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About 3,600 people attended a demonstration in the northeastern German city of Rostock on Saturday to remember and oppose the racist attack that broke out there three decades ago. The riots broke out in August 1992, shortly after German reunification, and saw extremists attack the city's central reception center for asylum-seekers while local residents looked on and cheered. The extremists also attacked a hostel where Vietnamese workers were living. Some 150 people faced mortal danger during the several days of racist mob violence. The riots have been labeled the worst racist attack in Germany since the end of World War II. The event was organized by a local group that aims to keep the memory of the attack alive. The slogan for the event was "remembrance means change." The head of the city's migrant council, Seyhmus Atay-Lichterman, told the EPD news agency that the riots had been caused by a failure of politics and the police. He said the memory of the pogrom must be kept alive. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Imam-Jonas Dogesch, a spokesperson for the organizers, said refugees and asylum seekers are still largely excluded from society, with stricter laws making it almost impossible to seek asylum in Germany. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier was in Rostock on Thursday for a memorial event where he called the events a "disgrace for our country." He also said all political parties were to blame for the rhetoric they used in the 1990s. Hatred and violence toward refugees and asylum-seekers in Germany are still far from extinguished, with neo-Nazis and far-right political parties enjoying considerable support, especially in certain parts of the country. An example was given on Friday night, when an unknown assailant in the eastern city of Leipzig threw projectiles at a residence for refugees. Police said that the attack resulted in only minimal external damage to the building, but the act still raised concern, with Saxony's Interior Minister Armin Schuster tweeting that "it is an alarming sign that such inhumane criminal acts are not restricted to the past." ab/fb (dpa, EPD)
| 8Society
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Ugandan author Kakwenza Rukirabashaija, who won a prestigious prize for "courageous writing" in 2021, was charged with two "offensive communication" counts on Tuesday. The longtime critic of President Yoweri Museveni briefly appeared at the Buganda Road Court in Kampala following tweets that were critical of Museveni and his son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba. Prosecutors said Rukirabashaija "willfully and repeatedly" used his Twitter handle to "disturb the peace" of Museveni with "no purpose of legitimate communication." Rukirabashaija, who won the PEN Pinter Prize in 2021 for an international writer of courage, described Museveni as an "election thief" on Twitter and said Kainerugaba was "overweight" and "intellectually bankrupt." In early January, a court ordered his release, but security officials ignored the judgment. The EU special representative for human rights, Eamon Gilmore, urged the Ugandan authorities to uphold law and due process. The US Embassy in Uganda has also called for Rukirabashaija's release, saying civil society, human rights defenders and journalists play "critical roles in a democratic society," and should be able to work "free from harassment." The author has been in detention at a maximum security prison since December 28, and, if found guilty, he faces up to a year in jail for each charge. Rukirabashaija's lawyer, Eron Kiiza, told The Associated Press that his client had been "secretly remanded'' after being charged without notice to defense attorneys. "It's unfair and irregular,'' Kiiza said. Rukirabashaija's next appearance in court is scheduled for January 21. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Last week, Kiiza told Reuters news agency that Rukirabashaija was being tortured. "He appeared vomiting, he was urinating blood, there were torture marks on his legs and feet. ... He was in deep pain," Kiiza said. lo/wmr (AP, AFP, Reuters)
| 3Crime
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The pilot flying the plane that crashed in the English Channel, killing Argentinian footballer Emiliano Sala, highlighted his fears over the aircraft's safety the day before flying, according to audio obtained by the BBC. David Ibbotson, 59, told a fellow pilot on the phone that he thought the plane was "dodgy," adding "normally I'd have my life jacket in between the seats, tomorrow we're wearing the life jacket, that's for sure." Sala, 28, inhaled high levels of carbon monoxide from the 35-year-old Piper Malibu plane's faulty exhaust system during the unlicensed flight, a coroner's inquest ruled earlier this year. The soccer player was en route to Cardiff to seal a 15 million pound (€17 million, $17 million) move to the then Premier League club from Nantes, in northwestern France. Regarding the flight to France to pick Sala up, Ibbotson told his friend that he heard a "bang" when he was flying across the Channel. He also said that the aircraft's left brake pedal wasn't working. Echoing the fears of the pilot, Sala told friends in a voice note he was "scared" and that the plane "looks like it's falling apart." In November 2021, almost three years after the crash, the man who organized the flight, David Henderson, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for hiring a pilot he knew to be unqualified and for carrying a passenger without valid authorization. The Court of Arbitration for Sport in August dismissed an appeal by Cardiff City after the football club refused to make a payment of €6 million to FC Nantes, the first installment of Sala's transfer fee. Sala's body was recovered but Ibbotson has never been found. jsi/kb (AFP, dpa)
| 3Crime
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Click, like, share: Social media have been at the heart of the Alternative for Germany's (AfD) campaign strategy since the party was founded in 2013. And it has stepped up its game ever since. Ahead of the European Parliament elections in 2019, Der Spiegel news magazine published extensive research on how the AfD populists dominate election campaigning on Facebook. This year, just one month before the federal election on September 26, the AfD lingers at 11% in opinion polls. But on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, it still dwarfs much bigger parties like the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) and outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel's center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU). In the context of a pandemic, that makes online campaigning more important than ever. Why can't the bigger parties catch up? To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Analyzing the parties' posts across social media from June 12 to August 15, DW found that one of the lead candidates for the AfD, Alice Weidel, was by far the most successful politician online. Even though she has no hope of becoming the next German chancellor, her videos were viewed around 4.9 million times across the different platforms during that time period. And the number of comments, likes and shares outnumbered those of other politicians. Such engagement is considered hard currency in the world of social networks because they imply that users identify with the post to such an extent that they want to spread it further. While the AfD has only 32,000 members, the ruling CDU still has almost 430,000 with an average age of 59, the same as that of the conservatives' top candidate Armin Laschet, who hopes to succeed Merkel as chancellor. On social media, however, his performance is weak. His message "Smart climate protection is a cross-sectional task" mobilized only a few users on social platforms, getting no more than a few hundred likes, shares and (often unfavorable) comments on Twitter and Facebook. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video In an interview with DW, Marcus Schmidt, the press officer for the AfD parliamentary group, admits that: "Without Facebook, I don't believe that the AfD could have become successful so quickly." Using Facebook as a channel to its supporters allows the AfD to bypass established media outlets and spread its messages directly — many of which are openly racist, nationalist and factually false. Each political party runs several pages on the social networks, including those of the federal party, the state associations and regional groups. Then there are also the personal accounts of individual politicians. Facebook remains the AfD's most important platform for engagement. A total of 84% of Weidel's user interactions on social media take place on that platform. It seems to have paid off that the AfD's social media team got support directly from Facebook during their initial training, as confirmed by an employee of the AfD parliamentary group in an interview with DW. Although the Green Party and especially the pro-free market Free Democrats and their charismatic and media-savvy chairman Christian Lindner have stepped up their social media game, Weidel is still head and shoulders above her competitors in terms of total shares and comments across all platforms. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Successful posts by the AfD seek to trigger emotion: stoking fear of immigrants, crime and downward social mobility, while playing upon anger with Merkel and the country's "elites." Vivid, provocative messages and emotional catchphrases are key to the populists' social media strategy. Weidel was successful with the catchphrase "banana republic," for example. Speaking of the handling of the recent dramatic flooding in Germany, she claimed: "Those in power let Germany degenerate into a banana republic, where citizens cannot be warned and protected against disasters despite precise knowledge of what is coming." There were several similar posts — and they all went viral. The way social media networks function ensures that the party gets maximum attention, according to Felix Kartte, a Senior Advisor at Reset Tech, a non-profit organization promoting regulation for social media. Emotional, bold, radical, and pithy — such posts attract comments and are shared, which again pays off in the algorithms, Kartte explains. