text
stringlengths 221
31.5k
| label
class label 10
classes |
|---|---|
Arlene Foster formally stepped down as Northern Ireland's first minister on Monday, adding to the instability in the province where uncertainty reigns over post-Brexit trading arrangements. The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is set to nominate social conservative Paul Givan as Foster's successor. However, if the nationalist Sinn Fein party declines to nominate a deputy first minister, then the region's executive will disintegrate, and a snap election could follow. Sinn Fein have insisted that the nomination for first minister and deputy first minister must be accompanied by the implementation of the cultural elements of the New Decade, New Approach (NDNA) deal which restored the power-sharing executive last year. The NDNA includes protections for the Irish and Ulster Scots languages. But the new leader of the DUP, Edwin Poots, told BBC Radio Ulster that though he was "committed to all aspects of NDNA," the Irish language provision would not be a prerequisite when choosing a first minister. Outgoing Foster called for cool heads to prevail but warned that "politics in Northern Ireland, between the UK and Ireland, and the UK and the EU, is out of balance, an imbalance created by the protocol." Foster said the protocol, which since the turn of the year has effectively kept Northern Ireland in the EU customs union and single market for goods, "is not a real partnership." "An imbalance and an instability is built in, that will fester and deteriorate," she said. "Imbalance and instability in the context of Northern Ireland is a truly dangerous cocktail." Foster, who took power in 2016, was ousted from the DUP in April after a majority of its lawmakers blamed her for mishandling Brexit negotiations. jsi/aw (AFP, Reuters, dpa) | 7Politics
|
A gun-toting couple who went viral after pointing guns at Black Lives Matter protesters last year pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges on Thursday. Patricia McCloskey agreed to a charge of harassment and a $2,000 (€1,680) fine, while her husband, Mark, was fined $750 for fourth-degree assault. The weapons the couple used — a military-style rifle for the husband and a handgun for the wife — are also be forfeited and destroyed. Neither will face jail time. However, the wealthy couple can still legally own firearms and, as professional lawyers, can still practice law. Mark McCloskey described the outcome as a "good day" for him and his wife. He also agreed with the prosecutor that he had placed other people "in imminent risk of physical injury." "I sure as heck did, that's what the guns were there for. And I'd do it again anytime a mob approaches me … because that's what's kept them from destroying my house and my family," he said from the courthouse steps. The couple pulled out their guns and confronted Black Lives Matter marchers when they approached their mansion in St. Louis. At the time, the protesters were walking over private property owned by a trust, which is funded by residents of the area. There was no evidence that any of the protesters threatened the couple. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Prosecutor Richard Callahan has said the marchers simply made a "wrong turn." "There was no evidence that any of them had a weapon and no one I interviewed realized they had ventured onto a private enclave," he said. The couple was previously indicted on felony charges of unlawful use of a weapon and evidence tampering, for allegedly altering the pistol Patricia McCloskey was holding. Callahan later amended the charges to misdemeanors and dropped the tampering count. He said the misdemeanor plea was reasonable adding that the McCloskeys called the police, no shots were fired and no one was hurt. "But I think that their conduct was a little unreasonable in the end,'' he said. "I don't think people should view this case as some type of betrayal or assault on the Second Amendment. We still have the Second Amendment rights. It's just that the Second Amendment does not permit unreasonable conduct.'' The incident went viral online, with both sympathizers of then-President Donald Trump and the supporters of Black Lives Matter discussing the couple's actions. Many view them as heroes. Missouri's Republican Governor Mike Parson pledged to pardon the couple if they were convicted. In May this year, Mark McCloskey announced he was running for US Senate. In a campaign video, McCloskey claimed that an "angry mob came to destroy my house and kill my family" but he took "a stand against them." "I will never back down," he says in the ad. dj/sms (AFP, AP) | 3Crime
|
England entered the second phase of easing its lockdown on Monday, as a nationwide vaccination campaign has seen some success in lowering case numbers. Prime Minister Boris Johnson welcomed the UK's latest lockdown lift, while urging people to adhere to social distancing and hygiene guidelines with cases rising across Europe and new variants threatening the vaccine rollout. The first phase on March 8 opened schools. The third phase of reopening is due to begin on April 12. If case numbers remain under control, outdoor drinking in pubs and outdoor service in restaurants will resume. Non essential retail and services like hairdressers will also reopen. As vaccinations continue at a good pace, the government hopes to fully lift restrictions in June. "And as things stand, I can see absolutely nothing in the data to dissuade me from continuing along our roadmap to freedom, unlocking our economy and getting back to the life we love," Johnson said on Saturday. However, Johnson admitted that continental Europe's latest COVID wave could hit Britain in about three weeks, The "key difference" in the UK is the vaccination drive. The UK reported more than 3,800 new infections in 24 hours on Sunday. For comparison, Germany reported more than 9,800 cases in the same time frame. wmr/rt (Reuters, AFP) | 8Society
|
Five years after being assaulted by police officers during the G20 summit in Hamburg, two cyclists have received acknowledgment from the police that "illegal" force was used against them, the law firm Sven Adam said in a statement on Monday. According to the statement, the two — at the time a 28-year-old woman and a 32-year-old man — were on their way home, trying to avoid streets closed off for the summit and related protest, when they were intercepted by police officers. The incident resulted in a broken arm and injuries that required hospital treatment, according to the lawyers. Following two lawsuits at Hamburg's administrative court, the police accepted that level of force used was illegal. The Reuters news agency reported that Hamburg police confirmed this position. The G20 summit in Hamburg was marred by violent clashes that were blamed on both the protesters themselves and the police response. Current Chancellor Olaf Scholz was mayor of the city at the time. Police from all over Germany were brought in for the event. The lawyers for the two cyclists said that the officers who had injured them were from the eastern state of Saxony. The cyclists said that the officers suddenly appeared in front of them and began shouting. They threw the woman cyclist from her bike in such a way that she broke her arm. The man said that he was dragged from his bike and punched several times while he was calling for help. Both needed medical attention after the incident, the lawyers' statement said. "It was brutal, unannounced, unjustified violence with serious consequences," lawyer Christian Woldmann said. "But the identification of the concrete perpetrator has come to nothing because the unit involved in the incident, most likely from Saxony, has been shrouded in silence." A spokesperson for Hamburg police told Reuters that the decision to accept fault had been "for procedural reasons" and the officers involved had no recollection of the incident. Edited by: Farah Bahgat | 3Crime
|
"Now society expects much more from farmers," reflects Belgian dairy farmer Kris Heirbaut. "Not only that we produce food, but that we also help reduce climate change." Heirbaut owns a farm in the Flemish town of Temse, 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the port city of Antwerp. Outside the farm, he has a small store selling dairy products, including ice cream, made from milk from his own cows. Two years ago, concerned with agriculture's damage to the environment, Heirbaut signed up to a "carbon farming" pilot project funded by the European Union that aims to improve agricultural soil health while tackling climate change. The project, concluded in summer 2021, enabled farmers in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Norway to sell carbon credits for carbon sequestered on their land. The EU gave the farmers scientific advice and administrative support to issue their first credits to local companies. In December 2021, the EU presented its carbon farming initiative, with the intention to replicate the project across Europe. The EU initiative encourages farmers to make changes such as applying fertilizers rich in carbon, reducing tillage that disturbs the soil, and planting trees and crops that can absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Soils are vital carbon stores, but industrial farming, rather than absorbing CO2, often releases it into the atmosphere — for example through plowing which, if done repeatedly, can result in the degradation of the soil. Since signing up for the initiative, Heirbaut has planted a field of narrow-leaf plantain — a perennial type of weed with high carbon sequestration potential — as well as crops that can rotate throughout the year. In total, he has about 14 hectares (34 acres) of land covered with grasses, clover, alfalfa, ribwort plantain and chicory, which can sequester CO2 all year long. "Because we mow four times a year, but do not need tillage machinery to work in the soil, all the carbon that the roots of the plants will bring into the soil will stay there," he explains. Heirbaut also has a field dedicated to agroforestry, in which trees or shrubs are grown around crops and pasture. These trees sequester carbon, and the shade of the trees allows cows to graze on grass in the summer, another practice that can help farmers absorb CO2. The EU hopes that giving farmers a financial incentive will help them increasingly shift more agricultural land from emitting carbon to capturing it. The carbon farming initiative is part of the European Green Deal, the EU's road map to become climate neutral by 2050. An estimated more than 385 million tons of CO2 come from European farming, according to European Environmental Agency data — just over 10% of the bloc's total emissions. "Carbon content of soil is a good proxy for soil health," says Celia Nyssens of the European Environmental Bureau, a network of environmental NGOs. Europe's intensive farming practices have damaged soils over recent decades. A 2020 European Commission study found that around 60-70% of EU soil is currently degraded, largely due to intensive farming, the use of pesticides or excessive irrigation. No-till farming, such as that used by Heirbaut, is one way to improve soil health. Other techniques to help soils retain carbon include crop rotation, planting cover crops on fallow land to maintain the nitrogen in the soil and using compost instead of chemical fertilizers. These practices also protect other essential nutrients in the soil that plants need to grow, which in turn reduces the need for agrochemicals. But carbon-offsetting schemes have long been criticized for allowing companies, individuals and states to simply buy their way to net-zero goals. In a letter to the US Congress last year, over 200 NGOs asked lawmakers to oppose a bill, currently under debate in the House of Representatives, that could see a carbon farming initiative set up in the US. "Power plants, refineries and other polluters could purchase these carbon credits to offset their emissions, or even increase them, instead of actually reducing and eliminating them," the signatories argued. Carbon farming has attracted several multinational corporations. Microsoft, for instance, has bought over $4 million (€3.6 million) in carbon credits generated from US farmers piloting carbon farming projects since 2021, to offset the tech giant's emissions. But the companies using Heirbaut's greener farming practices to offset their pollution aren't multinationals. Earlier this year he sold his first carbon credits to Milcobel, a local dairy processor for roughly €50 per ton of CO2 saved. He hopes to collaborate with other small businesses in the Flanders region. "The advantages of buying carbon credits locally is that you can visit the farmers — people can sit and have a drink with us, visit the fields," he says. Although the pilot project has finished, Heirbaut intends to continue with carbon farming. Farmers can physically sequester up to around 3.6 metric tons of carbon per hectare each year, according to a study commissioned by Dutch bank Rabo Bank. But to do this, they must make significant investments in changing their farming practices — as well as hiring independent experts to undertake expensive soil analyses to evaluate its health. Heirbaut says it's a cumbersome process that could put some farmers off the scheme. Some critics fear it could make the benefits of carbon farming inaccessible to smaller operations, and favor larger industrial agriculture operations. Carbon offsets generated from biofuel or reforestation projects have contributed to land grabbing — massive acquisitions of land usually from major corporations — across the world. Nyssens of the European Environmental Bureau believes that a poorly designed EU carbon farming system risks falling into the same trap. "If we create a system where there is even more value from having land, because you can also sell credits from carbon sequestration, you will worsen those problems," she says. But on his small dairy farm, Heirbaut says carbon farming gives him the opportunity to improve the health of his land, while making a little extra income. And it isn't his only eco-friendly venture. In addition to carbon farming, he's also building a lab to create new food products based on microalgae — protein-rich cells increasingly used as a substitute to meat. "In the past decades, farmers have specialized in one thing, and now we know if this one thing goes wrong it can be a big problem," Heirbaut says, as he welcomes guests to his store and treats them to its latest release: an ice cream made of hazelnut and his homegrown microalgae. Edited by: Ruby Russell and Holly Young To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video | 6Nature and Environment
|
The Green Party, one of three coalition parties governing at federal level, supported German Economy Minister Robert Habeck in his plans to keep two nuclear power plants on standby, in case of an energy crunch over winter, up until April 2023. At the delegates' meeting on Friday evening in Bonn, the party congress supported leaving the Isar II and Neckarwestheim II nuclear power plants in operation as emergency reserves until April 15. Germany's third remaining nuclear plant, Emsland, however, should go offline at the end of 2022 as previously planned. However, there is still a dispute about this witthin the federal government. The neoliberal Free Democratic Party (FDP), which is also in the governing coalition, is calling for Emsland to continue to operate even beyond April 2023. Habeck's ministry, with responsibilities including energy and economic affairs, has been trading blame with the FDP-led Finance Ministry this week for the slow progress in bringing the coalition's current plan for a limited extension through Cabinet and sending it on to parliament to be debated. The issue has also put Habeck in a difficult position with the party grassroots, given the Green Party's longstanding objection to nuclear power and the pride it took in being part of the first government to declare that Germany would stop using nuclear power altogether. The Greens said their red line on any nuclear extension would be the procurement of new nuclear fuel elements which would be necessary to keep Emsland on standby. The Greens would not agree to any legal regulation in the Bundestag that would procure new nuclear fuel. Party co-leader Ricarda Lang said in the debate that new fuel rods or a return to nuclear power "will not happen with us." Renewable energies need to be expanded, and "nuclear power is not the future," Lang said. Habeck also described a return to nuclear power as "wrong", adding: "There's no way that's going to happen to us." As for the reserve operation of the two nuclear power plants, he said that "we shouldn't rule out this contribution from the outset" because of the emerging energy supply gap. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The energy crisis triggered by the Russian attack on Ukraine affects everyone, business as well as people. Habeck has procured gas from many countries to replace the Russian supplies, which has little to do with a sustainable energy supply. And with coal-fired power plants already operating, the minister could use the party's backing. Omid Nouripour, one of two party co-leaders of the Greens, was sure at the beginning of the meeting that Habeck would get it. He told DW: "Our people in the Cabinet are taking responsibility. There are no manuals for the current situation, you have to solve problems off-the-cuff. And the party thinks that's right and proper." "Thoughtfully and with determination," Habeck said in his fiery speech to the conference, "this is how we lead Germany through the winter, this is how we give Germany security." However, he admitted that parts of this path could be painful for the Greens. "But we will never confuse what is the problem and what is the solution. Fossil fuels and nuclear power are the problem," Habeck said. Jens Thurau, reporting from the Greens' party conference, contributed to this article. dh/msh (dpa, AFP, Reuters) | 7Politics
|
As Vivianne Miedema turned her Danish defender inside-out and slammed home a late goal in the Euro 2017 final, an unlikely champion was born. The Dutch surprised many at the tournament, as a budding team spirit slowly bloomed throughout to put them on an orange wave towards lifting their first major trophy. "We just had that confidence,” Miedema tells DW. "Going into the final, it just felt right, and we felt like we couldn't lose that day.” That confidence remains, even if expectations are a little more reserved heading into this summer's Euros. The Netherlands were humbled 5-1 in a friendly against England last month and losing mastermind coach Sarina Wiegman to the tournament hosts cannot be underestimated. "England are the favorite, if you look at the depth of their squad, it's unreal,” Miedema says. "They've got great players in every single position. "Spain has to be up there as well, then I think France and Germany. Even us, I think we're great outsiders and hopefully we can compete.” Outsiders no more Despite the attempt to downplay the Netherlands as a favorite, Miedema's rivals won't be underestimating her side's ability. The Dutch were runners-up in the 2019 World Cup, losing to the US - albeit with Wiegman on the sidelines - and still boast a talented squad. Fan darling Lieke Martens adds frightening pace to the attack, alongside Miedema and Roord, while a settled midfield consisting of Sherida Spitse, Danielle van de Donk and Jackie Groenen have an excellent understanding. New coach Mark Parsons has them playing an even more attacking game than was present under Wiegman, and the heavy loss to England was not as emphatic as the scoreline suggested. Still, Miedema prefers to remain in the shadows. "As a team we know where we are,” Miedema admits. "We've got a new coach and after the Olympics we've got a lot of young girls coming to the Euros. "So I don't think it's realistic for us to go and say we're going down to defend our title.” Dutch courage The Netherlands will have extra help in their quest, with an orange-clad army supporting them at every game. Dutch fans have bought the most tickets behind hosts England and are known for their spirited support. For Jill Roord, who was part of the squad in 2017, the fans were a huge advantage on the road to glory. "The atmosphere was amazing, so many fans, orange everywhere,” she tells DW. "It was unbelievable for us, because before that we never really had massive crowds. We didn't expect that atmosphere, it was dream.” Having that support in an away tournament will certainly come in handy and Roord had a cheeky warning for the hosts about the weight of expectation. "England are one of the favorites, they have a really good team and the home crowd. But it also brings pressure. We dealt with that really well and now it's up to them to deal with that,” she says with a grin. Hungry Lionesses The Dutch are certainly hungry to defend their title, even if they're cautiously downplaying their chances. A team with such humble confidence, team spirit and talent will secretly be harboring strong beliefs that they can beat anyone on their day. Not to mention that in Miedema they boast one of the world's dealiest finishers. "I'd love to be able to say I've won the Euros twice, so definitely still hungry,” Miedema says. "Everything needs to be right for us, for us to be able to challenge. But if we can connect as a team I think we can have a really nice summer. I hope we can turn up and enjoy our time.” No matter how far they progress, the Dutch will most definitely enjoy themselves, both in the stands and on the pitch. And with their exciting brand of attacking football, they'll likely wow a few neutrals along the way as well. | 9Sports
|
Taylor Swift on Friday expressed anger and frustration over ticket sales for her upcoming tour after Ticketmaster cancelled a planned sale of tickets. The sales company cited on Thursday "extraordinarily high demands." Swift posted on her Instagram account that she was "not going to make excuses for anyone because we asked them, multiple times, if they could handle this kind of demand and were assured they could." The 11-time Grammy winner said she she was flattered that 2.4 million people got tickets, but that she was angry that "a lot of them feel like they went though several bear attacks to get them." For the ones who were not able to get tickets for her tour this time, Swift said she hoped to "provide more opportunities for us to all get together and sing these songs." Event ticket sales company Ticketmaster said on Thursday that it was cancelling a planned sale of tickets for musician Taylor Swift's new tour of the US. "Due to extraordinarily high demands on ticketing systems and insufficient remaining ticket inventory to meet that demand, tomorrow's public on-sale for Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour has been canceled," Ticketmaster wrote on Twitter on Thursday evening. This follows chaos on the company's servers on Tuesday, when demand for the last round of Swift tickets was so great that it caused intermittent crashes and waiting periods of up to three hours for millions of would-be customers. Ticketmaster said that 2 million tickets had been sold during Tuesday's rush, an all-time single-day record on the platform. But many people were also left empty handed, some even after having paid. Shares in Ticketmaster's parent company, Live Nation Entertainment Inc., dropped by around 3% after Thursday's announcement, to their lowest level since late 2021. The New York Times reported on Friday that the US Justice Department has opened an antitrust investigation into Ticketmaster's parent company, Live Nation Entertainment. The probe will be focused on whether Live Nation Entertainment has abused its power over the multibillion-dollar live music industry, according to the paper. The chaos caught the attention of Democrat Senator Amy Klobuchar, chair of the Senate antitrust panel, who called the issues at the site "an example of why we need strong antitrust enforcement." In a letter to Ticketmaster parent Live Nation Entertainment Inc, Klobuchar voiced "serious concern about the state of competition in the ticketing industry and its harmful impact on consumers." "Ticketmaster’s power in the primary ticket market insulates it from the competitive pressures that typically push companies to innovate and improve their services," added Klobuchar in the letter which she released publicly. "That can result in the types of dramatic service failures we saw this week, where consumers are the ones that pay the price." Live Nation and Ticketmaster's stranglehold on the live event ticket sales market online has been questioned ever since the two merged in 2010. Concert goers have long complained of a lack of choice, hidden fees, rampant scalping and limited ticket availability because of pre-sales, among other issues. Outspoken Democrat Alexandria Ocasia-Cortez picked the issue up again this week amid the Swift scandal. "Daily reminder that Ticketmaster is a monopoly, [its] merger with LiveNation should never have been approved, and they need to be [reined] in," she wrote. "Break them up." Taylor Swift has not been on tour since 2018, when she was promoting her album Reputation. She has released several new works since. A combination of the COVID pandemic forcing her to cancel plans and other commitments led to a period that will eventually total almost five years without her touring. The 32-year-old is one of the best-selling musicians of all time, having sold more than 200 million records globally. Ticketmaster said that while it had anticipated heavy demand for tickets, this was combined with bot attacks and led to "unprecedented traffic on our site" and inconvenience for some fans. "The biggest venues and artists turn to us because we have the leading ticketing technology in the world — that doesn't mean it's perfect, and clearly for Taylor's ... it wasn't," the statement said. "But we're always working to improve the ticket buying experience." According to Ticketmaster, to satisfy the volume of traffic their site experienced earlier in the week, "Taylor would need to perform over 900 stadium shows (almost 20x the number of shows she is doing) ... that's a stadium show every single night for the next 2.5 years." The Eras Tour is currently scheduled to run from March 17 to August 9 with various dates around the US. According to Swift, international dates will be announced as soon as possible too. rm, msh/aw, fb (AP, Reuters) | 8Society
|
Dubbed "Union Resolve 2022," the Russian-Belarusian maneuvers at military training sites in Belarus are scheduled to last until February 20. The name of the ten-day exercises alludes to the Russian-Belarusian "Union State." In 2021, the two former Soviet republics agreed on closer integration, including on a military level. Trains carrying military equipment from Russia started arriving in Belarus long before the maneuvers began. Observers are now doubtful that all this equipment will be withdrawn once the exercises finish. In the West, there are fears that the maneuvers could be a cover for an imminent invasion of neighboring Ukraine. Both Moscow and Minsk, however, deny this. The official line is that the Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko and Russian leader Vladimir Putin agreed in the fall of 2021 to hold unscheduled exercises. These were first announced by Minsk at the end of November. Later, the Russian and Belarusian defense ministries said the maneuvers were intended to, among other things, strengthen the Belarusian border in sections where the "infiltration of rebel groups with weapons and equipment" could not be ruled out. Furthermore, the military units involved were to practice "search and elimination of saboteurs and illegal armed groups." As for where the maneuvers would take place, the locations originally named were mostly military training grounds and airfields in western Belarus. One of these sites is the Brestskiy military training area, which is normally used by the local airborne brigade. Last week, according to the military's exercise scenario, the paratroopers discovered and destroyed an "illegal armed group" here using mortars, grenade launchers, and armored personnel carriers. Yevgeniy, who lives in the nearby city of Brest, has a dacha very close to the military training area. Until a few years ago, he says, the residents of the weekend houses and surrounding villages weren't at all bothered by the presence of the military. "There's a large wooded area near the training ground where there were always a lot of mushrooms, and that attracted a lot of people," Yevgeniy comments. In recent years, though, he says that the military training area has been significantly extended. Maneuvers are more and more frequent, and people are effectively forbidden from going for walks in the forest. Yevgeniy says the locals are annoyed about this. They have repeatedly appealed to the authorities and asked to be permitted to go for walks in the forest again, but in vain. In addition, he says, checks are often carried out on civilian vehicles on roads near the military training area. "The military itself stops the cars, and justifies this by saying that it must ensure security, because of the current situation," Yevgeniy says. Particularly strict measures are being enforced because of the maneuvers in the Belarusian regions bordering Ukraine. The authorities in the district of Stolin in the Brest region, for example, warned the residents of a couple of dozen villages that the former airfield nearby was to be a restricted area from February 14 to 16, and that there would be a danger to life to any uninvolved parties found in its vicinity. This training area was used in the Soviet era, but after Belarus gained independence in 1991 it was closed and partially annexed to the Olmansky Marshes nature reserve. "Now police officers are going door-to-door, warning people that under no circumstances should they go out collecting firewood, or pick up any scrap metal, because it could be unexploded ordnance," says a resident of the village of Chotomel. In fact, the former training area in the district of Stolin is not even on the official list of sites where "Union Resolve 2022" maneuvers are taking place. And there are many such places in Belarus right now. For example, soldiers of the Russian army, along with military equipment, were staying near the town of Rechytsa in the Gomel region, around 50 kilometers from the border with Ukraine. Local residents say the Russian military has been unloading weapons on train platforms there and has commandeered at least two abandoned factories. No attempt was made to hide the fact that there were Russian troops in the vicinity of Rechytsa shortly before the maneuvers began. Local authorities even organized a "patriotic event" entitled "Two States – One People and One History." School children were brought along, local residents invited. The presence of the Russian military is being felt in many Belarusian cities, but it is not known exactly how many Russian soldiers are currently in the country. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg estimated that there were around 30,000, while the Estonian secret service put their number at 20,000. Meanwhile, a statement from the Russian Defense Ministry declared that "the number of participants in the maneuvers, as well as the amount of major weapon systems covered by the Vienna Document 2011, do not exceed the notifiable parameters set out therein." This would mean less than 9,000 troops. Many Belarusian citizens are doubtful as to whether the entire Russian military contingent will be withdrawn from their country once the exercises are over. Given the ongoing situation with Ukraine, this could become another factor contributing to tension in the region. A major with a Belarusian military unit involved in some of the maneuvers to date told DW that at present he sees no reason why the Russian soldiers would remain in Belarus. "They will probably need more time to return to their bases. Some units from Russia will probably be in our country until the end of February, but it's unlikely that they will remain in Belarus permanently," said the major, who asked not to be named. Earlier, it was reported that troops from Russia's Eastern Military District had been transferred to Belarus to take part in the exercises. Russian S-400 long-range surface-to-air missile systems, have also appeared at the Brestskiy training range for the first time, brought there from the far east of the Russian Federation. This article has been translated from Russian. The author is identified under a pseudonym due to safety concerns. | 2Conflicts
|
Germany's center-left Social Democrats (SPD)— the party of Chancellor Olaf Scholz — were declared the winners with an absolute majority in Sunday's election in the western state of Saarland by German media. The SPD won 43.5% of the vote, beating the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) at 28.5%, according to the state electoral board. The CDU has held power in the state continuously since 1999. The Social Democrats gained 29 of the 51 seats, giving them an absolute majority. That means they will not have to form a coalition. The SPD's Anke Rehlinger is now set to become the new state premier for Saarland, taking over from the CDU's Tobias Hans. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The left-leaning Greens, the neoliberal Free Democrats (FDP) and the Left party all failed to cross the 5% threshold and gain seats in parliament. The Greens were just 23 votes shy of getting in. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the CDU will be the only opposition parties. The electoral board said, however, that the final result, which follows detailed calculations including the number of possible voters and valid votes, may change the share where this is close to the threshold. This means the Greens may end up with seats, but it is unlikely to affect the SPD's absolute majority. Saarland is the first of several state-level elections in 2022, and the Social Democrats had been hoping to continue adding to the momentum of the 2021 national election, which dealt a historic blow to the Christian Democrats at the federal level. The government of SPD Chancellor Olaf Scholz took office in December, leading a three-way coalition with the left-leaning Greens and neoliberal Free Democrats (FDP). Opinion polls ahead of the vote had shown the SPD was expected to perform well in Saarland. More than 750,000 voters were called to cast ballots for the state legislature, of which just over 452,000 valid ballots were counted. Since 2012, the SPD and CDU have governed Saarland in a conservative-led so-called "grand coalition." Now the SPD can rule without forming a coalition. The SPD ended up winning an even greater share of the vote than predicted. A poll published on Thursday by ZDF Politbarometer put the SPD at 41% of the vote, compared with 28% for the CDU. The CDU's historic defeat in Saarland also marks the party's first election since Friedrich Merz took over as party head after Armin Laschet stepped down following their loss at the general election. Located in a hilly forested region bordering France and Luxembourg, Saarland is one of Germany's smallest states. Its state legislature with 51 seats is also the smallest in the country. By 2 p.m. local time (1300 UTC), an estimated 28.5% of voters had cast their vote, the state election board said. This was lower than the previous state election five years ago when almost a third of voters had cast their ballot by early afternoon. Almost 40% of the Saarland electorate had voted by the same point in last year's general election. However, the board also pointed out that a higher percentage of votes were expected to come in via post, in comparison to the previous state election. State elections in Germany are important barometers of public sentiment and also determine the distribution of votes in Germany's upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat. While the "traffic light "coalition of SPD, Greens and FDP has a solid majority in the lower house, the Bundestag, conservatives hold 51 of 69 votes in the Bundesrat. If the CDU were to lose those votes, that could make it easier for the coalition government to pass legislation. Saarland is the first of three regional elections in 2022 in states run by CDU premiers. However, with only 1 million residents, Saarland does not hold much political weight in the Bundesrat. A more critical test for the SPD will be the election on May 15 in Germany's most populous state, North Rhine-Westphalia. Other bellwethers will be in the CDU-led northern state of Schleswig-Holstein when it goes to the polls on May 8, and in the northwestern state of Lower Saxony in October, currently governed by the SPD. ab, wmr/fb (dpa, Reuters, AP, AFP) | 7Politics
|
A leading group of virologists and epidemiologists believe the delta variant of the coronavirus is the fastest, fittest and most formidable version the world has seen. Ten leading COVID-19 experts have weighed in with their opinions and say that there is growing evidence that the delta variant is capable of infecting fully vaccinated people in rates greater than previous versions. They also said that vaccine protection remains strong against severe infection, and that those most at risk are still those who have yet to be vaccinated. Speaking to the Reuters news agency, microbiologist Sharon Peacock said, "the biggest risk to the world at the moment is simply delta." Peacock, who is running Britain's genome sequencing of coronavirus variants, also called it the "fittest and fastest variant yet." Here's a look at the latest coronavirus news in other parts of the world: Australia's New South Wales state has reported a rise in new coronavirus infections, with 145 cases recorded Monday, up from 141 a day earlier. Massive anti-lockdown protests erupted over the weekend in Sydney, which is under a weekslong stay-at-home order. Out of the newly diagnosed cases, 51 were active in the community before testing positive, raising the risk of transmission. State officials said they want that number to drop to zero in order to lift the restrictions. "Some settings might change. We might need to go harder in some areas and release some settings in others," said Gladys Berejiklian, the state premier. Meanwhile, Victoria state reported 11 new infections, although all were in quarantine during their infectious period. Authorities in Victoria said they would decide the next day whether to lift restrictions as hoped. South Korea has started vaccinating people aged 55 to 59 amid the fourth wave of COVID-19. Earlier this month, South Korea had halted rolling out the coronavirus jab for this age group after available supplies were exhausted and the official reservation website crashed due to high demand. South Korea’s health ministry said they have been informed about a production issue with the Moderna vaccine, potentially causing a dent in the country’s vaccination drive. Tokyo Olympics organizers reported 16 new Games-related coronavirus cases on Monday — bringing the total number since July 1 to 153. The Tokyo Games are being held without spectators amid a rise in coronavirus infections in Japan in recent weeks. Close to 80% of Singapore’s population is expected to be fully vaccinated by early September, according to Health Minister Ong Ye Kung. Currently, about 54% people have received both shots of either the BioNTech-Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. Malaysia’s parliament is set to reopen on Monday after a seven-month virus-induced suspension. The government said it will not extend the country’s coronvirus emergency beyond August 1. The emergency had allowed the government to pause parliamentary proceedings since January, allowing Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to rule by ordinance. The government of Nepal has extended an ongoing lockdown in the Kathmandu valley by 10 days to curb the spread of the virus. The lockdown, which began in April as COVID cases sky-rocketed, will remain in place till August 4, officials said. Bangladesh logged the highest number of coronavirus cases and deaths in a single day, even although a strict lockdown is currently in force. According to health officials there were 15,192 new infections and 247 deaths reported in a 24-hour period. On Monday, the United States President Joe Biden said that government would maintain travel restrictions due to a surge in the delta variant. He also announced an initiative to prohibit discrimination against those suffering from long-term symptoms of COVID-19. Biden made the remarks at an event marking the 31st anniversary of the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Meanwhile US First Lady Jill Biden urged Hawaiians to get the jab as the coronavirus delta variant surges through much of the country. "I'm here to ask everyone listening right now, to choose to get vaccinated," Biden said as she visited a pop-up coronavirus vaccination clinic in Waipahu, Hawaii. She said the virus has become "more contagious than ever," calling on the unvaccinated to "help us move past this virus once and for all." Hawaii's seven-day daily average for new infections increased 192% from July 10 to Friday, the Associated Press reported, citing the state's health department. New York City municipal workers including police officers and teachers will be required to get vaccinated or face weekly testing for COVID-19 according to the city’s mayor, Bill de Blasio. Around 340,000 employees will be affected. Brazil’s health chiefs say China’s Sinopharm has applied for emergency use authorization for its vaccine. Sinovac Biotech’s Coronavac is already in use in the country and is currently the most widely administered shot. Brazilian health agency Anvisa said it would be reviewing the application. South Africa has eased lockdown restrictions as a recent third wave surge in infections appears to have passed its peak. In an address to the nation, President Cyril Ramaphosa said that there had been a 20% drop in new confirmed cases when compared to the previous week. The lockdowns have had a severe impact on the country’s battered economy with many businesses being forced to shut down. Ghana's president, Nana Akufo-Addo, said his country was hoping to receive at least 18 million doses of the coronavirus jab before October. His remarks came as coronavirus cases rise across West Africa. "Our nation is experiencing a third wave of COVID-19 infections," Akufo-Addo said. "These increased infections have largely been driven by the delta variant." Ghana is buying 17 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the president said, adding that the government is also receiving 1 million doses of the BioNTech-Pfizer jab from the US. France's parliament on Monday approved a law to tackle a fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic despite massive protests against the measures. The new law makes vaccinations against COVID-19 mandatory for health workers, who risk suspension if they don't take the jab by September 15. It also requires special health passes for people to enter various social venues, including restaurants and bars, from the beginning of August. France had already denied visitors' entry to museums, cinemas or swimming pools without proof of vaccination against the virus or a recent negative test. The measures contained in the bill — which still needs approval from the constitutional court — are due to expire November 15. Around 161,000 people protested on Saturday against the COVID pass. About 40 million people in France have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, President Emmanuel Macron said. This amounts to nearly 60% of the country’s population. The number of coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 958 and deaths rose by three, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases reported on Monday. The seven-day incidence on Monday was 14.3, up from 13.8 the previous day, according to the RKI. The Heathrow Airport has urged the United Kingdom to open up travel for vaccinated individuals as its cumulative pandemic losses rose to $4 billion. The London airport, which was the busiest airport in Europe before the pandemic, said less than four million people had passed through the airport in the first six months of 2021. This number would have been surpassed within 18 days in 2019. Greece will make COVID-19 vaccinations available to children aged between 12 to 15 in August. The country’s Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias said that vaccination would be optional. Greece is currently battling a surge in infections due to the infectious delta variant. kb, fb/aw (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters) | 5Health
|
During the sentencing of Kashmiri pro-independence leader Yasin Malik on Wednesday, authorities in India-administered Kashmir blocked mobile internet services and cracked down on Malik's supporters who protested in Srinagar. Some marched through the streets of Kashmir's largest city, chanting "We want freedom" and "Go back, India." Government forces fired tear gas in their direction, while the marchers threw stones. The 56-year-old Malik was convicted last week by a National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in New Delhi of funding anti-India militancy in Kashmir. He was sentenced to life in prison. Malik leads the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), a separatist organization that renounced acts of violence in 1994 but continues to demand Kashmir's independence from both India and Pakistan. Kashmir is claimed in full, but ruled in part, by each of the South Asian arch-rivals. Malik was arrested and the JKLF was banned under a new anti-terror law in 2019, the same year New Delhi abrogated Article 370 of the Indian constitution that guaranteed Kashmir's semi-independent status. The move sparked ongoing unrest, as many Kashmiris fear a demographic shift engineered by India moving in more ethnic Hindus into the Muslim-majority region. More than 100 people, including militants, Indian soldiers, and civilians, have died this year in sporadic violent incidents in Kashmir. The JKLF was among the first armed militant groups in Indian-administered Kashmir, which contributed to Malik's being viewed as a militant rebel. But in 1994, Malik as chief commander of the JKLF said the group would denounce violence and enter into talks with New Delhi on the Kashmir dispute. He met with top diplomats from Europe, the US, and India to explicitly express his commitment to what he called a "Gandhian" approach of non-violence to achieve his political goals. Malik endured criticism after his unilateral ceasefire led to the killings of dozens of his cadres at the hands of India's army. Although the JKLF laying down arms temporarily quelled conflict in the region, New Delhi and Islamabad both continue to dismiss Kashmiri independence. The abrogation of Kashmir's special status in 2019, and India's ensuring security crackdown further increased tensions. Tabinda Wani, a Kashmiri Ph.D. candidate who asked that her university not be named, told DW that Malik's life imprisonment has now further reduced the space for negotiation on the Kashmir dispute. "Malik laid down arms to embrace the path of non-violence and finally landed in jail for life. It leaves little hope for experimenting with dialogue in resolving disputed issues," said Wani. "He will always be relevant to the political scene in Kashmir with his life imprisonment only enhancing his stature as a symbol of Kashmiris' desire for freedom," Kashmiri political analyst Reyaz Ahmad told DW. Ahmad has been a journalist for more than three decades. His articles have appeared in international publications like The New Statesman, Huffington Post and more. "[Malik's] incarceration will be a perpetual source of grievance for Kashmiris and a fuel to the sentiment for freedom," Ahmad added. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Malik is among thousands of Kashmiris who have been jailed for their links with militant separatist movements as India tightens its security strategy in the restive region. Indian authorities are also shifting Kashmiri political detainees to prisons far away from the region to break their contact with locals. The former head of Amnesty International in India, Aakar Patel, told DW that Malik's decision to not contest the charges against him suggests he has no faith in the impartiality of India's judiciary. "Unfortunately, he has good reason to be skeptical. The habeas corpus pleas of Kashmiri leaders locked up after the gutting of Article 370 [guaranteeing Kashmir's semi-independent status] went undecided in the Supreme Court," Patel said. "This is a very distressing period and Malik's decision to martyr himself should alert us to the helplessness felt by Kashmiris," he added. However, Indian BJP party politician and former deputy chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Nirmal Singh said the verdict "will send a strong message to separatists that they can't escape from the crimes they have committed." "The separatist ideology is being dealt with iron hands and rule of law is being implemented," Singh told DW. The People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), a political alliance campaigning for Kashmiri autonomy, said in a statement the verdict will further alienate the people of Kashmir. "Life imprisonment given to Malik is a setback to the efforts for peace. We are afraid that this will further compound the uncertainties in the region and will only fuel more alienation and separatist feelings," the PAGD statement said. However, Kashmir Pandits, an ethnic Hindu minority in Kashmir, have hailed the court decision, and added they want Malik to be tried for killing Pandits in the 1990s. "We respect the judiciary, but we expect Yasin Malik to be tried for the actual crimes committed by him. Today's punishment is a joke about what he has done to Kashmiri Hindus. You have just punished him for terror funding," said Kashmiri Pandit leader Lalit Ambardar. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Edited by: Wesley Rahn | 2Conflicts
