Pope to visit Cameroon conflict zone under high security

Iran on Monday executed two more members of opposition group the People's Mujahedin (MEK), the organisation said, with Iranian authorities saying they had been hanged on charges of spying for Israel.

Mohammad (also known as Nima) Masoom Shahi, 38, and Hamed Validi, 45, were put to death at dawn in the central prison of Karaj outside Tehran, the MEK's political wing the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) said in a statement.

They were both members of the MEK, which is banned in Iran, it added.

The hangings were the latest of detainees regarded as political prisoners by rights groups during the war between the Islamic republic and the United States and Israel.

Since executions resumed in March during the war that erupted on February 28, Iran has executed eight members of the MEK and seven men convicted over protests in January.

"With today's executions, at least 15 political prisoners have been executed since 19 March," said Mahmood Amiry Moghaddam, director of Norway-based rights group Iran Human Rights.

He warned of "further executions of political prisoners and protesters in the coming days and weeks." 

"The two members of the MEK join a growing number of heroic members executed this month under the rule of religious dictatorship," the group's leader Maryam Rajavi wrote on X.

"Their only 'crime' was their commitment to freedom and the liberation of their people," she added.

The judiciary's Mizan Online website said the two men were "members of a spy network linked to Mossad", Israel's intelligence agency.

They were convicted of the capital offence of "moharebeh", meaning waging war against God, as well as "collaboration with hostile groups and the Zionist regime", Mizan said.

The NCRI described the accusations against the men as "absurd".

Iran is the world's second most prolific executioner after China, according to rights groups based outside the country, which accuse the Islamic republic of using capital punishment as a tool to instill fear throughout society.

Iranian authorities executed at least 1,639 people in 2025, the highest number since 1989, IHR and Paris-based Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM) said in a joint report last week.

With a new round looming in Islamabad of possible talks between the US and Iran, Amiry Moghaddam added: "A complete halt to all executions and the release of political prisoners must be a central demand in any agreement with the Islamic republic."

sjw/ser

Pope Leo XIV heads to Angola's remote and diamond-rich northeast on Monday in the latest stop on an Africa tour during which he has spoken out against the country's glaring poverty. 

On the eighth day of a trip to four African nations, Leo will fly to the town of Saurimo, 800 kilometres (500 miles) east of the capital Luanda.

Angola is one of Africa's top producers of crude oil and diamonds, but around a third of its population live below the World Bank poverty line.

Saurimo is the capital of the historically marginalised Lunda Sul province and close to Angola's largest diamond mine, Catoca, which extracts around 75 percent of the country's diamonds.

Leo will hold an open-air mid-morning mass expected to draw around 30,000 people.

Afterwards he is due to visit a home for the elderly, underscoring the Catholic Church's support for the province's poor infrastructure and services. 

Despite its mineral wealth, Lunda Sul suffers from poverty, with mining also blamed for environmental damage.

In his first event after arriving in oil-rich Angola on Saturday, the pope spoke out against the harm caused by rampant exploitation of natural resources, which has been a theme of his tour of the continent.

"How much suffering, how many deaths, how many social and environmental disasters are caused by this logic of exploitation," he said in an address to government officials including President Joao Lourenco.

The pope is due later Monday to meet clergy to discuss challenges facing the church in Angola, including a lack of resources and the growing influence of evangelicism.

After John Paul II in 1992 and Benedict XVI in 2009, Leo XIV is the third pope to visit this country, which was badly battered in a 27-year civil war that erupted after independence from Portugal in 1975. 

At a mass Sunday attended by 100,000 people, the 70-year-old pontiff called for Angola to overcome divisions of the past and create a future where "the scourge of corruption will be healed by a new culture of justice and sharing."

Leo's tour of Africa -- an 18,000-kilometre journey over 11 days -- began in Algeria a week ago and continued to Cameroon. It winds up in Equatorial Guinea over April 21-23.

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Thousands of American and Philippine troops, joined for the first time by a significant contingent of Japanese forces, began annual military exercises Monday set against the backdrop of the Middle East war. 

The war games will feature live-fire exercises in the north of the Philippines facing the Taiwan Strait, as well as a province off the disputed South China Sea, where Philippine and Chinese forces have engaged in repeated confrontations.