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video "Platforms give more extreme comments a systemic advantage because their algorithms and recommendation systems are set to privilege this kind of content because it's more engaging," he says. This leads to controversial views being overrepresented on social media, and populist parties can use this to their advantage even if they have little voter backing at the polls. An internal AfD party strategy paper for the 2017 general election campaign explicitly encouraged members not to shy away from "carefully planned provocations" as a means of generating headlines and getting voters' attention. Juan Carlos Medina Serrano, a political scientist at the University of Munich who has been studying the AfD's social media strategy for several years, says the party is adept at designing polarizing content to go viral: "Other parties don't make this kind of very aggressive content. So it's less shareable." Medina Serrano sees similarities with former US President Donald Trump's successful use of social media — but also an important difference. While the Trump presidential campaigns used a huge amount of paid advertising — in 2016, Trump's team spent double as much on this as Hillary Clinton's — the AfD barely uses paid advertising at all, he says. Instead, it relies on organic content. Firstly, the party establishes "a narrative of 'we're not getting enough media time, so support us on social media instead.'" This narrative helps the party to position itself as an anti-establishment outsider and invites potential voters to come and get their information directly from the party. Secondly, followers are repeatedly urged to share the content to increase the party's reach, Medina Serrano explains. Politicians and party staff encourage a "constant engagement with their community" by constantly replying to comments. Serrano also points out that the AfD may have again been setting up fake accounts. Before the EU parliament election in 2019, fact-checkers for German public broadcaster ARD found several new Twitter accounts seemingly of young females referring to each other retweeting each others' content. One example was the account of "Beate," whose profile was found to have been lifted from a Russian page with beauty tips. Her account managed to get 1,000 followers within a month — including various AfD members of parliament as well as other accounts of alleged women who tweeted a remarkable amount. The use of such fake accounts is difficult to quantify or prove, admits Medina Serrano. Social media companies have anti-hate speech rules for their platforms, which have been a problem to the AfD in the past. Beatrix von Storch, a leading figure in the party, became one of the first hit by new hate-speech laws on social media in January 2018, when her accounts were blocked in response to a racist tweet. But political campaigning remains, in effect, unregulated in Germany. In the offline world, Germany has strict rules and restrictions for election campaigning, like limiting the time campaign billboards can stay up or restricting time slots for campaign ads on TV — but no such restrictions have been put in place for online campaigning. Social media campaigning is "basically the Wild West," Felix Kartte points out, "And this benefits the AfD," The AfD, however, rejects calls for a voluntary commitment by all parties to a fair and transparent election campaign. In an interview with DW, the press spokesman for the AfD parliamentary group, Marcus Schmidt, calls corresponding initiatives a "show" to discredit his party. In view of the growing importance of social media, a civil alliance of trade unions and initiatives in Germany is calling for a voluntary commitment by political parties to fair and transparent election campaigns on the internet. Paid political messages would have to be labeled. And hate comments under posts should be deleted by the parties themselves. This is why Reset Tech wants to establish clear rules for online campaigning. For Kartte, the disproportionate space achieved by the AfD by social media platforms represents a danger for democracy. 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
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India had administered nearly 45 million COVID-19 vaccine shots to people across the country as of Sunday. At the same time, it had shipped over 60 million doses to 76 nations, delivered either under the World Health Organization-backed COVAX mechanism or as part of commercial deals. It shows India's strong vaccine manufacturing capacity and ability to leverage it to boost the country's global image. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the "vaccine maitri," or vaccine friendship, initiative days after India began its nationwide vaccination campaign on January 16. The initiative involves India supplying vaccines not just to its South Asian neighbors, but also to nations of the global south, such as Argentina, Brazil and South Africa. Of the countries that received India-made vaccines, at least 37 have got them for free, 17 through COVAX, under the aegis of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI). And an estimated 34 million doses have so far been sent as part of commercial deals, according to government data. But with manufacturers struggling to fulfil commitments and commercial obligations, questions are now being raised over the rationale behind shipping out doses and the relatively slow pace of vaccinations at home. India has approved two vaccines: one developed by Oxford-AstraZeneca and made by the Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII), and another developed by the Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech. The Serum Institute, which is the world's largest vaccine maker by volume, had agreed to produce 1.1 billion doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine — known in India as Covishied — for delivery. Recently, Brazil, Morocco and Saudi Arabia wrote to SII saying they were awaiting more supplies after receiving the first tranche a while back. Brazil said it had received just 4 million vaccines of the 20 million ordered, while Saudi Arabia received 3 million of its requested 20 million doses. And Morocco received just 7 million of its 20 million shots. In its replies to authorities of the three countries, SII reportedly said supplies could not be "guaranteed in foreseeable months," citing afire at a company manufacturing unit earlier this year as the reason for the delay. Nevertheless, speaking to DW in January, SII's CEO Adar Poonawalla stressed that the fire would "not affect production of the coronavirus vaccines." "It will, however, affect some other vaccines that we were planning to expand on. It will not affect existing supplies and commitments as they will be produced from the existing plants," Poonawalla said. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A senior executive of SII told DW, "we will not be able to talk about this [delay] as these are commercial agreements and it will not be appropriate." Some analysts say most developing countries wouldn't have received vaccine shots if India hadn't supplied them. "I would not read too much into this problem. Yes, delivering vaccines is a tightrope walk and this is also because vaccines have a shelf life," Veena Sikri, a former Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh, told DW. India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar informed parliament last week that the domestic requirement of the vaccines is being monitored continuously even as India sends vaccines to friendly nations across the globe. "The House should be aware that the supply of vaccines abroad is based on the assessment of adequate availability at home," said Jaishankar. Nevertheless, others point out that authorities shouldn't ignore the need at home. "While India's vaccine diplomacy should be appreciated from a humanitarian point of view, there is no point in getting into a race with China given that less than 50 million Indians have been vaccinated so far," Happymon Jacob, an international relations expert, told DW. China announced in February that it would offer 10 million doses to COVAX and was preparing to supply additional doses to other countries. By early March, it said it had sent vaccines to 28 countries, mainly in Asia and Africa. India's current pace of inoculation is far from what's needed to meet the government's goal of vaccinating 300 million Indians, a quarter of the nation's population, by August. "There is a serious supply issue with vaccines. So far, 92% of vaccines administered in India have been Covishield and the supply is restricted. Bharat Biotech-developed Covaxin is also not coming through sufficiently," virologist Shahid Jameel told DW. The country recorded 46,951 new coronavirus infections on Sunday, of which 30,535 cases were reported in the western state of Maharashtra alone. The number of deaths reported nationwide crossed 200 for the first time since January 12, the Health Ministry said. Infections fell to below 9,000 new cases in early February, but have steadily increased since then. "We definitely will need a bigger stock of vaccines before we expand coverage to other sections of society," a member of the National Expert Group on COVID-19 vaccine administration, told DW. Last week, as part of the first Quadrilateral Security Dialogue leaders' meeting, which involved the leaders of the US, India, Japan and Australia, it was decided that these four nations would jointly supply at least 1 billion vaccine doses to countries in Asia and the Indo-Pacific region.