|
The special summit of EU leaders on combating the pandemic reveals a degree of helplessness. In almost all EU countries infection rates are too high. The virus is mutating. The vaccination campaign is faltering. Corona-fatigue is growing, and people are fed up with lockdowns. In these oppressive times, we are again seeing a reflexive move to close borders or impose even tighter restrictions on travel. Even Germany's Chancellor Merkel is brandishing this cudgel, despite the fact that six months ago there was general and complete agreement there should not be any more frenzied border closures, as in the first wave of the pandemic. "Non-essential" travel should be stopped — but there was never any proper definition of what exactly counts as "non-essential." Already there is hardly any cross-border tourism in the EU anymore because of the manifold test and quarantine barriers in place. Only about 4% of all EU citizens work in another EU country. No one knows whether these cross-border commuters are a source of infections. Why workers driving their own cars to a factory in a neighboring country should be more infectious than workers driving to a factory in a neighboring town in their own country is something no one, not even heads of government, can really explain. Perhaps the tens of thousands of truck drivers who drive goods from Spain to Denmark or from Belgium to Austria or elsewhere in the EU every day are the virus's best friends? If they are now to be tested at every border, logistics companies predict serious disruption to supplies and supply chains. It's not traveling per se, the journey from one place to another, that's dangerous — it's people's behavior in the places where their journey begins and ends. If someone follows the rules of hygiene in the town where he's visiting his grandmother, aunt, or children, he is no more or less infectious than he is at home. If the idea is to prevent movement and mobility generally, this should be done not only at the EU's internal borders. It requires a Europe-wide lockdown with a strict curfew. In that case, it would make just as much sense to close the border between Bremen and Lower Saxony because the incidence in Bremen is lower than in Lower Saxony. Or one could cordon off the district of Berlin-Mitte to prevent people from Berlin-Dahlem, where the incidence is lower, from entering. The chancellor's threat of potential border closures if neighboring countries are not as strict as Merkel herself is completely wide of the mark. France and Belgium imposed curfews and obligatory testing long ago, which the Germans still can't bring themselves to do. It's an illusion to think that it would be possible to coordinate and standardize measures right across Europe. Every country has its own mix of rules. The EU Commission is supposed to be assuming the thankless task of preventing "unnecessary" travel. Yet so far it hasn't even managed to create a standard border crossing form (passenger locator form) for all 27 states. They've been working on it since October! So the announcement of the introduction of an EU-wide vaccination card is practically a revolutionary step. This has to happen so that people who are vaccinated in the summer are able to exercise their rights again. It's not about privilege, but normality — the right to go, to drive, to fly wherever you want. As soon as it is proven that vaccination prevents people from infecting others, the vaccination card must be able to serve as an entry card for restaurants, cinemas, vacation hotels. It would be even better if vaccination were made compulsory. After all, this is the case in Germany with the measles vaccine. And no one has ever ranted about a "two-tier society" just because, in order to travel to many countries in the world, they must be vaccinated against yellow fever. Organizing a vaccination card is the job the European Union should really be getting on with, not making gestures like proposing border closures. This article has been translated from German by Charlotte Collins. | 7Politics
|
The chairman of the BBC, Britain's main public broadcaster, faced pressure to resign on Sunday after he was found to have breached ethical standards over the Boris Johnson loan scandal. A committee of UK lawmakers found that Richard Sharp had made "significant errors of judgment" by not revealing that he had acted as a go-between to help the former UK prime minister secure an 800,000 pound ($964,640, €902,000) loan. Sharp was appointed to lead the BBC shortly after the loan was arranged. The cross-party Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee said Sharp's actions "constitute a breach of the standards expected of individuals" applying for prominent public appointments. "The public appointments process can only work effectively if everyone is open and transparent, yet Richard Sharp chose not to tell either the appointment panel or our committee about his involvement in the facilitation of a loan to Boris Johnson," said the committee's acting chair, Damian Green. The chair of the BBC is appointed based on the recommendation of the government of the day. Green added that the lack of transparency meant "we were not in the full possession of the facts when we were required to rule on his suitability for the role of BBC chair." Without formally calling for his resignation, the committee said Sharp should "consider the impact his omissions will have" on trust in the public broadcaster. Sharp, a former Goldman Sachs banker, has admitted that he introduced Sam Blyth, an old friend who wanted to help Johnson, to a government official in late 2020. He said his involvement went no further. Blyth, who is a distant cousin of Johnson, went on to make the loan to the former prime minister, UK media reported. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Sharp appeared before the committee on Tuesday and reiterated that he was not involved in making a loan or in arranging a guarantee or any financing. He said after seeking an introduction for Blyth, he had agreed with a senior government official to have nothing more to do with the matter to avoid any conflict of interest. "Mr. Sharp appreciates that there was information that the committee felt that it should have been made aware of in his pre-appointment hearing," a spokesperson for Sharp said. "He regrets this and apologizes." Sharp also apologized again to the broadcaster's staff for the distraction caused to the BBC. Lisa Nandy, a shadow minister from the opposition Labour Party said Sharp's position was "increasingly untenable." "I think it's difficult to see how Richard Sharp could possibly stay in the position that he's in, given the far-reaching implications for the reputation of the BBC and the implications for trust in journalism," she told Sky News. Andrew Mitchell, a minister from the ruling Conservative government said it was up to the broadcaster to decide Sharp's future. "I think Damian Green is a very senior member of the House of Commons and what he and his committee says matters," Mitchell told the BBC. "But I think, as I say, this is really something which the public appointments commissioner must look at and we must wait for his judgment. And above all, of course, it's a matter for the judgment of the BBC." Britain's public appointments watchdog is also reviewing Sharp's appointment. The chair is responsible for maintaining the independence of the BBC. He also appoints the director general and acts as the corporation's most senior representative to parliament and the government. Sharp was named as the preferred candidate for the job in January 2021. With material from Reuters Edited by: Darko Janjevic | 7Politics
|
Sylvestre Ilunga Ilunkamba, the prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) was ousted in a parliamentary vote of no confidence on Wednesday. It's the latest chapter in a growing rift between the country's current president, Felix Tshisekedi, and allies of his predecessor, Joseph Kabila. The National Assembly of DR Congo approved a motion of censure against Ilunkamba with a thumping 367-7 majority, albeit with more than 100 abstentions. The prime minister now has 24 hours to step down from the role. While Ilunkamba denounced the censure motion, Francois Nzekuye, an MP, told news agency AFP that he wouldn't resign. The prime minister called the motion of censure "a political maneuver with no basis in fact, flouting the requirements of the state of law." Ilunkamba and other pro-Kabila supporters boycotted the vote in the Kinshasa parliament, arguing that an interim speaker of parliament didn't have constitutional authority to pass a no-confidence motion. Tshisekedi has been president of the mineral-rich DR Congo since he won the 2018 election. He succeeded Kabila in the country's first peaceful transition of power since gaining independence from Belgium in 1960. Despite winning the presidential vote, he is reliant on blocs aligned with Kabila in parliament. Tshisekedi's supporters say the coalition government between his parliamentary alliance, Heading for Change (CACH), and the Common Front for Congo (FCC), which is composed of parties and politicians loyal to ex-President Joseph Kabila, had straitjacketed his leadership. He appointed Ilunga as prime minister some six months after his election following protracted talks on a Cabinet with the FCC. Tshisekedi announced in December 2020 that he was putting an end to the coalition and forming a new political alliance, the "Sacred Union." Since then, Tshisekedi has been cracking down on pro-Kabila supporters in an attempt to strengthen his power. On Wednesday, Pastor Daniel Ngoy Mulunda, an ally of Kabila, was sentenced to three years in jail for "endangering state security, inciting tribal hatred and spreading false rumors." am/msh (AFP, Reuters) | 7Politics
|
At least 11 people were killed by heavy flooding in the Kurdish autonomous region of Iraq on Friday, a government official confirmed. "The death toll has now risen to 11, after the discovery by the civil defense personnel of three bodies of missing persons who had been washed away, including a Filipino national and a Turk," the provincial mayor Nabaz Abdelhamid told AFP. The flooding was caused by heavy rains overnight that had pummeled the capital of the region, Erbil, in the north of the country. The incident caused widespread damage to houses and vehicles. Further afield, the rains caused a bridge to collapse in the province of Nineveh. An earlier report by Erbil's governor Omed Khoshnaw said that one person had been killed by a lightning strike. In another case, a 10-month-old baby was swept away by the water. "The flooding began at 4 a.m. and among the victims were women and children," Khoshnaw told the AFP news agency, adding that they were mostly from the poorer neighborhoods in the east of the city. Workers were still searching for people who had gone missing. Thursday night's rains came after one of the driest years in decades. Officials warned that heavy rains could hit the area again. Catastrophes associated with heavy rain have made headlines around the world several times this year, including the deadly floods in western Germany as well as in major cities in China. Iraq is particularly vulnerable to the effects of extreme weather patterns — most likely driven by climate change — due to its underdeveloped infrastructure. Energy blackouts during record heat waves in recent years have sparked large-scale anti-government protests. ab/aw (dpa, AFP) | 1Catastrophe
|
While a semblance of normality is gradually returning to Burkina Faso following last Friday's coup led by little-known Captain Ibrahim Traore, neighboring countries are watching the political turmoil with growing concern. "Anyone who has been following the developments in the region for the past six years will be very very worried," said Mutaru Mumuni Muktar, executive director of the independent organization West Africa Center for Counter-Extremism (WACCE). "We are seeing the threat of terrorism and extremist violence not only expanding withing the Sahelian states but moving downwards towards coastal states," Muktar told DW. A security expert in Ghana, Muktar pointed to increased extremist violence on the northern borders of Togo, Benin and Ivory Coast. The international community strongly condemned the coup that overthrew Lt Col Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, who came to power on January 31, 2022, after staging a putsch that ousted democratically elected President Roch Marc Christian Kabore on January 24. West Africa's regional body, ECOWAS, also condemned Friday's coup in Burkina Faso "in the strongest possible terms," calling it "inappropriate." For Muktar, the frequent coups now becoming popular are worsening the violent extremism threat in the West African sub-region. "This mixture of security threats should worry all of us, especially countries like Ghana along the coast, that have yet to experience direct violent extremist attacks." ECOWAS, or the Economic Community of West African States, demanded the new military junta respect the timetable agreed with transitional authorities for a rapid return to constitutional order by July 1, 2024. "I am not satisfied with the ECOWAS approach," Muktar said. "In the last couple of years, we have seen the same dysfunctional approach to dealing with the issue of coups and insecurity in the region." Although Muktar lauded ECOWAS for condemning the latest coup, he urged the regional body to do more. "What we need to see is ECOWAS go beyond the measures of sanctions and embargoes. We need to see ECOWAS activate all its protocols, especially when it comes to governance." France and Russia have been battling for influence in West Africa, with the latter gaining support from locals who seem fed up with Paris. News of Burkina Faso's second coup in 2022 was welcomed by Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the private military company Wagner Group. Prigozhin, a close ally of Russia's President Vladimir Putin, quickly congratulated Traore on his successful coup. "I salute and support Captain Ibrahim Traore," the Russian tycoon said in a statement, calling Traore, "a truly courageous son of the motherland." Many Burkinabes greeted news of Damiba's departure by cheering, lighting fires, and waving Russian flags in the capital Ouagadougou. Some threw stones at the French Embassy. Others attacked a French cultural center in Bobo-Dioulassou. Some residents accused France of working with Damiba to conduct a coup within a coup on Saturday. France later distanced itself from the coup, saying it was a victim of misinformation. "Sincerely, the coup was good, I myself am happy, the country was badly managed," a Burkinabe citizen told DW. "President Damiba did not respect the mandate. That's why there was this event [counter-coup]," another Burkinabe said. Damiba had accused former President Kabore of not doing enough to combat Islamist Jihadists. Captain Traore gave that exact same reason for his decision to topple his former comrade. Sani Adib, a foreign policy and security analyst based in Accra, Ghana, told DW that people's expectations of coups are misplaced. "ECOWAS citizens think coups provide you [with] a magic wand that will turn things around overnight," Adib said, stressing that things don't happen that way. "I don't think Captain Traore will be able to change anything overnight. Rather, a more concerted, coordinated international approach must be taken." The security expert warned that Burkina Faso cannot do this alone and urged other countries to contribute resources. "So we are able to deal with the situation once and for all." Adib said it was sad that terrorists were winning in Burkina Faso. "It's what has resulted or culminated in the coups we are witnessing, particularly in Mali and Burkina Faso," Adib added. Many observers like Adib and Muktar now think any possible solution will have to come from outside Burkina Faso. There are signs that Traore could reach out to Moscow for military assistance just like Mali did. "There has been a growing sense of frustration and fatigue, and anti-French sentiment," Muktar said. He added that France and other Western partners seem to be becoming unpopular and that governments in the region are looking to ignite relationships with countries that they believe will bring a new dynamic. In addition, Adib suggested that winning the war against extremist violence would require all hands on deck. "We are supposed to be partners in this, but when there are cracks, when there are divisions, it plays to the advantage of the terrorists," Adib said. "That is why it's imperative that we bury our differences," he emphasized. "We have a lot of splintered approaches. MINUSMA, Barkhane, Joint Task Force, G5 Sahel, the Accra Initiative — it's indicative of the uncoordinated approach we are resorting to." Edited by: Jon Shelton | 7Politics
|
Mali’s transitional president has resigned, military officials said on Wednesday, while he and the country's former prime minister are in detention. A military spokesperson quoted by the AP news agency said transitional President Bah N'Daw had handed in his resignation to former junta leader and transitional Vice President Colonel Assimi Goita. He fired Prime Minister Moctar Ouane yesterday. Both leaders were arrested by the army earlier this week, sparking international condemnation and the threat of EU sanctions. It is unknown in what conditions the pair are being held. N'Daw's reported resignation comes as representatives of the Economic Community of West African States are in Mali to mediate. The delegation is being led by Goodluck Jonathan, a former president of Nigeria. The UN, the African Union and the EU have all urged Mali’s military to release the transitional president and prime minister, who were to lead an 18-month civilian government. France, the former colonial power, has warned of serious consequences, including targeted sanctions, if the pair are not freed. French government spokesman Gabriel Attal said Wednesday that "what has happened with what amounts to a coup d’etat within the coup d’etat constitutes for us a rupture of confidence." When Goita spoke Tuesday, he pledged to move forward with new elections in 2022 as previously promised. But the arrests of the two leaders cast doubt over whether there might be significant interference by the junta, which overthrew the last democratically elected president. There are fears that the new political unrest could further destabilize efforts to control Mali’s Islamist insurgency. The UN now spends some $1.2 billion (€980 million) annually on a peacekeepingmission in Mali. France’s military has spent eight years trying to stabilize the former colony during the ongoing threat. Chic Dambach, adjunct faculty at Johns Hopkins and American universities and former CEO at the Alliance for Peacebuilding, told DW that Mali's government "is in chaos with no clear path to stability." "This is the third coup in 9 years — with a violent jihadist movement consuming much of the country and threatening more," he said. "Even with substantial international support, the government has not been unable to get control, and corruption remains rampant." "Elections were scheduled for next February, and potential candidates have been positioning themselves. The coup's leaders claim the election schedule is still on, but one has to be skeptical," the former Nobel Peace Prize nominee said. jf/aw (AP, Reuters) | 7Politics
|
In late June, Ukraine announced it had destroyed a Russian military base in Izyum, in the eastern Donbas region, killing at least 40 soldiers. Another strike that night reportedly killed a commander of Russia's elite VDV paratrooper regiment. They were the first Russian victims of HIMARS (the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System), a mid to long-range missile system that has allowed Ukraine to strike deep beyond the front lines for the first time since Russia invaded in February. The US began to send HIMARS to Ukraine in June, as Russia continued to advance through Donbas and Luhansk in an artillery-heavy offensive. Since then, HIMARS have become a valuable tool for Ukraine's military, which says it has conducted dozens of strikes on Russian targets, including air defense systems and ammunition stores. On Wednesday, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said the US would deliver four more HIMARS, bringing the total number sent to Ukraine up to 16. "HIMARS have already made a HUUUGE difference on the battlefield," Ukraine's defense minister, Oleksii Reznikov, tweeted on July 9. "More of them as well as [US] ammo & equipment will increase our strength and help to demilitarize the terrorist state." The HIMARS is a truck-mounted multiple rocket launcher manufactured by Lockheed Martin. It entered production in the 1990s and was first deployed by the US military in the mid-2000s. The launcher can be mounted with either six GPS-guided, mid-range GMLRS, which are guided missiles with a range of 92 kilometers (57 miles) or one long-range guided ATACMS surface-to-surface missile, with a range of 300 kilometers (186 miles). However, the US has not supplied ATACMS to Ukraine, fearing they would be used to attack Russian soil, which would be seen by the Kremlin as an escalation of American involvement in the conflict. The HIMARS is manned by three crew members and takes five minutes to reload. A mobile system, it can relocate quickly after launch to protect the crew and system from any return fire from an enemy combatant, an ability called "shoot and scoot." The system costs around $5 million (€4.8 million) per unit to produce and more than 540 have been used in the field, according to Lockheed Martin. The US, Romania, Singapore, Untied Arab Emirates, Jordan and now Ukraine are the only countries to currently possess HIMARS. Sales have been approved to Poland and Taiwan, and last week Estonia confirmed it would purchase up to six systems from the US as part of a $500-million package. HIMARS have been deployed previously in Afghanistan, where the US used them against the Taliban in Kandahar province, and against so-called "Islamic State" forces in Iraq during the battle of Mosul. In the early days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, foreign-supplied anti-tank weapons, like the NLAW and Javelin, proved crucial in defending the advance of Russian armored columns toward cities such as Kyiv and Kharkiv. In recent months, Russia has been trudging slowly through eastern Ukraine, capturing the remaining Ukrainian-held cities in Luhansk and much of Donbas under a hail of heavy artillery fire. Ukraine is outgunned when it comes to conventional artillery, which has a maximum range of around 40 kilometers (25 miles). But the HIMARS have proven crucial in upping Ukraine's military strength — effective at striking key command, communications and logistics centers well behind enemy lines, all while remaining safely out of range of Russian shelling. Their impact has clearly been felt by Russia, which does not appear to have an easy way to defend its troops and infrastructure from these precision missiles. On Monday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu gave orders to "prioritize the defeat of the enemy's long-range missile and artillery weapons with high-precision weapons," according to a state Telegram channel. Ukraine has used HIMARS to interrupt Russia's supply of artillery to its front, where Russian forces are using an estimated 20,000 shells per day, according to a report by the Royal United Services Institute. In early July, videos posted to social media showed what appeared to be ammunition dumps in flames, including a truck center in Donetsk belonging to the Russia vehicle manufacturer Kamaz; the structures were likely struck by HIMARS. Precision rockets have also been used to hit high-value targets. According to Serhiy Bratchuk, an official for the Odessa region, a HIMARS rocket strike earlier this month near Kherson killed Russian Major General Artyom Nasbulin, the chief of staff of the 22nd Army Corps. The Russian S-400 air defense missile system has apparently been unable to intercept these missiles, and it remains unclear whether Russian intelligence has managed to successfully locate and attack them. The Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday it had destroyed four HIMARS. However, General Mark Milley, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a press conference on Wednesday that none of the systems have so far been destroyed. He also said that around 200 Ukrainian troops have been trained to use HIMARS. As with other weapons that appeared to briefly turn the tide of the war, like NLAWs and Turkish Bayraktar drones, Russia may find ways to adapt to or reduce the effectiveness of HIMARS. There are also concerns that the systems will be difficult to maintain and repair over time, and that stocks of the costly missiles will deplete quickly. "The issue will become ammunition and the consumption rates," said Milley. Edited by: Cristina Burack | 7Politics
|
For over two years, Fumio Takenaka has been looking forward to a foreign beach holiday with her family. With the coronavirus pandemic waning and resort destinations reopening across the Pacific, she started making plans for a week in Hawaii — only to be horrified at the prices she was quoted. Rising fuel costs have made flights more expensive as travel firms push up their prices in an attempt to claw back some of the income they lost during the forced shutdowns that hit much of the industry. But the biggest impact on the Takenaka family's vacation plans was the rapidly falling value of the yen. The exchange value of Japan's currency, the yen, has fallen, meaning that today one would have to pay slightly less than 135 yen to buy just $1 — a level not seen since 1998. This is also down sharply from the exchange rate of 110-120 yen to the dollar seen as recently as mid-March. Analysts are of the opinion that the yen will resume its downward slide and may soon hit the 140-yen level. "I was shocked when I worked out the yen prices for things like hotels, a day trip to the North Shore to see the turtles, or a meal out in Honolulu. Even the airport transfers seem very expensive now," Takenaka told DW. "We have been to Hawaii a few times before, but I do not remember the prices being so high." "The cost of food, fuel and everything else has been going up here in Japan, as well, but spending dollars seems to be beyond our budget at the moment," Takenaka said. "I think maybe this year we will go back to Okinawa instead." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The rapid decline in the fortunes of the yen has sparked alarm among Japanese consumers and companies — particularly those that are suddenly finding imports prohibitively expensive. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda held talks in Tokyo on Monday, during which they described the weakening of the currency as "a matter of concern." Nevertheless, the Bank of Japan under Kuroda has reaffirmed that it will maintain its ultralow rate policy, in contrast to the central banks of the US and Europe that have been lifting interest rates to rein in inflation. As a result, analysts say, investors have been quick to sell their holdings in the Japanese currency. "I fully expect the yen to go to 140 to the dollar," said Martin Schulz, chief policy economist for Fujitsu's Global Market Intelligence Unit. "A weak yen policy and printing money have been core components of 'Kurodanomics,' with that easy monetary policy seen as having a positive impact on the earnings of Japanese exporters, plus bringing in more in yen terms when profits earned overseas are repatriated," he said. Kuroda and the central bank have stuck to this policy for more than a decade, with controlling inflation and deflation the primary concern, Schulz said. Unlike other countries, however, Japan has declined to shift its priorities despite the dramatic global changes caused by the pandemic, the chaos that hit global supply chains, the associated economic downturn and now the conflict in Ukraine. In Japan, these impacts have manifested in soaring prices, particularly for imports such as fuel and foodstuffs such as corn, cooking oils and wheat. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The cost of cooking oil has soared from 213 yen (€1.49) per liter (roughly 1 quart) in May last year to an average of 323 yen (€2.27) today, while the price of mayonnaise is up nearly 30%, 600 grams (20 ounces) of dry pasta costs 292 yen (€2.05), up from 256 yen (€1.80) and 1 kilogram (2.2 opoiof wheat has soared 9% to 254 yen (€1.78) in the last 12 months, according to figures from retail analysis firm True Data Inc. Japanese corporations are concerned at the fluctuations in the currency, with 45 of the 100 leading companies replying to a poll by the Asahi Shimbun newspaper saying they fear that the weak yen is badly damaging the national economy, with a further 38 responding that the effect is "somewhat negative." Only nine of the firms surveyed say the impact has been positive. For the majority, the most serious headaches are rising costs for raw materials — Japan has little in the way of the natural resources required to feed domestic industry — and transportation costs. "The Bank of Japan has been pushing the message that a weak yen is good for Japan, but industry and ordinary people who see prices spiking higher do not agree," Schulz said. Though he fully expects the yen to continue to trend lower in the coming weeks and months, Schulz agrees that the Japanese economy has been negatively affected by an unprecedented set of circumstances that will, sooner or later, recede. The blockage of supply chains will eventually unwind, he pointed out, while inbound tourism — which is worth fully 1% of Japan's GDP — should resume in the near future. Similarly, he said, as soon as the US economy goes into recession, which appears increasingly likely, the yen will become a more attractive "safe-haven" currency for investors and a good deal of the investments that have been lost in the past year or so should return. "That is the Japanese government's hope, at least," he said. "They are anticipating that everything will improve over the course of the summer and that will help to stabilize the exchange rate." Edited by: Alex Berry | 0Business
|
"Major indications" of far-right crime had emerged, German prosecutors said Thursday, amid a renewed police probe into the 1991 fatal arson attack at Saarlouis in Germany's western state of Saarland. Samuel Yeboah, then 27, was sleeping on the top floor of a former guest house converted into an asylum-seekers' hostel when he died from burns suffered in the fire while 22 others fled. The Ghanaian's death is one of 213 cases listed as fatal racist attacks by the Amadeu Antonio Foundation, a Berlin-based initiative named in memory of an Angolan guest worker of the former communist East Germany (GDR) who died in police custody just after German reunification in 1990. A spokesman for Federal Prosecutors' Office based in Karlsruhe said Thursday that investigators had searched the home and workplace of a 49-year-old suspect from Saarlouis, described by German media as a far-right extremist. Initially, arrests had not taken place, according to the Prosecutors' Office. The regional newspaper, Saarbrücker Zeitung (SZ), reported Thursday that addresses of four other people regarded as witnesses had been searched in Saarlouis and outlying towns. A police statement earlier in January said renewed questioning and investigation of the case brought to light that "an unknown man, approximately 20 to 30 years old, light-skinned, slim and tall (approximately 185 to 190 cm tall), was seen at the scene of the crime." Two weeks ago, the SZ had reported that a special police investigation team had set up a telephone hotline, offering a reward of €10,000 ($12,126) for tips from the public leading to the long-sought arsonist. A newspaper clipping dating back to 1991 and still accessible on the Saarlouis fire brigade's website said the building's old wooden staircase had been set rapidly ablaze, probably with fluid accelerant, at around 3:30 a.m. Two people jumped from upper-floor windows, suffering bone fractures. Yeboah tried to run downstairs and died of burns in the hospital. Witnesses had seen a silver-colored car leave the scene at high speed, the SZ reported at the time. The presumed arson attack in Saarlouis was one of a series across Germany in the three decades since reunification. In 2005, local leftist activists were confronted with a city fine of €134 for trying to attach a plaque in memory of Yeboah to a Saarlouis administration building. At that time, Gertrud Selzer, now a leading member of a Saarland lobby group for refugees, urged Saarlouis' then-mayor to develop a memorial at roundtable talks. "The city boasts being the birthplace of General Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck," said Selzer in 2005, referring to German colonial atrocities against ethnic Herero in what is now Namibia. ipj/sms (dpa, AFP) While you're here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society. You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter Berlin Briefing. | 3Crime
|
The Indian Film Festival in the German city of Stuttgart is taking place this week with live audiences for the first time since 2019. Until 2011 the festival was actually called "Bollywood & Beyond" but the name was dropped because Indian cinema is so much more than mainstream Hindi-language movies. "Bollywood" is a compound of the terms Bombay (the old name of the city of Mumbai) and Hollywood. A film critic invented the word crossover in the 1970s to make one of the world's most successful movie industries more palatable to Western audiences. Bollywood also stands for films made in the Hindi language, as opposed to India's other 120-odd tongues including Urdu, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil and Bengali — some of which also have their own film industry. India produces more films than any other country worldwide, with Hindi-language films most strongly represented among the more than 1,000 productions a year. The Indian film industry generates nearly $2 billion (€1.9 billion) a year. US productions that set standards elsewhere in the world traditionally have little influence in India. The Hindi film industry originated in Mumbai in the 1930s and had its first heyday in the 1960s and 1970s with romance films, dramas and action flicks. The movies are over three hours long and have an intermission and most feature singing and dancing. Over the decades, Hindi cinema developed a formula for success that includes the so-called nine rasas, or basic human emotions in traditional Indian arts — joy, fear, anger, love, courage, sadness, amazement, disgust and calmness. A Bollywood film can be a veritable roller coaster of emotions: tragedy and comedy alternate, as do action and romance. The plot is almost always about love. Bollywoodmovies were firmly in the hands of actors who also produced the biggest blockbusters. In the 1990s and 2000s, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Salman Khan were the most famous outside India. Screenwriters and filmmakers had comparatively small profiles power during Bollywood's heyday. 2001 was a pivotal year for Indian cinema, and for Stephan Holl, who with wife Antoinette Koester owns the Cologne-based Rapid Eye Movies film distribution company. Fascinated with Indian cinema, they decided to distribute Indian films in Germany and Europe. At the time, that was a big risk, but the move also promoted Indian cinema beyond Asia. Rapid Eye Movies, actually an arthouse distributor, was partly responsible for a veritable Bollywood wave that took place throughout Europe a short time later. "We brought Bollywood and Indian indie films to Germany. Bollywood had a 95% market share in India at the time," Holl told DW, adding the movies included the early films starring Shah Rukh Khan, real evergreens that people loved." But Bollywood's recipe for successful also left a bad taste. A few superstars had too much power. There were too few female producers and directors. In addition, recurring Hindi mainstream cinema plots were becoming tired and clicheed. In the early 2010s, box offices saw the first big flops. "What was tried and true didn't work anymore, there was a lot of uncertainty," said Stephan Holl, arguing that the crisis was homemade, and that people relied too much on the stars to fix it. He said the films were increasingly flat and formulaic. Independent filmmakers saw an opportunity and took it. "Suddenly there were many more female filmmakers and films without stars that had a good story and that worked, that got by on much smaller budgets," Holl said. "Arthouse filmmakers entered the scene, suddenly Indian films were showing at the Cannes Film Festival." Anurag Kashyap, for example, is a successful Hindi language director who also produces and writes screenplays that break the Bollywood mold. His internationally acclaimed 2016 film "Raman Raghav 2.0," inspired by the serial killer of the same name, brought a darker, neo-noir edge to Indian cinema. But does this shift mean that Bollywood mainstream films will eventually die out? Anu Singh, Indian filmmaker, award-winning journalist and screenwriter, does not see a crisis in mainstream cinema. "If you look at the list of the biggest blockbusters, most of them came in the past seven years, whether there was a 'Dangal', or a 'Sanju', or a fairly small film called 'Secret Superstar'. And the best part is, these films did extremely well worldwide too", Singh told DW. It's the Covid-19 pandemic and the huge success of streaming services that are a threat to traditional mainstream Indian cinema, she argued, as well as the increasingly successful film industries of South India with productions such as 'Pushpa' and 'RRR'. But Anu Singh sees diversification as a great opportunity for Indian cinema. "The flux has led to a lot of soul-searching, and a lot of brave collaborations. Mainstream is looking towards other language industries," she said. "Bollywood is no longer just Hindi cinema. It is also transcreation and adaptation. If the so-called mainstream is ready to borrow and learn from other smaller streams, I am certain it will only enrich itself." Like Stephan Holl, Anu Singh sees the future of Bollywood in more diverse themes and casts. Currently, she said, there is still a struggle with what kind of stories filmmakers want to tell to "the imagination of the ever-changing audience" — an audience that is well-versed in international film thanks to streaming services. She says she is in greater demand as a screenwriter than ever before due to a demand for new storytelling voices and perspectives. "Also, series and long formats are writers' mediums. So, the bound script has finally found its due too. The way of working is slowly getting more structured, and all in the favor of the writers." The success of streaming services and the major changes in distribution structures are also reasons why Rapid Eye Movies has not been renting Indian films for several years. But Stephan Holl is still a fan. He says he watches the films — but not on Netflix. The films need a big screen, he says. "If anything is a communal experience, it's definitely these films," he said, adding the viewing experience remains once of "celebrating [and] being swept away." This article was originally written in German. | 4Culture
|
Eight English football fans were arrested in Munich ahead of a Nations League game against Germany, city police confirmed to DW on Tuesday. Three fans were arrested for performing the Nazi salute, police said. One person was arrested after letting off a flare in their hotel room, one fan was arrested for urinating in public and two were arrested for insulting a police officer. It is a crime in Germany to perform the Nazi salute, punishable with up to three years in prison, although tourists are often just fined for the offensive gesture. The fan who let off a pyrotechnic flare lit the flare from their window, but managed to fill the first floor of the hotel with smoke, setting off fire alarms, according to the Munich fire brigade. Unconfirmed images posted on social media showed the neo-Nazi and anti-Semitic "Millwall Berserkers" hooligan group was in the city, displaying their banners in various points around the city. British newspaper The Times and Sky Sports News reported seeing fans chant offensive anti-German WWII as well as IRA songs amid drunken scenes. The overnight arrests came after British coach Gareth Southgate warned England fans against misbehaving in Germany. In an interview, he said "you feel ashamed when you hear about it" and that it reflected poorly on the country and the team. The police spokesman told DW that the fans were "overall very very calm" and that "the mood in the city was very, very peaceful." He said isolated incidents were to be expected, and that while there may be a handful more arrests, overall it had been a quiet operation for police so far. An estimated 5,000 England fans are in the Bavarian capital for the game against Germany at Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena. The city has imposed a glass bottle ban in the city center for the time the fans are there. According to the SID news agency, 880 known English hooligans had to surrender their passports ahead of the game. It is England's first significant, full-capacity international game since the coronavirus pandemic. Fans have reportedly attempted to bypass the limit on England fan tickets by buying tickets with their local hotel address registered. The game also follows comparatively soon after the chaos in Paris before and after the Champions League final that disproportionately affected supporters of English club Liverpool. Edited by Mark Hallam. | 9Sports
|
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Thursday defended the international military presence in Afghanistan as indispensable for the continuation of peace talks. Maas called on the international community to avoid an irresponsible and premature withdrawal of foreign troops which he said might play into the hands of the Taliban. "The presence of international troops remains one of our most important leverages, without international pressure the Taliban will not seriously engage in a political solution," Maas told parliament. "If we hastily pull out our troops we run a significant risk that the Taliban will seek a solution on the battle field instead of continuing the negotiations," he added. Lawmakers must decide whether to extend Germany's military mission in Afghanistan — set to expire at the end of March — until Jan 31, 2022. A large majority in the Bundestag are in favor of continuing the Bundeswehr's mission in Afghanistan. Only the Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the Left party called for the immediate withdrawal of German soldiers during Thursday's debate. "Germany is not defended at the Hindu Kush (Central Asian mountain range), but at the Brandenburg Gate," said Anton Friesen of the AfD. German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said that she was taking the Taliban's latest threats very seriously. "The time ahead is dangerous," she said. With up to 1,300 troops present, Afghanistan is currently the Bundeswehr's largest foreign deployment. "The peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban are the first realistic chance for peace in Afghanistan in a long time, a chance we must not waste," Maas said. The US, under President Joe Biden, is reexamining a 2020 agreement with the Taliban which called for foreign troops to withdraw by May 1. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video mvb/nm (dpa, Reuters, EPD) | 7Politics
|
An Afghan official said Thursday a ceasefire had been negotiated with local Taliban leaders in a western province that had come under attack by the militants in their sweeping campaign across the countryside. "The ceasefire between Afghan security forces and the Taliban began at around 10 a.m. today. The ceasefire was brokered by tribal elders," Badghis governor Hesamuddin Shams told news agency AFP. Pakistan reported how Taliban forces had secured a key border crossing at Chaman, confirming their rapid takeover of Afghanistan after the departure of Western forces. Pakistan's foreign ministry confirmed that the Afghan side of the border crossing was now under the control of the insurgents. Border officials on the Pakistan side in Chaman swiftly shut the crossing, causing chaos for traders and families queuing up to cross. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Islamabad said it had tried to unite the two sides in the civil war but that the Afghan government was already on its way to Qatar for peace talks. The talks, which began last year, have so far failed to reach any political settlement, and the latest offensives suggest the militants are now intent on a military victory. jsi, jc/aw (AFP, Reuters) | 2Conflicts
|