In one drill, the Japanese military, which is contributing about 1,400 personnel, will use a Type 88 cruise missile to sink a World War II-era minesweeper off the coast of northern Luzon island.

More than 17,000 soldiers, airmen and sailors are taking part in the 19-day Balikatan, or "Shoulder to Shoulder," exercises -- about the same number as last year's edition, including contingents from Australia, New Zealand, France and Canada.

Balikatan comes as Iran and the United States, along with Israel, edge towards the end of the two-week ceasefire that halted the Middle East war, ignited by surprise US-Israeli strikes on the Islamic republic.

"Regardless of the challenges elsewhere in the world, the United States' focus on the Indo-Pacific and our ironclad commitment to the Philippines remains unwavering," US Lieutenant General Christian Wortman said at Monday's opening ceremony.

Without providing precise numbers, Wortman, commander of the Marine Expeditionary Force, later told reporters that approximately 10,000 US personnel would take part in the exercises.

Philippine military chief General Romeo Brawner added that US Indo-Pacific Command chief Admiral Samuel Paparo had assured him at the war's outbreak that this year's Balikatan would be "the biggest ever".

Among the high-end weapons expected to be used is a US Typhon missile system that has been in the archipelago since visiting US forces left it there in 2024, provoking outrage from Beijing.

"We anticipate that it will be incorporated at some level during the course of the exercise," Wortman said.

- 'Playing with fire' -

While both militaries insisted that no exercises would take place "near Taiwan", coastal defence drills are set fewer than 200 kilometres (120 miles) from the island's southern coast.

Beijing has ramped up military pressure around self-ruled Taiwan, which it considers part of its territory and has threatened to use force to seize.

China slammed the joint exercises on Monday, saying the United States, Japan and the Philippines were "playing with fire".

"What the Asia-Pacific region needs most is peace and tranquility, and what it needs least is the introduction of external forces to sow division and confrontation," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a news briefing.

"We wish to remind the countries concerned that blindly binding themselves together in the name of security will only be akin to playing with fire -- ultimately backfiring upon themselves," he added.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos warned in November that given his country's proximity to the island democracy, "a war over Taiwan will drag the Philippines, kicking and screaming, into the conflict."

In February, US, Japanese and Philippine aircraft patrolled over the Bashi Channel that separates the Philippines from Taiwan to test what Manila called their "ability to operate seamlessly together in complex maritime environments".

Japan's first Balikatan as a full participant follows the signing of a reciprocal access agreement approved by the Japanese Diet last June.

Colonel Takeshi Higuchi of Tokyo's joint staff told Japanese media the drills would "contribute to creating a security environment that tolerates no attempt to unilaterally change the status quo by force".

Marcos has been building up security ties with Western nations to deter China. Over the past two years, Manila has also signed visiting forces or equivalent agreements with New Zealand, Canada and France to facilitate joint military exercises.

Outside the Manila base where Monday's opening ceremony was held, a group of about 50 people protested against the exercises, holding aloft signs branding US President Donald Trump an "imperialist terrorist" and demanding US forces leave the country.

cwl-cgm-isk/dhw/ami

The latest developments in the Middle East war:

- Israel Lebanon warning -

Israel's military warned Lebanese civilians against returning to dozens of villages in southern Lebanon, claiming Hezbollah's activities in the area were violating a ceasefire agreement struck last week.

Thousands of displaced residents have begun making their way back to parts of southern Lebanon since the truce between Israel and Lebanon took effect on Friday.

- Iran executions -

Iran executed two men convicted of having links to Israel's spy agency, the latest in a string of executions since the outbreak of war with Israel and the United States.

"The death sentences of Mohammad Masoom-shahi and Hamed Validi were carried out at dawn today," the judiciary's Mizan Online website reported.

- Israel soldier hits Jesus statue -

The Israeli army said that it had determined an image circulating on social media that shows a soldier in south Lebanon hitting a statue of Jesus Christ is authentic and depicts one of its troops.

The image appears to show an Israeli soldier using a sledgehammer to strike the head of a statue of a crucified Jesus that had fallen off of a cross. 

The Israel army said it viewed the incident with "great severity", adding that the "soldier's conduct is wholly inconsistent with the values expected of its troops", in a post to its official X account.

