Spirit Airlines begins 'wind-down', cancels all flights

Two young Sudanese women appear to have suffocated to death on Sunday while trying to reach Britain from northern France in a small boat crammed with more than 80 people including pregnant women and children, officials said.

This was the third such tragedy in just over a month.

The women, aged around 20, were aboard a small boat carrying 82 people that set out to sea south of the town of Neufchatel-Hardelot, Christophe Marx, a local government official, told reporters. Officials believe the two victims are of Sudanese origin.

Separately, Utopia 56, a migrant aid association, described the two victims as a 16-year-old child and a 20-year-old woman. One other victim - a pregnant woman -- was in critical condition, the group said. 

"We can't see the end of this story. No one has the real solutions. And it's tragic," Paulette Juilien-Peuvion, the mayor of Neufchatel-Hardelot, told AFP.

She said she was sad to see "these young people trying to flee."

"There were notably pregnant mothers among them. I heard about a pregnant mother who also had another child with her," she said.

The boat set out to sea south of Neufchatel-Hardelot, about 12 kilometres (seven miles) south of Boulogne-sur-Mer, during the night from Saturday to Sunday.

But "the engine wouldn't start" and the boat began to drift, Marx said.

Seventeen people were rescued at sea and taken to Boulogne-sur-Mer.

The boat with the remaining 65 people on board eventually ran aground on a beach near Neufchatel-Hardelot, he said, adding that the two women had been found "dead inside the boat".

"They did not drown," he said, indicating that the two most likely died from "suffocation, as unfortunately often happens."

The mayor of Neufchatel-Hardelot said the two women suffered cardiac arrest, suggesting that they might have been "crushed at the bottom of the boat when there are so many on board."

'Policies are killing'

Three others suffered chemical burns "due to a mixture of fuel and seawater," the prefecture said.

Fourteen more people had minor injuries and five of them were taken to hospital, officials said, citing the updated figures.

They were "being treated and will be interviewed by border police to determine who is responsible for this crossing", Marx said.

An investigation has been launched.

Utopia 56 said "the repressive" policies of French and British governments were behind the latest tragedy.

"Repressive policies at the Franco-British border are killing," the group said on X. "These lost lives are the result of political choices."

"It is urgent to put an end to this deadly situation: open the borders, establish safe routes for passage, and charter ferries."

On April 1, two migrants died off the coast of Gravelines in northern France while attempting to reach the United Kingdom. 

On April 9, two men and two women died near the village of Equihen-Plage, swept away by the currents.

In 2025, at least 29 migrants died at sea in the region, according to an AFP tally based on official French and British sources.

Last month, Britain and France signed a new three-year deal to stop undocumented migrants making the risky journey across the Channel in small boats.

Under the deal, France pledged to increase law enforcement personnel on the coast by more than half, reaching 1,400 officers by 2029.

According to French officials, the number of arrivals in Britain so far this year has been drastically cut from 2025.

According to British figures, 41,472 people reached the United Kingdom illegally in small boats in 2025, the second-highest figure since large-scale crossings were first detected in 2018.

cor-adr-as/giv

Two young women believed to be of Sudanese origin died Sunday while trying to reach Britain from northern France in a small boat, officials said.

The women, aged about 20, were aboard a small boat carrying 82 people, Christophe Marx, a regional government official, told reporters.

The boat set out to sea during the night from Saturday to Sunday, but "the engine wouldn't start" and the boat began to drift, Marx said.

Seventeen people were rescued at sea and taken to the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer.

The boat with the remaining 65 people on board eventually ran aground on a beach near Neufchatel-Hardelot, about 12 kilometres (seven miles) south of Boulogne-sur-Mer, he said, adding that the victims had been found "dead inside the boat".

Thirteen people with moderate injuries and three others with serious wounds, including burn victims, were taken to hospital.

They were "being treated and will be interviewed by border police to determine who is responsible for this crossing", Marx said.

He said an investigation would confirm the nationality of the victims.

This is the third such tragedy in just over a month at the French-British border. 

On April 1, two migrants died off the coast of Gravelines in northern France while attempting to reach the United Kingdom. 