The Olympic flame arrived in Beijing from Greece on Wednesday, as calls to boycott the games over China's human rights abuses gathered steam. Communist Party Secretary Cai Qi received the torch at an airport ceremony with very tight security. On Monday, protestors interrupted the flame-lighting ceremony, which traditionally takes place in Greece's ancient Olympia stadium. IOC President Thomas Bach then repeated his belief that the games represented a "politcally neutral ground" and that passing judgement on alleged rights abuses is not part of the IOC's remit. The Winter Olympic games are scheduled for February 4-20, 2022, and will make Beijing the only city ever to host both the summer and winter games. While the IOC is routinely alleged by activists to chose cities based on bribes, declining interest in hosting from North American and European cities has also left the committee with few choices. The 2022 hosting gig came down to just Beijing and Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, after Oslo, Norway dropped out of the running. Critics of China's authoritarian government have accused the IOC of lending legitimacy to the regime by letting it host the upcoming games as well as the 2008 Summer Olympics. There have been calls for politicians and athletes to boycott the games over the country's system of forced labor camps for Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang, the treatment of other minorities, such as Tibetans, and the crackdown on freedoms in Hong Kong. The Chinese government has said that no foreign spectators will be allowed at the events, citing the COVID-19 pandemic. Athletes and journalists will have to remain in tightly controlled bubbles. es/wd (AP, dpa) | 9Sports
|
North Korea on Saturday fired a short-range ballistic missile into the sea off it eastern coast, South Korea's military said. South Korean military said it believed the North may have tested a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLMB) around 0507 GMT on Saturday from around Sinpo city on North Korea's eastern coast. Sinpo is typically where Pyongyang bases its submarines and other equipment for test-firing SLBMs. Seoul's military said the missile flew 600 kilometers (373 miles) to a maximum altitude of 60 kilometers. Japan's Defense Ministry also said that Pyongyang may have fired a ballistic missile. Japan's Coast Guard added that the missile fell into the waters around 0525 GMT. Japan's public broadcaster, NHK, reported the projectile landed outside of Japan's exclusive economic zone, citing government sources. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The launch comes just three days after Pyongyang fired a suspected ballistic missile from the Sunan district of the capital. The latest is likely Pyongyang's 15th missile launch this year alone and comes days before South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol is set to be publicly sworn in. Yoon, who won presidential elections on March 10 this year, has vowed to take greater action against the North's nuclear program and signaled a willingness to work with the US to do so. US President Joe Biden is also slated to meet with him this month after he's sworn in this Tuesday. Japan and the United States condemned the North's missile launch earlier in the week, with Washington reiterating the North kept violating multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions that ban it from all ballistic missile and nuclear tests. In March, the US levied a fresh round of sanctions on several individuals and entities in North Korea, as well as allies Russia and China, in a bid to stiffen sanctions against the North's missile program. The sanctions were in response to the North's claim of having fired one of its most powerful intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) yet. Experts later debunked the claim, saying the North fired more or less the same type of ICBM it fired in 2017, the last time it fired the weapon prior to its test earlier this year in March. rm/sms (Reuters, AP) | 7Politics
|
The US plans to export up to 60 million doses of the vaccine produced by AstraZeneca to needy countries, the White House said on Monday. Around 10 million doses could be exported as early as in the "coming weeks" after a review by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said spokeswoman Jen Psaki. She added that another 50 million doses are still in different stages of production and will be exported in the coming months. The US has received 600 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines made by Moderna and BioNTech-Pfizer. Those doses are sufficient to vaccinate its entire population, without needing to use the AstraZeneca vaccine. The country plans to vaccinate all adults by end-May. This isn't the first time that the US has said that it will loan jabs. In March, it loaned about 4 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Mexico and Canada. The US is yet to decide which countries will be receiving the 60 million doses, although the country has received requests from Mexico and Canada. It was also not clear whether the vaccines would be loaned, sold or donated. It is believed that India may be one of the largest recipients. The US is now coming forward to help India, after the country reported a record number of cases on Monday. US President Joe Biden promised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a phone call on Monday that the US would give "steadfast support for the people of India who have been impacted by the recent surge in COVID-19 cases." "The US is providing a range of emergency assistance, including oxygen-related supplies, vaccine materials and therapeutics," Biden reportedly told Modi. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UK has also come forward to help India. The WHO is sending oxygen and laboratory supplies to the pandemic-stricken country. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that nine airline containers containing ventilators and oxygen concentrators would be sent to India. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Monday that Germany is racing to get oxygen and medicine to the country. France has also pledged to send eight oxygen production units. am/rt (dpa, AP, AFP) | 5Health
|
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and leaders of the country's 16 states agreed on a new raft of rules and restrictions on Friday to curb the spread of COVID-19. Scholz outlined new rules for restaurants and bars, while also shortening quarantine and self-isolation periods. It was the first meeting in 2022 between Scholz and state leaders, coming at a time when the new German government is looking to ramp up vaccination and booster campaigns amid a surge driven by the omicron variant. Stricter regulations will be enforced in bars and restaurants nationwide. Access to restaurants will be limited to people who are fully vaccinated or considered recovered, who can additionally provide evidence of either a booster shot or a current negative COVID-19 test. "It's a strict rule, but it's a necessary one that will help us better control infections [in the future] than is currently the case," Scholz said, defending the measure. Scholz emphasized the central role that booster shots will play in the weeks and months to come, saying the "best protection against omicron is a booster vaccination." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video German federal and state leaders also approved shortening required quarantine or self-isolation periods, which are currently set at 14 days. In general, quarantine and self-isolation periods will be capped at 10 days. That period can be shortened to seven days if a person is symptom-free and receives a negative PCR test or a negative rapid test that is carried out by medical staff. Under the new rules, people who have received a booster shot will no longer have to quarantine if they come into contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. Shorter quarantine periods will also go into effect for "critical" workers, such as police, emergency and medical services. The existing rule that private gatherings of vaccinated and recovered persons with a maximum of 10 persons are allowed will remain in place. Those who are not vaccinated will continue to be subject to strict contact restrictions. Germany has a lower rate of vaccination compared to some European countries: 71.5% of the population is fully vaccinated and 40.9% have received a booster shot. Scholz's government has set a vaccination goal of 80% and hopes to administer 30 million booster shots by the end of January. On Thursday, the country recorded 64,340 new coronavirus infections, according to the Robert Koch Institute. The death toll grew by 443 to reach 113,368. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video rs, lo/sms (AP, dpa, Reuters) | 5Health
|
Germany's electoral race is beginning in earnest as the top candidates to replace Chancellor Angela Merkel jockey for position and credibility. A few weeks after having been elected in January the new party leader of Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU), Armin Laschet said in an interview with Reuters: "One expects a chancellor to be experienced in both foreign and domestic policy." Laschet, who also serves as premier of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Germany's most populous state, was clearly plugging his own merits as the person most likely to succeed Merkel in the federal election set for September. But his rival Markus Söder was quick to respond. Söder, who serves as premier of another of Germany's largest states — Bavaria — and heads the Christian Social Union (CSU), the Bavarian sister party of the chancellor's conservatives, pointed out that he had just come out of a 45-minute telephone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron. Their discussion, the Bavarian premier said, had reflected "broad consensus." Speaking in English, the two leaders had apparently discussed joint aviation projects such as the planned development of a European fighter jet, given that key players in the fields of civilian and military aviation are headquartered in Bavaria. Little doubt therefore that he was aiming to tout both his foreign policy credentials and his profile as a firm advocate of Germany's export sector. Germany's conservatives are expected to decide in late May who will be their official candidate for the chancellery. And given Berlin's increasing weight in the European Union and internationally, the stakes are high: whoever wins the top job in German politics is going to face some very tough challenges, said Johannes Varwick, professor of international relations at Halle University. "Any successor to an incumbent with one and a half decades of foreign policy experience, an incumbent who has been steeled in countless crises, is going to need time to grow into the role," he told DW. "Meanwhile, Germany's influence in international politics has risen significantly in recent years and the next chancellor will be expected to live up to the country's growing importance. In fact, whoever takes over is going to come under even greater pressure to keep Germany at the forefront of key international developments." When it comes to foreign policy, and European policy in particular, Laschet is without doubt the more experienced of the two contenders. Born in the western city of Aachen, close to both the Belgian and Dutch borders, he grew up with an early understanding and appreciation for the significance of cross-border cooperation. Even during the COVID-19 crisis, in his capacity as NRW state premier, Laschet has defended the policy of open borders. From 1999 to 2005 he served as a member of the European Parliament, where his focus was on foreign and defense policy. And he has been a passionate and consistent advocate of the process of European integration. Bavaria's Söder has a very different track record. On European policy, Varwick describes him as "very much an unknown quantity." Thorsten Benner, Director of the Global Public Policy Institute in Berlin, goes a step further. Söder, he said, "has little or no attachment to the European project and would have no inhibitions about indulging in opportunistic agitation against Brussels if it served his political ambitions." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video One stance that the two do have in common is their more European-centered focus: Both tend to align on issues more with the EU and France than with the United States. Loyalty to the trans-Atlantic relationship was sorely tested during former US President Donald Trump's four years in office. "For us, America had always been a land of freedom and democracy," Laschet lamented in an address during January's conservative party convention less than two weeks after Trump supporters rioted at the US Capitol. Söder, too, recently admitted that his love of America had been sorely tested during the Trump years. Both are now investing high hopes in the new US president, Joe Biden, who declared last week at the virtually-held Munich Security Conference that "America is back … the trans-Atlantic alliance is back." However, Biden's apparent determination to restore trans-Atlantic relations comes at a price. Like his predecessor, he is calling on Europe to step up military spending and shoulder more responsibility in the fields of defense and security. In principle, Söder is comfortable with those demands. But he has insisted: "We are not little children. We are partners, not vassals or underlings," as he recently put it in an interview with The Associated Press news agency. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video One obstacle to a renaissance in closer trans-Atlantic relations is Germany's stance on China and Russia. Again, like his predecessor, Biden also appears to believe that trading interests have pushed Berlin to be too lenient in dealings with Moscow and Beijing. But that seems more than likely to remain Germany's fundamental approach regardless of whether it is Laschet or Söder who wins the race for the chancellery. Laschet recently described the West and China as "competing systems." He did not, however, rule out a role for Chinese tech giant Huawei in the construction of Germany's 5G telecom network — a position that leaves Washington seriously rankled. Söder said last summer in an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF that "finding the right balance between interests and values seems to me to be the greatest challenge of German foreign policy in the coming years." It is not quite the hard line that Washington would wish for in dealings with Beijing and Moscow. When it comes to dealing with the Kremlin, what is interesting is that both Laschet and Söder are opposed to American efforts to prevent the completion of the controversial Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline linking Russia and Germany under the Baltic Sea. Laschet has also strongly condemned the reported poisoning attack on Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny,but called for it to be diplomatically addressed separately from energy issues. And then there was Söder's visit to Moscow a year ago: it was very much in the tradition of similar visits by earlier Bavarian state premiers who had no qualms in promoting a specific Bavarian-Russian trade agenda despite serious political differences. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Meanwhile, remarks apparently made by Laschet years ago could still catch up with him. Shortly after the Russian occupation of the Crimean Peninsula, he spoke of what he described as a "marketable anti-Putin populism." Of course, he said, the occupation was a "clear violation of international law." Nevertheless, he argued, if you have a diplomatic relationship with another country, it is important to "try and understand the world from the perspective of that partner." Omid Nouripour, a foreign policy spokesman for the opposition Green Party, which is widely tipped to be a coalition partner with the conservatives in Germany's next government, was quoted as saying in a newspaper interview that such a degree of tolerance for Russia would make it difficult for Laschet to realize his stated goal of keeping Europe together. For historical and geopolitical reasons, Eastern European countries have long been strongly critical when a German government takes a soft line in its dealings with Moscow. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video In 2014, Laschet even went so far as to offer tentative praise for Russia's role in the Syrian war: "From the very beginning," he said, "Russia has warned about the danger posed by jihadists. Which many in Germany dismissed as propaganda." He also expressed a degree of understanding for Syrian President Bashar Assad, arguing that before the Syrian uprising a certain amount of religious pluralism had been possible in the country. He also expressed the view that militant Islamism was more dangerous than the Assad regime. Varwick cautions against overestimating the significance of such sentiments: "They can also be seen as a kind of foreign policy realism that simply asks, what kind of leverage do we have? And are we prepared to use it? Only then do you start considering your rhetorical and strategic approach. I don't think that is fundamentally wrong." But even today, Laschet's comments prompt fellow conservatives to shake their heads. Few political insiders expect that either a Chancellor Laschet or a Chancellor Söder would engineer a drastic shift away from the broad lines of Merkel's foreign policy. Benner sees both as likely to continue the longtime chancellor's path, though not all her individual policies will hold up if the conservatives again have to form a coalition government to form a majority. "On the one hand, because Merkel's course cannot simply be continued due to [inherent] contradictions; on the other hand, because possible coalition partners, especially the Greens, will insist on a change of course on important issues," he said. "Both are full-blooded political professionals," said Varwick. "And neither of them has really been identified with specific foreign policy causes or concerns. Whichever one of the two becomes the next chancellor will quickly discover that foreign policy is one of the key challenges." Laschet is certainly more experienced than Söder. But both are well networked internationally. And, potentially as least, both might claim to have what it takes to cut a statesmanlike figure on the international stage." This article has been translated from German. | 7Politics
|
I don't know about you, but I've lost track of the number of — mostly rather lame — metaphors used by journalists (yes, guilty) to describe Chancellor Angela Merkel's influence and legacy in German politics. Over the past 16 years, we have heard much eulogizing about her, ranging from descriptions of her as "a rock of stability" and talk of her popularity having "reached new heights" to warnings that her successor will face an "uphill battle" (bit of a theme going on here). A rock, a hill or a mountain is an immovable object. Applied to the center-right Christian Democrats (CDU), inflexibility and complacency in a post-Merkel world spell stagnation or a further downslide for this once-mighty Volkspartei (major party), reminiscent of the decline of the other major party, the center-left Social Democrats (SPD). On paper, at least, the Social Democrats and the Greens are emphasizing the need for fundamental change to meet the many daunting challenges ahead: notably, those of tackling the climate crisis and finally joining the digital 21st century. Despite the CDU's assertions to the contrary, it still comes across as being mired in Merkel's sedate weiter so (keep it up) politics. But here's the paradox: Though there is public recognition to a certain extent of the need for some form of change, German politics are steeped in conservatism and the tradition of not upsetting the status quo. Deep down, it will always be a bourgeois society. Change is welcome only when it doesn't compromise wealth and prosperity. The CDU's claim that a possible coalition of the SPD, the Greens and the Left Party would somehow constitute a political shift to the radical left and spell doom for the country is misplaced fearmongering. It doesn't get more mainstream and middle-of-the-road than the SPD and the Greens these days. For the CDU's chancellor candidate, Armin Laschet, it's a case of damned if you do, damned if you don't. He was in a bind from the moment he was anointed as Merkel's would-be heir. Should he present himself as a fresh start, shaking off the shackles of the Merkel era at the risk of alienating the party's traditional core demographic voter base (65 and over), or should he play it safe by providing stability and embrace a role as the natural continuation of 16 years of Merkel? It was the chancellor herself who provided the final nail in the coffin for Laschet and any attempt to paint himself as the candidate for change. For the longest time during the election campaign, it appeared that Merkel had forgotten that she was a CDU member. She came across as tired, indifferent and listless and was nowhere to be seen on the campaign trail. But as the specter of the above-mentioned SPD/Greens/Left Party center-left coalition loomed ever larger, she scrambled to officially endorse Laschet. Any hopes he had harbored of starting with a clean slate were dashed. The Mutti der Nation (mother of the nation) essentially decreed that any talk of visionary change was delusional. Change for the sake of change in politics is a double-edged sword. There was an almost palpable collective sigh of relief after the CDU lost the 1998 election to the Social Democrats and Helmut Kohl's tenure as chancellor came to an end after 16 years at the helm (as an aside, this country would benefit greatly from a two-term limit for chancellors). Gerhard Schröder adroitly recognized the signs of the times and embarked on an ambitious reform agenda that changed the face of his Social Democrats and the country. When Merkel came to power in 2005, she demonstrated her much-admired political acumen by not throwing out Schröder's Agenda 2010 — the reforms of the labor market and the social security and health system — with the bathwater. She anticipated correctly that those changes would ultimately benefit Germany. The evolution of a party is a laborious and painstaking process. For the Greens, it was more of a revolution. Just look at how the party went from a pacifist protest party whose members knitted jumpers and scarves in parliament to while away the time to an established, mainstream (some would say boring) party that supported Germany's involvement in the NATO-led war against Yugoslavia. Granted, I'm struggling to reconcile the image of revolution with the staid and unadventurous nature of the CDU. One of its election posters in this campaign depicts Laschet and the caption "Gemeinsam für ein modernes Deutschland" ("Together for a modern Germany"). The party should scale back its ambitions and modernize itself first — whether it wins or loses on election night. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video | 7Politics
|
Heading to another major United Nations environmental conference so soon after the climate equivalent had ended in Egypt felt rushed, even for someone who's been in the fray since the first climate summit in Berlin in 1995. This time the stakes were even higher. Could the world deliver a 10-year global framework to halt and reverse alarming, human-induced biodiversity declines and give nature its own historic "Paris moment?" Ahead of the UN biodiversity conference in Montreal, we at The Nature Conservancy compiled a scorecard of what we felt needed to be reflected in the Global Biodiversity Framework to create that moment. The goals included a '30x30' pledge to protect 30% of the Earth and prevent mass extinction, plugging a $700 billion (€659 billion) annual gap in global biodiversity funding, reducing or repurposing $500 billion in harmful subsidies for activities like unsustainable farming practices and ensuring recognition of the rights and ecological knowledge of Indigenous peoples. I'm delighted that after much hard work and hand-wringing by negotiators and civil society advocates, we reached a deal at 4 a.m. on Monday. The goals set before Montreal for a successful framework were nearly uniformly met. In an unusual dynamic, they improved over the last day of negotiations instead of being watered down. As a conservation finance aficionado, who has devoted a lot of writing to funding problems, it was especially gratifying to see momentum build behind new biodiversity financing initiatives in countries as diverse as Canada, Mongolia and Gabon, together with the buzz we saw around debt-for-nature swaps at the climate conference in November. But perhaps the most transformative of the measures agreed in Montreal will be a commitment by countries to ensure large companies and financial institutions measure and report on their nature-related "risks, dependencies and impacts." Businesses will have to reduce the harm they do to wildlife over time. That's a powerful signal to the markets of the urgent need to recalibrate business models and investment strategies to fit a global economy evolving toward a nature-positive and carbon neutral future. Perhaps if the Montreal deal hadn't followed so closely after the most exciting final in FIFA World Cup history, we'd be seeing levels of celebration closer to what followed in the wake of the Paris climate accord. But now the real work starts. None of this progress will count for anything unless what was agreed makes it into national policy. The framework needs to become, like climate, a priority across government rather than something that ends up siloed in environment ministries. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The now defunct 2010 Aichi biodiversity targets had ambition but lacked a realistic finance plan and an accountability mechanism. This time we have all three. But we only have until the end of this decade to halt and reverse the dramatic loss of biodiversity — Earth's life support system. The race to save nature is every bit as urgent as the climate crisis, and the two crises are inextricably linked. Speaking on behalf of all those who were in the room in the early hours of Monday — I think we can allow ourselves the hope that the new Global Biodiversity Framework proves a historic turning point in humanity's relationship with the natural world. Andrew Deutz led the delegation for The Nature Conservancy at the United Nations Biodiversity Conference in Montreal. TNC is a global environmental organization based in the United States. Edited by: Jennifer Collins | 6Nature and Environment
|
Slovenia will act as an honest broker in a dispute between European Union countries over the rule of law and human rights, Prime Minister Janez Jansa said on Thursday as the Alpine nation assumed the rotating EU presidency from Portugal. Jansa, a conservative, told reporters in Brdo that there were no major differences between EU countries over these issues at last week's summit. He added that the EU would not become a "melting pot" in which everybody thought alike over the next decades. "We have to strengthen the EU, within which our values and national identities are protected and can continue to thrive," Jansa later wrote on the presidency website. The Slovenian government said it will focus on enlargement issues and the post-COVID economic recovery. It is the second time that Slovenia will have held the six-month rotating position since joining the European Union in 2004; the last occasion was in 2008. Many of the powers have been transferred to the permanent role of European Council president, a job currently held by Belgian former Premier Charles Michel. Jansa has been accused by his opponents of trying to stifle the media; he has cut funding for the country's national news agency STA. He has also come under fire for his management of the coronavirus pandemic and survived an impeachment vote in May for failing to secure enough vaccines. In Slovenia, Jansa is nicknamed “Marshal Twito” — a pun playing on the name of the former Yugoslav dictator Marshal Josip Broz Tito. He earned the moniker because of his frequent use of Twitter to lash out at political opponents. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video "We owe the EU nothing. We fought for our freedom and democracy 30 years ago," Jansa tweeted in May after criticism from some EU officials about his track record. The country's president used an interview with the Associated Press on Wednesday to calm fears in Brussels that the Slovenian government would look to ape the policies of Hungary's Viktor Orban. "Slovenia will remain a liberal state and I wish that the image of a liberal state would be solidified during the presidency," said President Borut Paho. "If the European idea was the first cornerstone of our statehood, democracy is the second one." Slovenia split from Yugoslavia in 1991 after a brief clash with the Serb-led Yugoslav army. In 2004, it became one of the first formerly communist states to join the EU. jf/sms (AP, AFP, Reuters) | 7Politics
|
Former US President Donald Trump filed a lawsuit Monday against Letitia James, the New York attorney general, alleging his civil rights were violated by her more than two year-long investigation into his businesses, The New York Times first reported. The lawsuit was filed in upstate Syracuse, New York and lists Trump and the family real estate firm as plaintiffs. In the lawsuit, Trump's lawyers call on the judge to halt James's more than two year-long investigation into fraudulent practices at his family real estate firm, arguing that the effort is a violation of his constitutional rights. Trump attorney Alina Habba wrote in an email to Reuters news agency: "By filing this lawsuit, we intend to not only hold her accountable for her blatant constitutional violations, but to stop her bitter crusade to punish her political opponent in its tracks." Trump and his attorneys have long charged the investigations into his businesses were motivated by politics. If James finds evidence of wrongdoing at Trump's firms, she can file suit against Trump, but he would not face the threat of jail time because her inquiry is civil, not criminal in nature. The Manhattan district attorney, Cyrus Vance Jr., is conducting a separate criminal investigation into whether Trump defrauded lenders by inflating the value of his assets. James's office is assisting with that probe. Two weeks ago, James signaled she hoped to depose Trump under oath next month. His lawyers fired back in response that they would check any effort to do so and ask a judge to throw out the subpoena. James began her probe in March of 2019. Both prosecutors have focused on many of the same aspects of Trump's business practices. Vance is leaving office at the end of the year. He has yet to say whether his investigation will continue under Alvin Bragg, his successor. ar/aw (Reuters) | 7Politics
|
Separate overnight attacks in the troubled eastern Democratic Republic of Congo left at least 50 people dead, according to local officials and monitors on Monday. The Kivu Security Tracker (KST) said 28 people were killed in Boga and 22 in Tchabi, two villages that are about 10 kilometers (6 miles) apart and about 310 kilometers north of Goma, in an area known for attacks by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) group. The KST said it was the highest death toll that it recorded in a single day since in was founded in 2017. "They're still finding bodies, so the toll is likely to grow," said local MP Gracien Iracan, adding, "many wounded people are still hiding in the bush, everyone fled there." A UN source told AFP news agency that South African blue helmets from the MONUSCO peacekeeping mission's base in Tchabi exchanged fire with the attackers when they tried to intervene. Two local officials in Boga told AFP that the attackers hit a camp for displaced people. They said they believed it was ethnically motivated, as the camp that was attacked hosted mostly displaced people from the Nyali group, but a nearby site assisting Banyabwisha people was spared. "We think it was the same group" behind the attacks, the head of the Nyali community in Tchabi told AFP. "They attacked around 1 am. There are children and the very old among the dead…at the moment we're preparing to bury them." As of Friday, the KST estimated that at least 1,228 civilians have been killed in the Beni territory of North Kivu since November 2019 when the DR Congo launched a crackdownwhich splintered the ADF into smaller groups. The UN has said that the ADF has killed more than 850 people in 2020. The US government classified the ADF as a global terrorist organization in March. The group has previously proclaimed allegiance to the Islamic State. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The country has also been hit by Africa's most active volcano erupting. Mount Nyiragongo spewed lava earlier this month, which destroyed homes and killed dozens in nearby Goma. Residents have been allowed to return in recent days. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video kbd/csb (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters) | 2Conflicts
|
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden visited the World War II memorial in Washington on Tuesday to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. In a poignant moment, Biden touched and then saluted a wreath at the memorial. It contained a wild sunflower, the state flower of Kansas, in honor of former Senator Bob Dole, a veteran of World War II, who died on Sunday. The first lady laid a bouquet in honor of her father, Donald Jacobs, who served as a US Navy signalman in the war. A dwindling number of survivors and veterans of the war remain. The oldest surviving US veteran of the Pearl Harbor attack, Ray Chavez, died in 2018 at age 106. Members of the US Navy, veterans, friends and family stood as the names of those who died were read out, each accompanied by the tolling of a bell. In a proclamation last week Biden thanked the "Greatest Generation, who guided our nation through some of our darkest moments and laid the foundations of an international system that has transformed former adversaries into allies.'' The Japanese attack on the naval base in Hawaii on December 7, 1941, left 2,390 US service personal dead. It led to the US entry into World War II both in the Pacific Theater and in Europe, one of the most decisive moments in the war. US President Franklin D. Roosevelt famously called it "a date which will live in infamy," with the US declaring war on Japan the following day. Japan announced its surrender in August 1945, days after the US dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and several months after Nazi Germany's surrender and an end to the fighting in Europe on May 8 that year. lo/msh (AP, Reuters) | 7Politics
|
Leading Belarus opposition figure Maria Kolesnikova has been held behind bars for over a year in a Minsk penitentiary. In 2020, Kolesnikova coordinated Viktor Babariko's campaign in the run-up to Belarus' presidential election. When Babariko, a prominent banker, was arrested on money-laundering charges, Kolesnikova became a key figure in the opposition's Coordination Council. In August 2020, the group backed mass demonstrations across the country when it was announced that incumbent leader Alexander Lukashenko had been reelected as president for a sixth term, in a vote that the opposition and the West denounced as a sham. Many countries have refused to accept the election result. Kolesnikova — a professional flutist who spent years working as a cultural manager in the southern German city of Stuttgart — soon rose to become one of the country's most prominent women dissidents. In September 2020, Belarus authorities attempted to force her into exile. She would not budge, however, and was arrested. One year later, Kolesnikova and lawyer, Maxim Znak, another leading member of the Coordination Council, were tried for "inciting action aimed at harming national security" and "extremism." They were handed jail terms of 11 and 10 years, respectively. International observers have called the trial a farce, and Germany has repeatedly demanded Kolesnikova's release. She will appeal the verdict on December 24. DW was able to send Kolesnikova a range of questions concerning her trial, life behind bars and her expectations. She told DW that life in custody meant being deprived of "everything: air, the sun, my flute, letters, conversations and a shower." But, she added, "knowing what you live for means that does not matter." While her mail correspondence has been restricted, she nevertheless feels "the care and love of people in Belarus and the whole world." That, she said, gives her "colossal support and energy." German singer-songwriter Wolf Biermann — once a prominent East German dissident — and Green politician Claudia Roth have been campaigning for her release. Kolesnikova called the jail terms handed down to her and Znak "absurd, because neither of us are guilty." She said it was "only one person who seized state power," and has refused to ask for a pardon, saying "that is out of the question." How, she wrote, is she supposed to confess to something she has not done? Together with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Veronika Tsepkalo, Kolesnikova makes up a trio of prominent dissident woman who have come to represent the Belarus opposition movement. Tsikhanouskaya and Tsepkalo have both been forced into exile, with Tsikhanouskaya recently saying she could work more effectively from abroad; a return to Belarus could land her in jail, too. Despite imprisonment, Kolesnikova told DW she does "not regret" remaining in the country. She said the "jails are crowded with honest, courageous Belarusians, who waste no time thinking about giving up, despite the phenomenal pressure [they are under]." She added that "it is an honor to join my people on this journey toward peace and change; everyone plays a [unique] role in this story." Kolesnikova wrote that she has plenty of plans for when she gets out of jail. "I have many ideas for music and arts projects; one of them is transforming the remand center into a cultural hub." She also intends to set up a "center for resocializing and rehabilitating women who have been imprisoned." DW also asked Kolesnikova about a new constitutional draft proposed by Lukashenko, as well as a recently signed deal between Belarus and Russia. She wrote that "nobody has seen the new conditional draft, or the 28 union state programs [road maps that are intended to bind the two countries more closely together]." She also wrote that she finds it hard to believe civil society and the media are being "destroyed" in the country, while at the same time effort is being made to "democratize" the constitution and "get away from authoritarianism." She also urged all Belarusians in exile not to forget about their fellow compatriots at home. "I admire all those who were forced to emigrate and still keep fighting for Belarus; everyone is putting in their share working toward a common goal," she said. "It is important not to get detached from reality, and to realize that the situation is rather serious and that it will take a while until a solution is reached," she added. Kolesnikova told DW that "more than a year" had already been lost in the struggle to remove Lukashenko. But she is certain his departure is "merely a matter of time, that is the price Belarusians will pay." She wrote that everyone — including Lukashenko and his allies — is losing out the longer he remains in power. "Nothing lasts forever, and there are forces [within the government] open to constructive steps and dialogue," she told DW. "The lives of Belarusians, our shared future, our shared home — those are our core values; and they compel us to seek a way out of this crisis." This article has been translated from German | 7Politics
|
Latin American leaders met with Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Monday, as the Brazilian president settled into his first day in office to the news that stocks had fallen more than 3%, led by a selloff of shares in state-run oil company Petrobras. With Lula keen on prioritizing social issues and a decision to extend a fuel tax exemption, which will deprive the Treasury of 52.9 billion reals ($9.9 billion, €9.24 billion) a year in fiscal income, Brazil's Finance Minister Fernando Haddad attempted to dispel market fears that he might not maintain fiscal discipline. "We are not here for adventures," he said. President Lula has said his priorities are fighting poverty, as well as investing in education and health. He has also said he will bring illegal deforestation of the Amazon to an end. As he saw off his predecessor Jair Bolsonaro, in a tensely fought election, Lula sought support from political moderates to form a broad front, then tapped some of them to serve in his Cabinet. In the first half of the day on Monday, he met with Argentinian President Alberto Fernandez, Bolivia's Luis Arce and Guillermo Lasso of Ecuador. Later on Monday he is slated to sit down with Chile's Gabriel Boric and Colombia's Gustavo Petro. Other senior political figures also traveled to the Brazilian capital of Brasilia on Sunday, such as Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, to congratulate Lula on his inauguration. On Monday afternoon, Lula is meeting with Wang Qishan, the vice president of China, by far Brazil's biggest export destination. Meanwhile, President Lula's office said he will attend the wake for Pele on Tuesday as Brazil mourned the late football legend, who died last week. Lula, who took office on Sunday, "will pay his respects and tribute to Edson Arantes do Nascimento, 'Pele,' and his condolences to his family on Tuesday at 9:00 am (1200 GMT)," his office said in a statement. The coffin of the three-time World Cup winner has been placed in the center circle of the Santos FC stadium, where he played for most of his career, located in the Vila Belmiro neighborhood of Santos, Sao Paulo. As well as Lula, thousands of fans are expected to walk past and show their respect. jsi/sri (AP, AFP, Reuters) | 7Politics
|
A judge in the southern US state of Georgia sentenced three white men to life in prison on Friday for chasing and fatally shooting 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery in February 2020. The father and son convicted in the case were handed life sentences without parole — while the third man was given a life sentence, but with a chance for parole The sentencing comes after the three men were found guilty in November of murdering Arbery, a Black man who had gone for a run in the neighborhood where he was killed. The case sparked national outrage — with Arbery's family urging the court to hand out the maximum sentence possible. Judge Timothy Walmsley sentenced 66-year-old Greg McMichael, his 35-year-old son Travis McMichael, and their neighbor 52-year-old William "Roddie" Bryan, to life in prison — the mandatory sentence for being found guilty of the murder. The main question was whether any of the three men would have a chance to apply for eventual parole. The McMichaels were each given 20 additional years in prison on top of their life sentences — without parole. Bryan was sentenced to life in prison but was given the option of parole after serving 30 years. In announcing his decision, the judge said the sentencing serves to hold the defendants "accountable." "It was a killing — and it was callous," he said, adding that Arbery's death happened because "confrontation was being sought" by the defendants. The lead prosecutor in the case, Linda Dunikoski, had earlier asked the judge to only extend the option for parole to Bryan. She said the McMichaels had shown no remorse for the killing and that the two had "a demonstrated pattern of vigilantism." Speaking in court ahead of the sentencing on Friday, Arbery's parents and sister urged for the maximum sentence, arguing that racial stereotypes led the defendants to chase and kill Arbery. "This wasn't a case of mistaken identity or mistaken fact. They chose to target my son because they didn't want him in their community. They chose to treat him differently than other people who frequently visited their community,'' said Arbery's mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones. "And when they couldn't sufficiently scare or intimidate him, they killed him.'' His father, Marcus Arbery, told the court that his son was killed while doing the thing he loved most — going for a run. "The man who killed my son has sat in this courtroom every single day next to his father. I'll never get that chance, to sit next to my son, ever again," Arbery said, referencing the McMichaels. His sister, Jasmine Arbery, celebrated her brother's life as a Black man. "He had dark skin that glistened in the sunlight like gold. He had curly hair; he would often like to twist it. He had a broad nose and the color of his eyes was filled with melanin," she said. "These are the qualities that made these men assume Ahmaud was a dangerous criminal. To me, those qualities reflected a young man full of life and energy who looked like me and the people I love." On February 23, 2020, Arbery went for a run in a neighborhood outside the Georgian city of Brunswick. After the McMichaels saw the 25-year-old jogging, they grabbed their guns and jumped in a pickup truck to pursue him. Their neighbor Bryan joined the chase in his own truck — and filmed the ensuing shooting on his cellphone. Travis McMichael fired on Arbery with a shotgun from close range after Arbery attempted to defend himself. The graphic video of the shooting of Arbery went viral on social media following his murder. It took police more than two months after the murder to arrest the McMichaels and Bryan, fueling outcry across the country and prompting Arbery's lawyers to say the 25-year-old had been racially profiled. Three months after the murder of Arbery, George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, was murdered by a white police officer in the Midwestern state of Minnesota, sparking nationwide Black Lives Matters protests against widespread racial injustice and police violence against African-Americans. rs/sms (AP, Reuters) | 3Crime
|
As Berlin's infamously grey winters set in, so wanes the desire of Berliners to stay outside in the biting temperatures — at least without "heizpilze" (mushroom heaters), which pop up in front of restaurants and bars in the colder months. But anyone seeking shelter inside will now have to show proof that they are either fully vaccinated or have recently recovered from COVID-19. The rule is known as "2G" ("geimpft oder genesen" — "vaccinated or recovered") for short. A stroll through some of Berlin's 12 districts offers a snapshot of how — if at all — the 2G rule is being implemented. At a cafe close to the Brandenburg Gate, the barista asks to see a pass proving full vaccination before even ringing orders through the till. A visit to a cafe in the eastern district of Friedrichshain also looks promising: a placard on the door outlines the 2G rule in detail. But at the counter, neither proof of vaccination nor recovery appear to be a pre-requisite. Asked if they need to see a CovPass proof of vaccination, the barista replies: "Well, do you have it on you? If you have it on you, I don't need to see it." Other eateries have also decided to circumvent the new rule by shutting up shop. Signs in the window of one restaurant in the Prenzlauer Berg neighborhood read: "Closed because of 2G! Everyone is welcome here and we don't shut anyone out."