- Oil price bounce -

Oil prices surged on a re-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East war after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz at the weekend, just a day after reopening it, citing the United States' blockade of its ports.

European stock markets opened lower, also pressured by Tehran's announcement that it was not currently planning to attend peace talks.   

- US seizes Iranian ship -

President Donald Trump said Sunday that the USS Spruance, a guided missile destroyer, fired on and seized the Touska, an Iranian-flagged cargo ship, in the Gulf of Oman and US Marines were "seeing what's on board!"

Iran says it retaliated with drones in the direction of US military ships after one of its vessels was seized, Tasnim news agency reported.

- Peace talks in limbo -

Iranian state media reported Sunday that Tehran was not planning to take part in talks with the United States, hours after Trump said he was dispatching negotiators to Islamabad. 

"There are currently no plans to participate in the next round of Iran-US talks," state broadcaster IRIB said, citing Iranian sources. 

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Sunday he had spoken by phone with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian -- which he described as "a warm and constructive conversation" -- and reaffirmed his government's readiness to mediate the conflict.

- Syria foiled Hezbollah -

Syria's interior ministry said Sunday that security forces had thwarted a cross-border attack in the southern Quneitra province by a cell linked to Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group, which denied the accusation.

In a statement, Syrian officials said they foiled a "sabotage plot" with hidden rocket launching equipment in a civilian vehicle, which was linked to Hezbollah and "aimed to destabilise the region".

The area borders the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

- Lebanon PM to Paris -

French President Emmanuel Macron will on Tuesday meet Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam in Paris, his office announced, a day after a French peacekeeper was killed in Lebanon and amid a fragile 10-day truce between Israel and Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.

- Israel's 'full force' -

Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz said his military will use "full force" in Lebanon -- even during the ongoing ceasefire -- should Israeli troops face any threat from Hezbollah.

Lebanon's military said meanwhile it has reopened a road and bridge between the city of Nabatieh and Khardali that was damaged by Israeli strikes in the south.

- Iranian airport reopens -

Iran will resume international flights on Monday from Mashhad airport in the country's northeast, its civil aviation authority said.

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When falling bombs shattered the usual calm of his Kashmir village, Mohammad Rashid set his mind to building a shelter for his family, ready in case fighting erupts again in the divided Himalayan region.

The conflict last year between nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan -- which both claim the whole of Kashmir -- was their worst in decades, following an April 22 attack that killed mostly Hindu civilians at a mountain resort.

The ensuing four-day military escalation saw both sides deploying drones, missiles and fighter jets, killing more than 70 people and leaving many residents reeling, in fear of getting caught up again in war.

"We fear another round like people living near the sea fear a tsunami," said shopkeeper Mohammad Majid from Rashid's farming village of Kasaliyan, nestled in the forested hills of Poonch district in Indian-administered Kashmir.

Before the fighting, Rashid had initially been working on a new kitchen with steel-framed windows and a properly sealed door meant to stop snakes from slithering in.

But a far more pressing threat arose as mortar shells rained on Kasaliyan, forcing the family to flee for safety.

"I realised that more than the snakes, my children needed protection from shells that can drop from across the border without warning," 40-year-old Rashid told AFP near the militarised frontier separating the Indian- and Pakistani-controlled parts of disputed Kashmir.

He put aside the kitchen project, pouring his life savings into converting the structure into a makeshift bunker with reinforced walls and a concrete roof.

"I thought having a safe place is most important because shelling can start anytime again," Rashid said.

- Killed seeking shelter -

Leading up to last year's fighting, gunmen attacked a site near the resort town of Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir, killing 26 people.

According to witnesses, the attackers separated women and children from men, who were then shot dead on an alpine meadow.

The site has since been closed to tourists.

India blamed Pakistan for backing the attack -- a charge Islamabad denied -- triggering tit-for-tat diplomatic measures and a sharp military escalation.

New Delhi launched airstrikes on what it called "terrorist infrastructure" deep inside Pakistan, which responded with drones, mortar fire and aircraft deployment along the Kashmir frontier, known as the Line of Control.

In the morning after the first night of bombing, Rameez Khan and his wife Urusa left their Poonch home with their 12-year-old twins, hoping to reach safety.

