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Monkeys, a rhino horn and dead pangolins: Illegal wildlife trafficking rampant across social media platforms

The ghostly white creature curled up on a weighing scale is almost unrecognisable in the Facebook post offering it for sale. Only closer inspection reveals it to be a dead pangolin. The animal, one of the world’s most endangered and trafficked mammals, has been stripped of its scales and is being advertised by a Thai account selling “seasonal wild delicacies”. The post is one of dozens reviewed by AFP that illustrate what conservationists call rampant illegal wildlife trafficking across social media platforms, particularly those belonging to Facebook parent company Meta. A report by several NGOs released on Monday accuses Meta of hosting the world’s “largest single known illegal wildlife trade market” and effectively encouraging the trade by sharing advertising revenues with users and allowing them subscription models. The report follows recent research by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime (GI-TOC), which warned Facebook is now “the central public infrast...
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Australia, Vanuatu sign deal barring foreign military base on Pacific island

Australia and Vanuatu signed a sweeping economic and security agreement on Monday that bars the establishment of any foreign military base in the Pacific nation. Vanuatu is at the centre of strategic rivalry between China and US allies in the South Pacific, and Australia has expressed concern that Beijing is seeking a permanent security presence in the region. The agreement commits Australia to $345 million in support for Vanuatu, whose largest external creditor is China, and it stops a foreign military power establishing a base there. “What this does is to provide certainty for Australia that there will be no foreign military base,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters after signing the deal in Canberra with his Vanuatu counterpart Jotham Napat. “We have concluded a balanced agreement that will protect our collective and individual security and our sovereignty,” he said. China’s navy has made repeated port calls to Vanuatu...
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DR Congo advance but Iran out as wild World Cup group stage wraps

The Democratic Republic of Congo became the latest underdogs to roar at the World Cup on Saturday, battling into the knockout rounds for the first time as Iran’s rollercoaster campaign ended in elimination. A chaotic finale to the tournament’s expanded group phase saw Austria and Algeria fill the final two berths in the last 32 late on Saturday after battling to an extraordinary 3-3 draw in Group J — a result that dashed Iran’s hopes of advancing from their group. A win for either Austria or Algeria would have allowed Iran to squeeze into the last 32, and it looked as if the Asian side would advance when Riyadh Mahrez scored in the third minute of stoppage time to put the Algerians into a 3-2 lead. But Iranian joy was short-lived when Sasa Kalajdzic arrowed in a header in the sixth minute of injury time to snatch a draw for Austria and spark pandemonium in Kansas City. Austria midfielder Marcel Sabitzer, who scored Austria’s second goal, described the closing moments as “weird”. ...
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Mob vandalises suspect’s shop in murder case

SARGODHA: Angry mob vandalised the shop where eight-year-old Muntaha Zahra was killed on June 22. The youngsters destroyed the entire structure of the shop, Hanif Kiryana Store and in various videos circulating on social media, they are seen throwing the merchandise out on the road. They attempted to set the shop on fire too. Police have reportedly arrested the invaders after identifying them on CCTV footage. District Police Officer Sohaib Ashraf also assured the bereaved family that justice would be done and their reservation about the police/CCD investigation would be taken into consideration. It is pertinent to mention that the CCD are interrogating three suspects. It is learnt that mother of Arslan, the main suspect killed in the CCD encounter, alleged that the main culprits were the owners of the shop who had maneuvered the alleged confession of Arslan to take revenge from the father of the ill-fated girl. The DPO said the police, in collaboration with the CCD, are investi...
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PMD issues Glof alert for GB, KP amid soaring temperatures

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued an alert for glacial lake outburst floods (Glofs) for Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, predicting that soaring temperatures across the two regions are likely to persist until the first week of July. “This significant warming will substantially accelerate snow and ice melt in the glaciated valleys of these regions,” the Met Office said in the alert issued late on Friday. It said that consequently, the water level in the river streams was likely to remain high, existing glacial lakes may rapidly expand with an increase in their water levels, and new glacial lakes were likely to form due to the high volume of melted water. Meanwhile, vulnerable downstream locations and low-lying areas adjacent to riverbeds may face a high risk of sudden inundation with chances of flash flooding in vulnerable locations, it added. The Met Office further said that the rapid expansion of glacial lakes could destabilise their natural ice or mo...
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Indian authorities arrest staff accused of theft from temple built on site of razed Babri mosque

Indian police have arrested eight people over allegations of theft and misappropriation of offerings at a temple that has been at the centre of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu-first politics, authorities said. The Ram Mandir temple in northern Uttar Pradesh state, built on grounds where a mosque stood for centuries before being torn down by Hindu zealots, was inaugurated in 2024 with great fanfare by Modi himself. Allegations regarding irregularities in the handling of donations led to a criminal case being registered on Thursday, with police arresting eight people, including temple employees, according to a government statement issued late on Thursday. Most of them were involved in counting or handling cash and valuables donated by devotees, including gold and silver, media reports said. The government has not disclosed the scale of the alleged embezzlement. Opposition parties and media reports say it could amount to more than $20 million. “It is so shameful that a shrine...
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