On April 9, two men and two women died, swept away by the currents.

In 2025, at least 29 migrants died at sea in the region, according to an AFP tally based on official French and British sources.

Britain and France last month signed a new three-year deal on security operations to stop the crossings. 

France will increase the number of police and gendarmes patrolling the coast while the British government will increase its contribution to the cost.

According to French officials, the number of arrivals in Britain so far this year has been drastically cut from 2025.

cor-adr-as/sbk

The latest developments in the Middle East war:

- Iran hangs man -

Iran hanged a man convicted of involvement in the killing of a security forces volunteer during anti-government protests, the judiciary said.

"Mehrab Abdollahzadeh's death sentence was carried out this morning after completing the legal formalities," said the judiciary's Mizan Online website.

- Gaza flotilla in court -

Two foreign activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla who were brought to Israel for interrogation appeared before an Israeli court, a rights group defending them told AFP.

Spanish national Saif Abu Keshek and Brazilian Thiago Avila were taken to court in the city of Ashkelon, according to Miriam Azem, international advocacy coordinator at the Israeli rights group Adalah.

- Israel's Lebanon warning -

Israel's military issued new evacuation warnings in southern Lebanon for villages beyond the area it occupies, despite a truce with Lebanon intended to halt fighting with Iran-backed Hezbollah.

The warning covers more than 10 villages and towns, including several in the district of Nabatieh, which lies north of the Litani River. Israel has stationed troops south of the river.

- Iran museum -

Iranian authorities plan to turn a bombsite at a university in central Iran into a museum about the impact of US-Israeli strikes, an official said. 

"The current damaged site will be preserved as a war museum at the university to remain a document of the country's scientific oppression in history," said Zafarollah Kalantari, head of Isfahan University of Technology. 

- Trump says US numbers in Germany to come 'way down' -

US President Donald Trump said the United States would withdraw more troops from Germany than was previously announced by the Pentagon.

"We're going to cut way down, and we're cutting a lot further than 5,000," he told reporters Saturday, without providing details.

Earlier, a NATO spokeswoman said the alliance was seeking more information on the US decision, which came after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Iran was "humiliating" the Trump administration in negotiations.

- Trump casts doubt -

Trump said he would review a new Iranian peace deal but cast doubt over its prospects, as Iranian media reported Tehran had submitted a 14-point proposal to mediator Pakistan.

"I will soon be reviewing the plan that Iran has just sent to us, but can't imagine that it would be acceptable in that they have not yet paid a big enough price for what they have done to Humanity, and the World, over the last 47 years," Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

Iran's Tasnim and Fars news agencies said Iran had submitted a 14-point proposal. It reportedly includes ending the conflict on all fronts and enacting a new framework for the crucial Strait of Hormuz, according to Tasnim.

- Three killed in Lebanon -

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon on Saturday killed three people in Sammaiyeh in the Tyre district. 

The Israeli military said it carried out strikes dismantling "approximately 70 military structures and approximately 50 Hezbollah infrastructure sites" across southern Lebanon.

- Israel damages convent -

A Catholic charity condemned what it called the "deliberate act of destruction against a place of worship" after a convent was damaged by Israeli forces in Lebanon. 

The Israeli military confirmed a "religious building" was damaged by troops operating in the village of Yaroun and "houses located in a religious compound" were "damaged" during an operation to "destroy terrorist infrastructure".

French Catholic charity L'Oeuvre d'Orient said troops "destroyed" a convent belonging to the Salvatorian Sisters, a Greek-Catholic religious order the charity is affiliated with.

burs-sbk/tw

Latin pop queen Shakira delighted crowds of two million that packed Rio's famed Copacabana beach under a full moon Saturday, delivering fan-favorite hits and words of love for Brazil.

The 49-year-old Colombian superstar took the stage dressed in Brazil's national colors shortly after 11 pm (0200 GMT), more than an hour behind schedule, heralded by drones overhead forming the image of a she-wolf -- Shakira's nickname.

