-finals, and failed to fit into the team alongside Lionel Messi.

Griezmann wants to leave Atletico, where he is the all-time top scorer with 211 goals, with major silverware in his hands at last, to add to the 2018 World Cup he won with France.

The first step towards that, since announcing the decision to depart last week, is at Camp Nou on Wednesday in the fifth meeting between Atletico and Barca this season.

Orlando wanted him to join by the end of March, but Griezmann said he would stay at Atletico, in no small part for a final shot at biggest trophy in the club game, as well as the Copa del Rey final.

The 35-year-old, one of Simeone's very greatest soldiers during the coach's 14-year reign, combined the work ethic the Argentine demanded with immense skill and quality.

"Griezmann is a maverick, it's unbelievable how he plays football," enthused Barca coach Hansi Flick last week. "It seems so light, it's like he's dancing."

- 'Something big' -

Griezmann may not have won as many trophies as he would have liked, but has often dazzled with his elegance and vision.

"I hope we can do something big," said Griezmann after helping Atletico crush Spurs 5-2 in the last 16 first leg, netting his side's second goal.

Griezmann has rocked Barca before, scoring twice in the 2016 quarter-finals a decade ago to send Atletico through and knock out Messi, Luis Suarez, Neymar and Co, although that campaign ended in tears in the Milan final at the hands of rivals Real Madrid.

After Griezmann started in the 2-1 La Liga defeat by Barca on Saturday, there is the chance he may be used from the bench on Wednesday.

For much of this season Simeone has been sparing with his minutes, perhaps tipping him towards the decision to leave.

Another Atletico player who might one day follow the Frenchman's path to Barcelona is striker Julian Alvarez, who is likely to start at Camp Nou and has been frequently linked with the Catalans.

The Argentine caused consternation in the Spanish capital earlier this season when he said "maybe yes, maybe no" over whether he was planning to stay at the club beyond the summer.

Barca, still not in a healthy financial position, may not be able to produce the hefty transfer fee the Rojiblancos would demand, after Alvarez arrived from Manchester City for £81.5 million ($108m) in 2024.

Alvarez has had a mixed bag of a season, but Simeone has repeatedly backed the forward who is in better form after a winter drought.

"Thank God he is back," said Simeone after Alvarez netted against Barca in a 4-0 win in the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg in February, with Griezmann also on target as Barca collapsed at the Metropolitano stadium.

Five-time winners Barca may be favourites for the tie but between Griezmann's desire for a grand finale and Alvarez's chance to dazzle his suitors, Atletico have the tools they need to cause an upset.

rbs/dmc