Cinemas, theaters and museums are also required to follow the regulation. On Berlin's Museum Island, a security guard, who asked to remain anonymous, scans the QR code of vaccinated guests. "We haven't had that many people who have recently recovered from COVID," he says. "But scanning everyone's QR code is time-consuming — particularly guests from outside the EU. Our scanners can only scan EU CovPasses. Non-EU guests have to bring their papers. There's a certain level of trust that comes with that." On the whole, anecdotes from around the capital point to a well-received change. "I think there's a sense of relief for some guests — and the staff too," says a waitress at a vegan doner kebab shop. "Given the speed at which the number of cases is growing, the 2G rule, instead of 3G (which allowed unvaccinated guests with a negative test to eat indoors) is an added layer of safety for a lot of people." But not everyone's happy — not least of all the unvaccinated. In an apparent attempt to scapegoat restaurants that are following the tighter rules, suspected coronavirus skeptics have attached yellow stars — alluding to those Jews were forced to wear in Nazi Germany — to the windows of some establishments adhering to the 2G regulation. "Healthy, tested people are unwanted here," reads the text printed on the homemade paper stars. One restaurant owner said they were "horrified" to see that the Holocaust was being instrumentalized by apparent coronavirus deniers and vaccine skeptics. Across town, wine bar owner Vincenzo Berenyi says some guests who had been turned away after failing to prove they were fully vaccinated or recently recovered had posted negative reviews online. "I couldn't sit at my reserved table because the warden on the door wouldn't let me in," one comment read. Local authorities are also being called upon to help ensure the new 2G rule is being adhered to. But a shortage of personnel in Berlin's Ordnungsamt (public order offices) and police force is proving to be a challenge. Benjamin Jendro, spokesperson of the Police Union (GdP) in the district of Berlin, said public safety violations are piling up in the districts. "Processing them will still take several months because no more people have been added to the field or office staff. So at most there will be spot checks," he told DW. "A clear 2G regulation is better than the previous mix because it creates uniformity," Jendro said. "But it's also clear that neither our police nor the district regulatory authorities can check that the 2G rule is being followed across the board." Sabine Kinkartz contributed to this article. While you're here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society. You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter Berlin Briefing, to stay on top of developments as Germany enters the post-Merkel era. | 7Politics
|
The German pharmaceutical company BioNTech has broken ground for the production site of its COVID-19 vaccine in Rwanda's capital, Kigali. Thursday's ceremony was attended by Rwandan President Paul Kagame and other African heads of state, as well as representatives from the European Union and the World Health Organization. Speaking at the ceremony, Kagame called the breaking of ground a "milestone towards vaccine equity." European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz participated in the ceremony by video link. During his speech, Scholz said vaccines could mean the difference between life and death. "Today, an essential foundation has been laid for many people to benefit from this blessing of vaccines in the future," Scholz said. "And, if BioNTech's projects are realized, Africa's supply of urgently needed vaccines will improve significantly." The BioNTech-Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is based on relatively new technology using messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA). This vaccine, along with a vaccine from the US-based company Moderna, was among the first to use mRNA technology widely and successfully. Initially, the 30,000-square-meter (323,000-square-foot) plant in Kigali will contain two modular vaccine production containers and have an estimated annual capacity of about 50 million vaccine doses, according to a BioNTech press release. Basing the plant on the modular containers will enable the company to scale production as needed, according to BioNTech. It's expected that the first set of containers will arrive in Rwanda in late 2022, with vaccine production starting 12 to 18 months after that. When the Rwanda facility is up and running, it will be the first mRNA vaccine plant in Africa. A plant in South Africa already commercially produces COVID-19 vaccines, but these use a more traditional virus-based technology, not mRNA technology. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video BioNTech said the Rwanda plant would eventually become part of a wider supply network spanning several African nations, including Senegal and South Africa, in the next few years. All of the vaccines produced within Africa are intended for Africans, according to the company. The modular production containers could also eventually be used to make mRNA vaccines against malaria or tuberculosis, BioNTech's CEO and co-founder, Ugur Sahin, said at the ceremony in Kigali. This would depend, Sahin said, on how these products were developed and what future public-health priorities were. BioNTech's malaria vaccine candidates, which are based on its mRNA platform, are expected to enter human trials in 2022, according to a company press release. The BioNTech plant is part of the European Union's Vaccine Equity for Africa project, which was officially launched in February. "This project represents the immense potential of African and European cooperation," European Commission President von der Leyen said on Thursday. "Our partnership will bring vaccine manufacturing in Africa to the next level." The project push comes as doses of COVID-19 vaccines finally arrive in force on the continent after a much-criticized delay. Many African nations have a low uptake of COVID-19 vaccines, and only three look like they will meet the World Health Organization's target of 70% coverage with COVID-19 vaccines in all countries by the end of June. So far, only Mauritius and the Seychelles have vaccinated 70% of their populations. Rwanda is projected to achieve this target by the end of June. Across the continent, only 17% of Africa's 1.3 billion people are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, compared with over 70% of the population in the European Union — in part because richer nations hoarded supply in 2021, when global demand was greatest, to the chagrin of African nations. Uptake in Africa has also fallen short of expectations because of factors such as logistical hurdles, misinformation and a lack of urgency in populations. Rwandan commentator Ignatius Ssuuna said the mRNA vaccine plant was good news for Africa. Ssuuna lost his father to COVID-19 in 2020. He also caught the coronavirus himself. "When I tested positive, I was terrified, especially as I didn't know whether I would have access to the vaccine," Ssuuna said. Ssuuna expects that the new plant will make COVID-19 vaccines "accessible to everyone." | 7Politics
|
German police were investigating an apparent attack after killing a knife-wielding man who damaged cars and threatened motorists in the country's second largest city, Hamburg, on Friday. Several witnesses reported the attacker yelling "Allahu Akbar!" ("God is greatest!" in Arabic), according to the police. Officers deployed to the scene, backed by a special unit that "happened to be nearby," police said in a statement. The man then started approaching the police with a knife in his hand, said police spokeswoman Sandra Levgrün. The officers used pepper spray and fired a taser in an effort to subdue him, but the attacker did not appear to be affected. Eventually, police used their firearms. The attacker died a short time later. "It is still unclear exactly how many times and by whom shots were fired," Levgrün was quoted as saying by the DPA news agency. The man's identity was not immediately clear. State investigators were working to determine if the attack was motivated by religious extremism. The incident in northern Germany comes just hours after reports of a similar attack in western France. Authorities said a man was killed in a shootout with the French police in the western town of La Chapelle-sur-Erdre. The man had attacked and seriously wounded a police officer with a knife. Neither Germany nor France speculated on a possible link between the attacks. | 3Crime
|
The United Nations Security Council on Saturday called for "the full adherence" to a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas-led Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip. The 15-member council reached the required full consensus to issue an official statement after earlier attempts at a shared declaration were blocked by the United States during the 11-day conflict. Security Council members said in their statement that they "welcomed the announcement of a cease-fire beginning May 21 and recognized the important role Egypt, other regional countries" played in achieving the truce. The statement also stressed "the immediate need for humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian civilian population, particularly in Gaza." Egyptian mediators were in Israel and Palestinian territories to continue talks on firming up the cease-fire deal and securing long-term calm. As the cease-fire appeared to be holding, people in Gaza were cleaning up shops and businesses while displaced families were returning home, DW correspondent Tania Krämer said. Some of the initial assessments of what was damaged in Gaza were still underway, Krämer added. Dozens of Hamas fighters wearing military camouflage paraded past the mourning tent for Bassem Issa, a senior commander killed in the fighting. Yehiyeh Sinwar, the top Hamas leader in Gaza, paid his respects in his first public appearance since the fighting began. Israel had bombed the house of Sinwar as part of its attack on what it said was the group's military infrastructure. Israel's Defense Minister Benny Gantz has said top Hamas figures remained targets. Thousands of people rallied in Tel Aviv, calling for coexistence between Jews and Arabs, the Associated Press reported. "There are two peoples here. Both deserve the right to self-determination," Ayman Odeh, the leader of the main Arab party in parliament, told crowds in Tel Aviv. The AP news agency quoted Israeli author David Grossman as saying that "the battle today is not between Arabs and Jews, but between those on both sides who strive to live in peace and in a fair partnership, and those on both sides who are fed by hatred and violence.'' To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Several marches were held across Israel to call for peace between Israelis and Palestinians, the Jerusalem Post reported. According to the paper, hundreds have also gathered outside the prime minister's residence in Jerusalem, calling on Benjamin Netanyahu to resign and blaming him for the escalation in Gaza. Earlier in Jerusalem, police reportedly arrested nine after clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security. Police took five Palestinians into custody in east Jerusalem and the Old City, and four other Palestinians near the Al-Aqsa Mosque, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa, citing witnesses. The unrest came a day after clashes broke out between Palestinians and Israeli forces in the Al-Aqsa Mosque. fb/sms (AFP, AP, Reuters) | 2Conflicts
|
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has ruled in favor of Yves Jean-Bart, the former president of the Haitian football federation (FHF), and overturned his lifetime ban from football, effectively clearing him of charges of sexual abuse. In a statement, CAS said that the 75-year-old's ban had been "annulled due to insufficient evidence to establish the existence of violations of the FIFA rules." Jean-Bart, nicknamed Dadou, had taken his appeal to the world's highest sports court after FIFA's ethics committee found him guilty in November 2020 of sexually abusing and harassing young female players at Haiti's national training center. In addition to the lifetime ban, he had been fined 1 million Swiss francs (€1.01m, $1.08m). The hearing took place in March last year and was presided over by a three-person panel. CAS said numerous witnesses gave evidence to the panel, including some who were given special protective measures. The panel was unanimous in its ruling, noting "inconsistencies and inaccuracies in the statements of the victims and witnesses presented by FIFA." It also cast doubt on evidence provided by FIFPRO, the global players' union, and Human Rights Watch, which has been supporting the alleged victims. Concluding, the panel said that it considered the evidence against Jean-Bart to be "inconsistent, unclear and contradictory, and that, as a result, it is not sufficient to establish a violation" of FIFA's code of ethics. In a statement, Jean-Bart said: "Three years after being falsely accused, I have awaited this day when my honor could be fully restored. I am grateful to God, my family, legal counsel, and all of those stood with me through this difficult process while I defended myself against these baseless, maliciously motivated smears." FIFA has been approached for comment. In reaching its 2020 verdict, FIFA said that Jean-Bart had "created a very complex and extremely harmful system of sexual abuse and exploitaton of female players." Its investigators found that his abuse had ranged from "inappropriate touching, to sexual harassment and abuse and, in the worst case to rape (and forced abortion)." But after CAS overturned his ban, Minky Worden, a director at HRW, told DW that the verdict was a "travesty of justice" and spoke of devastation among the alleged victims. "This decision shows the utter failure of the sports system to protect and respect survivors of sexual abuse, and to protect them from violent threats," she said, adding: "CAS is supposed to deliver rapid justice to athletes. Three years after survivors reported abuse to FIFA, it's done just the opposite." In the year that the FIFA Women's World Cup is set to take place, Worden added: "This is such an abject failure to deliver some tiny measure of justice to the survivors who courageously called out Jean-Bart's abuse." Meanwhile, on Thursday, FIFPRO said it was "deeply disappointed to learn of CAS's decision" and criticized the protections afforded to the witnesses. It wrote: "In light of the serious, explicit and extensively documented threats received by those asked to give evidence, and CAS's failure to offer basic anonymity protection such as voice distortion, how does it anticipate ever being able to procure adequate evidence to discipline powerful alleged perpetrators?" The allegations first appeared in the British newspaper The Guardian in April 2020. DW also reported extensively on Jean-Bart's alleged abuse, revealing in October of that year that he was still running the FHF, despite a ban. With the CAS decision final, Jean-Bart will now be free to pick up from where he left off. Edited by Matt Ford | 9Sports
|
Lithuania's Parliament on Tuesday approved a raft of new laws tightening the rules on migration and asylum. The new legislation is intended to deter high numbers of asylum seekers crossing European Union member Lithuania's border with Belarus. The bill prevents any release of migrants from detention for six months after their arrival. It also curbs the right of appeal for rejected asylum-seekers and stipulates that migrants can be deported while their appeals are under consideration. A total of 84 lawmakers in parliament supported the bill, with one against and 5 abstentions. Several non-governmental organizations have said the decision to detain the migrants violates Lithuania's international obligations, as well as the rights of the asylum seekers. "The law is a potential human rights violation, and it does not correspond to EU directives," Lithuanian Red Cross program director Egle Samuchovaite told news agency Reuters. "It enshrines the current bad situation in Lithuania's detention centers in law and leaves vulnerable people in an even more vulnerable situation." On Monday, Lithuania accused Belarus of using migrants as a political "weapon" to put pressure on the EU. The country's foreign minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, told DW that Belarus was using refugees from war-torn countries as "human shields" in an attempt to force the bloc to ease sanctions. The EU has imposed a series of sanctions on Minsk over what it says is an "escalation of serious human rights violations and the violent repression of civil society, democratic opposition and journalists, as well as the forced landing of a Ryanair flight" in order to detain a dissident blogger and his girlfriend. In response, Belarus vowed to allow migrants to cross into Lithuania. Vilnius accuses Minsk of flying in migrants from abroad to send to the EU. Last week, Lithuania began building a fence along the border and deployed troops to prevent migrants crossing illegally into its territory. jsi/rt (Reuters, AP) | 7Politics
|
Rosemarie Trockel became famous in the 1980s with her knitted wool paintings. What the artist called her "knitting pictures" wasn't the result of turning a hobby into art, however: Trockel's wool artworks were rather machine-generated. By shifting the way traditionally feminine materials were used, she criticized traditional role models as well as the established hierarchy of art forms, which places painting above crafts. Among her best known works are also her so-called "hot plates," in which she placed dark electric cooker hot plates onto colorful backgrounds, turning them into minimalist black circles. The works were not only a take on the alleged role of women in the kitchen, but also offered an ironic homage to the matrix dots popular among pop artists. Trockel has since upgraded her hot plates, which now recall induction cooktops; the artist adapts to the times with a critical eye and a sense of humor. Born on November 13, 1952, in the town of Schwerte, Rosemarie Trockel grew up in Leverkusen. Her works are still regularly on show at the Museum Morsbroich in that city. She developed an interest in film and painting at an early age, but first studied social anthropology, social sciences, theology and mathematics in college. She later moved on to art studies at the Cologne Academy of Fine and Applied Arts. She was a professor at Düsseldorf Arts Academy from 1998 to 2016. While traveling in the US, Trockel met artists like Jenny Holzer and Cindy Sherman. Trockel's works were shown at New York's Museum of Modern Art by the late 1980s, and later in Chicago and Boston. She was the first woman to participate in the German pavilion at the Venice Biennale, in 1999. Trockel had previously stirred controversy with her "House for Pigs and People" at the Documenta of 1997. The installation, created together with artist Carsten Höller, featured a family of pigs living in a house. The project aimed to show the "pigs" in human beings. Instead of questioning the role of women, the work dealt with identity and how society is organized. Although Trockel is an internationally renowned modern German artist, she is largely withdrawn from the public. She doesn't have a homepage, and she usually rejects interview requests. However, Trockel addressed political and social issues, and not only through her work. For example, following the events during New Year's Eve in Cologne in 2015, she signed an appeal by Cologne artists and musicians against sexual violence and xenophobic hatred. Trockel's last prominent solo show took place in Bregenz in 2015. It was entitled "Märzôschnee ûnd Wiebôrweh sand am Môargô niana më," a traditional Begrenz saying that roughly translates as, "The pains of women disappear the day after, like snow in March," which downplays the suffering of women. A lot of attention was given in Bregenz to Trockel's life-sized doll wearing curlers, and partially clad in black linen, as is typical of Bregenz traditional costumes. The doll wore a bullet-proof vest, and the beard of a chamois and chicken feet on her back. The doll was said to stand for both strength and vulnerability combined in one person. The doll's gender was undefined. Trockel still develops new ideas through paintings, sculptures and installations, works characterized by humor and contrasts. She has created boobs out of ceramics; a stable-looking box out of foam. What is soft becomes hard, and what is hard becomes soft, an idea that recalls Swedish pop artist Claes Oldenburg. Rosemarie Trockel still uses threads as a material in more recent works. She spans colorful acrylic threads across a canvas making them appear like stripes and squares when seen from a distance. Painting with threads, so to speak. Some of her works will soon be on view at the Museum für Moderne Kunst in Frankfurt am Main in an exhibition, from December 10, 2022 to June 18, 2023, which will highlight Trockel's unprecedented influence on contemporary art. The museum presents more than 200 works from all of the artist's creative periods, from the 1970s to new pieces created specially for the show. | 4Culture
|
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida vowed to take steps to reduce the US military presence in Okinawa, the nation's most southerly prefecture, on Sunday. He made the comments at a ceremony to mark the 50th anniversary of the reversion of Okinawa from US control. Residents of the poorest prefecture in Japan, however, were skeptical. Many say they have heard similar promises from a succession of political leaders, but have seen no changes. Okinawans who oppose the presence of the US military bases, which were built following World War II, say they create a major source of pollution and noise. Many also blame US military personnel for violent crimes that have had an impact on residents, and say the culture, history and language of the indigenous Ryukyuan people are disappearing. The US justifies its presence in Okinawa as the island offers a strategic stronghold in the Pacific. Many Okinawans are now calling for independence for the semitropical archipelago, which was a kingdom in its own right until it was incorporated into Japan in 1872. In his address at the Okinawa Convention Center, in the city of Ginowan, Kishida referred to Okinawa as the "gateway to Asia" and said the Ryukyu islands had the potential to become a regional hub for international exchanges. He added that his government would also work hard to create a "strong Okinawan economy." He conceded, however, that the bases, which were first set up when the US military invaded Okinawa in the closing stages of World War II in 1945, weigh heavily on the local community. He pledged to "steadily make visible progress on the alleviation of the burden while maintaining the deterrence offered by the Japan-US [security] alliance." Okinawa was returned to Japan's control on May 15, 1972, 27 years after the US invasion. However, the military presence remains overwhelming. Though Okinawa accounts for just 0.6% of the total land area of Japan, it is home to more than 70% of the US military facilities in the country. And locals' resentment does not sit far below the surface. Asked about the anniversary of the return of Okinawa to Japanese control, Byron Fija told DW: "How can I be happy? Today I am sad and I am angry because this is my country, but, for 270 years, when the first invaders came from the Satsuma Domain, the people here have been exploited for our treasures." Fija, 52, never knew his American father and was adopted by his mother's older brother. Today he is an academic at Okinawa University and said the ongoing construction of a new US military base on reclaimed land in a pristine bay near the village of Henoko was just the latest slight against the people of Okinawa. "Henoko is a small village, and there has been a lot of opposition to the base plan there, but the government does not listen to what the people say," he said. "We could trade with anyone — the US, China, Japan — and there would be no need for any military here at all," he said. But he is not sure whether enough Okinawans are sufficiently unhappy with the situation to form a coherent movement that would fight for independence. Shinako Oyakawa — a member of the Association of Comprehensive Studies for Independence of the Lew Chewans, or Ryukyuans, which aims to win the islands' independence — is more optimistic. "Fifty years ago, most Okinawan people believed the return of the islands to Japanese control was a solution to their dreams because it would mean the bases would go, and our human rights would be returned and respected," she told DW. "But that didn't happen, and it's the same even today. ... The people of this prefecture are treated as second-class citizens of Japan." Despite pleas by successive governments in Okinawa, for some of the US bases to be moved to mainland Japan in order for the burden to be shared more equally with the rest of the nation, nothing has happened, Oyakawa said. It is the perfect example of communities and politicians in the rest of the country saying "not in my backyard,” she added. The Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan, signed in 1951, permits the presence of US military bases on Japanese land. Critics say the government in mainland Japan has designated the majority of US military bases to Okinawa. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video In the run-up to Sunday's anniversary events, opinion polls conducted in Okinawa by the Ryukyu Shimpo newspaper and in mainland Japan by the Mainichi Shimbun revealed that 69% of Okinawans believe that the concentration of US troops in the prefecture is "unfair." Among mainland Japanese, the figure was just 33%. Despair at the failure to have the US military removed has encouraged a movement for independence, Oyakawa said, and the association is in talks with similar campaigns in Catalonia, Scotland, Guam and Hawaii. "For a long time, the people of Okinawa were disappointed by the government in Tokyo, but they were defeatists who did not think they could change anything," she said. "That made a campaign for independence difficult. But that is changing and I think it is natural for people to want to be free when they have been colonized for such a long time." Edited by: Leah Carter | 7Politics
|
Militants from the so-called "Islamic State" carried out a series of attacks in northern Iraq on Sunday, in an area contested by Kurdish forces and Baghdad, local media reported. One attack by IS militants on the village of Qara Salem near the northern city of Kirkuk on Sunday evening left at least two Kurdish Peshmerga soldiers dead, Kurdish media said. The Peshmerga Ministry, belonging to the Kurdistan Regional Government which rules a semi-autonomous region in northern Iraq, told news site Rudaw: "There were casualties and injuries among the ranks of the Peshmerga forces. The terrorists were chased off and the situation is under control." The militants have been carrying out hit-and-run assaults during the night, a Peshmerga colonel told Reuters "They avoid holding the ground for longer time ... More reinforcement forces were dispatched to the area to prevent further attacks," he said.
Earlier on Sunday, IS launched a separate attack on the village of Luhaiban, also in the Kirkuk province. All the villagers were reportedly evacuated after a group of around two dozen armed militants surrounded the village. "There were only ten families left, and they decided to leave today," the village chief told news site Kurdistan24. The village had come under repeated attacks in recent days. Reuters cited a security source saying that the village had fallen to the radical Islamist group. The attacks took place in a rather remote territory that is disputed by the Iraqi government in Baghdad and the Kurdish regional government in Erbil. IS rose to notoriety in 2014 after taking over large swathes of Iraq and Syria. However, by 2017 it had lost most of its gains. Groups claiming loyalty to IS have popped up in several countries, with groups in Afghanistan and West Africa having the most impact. A recent uptick in attacks by the group in Iraq coincides with a general level of unrest and dissatisfaction with the government in Baghdad as well as violent protests over the results of the country's recent parliamentary election. Reuters contributed to this report Edited by: John Silk | 2Conflicts
|
US prosecutors on Thursday charged two Iranian hackers for their part in a disinformation campaign during the 2020 US presidential election that targeted voters, members of Congress and a media company. The US Treasury imposed sanctions on a total of six Iranians and a group from the country that it accuses of trying to influence the result of the election. The men, Seyyed Mohammad Hosein Musa Kazemi, 24, and Sajjad Kashian, 27, were allegedly involved in trying to obtain confidential US voting information from a state election website. Prosecutors accused the Iranians of trying to get access to an unnamed US media company's computer network to spread false claims about the election. The FBI worked with the company to foil the plot. The hackers sent Facebook messages to Republican members of Congress and staff affiliated with Donald Trump's reelection campaign, pretending to be part of a far-right Proud Boys group, the indictment alleges. It accused the men of trying to access voter registration data from 11 state websites. The Iranians managed to download information of over 100,000 people, writing carefully designed messages from both political parties to try to confuse voters, the US alleges. Through emails, videos and Facebook messages, US prosecutors allege the Iranians of trying to get citizens to vote for Trump and lose faith in the electoral system. These included emails threatening to "come after" citizens who didn't vote for Trump, said the indictment. One video they produced showed an individual hacking into state voting websites to register fraudulent absentee ballots, the US said. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video But senior US law enforcement officials said they had no evidence the effort changed voting results. Even though the two Iranians are still in their home country, the US hopes the charges will hinder their ability to travel. Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen, the head of the Justice Department's national security division, said the Iranians "waged a targeted, coordinated campaign to erode confidence in the integrity of the U.S. electoral system and to sow discord among Americans." Olsen said that the investigation showed "how foreign disinformation campaigns operate and seek to influence the American public." jc/wd (Reuters, AP) | 3Crime
|
Republicans didn't get the "red wave” they were hoping for, but they don't need one. The party is on track to lap up the handful of seats required to take back control of the next House of Representatives in the United States Congress. The balance of power in the Senate comes down to three states — Arizona and Nevada, as well as Georgia, which will be decided in a runoff in December. Democrats need to win at least two to maintain their current 50-50 hold — two independent senators align with Democrats. In this case, only Vice President Kamala Harris' constitutional role as the tie-breaking vote keeps them in charge of the upper house of Congress. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video National elections are a local affair. Counties are chiefly responsible for running them, and states regulate and certify them. That means thousands of elections take place on Election Day, across multiple time zones, for dozens of local, state and federal offices, referendums, and ballot initiatives. Rules and procedures vary — as do budgets, training and personnel for election offices. "They're very resource deprived," Joshua Sellers, an associate law professor at Arizona State University, told DW. "We think of elections as these discrete moments. But they require months, if not years, of planning in advance." However frustrating, a decentralized and redundant count can be a bulwark against the kind of fraud that former President Donald Trump and his election-denying allies have tried to push, without evidence, since Trump himself lost — and refused to concede — in 2020. Many of those more extremist candidates lost on Tuesday, and conceded to their opponents. There are others, including at the state level across the country, who did win, putting them in a position to potentially influence future elections and call legitimate results into question. "My hope is that whatever nefarious actions they might be inclined to take will be countered by all of the good, honest, public servants who work in these positions and work in these offices," Sellers, who is researching US election integrity as a fellow at the American Academy in Berlin, said. The midterm shift, which will not take effect until the new year, looks to be small, but potentially decisive. If the Senate stays in Democrats' hands, they can keep control of committees and the legislative agenda, including shuffling through President Joe Biden's executive and judicial appointments. However, they will remain far short of the two-thirds vote that many kinds of Senate bills require to pass. It's the House, however, that would see real change — and threaten to freeze Biden's legislative wishlist and policy priorities. Republicans there could block Democratic initiatives and push through their own, which would likely stall in the Senate, or Biden could veto them. "When the country is divided as we very much are, I do think the world is right to be concerned about our ability, as a global unit, to address some of these problems," Sellers said, referring to transnational issues such as climate change and pandemics like COVID-19. Republicans in the House can also deny Biden funding, and tie up his administration in hearings and investigations. They have the power to impeach, which is a political — not a legal — procedure that can derail a president's remaining time in office regardless of its outcome. Concerns about US democracy and the country's ability to govern itself have global implications, foreign policy observers say, and draw a starker link between public dissatisfaction at home and policy objectives abroad. "We have to treat the American public and our representatives as absolutely having a legitimate role to play in foreign policy, and not making it sound like you have to be inducted into this expert priesthood to have a legitimate opinion," Stephen Wertheim, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a Washington-based think tank, told DW. The apparent outcome of the midterms has dampened some democratic doubts, but not done away with them entirely. Still, there is bipartisan sentiment for a number of top geopolitical issues. Both sides have shown agreement on supporting Ukraine, countering China, and promoting domestic manufacturing of hi-tech products, such as microchips. The differences may appear not in what gets done in these areas, but how. "I don't think Ukraine is a very polarized or political issue yet in the American political scene," Michael Kimmage, a history professor at Catholic University in Washington, D.C., told DW. "There has to be concern that if Republicans take the House, for example, it's not that they'll cease supporting Ukraine, but they'll start attaching all kinds of other things to appropriation bills and assistance bills for Ukraine." Ukraine, and its leadership, has experience as fodder for US partisanship. Trump's first impeachment centered on the former US president allegedly pressuring the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to help malign Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, in exchange for US support. "Even a small shift in the nature of US support to Ukraine could have pretty big reverberations for the Ukrainian military," Kimmage, who worked on the Russia/Ukraine desk in the Obama-era State Department, added. Similar shifts could happen in other foreign policy areas that may force Biden to make tough choices. The administration's critics view its National Security Strategy, which was released in October, as one that "pretends that the US can have it all," Kimmage said. While polling suggests that public support for Ukraine against Russia, and similarly Taiwan against China, remains high across the board, they land more strongly in the Democratic camp. Trump-style Republicans express an isolationist bent, and the party campaigned to tackle record inflation and shore up an anxious economy. "There is a popular sentiment in the United States that says we need nation-building at home," Wertheim, the Carnegie fellow, said. "It's what Obama said repeatedly. It's what Donald Trump ran on as well." Republicans with more legislative power could "give more voice to those kinds of questions," he added. Still, with China fears taking hold on both sides of the aisle, any drastic pullback from the world stage or cuts in record high military spending, in absolute numbers, are unlikely. "I do fear that one thing that a Republican Congress will mean is a kind of bidding war between the two parties to out-hawk each other on China," he said. "US domestic politics is a factor that's fueling strategic competition with China. That doesn't necessarily make for sound strategy." The US has been trying to "pivot" to Asia since Barack Obama was in office, and the National Security Strategy has China foremost in mind. It suggests that the US can only refocus its considerable resources if its European allies take on more responsibility for their own security. Otherwise, the US risks ceding the Atlantic in exchange for the Indo-Pacific, or overstretching its capabilities to stay fully engaged in both. That makes US national security priorities more dependent on NATO's — and, more broadly, the European Union's — commitments to burden-sharing. The buzz word, which is shorthand for beefing up European countries' own militaries, has been an issue for years. Both Democrats and Republicans have reasons to push allies to do so. Add Trump to the mix — whose worldview suffered a setback in the midterms, but as a figure remains a potent and unpredictable force — and Europeans, in particular, have reason to watch US politics closely in the leadup to the 2024 presidential elections. "It is a good time for Europe to think about how self sufficient it is and wants to be when it comes to its defense," Wertheim said. "I don't know how many more warning signs from the United States are necessary to convey this message." Edited by: Nicole Goebel | 7Politics
|
At some 6,000 degrees Celsius (11,000 degrees Fahrenheit), Earth's core is about as hot as the sun. Though not comparable, even at 2,000 to 5,000 meters (6,500 to 16,000 feet) beneath the surface of the planet, it can be a scorching 60 to 200 C, while in volcanic regions, even surface temperatures can reach 400 degrees. That makes for a lot of potential heat-based energy. Our ancestors were no strangers to the power of geothermal energy, as it is known. In the first century AD, Romans living in the western German cities now known as Aachen and Wiesbaden heated their houses and thermal baths with hot spring water. In New Zealand, the Maori people cooked their food using the Earth's heat, and in 1904, geothermal energy was used to generate electricity in central Italy's Larderello. These days, some 400 power plants in 30 countries generate electricity using steam generated beneath the earth's surface, producing a total capacity of 16 gigawatts (GW). This method of generating electricity is particularly important in volcanic regions along the Pacific Ring of Fire, including the United States, Mexico, El Salvador, Iceland, Turkey, Kenya, Indonesia, the Philippines and New Zealand. But on a global level, geothermal energy only accounts for 0.5% of electricity generation. Across the world, geothermal energy is mainly used for heating swimming pools, buildings, greenhouses and for urban heating systems. Water up to 200 degrees C is pumped from boreholes up to 5,000 meters deep. The heat is then extracted and the cooled water is pumped back in through a second bore. This method of heat capture is feasible worldwide, inexpensive and increasingly popular in countries that lack volcanic activity. According to assessments by the Renewables Global Status Report, the installed capacity of geothermal heat plants is currently 38 gigawatts worldwide — more than double the capacity of geothermal power plants that generate electricity. To date, China (14 GW), Turkey (3 GW), Iceland (2 GW) and Japan (2 GW) are the leaders in developing deep geothermal energy, heating more and more city districts and greenhouses. In Germany, the city of Munich enjoys inexpensive geothermal heating and has set its sight on using the technology to make the sector climate neutral by 2035. The German government is also looking at further developing deep geothermal energy to create a nationwide climate-neutral heat supply by 2045. According to studies, deep geothermal energy could generate around 300 terawatt hours of heat annually from an installed capacity of 70 GW — more than half the future heat demand of all buildings. Increasingly, however, geothermal energy is also being harnessed from sources close to the earth's surface using heat pumps. In boreholes just 50 to 400 meters deep, a closed pipe system carries water from the surface to underground and then back, heating it 10 to 20 degrees C. A heat pump then uses this energy to output water at 30 to 70 degrees C, which is then used to heat buildings. Researchers believe using this shallow geothermal energy in Germany offers heating potential similar to deep geothermal energy. In Germany, these two technologies alone could satisfy the entire future heating demand for buildings. According to analysis by six German research institutes, generating heat with deep geothermal energy costs less than three euro cents per kilowatt hour (kWh). Before Russia's attack on Ukraine, natural gas could generate heat even cheaper than this for many municipal utilities in Europe. That made it unattractive to invest in the construction of deep geothermal energy plants. Since Russia's invasion, however, sharply rises in gas prices have pushed that cost to more than 12 cents per kWh, changing the calculation. Municipal utilities are now showing great interest in deep geothermal energy for heat supplies. No. The heating demands of the world's buildings can be met by the near-unlimited potential of deep geothermal energy and near-surface geothermal energy. But industrial applications sometimes require temperatures of over 200 degrees, which, with present technologies, are generally unattainable with geothermal energy. For such high temperatures, heating with electricity, biogas, biomass and green hydrogen are the climate-friendly alternatives. Over the past century, the oil and gas industries in particular have amassed considerable knowledge of the earth's subsurface, on drill techniques, how to train personnel, and have developed sophisticated technology. Professor Rolf Bracke, head of the Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Infrastructure and Geothermal Energy (IEG), told DW he is confident that geothermal energy can be expanded rapidly "if the oil and gas industries turn their attention to geothermal energy." But he says if those companies continue to focus on oil and gas production because it generates more money, there would be insufficient personnel and drilling technology to rapidly expand geothermal energy. According to Bracke, it takes two to three years to develop geothermal heat sources if approval is granted quickly, and about three times longer than that in Germany due to bureaucratic delays. The German government now wants to speed up this process and increase heat energy production tenfold from the current production of 1 terawatt by 2030. Yes. In regions with seismic activity, geothermal energy can trigger small earthquakes when water is injected into the subsurface at too high a pressure, triggering existing stresses. In some cases, the tremors have resulted in cracks in buildings and public opposition to this technology. According to Bracke, there have been no reports of earthquakes in regions without underlying stresses. Meanwhile, geothermal techniques have also been improved: surface tremors can now be avoided with lower underground water pressures and more sophisticated monitoring methods, But compared to oil, gas and coal extraction, geothermal is far less risky, Bracke emphasized, and "by far the safest source of energy from our earth." This article was originally written in German. | 6Nature and Environment
|
DW: Documenta kicked off in June with a major antisemitism scandal. It was about the banner "People's Justice" by Taring Padi, which clearly showed antisemitic images. You said at the time that it had exceeded your wildest nightmares. What did you mean? Josef Schuster: We pointed out in advance and warned against possible Israel-related antisemitism, something I could imagine in such an art exhibition. But the fact is: I did not expect classic antisemitism, such blatant antisemitism. That's what I meant when I said that it wen beyond "my wildest nightmares." To what extent was antisemitism clearly recognizable? The characters depicted were quite clearly recognizable as Jews, using all the familiar antisemitic cliches. As you said, the were warning signs ahead of the event, including that the Indonesian curatorial collective Ruangrupa was close to BDS — the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. Why wasn't this scandal avoided? I have no explanation at all. We clearly pointed it out in the run-up, also in talks with the Federal Commissioner for Culture and the Media, Claudia Roth. She said she guaranteed, after consultation with those responsible in Kassel, that there would be no antisemitic depictions at documenta. She says she was deceived. Does that mean that other items had been warned about beforehand, beyond the mural that came into the spotlight? Up front, no one asked: What pictures are being shown? The question was rather: Will it be ensured that no antisemitic depictions show up at the exhibition? And she [the minister] had obtained explicit confirmation that this would be the case. The next scandal involving antisemitic depictions followed in July. It was about a brochure with drawings by Syrian artist Burhan Karkoutly. They were reviewed, were deemed to be legally airtight, and are still on display, though with a commentary. What about that approach? It's not even the question of whether something is legally airtight, but about the fact of the representation of antisemitism. And even if it's not legally actionable, I don't think antisemitism in any form has any place at an international art exhibition in Germany in 2022. Ruangrupa argued that they were from a different cultural context and that antisemitism is different in Indonesia than in Germany. Is that a legitimate way to look at the dilemma? That may be the case, but as far as I am concerned, antisemitism is misanthropy, no matter where it happens, whether it's in Indonesia or in Germany. Of course, anti-Jewish, anti-Israel stereotypes are unfortunately commonplace in some countries. But that cannot happen in Germany, with its history and its responsibility. Claudia Roth says that from now on, she wants to have more control over the documenta, a state-funded art exhibition. Is that the solution? I don't know if it's the solution, but it's a decision that I think is very important and right. You simply can't promote antisemitism in art exhibitions with state funds; that is, with taxpayers' money. Did anyone get in touch with the Central Council of Jews, consult with you? We happened to talk with Claudia Roth at the beginning of the year. She was new in her office, but we spoke extensively about the documenta. She had another appointment, so we agreed to continue the discussion at short notice. "Short notice," however, is a flexible term. Were you in touch with members of Ruangrupa? No, we were not in touch with them at all. Nobody approached us from their side and we didn't approach them either. Along with the artists' group and the curators, the responsibility lies with documenta management. It was also the duty of the shareholders and the documenta supervisory board. How do you rate the current personnel situation at documenta? It is absolutely inadequate. The managing director was dismissed after much back and forth, and [interim director Alexander] Fahrenholtz was appointed. However, what I heard and saw from Mr. Fahrenholtz during the next antisemitic incident was unfortunately in no way an improvement. [Editor's note: This interview was conducted prior to an advisory committee's call on September 13 to halt the screening of a video work part of the "Tokyo Reels project," which was deemed antisemitic. The curatorial team has so far rejected calls for cancellation, but shareholders back the expert panel's recommendation. Josef Schuster sent the following statement on the case: "I welcome the statement by the shareholders, but would have liked such a sign much earlier. I expect those responsible will ensure that the state-sponsored antisemitism displayed here will be halted before September 25."] Despite all these events, documenta continues ... To my chagrin, it is still on, and it shows Palestinian propaganda by people who were close to the RAF terrorists, were also close to other terrorist groups — every day on a continuous loop. Would you say documenta's reputation has been damaged? Yes, I think so. I don't know the number of visitors, but some people have told me they always visited documenta — but this year, have canceled their hotel reservations. Even Germany's chancellor canceled his participation. A year ago you said the far right is responsible for most antisemitic crimes. Is that still the case? Nothing has changed in that regard. I still see the majority of antisemitic crimes coming from the far right. But we also see antisemitic leanings on the political left and in the midst of society. There is also antisemitism among Muslims. However, there is a difference between attitudes and crimes. Unfortunately, antisemitism on the political right is anything but new. Sometimes, however, you'll see strange alliances emerge, like the political right and fundamentalist Islamic groups. What can we do about that? There is only one possibility, and that is education, beginning at a young age in school. Josef Schuster has been president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany since 2014. The council was founded in 1950 and represents the political and social interests of the Jewish communities in Germany. The interview was originally conducted in German. | 4Culture
