FLOREANA ISLAND, Ecuador (AP) — Nearly 150 years after the last giant tortoises were removed from Floreana Island in Ecuador’s Galápagos archipelago, the species made a comeback Friday, when dozens of juvenile hybrids were released to begin restoring the island’s depleted ecosystem.

The 158 newcomers, aged 8 to 13, have begun exploring the habitat they are destined to reshape over the coming years. Their release was perfectly timed with the arrival of the season’s first winter rains.

“They are large enough to be released and can defend themselves against introduced animals such as rats and cats,” said Fredy Villalba, director of the Galápagos National Park breeding center on Santa Cruz Island, noting that the best specimens with the strongest lineage were selected specifically for Floreana.

These released juvenile specimens, out of a total of 700 planned for Floreana, will be introduced gradually. According to Christian Sevilla, director of ecosystems of the Galapagos National Park, they carry between 40% and 80% of the genetic makeup of the Chelonoidis niger —a species that has been extinct for 150 years.

The lineage of these hybrids traces back to Wolf Volcano on Isabela Island, a discovery that still puzzles scientists today. By selecting adults with the strongest genetic makeup, said Sevilla, the breeding program aims to gradually bring the extinct Floreana species back to its former purity.

Two centuries ago, Floreana was home to approximately 20,000 giant tortoises. However, whaling, a devastating fire, and relentless human exploitation eventually led to their complete extinction on the island.

“In genetic terms, reintroducing a species to that island with a significant genetic component of the original species is vital,” biologist Washington Tapia told The Associated Press.

Tapia, a researcher and director of Biodiversa-Consultores — a firm specializing in the Galápagos Islands — emphasized that this process is about more than just numbers; it is about restoring a lost lineage.

Floreana, an island spanning approximately 173 square kilometers (67 square miles), is a volcanic landmass and the southernmost point of the Galápagos archipelago. Situated in the middle of the Pacific Ocean — roughly 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) from the mainland coast — it remains a remote and vital ecological site.

The tortoises reintroduced to Floreana will share their territory with a diverse population of nearly 200 people alongside flamingos, iguanas, penguins, sea gulls and hawks. However, they must also contend with introduced plant species such as blackberry and guava, as well as animals like rats, cats, pigs and donkeys. These non-native species, introduced by human activity, represent potential threats to the island’s newest inhabitants.

Floreana resident Verónica Mora described the release of the turtles as a dream come true. “We are seeing the reality of a project that began several years ago,” she said, adding that the community feels immense pride in the return of the giant tortoises.

The United Nations designated the Galápagos Islands as a Natural World Heritage Site in 1978. This honor recognizes the islands’ unique abundance of terrestrial and marine species found nowhere else on the planet.

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Associated Press Gonzalo Solano contributed from Quito, Ecuador.

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Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

A man has been criminally charged after allegedly damaging the famed Brisbane Synagogue in Australia on Friday night.

A 32-year-old Sunnybank man, whose name has not yet been released, is charged with willful damage, serious vilification or hate crime, dangerous operation of a vehicle, possession of dangerous drugs and possession of utensils or pipes etc. for use, according to a statement from Queensland Police.

Authorities said just after 7:15 p.m. local time Friday, a black Toyota Hilux utility truck struck and knocked down the gates of the synagogue, located on Margaret Street, before leaving the scene.

Police quickly tracked down the car and took the driver into custody without incident.

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No one was injured during the incident, according to officials.

The suspect, who is believed to have acted alone, will face Brisbane Magistrates Court on Saturday.

There is no ongoing threat to the community.

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“The Queensland Police Service is focused on ensuring community safety and continues to support and engage with all local religious communities,” the agency wrote.

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said he was briefed on the incident, noting the incident was “very distressing for the Jewish community in Queensland.”

Crisafulli added he spoke with Jewish leaders, as well as police, and assured Queenslanders the incident is being taken seriously.

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“This is another signal as to why we have put strong laws before Parliament to protect all people where they worship,” Crisafulli wrote in a statement on X. “We are going through the process and I fully intend to have them passed during the next sitting of Parliament.”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Published on
20/02/2026 – 18:06 GMT+1

As the EU’s trade deficit with China keeps widening, the European Commission wants to revisit the WTO rule requiring members to extend the lowest tariff granted to one partner to all, known as the “Most Favoured Nation” principle under global trade rules.

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The status is important as it has shaped trade for decades and allowed countries like China to benefit from low tariffs even as it transitions from an emerging to a sophisticated market as the world’s second largest economy.

With this new proposal, Brussels would link low tariffs to reciprocal market access. The move comes as European companies face persistent barriers in China, which has grown it trade surplus with the world and the EU despite calls to rebalance the relationship.

“The low tariffs should be matched with equal access to your [a trading partner’s] markets,” Šefčovič said on Friday after a meeting of EU trade ministers in Cyprus, adding: “I think that there has to be fairness on both sides.”

EU’s goods trade deficit with China keeps ballooning

The issue is set to surface at the WTO’s ministerial conference in Cameroon in March, one year after President Donald Trump jolted global trade with sweeping unilateral tariffs that challenged the multilateral system and have now been struck down by court.

WTO reform will dominate the gathering as policymakers grapple with a geo-economic landscape shaped by increasingly nationalist trade policies in both the US and China.

The “Most Favoured Nation” rule was designed to prevent discrimination among trading partners. But Brussels now sees it as contributing to structural imbalances with China.

“When this principle was embedded into the international trade law and WTO practices, simply the world was different,” Šefčovič said. “The GDP of China represented around 5 to 6%. Today we are at the level of 20%.”

The EU’s goods trade deficit with China widened to €359.3 billion in 2025.

Critics have long argued that Beijing has not fully adhered to WTO practices since it joined the institution in 2001, citing extensive Chinese government state subsidies. Since, its economy has grown to become the second largest in the world only behind the US.

“The past three decades global trade has changed profoundly. Some WTO members have dramatically expanded their share of global trade, while keeping their own markets relatively closed,” Commissioner Šefčovič said on Friday. “And at the same time, state support and non-market policies have multiplied.”

The “Most Favoured Nation” rule has also been called into question by the deals struck over the past year by the US with trading partners under the threat of steeper tariffs.

The EU-US agreement concluded last July sets 15% US tariffs on EU goods, while the EU committed to granting preferential treatment with zero tariffs on US imports.

Still, the trade agreements announced by the Trump administration have not been notified to the WTO, even though members are required to do so to allow others to assess their compliance with WTO rules.

The tariffs have also been declared ilegal by the US Supreme Court on the basis that the president exceeded his mandate by invoking emergency laws to push them throw. The ruling adds uncertainty to an already complex geopolitical context.