"Brazil, I love you! It's magical to think that here we are, millions of souls together, ready to sing, dance, be moved and remind the world what really matters," Shakira told the crowd in Portuguese.

"Two million people. The she-wolf made history in Rio," city mayor Eduardo Cavaliere wrote on X, citing the official tourism body.

The beach has hosted the biggest divas in pop in recent years, with Madonna striking a pose for 1.6 million in 2024 and Lady Gaga singing her greatest hits to 2.1 million fans last year.

Shakira on Saturday performed hits such as "Hips Don't Lie," "La Bicicleta," " La Tortura" and "Estoy Aqui" on a huge stage outside the legendary Copacabana Hotel measuring 1,345 square meters (14,500 square feet).

The concert, featuring 10 outfit changes, saw Shakira performing local-style funk with Brazilian pop star Anitta, and featured guests including Brazilian pop music legends Caetano Veloso and Maria Bethania.

- 'She loves Brazil so much' -

With more than 90 million records sold, four Grammys, 15 Latin Grammys and a generation-spanning repertoire including bangers "Hips Don't Lie," "Waka Waka" and "Whenever, Wherever," Shakira enjoys unique popularity in Brazil, where she has performed numerous times.

"I'm very inspired by her, she's a Latin woman at the top," 26-year-old designer Joao Pedro Yellin told AFP, dressed in an overcoat made of scraps representing Latin American flags.

"She loves Brazil so much and the love she has for us is the love we have for her," said superfan Graciele Vaz, who slept on the beach Friday night after traveling four hours from the resort town of Paraty.

"I've been a Shakira fan for more than 20 years," the 43-year-old said, sporting a large she-wolf tattoo on her back.

Shakira's 2025 tour kicked off in Rio and has already earned a Guinness World Record for highest-grossing tour for a Latin artist.

- Rio energized -

Rio has been readying for the concert for days, with huge posters blanketing the city.

Copacabana vendors were busy Saturday hawking beer, caipirinhas, t-shirts and little vials of "Shakira's tears," a nod to her current "Women No Longer Cry" tour.

Security was also tight, with nearly 8,000 officers deployed, along with drones, facial recognition cameras and 18 screening points with metal detectors.

Last year, after Lady Gaga's performance, police said they had foiled a bomb plot by a group that disseminated hate speech against the LGBTQ+ community.

Some Shakira fans camped out in front of the Copacabana Palace, where she was staying, hoping to glimpse her at a window.

City officials estimated the event would inject more than $160 million into the local economy.

National tourism officials said airline bookings were up 80 percent this week compared to 2024.

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Across Bangkok, aromas of garlic, chilli and grilled meat drift from roadside stalls and carts, but tighter controls on vendors threaten livelihoods and the street food culture that defines the Thai capital.

Convenient, full of flavour and popular among locals and tourists alike, Bangkok's street food is one of the city's signatures -- where sizzling woks and smoky charcoal grills turn boulevards and sidewalks into open-air kitchens from morning until late at night.

But many street sellers in the foodie paradise face an uncertain future as the Bangkok government in recent years has moved to clear footpaths, improve order and relocate vendors from curbsides in packed commercial districts to designated market stalls.

"I am worried because we are here illegally," said Looknam Sinwirakit, who was once fined 1,000 baht ($30) for obstructing the street while selling 50-baht fried glutinous rice cakes in the capital's Chinatown.

One of Bangkok's busiest tourist areas, the neighbourhood's steady flow of customers is worth the risk of city fines, Looknam, 45, told AFP.

"Vendors need to earn a living," she said. "It's not fair just to evict us, but if they tell us to (leave) then we have to."

Nearby, durian seller Wong Jaidee, who has sold the strong-smelling fruit for more than two decades, said he also feared being made to move.

"I don't have any backup plan," the 56-year-old said. "Bangkok is a high-priced city and we may not be able to cope."

- Time to move -

Since 2022, the estimated number of mobile vendors in the city has fallen by more than 60 percent, with around 10,000 fewer now on the streets, according to data from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).