|
New Italian premier Mario Draghi on Wednesday gave details of his strategy to end a period of political crisis. The Senate speech had been hotly anticipated, with Draghi having said little in public about the objectives of his technocrat government since being sworn into office. In his maiden speech to parliament, Draghi said Italy would have to rebuild after the pandemic as it did after World War II, as part of a more integrated EU. "Today we have, as did the governments of the immediate post-war period, the possibility, or rather the responsibility, to start a new reconstruction," he said. Draghi said his main duty was to "fight the pandemic by all means and to safeguard the lives of our fellow citizens." However, he said his government would also look to reforms aimed at encouraging long-term growth in the eurozone's third-largest economy "Today, unity is not an option, unity is a duty. But it is a duty guided by what I am sure unites us all: love for Italy," Draghi added. Draghi is facing the vote of confidence in the Senate late Wednesday, with a vote in the larger lower chamber to follow on Thursday. The former head of the European Central Bank — known as "Super Mario" for his role in saving the euro — is tasked with guiding Italy out of its dual health and economic crises. The government is expected to be voted through in both chambers, with Draghi having the support of almost all the main political parties. Draghi has chosen 23 ministers from across the political spectrum, as well as several technocrats to fill key roles. The confidence votes are the final step that is needed for the government to exercise its full powers. The coronavirus shutdown and waves of restrictions caused the economy to shrink by 8.9% last year. More than 420,000 people have lost their jobs. The recession is Italy's worst since World War II. Along with other European Union nation, Italy has fallen behind in its vaccination program, blaming delivery delays. Italy is expecting to receive more than 220 billion euros ($267 billion) in EU recovery funds. Disputes over how to spend the money — whether it should be on longstanding structural reform or short-term stimulus — brought down the previous government. The virus remains rife in Italy. In one of its last acts, ex-Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte's cabinet on Friday tightened restrictions in four regions and extended a ban on travel between regions. The 73-year-old economist has no political power base of his own to form a cabinet. He has chosen 15 ministers from parties both within the center-left alliance of Conte and the opposition, as well as some experts from outside the political world. Luigi Di Maio is set to stay in place as foreign minister and Roberto Speranza will remain health minister. Marta Cartabia, an expert as president of the Constitutional Court until September 2020, will fill the post of justice minister A much-discussed Ministry for Ecological Restructuring is also to be led by an expert, physicist Roberto Cingolani. Meanwhile, the former head of the Italian central bank Daniele Franco, is to occupy the position of finance minister, with the task of helping Draghi secure recovery funds from Brussels. An Ipsos poll in the Corriere della Sera daily shows that 62 % of Italians support Draghi. rc/rt (dpa, AFP, Reuters) | 7Politics
|
Finance and health ministers from the Group of 20 (G20) leading and developing economies on Friday called for 70% of the world's population to be vaccinated against COVID-19 over the next eight months. Ahead of an in-person meeting of finance ministers in Rome — with health ministers joining via video link — the delegates announced the creation of a task force to better fight the pandemic and kickstart the economic recovery. "To help advance toward the global goals of vaccinating at least 40% of the population in all countries by the end of 2021 and 70% by mid-2022 ... we will take steps to help boost the supply of vaccines and essential medical products and inputs in developing countries and remove relevant supply and financing constraints," the G20 ministers said in a communique. German Finance Minister and possible next chancellor Olaf Scholz said the pandemic was a "global crisis that also requires global answers,” while his French counterpart Bruno Le Maire warned that the increasing vaccine divergence between developing and developed countries was "a major strategic risk for the rest of the world." Kristalina Georgieva, head of the International Monetary Fund, warned that efforts to speed vaccinations to 70% of the world's population were short of $20 billion (€17.3 billion). To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Friday's gathering of finance and health ministers comes a day ahead of the leaders' summit set for October 30-31. The G20 bloc, including countries like the United States, China, India and Germany, accounts for about 60% of the world's population and over 80% of global economic output. The summit is the leaders' first face-to-face meeting in two years. But to the disappointment of the host Italy, the leaders of China, Japan, Mexico, Russia and Saudi Arabia have declined to attend the meeting. Still, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to follow the discussions via a video link. As well as the pandemic and its consequences, the ministers are expected to discuss efforts to speed up the global economic recovery, address soaring energy prices and supply chain snarls, which have affected a number of key industries worldwide. G20 leaders will also sign off on a minimum global tax rate of 15% for big companies, a deal that was finalized earlier this month. Furthermore, the climate is going to be a major topic of discussion at the summit, which is being held just days before the United Nations COP26 climate summit in Scotland, set to begin on Sunday. The bloc, which accounts for an estimated 80% of global greenhouse gas emissions, has been slammed by climate activists for not taking adequate action to curb the emissions. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who is in Rome for the talks, challenged G20 leaders to overcome "dangerous levels of mistrust" between developed and developing nations to try to avoid "climate catastrophe." Michael Mwenda, Executive Director of the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance, told DW on Friday it was "vital" for wealthy nations to "allocate sufficient resources ... to enable communities [in Africa] to build resilience to climate change and then adapt to its impacts." "It's not that there is no money to address the climate crisis," Mwenda said. "Look at what happened with COVID-19. Because it was affecting industrialized countries, within a record time, they were able to to provide massive resources for vaccine development and even reconstruction." The situation in Afghanistan after the chaotic US withdrawal from the war-ravaged country could also come up for discussion, particularly when US President Joe Biden meets European leaders on the sidelines of the G20 gathering. Ahead of the summit, Women Political Leaders, a global network of female political leaders, released a statement calling on the G20 leaders to ensure the safety and security of Afghan women leaders. "Afghan women politicians are not only being sidelined from participation, they are also suffering threats and violence," it said. The body stressed that the G20 should set up a mechanism to monitor the situation of women's rights in the conflict-stricken nation and hold the Taliban responsible and accountable. Protesters have planned multiple rallies in Rome for the time of the G20 meetings. A demonstration is taking place on Friday of mainly young students. DW reporter Marina Strauss, who is in Rome, said that the students she spoke to want the G20 leaders to finally step up climate action and have more ambitious goals. She added that Friday's march is just a kick-off for the much bigger protests planned for Saturday. A protest by the Rifondazione Comunista communist party is scheduled for early Saturday afternoon and shortly afterward, a march including climate initiative Fridays for Future and trade unions is to take place. About 10,000 participants are expected. Authorities have stepped up security in the city. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The arrangements include a large police presence with additional reinforcements from the military. The Interior Ministry has said between 5,000 and 6,000 police along with some 500 soldiers will be deployed to ensure security. Large parts of the district surrounding the congress center that will host the summit are being cordoned off from Friday and no one will be allowed to enter without special permission. Airspace will be closed over Rome and border controls will be enhanced to try to keep away potential troublemakers. DW reporter Strauss said that Italy wants to avoid the protests from getting out of hand. In 2001, as the G8 summit in Genoa was taking place, anti-globalization protester 23-year-old Italian student Carlo Giuliani was shot dead by a police officer during a street fight. That incident is still vivid in Italy, explaining the massive security precautions put in place this time around, said Strauss. mm, sri/rt (Reuters, AFP, dpa) | 7Politics
|
Employees at the Roman-Celtic museum in the Bavarian town of Manching discovered 450 Celtic coins valued at several million euros was apparently looted from a display case early Tuesday morning. Local police said that a "showcase was broken," although investigators provided scant additional hints as to who or what may be behind the alleged heist, AFP news agency reported. The coins were the showpiece of the museum. Specialists from Bavaria's state criminal police are investigating. "The loss of the Celtic treasure is a disaster,'' said Bavaria's Minister of Science and Arts Markus Blume. "As a testament to our history, the gold coins are irreplaceable.'' Authorities were quick to note that there had been a disruption to phone and internet services at the time. Mayor Herbert Nerb told the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, "They cut off the whole of Manching." "The museum is actually a high-security location. But all the connections to the police were severed," he added. Nerb said the looting of the 450 gold coins a "complete catastrophe" for his town. The coins were discovered in 1999 but date back to the third century BC. The robbery is the latest in a series of high-profile heists in Germany of museums. Dresden's Royal Palace was hit by thieves in 2019 who staged a bold nigh-time raid on the Green Vault Museum. That heist was worth at least €113.8 million ($117 million). ar/jcg (AFP, dpa) | 3Crime
|
Certainly, you've heard of globalization. But what about deglobalization? Supply chain disruptions, surging costs, shortages — these daily realities could all be connected to a process known as deglobalization. Some experts even see the war in Ukraine, combined with the pandemic, as marking a turning point toward a deglobalized era. But what shape would this new world take? Experts typically describe three types of globalization: economic, social and political globalization. Economic globalization is the integration of the world economy in terms of trade. This process certainly has its share of advocates and critics. Globalization lifts people out of poverty and increases their standard of living, proponents proclaim. Yet the rewards of economic globalization are not shared equally. "Internationally as well as in industrialized societies, inequality has increased," confirms Andreas Wirsching, a history professor at LMU in Munich. Economic globalization has resulted in "many winners, but also many losers — that is undeniable." Downsides of globalization also include social and ecological consequences, points out Cora Jungbluth, an economist and senior expert at Bertelsmann Stiftung, an institute in Germany. Workers in high-income countries have seen jobs moving to lower-cost countries, while "multinational corporations have outsourced more dirty production steps to developing and emerging countries, thus contributing to environmental issues there." Just as globalization reflects a process of increasing economic interdependency, deglobalization then marks a retreat from global economic integration. And there are indications this has been happening for some time already. A key measure of globalization — trade's share of global GDP — peaked in 2008 at the start of the Great Recession. "The ratio of exports to GDP around the world rose pretty significantly in the 1990s and 2000s. But since the 2008 and 2009 financial crisis, those measures have been flat or down," explains Douglas Irwin, an economics professor at Dartmouth College in the US. Irwin and other experts also note that this has been linked to populism and protectionist economic policies. But there are other major factors putting the brakes on globalization. Economically, the coronavirus crisis was infamous for supply chain disruptions. Who could forget the resulting shortages, price increases, hoarding — that moment when you got down to your last roll of toilet paper? Such disruption spurred a fundamental change to the design of those supply chains, explains Megan Greene, an economist and senior fellow at Harvard Kennedy School. "The pandemic shifted a trend away from just-in-time manufacturing more toward holding inventories," Greene says. She describes this newer contingency system as "global supply chain plus backup plans," so firms are not left in the lurch when there are global supply chain disruptions. Within this "supply chain plus" model, Jungbluth adds that countries and companies have been considering shortening supply chains: "Maybe take them back home, keep production of key input and technologies closer to their production sites." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video This results in more resiliency on the supply side — which is, in essence, a move away from globalization, with its focus on efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Consumers have felt the impacts of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, along with subsequent sanctions, above all in the energy and agricultural product sectors. "We have a lack of necessary energy imports, because Europe needs fossil energy from Russia," says Thiess Petersen, an economist and colleague of Jungbluth at Bertelsmann Stiftung. "And the entire world needs agricultural products from Russia and Ukraine." Russia and Ukraine are very significant global exporters of wheat and sunflower oil. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Irwin confirms that disruption of exports due to the war and sanctions is resulting in some price increases. "We've seen commodity prices going up quite a bit as a result of the war: wheat prices, oil prices (at least initially)." That drives up prices for consumers, which in turn fuels inflation. On the flip side, sanctions against Russia are isolating that large economy from the rest of the world. Economists see here not only a disintegration of interconnected markets, but also an unspooling of the progress that globalization has brought with it. Shortages and high prices of basic foodstuffs resulting from the Russian invasion of Ukraine will be felt not only in high-income countries, but also in developing and emerging countries. For countries highly dependent on such imports of cheap flour and oil, this "may even lead to famine," Jungbluth adds. The Great Recession, ensuing tariff-oriented protectionism, supply chain restructuring due to the pandemic, disintegration of interlinked commodity markets because of the Ukraine war — Petersen concludes, "Maybe now we are at the beginning of a kind of deglobalization." Economist Greene points out that there is no index to measure globalization. She challenges a prevailing narrative, promoted when the pandemic began, of increased onshoring, nearshoring and regionalization of global supply chains. This narrative is not backed up by many gauges of globalization, for example survey data. "In the latest survey conducted by the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce, zero US firms said that they were going to onshore operations — that is, move out of China and come back to the US," Greene points out. She adds that although long-term investments in China have continued apace, short-term investments started being pulled once Russia invaded Ukraine, as one indication of a possible turn. But even Greene concedes, "The peak of globalization is well behind us — I would say that we're seeing globalization progress much more slowly than we had before, but we're not in deglobalization territory yet." Western sanctions against Russia and capital flight from China point to an overarching trend, Jungbluth believes. "In recent years, countries have been trying to reduce so-called critical dependencies, which can also lead to deglobalization." Irwin draws parallels to the Cold War era, when "certain countries that were politically aligned also became more economically aligned, and not as integrated with others." Jungbluth, Petersen and other economists believe the world is currently headed toward two distinct geopolitical economic blocs: one consisting of democratic, market-economy countries (the US, European Union, Japan, South Korea, Oceania, North and South America) and another bloc of autocratic states (China, Russia and their most important trading partners). "What we've been seeing is a comeback of geopolitics, and these trends also lead to deglobalization — trying to reduce economic dependencies from less like-minded countries," Jungbluth says. So, are we on the cusp of a new era? That's a popular discussion, concludes historian Andreas Wirsching. "You can almost think of these two moments together: the 2020 pandemic, and now this war of aggression in 2022. We have the feeling, we have the impression as cohabitants here and now, that something is fundamentally changing." "But how the various factors can be seen together, that will only become apparent later." Edited by: Stephanie Burnett, Andreas Illmer | 0Business
|
Euro 2022 organizers UEFA have defended the implementation of video technology at the tournament following criticism by the Swedish team, and denied suggestions that it is being used any differently compared to men's tournaments. Sweden have seen five goals ruled out by the video assistant referee (VAR) so far in the tournament and, ahead of their semifinal against England on Tuesday night, captain Kosovare Asllani claimed: "Using 50% fewer cameras in our tournament than the men's game, that is a catastrophe really. "Decisions can't be made with the same precision. It's not just for us, for other teams too. There are situations where I think you should have more cameras, that can be really decisive." Head coach Peter Gerhardsson echoed Asllani's comments. Referring to a Stina Blackstenius goal against Belgium in the quarterfinal, which Swedish referees back home deemed to have been wrongly chalked off for offside due to incorrectly drawn calibrated lines, Gerhardsson said: "We've heard they don't have the same cameras [as in men's football], for me it's not acceptable at the Euros ... There shouldn't be a difference whether it's women's or men's football." UEFA, however, have denied any suggestion that VAR is being implemented any differently. A spokesperson told DW: "VAR camera support at UEFA Women's EURO 2022 is higher than for the men's UEFA Champions League and men's UEFA EURO due to the availability of additional offside and EPTS [electronic performance and tracking systems] cameras. "Additional offside cameras were not used in the UEFA Champions League last season, while EPTS cameras were not used at the last men's UEFA EURO." Sweden reportedly wrote to UEFA to officially complain about a Rebecka Blomqvists goal against Switzerland which was disallowed for offside in the group stage, during which UEFA say 16 cameras were in use, with this figure rising throughout the tournament. However, it remains difficult to ascertain how many cameras are for dedicated VAR use, with some also used for player statistics and tracking. "When it comes to the overall TV production, we have raised the bar considerably for this UEFA Women's Euros in comparison to previous editions. It is now at the level of a men's UEFA Champions League match," the spokesperson added. "A total of 16 cameras have been used for the TV production of group stage matches at this tournament. This number has risen throughout the knockout stages and the final will be produced using 22 cameras." Edited by Kalika Mehta. | 9Sports
|
UEFA launched a disciplinary investigation against Turkey's Fenerbahce after a group of its fans chanted the name of Russian President Vladimir Putin during a Champions League qualifying game in Istanbul. The chant could be heard after Fenerbahce conceded a goal against Dynamo Kyiv in Wednesday's game the Ukrainian team went on to win 2-1. European football's governing body ordered the probe on Thursday after the "alleged misbehavior" of Fenerbahce's fans. Dynamo's head coach Mircea Lucescu refused to attend the mandatory post-match press conference in protest at the chant. "I did not expect such a chant," he said in a statement released to Turkish media. "It is a pity." A video of the incident on social media led some users to call for the Turkish side to be banned from European competitions. Vasyl Bodnar, Ukraine's ambassador to Ankara, wrote on Twitter that he was saddened by the chants but thanked those who stood against the "inappropriate actions" of the fans. "Football is a fair game. Dynamo Kyiv was stronger yesterday," he said. Fenerbahce said the chants made by "some" fans did not represent the club, its position, or its views, adding that it stood firmly against the war in Ukraine. It did, however add the chant lasted 20 seconds and were prompted by the "exaggerated" celebrations of some Kyiv players after the goal. "Whatever the reason may be, we as the Fenerbahce Sport Club absolutely reject the reaction coming from parts of our stands," the club said, adding it was unfair to put blame on all its fans or the club for an act that "never represents our values." lo/wd (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters) | 9Sports
|
Officially, the event is called the "Compact with Africa Conference." But in reality, an era is coming to an end this Friday when German Chancellor Angela Merkel meets a good dozen African heads of state, some of whom will be tuned in virtually. The conference would mark an era in which Africa played a greater role in German politics than before. The most visible sign: the Compact-with-Africa initiative, the prestige project of the German G20 presidency. Private investments of a completely new magnitude were to flow to Africa as a result. But, above all, the German government wanted to inspire German companies to invest in Africa with a whole package of support measures. The summit in Berlin is, therefore, an event for taking stock. From the German side, the results look positive. German Chancellor Merkel emphasized in her opening speech: "Compact with Africa is working. In most Compact countries, the business environment has improved as a result of reforms, enabling them to record above-average investment compared with Africa as a whole up to and including 2019, also from German companies." "Yes, more German companies are active in Africa, especially more small and medium-sized businesses. We saw significant growth in 2018 and 2019, before the Corona pandemic," Christoph Kannengiesser, chief executive of the Africa Association of German Business, told DW. Merkel stated, that all participants will have to continue to think about how to lower remaining trade and investment barriers under Compact. "Africa has so much market potential, but it also needs to be better exploited", she said. "There are good reasons to look to the future with confidence. Particular attention is being paid to investments in renewable energies." Their expansion is of enormous importance in ensuring that we can actually achieve our global climate targets", Merkel added. African leaders are also likely to have kind words as they bid farewell to Merkel. One of them is Nicolas Kazadi, Financeminister of the Democratic Republic of Congo: "I would just like to point out that Germany, under the leadership of Chancellor Angela Merkel is leading the way in the energy transition." Furthermore he said, the key materials to potential sources of green energy that will enable the world to achieve this energy transition and to achieve the goals that we have set for the planet in 2021 are in Africa. "It is Africa's wish to build a strategic partnership with Germany in this area, but not just as suppliere of raw materials, but really as a full-fledged partner to Germany." But there is not much left of the enthusiasm about the "Merkel Plan" — as Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara dubbed it at the start of 2017. "When I look at African countries today compared to when the chancellor made these statements, I am not sure that German economic activity has increased significantly," Olumide Abimbola, director of the African think tank APRI (Africa Policy Research Institute) in Berlin, told DW. In a sense, both sides do have a point. From 2017 to 2019, German investments in Africa grew by about €1.57 billion ($1.84 billion). A rather moderate increase. The continent still only receives 1% of all German investments worldwide. No figures are yet available for 2020, but it is likely to stagnate or, at best, grow slightly due to the pandemic. Moreover, most German companies still do not find Africa attractive. In 2019, just 884 companies were investing there, that's 42 more than in 2017. And that's despite numerous support programs launched by Merkel's government. These include an investment fund worth billions, more advisory services for companies, and better safeguards and guarantees. The Africa Association of German Business believes that the instruments need to be expanded further: "This is particularly about reducing risks and facilitating financing. But it is also a question of once again significantly strengthening the presence of German policy on the African continent," says Kannengiesser. On the African side, other opinions are not always flattering. Behind closed doors, African diplomats complain that German companies are too timid, even though their competitors are doing good business in Africa. But the truth is also that there are not enough customers in many countries for the high-quality but expensive German products. For example, around two-thirds of all German sales and a large proportion of investments are made in South Africa, which is comparatively wealthy. It is also unclear who will benefit in the end. "We have to make sure that investments in Africa also deliver on their promise: that jobs are created, that the economy grows, that there is sustainable development," says expert Abimbola. That is also what the German government is promising. On the other hand, critics say that the many support programs do not commit companies to clear social standards. The selection of the Africa Compact countries is also controversial. Although only so-called reform-oriented countries are supposed to participate, authoritarian states such as Rwanda and Egypt are also included. Ethiopia remains a member as well, despite the bloody conflict in the Tigray region. At Friday's meeting, African leaders are likely to ask the incumbent chancellor an important question: What will happen after the German elections? In addition to Angela Merkel, Development Minister Gerd Müller will also be absent from the new government. This means that the two most important architects of Germany's new Africa policy are getting off the boat. Merkel has been very involved in Africa, according to business representative Kannengiesser: "We hope that future economic and foreign ministers will again increasingly go to Africa with business delegations, but also support concrete projects with appropriate political flanking." However, it is not yet clear who will take over government posts in Berlin in the fall — and how much attention a new German government will pay to Africa in times of climate change and the corona pandemic challenges. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video This article was translated from German by Martina Schwikowski. | 0Business
|
After much speculation, Thomas Tuchel was named as Chelsea head coach on Tuesday night, suceeding Frank Lampard, who was sacked with the team languishing in ninth in the Premier League. Tuchel will take charge of Chelsea's match with Wolves on Wednesday night. "It is never easy to change head coach in the middle of the season but we are very happy to secure one of Europe’s best coaches in Thomas Tuchel," said club director Marina Granovskaia. "There is still much to play for and much to achieve, this season and beyond. We welcome Thomas to the club." The 47-year-old won back-to-back Ligue 1 titles and three domestic cups in a two-and-a-half year stint with PSG, and took the Parisians to their first ever Champions League final in August. But he was sacked in December after a stuttering start to the season and disagreements with key decision-makers at the notoriously demanding Qatari-owned club. "Anyone who has followed the team news for a while will have heard that there was tension between the sporting director and the coach in recent months," Tuchel's assistant coach Zsolt Löw confirmed to Hungarian outlet Nezmeti Sport. "Let's face it, this relationship was not sustainable in the long run." Since first gaining prominence as Jürgen Klopp's long-term successor at Mainz between 2009 and 2014, Tuchel, whose own playing career was cut short by a knee injury at 25, has earned a reputation as a meticulous and demanding tactician. Those traits may have seen him win Borussia Dortmund's only trophy since 2012, but his sometimes cold demeanor failed to endear him to the notoriously passionate Westfalenstadion crowd, which had grown accustomed to Klopp's "heavy metal" football. Tuchel is also no stranger to tension with his superiors, particularly when he suspects interference from above. Despite winning the German Cup and recording the best points-per-game record of any full-time BVB coach, he left Borussia Dortmund in 2017 after locking horns with the top brass. "Tuchel is an exceptionally good coach, that's clear," said Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke last month. "In principle, he was a top solution as successor to Klopp, who was possibly the world's best coach, because he had incredible abilities on the pitch. But sometimes things don't work in harmony." During his time in Dortmund, Tuchel fell out with then chief scout Sven Mislintat over the planned signing of Spanish talent Oliver Torres from Atletico Madrid, and with Watzke over the handling of the fallout from the attack on Dortmund's team bus ahead of a Champions League match in April 2017. Following a 2-1 defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt in November 2016, in which Tuchel had made a triple substitution, he publicly lambasted his players as being "entirely deficient ... technically, tactically, mentally ... all week in training and from the first to the last minute today." One Dortmund source later told the Süddeutsche Zeitung broadsheet: "We were warned by Mainz that it would likely become difficult, but we didn’t listen. For a year-and-a-half everything was great. Then everything was just as Mainz said it would be." Tuchel's status as a trophy-winning elite coach is not in question, but his personal skills as a manager look likely to be put to the ultimate test at Chelsea, where he has become the 13th manager appointed by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich since he took over the club in 2003. But he shouldn't have any problems getting to know his new players. A reunion with his former PSG captain Thiago Silva is on the cards, a player Tuchel was frustrated at losing in Paris, while he'll also join up with compatriots Timo Werner, Kai Havertz and Antonio Rüdiger in a squad which now-Liverpool coach Klopp has described as the "strongest" in the league — on paper, at least. German tabloid BILD reported recently that Tuchel is "keen to work" with Werner and Havertz, who have both struggled to fully adapt to their new surroundings in west London. Werner has failed to score in his last nine league outings and Havertz has been shunted out of position. Rüdiger has been sidelined by Lampard and has appeared just four times in the Premier League this season. But nationality is no guarantee of favor with Tuchel. Julian Draxler, though often injured, was a largely peripheral figure during Tuchel's time in Paris. "I don't know if a new coach is coming, and it's not my place to say 'He has to go or we need a new coach,'" said Werner during a chat on the audio app Clubhouse just before Tuchel's appointment, adding: "We've been a bit cautious going forward in recent games. If that changes, we'll start winning again." Tuchel certainly knows a thing or two about winning matches on the pitch, but now he needs to prove that he can win hearts and minds off it, too. | 9Sports
|
Thousands of supporters being sent to the wrong place, the spread of questionable rumors about fake tickets, the decision to close initial ticket checkpoints and the slow reaction of inexperienced police lacking leadership were among the primary causes of the disturbing scenes that overshadowed Saturday's Champions League final. That's the view of the overwhelming majority of Liverpool fans, but it's also how Pierre Barthulemy, a lawyer and member of the board of Football Supporters Europe who was at the game, sees the situation. "I really don't understand how they [those in charge of security] could mess things up so badly," Barthulemy told DW. "And the worst part is that it happened and they needed two hours to understand." That's how long it took to close the narrow concrete entrance next to a motorway where most Liverpool fans, and this reporter, were funnelled to from the train station. The failure to respond to the initial error delayed thousands of fans from entering the stadium and meant kickoff was put back twice with swathes of seats still empty. Organizers UEFA initially attributed the match delay to "the late arrival of fans." It was clear that this was not the case, with some fans being held in the passageway for hours. Eventually, police decided to close this, and other, initial ticket checks to allow easier access to the outer perimeter of the ground. Barthulemy, who had already contacted the police officers in charge to point out the issues, says this was another mistake. "It was crazy to see that no-one understood the problem. No-one reacted," he said. "We lost two hours, then they decided to drop the first checkpoint and that was the point where people without tickets from the neighbourhood came and decided to climb over the fences. That was the point where it got completely out of control." His observations are borne out by all the Liverpool fans this reporter spoke to and by my own personal experience on the day. But it soon got much worse for those who had shelled out to see their team in a Champions League final. "While we queued, the mood was jovial," Liverpool fan Claire, who attended the match with her 70-year-old father told DW. "From nowhere there was panic in the crowd, people running and the [tear] gas hit us. "We were stunned, we had to run away. There was a young girl, probably early 20s, a Real Madrid fan distraught being cuddled and shielded by what I assume was her partner, kids crying, people in pain and utter confusion. Anyone could've been hurt in a crush as people ran for cover through a narrow gap, herding people into crush situations. My first thoughts were 'is my dad ok?'. He's asthmatic and I could hear he was struggling. It was so confusing and distressing to see innocent people treated like that." Such a situation is particularly traumatic for many Liverpool fans, given the deaths of 97 of the club's fans in a crush at English stadium Hillsborough in 1989. Some English media, most prominently The Sun, blamed Liverpool fans for the crush which was later proved to be the fault of negligence by police and ambulance services despite a large scale cover up. "It was a first European final and will be the last for us," Stuart told DW. "I have to say I think if it wasn't for a scattering of calm Liverpool fans reminding others to chill and remember the 97, things may have got a lot more out of hand." About 12 kilometers southeast of the stadium, Liverpool fans who weren't lucky enough to get tickets were at the UEFA-sanctioned fan park. Fans there reported riot police pushing people away and a number of French locals goading fans and attempting to pick pockets. The locals were causing a significant problem back at the stadium too, says Barthulemy. The decision to drop the first control point enabled dozens to climb the fences and try and rush the gates leading to the stadium itself. This led to more tear gas, which caught up Liverpool fans, journalists and often children and elderly people. Over at Gate Y, one of the main ways in to the ground for the English fans, rumors of fake tickets had meant only one turnstile was open around the originally scheduled kickoff time of 21:00 local time. UEFA claim that "the Liverpool end became blocked by thousands of fans who had purchased fake tickets which did not work in the turnstiles." Barthulemy disputes this. "I stood at Gate Y for an hour and I only saw about 10 people with fake tickets being arrested by the police," Barthulemy told DW. "All the hundreds, maybe thousands, of fans still outside the stadium at this time had valid tickets. And when they showed these valid tickets, they got teargas as an answer." Liverpool tweeted during the match to say they have "officially requested a formal investigation into the causes of these unacceptable issues" while players from both sides have expressed their disappointment at UEFA's handling of the evening. Even Merseyside Police's matchday officers, who traveled with Liverpool, broke ranks to question the official interpretation of the evening from UEFA and the Paris police. Though players, clubs and foreign police have all expressed concerns, none will have a representative in a meeting headed by French Ministry for Sport set for Monday morning, according to Barthulemy. Given the scope and length of the Hillsborough cover up, English football fans will be skeptical that a meeting of the sides who already have a party line will help. Problems at the Europa League and Euro 2020 final also suggest this is a problem that UEFA are reluctant to address. Barthulemy adds that French police also have plenty to answer for. With away fans largely banned for club matches, Head of the Interior Ministry's anti-hooligan division Thibaut Delaunay's force is inexperienced in dealing with football matches. "The man in charge of the policing of fans in France was in Qatar all week to organize the next World Cup, allegedly," said Barthulemy, who found Delaunay's absence problematic. "His number two was on vacation and his number three was not easy to reach by phone. When we went to the stadium, we saw him, the chief of the department, and he was just showing people from Qatar the stadium. He had no walkie talkie, no earpiece, he was obviously not working the game. While everything was going down, he said 'Everything is going fine, there is no fighting, everything is a big success'." While there may have been success on the pitch for Real Madrid, the failures of those charged with ensuring the safety of fans must surely now be analyzed. Edited by Jonathan Harding To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video | 9Sports
|
Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the leader of Poland's ruling conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, has sharply criticized what he called German "dominance" in Europe, saying that Berlin today wants to use peaceful methods to implement plans it once tried to execute by military means. This, he said, is a path that leads to crisis and disaster — affecting not only Poland but all of Europe, including Germany. While delivering a speech in southwestern Poland on Saturday, Kaczynski said Europe's strength lies in the strength of its sovereign states, reported the Polish news agency PAP. The 73-year-old Polish politician has been increasingly using anti-German rhetoric in recent months, straining the already prickly relations between Poland and Germany over the past few years. Kaczynski last year accused Berlin of wanting to turn the European Union into a federal "German Fourth Reich." In September, he presented a report looking into the financial damages caused by Germany's invasion and occupation in World War II, reigniting a debate about demanding reparations. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video At the beginning of October, Warsaw sent a diplomatic note to Berlin demanding the equivalent of over €1.3 trillion ($1.37 trillion) in compensation for the war-related damages. The war in Ukraine has also prompted criticism of Germany from Warsaw, which blames Berlin for strategic errors, including an excessive reliance on Russian energy and being too slow to provide weapons to Ukraine. The defense ministers of both countries recently agreed to station the German Patriot air defense systems in Poland to protect its airspace. But shortly afterward, the Polish minister irked Berlin by asking it to deliver the missile defense system destined for Poland to Ukraine instead — a suggestion Germany rejected, saying that the batteries are only to be deployed within NATO. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Kaczynski is currently traveling across the country to bolster support for his party ahead of parliamentary elections slated for next year. Some political observers and opposition parties say the ruling party's anti-German and euroskeptic rhetoric is at least partly related to the election campaign. But according to a survey published on Saturday by the SW Research Institute on behalf of daily newspaper Rzeczpospolita, many Poles are not in favor of the PiS policy toward Germany. The survey found that half of the participants viewed Warsaw's anti-German stance negatively, while some 19% approved it. About 30% expressed no opinion on the subject. sri/sms (AFP, dpa) | 7Politics
|
The Swiss government did not sign on to the long-stalled Swiss-EU Institutional Agreement (InstA) treaty with the European Union on Wednesday amid domestic opposition to a pact that would have simplified and strengthened ties with the country's largest trading partner. The government, also known as the Federal Council, said it "concluded that there remain substantial differences between Switzerland and the EU on key aspects of the agreement. The conditions are thus not met for the signing of the agreement," after a cabinet meeting. "The Federal Council today took the decision not to sign the agreement, and communicated this decision to the EU," according to the government. "This brings the negotiations on the draft of the InstA to a close." The negotiations largely fell apart over EU demands for full access to the Swiss labor market for EU citizens. Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said that could have lead to a "paradigm shift" which could mean non-Swiss citizens receiving social security rights in Switzerland. The European Commission said it regretted the decision. The commission added that decades-old EU-Swiss agreements were "not up to speed" for modern bilateral ties. "Without this agreement, this modernization of our relationship will not be possible and our bilateral agreements will inevitably age: 50 years have passed since the entry into force of the Free Trade Agreement, 20 years since the bilateral I and II agreements," the Commission said. "We will now analyze carefully the impact of this announcement." EU-Swiss economic ties are governed by over 100 agreements dating back to 1972, and fleshed out after Swiss people rejected joining the European Economic Area in 1992. The draft that Switzerland rejected was drawn up in 2018. Cassis said Switzerland hoped to remain a close partner of the bloc's, but suggested that his country was not being respected by the EU. "We want Switzerland to be treated on an equal footing compared to other third-party states (outside the EU), whether it's a question of cooperation or the recognition of equal standards," Cassis said. Some 1.4 million EU citizens live in Switzerland among the 8.5 million residents and citizens. About 340,000 people commute across the border from EU nations that surround Switzerland to work. kbd/aw (Reuters, AP, AFP) | 7Politics
|
"Life is wild": It was with these words that 25-year-old Maxwell Frost celebrated his 2022 midterms victory. After the Congressional election on a Democratic party ticket in Florida, Frost is now the first member of Generation Z, or Gen Z, to serve in office. "The perspective I bring as a young person, as a young Black person, as a young Black Latino person from the South, is important," the young Democrat said in an interview with The New York Times. While the definition of Gen Z varies, researchers and media tend to use the mid to late 1990s as the starting birth years and early 2010s as the cutting off point. A study by Pew Research, a Washington-based think tank, found that Gen Z are more ethnically diverse than previous generations, hold greater concerns about the future and more progressive and pro-government. According to the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) at Tufts University, this year saw young people turn out at one of the hightest rates ever in a midterm. The center estimated that 27% of those aged between 18 and 29 voted, just below the previous high point of 30% in the 2018 midterms. In previous decades, the youth voter turnout hovered around 20%. CIRCLE sees a clear trend of young people "increasing their electoral participation, leading movements, and making their voices heard on key issues that affect their communities," it said in an analysis. The youth vote helped "hold back the red wave" expected in these midterms, the analysis found. Young voters tend to favor Democrats by wide margins. Some 63% voted for the Democrats in the 2022 midterms, according to CNN National House Exit Polls. Among African-American and Latino voters in this age group, the trend toward the Democratic Party was even more pronounced. By turning out so strongly, young people's vote "proved pivotal" in some crucial races in individual US states, according to CIRCLE. In Pennsylvania, for example, Democrat John Fetterman won by a narrow margin. CIRCLE data showed that 70% of young people between the ages of 18 and 29 voted for the Democratic candidate, a much greater percentage than in other age groups. "Young people proved once again that they’ll turn out to vote and impact election results," said Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg from CIRCLE in a statement. US President Joe Biden specifically thanked young people for their votes in a speech on Thursday, although his national approval ratings among young voters has fallen significantly since he took office. But there are those who don't necessarily agree with this analysis. Data expert David Shor of Blue Rose Research, for example, warns against overestimating the significance of this year's youth vote. When the turnout of all age groups increases, it's important to look at not just the youth turnout but also at the proportion of youth votes as a percentage of the total votes cast. In these midterms, he said in a tweet, it seems the share of voters under 34 was likely lower (potentially by a fair margin) than it was in 2018. Plus, he warned in another tweet, not all votes were yet counted. Despite the tendency among young voters to cast ballots for Democrats, young people are more motivated by issues than political parties. "There were a lot of issues on the ballots that young people cared about," 24-year-old Avo Mateo told DW in an interview from New York. She had spoken to hundreds of young people in the months leading up to the midterm elections, working to educate them on how, when and why they should vote. "I think we wanted to show that our voices can make a difference, and that we do matter as a population," said Mateo, who is part of Gen Z. Reproductive rights and abortion access were some of the more important issues in these elections. Three quarters of 18 to 29-year-olds in the US believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases, in a poll taken just before the Supreme Court voted to overturn the constitutional right to abortion. This issue is also significant for 19-year-old Katelyn Kovach, who voted for the first time in the midterms. "Moving backwards doesn't make any sense," she told DW. "Taking rights away is so silly to me. It's really disheartening." Still, she said, she wants her voice to be heard and her views to show up on the political agenda. Many others her age feel the same way. According to an analysis by the Institute of Politics at Harvard University, young people cared particularly about climate protection, protecting democracy and inflation. Young people who tend to vote Republican were particularly concerned about the economy in the midterm elections, according to the same analysis. "We want to make a change. We are changemakers," said Mateo. To her, Gen Z is a generation that wants to make its voice heard and see the country in a better place in the future. "We want to find ways for people to come together and to find solutions, rather than continuing in this lack of action we have been in for a long, long time for a very long time throughout American history.” Gen Z makes up about 20% of the total population in the US, but more than half of Gen Z aren't old enough to vote yet. But experts are already predicting that this generation will want to keep on making its voice heard in the future. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video | 7Politics