| 5Health
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After a dramatic draw between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, it’s tempting to launch into a conversation about unsealed cracks still appearing at Bayern, about unprecedented competition at the top of the Bundesliga, or about Dortmund launching a potential title challenge. But after a 2-2 draw like the one played out on Saturday, that should be left for another day. Sometimes, the sheer enjoyment and emotion of 90 minutes of football – or 95 in this case – is what matters. Because what a 95 minutes they turned out to be. And yet, at least after 45 of those minutes, it all felt familiar: Bayern ahead thanks to their only shot of the game, the belated arrival of Joshua Kimmich and Kingsley Coman off the bench to steady the ship, Niklas Süle turning away from Leroy Sané as he made it two, and Jamal Musiala constantly dangerous. Vintage Bayern, typical Dortmund, with the inevitable result incoming. Not this time. Bayern head coach Julian Nagelsmann had been insisting that he'd used the recent international break to thoroughly analyze what had been going wrong for his team as they went four Bundesliga games without a win – but the meticulous 35-year-old hadn't accounted for the mentality of Edin Terzic's Borussia Dortmund. He hadn't accounted for Jude Bellingham's furiously intense conversations with his coach, searching for solutions during a break in the game. He hadn't accounted for what can happen to a side that looks dead and buried but is reminded by the home crowd that there is still time and that they still believe. And he hadn't accounted for the impact of Anthony Modeste, the Frenchman's experience off the bench complementing Youssoufa Moukoko's youth to devastating effect. "They weren’t my substitutions; they were our substitutions," insisted a visibly emotional Terzic at full time after Modeste had set up Moukoko to get Dortmund back into the game, before netting a 95th-minute winner himself – moments after missing a sitter. "We're a team, and we want to score goals as a team, so Tony unselfishly laying it off to Moukoko like that was perfectly done." Terzic made the right changes at the right time and was aided by Coman's red card, but this was a side riding a wave of emotion which only the Westfalenstadion can generate but the like of which hadn’t been felt in a long time. "I'm looking forward to the mentality question," quipped Terzic at full-time, a scarcely concealed broadside in the direction of the Bundesliga record 450 media representatives in attendance, some of whom have long criticized Borussia Dortmund for perceived mental fragility at key moments. But there was little justification for such questions here on a night on which Dortmund just grew stronger and stronger. Despite the absence of captain Marco Reus and number one goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, and with just 45 minutes of Mats Hummels and a 17-year-old in attack, they responded to the call of the Yellow Wall and the emotion of their head coach. Terzic had tears in his eyes as he hugged Modeste like a long-lost brother and admitted to Sky News that he had had a difficult week. "I don’t want to talk about my private life, but this stadium deserves emotion and we have been missing these emotions here," he said. That emotion was best captured in Modeste. The best strikers have a knack of being in the right place at the right time but, since his move to Dortmund, the Frenchman has generally looked out of place and out of time. But tonight was his night. After nodding home Nico Schlotterbeck's cross, he sprinted away, the Dortmund bench erupted, and the entire stadium turned into a jumbled mess of yellow shirts and winter jackets. Bellingham put his arm around him, signaling to the crowd to shower him with the love he deserved. "Modeste, Modeste, Anthony Modeste!" they sung, from the Sübtribüne to the main stand to the forecourt outside, and all the way back to the station to catch their trams and trains. Modeste continued his celebrations with his children, who came sprinting onto the pitch to hug their father. "What are the kids like when you score?" Modeste was asked. "When I score?" he responded. “I get the most feedback off them when I don't!" It was redemption, emotion, vulnerability all in one moment. And that, paradoxically, is what Edin Terzic's Borussia Dortmund are at the moment, driven by an emotion which on the one hand makes them vulnerable but also, with the right push, also makes them strong enough not to get rolled over by Bayern. Who knows what it means for the rest of the season; those conversations can wait. Edited by: Matt Ford
| 9Sports
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The Swiss Federal Departement of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) on Tuesday confirmed that a female employee at its embassy in Tehran had died after falling from a building. "The FDFA and its head Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis are shocked by the tragic death and express their deepest condolences to the family," the department said in a statement. "The Department is in contact with the family of our employee. The Swiss Embassy is in exchange with the local authorities." The FDFA told DW it was unable to provide further information at this stage. However, government-aligned Iranian news agencies ISNA and ILNA news agencies had earlier reported that the woman was a high-ranking diplomat. The agencies said the woman, in her early 50s, fell to the ground from the high-rise building's 18th floor, where she had lived. Her body was reportedly found by a gardener. Switzerland represents the diplomatic interests of Washington in Iran. The United States and Iran severed relations shortly after the Islamic Revolution in 1979. rc/msh (AP, dpa)
| 7Politics
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Roberta Metsola has always made it clear that, for her, the European Union is not a complex bureaucratic institution but rather a real passion. It's not a bloc that is rattled by crisis, instead a place to foster European values and enthusiasm for a project that emerged from the ashes of the World War II. Now, the conservative politician from Malta has to prove she can turn her words into action. On Tuesday, Roberta Metsola was elected president of the European Parliament — the same day that she turned 43. Although Metsola's election may be a welcome birthday gift for the Maltese lawmaker, it did not come as a surprise. In a common agreement, the three biggest European parliamentary groups — the conservative European People's Party (EPP), the Socialists & Democrats, and the liberal Renew group — had decided that a conservative representative would take over the post at midterm. Metsola, whose Partit Nazzjonalista (Malta's Nationalist Party) is part of the center-right EPP group, seemed to be the obvious choice, as she is respected across party lines and known as a bridge-builder. David Casa, a party colleague of Metsola's and fellow member of the European Parliament, summed it up: "We are all used to division and crisis. And Roberta's rise and popularity prove that it's still possible to conduct politics through consensus." The Maltese politician is only the third woman at the head of the European Parliament, following in the footsteps of her French predecessors Simone Veil and Nicole Fontaine. The European Parliament is the EU's lawmaking body, representing the bloc's 450 million citizens. It is directly elected by EU voters every five years. Two campaign videos