While dozens have moved to informal markets and hawker centres -- using a model similar to Singapore, where food vendors are grouped in designated locations -- many others have simply closed their business due to the stricter regulations or because they were no longer profitable, said BMA official Kunanop Lertpraiwan.

The municipality has mostly targeted vendors crowding main roads with heavy pedestrian foot traffic, while those on side streets and in areas popular with backpackers and other tourists were allowed more flexibility, Kunanop said.

"We give them time and communicate with them clearly," he said, adding some sellers were given several months to find a new location.

"It's not like we will move them tomorrow."

The city is pushing more vendors to set up shop in one of five hawker centres opened in recent years -- the latest in April beside Bangkok's popular Lumphini Park.

With rows of food stalls and picnic tables, the new hub so far houses around a dozen vendors who previously sold food on nearby streets.

BMA encouraged them to relocate, and they now pay 60 baht a day to rent a hawker stall.

Panissara Piyasomroj, who sold noodles to morning runners in the park since 2004, said moving into the centre meant better conditions, including convenient water and electricity access.

Under a roof to beat the heat, the 59-year-old said her business had been "upgraded" and "looks cleaner".

- 'Part of the culture' -

But for other vendors, the prospect of moving from a familiar setting remains a concern.

Thitisakulthip Sang-uamsap, 67, has sold fried vegetable balls near Chinatown for more than 40 years and worries she could be forced to relocate.

"I live around here... if they ask me to leave, I won't be comfortable," she said, adding she hoped the government would show empathy for older vendors earning little income.

The crowded, bustling sidewalks and the smell of freshly grilled squid and other street treats are for many visitors a key part of Bangkok's charm -- and a cheap, tasty meal on-the-go is worth the hassle of a blocked path.

German tourist Oliver Peter said Thailand has one of the best cuisines in the world, noting his favourite, Pad Thai -- the popular stir-fried rice noodles ubiquitous in Bangkok's streetside woks.

"It would be sad if they go away," he said. "It's part of the culture."

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As global fuel markets reel from the Middle East war, motorists in Nepal are increasingly turning to electric vehicles, with high demand putting a strain on dealerships.

Electric microbus driver Purushottam Adhikari said he was now shuttling more passengers along the 300-kilometre (186-mile) journey between his town in Chitwan district and the capital Kathmandu.

"My profession is not affected (by the conflict)," said the 48-year-old, who drives his 18-seater Chinese-made e-van along Nepal's highways daily. "In fact, more people are choosing EVs."

Soaring global oil prices and fuel supply disruption since Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz have led to long queues at gas stations in countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan, but Nepal has largely avoided the worst of the crisis.

"One of the main reasons is the increased penetration of electric vehicles on Nepal's roads," alternative energy expert Govind Raj Pokharel told AFP.

The country of 30 million people has an estimated 50,000 EVs, still a small fraction of the total 6.2 million motor vehicles, but a figure officials expect would keep increasing.

The price of petrol in Nepal, which imports all of its gasoline, has nearly doubled since the war began in late February with US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

While transport fares have gone up, Adhikari told AFP that his prices remain unchanged at 700 rupees ($4.60) for a one-way trip in his Joylong A6, which in turn costs $8 for a full recharge.

A full tank for a similar diesel vehicle would have cost "more than $66", he said.

- 'Comfortable and cheap' -

An expanding network of charging stations along major highways has made long-distance electric travel increasingly viable.

Boarding Adhikari's van, 20-year-old Susmita Bishowkarma said she prefers to travel in EVs because they are "environmentally friendly... comfortable and comparatively cheap".

Buoyed by a surge in hydropower generation and a greener electric grid than neighbouring India and Bangladesh, Nepal has emerged as one of the world's fastest adopters of EVs.

The Himalayan nation imported more than 13,500 EVs between mid-2024 and mid-2025 -- double that of petrol vehicles and a sharp rise from just seven a decade ago, government data shows.

Fume-free taxis and cars manufactured in China are a common sight in Kathmandu, with traffic officials estimating that up to 60 percent of microbuses entering the city from key routes are now electric.

Customs department spokesman Kishor Bartaula said the number of EVs would rise further with hundreds awaiting clearance at Nepal's ports.