|
The new military leader of Burkina Faso said he would restore constitutional order in his first televised address since taking over. "When the conditions are right, according to the deadline that our people will define in all sovereignty, I commit to a return to a normal constitutional order," Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba said. The country's president, Roch Marc Kabore, was ousted after a mutiny on military bases. He was blamed for failing to deal effectively with a violent Islamic insurgency. The coup has been widely condemned by the international community. Damiba said various sectors of society would be engaged to develop a roadmap towards government reform. In recent days, the junta has tried to garner support from religious and local community leaders. Speaking at the presidential palace, in full military fatigues and a red beret, Damiba said security would be a key consideration. The leader of the Patriotic Movement for Safeguarding and Restoration (MPSR) warned those who he said betrayed the will of the people. "I warn all those who will be guided only by their selfish interests that I will be uncompromising with the acts of betrayal of the aspirations of our people,'' Damiba said. He said the country was faced with an unprecedented crisis. "In its history, our country has rarely been confronted with adversity. But more than six years now our people have been living under the yoke of an enemy that succeeded," Damiba said. The country is mired in an Islamic insurgency that has claimed more than 2,000 lives and displaced over 1.5 million people. Burkina Faso has become the latest African state to fall under military control, joining Mali, Guinea and Chad whose militaries toppled their countries' governments in 2021. In the case of Burkina Faso, the military ousted Kabore over growing frustration with the government's inability to contain violence perpetrated by religious fundamentalist groups. Security forces and civilians alike have been killed in attacks since 2015. Towards the end of December, 41 people were killed in an attack in the north of the country, by suspected Islamist insurgents. In November another attack claimed the lives of 49 military officers and at least four civilians. It was considered one of the worst attacks in recent memory and sparked protests calling for President Roch Marc Christian Kabore to step down. kb/sms (AP, Reuters) | 7Politics
|
German automaker Opel announced on Thursday that it will temporarily shut down a plant in the city of Eisenach by next year. Employees will be furloughed until the factory reopens, something the company says it hopes to do by early next year. The reason given was the global lack of microchips created in part by supply chain shutdowns as well as labor shortages brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Opel finds itself "in an exceptional situation due to the continuing pandemic and the worldwide shortage of semiconductors," a spokesperson said. The factory in Eisenach will stop production of Opel's hybrid vehicles from next week, and start up again next year "to the extent the supply chain situation allows." Workers' union IG Metall reacted with shock, saying there was no mention of a shutdown at a meeting with management two days ago, according to local public broadcaster MDR. The workers at the plant were further incensed because there are no plans to stop work at Opel's other hybrid vehicle factory, in France. Even after cutbacks, Opel remains one of the most important employers in the eastern state of Thuringia, where Eisenach lies. Germany, like many countries around the world, is grappling with a lack of raw materials such as plastics, metals, and lumber. This has heavily affected car manufacturing, one of the country's most profitable industries, in particular, due to the scarcity of semiconductors that are needed for both conventional and electric cars. Earlier this year, automotive giant Volkswagen announced that it was scaling back production at its flagship plant in Wolfsburg. Research from consultancy firm Alix Partners suggests that some 7.7 million vehicles will not be produced globally this year, at a loss of about €210 billion ($243.5 billion). es/rt (dpa, AFP) | 0Business
|
She has written over 25 books, which have been sold some 70 million times and translated into many languages. She has received 60 awards in 15 countries for her work, and two international film productions have been based on her novels. Those are some of the hard facts about Isabel Allende, Chile's most internationally successful writer. But, as she writes on her own website, they don't tell the whole story. "It is very strange to write one's biography because it is just a list of dates, events and achievements," she writes. "In reality, the most important things about my life happened in the secret chambers of my heart and have no place in a biography." In fact, she doesn't even consider her books to be her biggest success, but rather the love she shares with her family and the opportunities she's had to help others. She did just that, for example, during August Pinochet's military dictatorship in Chile when she spoke out for those who were politically persecuted, and continues to help others with her Isabel Allende Foundation, which seeks to empower women. Allende turns 80 on August 2. Read more: Berlin bookstore shuts down after leftist boycott Nevertheless, it is the Chilean author's books that have made her world-famous — in particular, her 1982 debut novel, "The House of the Spirits." The partially autobiographical drama is about the upper-middle-class family Trueba, which suffers under the thumb of violent patriarch Esteban Trueba. When a military coup removes the socialist president from power, Trueba puts his hopes in the new government — but is quickly disappointed. Terror and persecution sweep across the country, and the Trueba family is not spared. When Isabel Allende wrote her family drama in 1982, she had already left Chile and was living in exile in Venezuela. Her father's cousin, Salvador Allende, was the president of Chile, but was ousted by Augusto Pinochet's military dictatorship in 1973 and subsequently committed suicide. At that point, Isabel Allende no longer felt safe in Chile. Allende was born on August 2, 1942, in Lima as the oldest daughter of a Chilean diplomat. Her parents separated, and she spent a good part of her childhood living with her grandfather. She later lived in Bolivia and Lebanon before returning to Chile, where she worked as a journalist, got married and had two children, daughter Paula and son Nicolas. Her daughter Paula died of a metabolic disorder in 1992 at the young age of 29. In 1994, Allende dealt with her daughter's death in a very personal book called "Paula." In 1996, she established her Isabel Allende Foundation in Paula's honor, dedicated to empowering women and girls. Allende has actively supported women's rights for many years. In 1968, she was one of founding editors of the feminist magazine "Paula" with the support of her relation Salvador Allende. She also wrote stage plays and made a name for herself as a television presenter before emigrating to Venezuela. Read more: Spiegel removes far-right book from bestseller list While in exile, she began writing an imaginary letter to her deceased grandfather. She later developed the text into her novel "The House of the Spirits," which was filmed in 1993, starring Meryl Streep and Winona Ryder. Right from the beginning, Allende's unique way of weaving together fiction and reality became apparent — a style called magical realism. She mixed the horrors of reality with a fantasy world full of magic that was always full of hope. Critics have accused her of copying the works of Columbian Nobel Prize-winner Gabriel Garcia Marquez, who developed magical realism. Nevertheless, her epic tales of strong women won her the Chilean National Prize for Literature in 2010. Allende has lived in the United States, where she married for the second time, for more than two decades now,. But, as she told DW, Chile remains her home. "I still feel like a Chilean. My parents are Chilean, my family is Chilean and I spent the first years of my life — important, shaping years — in Chile." Regardless, Allende's work remains globally relevant. Her latest novel, "Violeta," is a plea to those who need to assert themselves in a macho world. It is a biography of her mother Panchita, with whom the author was very close until her mother’s death in 2018. The book is hardly a biography, but rather wishful thinking on Allende’s part. While the protagonist in the novel gains independence and freedom because of her business sense, Allende’s mother was dependent on her two successive spouses. Then again, Violeta in the novel is strong and combative, but not very emancipated when it comes to love. The novel, which spans a century, is astonishingly contemporary. It begins with Violeta’s birth in 1920 and ends with the COVID pandemic a hundred years later. The octogenarian, however, has no plans to stop writing. "I enjoy writing so much. People tell me: 'You shouldn't have to write anymore, you're getting too old for that,'" the author told news agency AFP, adding, "But I love it. Why would I want to stop?" | 4Culture
|
Over the past few weeks, Chinese President Xi Jinping has made rare visits to Hong Kong and Xinjiang as he prepares to seek an unprecedented third term at the Chinese Communist Party's 20th congress in the fall. During a speech in Hong Kong on July 1, Xi said real democracy started in the territory when it was handed back to China 25 years ago. He also insisted that the semi-autonomous city must be ruled by people who are loyal to Beijing. "It is a universal rule in the world that political power must be in the hands of patriots. No country or region in the world will allow unpatriotic or even traitorous or treasonous forces and figures to seize power," he said. Less than two weeks after his high-profile trip to Hong Kong, Chinese state media reported that Xi had made his first visit to the northwestern province of Xinjiang since 2014. There, he inspected the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, a supra-governmental organization sanctioned by the US government, a university and a trade zone. Xi praised the progress in reform and development that has taken place in Xinjiang in recent years. According to Chinese state media, Xi described the province as a "core area and hub" in China's multitrillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative, which seeks to build a network of railways, ports and bridges across 70 countries connecting China to countries not only in Asia but also in Africa and Europe. Xi also called for better preservation of minority groups' cultural heritage, despite repeated international criticism of Beijing's crackdown and persecution of ethnic minorities in Xinjiang over the last few years. Xi's recent visits to Hong Kong, Xinjiang and other places in China are opportunities for him to demonstrate his political achievements over the last few years, said Hsin-Hsien Wang, an expert on Chinese politics at the National Chengchi University (NCCU) in Taiwan. "As he is seeking an unprecedented third term as Chinese leader, Xi needs to show the public what he has achieved and what he cares about," he added. China's hard-line policies in both Hong Kong and Xinjiang have caused widespread global condemnation over the last few years. Since Beijing imposed the contentious National Security Law on Hong Kong in 2020, thousands of protesters and pro-democracy activists in the city have been arrested and jailed. "Through his visit to Hong Kong, Xi wants to highlight Hong Kong's integration with China. He hopes to show that apart from resolutely restoring stability in Hong Kong following the large-scale protests in 2019, he is also working on facilitating social and economic integration between Hong Kong and China," Wang said. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video In Xinjiang, meanwhile, rights groups accuse Beijing of abuses against the province's Uyghur inhabitants, including the mass use of forced labor in internment camps. According to estimates by experts, over a million Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities have been held in these camps. Beijing has vigorously denied the allegations, calling them an attempt by the US and other Western nations to interfere in China's internal affairs and tarnish the country's reputation. With his trip to Xinjiang, Wang believes Xi wants to emphasize "ethnic unity" and prove that he has eliminated what Beijing characterized as "sources of separatism and extremism" in the region. "Over the last few years, Xi has repeatedly emphasized the sense of community for the Chinese nation, and he wants to show that the hard-line policies in Xinjiang have served their purpose," he underlined. Rayhan Asat, an Uyghur human rights lawyer and a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said that Beijing is trying to replace cultural diversity in certain places. "Ethnic division and tensions are stirred up to boost a nationalism that is positioning President Xi at its core. It is at the expense of the survival of oppressed Uyghurs and other Turkic groups as he consolidates power," she stressed. Nevertheless, the trips will help Xi to strengthen his leadership and show Communist Party members that the policies implemented in both places can help maintain stability. "Xi believes these results can help him seek his third term as Chinese president,” said Teng Biao, a US-based Chinese human rights lawyer. "He is also telling the outside world that the hard-line policies in Hong Kong and Xinjiang won't change.” Wang from NCCU said he expects the upcoming party congress to focus on the idea of "common prosperity," a policy that has been promoted and implemented by the Chinese government since last year. Xi will also use the occasion to celebrate China's success in containing the spread of COVID-19, which reflects the Communist Party's slogan of "the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation." While there is some talk about whether China's current poor economic performance would give Premier Li Keqiang an opportunity to challenge Xi, Teng Biao said there is little doubt that Xi will be reelected at the 20th party congress. "It's hard to find anyone with the ability to challenge him," he pointed out. "The international community should not have too much expectation about the 20th congress, as China is moving more and more towards a totalitarian system." Edited by: Srinivas Mazumdaru | 7Politics
|
The London Ambulance Service said 29 people were taken to a hospital on Wednesday after a "major incident" caused by a chlorine gas leak at a swimming pool. "The majority of patients were reporting minor breathing difficulties," the service said in a statement. About 200 people had been evacuated from the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park's aquatics center, responders said. "Due to a chemical reaction a high quantity of chlorine gas was released," the London Fire Brigade said in a statement, asking nearby residents to close their doors and windows while the facility was ventilated. Park administrators said earlier that "there are a number of casualties with breathing difficulties" who were under the care of ambulance workers. The Aquatics Center's management said the chlorine gas release occurred "when the facilities management company that operates the plant room took delivery of pool chemicals." The incident was first reported at about 1000 UTC. Chlorine is normally safe when added to swimming pools to kill bacteria. However, chlorine in gas form is highly toxic. The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park was built for the 2012 Olympic Games and was opened to the public in 2014. fb/dj (AP, Reuters) | 1Catastrophe
|
India's Supreme Court on Tuesday temporarily suspended the new agriculture laws that are at the heart of the massive protests by farmers outside the national capital New Delhi. "We are going to suspend the implementation of the three farm laws until further orders," Chief Justice Sharad Bobde said in a decision that comes as a major blow to the government. The court-ordered stay may "assuage the hurt feelings" of the protesting farmers and encourage them to come to the negotiating table with confidence and in good faith, Bobde said. The court said it wanted to facilitate mediation between the government and the protesting farmers. The two sides have held eight rounds of talks, all of which have been inconclusive. Another one was scheduled for mid-January. The farmers' unions have maintained that they want the laws rolled back — a demand firmly rejected by the government which has instead offered to amend the laws. Thousands of farmers have camped near the border of New Delhi since November 26 in hopes of pressuring the government into repealing the laws. The Supreme Court added that it would form a four-member committee of agricultural experts that would take over negotiations and try to end the protracted dispute that emerged as a major challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Every person who is genuinely interested in solving the problem is expected to go before the committee," the court said. "The committee will not punish you or pass any orders. It will submit a report to us." The committee will hold its first meeting in 10 days from Tuesday and will submit its report within two months, the court said. While the farmers' unions welcomed the Supreme Court's decision to freeze the implementation of laws, they refused to participate in the consultation process of the committee which they criticized as "pro-government." "We think the government is bringing this committee through the Supreme Court. The committee is just a way to divert attention," Balbir Singh Rajewal of the Bhartiya Kisan Union told DW. Rakesh Tikait, another farm leader, told DW that the protests will continue. "We are not satisfied with the stay on the implementation of the laws. The protests will continue and we are even preparing to sit here till the summer months." "We don't accept this committee, all the members in this committee have been pro-government and these members have been justifying the laws," one of the farmers' unions was quoted as saying by NDTV. "Suspending the implementation of the laws as an interim measure is welcome but is not a solution and the farmer unions have not been asking for this solution, given the fact that the implementation can be reinstated," another union was quoted as saying by the Indian Express newspaper. "It is clear that the court is being misguided by various forces even in its constitution of a committee. These are people who are known for their support to the three laws and have actively advocated for the same," they said in a statement. The unions also said that they would only settle for a complete rollback of the laws. India enacted three controversial agriculture laws aimed at liberalizing the country's farm sector. The government has argued that the new laws will give freedom to farmers to sell their produce outside regulated markets and enter into contracts with buyers at a pre-agreed price. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) insists that the laws will fetch better prices and free farmers from traditional middlemen who dominate the trade. The government hopes that its new policy will double farmers' income by 2022. Farmers' associations say the legislation does not guarantee the acquisition of farm produce through state-run organizations that guarantee a minimum support price (MSP). They fear this would leave them at the mercy of big corporations that will enter the country's troubled farming sector and squeeze them for profit, destroying their livelihood. "The moment private companies come in, they will have a monopoly. Farmers will have little say, and large corporations will dictate terms," Sabaran Singh, a farmer from Punjab, told DW. Opposition parties and even some allies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi have called the laws anti-farmer and pro-corporation. AFP and Murali Krishnan from New Delhi contributed to this report. | 7Politics
|
In 1925, prominent European intellectuals from the Jewish community, including Sigmund Freud and Albert Einstein, helped establish the Yiddish Scientific Institute (Yidisher Visnshaftlekher Institut, YIVO) in Berlin and Wilno, Poland (now Vilnius in Lithuania). Its task was to collect empirical evidence on modern-day Jewish life. There was a specific reason for this. "The Talmud had been studied since the Middle Ages. The Kabbalah of the Torah," Jonathan Brent, CEO and executive director of the New York-based YIVO Institute of Jewish Research told DW. "But few knew anythig about the actual day-to-day process over almost one thousand years whereby Jews survived, made their way in the world, cared for their children. What were their actual traditions? What were their songs? What were their relations with their neighbors and their non-Jewish neighbors?" The same year that YIVO was founded, Max Weinreich, the then-head of YIVO's Wilno, Poland, (also known as Vilna, now, Vilnius, Lithuania) branch sent "zamlers" — Yiddish for 'collectors' — around the world to collect information and material from Jewish communities. He also published advertisements asking people to send posters, letters, political statements, and books as materials for the study on modern Jewish life. YIVO CEO Jonathan Brent explained that Weinreich's call "inflamed the imagination of Jewish people." "They were excited about this idea. It's not like discovering the artifacts of the Holy Roman Empire or something that happened in 1492. It was self-discovery…The idea of the YIVO Institute was that this process of self-discovery would equip people to enter into the modern world and build a modern Jewish identity," he added. Over the next few years, YIVO evolved into "the largest collection of material in the world on East European Jewish life," according to its website. YIVO's success, however, was short-lived. The Nazis had occupied Poland in 1939 and entered Vilnius in 1941. Nazi troops, under Alfred Rosenberg, an NSDAP ideologue and the Third Reich's minister for the eastern occupied territories, seized YIVO's collections. The idea was to destroy part of the material and send some of it to Frankfurt to serve as fodder for the antisemitic ideology that was being churned out by the Institute for Research on the Jewish Question (in German, Institut zur Erforschung der Judenfrage). Because the Nazis were not well-versed with Jewish culture and local languages, they needed people to sort through YIVO's extensive collections. So, they employed around 32 forced laborers — consisting mostly of Jewish intellectuals that included Yiddish poets Shmerke Kaczerginski and Avrom Sutzkever, and former YIVO co-director Zelig Kalmanovitch — to sift through the archives. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video When the Nazies occupied Vilnius, they forced the Jews into ghettos and intellectual Jewish slave laborers were roped in for the sorting project inside the YIVO building. At some point, the members of the group decided they didn't want to give the Nazis everything. Many doubts circled their minds: "They could get bombed by the allies. What if the Nazis burned everything at the end of the war?" So, the group decided to hide the documents in the ghettos, Brent explained. "And in an unbelievable effort, they hid books and papers and all kinds of things on their bodies under their clothes, their pants and their shoes. They walked out of the YIVO building with this material and they walked into the ghetto with it. If any one of them had been detected doing this, they would have been severely punished if not shot on the spot immediately," the expert on Jewish studies continued. The group succeeded in getting hundreds of thousands of pages of materials and books, and these materials were then hidden underground in a ghetto and a fair amount of it was also given to their non-Jewish friends, namely the Lithuanians and the Poles. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video By 1945, much of the material that had been sent to Frankfurt by the Nazis was recovered by a US organization called the Monuments Men and sent to New York, where YIVO's Max Weinreich had fled, and was setting up a new base for the organization. In Vilnius, the documents were dug out after WWII ended in 1945. "Sutzkever and Kaczerginski had the idea of building a new Jewish museum of Vilnius," Brent explains, adding that by the time, Vilnius had become the capital of Lithuania, which was under Soviet occupation. But soon enough, the Soviets began their own campaign against the Jews. This time round, there were no remaining Jewish intellectuals to rescue the documents. Instead, it was the Lithuanian librarian, Antanas Ulpis, who preserved the materials in the nooks and crannies of the St.George Church and Carmelite monastery in the Lithuanian capital. The documents were eventually discovered after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Jonathan Brent became the CEO of the YIVO Institute in New York in 2009. When he visited Lithuania that year, the documents were being stored, as he puts it, "in dark unventilated rooms." Nobody saw or read these materials, which were steadily deteriorating. Consequently, in 2014, Brent and his colleagues initiated the Edward Blank YIVO Vilna Online Collections project, to digitize the documents, with the additional aim of virtually reuniting YIVO's collections from Lithuania and New York. Some $7 million (€6.2 million) and seven years later, this collection is now online. Today, YIVO's pre-war archive owns over 40,000 rare and unique books and periodicals, and over 1.5 million documents collected from Jews in Eastern Europe. This includes the "Autobiography of Beba Epstein," which was written in the 1933-1934 school year by Beba Epstein, then aged 11 or 12. Her book, which can be viewed on the YIVO museum's website is described as providing "a look into the life of a vibrant, young girl and an insight into the life of Jewish children in Eastern Europe before the Holocaust." Another notable example is a diary of Theodor Herzl, who convened the first Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland in 1897, following the publication of his book "The Jewish State" in 1896. He is one of the founders of the political form of Zionism, which was the movement to establish a Jewish homeland. "It's the largest collection of pre-war material on Jewish life: Folklore, music, poetry, plays, political organizations, social organizations, cooking, medical records, the organization of the school systems," Brent explained. The material aims to give its viewers an understanding of how Jewish society was organized — and not without a sprinkling of humor from the olden days. For instance, a 1927 Yiddish hiking manual offers the following advice to its young readers: "Backpacks must be hung up. It's happened before that even a rucksack can go missing and only turn up again in the mouth of a cow!" The Edward Blank YIVO Vilna Online Collections can be accessed here. Edited by: Brenda Haas | 4Culture
|
Israel's parliament will vote on Sunday on approving a new government, Israel's Army Radio said on Tuesday, quoting parliamentary speaker Yariv Levin. If it wins the vote, the coalition government will be sworn in on the same day, spelling the end of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's 12 consecutive years in power. A total of eight parties have struck a deal to displace the longtime leader. The unlikely coalition is made up of three right-wing, two centrist and two left-wing parties, along with the Arab Islamic conservative party, United Arab List (UAL). If voted through, this will be the first time in Israel's history that an Arab party will be included in the government. Under the deal, Netanyahu would be replaced by nationalist leader Naftali Bennett, who would then be expected to serve for two years before handing the post over to centrist politician Yair Lapid. The fragile anti-Netanyahu alliance can only muster 61 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, Israel's Parliament. But, despite their differences, the parties are united in their hope of removing Netanyahu from the top post. The veteran incumbent has slammed the alliance as a "dangerous left-wing government" and the "fraud of the century." Netanyahu also shared an old video on Twitter of Bennett criticizing UAL leader Mansour Abbas. In the clip, Bennett is shown saying that Abbas "visited terrorist murders in jail" following a 1992 attack on Israeli soldiers. Netanyahu has also accused Bennett of the "betrayal of the century" for taking part in the opposition pact. Analysts believe that Netanyahu is trying to get some lawmakers from Bennett's Yamina party to defect and potentially upset the coalition. So far, the attempts have been unsuccessful. Demonstrators supporting Netanyahu and his right-wing Likud party have lashed out at Bennett, who has served in former Netanyahu cabinets. They have protested outside the homes of right-wing lawmakers accused of "betrayal" for joining the coalition. Security has been stepped up for some of the lawmakers in the coalition. There have been warnings that the protests could turn violent in the coming days. kmm/wmr (Reuters, AFP, dpa) | 7Politics
|
One man died and several others were injured during recent anti-government protests , according to a Cuban Interior Ministry statement Tuesday. The ministry said it "mourns the death" of a 36-year-old named as Diubis Laurencio Tejeda. Tejeda died after a clash between protesters and police in the Arroyo Naranjo municipality on the outskirts of Havana on Monday. Authorities said an unspecified number of people were arrested and there were several people wounded, including some police officers. Anti-government demonstrations broke out on Sunday, continuing on Monday and Tuesday. Protesters expressed anger over food shortages, the increasing costs of living and other grievances against the government. "The problem is that the government doesn't have any foreign exchange currency to import food or medicine or fuel, so there are shortages of all basic goods in the stores," American University professor and Latin America expert William LeoGrande told DW. Cuba is currently grappling with its worst economic crisis since the fall of the Soviet Union and a record number of COVID-19 cases. The protests have been met with a wave of arrests, as well as allegations of police brutality. Observers say more than 100 people have been detained, including independent journalists and dissidents. However, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez insisted on Tuesday that the people still support "the revolution and their government." Mobile internet was down in Cuba for most of Sunday and on Monday. Authorities have also restricted access to social media and messaging platforms including Facebook and WhatsApp, according to global internet monitoring firm NetBlocks. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has blamed the US for the upheaval. He said Monday that Washington was pursuing a "policy of economic suffocation to provoke social unrest." Washington has urged Cuba to end the internet restrictions and show "respect for the voice of the people by opening all means of communication, both online and offline." "Shutting down technology, shutting down information pathways, that does nothing to address the legitimate needs and aspirations of the Cuban people," State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters. Cuba has been under US sanctions for almost 60 years. jsi/rt (AP, AFP, Reuters) | 7Politics
|
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Saturday urged Russia to avoid a devastating conflict in Ukraine. "It is not too late for Russia to change course, to step back from the brink, stop preparing for war and start working for a peaceful resolution," he said at the Munich Security Conference. Stoltenberg noted that the "risk for conflict is real," with Russia amassing forces at the Ukrainian border. Russia has repeatedly denied that it has plans to attack its neighbor. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video In his speech, Stoltenberg said that the West would "always do what is necessary to protect and defend each other." "Moscow is attempting to roll back history and recreate its spheres of influence," according to Stoltenberg. "So if the Kremlin aims to have less NATO on its borders, it will only get more NATO" in case of a war in Ukraine, said the NATO chief. He also slammed Chinese support for Moscow in its dispute with NATO, as the US-dominated alliance remains wary of geopolitical ties between Beijing and Moscow. Also speaking at the conference, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU was ready to respond economically should Russia decide to invade Ukraine. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video "We face a blatant attempt to overwrite the rules of the international order," von der Leyen said. "This is what the Kremlin policies mean in practice: to install fear and call it 'security demands'." "We can impose high costs and severe consequences on Moscow's economic interests. The Kremlin's strange thinking that comes straight out of a dark past may cost Russia a prosperous future," said the EU's top official. The EU Commission leader also emphasized the need for the bloc to diversify its sources of energy. "A strong European Union cannot be so reliant on an energy supplier that is threatens to start a war on our continent," she said in Munich. According to von der Leyen, the EU would get through winter even if Russia cuts off gas to the continent. She also said that the world has watched the Russian military buildup with "disbelief." "We will hope still that peace will prevail and that diplomacy will take us there," she added. Edited by Darko Janjevic | 2Conflicts
|
Nepal is facing geopolitical pressure over whether to accept $500 million (€441 million) in Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) grant assistance from the United States. Nepal and the United States signed an agreement on the MCC grant in September 2017 to upgrade the Himalayan nation's dilapidated road networks and build electric lines. The agreement was supposed to be endorsed by Nepal's parliament by June 2019. However, it couldn't move forward due to differences within the then-ruling Nepal Communist Party (CPN), along with other political forces. Meanwhile, the US has pressed Nepal to stick to the MCC agreement and ratify it through parliament, while China has publicly cautioned Washington to avoid "coercive diplomacy" in Nepal regarding the project. US Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu earlier this month had warned that the US could terminate the compact if Nepal's leadership failed to fulfill its own pledges to table and ratify accepting the grant by the end of February. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Nepali political parties and citizens are deeply polarized over the project. The ruling Nepali Congress — a liberal democratic party — has stood in favor of the assistance; while its leftist coalition partners— including CPN (Maoists) and CPN (Unified Socialists)— are against its outright endorsement. They have dubbed the grant a part of the US Indo-Pacific strategy that aims to counter China in Asia. Nevertheless, the Nepali Congress-led coalition government on Sunday tabled the MCC bill in the House of Representatives, amid chaotic protests held by supporters of left-wing parties outside the parliament building, While tabling the bill, Gyanendra Karki, the Minister of Communication and Information Technology, appealed to all parties to endorse it, saying that Nepal itself had approached the US for the grant and that it was beneficial for Nepal's development and economy. The House is set to discuss its content on Thursday. But it is unclear whether the bill will be endorsed or rejected. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The controversy over the MCC compact has dragged the US and China into a face-off in Nepal as their diplomats have indulged in verbal barbs. US Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu earlier this month warned that Washington will review its bilateral relations with Nepal in the event of its failure to ratify the compact by the February 28 deadline, according to The Kathmandu Post. Strategic analyst Indra Adhikari told DW that the ongoing tension over the US assistance was a sign of how Chinese influence has increased in Nepali society. China's footprint in Nepal has increased in recent years, especially after an Indian border blockade in 2015-2016, when Beijing had extended vital support, including petroleum goods and agreed to provide transit access to landlocked Nepal. In the following year, Nepal joined the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In October 2019, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a state-visit to Nepal, in which the two countries elevated their bilateral relations to a "strategic partnership" and signed a slew of infrastructure-related deals, including a plan to build a trans-Himalayan railway line under the BRI framework. Although a section of Nepali society has questioned the conditions and financial implications of BRI projects, many people in Nepal have been attracted by China's "charm offensive." During the visit, President Xi also warned that "anyone attempting to split China will be crushed and any external force backing such attempts will be deemed by the Chinese people as pipe-dreaming," apparently referring to the protests and activities of the pro-Dalai Lama forces in Nepal. Nepal shares a 1,400 kilometer-long Himalayan border with Tibet and hosts almost 20,000 Tibetan refugees. Time and again, the US has tried to clarify that the MCC compact was purely a development grant. However, rumors and disinformation have been circulated both online and offline about it. There have been a number of videos on YouTube full of disinformation, calling the MCC an American ploy to "trap Nepal and encircle neighboring China." Talking to DW, Maoist party whip Dev Gurung claimed that US troops could be deployed in Nepal if they became part of the MCC compact. Meanwhile, social media has been used to denounce and vilify those who make or share independent views or stand in its favor. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Earlier, many leftist parties had called a national strike to protest the MCC deal, whereas violent protests erupted outside the parliament with police resorting to using tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons to disperse the crowds. This is also not the first time that Nepal has faced controversy and politicization over external assistance or investment, mostly from the West. In the early 1990s, the World Bank signed an agreement to build a 201-megawatt hydropower project and a 122 mile-access road in Nepal. The World Bank in 1995 withdrew the $764-million deal following a heated political debate, and a request by the then-CPN-UML to the World Bank to withhold the project just ahead of the election in Nepal. The World Bank didn't return and Nepal ended up facing more than two decades of electricity shortages. Bikash Thapa, a journalist and writer, who has covered hydropower issues for more than two decades, told DW that the over-politicization of foreign grants and investments has eroded the prospects of foreign direct investment flow to the country, as well as "tarnished" the image of Nepali leadership. Edited by: Leah Carter | 7Politics
|
A common small-talk question in most cities might be "What do you do?" In Berlin, it is more often "What's your rent?" Ask almost anyone who's been here long enough and they're likely to tell you: Every point in time was better than the current one, at least when it comes to finding a decent place to live at a good price. Short tens of thousands of apartments every year, the city famous for its affordability is having increasing trouble holding onto that reputation. On average, Berlin rents find themselves in about the middle of a 2020 Eurostat comparison of 35 EU cities — lower than Dublin and Munich, for example, but more than Brussels and Rome. "Demand is growing, but space can't be made available equally where it needs to be," Reiner Wild, the director of the Berlin Renter Association, told DW. Public frustration at limited supply and runaway rents — at least as they compare to Berlin's postwar experience, when Cold War divisions and a ready supply of unrenovated, unoccupied buildings helped keep prices depressed — has spurred all sorts of rent control policies. A nationwide rent brake was introduced in 2015, but it has been criticized for having too many exceptions and being tied to the market rather than incomes. Berlin brought in its own rent cap in 2020, which froze or in some cases slashed rents for five years, but that was then overturned by the German Constitutional Court, which ruled that the Berlin government had no right to override the national rent brake. Finally, the people of Berlin voted last month to expropriate apartments from the largest property firms. The referendum's success, though nonbinding, puts even more pressure on lawmakers to address housing prices and supply. Whether to take action and what actions to take, which would be required mostly at the national level, was an issue in the recent election campaign. "These are costs most people cannot afford to pay," Wild said, referring to new builds that are largely exempt from existing forms of rent control. In absolute terms Berlin can still appear cheap, given how much it has to catch up. However, incomes are also lower and housing costs are rising faster than in many other big German cities. Berlin has recorded a one-year jump of 6% in rental prices, according to Eurostat — twice the pace of Munich. Rents have about doubled in less than a decade, according to Numbeo, a cost-of-living calculator. The resulting financial whiplash for renters, who far outnumber homeowners in Germany, has widespread implications for the economy. More money for rent means less for other types of spending, and that adjustment has happened in a short period of time. Nearly half of all urban households in Germany now spend more than 30% of their incomes on rent, according to a study published in August by the Hans Böckler Foundation. "New builds can't make up for the loss of affordable housing space every year," Wild said. "That's why it's so important to have clear regulations governing rents that change hands." The lack of housing overall affects everyone, but not everyone equally. Almost 92% of German cities' poorest residents spend more than 30% on rent, according to the foundation's data. Less than 12% of the richest have to do the same. Singles and single parents feel the squeeze in particular, as do people in the middle of the socioeconomic ladder — neither poor enough to receive state aid nor rich enough to spring for higher rents on their own or accept costly, often legally questionable housing arrangements. Those who are eligible for support, including the right to live in social housing, can do little more than wait. It would take 60 years of new building construction to cover the shortfall, according to the Hans Böckler study's calculation. "Because of varying rents, the housing situation is not just an expression of social inequality in cities, but itself a factor for it," according to the study. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Suburban and exurban areas are feeling the heat, too. Last year, Berlin lost people to its neighboring state of Brandenburg for the first time in 15 years. That was partly due to the pandemic, but the housing market in Potsdam, the state capital just a short train ride from Berlin, has been so hot that its government is considering a point system to prioritize who gets first dibs on available stock. Researchers and housing advocates point to a complex patchwork of factors that burden housing markets — everything from people's decisions to start families to kinks in global supply chains. Some factors are beyond the control of national governments, such as migration flows across the European Union. Those people from poorer parts move to more prosperous ones in search of jobs, and those from more expensive cities might move to more affordable ones, where their money goes further. Germany, with a strong economy that has weathered many of the decade's crises, has seen solid population growth in the past 20 years. All of these people need places to live, which increases competition between newer and longtime residents. "This leads to more tension within society," Konstantin Kholodilin, a research associate at the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin), told DW. He said the ensuing gentrification was good for newcomers, who enjoy comparatively cheaper rents, but to the detriment of old-timers who find themselves getting priced out. Existing renters get their revenge with "first generation rent control," as Bremen University's Christoph Schmid described blanket measures to lock down costs, such as Berlin's failed cap. "This may help promote affordability of homes, but it does not create really new housing space," he told an online audience at a DIW rent control event. "Rent control is unavoidable, but it's sort of an ambivalent tool. If you want to confront the housing crisis, something more is needed." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Researchers suggest the solution, while imperfect, is a balance of public-private cooperation. A mix of subsidies, tax incentives, and contractual arrangements that commit developers to creating social or affordable housing could help stabilize costs and put slack into the system. In Berlin, officials say they are starting to do just that, following years of contradictory policy. The once cash-strapped city-state is still paying for its decision to sell many of its properties, which it is now scrambling to buy back, albeit at higher prices. "It's no secret that was a mistake," said Petra Rohland, a spokesperson for the Senate Department for Urban Development and Housing. "It still impacts us today." It was only in 2014 that Berlin's own housing companies — there are six of them — were directed to start building new properties, she said. That construction faces the added challenge of inflation and global shortages, which are pushing up the cost of land, labor and materials, and make holding down rents even harder. New residential areas also need neighborhood infrastructure: retail space, schools and public transit connections, which all come with their own political, bureaucratic and financial headaches. Public- and private-sector developers also expect climate considerations to start playing a bigger role in decisions on how and where to build. Traditional construction is energy intensive and needs land to build on, while green space is not only an attractive feature for residents, but also key to helping keep a city cool. It's a conflict that planners are just starting to sort out. "We always say we want housing that's social and ecological," said Rohland. "That's sometimes a hindrance, but it's important that the city loses as little of its green space as possible." | 8Society
|
Brazilian soccer legend Pele was buried in his final resting place Tuesday after about 230,000 mourners, including President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, filed past his open casket to pay homage. Crying, waving flags and chanting "1,000 goals!", Brazilians flooded the streets to say goodbye to Pele, widely considered the greatest player in the history of the world's most popular sport. Before Tuesday's procession began, the coffin of the three-time World Cup winner had been placed in the center circle of the Santos FC stadium for a 24-hour wake. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The recently inaugurated Lula paid his respects at Vila Belmiro, the stadium where Pele played for most of his club career for the Brazilian side Santos. Also among those at the stadium was Pele's best friend Manoel Maria, a former Santos teammate. "If I had all the wealth in the world I would never be able to repay what this man did for me and my family," Maria said. "He was as great a man as he was as a player; the best of all time. His legacy will outlive us all. And that can be seen in this long line with people of all ages here." FIFA President Gianni Infantino has said that every country should name a stadium after Pele. "I am here with a lot of emotion," he said. "Sadness, but also with a smile because he gave us so many smiles. As FIFA, we will pay a tribute to the 'King' and we ask the whole world to observe a minute of silence." Mass was held at the Vila Belmiro before the casket was driven through the streets of Santos, a coastal city in southern Brazil's Sao Paulo state, in a firetruck. One of the most moving moments of the day came when the truck paused outside the home of Pele's 100-year-old mother. Pele's sister Maria Lucia Nascimento — who cares for her mother and revealed Celeste was unaware of her son's death — watched in tears from a balcony and thanked the crowds who chanted "Pele is our king." Celeste turned 100 in November and Pele posted on social media to mark the occasion. On Tuesday, the soccer great's son, Edson Cholbi Nascimento, addressed mourners by the cemetery as fireworks heralded the arrival of his father's coffin while those gathered sang the Santos anthem. "I wanted on behalf of the whole family to thank you for all the love, the respect," he said. "It's an honor, it's a great pride. Once again thank you. Now he will rest." Pele had been treated for colon cancer since 2021. The medical center where he had been hospitalized said he died last week of multiple organ failure related to the cancer. Pele led Brazil to World Cup titles in 1958, 1962 and 1970. Current Brazil football star Neymar tied Pele's national team record of 77 goals during the Qatar World Cup. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video jsi/sri (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters, SID) | 9Sports
|