released by the EPP group on social media ahead of the elections show how Metsola wants to be perceived: A person who is inspired by strong women, and wants to inspire others. A mother of four boys who juggles family and career. A fighter who doesn't give up when she believes in something. She is no stranger to failure. Metsola only managed to get elected to the European Parliament in 2013 after failing twice. Since then, she's seen a swift rise. In 2020, she moved on to become one of the EU parliament's first vice presidents. As a member of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, she has defended the right to asylum in the EU. Following the murder of her countrywoman, journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, Metsola has been calling on the Maltese government to ensure media freedom and fight corruption. Maltese Member of European Parliament David Casa, who called Metsola one of his closest friends, told DW that he has known her since her student days in Malta. Back then, he said, it was her determination and ambition that made her stand out. Both Metsola and Casa had campaigned for Malta to join the European Union in 2004. Metsola repeatedly said it was this goal that sparked her political activism and made her spend less time in the library studying law. Many EU lawmakers rooted for her on Tuesday. Fellow conservative parliamentarian Stelios Kympouropoulos, from Greece, described her as "bold enough to be the face of an extroverted and strong parliament." As the European Parliament often struggles to be on par within the EU's other institutions, the European Council and the European Commission, boldness is certainly a trait that could help push through the parliament's interests. But even though Roberta Metsola is a consensus candidate, some — especially the Greens and the Left group — are not particularly happy about her being a leading figure. That is mainly because the Maltese politician has always voted against resolutions in the European Parliament that asked EU countries to legalize abortion. The position is not entirely surprising, given that Metsola is from Malta. The Mediterranean island nation, which is the EU's smallest member, has one of the strictest abortion laws in the world, and is also the only country in the EU to prohibit the procedure. For Manon Aubry, a French left-wing member of the European Parliament, that is no excuse. "I think it is a terrible sign for women's rights everywhere in Europe," she told DW. "For example, for women in Poland who have been fighting for the right to have control over their own bodies for almost two years." However, Aubry also recognized that Metsola is part of the progressive wing of the conservative EPP, which for example advocates for LGBTQ rights. In light of this, Aubry called Metsola's anti-abortion stance "paradoxical." Aubry's Spanish left-wing colleague Sira Rego, who unsuccessfully ran for Roberta Metsola's presidential post, said it is important for women to have visibility. But affecting real change is even more important. "In addition to women occupying symbolic and political space, it is essential that feminist policies are implemented," Rego said. Casa sees no reason why the issue of abortion should pose a problem during her presidency, which "is certainly more than the sum of a single issue." It is clear that as a Maltese politician, Metsola has to respect the values expressed time and again by the people in Malta, Casa said, referring to surveys suggesting public opinion remains firmly against abortion in the Catholic country. Metsola herself told the French newspaper Le Figaro that she didn't recognize herself in the "caricature" that was made of her in some countries. She added that she was fighting for feminist policies, and didn't have a personal problem with abortion. Even though Aubry would have preferred a different leader for the European Parliament, she said that regardless, her parliamentary group will be eyeing ways to work together with Metsola. Aubry told DW she hoped Metsola would not only represent Maltese interests — but also those of the entire European Parliament. The majority of lawmakers in Strasbourg has repeatedly condemned anti-abortion developments in Europe. Edited by: Sonia Phalnikar
| 7Politics
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UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab on Friday continued to defy pressure for him to resign after not telephoning the Afghan foreign minister while on holiday in Crete. Last Friday, Foreign office officials advised Raab to take a call from Afghan Foreign Minister Haneef Atmar during the rapid Taliban advance on Kabul. Instead of taking the call himself, Raab passed it on to a junior minister. The main opposition party in the UK Parliament has accused Raab of choosing not to take a call with Afghan ministers to ensure Afghan translators were all brought out of the country before the Taliban took over Kabul. The Labour Party said Raab's actions were "totally unacceptable" and he "should resign" in a tweet. "While the foreign secretary lay on a sun lounger, the Taliban advanced," said Labour's shadow foreign minister, Lisa Nandy. "The foreign secretary should be ashamed and the prime minister has serious questions to answer over why he remains in the job." Raab called media reports "inaccurate" on Twitter and said Attmar could not take the call at all in a statement. "The call was delegated to a minister of state because I was prioritizing security and capacity at the airport on the direct advice of the Director and the Director General overseeing the crisis response," said Raab. "In any event, the Afghan foreign minister agreed to take the call, but was unable to because of the rapidly deteriorating situation," added the foreign secretary. Some British media reports had earlier suggested that Attmar refused to speak to a more junior minister, which Raab disputed. "The whole of government has been working tirelessly over the last week to help as many people evacuate from Afghanistan as possible," he added. Raab said the decision to focus on airport security "was the right one." "As a result, 204 UK nationals and their families, Afghan staff and other countries citizens were evacuated on the morning of Monday 16 August," he said. The minister said British planes had evacuated 1,635 Afghans so far out of a total of 2,500 people the UK pledged to relocate on August 4. jc/msh (AFP, Reuters, AP)
| 2Conflicts