In line with its clean energy policy, the government is seeking to replace some 10,000 vehicles damaged during anti-corruption protests last year with EVs, finance ministry spokesman Amrit Lamsal told AFP.

- Demand surge -

Concerns that ongoing conflict in the Middle East could prolong global fuel uncertainty are also influencing consumer behaviour.

Shraban Bhattari, 49, who recently bought a BYD Atto-2, said the Chinese-made car is saving him daily fuel expenses.

"I no longer need to go to the petrol pump," he said.

In April the government approved a legal framework to allow people to convert their petrol and diesel vehicles into electric ones, known as "retrofitting".

But EV dealers told AFP they were struggling to meet demand.

"It is getting challenging to meet the demand," said Ritima Pandey, customer relations officer at Venture Motors.

"As the price of diesel has gone up, many people are coming to trade in fuel vehicles for EV vans."

Schools and colleges are also exploring electric fleet purchases, dealer Dinesh Raj Pandeya said, signalling a shift beyond individual commuters.

Energy expert Pokharel urged policymakers to build on the momentum by encouraging domestic EV manufacturing and assembly.

"This will give us a long-term solution," he said.

aoj/pm/abh/sjc/ami/abs

Long-pacifist Japan has shed its self-imposed ban on lethal weaponry exports, gunning for a prominent place in the global defence trade -- a challenging feat that analysts say could take years to achieve.

Under Japan's once-strict stance adopted following its World War II surrender and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it has generally restricted arms exports in recent times to non-lethal categories like rescue, transport and surveillance.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government scrapped these constraints last month, allowing firms to supply lethal weaponry to any of the 17 countries where Japan has defence cooperation agreements.

Prohibitions on sales to nations at war remain but can be circumvented under special circumstances.

Five Japanese firms, including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, are already in the top 100 global defence companies, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

But they have largely lived off domestic demand from Japan's military, often in cooperation with US defence firms.

Analysts say a focus on high-tech sectors could help the transition, but caution that it could take years for defence exports to become a big contributor to economic growth, hampered by capacity and workforce shortages.

Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Ian Ma said it was a "transition from a domestic, ministry-led procurement model to a normal practice which companies could drive business opportunities just like other global companies are doing."

He added that as newcomers on the global market, Japanese firms should focus on "higher-tech niches" like naval and propulsion systems, advanced missiles, sensors and electronics.

- No 'immediate impact' -

With conflicts raging around the world, the international defence market is huge and fast growing, soaring by 41 percent between 2016 and 2025 to almost $3 trillion, according to SIPRI.

While Japanese firms may only export to 17 countries, those include some of the world's biggest defence spenders like the United States, Germany, India and Britain.

Evolutions in technology and the way wars are fought -- notably with drones -- are also making the global arms market more diffuse, which could benefit Japan, according to analysts at the Stimson Center.

Along with a steep decline in Russian arms exports, Washington's "increasingly unpredictable, extractive, and at times confrontational approach" has also pushed importers to seek alternatives to the United States, the Stimson Center said in a research note.

"Though the trend remains nascent, for Japan, the wandering eyes of traditional US defence partners could add to the demand for the sorts of sophisticated capabilities Tokyo is well-prepared to offer."

Even before the new changes, Japan has been no slouch.

Last year Mitsubishi Heavy Industries won a landmark order for 11 warships from the Australian navy.

Japan is also developing a new fighter jet with Britain and Italy, and countries in Southeast Asia are reportedly interested in acquiring used Japanese submarines and warships.

But Mitsubishi Electric, which supplied a radar system to the Philippines and may soon make air-to-air missiles with US partners, told AFP that the new rules would not have a "significant immediate impact on our business".

Rival IHI said that the changes "will not lead to an immediate acceleration of our defence equipment business", but "will have a significant impact on creating a market environment that accelerates international cooperation".

- 'Homework' -

Ma cautioned that Japan has "homework" to do, including on production capacity, skilled labour, second- and third-tier suppliers, certification, testing, maintenance support and the ability to "deliver on time".