Forestry workers near the German city of Hamburg found a barrel containing material that belonged to the far-left Red Army Faction (RAF) group, police in the state of Lower Saxony said on Sunday. Workers were pruning trees in the Seevetal area, south of Hamburg, when they found the plastic barrel, which included documents from the 1980s and containers with unknown liquids. "After an initial assessment of the written material that was found, a connection to the nationwide terrorist group RAF cannot be ruled out," Lower Saxony criminal police said in a statement. No weapons were found and experts determined that the barrel could be moved safely, so that authorities may carry out an investigation, officials said. "It is evidence that will be taken to the forensic institute," authorities said, adding that DNA or fingerprint traces may still be detectable. The RAF was a terrorist group that emerged from German student protests against the Vietnam War and was most active in the 1970s and 80s. The group is responsible for a violent campaign against capitalists and what members considered cooperators of US imperialism. Some 34 people were killed and injured hundreds in the various terrorist activities that the RAF carried out within Germany, before officially disbanding in 1998. Ex-RAF terrorists Ernst Volker Staub, Burkhard Garweg and Daniela Klette are still sought by the police. But authorities have ruled out the possibility that Sunday's discovery could provide clues as to their whereabouts, due to the age of the documents. The trio are wanted for more recent crimes. They are linked to a series of twelve robberies between 1999 and 2016, which authorities say they carried out in order to finance their life as fugitives. jcg/rc (AP, AFP, dpa) | 3Crime
|
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that dozens in his inner circle were diagnosed with COVID-19, and he was subsequently self-isolating. Earlier this week, Putin, 68, cancelled all in-person events and said he was self-isolating after announcing an outbreak in the Kremlin. "Cases of the coronavirus were detected in my inner circle. Not just one or two but several dozen people," Putin said, speaking via video link at a meeting of a Moscow-led security alliance. "And not I have to remain in self-isolation for a few days." Putin had been set to attend the meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) in Tajikistan's capital Dushanbe in person, but said Tuesday he would join remotely instead. It was previously unclear how big the outbreak was and how long Putin would remain isolated. Putin has reported that he has had two shots of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine, and the Kremlin said that Putin was in good health. In order to keep Putin away from the virus, Kremlin visitors have had to pass through special disinfection tunnels, while journalists attending his events must undergo multiple PCR tests. Some people who he meets are also asked to quarantine beforehand and be tested. Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Thursday told reporters that the outbreak was mainly among members of Putin's security detail. He added that "practically everybody" who works with Putin is vaccinated. While it remains unclear how long Putin will be in quarantine, Peskov said the president will be self-isolating for "at least" another week. The news of the outbreak comes a day before parliamentary elections open on Friday in Russia. Putin this week met with Syrian President Bashar Assad and athletes returning from the Tokyo Paralympic Games, just before the Kremlin said he was self-isolating. According to the latest figures, the country has recorded more than seven million cases and 195,835 deaths, the highest death toll in Europe. lc/wd (Reuters, AFP) | 7Politics
|
Ashok Jain (name changed) tested positive for COVID-19 on April 30. When his oxygen levels fell dangerously low, his family sent him to a small hospital in Indore, in the west-central state of Madhya Pradesh. On May 2, he called up his son-in-law and breathed his last words: "Please get me out of here, otherwise I'll die." Jain died the next day. Prajakta (name changed), a relative of Jain's, blames a lack of investment in health care as a key reason why she believes India won't be able to contain rising deaths from COVID-19 anytime soon. "India has historically underinvested in its health care system, which has ultimately led to the collapse of the system today," Prajakta told DW. She claimed that some hospitals admit patients while knowing full well they lack the facilities to treat COVID patients. Unfortunately, Jain's story is not unique. The Indian government has come under severe criticism for its handling of the pandemic, and for not being able to control the spread of infections and deaths arising from a new mutation. According to Oommen C. Kurian, the head of the Health Initiative at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), an Indian think tank, containment will be a "slow, painful process." "We could have limited the number of deaths from COVID-19 by aggressively vaccinating our elderly population and other high-risk groups. Along with vaccinations, we must now emphasize social distancing and health care triage, if we want to prevent a similar situation in the next wave," he told DW. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The Indian government's principal scientific adviser, K. Vijay Raghavan, has already warned of a third wave, although he has said that the timeline is not yet clear. Dr. Sharad Kumar (name changed), a doctor based in Bhagalpur, Bihar, believes that the second wave will end in seven to eight weeks. "If you look at the history of pandemics, there is usually a second and then a third wave," Kumar told DW. "But COVID is a virus that affects the respiratory system, so it's difficult to contain. If more people get infected, it gives the virus an opportunity to mutate. There is the possibility of reinfection, which we have to prevent if we want to curtail the next wave." He said one of the solutions is to create micro-containment zones to contain the spread of the virus. "Ultimately, we have to reduce the load on the health care system by making sure that mild cases don't move to the critical stage. We also need to hold the government accountable for the tender of oxygen plants that were approved last year," said Kumar. Dr. Vandana Prasad, a pediatrician and public health consultant, believes that although the Indian government had one year to prepare for the current scenario, the most recent budget did not include crucial investment in the health care system. "When this wave subsides, will we bury our heads in the sand like ostriches and not prepare for another wave?" said Prasad, who was battling COVID at the time of the interview. "India's health care setup is currently so bad that it can't even handle basic needs. To contain future pandemics or an outbreak of disease, we have to invest majorly in health care, pay our health care workers and give them permanent contracts," Prasad told DW. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video She also called for government accountability. "Above everything, this government has to own up to its lackadaisical response in containing the pandemic if it wants to improve its future response to another wave. For example, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh is denying that there is lack of oxygen, although people are dying every day without oxygen," she said. Dr. Antony K.R., a public health consultant based in Kochi, Kerala, believes that India should invest about 5% of its GDP in health care if it wants to prevent another collapse of the health care system. "India can start a decentralized governing of its public health system up to the district level, in order to prepare for the next wave," he told DW. Officials should focus on offering technical guidelines at the national level, ensuring an "adequate supply of medical oxygen and medicines," and strengthening the public distribution system "to prevent deaths by starvation and enable a participatory, people-governed system." "We have to create a conducive working environment for doctors, nurses, and health care staff such as lab technicians and X-ray technicians in the government health institutions, to strengthen our public health system rather than leave the poor at the mercy of the private sector," said K.R. For example, he said, Kerala has received widespread praise for its successful handling of the pandemic. The state curbed the spread of infection last year through an effective contact-tracing and health surveillance system. "In Kerala, you can see real-time uploading of surveillance data on portals. The state has also strengthened its public health care system through community participation at the grassroots level, which is something you hardly see in states like Uttar Pradesh." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Some experts believe that India can contain the spread of the virus through consistent and focused government messaging. Critics say that a single speech made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging people to stay home, wasn't enough. According to Govindraj Ethiraj, the founder of IndiaSpend.com, a public-interest journalism website, one of India's "biggest failures" has been in communication. "The government should have actively discouraged events like weddings and mass gatherings, including political rallies and religious festivals. It should have also actively advised people against attending superspreader events," Ethiraj told DW. "If you look at history, the AIDS and polio epidemics were addressed through high quality messaging at the national level. With COVID-19, we have either been weak or inconsistent with the intensity of messaging, including on basic protocols like masking and distancing," he added. | 5Health
|
Equatorial Guinea announced on Monday it will close its London embassy after Britain sanctioned the son of the president last week, alleging corruption. Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, 53, is also the vice-president of Equatorial Guinea and is responsible for the country's defense and security. His father, President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, 79, is the longest sitting president in the world and the dynastic leaders stand accused of a litany of rights abuses. The British government alleges the younger Obiang misappropriated more than €425 million ($500 million), spending it on mansions, private jets and a €233,000 glove covered in crystals that pop music icon Michael Jackson wore during his 1987-89 "Bad" tour. Obiang's assets were frozen and he is barred from entering the UK. "Equatorial Guinea will not accept interference in the internal affairs of the country, which violates the principle of international law," the country's foreign minister, Simeon Oyono Esono, said on state broadcaster TVGE. He did not say when the embassy would close or whether there was a timetable yet for its closure. The elder Obiang seized power through a bloody coup against his uncle Francisco Macias Nguema in 1979, just 11 years after the country's independence from Spain. Last week, when the UK slapped sanctions on the younger Obiang, Equatorial Guinea's foreign ministry fired back in a statement, "The unfounded sanctions imposed by the British Government are justified by the manipulations, lies and malevolent initiatives promoted by certain non-governmental organizations against the good image of Equatorial Guinea." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video While the foreign ministry claims the younger Obiang has no investments in the UK and asserts he has not been charged there, he has incurred a three-year suspended sentence in France and a €30 million fine, along with the confiscation of his assets there. His fleet of luxury cars and a mansion valued at more than €107 million on the posh Avenue Foch in Paris were all seized during a French probe into his "ill-gotten gains." On Wednesday, a French high court will make a final determination over the February 2020 ruling that handed Obiang the suspended sentence, fine, and permitted his assets to be seized. Obiang is widely viewed as the likely successor to his father. Equatorial Guinea is the only Spanish speaking nation in sub-Saharan Africa. While the country is oil rich, 76% of the population live in poverty according to World Bank figures. ar/aw (AFP, Reuters) | 7Politics
|
Fighting between Russian and Ukrainian troops continued on Saturday, despite a unilateral declaration of a cease-fire called by Russian leader Vladimir Putin. A Ukrainian drone was shot down by Russian air defenses on Saturday morning over the port city of Sevastopol in occupied Crimea, according to Russian state media. The Russian-installed governor of the city said that a drone attack on the city, a major naval base for Russia's Black Sea Fleet, was the latest in a series of Ukrainians attacks on the port, TASS news agency reported. Putin announced a unilateral ceasefire beginning Friday noon to mark the Orthodox Christmas holiday, but the Ukrainian governor of the contested Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine reported shelling a few hours after the purported truce was announced. The UK Ministry of Defense in its daily readout on the invasion said Saturday that "fighting continued at a routine level into the Orthodox Christmas period." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Here are other related developments concerning the war in Ukraine on January 7: Lars Klingbeil, co-leader of the Germany's ruling Social Democrats (SPD), said that he remains skeptical of demands to supply Ukraine with Leopard battle tanks without coordination among allies. "No country is delivering battle tanks that are as heavy as the Leopard 1 or 2," Klingbeil said in an interview for Germany's RTL/ntv broadcaster. He said that Germany and its allies are "always weighing up again and again our involvement in this war." Earlier this week, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced Berlin would provide 40 Marder armoured personnel carriers and a Patriot missile battery. Russian forces in Ukraine would observe the cease-fire until midnight, the Russian Defense Ministry said. The Ministry said in its daily briefing that its troops had only returned artillery fire when fired upon by Ukrainian forces, whom it accused of shelling civilian areas. Ukrainian forces have rejected Russia's call for a temporary cease-fire over the Orthodox Christmas holiday, saying it was a way for Russia to reinforce troops. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Putin has praised the Russian Orthodox Church for supporting Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, saying it was "deeply gratifying" to have their support. "It is deeply gratifying to note the enormous constructive contribution of the Russian Orthodox Church and other Christian denominations in unifying society, preserving our historical memory, educating youth and strengthening the institution of family," Putin said. "Church organisations prioritise... supporting our warriors taking part in the special military operation (in Ukraine). Such
massive, complex and truly selfless work deserves sincere respect," he added. The Kremlin issued Putin's message after he attended an Orthodox Christmas service by himself in a cathedral rather than joining other worshippers in a public celebration. Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said that at least 453 Ukrainian children had been killed since the start of the war in Ukraine. He said another 877 children had been injured, adding "real numbers" were likely much higher. Reznikov said Russia had violated child rights as listed under the UN Seucurity Council resolution 1261, that was adopted in 1999. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during his nightly address from Kyiv thatBradley armored vehicles were "exactly what is needed" by Ukrainian troops locked in combat. The US said Friday it would said send Bradley armored combat vehicles to Ukraine for the first time as part of its latest multibillion-dollar package of military aid. “For the first time, we will get Bradley armoured vehicles — this is exactly what is needed. New guns and rounds, including high-precision ones, new rockets, new drones. It is timely and strong,” he said. The US joined Germany and France in expanding weapons assistance to Ukraine on Friday. rm/jcg (Reuters, AP, AFP, dpa) | 7Politics
|
Croatia will join the Schengen Area at the start of 2023, the European Union confirmed on Thursday, following a vote on whether to admit more countries. "The Schengen Area is growing for the first time in more than a decade," the Czech Republic, which holds the EU's rotating presidency, said on Twitter. "Ministers approved Croatia's membership as of 1 January 2023!" Ministers from the 27 EU member states have been voting on expanding the Schengen visa-free zone to include members Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia. Croatian MEP Valter Flego welcomed the vote in a post on Twitter. However, the chances for Romania and Bulgaria to join the zone, which includes most EU states as well as Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Iceland, were dashed following opposition from Austria. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is keen for Romania and Bulgaria to join but that sentiment is not shared in Vienna. "Not only Croatia, but especially Romania and also Bulgaria have done a lot so that they can join the Schengen area," Baerbock said. "The EU Commission confirmed this once again just a few weeks ago." "Especially in these times, it is important that Europe moves closer together. I appeal in particular to Austria to reconsider its 'no' to Romania and Bulgaria." But that appeal appears to have fallen on deaf ears in Vienna. "I will vote today against the Schengen enlargement to Romania and Bulgaria," Austria's Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said on Thursday ahead of the vote. "I think it is wrong that a system that does not work in many places should be enlarged." A decision on expanding the Schengen Area requires unanimous approval. "When it comes to the accession of Romania and Bulgaria we are not united and that makes us very weak and that makes me also sad," Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson told reporters after the decision to reject the bids from Bulgaria and Romania was announced. "You deserve to be full members of Schengen, you deserve to have access to the free movement in the Schengen area," Johansson said, adding that the two nations had the support of almost all the ministers present. "To citizens of Bulgaria and Romania I say this: you deserve to be fully part of Schengen," she said as part of an official statement that she posted on Twitter. "I will support every step to achieve this in my mandate." Romania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said late Thursday it had summoned Austria's ambassador owing to Vienna's "unjustified and unfriendly attitude." "The (foreign ministry) considers that this result is completely unfair and devoid of any objective motivation," it said in a statement. The ministry added that it regrets the impact "Austria's negative vote today has on European unity and cohesion. Especially in the current complicated geo-strategic context, and Russia's persistent attempts to fracture European unity." Romania and Bulgaria joined the EU bloc in 2007 and have been trying to enter the Schengen zone for years. Concerns over organized crime, unauthorized migration and security have held up their bids. Last month, the European Commission ruled that all three Schengen candidates now meet the necessary criteria for joining, with the European Parliament also voting to give its support. "We are stronger, not weaker, through Schengen enlargement," Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas said on Thursday. "Enlarging Schengen means more and better controls, not less." Unauthorized migration has been cited as the main sticking point for Austria which has previously reported the arrival of more than 100,000 unauthorized migrants this year. Vienna has little trust in Romanian and Bulgarian border controls and thinks that removing checks on people coming from those countries will open the country up to more unauthorized immigration. Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca said on Wednesday that he had been holding top-level meetings with Austrian leaders to try to ease their concerns. "Illegal migration is politically very sensitive in many member states, but blocking Romania's accession to Schengen will not bring the answers Austria wants," Ciuca said. The Netherlands, Hungary and possibly Sweden — thanks to the influence of the far-right Swedish Democrats — had also hinted that they may be ready to delay the inclusion of one or more of the candidate countries into Schengen. ab/msh (AP, AFP) | 7Politics
|
This live updates article is now closed. For the latest on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, click here The G7's Foreign Ministers gathered in northern Germany for a three-day meeting to discuss Russia's war against Ukraine and its global impact. Hosting the meeting is Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who said the conflict represented a "global crisis," impacting food security. "Twenty-five million tons (27.5 million US tons) of grain are currently blocked in Ukrainian ports, particularly Odesa,'' Baerbock noted. "Grain that's food for millions of people around the world, and which is needed particularly urgently in African countries and the Middle East.'' "That's why we are discussing how the grain blockade exerted by Russia can be unblocked, how we can get the grain out to the world,'' she added. The foreign ministers of Ukraine and neighboring Moldova have been invited to attend the meeting as guests. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba traveled to Berlin, where he said that the historically Russia-friendly stance of Germany's governing center-left Social Demcrats (SPD) was now in the past. Kuleba's comments come as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and other long-standing members of the SPD have come under fire in recent weeks for what the Ukrainian ambassador to Germany has dubbed a "highly questionable closeness to Russia" over the course of several decades in politics. Kuleba noted the recent policy changes made by Scholz on arms deliveries to Ukraine and on energy policy with Russia. "I know that it is not easy to make such decisions," Kuleba said. "You are strong enough to admit that the previous policy failed and you need a new policy," he added. The Ukrainian foreign minister made the remarks after meeting with top SPD officials Lars Klingbeil and Rolf Mützenich in Berlin. "The pre-Ukraine war history in German-Russian relations and the role of the Social Democrats in it is something that is now history," Kuleba said. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A Rawlings Major League baseball signed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has sold at a US auction for more than $50,000 (€48,000), more than three times its expected price tag. The ball is signed in both Ukrainian Cyrillic and Latin letters and was paired with a transmittal letter signed by Volodymyr Yelchenko, Ukraine's Permanent Representative to the UN. Auctioneer RR Auction of Boston announced the sale, saying it had closed on Wednesday night, with the winning bid going to an anonymous "collector from the Midwest." RR Auction said it would donate its entire cut of the deal, some $15,000, toward providing humanitarian aid to Ukrainians displaced by the war with Russia. Seller Randy Kaplan is said to also be providing an undisclosed portion of his profits, as well. Kaplan is a well-known collector of baseballs signed by world leaders. He rarely auctions pieces from his collection. The UN refugee agency said that more than 6 million people have fled Ukraine since the Russian invasion began. UN spokesman Matthew Saltmarsh said a total of 2.4 million people who have left Ukraine have moved beyond Ukraine's immediate border countries. The UN refugee agency also said that the number of people who have returned back to Ukraine, either partially or fully, has now reached more than 1.6 million. But the agency cautioned that the tally reflects cross-border movements, not necessarily "sustainable'' returns, adding that it is too early to determine any "definitive trends'' on returns. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The EU has called on member states to urgently find ways to transport essential agricultural goods from Ukraine via land routes to stabilize global food supplies. Known as the world's breadbasket before the invasion, Ukraine produced 12% of global wheat supplies, 15% of global corn supplies and half of all sunflower oil. Now that Russian ships have blockaded key Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea, global food prices and shortages have hit record levels. The EU now wants to increase the amount of goods crossing into the bloc and to reduce the amount of paperwork required. Romania has already allowed for Ukrainian goods to be transported from its port of Constanta. "Twenty million tonnes of grain have to leave Ukraine in less than three months using EU infrastructure," EU transport commissioner Adina Valean said. "This is a gigantic challenge, so it is essential to coordinate and optimize the logistics chains, put in place new routes, and avoid, as much as possible, bottlenecks," she added. The giant Russian energy company said on Thursday that it would no longer send gas through the Yamal-Europe pipeline — which passes through Poland to Germany — due to Russian sanctions against the company that owns the stretch of pipeline running through Poland. Moscow announced a series of sanctions against over 30 energy companies on Wednesday. Russia already ended gas exports to Poland and Bulgaria last month. German Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck said Moscow was using its energy exports as "a weapon," but Germany's energy regulator said that cessation of gas flows through the pipeline would not endanger Germany's energy supply. "Hardly any gas to Germany has been going through this pipeline for weeks," a spokesman for the regulatory authority said in a written statement. DW spoke with former Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb, who held office from 2014 to 2015 after a lengthy stint as foreign minister, about the latest announcement and what he makes of Russia's response. Stubb said the major policy change and move to support NATO membership was "better late than never." The former prime minister said that Finland is "very much a security asset for the alliance" due to its large military and long shared border with Russia. "It's a win-win for Nordic security, Baltic Sea security, European security and the alliance," he told DW. He also predicted that there will be "a lot of cyberattacks and probably information wars in the next few days," but added that "the more there are threats, the more popularity for NATO membership increases." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov responded to Finland's potential NATO membership, saying the move "definitely" poses a threat to Russia and "does not make our continent more stable and secure." He added that Russia's response would depend on "the extent to which military infrastructure moves closer to our borders." Finland, which fought in wars against the Soviet Union in 1939 and 1944, stepped up its cooperation with NATO following Russia's annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in 2014. A specially equipped plane from Germany's armed forces has flown to Poland to collect Ukrainians injured in the war and bring them to Germany for treatment, sources have told the DPA news agency. The A310 MedEvac plane, which is equipped with intensive care facilities, took off from Cologne on Thursday morning and would head to Frankfurt after picking up the wounded people, the sources said. The aircraft has often been used in recent weeks to transport seriously injured children and adults to receive medical care in Germany. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Number of unlawful killings around Kyiv 'shocking': UN human rights chief A thousand bodies have been recovered near the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, in recent days, with many of the killings possibly amounting to war crimes amid the Russian invasion, according to United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet. "The scale of unlawful killings, including indications of summary executions in areas to the north of Kyiv, is shocking," Bachelet told the Geneva-based Human Rights Council via video link. The council will decide on Thursday whether to launch an official probe into events that occurred in Kyiv and other regions in February and March while Russian troops were occupying the areas. Russia has denied targeting civilians during what it calls a "special military operation" in Ukraine aimed only at "de-militarizing" and "de-Nazifying" the country. Russian energy giant Gazprom says gas to Europe transiting through Ukraine went down by a third on Thursday. Gazprom told the Interfax news agency that supplies transiting Ukraine were at 50.6 million cubic meters in total, compared to 72 million cubic meters the day before. This comes after Kyiv said it would suspend flows of Russian gas through the eastern Sokhranivka hub on Wednesday on grounds the plant was no longer under Ukrainian control. Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent a telegram of congratulations to the head of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic in eastern Ukraine for the anniversary of the day its then leader declared its independence from Ukraine in 2014. "I am sure that through our joint efforts we will defend the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity'' of the Luhansk republic, the telegram said. It also wished "all Luhansk residents fortitude, courage and persistence in the struggle for a peaceful and secure future." The statement indicates that Putin intends to persist in his efforts to wrest separatist-held territory from Ukraine. Russia backed the separatists for years in their rebellion against the Kyiv government and recognized them as independent on the eve of invading Ukraine of February 24. The current head of the self-proclaimed republic, Leonid Pasechnik, said on Thursday that the territory would never return to Ukrainian control and that most of its residents want it to become part of Russia. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin have said their country must apply to join the NATO military alliance as quickly as possible, a policy turnaround that has been prompted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "Finland must apply for NATO membership without delay," Niinisto and Marin said in a joint statement. "We hope that the national steps still needed to make this decision will be taken rapidly within the next few days," the statement added. Finland shares a 1,300 km (810 mile) border with Russia. It has already increased its cooperation with NATO as an "Enhanced Opportunities Partner" since 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea. Up to now, however, Helsinki has not applied to join so as not to provoke its neighbor. Moscow has often cited NATO's eastern expansion as one reason for its attack on Ukraine. Sweden is also considering joining NATO amid growing public support for such a move. Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde said on Twitter on Thursday that her country would "take Finland's assessments into account" in its own decision whether to apply to join the alliance. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Russian forces gain territory in Donbas, Ukraine says Russian troops have stepped up attacks in the east of Ukraine, capturing some areas of the Donbas region, Ukraine's military leaders said in their latest update. "The enemy is continuing its military efforts in the eastern operation zone with the aim of gaining full control over the areas of Donetsk, Luhansk and Kherson and to maintain a land corridor to currently occupied Crimea," it said. The Ukrainian military said the Russian troops were advancing in Donetsk "with partial success." According to the update, Russia is reinforcing its presence near Sloviansk, one of the major targets of Moscow's military assault in the Donbas region. It said some 300 more military vehicles had been deployed to the area in preparation for new attacks. The update also said there was little change in the situation in the southern port city of Mariupol, with Ukrainian defenders holed up in the Azovstal steel works still coming under bombardment from Russian planes. Ukraine has succeeded in recapturing a number of towns and villages toward the Russian border north of its second city of Kharkiv after Moscow has reportedly withdrawn several units following heavy losses, the British Ministry of Defense has said. The current focus of Russian troops on the eastern Donbas regions means that remaining units deployed in the Kharkiv region are "vulnerable to the mobile, and highly motivated, Ukrainian counterattacking force," according to the intelligence update posted on Twitter. "The withdrawal of Russian forces from the Kharkiv Oblast is a tacit recognition of Russia’s inability to capture key Ukrainian cities where they expected limited resistance from the population," it says. It said the Russian troops would "likely deploy to the eastern bank of the Siverskyi Donets River, forming a blocking force to protect the western flank of Russia’s main force concentration and main supply routes for operations in the vicinity of Izium." Kharkiv, situated just 40 km (25 miles) south of the border to Russia, was an early focus of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and suffered relentless shelling for a month. Artillery attacks have, however, now reportedly become rarer as Russian troops seem to be pulling out. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that Moscow's invasion of Ukraine — as well as its ties with Beijing — pose a growing global threat. Russia "is today the most direct threat to the world order with the barbaric war against Ukraine, and its worrying pact with China," von der Leyen said during a summit in Tokyo. Those concerns were shared by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, whose government has been one of few in Asia to join in strict international sanctions against Moscow. "Russia's invasion of Ukraine is not just a matter for Europe, but it shakes the core of the international order including Asia. This must not be tolerated," Kishida said. The remarks came following an EU-Japan summit, where they announced a new digital partnership — the first of its kind between the bloc and another country. The agreement includes measures to strengthen cooperation on cyber security and artificial intelligence as well as boosting the development of digital technology. "Our cooperation in Ukraine is critical in Europe, but it's also important in the Indo-Pacific and we also want to deepen our consultation on a more assertive China," said European Council President Charles Michel. German Economy Minister Robert Habeck believes Germany may just be able to make it through the next winter without Russian gas provided a number of measures were introduced. "If we have full storage facilities at the turn of the year, if two of the four floating LNG tankers we have leased are connected to the grid and if we make significant energy savings, we can to some extent get through the winter if Russian gas supplies collapse," Habeck told German business weekly publication, WirtschaftsWoche. Habeck stressed the need to cut back on consumption as far as possible. "Less consumption is the be-all and end-all," the minister said. Germany depends heavily on Russian gas and there are concerns that a halt in supply could lead to a recession. Finnish President Sauli Niinisto is on Thursday expected to take an official stance on the possibility of NATO membership. "My message is clear: Finland will ensure its security. That is not to anyone's detriment," Niinisto said last week following a meeting with the parliamentary defense committee. Finland shares a border spanning 1,300 kilometers (810 miles) with Russia, and has steered clear of joining in order to maintain relations with Moscow. However, Russia's invasion of Ukraine has shifted sentiments dramatically, with the latest poll conducted by public broadcaster YLE suggesting 76% of Finns are in favor of joining NATO. Sweden is also expected to make its position on joining the alliance known over the weekend. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko says residents coming back to the capital should be cautious, saying attacks by Russia could happen "any second." In an interview with US broadcaster CNN, Klitschko said he had "no doubt" the capital, Kyiv, is still Russia's "main target." He said the war had "changed the life for everyone" and that he hoped to see an end to the fighting "as soon as possible." "Safety is the main priority right now," he added. "We hope our warriors defend us, but the risk is still there and without our partners, without United States and European countries we can't survive." US President Joe Biden has pledged to help support farmers in a bid to address the challenges brought on by the war in Ukraine. In a visit to a family farm in Illinois on Wednesday, Biden thanked farmers "who are the breadbasket of democracy." "We can make sure that agricultural exports will make up for the gap in Ukrainian supplies," Biden said. The Biden administration announced that there would be a doubling of funding for domestic fertilizer production. Farm management tools would be enhanced for planting and soil requirements. The US was also trying to find ways to help Ukraine ship 20 million metric tons of wheat and corn. The war in Ukraine has caused major disruptions to the global food trade, leading to rising prices and concerns about food security in some parts of the world. Russia and Ukraine produce about a third of the world’s wheat and 20% of its corn. Russia is also a major supplier of fertilizers farmers rely on to keep crop yields high. Ukraine's prosecutor general, Iryna Venediktova, said that her office has charged a 21-year-old Russian sergeant in connection with the killing of an elderly civilian who was gunned down while riding a bicycle. The soldier is alleged to have been serving with a tank unit and was accused of firing at the man in the village of Chupakhivka in the northeast of the country. According to Venediktova's office, more than 10,700 alleged war crimes are being investigated with over 600 suspects currently identified. Venediktova said the soldier could get up to 15 years in prison. It is not yet known when the trial will begin. Human Rights Watch says that Russia has made repeated use of at least six different types of cluster munitions. The rights watchdog also said Ukraine appeared to have used the banned munitions at least once. HRW released a 20-page report detailing Russia's use of the munitions in populated neighborhoods and documented several cluster munition attacks by Russian forces in the Ukrainian cities of Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv and Vuhledar. Cluster munitions typically disperse in the air, spreading multiple bomblets indiscriminately over a wider area. According to a New York Times report, Ukrainian forces allegedly used cluster munitions in an attack on Husarivka in Kharkiv oblast on March 6 or 7, which is when the village was under Russian control. Russia and Ukraine have not joined the Convention of Cluster Munitions, which is a 2008 treaty banning cluster munitions. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has inked security agreements with Finland and Sweden that would see the UK provide support if the two Nordic nations came under attack. UNICEF spokesperson James Elder told DW that not enough is being done to help children escape the war in Ukraine and that a child has been displaced from their homes "almost every second since the war started." The US House of Representatives agreed to a fresh $40 billion (nearly €38 billion) in assistance for Ukraine, with funding for defense, humanitarian and economic needs. Britain's Defense Ministry said in an intelligence update on Twitter that fighting continues between Russian and Ukrainian forces on Snake Island, which lies off the coast of Ukraine's southwestern Odesa region. DW correspondent in Ukraine Amien Essif said that Ukraine is hoping for Russian forces to retreat from around the second-largest city Kharkiv, similar to Moscow's retreat from areas around Ukraine's capital in April. The leaders of the Russian-occupied region of Kherson in southeastern Ukraine said they plan to ask for the area to become a part of Russia, Russian media reported, citing an official. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the war could have likely been prevented if Kyiv had been a member of the trans-Atlantic military alliance NATO. Slovak President Zuzana Caputova and Polish President Andrzej Duda said in Bratislava that their countries would work together to help Ukraine become a candidate for EU membership as soon as possible. The UN's nuclear agency says it is again receiving remote data from the Chernobyl power plant in Ukraine. The transmission was interrupted when Russian forces occupied the site at the start of their invasion on February 24. ab, rs, kb/nm (Reuters, AP, AFP, dpa) To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video | 2Conflicts
|
In an interview for the Chanel Connects podcast, British actor Keira Knightley recently opened up about how she feels about intimate and erotic film scenes. She is "very uncomfortable with trying to portray the male gaze," the actor said, adding that a body double can be used for unavoidable sex scenes. "Because I'm too vain, and the body has had two children now, and I'd just rather not stand in front of a group of men naked," Knightley said in explaining her decision. "If I was making a story that was about that journey of motherhood and body acceptance, I feel like, I'm sorry, but that would have to be with a female filmmaker," the 35-year-old British actor said. "I don't have an absolute ban, but I kind of do with men." Keira Knightley is taking steps to protect herself, and for a reason: Until a few years ago, the film industry, especially Hollywood, was firmly in the hands of mostly male producers — even the film crews were predominantly male. Partly out of false shame, partly out of ignorance, the question of how to do erotic scenes was left either to the director or to the actors. Until now, even a potentially traumatic experience like a rape scene was shot without anyone to help the actors cope, and rarely was there any creative debate concerning how to shoot such a scene in the first place. Intimate scenes, in particular, require a lot of sensitivity. Whether it's something as extreme as sexual violence, or just a long and intense kiss, the scenes need to be credible while at the same time protecting those involved — both the mental health of the actors and that of the film crew. While theaters have long had intimacy coordinators to help choreograph sex or nudity scenes, it has been a long time coming in film and only changed as a result of the international #Metoo movement. In 2017, Ita O'Brien published "intimacy guidelines" for the film industry that have become the basis of numerous union standards in the US and many other Anglo-Saxon countries. The British movement director became one of the film world's first intimacy coordinators. When O'Brien presented her intimacy guidelines at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, Julia Effertz, a German actor, was all ears. During her presentation, O'Brien compared sex scenes to stunt scenes, describing them as "high-risk" and talking about the psychological risk of injury. Effertz is well-acquainted with the film industry and all its pitfalls, and she knows that certain experiences on shoots can produce internal trauma that can "linger for a lifetime." "Everyone knows that in a fight scene, the actor can get physically hurt. No one would ever expect an actor to improvise that without expertise from a fight choreographer," Effertz told DW, arguing that the same must apply to the portrayal of intimacy and sexuality. Today, Julia Effertz is Germany's first intimacy coordinator. Julia Effertz's work begins long before the first day of shooting. Preparation is the key, she said. She holds preliminary talks about the intimate content of a production with the director and with the actors involved, including what they will or will not agree to and whether there is a nudity clause or physical impairments. This creates a professional structure that allows actors and actresses to give their consent and "be secure in the scene and in their bodies," she said. It is a clear win-win situation, Effertz said, because the director is also happy to be able to pass on issues they might not be comfortable with either. During the shoot, Effertz makes sure everything agreed in advance with the costume and assistant director departments is being followed, including genital covers, bathrobes and a closed set with only the most essential crew members present. She rehearses an intimate scene with the actors several times. She enjoys the rare combination of occupational safety and creative storytelling. "A job can't get any better than this," Effertz said. After the shoot, she meets once again with the director and the actors to find out whether the scene worked for the director and whether the actors were able to leave their roles behind. The latter is particularly important with stressful content such as the portrayal of non-consensual sex or other particularly intense scenes, she said. Julia Effertz is frequently asked about her job; after all, she is a pioneer in the field in Germany. The fear that sex scenes could become dull and boring from now on is completely unfounded, she says. In fact, the opposite is the case: "A scene can also become more erotic," said Effertz, also emphasizing that "I am not a gender officer, personnel or censor." Instead, she said that she works together with the director and the actors to develop a creative and high-quality scene. Effertz also looks at the subject from the role of the viewer: "I simply want to see good stories," she says. And if the work has been done according to best-practice measures, viewers clearly see that in the result, with "a clear expression of both characters" that includes depth and precision," she stressed. According to Effertz, the Weinstein trial was a turning point that showed that things could no longer go on like they were in the industry. What emerged was a vital dynamic that continues until this day. Yet there is a lot left to do. The film and television world is still full of "stereotypical camera angles and certain narrative patterns that are reproduced again and again," she said. There is still a kind of "autopilot" when it comes to sex scenes, according to Effertz, who added that she was surprised that the process of change was "still so slow." The success of films and series created from a female perspective, or from a different angle, makes her "cautiously optimistic." Whether the viewer is male or female, she says, doesn't matter. "Maybe it's a non-binary gaze," meaning a gaze that breaks down the gender binary and reenvisions sex scenes? "That's what's exciting!" The work of intimacy coordinators like Ita O'Brien and Julia Effertz will likely help ensure that statements like Keira Knightley's aren't even worthy of a headline in the not-too-distant future, but instead, will be a part of normal, everyday life. This article was translated from German. | 4Culture
|
Early in December, the US fast food chain Raising Cane's came under attack from conservatives in Kuwait. The fried-chicken specialist from Louisiana has 12 franchises there. A man filmed the exterior of one of the drive-through restaurants and posted the video on social media, accusing Raising Cane's of promoting same-sex relationships because of its "one love" logo. The same logo was used by the Dutch football team, the man pointed out, referring to the fact that a number of European teams at the Qatarfootball World Cup wanted their captains to wear armbands from the "One Love" pro-diversity campaign. The issue was discussed by conservative Kuwaiti politicians and one hard-line Islamist MP, Mohammed Al-Mutairi, later tweeted (see above) that the signs had been removed by municipal authorities.This was even though the restaurant has been using the same logo since the 1990s, when it was founded, and that it refers to the fact their "one love" is fried chicken. This week, a staff member at Raising Cane's who answered DW's call confirmed that the restaurant's "one love" sign had been removed. This is not the only example of a recent rise in anti-LGBTQ sentiments in the Middle East. Also in Kuwait, there has been a billboard campaign, sponsored by local businesses, opposing same-sex relationships. The writer of an editorial for a local newspaper said the billboards were "a natural response to an unnatural, international campaign" to import "foreign" values to Kuwait. In Iraq, in early December, the influential cleric Muqtada al-Sadr asked hundreds of his followers to sign a petition to "stand against homosexuality." In an interview with The Associated Press , one of those followers said his pledge was not a direct response to LGBTQ activism in Qatar, but, he added that, "at the World Cup there were attempts to promote this issue by Westerners who came to the [games]." This is why some are now arguing that actions around LGBTQ rights in Qatar actually backfired. Critics say the protests spotlight a group that prefers to stay in the background in countries where most people still do not accept same-sex relationships. In terms of law, countries in the Middle East either legislate that same-sex relationships are criminal or immoral and deserve jail time or worse. These policies appear to reflect public sentiment. Some of the most recent research on attitudes toward same-sex relationships by the Arab Barometer survey found that, in the nine countries surveyed in 2018 and 2019, an average of only 12% of locals were accepting of same-sex relationships. A Pew Research Center survey, also from 2019, came back with similar results.