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Museums and concert halls in the Netherlands opened briefly on Wednesday to protest their continued closure. Cultural venues, including famous museums and Amsterdam's historic concert hall, offered yoga sessions, haircuts and manicures. Last weekend, the Netherlands eased a month-long lockdown, by allowing gyms, hairdressers and shops to reopen. However, cultural venues were ordered to remain closed to the public. On Wednesday, authorities handed out enforcement notices to a number of the 70-odd venues that took part in the day-long protest. Some 50 visitors were welcomed to the "Kapsalon Concertgebouw (hairdresser concert hall)" performance, in which people were given haircuts during an orchestra rehearsal at the 130-year-old building. "We do not understand and there is no reasoning for it because we have shown over the last two years that it's very, very safe to go to a concert or to go to a museum,'' said Simon Reinink, director of the Concertgebouw. "Actually, it's our profession — crowd management. We know how to deal with large crowds. And we've done it in a very, very safe way," Reinink added. Across the street from the Concertgebouw, a barber cut the hair of 10 visitors and 10 more people got manicures at the Van Gogh Museum. "It's definitely a first for us at the Van Gogh Museum," the museum's director, Emilie Gordenker, told the AP news agency. "I understand that the government has opened gyms but... you need a mental gym, too, and a museum is a place where people are increasingly coming to find a little depth or reason for their life," Gordenker said. "And the theme of mental health is particularly relevant to our museum, obviously, because of Vincent van Gogh's own mental situation,'' she added. Gunay Uslu, the junior culture minister, voiced understanding for the protest but urged caution. "The cultural sector is drawing attention to their situation in a creative way. I understand the cry for help and that artists want to show all the beautiful things they have to offer us," she wrote on Twitter. "But the opening of society must go step by step. Culture is high on the agenda." The government has said it will look at a possible further easing of COVID measures on January 25. Wednesday's protests followed similar civil disobedience measures by bars and restaurants in the Netherlands against COVID restrictions. During the weekend, cafes opened in several cities, defying government orders that they must stay closed until at least February 25. While some protests against COVID measures remain peaceful, some have devolved into violent riots, most notably in The Hague and Rotterdam. fb/msh (AFP, AP, Reuters)
| 5Health
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Kenya and Nigeria have withdrawn from a global tax reform plan preventing multinational corporations from easily shifting their profits to low-tax countries. The regional economic heavyweights had been weighing up taking part in the project, led by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), that envisages introducing a global minimum tax aimed at giving countries a partial share of the tax revenue where the profits are generated. The plan was introduced in response to the increased digitalization of the global economy. But only 23 African nations among 136 countries worldwide are taking part in the reform project, including South Africa, Senegal, and Egypt. This means less than half of Africa's countries are participating, and as the project details are finalized, calls are growing to find a cheaper alternative for African nations. "There's a reason why this deal has been called the deal of the rich," Tove Ryding of the European Network on Debt and Development (Eurodad) told DW. "It has very clear biases in favor of the countries where multinational corporations have their headquarters. It's a very unhealthy international principle that the headquarter country should get the lion share of the tax income," said Ryding, who has been following OECD tax reforms for years. "Adding to that, there's quite broad agreement about the fact that there is not much money in this for developing countries." The core idea of the tax reforms — which will be tabled at the G20 summit this weekend — is perhaps best explained using an analogy from Facebook: If someone in South Africa logs on to the social media network and sees a paid advertisement on their timeline, Facebook pay taxes on the profits of its income from the advertisement in Ireland, where Facebook's headquarters for Africa are based. Until now, a rate of 12.5% applied in Ireland, plus numerous exemptions. The OECD plan proposes that, from 2023, part of the tax revenue would be divided among the countries where the profits were made. This is the tax reform plan's first pillar. In the above scenario, South Africa would benefit from the advertising revenue. The second pillar of the tax reform plan would ensure that the biggest corporations would pay a tax rate of 15%. If a country charges less than 15%, then the remainder would be paid to the company's headquarters. "The general idea that there should be a minimum tax is a good one, but we feel the amount is very low," says Alvin Mosioma, executive director of the Nairobi-based Tax Justice Network Africa. "We are convinced that European and American jurisdictions are going to benefit most. There's little that developing countries get out of this, let alone African countries," Mosioma told DW. There are many restrictions: The minimum tax only applies to companies with annual sales of at least €750 million ($872 million). The distribution scheme would only affect about the 100 biggest companies in the world — and only a quarter of tax revenues above a certain threshold are to be redistributed. "I think the solutions largely being presented by the OECD will generally not work for many African countries or developing countries," said Mosioma. He fears that many countries will be pressured into dropping their corporate tax to 15%. Currently, most African countries charge between 20% and 30% in corporate taxes. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, digital service companies have exploded in popularity and have become important economic players. Some African countries like Kenya, Nigeria and Zimbabwe are close to introducing rules to tax them. But these new income sources would be outlawed under the new OECD tax reforms, explained Eurodad expert Ryding. "They would commit to not using digital services taxes. But it also looks like over time, they might risk committing to a binding dispute resolution. So, they might lose their sovereignty on certain tax issues if they sign up." Nigeria and Kenya have made their skepticism clear, but, according to Ryding, there have been no side negotiations to address their concerns. She said powerful, industrialized countries use their economic advantage to pressure poorer countries. Ryding used Namibia as an example, pointing out that from 2016 to 2018 Namibia was on an "EU list of non-cooperative countries and territories for tax purposes," because the southern African nation did not comply with OECD guidelines. "Blacklisting Namibia was not a very obvious thing to do, for the EU," she said. "But Namibia had not committed to the OECD rules. So, there's been a very open and clear pressure on developing countries to sign onto OECD rules that were negotiated through a process where they were not at the table." Skepticism over the tax plans is growing, and there are now demands for such tax reforms to be carried out under the auspices of the United Nations, with binding resolutions. One of the draft resolutions seen by DW — which Guinea plans to introduce to the UN General Assembly on behalf of 134 poorer countries — invites "proper consideration of the importance of combating illicit financial flows." Tove Ryding said that she sees big advantages in the UN leading the tax reforms. "In a United Nations context, the developing countries can participate on an equal footing. And we have seen again and again this is not the case at the OECD." Alvin Mosioma of Tax Network Africa also believed in a UN solution on tax. "Already we have a general consensus that tax is not just a national agenda, it is not just a sovereign issue. If there is consensus, then it basically means there should be a global framework for addressing those cross-border issues," he said, adding the OECD is currently dominant but does not have the legitimacy to lead that process. Editor's note: An earlier version of this text stated that the threshold for the global minimum tax was 750 billion euros annual revenue. We corrected this to 750 million euros.