Beyond the economic stakes, deepening security ties is also a strategic necessity for Japan, said Heigo Sato, a professor at Takushoku University, in a region where China is flexing its muscles and home to nuclear-armed North Korea.

"When it comes to defence industry cooperation, Japan is by no means a country with the world's most advanced weaponry; therefore, we must actively work to build relationships with other nations," Sato told AFP.

The Japanese public is not at all comfortable with the new strategy, with 55 percent of respondents in a recent Nikkei poll saying that they were opposed to the expansion of arms exports.

Days after Takaichi announced the new rules, dozens of protestors rallied in Tokyo.

In World War II, "Japan committed acts of aggression, and in turn suffered enormous damage from the atomic bombs," demonstrator Yura Suzuike told AFP.

Japan's pacifist constitution that followed had been drafted "with the resolve that we must never again wage war or kill people", she said.

jug-hih-nf-stu/ami/abs

Lionel Messi's Inter Miami squandered a 3-0 lead to fall 4-3 to Orlando City on Saturday and remain in search of a first win at their new Nu Stadium.

Miami appeared to be on their way in Argentine superstar Messi's 100th match with the South Florida side.

But Orlando scored the final four goals to hand the Herons their second defeat of the Major League Soccer season.

Messi's brilliant strike in the 33rd minute gave the hosts a 3-0 lead, the former Barcelona star curling a left-footed shot from just outside the penalty area past Orlando goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau.

Ian Fray had opened the scoring for Miami in the fourth minute and Venezuelan Telasco Segovia doubled the score in the 25th.

But the team coached by Argentine Guillermo Hoyos couldn't maintain the pace.

Argentine Martin Ojeda scored Orlando's first three goals, pulling one back in the 39th minute with a brilliant long-range strike.

Ojeda repeated the formula with another shot from the edge of the box in the 68th minute.

He delivered the equalizer in the 79th minute from the penalty spot, taking his tally to seven goals in 11 matches this season.

Tyrese Spicer completed the spectacular comeback in second-half injury time, latching onto a long ball in behind the center backs and finishing between the legs of goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair.

str/bb/sla

As Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz roils the global economy, one German town has been scrambling to help make up the shortfall in essential supplies of fertilisers.

Wittenberg, better known to many as a cradle of the Protestant Reformation, is also home to a chemical plant founded in 1915, in the midst of World War I.

At that time the aim was to produce nitrogen for explosives and fertilisers to circumvent a blockade which prevented certain raw materials being imported from Chile.

More than a century later, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz "shows that it's still the same thing today -- sea routes can collapse", Christopher Profitlich, spokesman for the SKW company, which took over the site in 1993, told AFP.

A third of the world's fertilisers normally pass through the Strait of Hormuz and the World Trade Organization (WTO) has warned that the blockade there threatens global food security, particularly in Africa and South Asia. 

"That's why it makes so much sense to have production in Europe," Profitlich said.

- Domino effect -

At SKW's sprawling 220-hectare site, a 23-kilometre rail network transports urea, ammonia and finished fertilisers, destined for sites across Germany and elsewhere in Europe.

SKW is Germany's largest producer of urea, an essential component of fertilisers. In one of its warehouses, a mountain of acrid-smelling white powder rises several metres high.

The plant has been running at full capacity to try to make up the shortfall in supply from the Hormuz blockade.  

The company expects an increase in revenue this year of between 10 and 20 percent, but stresses this estimate remains uncertain because of market volatility. 

SKW's CEO Carsten Franzke says that the company is not a "war profiteer" and will probably just break even once soaring energy costs are also taken into account.

Around 80 percent of the company's production is powered by gas, which has doubled in price since the conflict broke out on February 28. 

Like much of German industry, SKW had already been struggling with the energy crisis triggered by the Ukraine war, which starkly exposed the country's reliance on Russian gas.

SKW posted losses three years in a row as the country strove to wean itself off cheap Russian energy supplies.

Today the company imports natural gas from Norway, the Netherlands and the United States, but is suffering as prices rise on global markets due to a domino effect from the latest conflict.

"We can pass on the higher costs to the consumers of our products," Franzke said.