Local members of the LGBTQ community are only too well aware of all this. So while there may be gay bars in Tunis or private parties in Dubai, they are never advertised as such and always attended with caution. This is why "Western displays of solidarity with LGBTQ+ communities in the Middle East may be well-intentioned, but they are not constructive," Will Todman, a fellow in the Middle East Program at the Washington-based think tank the Center for Strategic & International Studies, wrote in a commentary published in mid-December. "They help build solidarity among activists in Western countries, but they are making the very people they claim to be helping in Middle Eastern countries feel more vulnerable." Nas Mohammed, an asylum-seeker and doctor who lives in the United States and who is often referred to as the first Qatari to come out as gay in public, also told multiple media outlets that it is members of LGBTQ communities in Qatar who will be harassed and persecuted after Western activists leave. "I think the Western media played a negative role," Sajjad Sabeeh, a young activist for LGBTQ rights based in the southern Iraqi city of Basra, told DW. "By talking about LGBTQ rights in Qatar so much, it allowed politicians to claim that LGBTQ rights are part of the West's agenda to dominate the region," he said. "We're going to be suffering from the hangover of [activism at] the World Cup for a while," said Tarek Zeidan, director of one of the region's best known and longest-running LGBTQ rights organizations, Helem, based in Beirut. "It will be a very significant factor in the deterioration of safety, security and dignity of LGBTQ individuals across the region." Zeidan thinks there are also other noteworthy factors that have resulted in what he calls a recent, "unprecedented" focus on the LGBTQ community in the Middle East. That includes more freedom of information in formerly closed societies, the globalization of culture and increased use of social media. Zeidan and other experts also say that authoritarian governments and religious fundamentalists are stoking populist, public sentiment against LGBTQ communities in order to secure their own power and moral authority, and to distract from their failings in governance. It's become a kind of culture war, they say. The confluence of all these factors both increase the lesbian, gay and queer community's visibility, and the pushback against it, Zeidan explained. "Depending on who you ask, some activists say it's a good thing [to be more visible]: Queer people are finally on the battlefield, right?," he said. "But others disagree and consider this one of the worst things that could happen because we're not prepared for the onslaught." In either case, events during the World Cup in Qatar did absolutely nothing to help, Zeidan argued. "The otherwise valid criticism concerning Qatar's dismal human rights record was politicized and far from nuanced, which allowed for a massive rally-around-the-flag effect, or against the [rainbow] flag in this case," he said. "It helped to reinforce ideas that queer people are a Western import and a political tool for settling scores." If anything positive was to come out of the Qatar experience, it could be lessons about what to do next time there's a mega-sports event in the Middle East, something that is increasingly likely. Different tactics are required, argued James M. Dorsey, an expert on the region at Singapore's Rajaratnam School of International Studies and author of a blog, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer. "One potential tactic may be to build on the positions of credible, albeit often controversial, Muslim scholars," he wrote this week. He referred to several who see homosexuality as a sin that will be punished in the afterlife, but who don't believe that earthly authorities should have any say. "Theirs is a formula that neither legalizes nor legitimizes homosexuality nor removes the stigma," Dorsey said. "But it does avoid criminalization and significantly enhances the lives of members of the LGBT community." LGBT rights in the Middle East can "only be achieved step by step," Dorsey noted. "Educate yourself. Check your assumptions," advised Helem's Zeidan. "Elevate the voices of Qatari and Gulf activists and don't obscure them with your own. By doing that, you disprove the myth that LGBTQ people are a Western import and that our cause is illegitimate," he concluded. Edited by: Andreas Illmer | 7Politics
|
A court in London sentenced a Libyan asylum-seeker to life behind bars Monday for stabbing three men to death during a rampage in a British park last year. Judge Nigel Sweeney rejected 26-year-old defendant Khairi Saadallah's argument of mental illness at the time of the killings, which took place in June 2020 at Forbury Gardens in Reading, about 60 kilometers (40 miles) west of London. Three other people suffered non-fatal injuries during the stabbing. Shortly thereafter, UK police declared the attack a "terrorist incident." Saadallah had pleaded guilty to three counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder in November, but denied being motivated by ideology or terrorism. The court had examined whether Saadallah was motivated by religion, politics or ideology, if any pre-meditation and planning was involved in the attack, and evaluated his mental state at the time. Sweeney said Monday that Saadallah had been "seeking to advance a political, religious or ideological cause" and had carried out planning before the attack. Witnesses to the attack said Saadallah shouted "Allahu akbar" (God is greater). The victims were each killed by a single stab wound, and Sweeney said the attack was so "swift, ruthless and brutal" that none of the three men stood a chance to defend themselves. Jenny Hopkins, the head of the Crown Prosecution Service's (CPS) counterterrorism division said that the attack was "brutal and pre-planned" on groups of friends enjoying an evening in a park "where they would have felt completely safe." A life prison sentence is rare in the UK, however, Sweeney said that the case was so "rare and exceptional" it would require a harsh punishment. wmr/rt (AFP, AP, Reuters) | 8Society
|
German parties are often referred to by their colors, where red stands for left-leaning, green for environmentalists, and black for conservatives. So could a "red-red-green" coalition come to pass at the federal level? Angela Merkel, who is not running for reelection, has warned against this: "With me as chancellor, there could never be a coalition involving the Left," she stated in parliament in early September. "And whether this is shared by Olaf Scholz or not, that remains open." The Social Democrats' candidate, Olaf Scholz, who currently serves as finance minister and vice-chancellor, named conditions for any coalition, including a commitment to the North Atlantic defense alliance (NATO). The Left party wants to abolish NATO, put an end to all Bundeswehr missions abroad, and ban all weapons exports. Their election program states: "We call for the dissolution of NATO and its replacement by a collective security system with Russia's participation." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video However, Germany's withdrawal from NATO is an absolute no-go for the SPD and the Greens. For both parties, the transatlantic partnership is a pillar of their foreign policy. So a red-red-green alliance is only conceivable if the Left Party were to give in on this point. But there are no signs of that. In an interview with DW, the party's co-chair and top candidate for the election, Janine Wissler, reiterated her rejection of NATO: "After the disaster we are currently experiencing in Afghanistan, I think there is one party that now has relatively little reason to reconsider its foreign policy positions. And that is the Left Party." Although the Left Party categorically rules out foreign deployments of the Bundeswehr, humanitarian "blue helmet" missions under the leadership of the United Nations (UN) might be a compromise. There has also been some movement in the discussion about armed drones. These weapons, the use of which the Left party has flat-out rejected, are also controversial within the SPD. At their party conference in June, however, the Greens voted by a narrow majority in favor of using them to protect German soldiers if necessary. The overlap between the three parties on foreign and security policy is small. But in many other important areas, it should be easier for them to come together. Whether combatting climate change, education, finance, or health — programmatically they are relatively close. All are in favor of a complete switch to renewable energies, better digital infrastructure in administration, schools, and businesses, and higher minimum wages. A red-red-green coalition is also unlikely to fail over higher taxes, especially for the wealthy, which the Left Party and the SPD advocate for. Things could get more difficult when it comes to migration and asylum policy. Although all three parties do not intend to curb immigration, the SPD candidate for chancellor has spoken out in favor of continuing deportations also to Afghanistan in certain cases. Olaf Scholz left no doubt about this in the DW interview: "It is right that someone who commits serious crimes cannot count on being able to stay here. And that is also part of the protection of refugees." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video In purely mathematical terms, more alliances than ever seem possible. In theory, the SPD and the Greens are the most flexible. They could potentially team up with any party except for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) — and indeed have already done so on the state level. The pro-free market Free Democrats (FDP) and the CDU/CSU, on the other hand, reject coalitions with the left as a matter of principle. If the conservatives want Armin Laschet to become chancellor in the post-Merkel era, their only hope at the moment is to head a coalition with the FDP and the Green Party. This was already on the horizon after the 2017 federal election but failed after weeks of talks due to the surprising withdrawal of the FDP under leader Christian Lindner. Longtime observers of German politics such as Oskar Niedermayer believe that a red-red-green coalition is possible. The differences in foreign and security policy ideas are the "biggest stumbling block," he said. But people from all three parties are already working on "finding lines of compromise," the political scientist told DW back in May. The CDU's latest warnings against a left-wing coalition bring back memories of the "red socks campaign" in 1994. "Red sock" is a term that is mostly used in a derogatory way for a person on the political left. It was famously used by the center-right in their general election campaign back then to warn against a possible coalition of the SPD with the Greens and the predecessor to the Left party, the PDS. The CDU printed large-format campaign posters showing a clothesline with a red sock dangling from a green clip. "To the future, but not in red socks," it read. The CDU's coalition partner at the time, the FDP, bought into the narrative: "Those who don't want socialists and communists to again have a say, must choose the middle-class by voting for a strong FDP," said then-party chairman and later Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle. The strategy may have paid off: This allusion to a communist threat and the emotions of the Cold War was seen as one of the decisive factors for the narrow election victory of Helmut Kohl's black-yellow coalition government that year. Critics lashed out at the CDU's campaign, calling it an all-too-obvious attempt to discredit left-wingers. But the PDS took up the campaign aggressively and reinterpreted it as advertising for itself, printing red socks on a number of promotional items. The SPD has always tread lightly on the issue of cooperation with the Left party. Now, as the conservatives are digging the trenches along the same old lines, SPD candidate Olaf Scholz has taken care not to commit to any alliance — but to not rule anything out either. This article has been translated from German and was updated since publication to reflect the latest developments. While you're here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society, with an eye toward understanding this year's elections and beyond. You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter Berlin Briefing, to stay on top of developments as Germany enters the post-Merkel era. | 7Politics
|
The African Union (AU) on Wednesday suspended Sudan from all its activities until civilian rule is restored in the country. The continent-wide bloc said it "strongly condemns the seizure of power," branding it "unconstitutional." It said Sudan would be suspended from all AU activities "until the effective restoration of the civilian-led transitional authority." Sudanese General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan had on Monday ordered the dissolution of the government and declared a state of emergency. Since then, thousands of citizens have mounted protests, chanting "No to military rule." On Wednesday evening, General Burhan announced that six Sudanese ambassadors were relieved of their posts, state television reported. Included were Sudan's ambassadors to the United States, the European Union, China, Qatar, France and the head of Sudan's mission to Geneva. Earlier Wednesday, the EU Delegation to Sudan made a joint statement that also included Switzerland and the so-called "troika" of countries involved in mediation — Norway, the US, and the UK. It condemned the military's actions, but welcomed the fact that coup leaders had allowed Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok to return to his residence Also on Wednesday, Germany's Foreign Minister Heiko Maas called the coup a "catastrophic development" and condemned it "in the strongest possible terms." Hamdok was detained Monday along with his ministers and civilian members of Sudan's ruling council. He returned to his residence on Tuesday. The EU statement demanded that signatories' ambassadors be allowed to meet the prime minister and his cabinet, saying it recognized them as constitutional leaders. Later Wedesday, the UN reported that envoys from France, Germany, Norway, the UK, the United States, the European Union and the United Nations met with Hamdok at his residence and reported he was in good health. Amid international condemnation of the coup, the World Bank said on Wednesday it would suspend disbursements for operations in Sudan in response to the military's seizure of power. "I am greatly concerned by recent events in Sudan, and I fear the dramatic impact this can have on the country's social and economic recovery and development," World Bank President David Malpass said in a statement from Washington. In March 2021, Sudan had gained access to $2 billion in financing after years of isolation during autocratic rule. The prime minister and his wife were returned home "under close surveillance," Hamdok's office said Tuesday. However, other ministers and civilian leaders remain under full military arrest. Hamdok's return did little to appease protesters who had backed the planned transition to civilian rule. Their demonstrations continued on Wednesday, despite security forces making several arrests and tearing down makeshift barricades in Khartoum. The EU statement addressed reports of security service using live ammunition and tear gas against protestors. A doctors' group said four people were killed on Monday when soldiers opened fire on protesters. Internet services have been blocked with shops around the capital closed after calls for a campaign of civil disobedience. The Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), a group of unions that was instrumental in the protests against Bashir has also urged "million-strong protests" on October 30. Sudan's Khartoum airport, which has been closed to flights, was set to reopen on Wednesday afternoon, according to the country's civil aviation authority. The coup followed a two-year transition outlined in a power-sharing deal agreed in August 2019 between the military and civilians. This followed the ouster of autocrat Omar al-Bashir on the back of mass protests against his rule. Sudan had found itself isolated after nearly three decades of isolation under Bashir, and it remains one of the world's most underdeveloped countries. In particular, it fell into pariah status as Washington imposed tough sanctions on Bashir's regime for sheltering Islamic extremists, including al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, in the 1990s. The African Union suspended Sudan in June 2019 after pro-democracy protesters were gunned down outside army headquarters in Khartoum. Membership was reinstated 3 months later after Hamdok announced the appointment of Sudan's first cabinet since the ousting of Bashir. New strongman Burhan has pledged to hold elections as planned in July 2023. In the meantime, a technocrat government would be appointed. Sudan has experienced only rare democratic interludes since independence from Britain in 1956. ab,wmr,rc/rt (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters) | 7Politics
|
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) released its annual Global Financial Stability Report on Wednesday, announcing that the swift arrival of COVID-19 vaccines had buoyed markets and laid the groundwork for a global financial recovery. However, the organization warned that uneven distribution of those vaccines could imperil emerging markets. The IMF also highlighted the threat posed by investor complacency as government spending keeps national economies chugging. The report says that complacency could pose risks and trigger a sharp downturn in financial markets. It also urged policymakers to stay the course by keeping interest rates low, while also being on the lookout for potential problems as they attempt to gain the upper hand in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. "Financial stability risks have been in check so far, but we cannot take this for granted," according to Tobias Adrian, who heads the IMF's Monetary and Capital Markets Department. The report also notes record low borrowing rates and hopes pinned on new COVID-19 vaccines have bolstered the outlook for a steady economic recovery — prompting a rise in stock prices, corporate bonds and other risk assets. It says these factors, too, have contributed to market complacency toward the continued economic threat posed by the pandemic. The IMF's Adrain says markets are "betting that continued policy support will offset any bad economic news in the short term and provide a bridge to the future." He warned, however, that the "disconnect between exuberant financial markets" and the sluggish economic recovery "raises the specter of a possible market correction." Though the IMF has projected 5.5% global economic growth for the year, it underscored the importance of national governments in keeping economies afloat in this period of continued uncertainty, with Adrian saying, "Reducing or withdrawing support at this stage could jeopardize the global economic recovery." Adrian also urged national governments to tackle the problem of financial risks posed by the pandemic, as well as keeping an eye on concerns posed by "excessive risk-taking and market exuberance." The report states that although banks have used their on-hand capital to maintain credit flow they could become spooked if they fear rising debt levels that affect creditors' ability to pay them back. The IMF also cautioned that government support is most important in emerging markets that could face additional threats due to the uneven distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. js/aw (AFP, Reuters) | 0Business
|
Over a month after Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has come to understand that "there can be no military solution here," exiled Russian oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky told DW. Khodorkovsky, a prominent critic of the Russian leader, previously spent a decade in prison in Russia on charges widely regarded as revenge for challenging Putin's rule. Russian troops began their invasion of Ukraine on February 24. Putin announced that the operation aimed at "demilitarizing" and "de-nazifying" the former Soviet state and protecting Russian speakers in the country. But with Russia failing to quickly occupy the country due to strong Ukrainian resistance and its troops getting bogged down, Moscow recently announced a change in its war aims, saying that it will focus on the "liberation" of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine. "Putin is stuck when it comes to the military operation," Khodorkovsky said, adding, "Putin has two options now: Either he escalates things, which could mean either introducing mobilization or using tactical nuclear weapons, or he can stabilize the situation and begin peace talks in earnest." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video In the interview with DW, Khodorkovsky also stressed the importance of a unified Western position. "The West's position needs to be clear, meaning comprehensive support for Ukraine if the war continues and in case Putin uses tactical nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction," he underlined. "That sort of clear position from the West will, let's say, help Putin make the right decision." Since Moscow's military aggression began, the West has slapped unprecedented economic sanctions on Russia and started providing military aid to Ukraine. While the US and the UK banned Russian oil and gas imports, a number of Russian banks have been banished from the SWIFT interbank system. Nevertheless, many European countries like Germany rely heavily on Russian energy supplies to power their households and industry, so there haven't been any international sanctions on the fossil fuel trade with Russia. But a number of governments are now seeking to reduce their reliance on Russian energy. On peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, Khodorkovsky said: "For Putin to become serious about these talks, he must realize that he is stuck in Ukraine… After a month of war, he has understood that there can be no military solution here and there is an attempt to transition to a real negotiation process." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video US and European officials said on Wednesday that they believed Putin had been misled by advisers who were too scared to tell him how poorly the conflict in Ukraine was going. "We have information that Putin felt misled by the Russian military, which has resulted in persistent tension between Putin and his military leadership," Kate Bedingfield, White House communications director, told reporters during a press briefing. "We believe that Putin is being misinformed by his advisers about how badly the Russian military is performing and how the Russian economy is being crippled by sanctions, because his senior advisers are too afraid to tell him the truth.” The Kremlin on Thursday denied these claims, saying they were evidence that the Department of State and the Pentagon did not "have real information about what is happening in the Kremlin." Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists: "They don't understand President Putin, they don't understand the mechanism for taking decisions and they don't understand the style of our work." When asked if Putin launched this war based on false assumptions about Russian military capabilities and Ukrainian society, Khodorkovsky said: "I am completely convinced that this time Vladimir Putin was presented a significant amount of false information both about the situation in Ukraine as well as the condition of his own armed forces." Calling Putin a "thug," Khodorkovsky said: "Any attempt to reach a compromise with that kind of man without first showing him strength, that's a huge mistake. It only provokes him to take a further step towards an attack." | 2Conflicts
|
Five goals in 33 second half minutes turned a shock defeat in to a comfortable win, as Bayern Munich continued their recent pattern of winning from a losing position. This is is the eighth Bundesliga match in a row where they've trailed. But the champions have taken 18 points from those contests, which included games against Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig, the rest of the Bundesliga's top four. "At the moment, we need an alarm call to get into the game," said Leroy Sané afterwards. That call came when Manuel Neuer tipped Danny Latza's close-range effort on to the post shortly after halftime. Mainz's interim coach Jan Siewert must've had a sinking feeling. Jonathan Burkardt had edged out Jerome Boateng to finish after half an hour and Alexander Hack's towering back post header had doubled the lead, but no two-goal lead is safe against this Bayern team. When the returning Joshua Kimmich nodded in Bayern's first, the tide had turned. Leroy Sané drove inside to crash in a left-footed drive, Niklas Süle's deflected effort gave Bayern the lead and then Robert Lewandowski extracted his pound of flesh, first from the penalty spot then inside the six-yard box. Though Hansi Flick's men seem to have mastered the comeback, the Bayern coach was not comfortable relying on the eleven men he sent out to do the job. Leon Goretzka and Niklas Süle were sent on for struggling duo Benjamin Pavard and Jerome Boateng at the interval. But it was the challenge, as well as the changes, which seemed to invigorate the Bavarians. Eight titles in a row can easily lead to complacency and, as with Borussia Dortmund, there's been a measure of it in Bayern's recent displays. The relentless schedule of 2020 has also played a part, with Flick often conceding his side have looked tired. "It's really difficult when you keep going a goal down," said Kimmich afterwards. "We have to win games more easily because winning them like this costs energy." It does, and with a jam packed six months ahead of them, more controlled wins will be required. They may be the best team in the Bundesliga, and in Europe, but even Bayern surely can't afford to handicap themselves every week. | 9Sports
|
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday released a report estimating that between 13.3 million and 16.6 million deaths were linked to the coronavirus pandemic in its first two years. The long-awaited estimate is more than double the official death toll of 6 million where COVID-19 featured on death certificates either as the primary cause or a contributing factor. Scientists tasked by the UN's health agency with calculating the COVID-19 death toll between January 2020 and the end of 2021 said the figure reflected deaths that were either caused directly by the virus or attributed to its impact on health systems, calculated by studying unexpected variations in so-called excess mortality. "These sobering data not only point to the impact of the pandemic but also to the need for all countries to invest in more resilient health systems that can sustain essential health services during crises, including stronger health information systems," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. The WHO said the released figures are based on country-reported data and statistical modeling. Excess mortality is calculated as the difference between the number of deaths that had occurred and the number that would have been expected in the absence of the COVID pandemic based on data from earlier years. Accurate figures of coronavirus deaths have been problematic throughout the pandemic, as the numbers are only cautiously interpreted as a fraction of the devastation wrought by the virus. This is partly attributed to limited testing and differences in how countries count COVID-19 deaths, especially in places with patchy healthcare provision, and also to the difficulty of ascertaining how the pandemic might have impacted deaths caused by other things. Epidemiologist Eric Feigl-Ding told DW that the World WHO estimate is a very "conservative" one. "I think that a lot of the developing countries do not have really good health, robust health care systems like the wealthier nations do, and they're easily swamped out," he said. "Also, their health care systems don't track enough deaths that actually occurred. So the 15 million, I want to make clear, is the excess mortality above historical rates. This 15 million is a very conservative estimate." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Noting that the 15 million tally is substantially higher than the official confirmed number of deaths, he added that: "Economists estimate that between 2020 and 2021, there were actually 18 million. Actually now up to May 2022, there's 21 million." Some governments have disputed WHO's methodology for calculating COVID deaths, resisting the idea that there were many more deaths than officially counted. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video According to the WHO, 84% of the excess deaths were concentrated in Southeast Asia, Europe and the Americas. Some 10 countries alone accounted for 68% of all excess deaths. Upper-middle-income nations accounted for 28% of the figure, lower-middle-income states 53% and low-income countries 4%. Meanwhile, high-income countries accounted for 15% of the excess mortality rate. "This may seem like just a bean-counting exercise, but having these WHO numbers is so critical to understanding how we should combat future pandemics and continue to respond to this one," said Albert Ko, an infectious diseases specialist at the Yale School of Public Health who was not linked to the WHO research. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video fb/msh (AFP, AP) | 5Health
|
Artist and protest movement leader Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara was taken to the hospital by Cuban authorities on Sunday as he entered the eighth day of his hunger strike, the San Isidro protest movement (MSI) said. Havana's public health department said that the 33-year-old artist had been brought to the General Calixto Garcia university hospital emergency unit with symptoms of "voluntary starvation." Otero Alcantara started his hunger strike when government authorities seized some of his artwork after arresting him during a protest last month. MSI is a movement of artists and intellectuals pushing for free speech and further rights. The communist government of Cuba has accused the protesters of being funded by the US. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The MSI said in a statement that Otero Alcantara had been taken by force and that the official medical report from the hospital was "confusing and contradictory." A statement from the health authority had said, after first reporting symptoms of starvation, that the medical examination showed that "starvation does not correspond with the parameters of the patient," and there "was hydration and food." US liberties watchdog Freedom House tweeted in support of Otero Alcantara, saying: "We are outraged by the illegal detention of Otero Alcantara by the state security forces on the early morning of May 2. On his eighth day of hunger and thirst strike, Otero Alcantara was taken to a hospital, according to government information. Freedom House requests evidence of his physical well-being." Julie Chung, acting assistant secretary for the US State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, called on the Cuban government "to take immediate steps to protect his life and health." The EU's delegation in Cuba responded to the news on Facebook, saying: "The European Union and all its member states have followed Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara's hunger and thirst strike with concern, we have shared this concern with our Cuban friends and now we hope that he will soon recover his health and can enjoy his rights as a citizen and as an artist." The performance artist had been arrested several times for trying to leave his home after it was surrounded by police. Authorities had also cut off his internet and denied access to him by friends and priests during his hunger strike. ab/msh (AFP, epd, EFE) | 4Culture
|
A drawn out doubles defeat was the prelude to a sweary rant and attack on the umpire's chair that saw Alexander Zverev expelled from the Mexican Open. "Due to unsportsmanlike conduct at the conclusion of his doubles match on Tuesday night, Alexander Zverev has been withdrawn from the tournament in Acapulco," the ATP, who govern men's tennis, tweeted. On Thursday, the ATP said the German had been fined $40,000, would be docked prize money of just over $30,000 and would lose the world rankings points from the competition. The world number three, who won gold at the Tokyo Olympics, lost his head when he and doubles partner Marcelo Melo of Brazil were beaten 6-2, 4-6, 10-6 by Britain's Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliövaara of Finland. The 24-year-old defending champion smashed his racket three times just below umpire Alessandro Germani's feet before taking his seat and then rising again to verbally abuse the official and smash the chair one last time. He had apparently been aggravated by a line call during the match. Zverev had been involved in a marathon first-round singles clash with American Jenson Brooksby that had finished early Tuesday morning -- the latest-ever finish to a professional tennis match. Zverev is also being investigated by the ATP over claims that he was violent towards a former girlfriend. He has repeatedly denied the claims. mp/jt (AFP, DPA) | 9Sports
|
It's easy to see why Maya Bay has captured the imaginations of travelers. Surrounded by towering limestone cliffs on an uninhabited island in Thailand's Phi Phi archipelago, the secluded cove with its white sand and turquoise water is the very picture of paradise. "It's such a beautiful place. It's the closest you could get, if you were to envisage a bay closed off to everywhere in the world," said Andrew Hewett, who owns a dive center on the bigger neighboring island of Phi Phi Don. Maya Bay is just one of dozens of idyllic beaches in Thailand. But it has become world-famous as the place where the 2000 film "The Beach," starring Leonardo DiCaprio, was shot. Tourists flocked to the bay after the film's release — at the cost of the marine environment. At the height of its popularity, there were more than 5,000 people visiting a day. In mid-2018, the overcrowding got so bad that authorities shut the beach. Tourist traffic led to pollution from discarded trash and damaged coastal vegetation. But the main problem was the speedboats ferrying hordes of daytrippers into the bay and dropping their anchors onto the coral below. According to Thon Thamrongnawasawat, a marine biologist from Thailand's Kasetsart University, at the time the bay was closed, there was only 8% of coral coverage left, compared to up to 70% some 30 years ago. He's been studying the Maya Bay area for decades, and his was one of the loudest voices calling for the beach to be shut. Initially meant to last just a few months, the closure has been extended indefinitely to give the coral more time to recover. Since 2018, dive teams have planted 20,000 coral fragments in the bay to help rehabilitate the reef. "It's growing very well," Thamrongnawasawat told DW. "So we think that Maya Bay will return to be one of the very good coral reefs in maybe 5 to 10 years." He says they're hoping to boost coral coverage to 50% within a decade, and to 60% in 15 to 20 years. New species have also been spotted since the closure, including black tip reef sharks who have returned there to breed. Authorities are planning to eventually reopen the bay to tourists, possibly as early as later this year, but they haven't announced a date yet. What is certain, though, is that visiting Maya Bay in the future will be a different experience to the one it used to be. To protect corals, boats bringing in tourists will only be able to dock at a new pier on the opposite side of the island, rather than coming ashore on the beach. "The visitors will come in another way, so they will not touch Maya Bay anymore," Songtam Suksawang, the former director of Thailand's national parks department and now an adviser to it, told DW. There will be a cap on the number of tourists at the beach, and on the amount of time they can stay. Visitors will not be allowed to stray from a newly built boardwalk, and they'll have to book online in advance. Park rangers will also use digital trunk radio and other monitoring systems to keep tabs on tour boats. "If we can manage the behavior of the visitors… we can conserve nature," Suksawang said, adding that the measures were needed "if we want to sustain Maya Bay in the long run for the next generation." Maya Bay is just one of many spectacular places in the Phi Phi Islands. And its story could serve as a warning for other sites about the consequences of unchecked mass tourism. "The local reefs can only manage so many stress factors," said Hewett from the dive center, who is also a spokesperson for the Phi Phi Island Conservation and Preservation group. In the 27 years he's lived in the area, he says he's seen the number of tourists — and the speedboats bringing them — balloon. Without regulation, or some kind of quota system for the islands, he's worried other pristine spots could suffer the same fate as Maya Bay. "I think we do need to be looking at something which controls and manages the amount of people that come ... if we're going to allow the reefs to recuperate at a normal speed." But he acknowledges that "there are a lot of people that will be very disappointed about doing that because their businesses thrive on mass tourism." The number of foreign visitors traveling to Thailand has grown rapidly in the past two decades. In 2000, the country received 9.5 million international arrivals. By 2019, there were nearly 40 million. The largest share of foreign tourists comes from China — where the number of people able to afford travel is only expected to increase as incomes rise — followed by Malaysia, then India, Korea, Laos, Japan and Russia, according to 2019 data. For popular destinations like the Phi Phi Islands, allowing the tourist-dependent economy to thrive while protecting the natural beauty that attracts visitors in the first place can be a difficult balance to strike. "We have to take care of nature, but we have to work with tourists in the long-term. [Fewer people] will mean less money, but we will have a future," said Phumipat Phutthipanjapong of the Phi Phi Island Tourist Business Association. The stakeholder group was set up several years ago amid growing tourism to the islands. They organize regular beach cleanups to limit trash, monitor boat activity on the reefs and are working to boost recycling in hotels and restaurants. But beyond sustainability issues, many Phi Phi businesses are now more immediately concerned with the battle to survive the shutdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic. According to Stefan Gössling, a professor of sustainable tourism at Sweden's Lund University, the pandemic could actually be an opportunity for the global tourism sector to set a more sustainable course. Popular destinations, in particular, he says, could ward off the problems that come with mass tourism by embracing business models that focus on quality rather than quantity. "We know that you can attract specific types of tourists who might stay longer, who spend more, who are more interested in participating in local activities," he said. "All of a sudden you realize that probably with a few tourists, you will be able to do much more to have a much greater economic impact locally than with many, many more tourists in another scenario." The changes at Maya Bay are part of an effort to make tourism more sustainable in the long term, and it will likely take some time for visitor numbers to return to pre-pandemic levels. But Hewett describes it as "wishful thinking" to expect local companies to put sustainability ahead of their own survival. The pandemic has been "positive for the health of marine life", he said. "On the other side, there's business and people are in a hurry to try and make money." You can listen to the latest episode of On the Green Fence here. | 6Nature and Environment
|
Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said on Monday that his country's military would be put on a raised level of alert as part of increased security measures in response to the war in Ukraine. "This is the most severe security situation in several decades," Stoere told a press conference "There are no indications that Russia is expanding its warfare to other countries, but the increased tensions make us more exposed to threats, intelligence operations and influence campaigns." The increased alert level would be valid from Tuesday. Defense Minister Bjoern Arild Gram said this decision means that the military will spend less time training and more time on active duty. Norway's Home Guard, a rapid mobilization force, will also have a stronger presence. General Eirik Kristoffersen, the head of the armed forces, said that Norway had dropped out of planned drills in the United States with its F-35 aircraft, preferring to keep the planes closer to home for the time being. Norway has taken on increased importance on the European continent in recent months. Although it is not a member of the European Union, it has become a large vendor of natural gas to member states trying to wean themselves off of a Russian energy supply in response to the invasion of Ukraine. Norwegian natural gas now accounts for around a quarter of all EU imports. Last week, Norway's domestic security agency arrested a supposed academic accused of being a Russian spy. Oslo has said that following explosions that damaged the Nord Stream pipelines that bring Russian gas to Europe, it fears that its gas pipelines could also be targets of sabotage. Several Russians believed to have been flying drones over Norwegian energy infrastructure have also been detained in recent weeks. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video es/dj (AFP, Reuters) | 7Politics
|
German Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday said that the country will have to "winterproof" itself with new measures against the coronavirus, following multiple record daily increases in cases. "We have to make our country winterproof, so to speak," said Scholz, who is also finance minister and Chancellor Angela Merkel's probable successor. "What we need now is for the country to pull together in one direction, so that we can get through this winter." Germany reported more than 50,000 new coronavirus infections on Thursday, marking a new daily record. One week ago, that figure stood at just over 33,000. "The virus is still among us and threatens the health of its citizens," said Scholz, adding that officials should continue to enforce measures such as mandatory masks and hygiene rules. "Not enough citizens have made use of the vaccination oppportunity so far, so we must continue to be cautious," he added. He made the comments at a Bundestag debate over proposed amendments to the Infection Protection Act, which allows officials to implement measures such as lockdowns and closures. Scholz also called for a wider campaign for vaccinations. "Everything must be done to ensure that millions of citizens receive booster vaccinations, that is the task for the coming weeks and months," he said. Vaccination centers should also reopen, "financed by federal funds," for the purpose of offering both first and booster vaccinations. He added that "3G" requirements, which stipulate that people should be vaccinated, recovered, or have negative tests, should be implemented across all workplaces. He also called for stricter testing rules in nursing homes and the return of free coronavirus tests. A current proposal would bring free weekly testing back next week. When visiting restaurants, theaters or cinemas, the "2G" (vaccination or recovery) requirements should apply if possible, Scholz said. Germany's state premiers will also gather next week to discuss the coronavirus situation and corresponding measures, following a long break between meetings. "There will be a discussion with state premiers next week," said Scholz. Merkel, who remains in office in a limited caretaker capacity, had been calling for talks among the 16 state premiers and the federal government. Germany has reported over 4.9 million infections and more than 97,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic. lc/aw (Reuters, dpa, AFP) | 5Health
|
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) military alliance would only remain in Kazakhstan for a limited time. He also said the bloc's intervention was a signal that it would not allow any governments in the region to be undermined. Kazakhstan has blamed Islamists for the uprising — the worst episode of violence in the Central Asian nation's post-Soviet history. Government buildings in several cities were briefly captured or set alight after protests escalated last week. Putin said the deployment of CSTO troops had prevented armed groups from undermining the basis of power in Kazakhstan. He said deployments from former Soviet countries showed that the alliance would not allow governments in the region to be overthrown. "The measures taken by the CSTO made it clear that we would not let anyone destabilize the situation at our home and implement so-called color revolution scenarios," Putin said, referring to several revolutions in post-Soviet countries over the past few decades. Putin said he wished to emphasize that the troops had been sent to Kazakhstan only for a "limited time." In addition to Russia and Kazakhstan, Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are also members of the alliance. Demonstrations in Kazakhstan began just over a week ago in protest at a fuel price rise began. They developed into a wider protest against Tokayev's government and the influence of the former president, 81-year-old Nursultan Nazarbayev. "The threat to Kazakhstan's statehood arose not because of spontaneous protests and rallies concerning fuel prices. It is because destructive internal and external forces took advantage of the situation," Putin said. The United Nations said it was deeply concerned after photographs emerged of Kazakh soldiers wearing UN uniforms during last week's unrest. "We have conveyed our concern to the Permanent Mission of Kazakhstan about this," a UN spokesperson told news agency dpa. Kazakh soldiers donned blue helmets bearing the UN insignia — gear that is usually worn by troops taking part in UN peacekeeping missions. Soldiers from UN states are barred from wearing the helmets unless taking part in a peacekeeping mission, the UN spokesperson said. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said the country had weathered an attempted coup d'etat coordinated by what he called "a single center." Speaking to an online meeting of the Russian-led CSTO military alliance by video link, Tokayev said the hunt for "terrorists" was ongoing, but that order had been restored. He said the protests on the streets had masked a plot by Islamists to take over the whole country. "Under the guise of spontaneous protests, a wave of unrest broke out... It became clear that the main goal was to undermine the constitutional order and to seize power. We are talking about an attempted coup d'etat," he said. Tokayev said the country's largest city Almaty — along with 9 other regional centers — had been temporarily held by "bandits." "The main blow was directed against (the city of) Almaty. The fall of this city would have paved the way for a takeover of the densely populated south and then the whole country," he said. "Then they planned to seize the capital." The capital, Nursultan, lies in the north of the country, and is named after Nursultan Nazarbayev, who picked Tokayev as his successor. Although soldiers were reported to have fired on demonstrators in Almaty last week, Tokayev said his security forces would "never fire" on peaceful protesters. "Armed militants who were waiting in the wings joined the protests. The main goal was obvious: the undermining of the constitutional order, the destruction of government institutions and the seizure of power. It was an attempted coup d'etat," the president told delegates by videolink. Since the uprising began, police have detained almost 8,000 people. rc/rt (Reuters, AFP, AP) | 7Politics
|
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva defeated incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro in a second round runoff on October 30. The runoff occured because neither candidate was able to claim an outright victory in the first round of elections earlier in the month. Brazilians on October 2 cast their votes to choose their president, a third of the Federal Senate and all members of the 513-strong Chamber of Deputies, along with 27 governors and state legislatures. But the election was dominated by the presidential race, which put Bolsonaro against his arch rival, Lula. The general election came at a time when Brazil is suffering from the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, which has now been compounded by fallout from Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Here is what you need to know about the election system: Voting is compulsory in Brazil for all those who are literate and aged between 18 and 70. People aged 16 to 17 or older than 70 or who cannot read or write can cast a ballot if they wish. There are more than 156 million registered voters in Brazil for this election. The president, like the Chamber of Deputies, is elected to a four-year term. Elections for the 81-member Federal Senate take place every four years, alternately for one-third and two-thirds of its members. At this election, one-third, or 27, senators are to be chosen. The first round also included the election of 27 governors for the country's 26 states and one federal district, along with the state and federal district legislative assemblies. Under Brazil's election rules, if no candidate in the elections for president and governors receives more than 50% of the vote, there will be a second round. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The first round of the presidential election featured two front-runners who far outstrip other contenders in preelection surveys and headed to the runoff. They are: Bolsonaro, who is considered to be far right in outlook, took office as president in January 2019 after winning the 2018 election in a runoff. Before that, he had been a Congress deputy for the state of Rio de Janeiro for 27 years. A retired military officer, he was elected on the back of socially conservative promises to improve law and order in the country, finding major support among evangelical Christians, businesspeople and rural landowners. True to his election platform, during his time in office Bolsonaro has cut taxes, increased support for the military, loosened gun ownership laws and weakened environmental regulations. His administration contains twice as many members of the military as the previous one. His term in office has been particularly marked by the coronavirus pandemic, with Bolsonaro downplaying the dangers of the disease it caused and causing consternation by recommending unproven remedies. Initially, lax preventive measures contributed to Brazil having the fourth highest COVID-19 death toll in the world at around 685,000. However, Bolsonaro has also taken some measures to help Brazil's poorest, including with the Auxilio Brasil program that was approved by Congress in December 2021. It replaced the Bolsa Familia program instigated by his rival da Silva when he was in office from 2003 to 2010. In August, payments to the 18 million recipients were increased at Bolsonaro's behest. The president also pushed through the provision of a monthly stipend to taxi and truck drivers. Nonetheless, Bolsonaro has persisted in the current campaign with his socially conservative platform while carrying out virulent attacks on da Silva, more commonly known as "Lula," whom he depicts as a threat to the country's very existence. Bolsonaro outperformed projections in the first round, winning 43% of the vote, five points behind da Silva. According to the Datafolha institute, he had been 21 points behind da Silva in earlier opinion polls. Da Silva, a former union leader, won the first round with a slight lead. It is his sixth presidential campaign. He also enjoyed considerable popularity as president of Brazil from 2003 to 2010, leaving office with an approval rating of 83%. This was largely down to the social programs he introduced to help impoverished families, financed by the country's commodity boom. His appearance at the 2022 election represents a major comeback after he was sentenced to 10 years in prison in July 2017 on a range of corruption and money laundering charges. His imprisonment prevented him from taking part in the 2018 elections against Bolsonaro. Da Silva was freed from house arrest in 2019 after the Supreme Court ruled that he had not received due process. His current campaign has taken a more religious turn than previous ones in view of Bolsonaro's appeal to evangelical Christians, who make up some 30% of the electorate. Among other things, he has depicted the incumbent president as "possessed by the devil." Indeed, da Silva's main thrust has been that he is not Bolsonaro, who has proven to be a controversial figure both domestically and internationally and had an approval rating of just 38% at the end of August. Just two of the nine candidates who were contesting the election have reached around 7% of votes in the first round. They are Ciro Gomes from the Brazilian Labor Party and Senator Simone Tebet of the Brazilian Democratic Movement, who have both campaigned on more centrist platforms than the two front-runners. The economic programs they offered were more moderate than those of the far-right Bolsonaro and the leftist da Silva, but they had little chance of capturing a meaningful proportion of the vote. However, any endorsements they offer may be crucial in a runoff. As mentioned above, Brazil is still reeling economically from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, particularly as regards the government subsidies that were paid out as stimuli. This makes economic management perhaps the major theme of these elections. The pandemic has also made public health in itself an important issue for many voters. The country is also facing spiraling inflation, partly driven by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This has led to high prices for fuel and food that many poorer people are struggling to pay. Questions of social inequality may well determine many voters' choice of candidate. Environmental issues are likely also to be at the forefront of some voters' minds, with Bolsonaro having faced much criticism nationally and internationally for his actions allowing increased exploitation of the Amazon rainforest, a vital carbon sink. rm, tj/sms,fb (AP, AFP, Reuters) | 7Politics
|
Subsets and Splits