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Web Summit is back after a two-year pandemic-enforced hiatus. Organizer Paddy Cosgrave expects 40,000 visitors to come to the Lisbon Exhibition Center from November 1-4, down from 70,000 in 2019. Last year, the event — a networking gala for the tech world took place online. This year, it returns to its real-world form, albeit with strict 3G rules set by the Portuguese health authorities. Cosgrave told DW that the organizers reached an agreement with Portuguese authorities on rules for the event. Only those who are either fully vaccinated, recovered from coronavirus or have tested negative can be admitted. Masks must be worn, and people are asked to keep their distance from one another outdoors. As well as its daytime seminars and conferences, Web Summit is known for its "Night Summit" socializing events. However, the pandemic has forced big changes to that side of things this year. "Our approach to Night Summit is radically different this year, on the advice given to us by the health authorities," Cosgrave told DW. "Traditionally we would organize very large indoor events with upwards of 5,000 people in an environment where they are very close to each other. Instead, we have decided to distribute Night Summit across more than 100 venues each night that are very small." Despite the complicated logistics, Cosgrave is happy to see the event return to its traditional in-person setting, a world away from last year's online-only version. "If I had a choice between an online conference and an offline conference I would always choose an offline conference," Cosgrave said. "I don't believe that online conferences allow you to build the quality of connections. You can certainly achieve the same quantity if not more. But those connections are not as significant as meeting someone for coffee, or for dinner." There are lots of big names attending. Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen will speak on the opening night on Monday, followed by Tim Berners-Lee, the "father of the internet," on Thursday. In between, various bosses from Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and Facebook will take the stages. Movements such as Black Lives Matter or Until Freedom will also be formally represented. Such a large event begs plenty of environmental questions but Cosgrave points out that UFI, the global association of the exhibition industry, awarded Web Summit its sustainability award for 2021. Web Summit has now banned all plastic from the event and aspires for it to be as close to carbon-neutral as possible. With COP26 taking place at the same time as Web Summit, climate change is a major focus this year. Other big items on the agenda include digital security and cryptocurrencies, as well as international tax justice. Meanwhile, Germany is strongly represented this year. For the first time, there will be a separate German section in which 25 companies, as well as the Ministry of Economic Affairs, will be represented. "Germany is close to the largest participant both in terms of pure number of companies and attendees," said Cosgrave. "Then at a government level there is quite a significant trade mission." For host country Portugal, Web Summit is lucrative. The government subsidizes the event to the tune of €11 million ($12.7 million) each year and reckons it gains an economic boost of €300 million in return through hotel and restaurant income, company startups that happen as a result of hosting the event and through the 250 Web Summit jobs in Portugal. Pedro Siza Vieira, Portugal's minister of economy and digital transition, has no doubt about the benefits. "The fact that the Web Summit is taking place again in Lisbon after last year's online event is excellent news for our economy and our country," he said. The country's capital is certainly set for a wave of networking in the coming days, albeit against the backdrop of the not-yet-gone pandemic. In several European countries, case numbers have been rising recently.
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A French court ruled on Wednesday that a British trawler impounded by French authorities could sail for home, overturning an earlier demand that its captain pays a €150,000 ($174,000) bond. The Cornelis Gert Jan was seized last week. French authorities said it had been caught fishing over 2 tons of scallops in French territorial waters without a proper license. It left the French northern port of Le Havre just after 6 p.m. (1700 UTC) Wednesday. The lawyer for the ship's captain, Mathieu Croix, said a court in the nearby city of Rouen had allowed it to leave without posting any financial guarantee. The vessel's captain, Jondy Ward, was also present in court for the hearing. "It is a good decision, of a kind that will allow the tensions to drop," said the lawyer. "French justice is independent from political pressure," he added. Ward said earlier that the vessel was a pawn in a broader political argument between Paris and London over fishing rights after Britain's departure from the European Union. Ship tracking website marinetraffic.com showed that the vessel was still moored on Wednesday evening in the French port of Le Havre, where it was impounded. Its declared destination was listed on the site as "FREEDOMMMM." "We are obviously delighted and relieved that the vessel can leave and our crew can get home," Andrew Brown, a director of the trawler, told Reuters. "We are also very pleased the courts have not set any bond for the release of the vessel. We are just relieved that the crew, who remain in good spirits, are able to head home," he added. The French authorities had initially demanded the €150,000 bond in exchange for allowing the captain and the vessel to leave French jurisdiction pending a trial due in August of 2022. France and Britain this week came to the brink of a cross-Channel trade war, with Paris alleging that London was denying fishing licenses to French trawlers that they were entitled to under a post-Brexit deal. Britain said it was honoring the deal and accused France of blowing the affair out of proportion. Paris had threatened to step up checks on trucks and produce arriving from Britain and to bar British trawlers docking in French ports. However, France pulled back at the last minute and now says it will make a new attempt to negotiate a solution with Britain. Senior British and French officials are set to meet for talks on the issue on Thursday. lc/fb (AFP, Reuters)
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To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Friday criticized his German counterpart for siding with Greece in the territorial dispute over several islands in the eastern Aegean. Speaking at a news conference alongside German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Cavusoglu said Germany had lost impartiality in its role as mediator in the dispute. "We want Germany to maintain its balanced stance in the issue of the east Mediterranean and the Aegean," he said, adding that Berlin "should not be a tool for provocation and propaganda, especially by Greece and Greek Cypriot side." Cavusoglu said Berlin needs to listen to both sides without prejudice. Earlier Friday, Baerbock told reporters in Athens that "Lesbos, Chios, Rhodes and many, many others ... are Greek territory, and no one has the right to query this." In comments alongside her Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias, Baerbock added that the German government would stand up for the EU family. The German minister vowed to reiterate the message during her talks in Turkey later in the day. Upon arrival in Istanbul, she called for dialogue and respect for each other's sovereignty. Athens urged Germany to halt the delivery of military equipment to Turkey while tensions remain elevated. Turkey has a joint venture with Germany's Thyssen Krupp Marine Systems to build six 214-class submarines. Turkish officials say the sovereignty of eastern Greek islands can be disputed if the country maintains a military presence there in violation of its treaty commitments. Athens contests that stance, accusing Ankara of conducting frequent military overflights of its islands in the eastern Aegean Sea. Greece and Turkey have been at loggerheads for decades over sea boundaries, related drilling rights and Cyprus: Since 1974, the island has been divided, de facto, into the Greek Cypriot Republic of Cyprus on the southern two-thirds and the Turkish-controlled part in the north. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Meanwhile, Baerbock said she was hopeful of a speedy deal with Athens on a weapons swap for Ukraine that would allow Greece's Soviet-era combat vehicles to be transferred to Kyiv to help fight off Russia's invasion. According to Greek Defence Ministry sources, around 100 BMP-1 IFVs are involved. Germany is to supply Marder IFVs to replace them. Friday's trip marks Baerbock's first official visit to the NATO partners, which is taking place against the backdrop of Russia's "brutal war of aggression in Ukraine," the German Foreign Ministry said on its website. mm, jsi/msh (AP, dpa)
| 7Politics