But just after they stepped out, a shell hit the narrow street they were on, killing the children on the spot.

"I can't forget that street and that moment," said Urusa, her eyes brimming with tears.

A ceasefire was eventually agreed, but it was too late for her children.

"They told us about the ceasefire, but they didn't tell us how to stay safe before the bombardment started," said the mother.

The children were among at least 14 civilians killed in Poonch -- the worst-hit district on the Indian side where the violence reached areas once considered safe.

- 'In case it all starts again' -

Kasaliyan, home to around 2,000 people, has a single government-built community shelter which can hold only about 40 people crammed tightly.

Authorities have not constructed new civilian bunkers, except for two large shelters for officials.

Other than Rashid, at least three more families in the village have built their own bunkers since the May ceasefire.

Many villages remain without shelters, despite decades of hostilities and two wars since Muslim-majority Kashmir was divided between India and Pakistan when they won independence from Britain in 1947.

Jagdish Kaur, 73, lost her son as well as much of her hearing when a shell struck her home during the latest fighting.

"Now any sharp sound makes me collapse," she said.

Retired police officer Mohammad Aslam, 67, fled his home at the first sign of escalation, a decision he believes saved his life.

When he returned after the ceasefire, his house had been badly hit.

The government paid him 100,000 rupees ($1,065) in compensation, but he has not touched the money.

"It's not enough to repair this kind of damage," Aslam said, pointing at cracked walls and the tin roof pierced by shrapnel.

"I've kept the money handy instead, in case it all starts again."

pzb/abh/ami/ane

Sporting towering Elvis-style hair and a school uniform modified into a rebellious silhouette, 15-year-old Reona worships Japan's classic bad-boy subculture recently taken global by a hit Netflix dating show.

Japan in the heady 1980s teemed with hot-blooded teens who rebelled against society through dangerous motorcycle rides, school "wars" and full-on street brawls.

Their outlandish fashion and supposed traits such as chivalry have since made them Japan's pop-culture darlings, from anime to film, despite its conformist population's disdain for rule-breakers. 

The latest to capitalise on the genre is Netflix, whose recent reality show "Badly in Love" spotlighted Japan's "yankii" (delinquent) culture by starring 11 young men and women, including former "bosozoku" (motorcycle gang) members. 

And a yankii-themed exhibition is now underway in Tokyo, re-enacting the 80s chaos with flamboyantly modified motorcycles and heavily embroidered "tokkofuku", military-style jackets worn by the bikers. 

High-schooler Reona, who AFP has chosen not to name in full because he's a minor, mimics the 80s rebels by donning baggy school trousers designed to create an imposing impression.

"I think their hardcore manliness on full display is so cool," he told AFP. 

A fighting spirit, loyalty to friends and straightforwardness are redeeming qualities often associated with the subculture. 

Modern delinquents, meanwhile, are sometimes derided for their childish TikTok clout-chasing, online bullying and the underhanded way they scam elderly people as part of so-called "black-market part-time gigs".

Prank videos have gone viral in recent years showing teenage customers committing unhygienic antics at Japan's famed sushi conveyor-belt restaurants -- so-called "sushi terrorism".   

"Getting arrested for riding around your motorcycle may have some honour, but getting arrested for those sushi pranks is plain lame," Reona said.

Hirotaka Sotooka, 43, laughs off his eight-year-old son's precocious penchant for gangster-like attire, but draws a clear line.

The parent is willing to tolerate motorcycles, fistfights and fashion statements, but "I don't want him to bully the weak, be violent toward women or do anything purely evil", he told AFP. 

"Otherwise it's his life to enjoy," he said, proudly watching as his son strikes a perfect tough-guy pose before a bosozoku-style bike showcased at the yankii exhibition during its February iteration.

- 'Embarrassing' -

Japanese teens still do make headlines vrooming recklessly, skirmishing or even duelling, but they are now commonly seen as less belligerent after many moved online to vent.

The number of bosozoku members, too, plummeted nearly 90 percent to 5,880 in 2024 from their peak in 1982, police data shows.

That is partly because "surveillance cameras are now everywhere" and "everyone films you on an iPhone and leaves proof of your act", Kenichiro Iwahashi, a former outlaw biker turned delinquency expert, told AFP.