"The problem is that our customer, the farmer, might not be able to pass these costs on," he said.

- Looming shortage - 

One such farmer struggling with the impact of the crisis is Gerhard Geywitz, who relies on nitrogen-based fertilisers at his farm in the southwestern state of Baden-Wuerttemberg. 

Speaking to AFP in his cornfield, he said that since the war began, the price of fertiliser has jumped by 50 percent. 

He explained that as cereal prices on the world market have remained stable, he has had to absorb the cost and can't pass it on. 

If the war drags on, Geywitz worries about "a fertiliser shortage by next year".

"For this reason we've decided to stock up now, before prices become exorbitant," Geywitz said.

The German Fertiliser Producers' Association (BVDM) pointed out that several European plants have closed in recent years due to costs, even before the current crisis.

"Without local producers and competitive farming, food security in Europe is seriously threatened," the BVDM said in a statement to AFP.

"Dependence on international markets represents a certain risk," it added.

The crisis has revived worries that European businesses in these sectors will struggle to compete with foreign rivals who face fewer constraints, particularly in terms of environmental standards. 

Like many others in German industry, Franzke has called for a review of the EU's carbon trading scheme in order to ease pressure on businesses.

The European Commission has said it is looking into the issue. 

lep-jsk/fec/pdw/lga

Seven OPEC+ members are meeting Sunday to make their first decision on oil-production quotas since the United Arab Emirates' departure from the cartel, which added to the soaring price pressure unleashed by the Mideast war.

The UAE, one of the world's top producers, announced April 28 it was withdrawing from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the expanded OPEC+ group, after chafing at their production quotas. The withdrawal took effect on Friday.

Neither group has reacted publicly so far -- meaning there will be intense focus on the tone of the statement at the end of Sunday's online meeting by Algeria, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Oman, Russia and Saudi Arabia.

The production decision itself is already priced in by markets. The seven countries are widely expected to increase their quotas by 188,000 barrels per day (bpd), according to Arne Lohmann Rasmussen, chief analyst at Global Risk Management.

That is similar to a 206,000-barrel daily increase announced in March and April, subtracting the portion allotted to the UAE.

- Quota question mark -

But raising the quota on paper may not have much impact on actual production, which is already short of the limit.

Untapped OPEC+ reserves are mainly located in the Gulf region, and exports there are trapped by the blockade of the vital Strait of Hormuz, imposed by Iran in response to the US-Israeli strikes that started the war on February 28.

"Total OPEC+ output with quota fell to 27.68 million bpd in March, against a monthly quota of 36.73 million bpd, a shortfall of approximately 9 million bpd driven almost entirely by war-related disruption rather than voluntary restraint," said Priya Walia, an analyst at Rystad Energy.

The blockade is hitting Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The latter's production will no longer count towards OPEC quotas.

Iran, whose exports are now the target of a retaliatory US blockade, is an OPEC+ member but is not subject to quotas.

Russia, the group's second-biggest producer, has been the main beneficiary of the situation. But despite soaring energy prices, it appears to be struggling to produce at the level of its current quotas as its own war in Ukraine drags on.

- 'Big deal' -

The UAE's exit is "a big deal" for OPEC, said Amena Bakr, an analyst at Kpler.

Previous withdrawals from the group by Qatar in 2019 and Angola in 2023 were less significant by comparison, she told a video conference on the UAE withdrawal.

Besides being the fourth-biggest OPEC+ producer by output, the UAE has major untapped production capacity, an important lever when the group needs to regulate the market.

"The UAE had brought up grievances over its quotas" going back to 2021, said Bakr.

The UAE has invested massively in infrastructure in recent years, and state-owned oil company ADNOC plans to increase output by five million barrels a day by 2027 -- far above the country's last quota of around 3.5 million barrels.

That makes the UAE a competitive player that can produce at low cost -- potentially limiting the impact of efforts by Saudi Arabia and its allies to shape the market.

There is also the risk for OPEC+ that other countries will leave such as Iraq and Kazakhstan, which have faced repeated accusations of surpassing their quotas.

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