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There are indications that this could be the end of Annalena Baerbock's dream of becoming Germany's first Green chancellor. A series of minor missteps, untruths, plagiarism and exaggerations by Baerbock have added up to the enduring image of a candidate who lacks credibility. Individually, each of the scandals is excusable — especially as none of them has much to do with Green politics. But the sheer volume makes a difference. It's hard to imagine how the candidate and her party will repair the damage in the few weeks left until the federal election at the end of September. It was one fumble after the other. First, Baerbock made false statements in her resume published online about her academic career and her memberships in renowned organizations. The mistakes were always minor, but they always ended up serving the same purpose: making Baerbock seem like a better candidate and more successful person than she really is. What she has achieved by the age of 40 is impressive enough. Baerbock studied in London, served in the Bundestag, was the Greens' state chairwoman in Brandenburg and is now the party leader. It is hard to imagine why she felt the need to pad her CV. But, at least, Baerbock has admitted the mistakes. Baerbock's book, Jetzt: Wie wir unser Land erneuern (Now: How We Renew Our Country), offers an account of her political experiences and views in the many positions that she has held. It's not a scholarly work which means she doesn't have to cite her sources. Mostly, politicians publish such books, not so much in the belief that people actually read the work, but to stay in the public discourse and limelight. In too many parts of the book, it appears that Baerbock simply copied from others. The same picture emerges as with her resume: It's the presentation and not the substance that seems to be in the foreground. The Greens have become increasingly defensive. The party has even hired lawyers to fight the accusations of plagiarism. In doing so, the party is reinforcing the ongoing hysteria in the debate about the candidate's missteps. And now the party is touting its leadership duo consisting of Baerbock and co-chair Robert Habeck. This effort points to what was perhaps the Greens' decisive mistake — which would have also led the way to the other scandals: When the Greens picked Baerbock as their candidate for chancellor in spring, they were at 27% in the polls. They should have known that this election year could have heralded a new era for the former protest party. From then on, there was no longer a collective, but a woman at the top, a No. 1. People expected not so much political positions from her, but rather a sense of whether the country could be entrusted to this woman. Many Germans had thought Baerbock could pull it off. Many others didn't, especially in male-dominated business circles where there are strong fears about the 40-year-old Baerbock from Potsdam who is seen as young and inexperienced in governance. The Greens should have foreseen this. They should have checked the publicly available information about the candidate for the many errors. They should have prevented Baerbock's hastily cobbled together book from being published. And they should have known, especially, that Germany's biggest tabloid, Bild, would latch on to and devour Baerbock. But the Greens seem surprised by the events. And now they find themselves in a situation in which there is hardly any talk about Green ideas and policies. Genuine political issues have hardly come up in the 2021 campaign. Even Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Party makes no mention in its election platform of issues such as Merkel's greatest challenges, the pandemic, the refugee crisis, the nuclear phase-out or the financial crisis. Germans simply want to know that the person seeking to be chancellor can be trusted to govern the country. It is not too late for the Greens to pick up the pieces. Transferring the candidacy to co-chair Robert Habeck, as some media are calling for, is nonsense. The Greens as a party would hardly survive that. The way things stand, the Greens may not win in September, but they may still get enough votes to play a role in the formation of the government. That would require the Greens — and their top candidate — to recognize that the latest mistakes are primarily of their own making. They need to say that publicly. Then there will still be enough people in Germany who are willing to vote for a young woman with fresh ideas. This article has been translated from the German.
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US President Joe Biden unveiled a series of executive measures on Wednesday to combat climate change and pledged there was more to follow. Biden is seeking to push ahead with his environmental agenda after a previous effort was stalled by unsupportive lawmakers and a conservative Supreme Court. The move comes as rocketing summer temperatures mean that some 100 million people in the United States are living under excessive heat alerts. Europe is also struggling with unusually high temperatures. Biden delivered a speech announcing the measures at a former coal-fired electricity plant in Massachusetts, and said his administration would do whatever necessary, with or without the support of lawmakers. He said climate change represented "literally an existential threat to our nation and to the world" and that Congress was not acting as it should. "I said last week, and I say it again loud and clear: As president, I'll use my executive powers to combat ... the climate crisis in the absence of congressional action." "In the coming weeks, I'm going to use the power I have as president to turn these words into formal, official government actions through the appropriate proclamations, executive orders and regulatory powers that a president possesses." However, Biden stopped short of calling an official emergency, a move that would afford him additional policy powers. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is to provide $2.3 billion (€2.26 billion) in funding to help states "increase resilience to heat waves, drought, wildfires, flood, hurricanes, and other hazards by preparing before disaster strikes." New funding could improve flood control, strengthen utilities, retrofit buildings, and help low-income families pay for cooling costs. The White House also announced support for the domestic offshore wind industry, with large swaths of the Gulf of Mexico identified as areas for possible offshore wind energy development. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Since Biden started in office promising to fulfill campaign pledges to tackle the global climate crisis, his agenda has faced repeated setbacks. On his first day in office, the president signed an executive order to return the US to the Paris climate agreement. That was followed later by an ambitious announcement that he was seeking a 50-52% reduction from 2005 levels in US net greenhouse gas pollution by 2030. However, Biden's signature Build Back Better legislation — which would have seen some $550 billion channeled into clean energy and other climate initiatives — appears doomed after it failed to receive the necessary backing in Congress. In an evenly divided House, Democrat Joe Manchin said he would not support the bill, quashing hopes for sweeping change. Last month, the US Supreme Court ruled that the federal government did not have broad authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. rc/aw (Reuters, AFP)
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Borussia Mönchengladbach 0-1 Borussia Dortmund, Borussia-Park
(Sancho 66’) The meeting of the Borussias is often a testy and absorbing affair – and this latest chapter didn’t disappoint. A high-octane game was settled by a swift and devastating Dortmund counter-attack, which was finished by Jadon Sancho. It was a goal that showcased all of Dortmund’s best qualities in one fluid move: speed, quick-thinking and crisp finishing – but Gladbach can’t say they weren’t warned. Dortmund’s big two chances of the game before had already fallen to Erling Haaland and both were the result of swiftly turning defense into attack. The first was a rare miscue by the Norwegian as he showed Nico Elvedi a clean pair of heels but somehow stubbed his shot wide. The second was another lightning breakaway which ended with Haaland slamming in Marco Reus’ cross from close range, but VAR intervened, adjudging a foul in the build-up. When Dortmund created their next chance, they didn't let Gladbach off the hook. Sancho kept his cool to slot the ball past Yann Sommer and watched as it went in off the inside of the post. It wasn't just a night when Dortmund's attacking talent shone through. Mats Hummels was rock solid at the back alongside Emre Can, who barely put a foot wrong in a position he has only limited experience in. And when called upon, goalkeeper Marvin Hitz was equal to whatever Gladbach threw at him. Captain Reus spoke at full time of a "different energy" since the Champions League victory in Sevilla, which came just a couple of days after Marco Rose was confirmed as their next coach. That "different energy" is also felt by Gladbach, but not quite in the same way. It was another night to rue their lack of the same killer instinct in the kind of game they were winning earlier in the season. In fact, they put four goals past the same opponents back in January. But a lot has changed since then. Since Gladbach confirmed that coach Marco Rose would be swapping Borussias, his team have lost four games in a row. Gladbach’s abysmal runstretches back to their derby defeat by Cologne, which set the Foals on the path to a winless streak that now stretches to six games – including five defeats. This defeat signals the death of their ambitions in the German Cup for another season, a competition they haven’t won since 1995, and applies the pressure on their coach, who is now overseeing a sequence of results worse than in any time of his tenure. Rather than arriving at Dortmund, who have won all of their games since the Rose announcement, as a coach at the top of his game, Rose appears to powerless to stem the flow of poor results with a growing sense thathis fine work at Gladbach is unravelling.