With the risk of arrest much higher, bosozoku gangs as hardcore as those in the 80s known for their unlicensed, unhelmeted and tokkofuku-flaunting style are "almost non-existent today", he said.

While long popular in fiction, yankii youths remain deeply frowned upon in real life for their transgressive behaviours and occasional transitions to full-fledged career criminals.

Satoru Saito, who performs as a "yankii comedian" complete with towering quiff, shaved eyebrows and tokkofuku, sometimes finds himself vilified online by those almost allergic to his "anti-social" appearance.

"For some people, this is a hard no," the 33-year-old told AFP.

"Most of these yankii folks are doing things like fighting or committing crimes, and the act of riding motorcycles at midnight can be extremely noisy, so I get why they are hated."

This makes "Badly in Love" an audacious project that few conventional TV broadcasters would have dared to green light.

From "Tokyo Revengers" to "Crows", manga and movies themed on school gangs have always made popular content as escapist fantasy.

But featuring these troublemakers beyond fiction would have "risked exposing TV stations to criticism from the public that they are endorsing the yankii culture", influential entertainment writer Motohiko Tokuriki told AFP.

Mindful of the risk, Netflix says it went beyond strict legal compliance to "avoid sensationalism" and contextualise cast members' past slips into delinquency. 

"We had extensive internal discussions... to ensure the production would not be perceived as glorifying or condoning the violence," "Badly in Love" executive producer Dai Ota told AFP.

Overall, his gamble paid off: the show, with Season 2 already set for release later this year, has maintained a weeks-long top 10 presence, including in South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

"Our hope was to show that these young people -- who have often been marginalised or labelled as 'social outcasts' -- are simply youths who worry, struggle and genuinely grow."

Despite her tough, heavily tattooed exterior, Season 1 participant Otoha told AFP she is "not at all what people think of me".

The 23-year-old "introvert" now calls her past delinquency "embarrassing".  

"I'd like people not to admire us, but take us as their anti-role model."

tmo/aph/sjc/fox/abs

Oil prices surged Monday on a re-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East war after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz at the weekend, just a day after reopening it, citing the United States' blockade of its ports.

However, lingering hopes that a deal to end the seven-week crisis continued to support equities, even as Tehran said it was not currently planning to attend peace talks.

Crude plunged while US and European stocks rallied Friday after the Islamic republic said it would again allow ships to pass through the waterway -- through which a fifth of global oil and LNG gas usually passes -- citing the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.

President Donald Trump told AFP that "we're very close to having a deal", adding that there were "no sticking points at all" left with Tehran, though Iran quickly pushed back, saying its stockpile of enriched uranium would not be transferred "anywhere".

US benchmark West Texas Intermediate dived more than 11 percent and Brent shed nine percent.

But both contracts jumped sharply Monday, days before the end of a two-week ceasefire, owing to the ongoing US blockade and after an American destroyer fired on and seized an Iranian ship that tried to evade it. Tehran warned it would retaliate.

The blockade of Iranian ports has been a significant sticking point in negotiations between the two countries, and state broadcaster IRIB cited Iranian sources as saying "there are currently no plans to participate in the next round of Iran-US talks" in Pakistan.

The Fars and Tasnim news agencies had earlier cited anonymous sources as saying "the overall atmosphere cannot be assessed as very positive", adding that lifting the US blockade was a precondition for negotiations.

WTI jumped more than seven percent at one point, while Brent piled on more than six percent.

There has so far been only a single, 21-hour negotiating session held in Islamabad on April 11 that ended inconclusively, though groundwork for fresh talks continued afterwards.

"We're offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it," Trump said in a social media post Sunday, while also renewing his threats against Iran's infrastructure if a deal is not made.

But Iran's Revolutionary Guards warned that any attempt to pass through the strait without permission "will be considered cooperation with the enemy, and the offending vessel will be targeted".

Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the blockade was "a violation" of the ceasefire.

Still, equities rose, tracking another record close for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq in New York.

Tokyo, Seoul and Taipei led the gains thanks to a resumption of the tech rally that characterised markets before the war began on February 28.

Hong Kong, Shanghai, Wellington and Manila were also well up.

The dollar, which has been a key safe haven during the crisis and fell sharply Friday, advanced against its main peers.

Chris Weston at Pepperstone said traders were assessing "whether the ceasefire can be salvaged through this week’s diplomatic talks, with recalibration on the probability of military escalation".

"Trump's weekend social media posts raised the prospect of military re-escalation, though given the bar for this response is now set higher, some viewed this as a pure hawkish negotiating tactic ahead of this week’s diplomatic talks," he added. 

"Market participants understand that the path to a formal agreement (is) unlikely to be linear and remains vulnerable to sudden changes, so market players won't be wholly surprised by a sentiment shift. 

"However, without a comprehensive agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme, the ceasefire remained fragile."

- Key figures around 0230 GMT -

West Texas Intermediate: UP 5.3 percent at $88.31 a barrel

Brent North Sea Crude: UP 4.8 percent at $94.67 a barrel

Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.0 percent at 59,045.45 (break)

Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 0.5 percent at 26,281.92

Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.6 percent at 4,073.76

Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1757 from $1.1776 on Friday

Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3500 from $1.3530

Dollar/yen: UP at 158.89 yen from 158.49 yen

Euro/pound: UP at 87.09 pence from 87.02 pence

New York - Dow Jones: UP 1.8 percent at 49,447.43 (close)

London - FTSE 100: UP 0.7 percent at 10,667.63 (close)

dan/fox

Hong Kong residents who lost their homes in a massive fire at an apartment complex last year began returning on Monday for the first time to collect what is left of their belongings.

The city's deadliest fire in decades killed 168 people when it ripped through seven of the eight apartment blocks at the Wang Fuk Court complex in November.

For the first time since then, around 6,000 residents are being given three-hour windows to enter their homes from Monday and get their belongings.

With 1,700 flats to pick through, authorities hope the process will be completed by early May.

An AFP reporter saw residents stepping out from government-organised shuttle buses as they arrived at the estate.

Officials have advised residents to prepare mentally, with the fire department warning that more than 920 homes had been damaged and some completely destroyed by the blaze.

Images released by government officials show the ceilings and walls of some flats have collapsed or been charred black, and the interiors littered with debris.

Damaged areas of the residential complex in Hong Kong's Tai Po district have been cordoned off as "danger zones", while reinforcement works have been carried out where the building structure was compromised.

Upon returning to their flats, residents were required to wear face masks, hard hats and gloves.

A 50-year-old resident surnamed Chung told reporters that he had prepared a screwdriver, scissors and plastic bags before returning to his flat on Monday.

"Once I'm up there, some places like the keyhole might be full of dust, and I'm worried I won't have the tools (to deal with it) if some parts need to be taken apart," he said.

- 'Wouldn't want to leave' -

Survivor Harry Leung, one of the last residents to leave the complex on the day of the blaze, told AFP that he had mixed emotions about his return.

While keen to see the flat where he had spent most of his life, he said he was disappointed by the short time frame he was allowed to spend there.

Three hours, he said, was not enough time.

Hong Kong officials have offered to buy the apartments back around the pre-fire market price, despite the damage, but said that rebuilding the complex on the same site was "not feasible".

"I believe there are actually quite a few people who don't want to accept (the government's offer), but have no other options. They've been forced to accept it," Leung told AFP.

"If I had a choice, I really wouldn't want to leave (Wang Fuk Court)," he said.

Betty Ho, who plans to return in May to the flat she lived in for more than 30 years, told AFP that what she wants most to retrieve are the photo albums of her childhood.

Her family's "entire life's possessions are inside that building", Ho said.

After the fire -- the world's deadliest residential building blaze since 1980 -- Ho relocated to temporary housing set up for Wang Fuk Court residents near the estate.

For now, she is allowed to stay there until the end of the year, but she told AFP she felt anxious and powerless when faced with the uncertainty of her future accommodation.

"Will we be evicted?" she asked. "Where will I find somewhere to live?"

twa/dhw/abs

Australia's in-form Hannah Green birdied the first hole of a three-way playoff to capture her third LA Championship title on Sunday on the LPGA Tour.

Green curled in a long birdie putt at the first hole of sudden death to edge South Koreans Kim Sei-young and Im Jin-hee for her eighth LPGA crown.

She had muscled her way into the playoff with a four-under-par 68 that included five birdies on the back nine.

The victory in the last event before the first women's major of the year, next week's Chevron Championship in Houston, is Green's fourth worldwide this year.

"I felt like I was doing what I said I wanted to do yesterday, hit more greens," said Green, who started the day two shots off Kim's lead and admitted that after a birdie and two bogeys on the front nine "I honestly didn't think I was in the tournament still."

"I'm just fortunate that I at least got into the playoff," said Green, who joined Kim and Im on 17-under 217.

"I had that putt, very similar line, in regulation. It still was a tough putt so really glad it went in the hole."

Green is in red-hot form, winning the HSBC Women's World Championship in Singapore and the Women's Australian Open and Australian WPGA this year.

Although it's her third LA Championship crown, Green couldn't lean on familiarity with the course.

She won in 2023 and 2024 at Wilshire Country Club, while this year's edition was played at El Caballero for a second straight season because of course renovations at Wilshire.

Kim, a 13-time LPGA winner, started the day with a two-shot lead after a rollercoaster third round that saw her eight-shot advantage evaporate with four straight bogeys.

With the help of a chip-in eagle at the par-five 11th she was up by one with two holes to play but bogeyed the par-three 17th on the way to a two-under 70.

"Just a little disappointed because I had a good chance for the win," she said.

Im's chances of a second LPGA title looked dim after a double bogey at the 10th but she powered back with a five-under 67, joining the leaders with an eagle at the par-five 16th.

They returned to 18 for the playoff, where Im missed the green with her second shot and Kim missed her birdie attempt to set the stage for Green.

bb/pst

The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Boston Celtics launched their NBA playoff campaigns with big wins on Sunday as Orlando shocked the Detroit Pistons.

The Thunder, trying to become the first team since Golden State in 2017 and 2018 to repeat as champions, routed the Phoenix Suns 119-84.

The Celtics, seeded second in the Eastern Conference behind Detroit, dominated the Philadelphia 76ers 123-91, but the Pistons trailed all the way in a 112-101 loss to the Magic.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player and Finals MVP, scored 25 points, connecting on just five of 18 from the field but drilling 15 of his 17 free throw attempts for Oklahoma City.

He added seven assists and two blocked shots before sitting out the entire fourth quarter.

Jalen Williams added 22 points and Chet Holmgren scored 16 for the Thunder, who wasted no time in seizing control in game one of their best-of-seven Western Conference series in front of a revved-up crowd at the Paycom Center.

Devin Booker scored 23 points for Phoenix but the Suns, who scraped through the play-in to claim the Western Conference eighth seed, were largely helpless against a Thunder team that amassed the best record in the league with 64 regular-season wins.

"It was a great defensive performance," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "I thought the guys were really competitive, played on a string, great communication, covered for each other. (It) wasn't perfect, but we had each other's backs.

"We forced them to earn everything."

While the well-rested Thunder came out firing, the Pistons looked rusty after having a week off and the Magic, who beat Charlotte on Friday to secure their playoff spot, took full advantage.

Paolo Banchero scored 23 points and Franz Wagner scored 11 of his 19 in the fourth quarter as the Magic withstood a 39-point performance from Pistons star Cade Cunningham.

Detroit trailed by as many as 13 in the first quarter and by 11 early in the third. A Cunningham three-pointer tied it with 7:04 left in the third, but the Magic pulled away again.

"I liked our composure the whole game, our energy," Wagner said after the Magic handed the Pistons an 11th straight home playoff defeat, a skid dating back to 2008.

- 'Incredible feeling' -

In Boston, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 51 points as the Celtics led wire to wire against the Sixers, who have lost their last six post-season series against Boston.

Tatum led the charge, racking up 21 of his 25 points in the first half. Brown poured in 16 of his 26 in the third quarter alone.

"It's an incredible feeling," said Tatum, whose unexpected late-season return from a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered in last year's playoffs has plenty of pundits picking Boston, not Detroit, to emerge from the East.

"Not too long ago I wasn't even sure if I was going to be able to play this season, let alone get an opportunity to play in the playoffs," Tatum said.

The San Antonio Spurs -- with Victor Wembanyama getting his first taste of NBA playoff action -- hosted the Portland Trail Blazers in the day's final game.

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