| 9Sports
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Khadija lives in Idlib, the capital of the Syrian Idlib province. The burden of responsibility weighs heavily on her shoulders. She has become her family's main breadwinner, and provides for her twin brothers, who were born with Down syndrome. "I work a lot," she told DW in a voice message. "My father used to be able to provide for us on his own. His salary today is only enough for the food we need." 46-year-old Khadija lives together with her father and his new wife, and her 40-year-old twin brothers. She has never married: "When my mother fell ill and then died 16 years ago, it was clear to everyone in the family that I would take on the responsibility for my brothers," she says. "I've become more than just their sister, but I love taking care of them," she adds. She cooks their favorite meals, buys their clothes and spends as much time as possible with them. However, Khadija also has two paid jobs to make ends meet. She works in a hair salon, where she gets a share of the turnover. Her second job is teaching hairdressing to women at the Idlib Women's Center. "The work is fulfilling. But I have to work more to improve our financial situation. Everything has become expensive." In late 2019, the local currency, the Syrian pound, was massively depreciated. The reasons were manifold: The economy had no chance of recovery after years of war and sanctions against the Assad regime and various companies were making life more expensive. This was exacerbated by the dramatic economic crisis in neighboring Lebanon, which has also had an impact on Syria. Eventually, in summer 2020, the Islamists introduced the Turkish lira as the new currency throughout Idlib province, replacing the Syrian pound. The de facto local authorities had hoped that the currency change would protect the region from the imminent economic collapse. Idlib province in north-western Syria, near the Turkish border, is the last region under the control of Syrian rebels and Islamists. It is predominantly under the control of Islamist militias of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, which has emerged from the al-Nusra Front. The currency change took place just before the new US sanctions against the Syrian government came into force, putting even more pressure on the Syrian currency, which was already in free fall. However, the Islamists did manage to stabilize prices in the Idlib province for eighteen months, Syria expert Zaki Mehchy of the British think tank Chatham House in London, told DW. "But now that the Turkish lira is deteriorating, it is affecting the living conditions of ordinary citizens in Idlib," he says. Khadija confirms this whole-heartedly. According to various estimates, around four million people live in Idlib province, over one million of them in refugee camps. Many have already fled several times within Syria. About 75 percent of Idlib province residents are in need of humanitarian assistance, according to Human Rights Watch. The grim situation is exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the constant bombardment of the southern areas of the region by the Assad regime and its supporters. "We have to endure a lot here, life is really not easy," says Khadija. When the Turkish lira was introduced as a means of payment in 2020, the exchange rate was 6.8 lira for one US dollar. In the meantime, the dollar is at 12.9 lira (as of Dec 1). "When the lira lost so much value, stores and merchants immediately raised prices," Khadija tells us. There are people who earn just 100 lira a week, she says. "How can you afford paying 157 lira for a gas bottle for cooking?" she asks. For example, Watad Petroleum — an oil company linked to those in power in Idlib — raised fuel prices as the value of the Turkish lira fell. While it is unclear who is behind Watad, they are known to source oil for north-western Syria mostly from Turkey. In general, almost all goods traded in the province come from Turkey. They enter Syria through the Bab al-Hawa border crossing. "Even we in the hairdressing salon only use products from Turkey. But of course, goods from Syria are still in circulation," Khadija reports. "In general, the resources in Idlib are not diverse enough to cover the needs of local communities," says Zaki Mehchy. Wheat, for example, is grown in the region, but it cannot meet the region's bread needs. "That's why they depend a lot on goods coming from Turkey or from regime-controlled areas or even from the Kurdish controlled area, and by importing these goods from or by buying these goods from these areas, they're paying extra money because these areas are suffering from an increase in the prices of basic goods," he told DW, adding that "we are talking about smuggling networks and we're talking about smugglers who control the local economy there." Smugglers would then use this for themselves to make high profit margins. "That's why the prices are also increasing in Idlib," Mehchy told DW. Khadija and her family in Idlib city are grateful that they have their own house, despite the fact that they can only just make ends meet. "Other people are much worse off here. They live in tents and depend on financial aid," she says. Till Küster is the head of the cooperation department at the organization Medico International. He says the next disaster is looming — driven also by the onset of winter and the COVID-19 pandemic. "Most workers and employees get their daily wages paid in Turkish lira and live on that basis. If things continue like this, people will soon hardly be able to afford bread. Currently, the only way to help is through food donations or money," he said. For Khadija, however, leaving Idlib is out of the question. Escaping with her two brothers would be impossible anyway. "Where would I go with them?" she asks. "Besides, I think it's important to give the women here an economic perspective by teaching them my trade," she says. "I want them to be able to support themselves." 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 Jennifer Holleis
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On the night of March 4, 2022, Russian investigative journalist Andrei Loshak could hardly sleep — in fact, he had slept very little since February 24, the day Russia invaded Ukraine. He checked channels on the encrypted messaging app Telegram, and found one message in particular that made him freeze in fear: In the near future, martial law could be imposed in Russia, which would make it impossible to leave the country. Over the next weeks, he began to think about what to do. Eventually, he realized he had to leave — immediately. The same day, Loshak was on a plane to Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. "Here in Georgia, I immediately met so many friends and colleagues from Moscow and other Russian cities that I hadn't seen in Russia in the past years," says Loshak. Colleagues from news stations Ekho Moskvy (Echo of Moscow) and TV Rain, which are now banned in Russia, were also there — the latter had even set up an office. "You are among colleagues here. You get the feeling that a whole scene has emigrated," he says. Figures about exactly how many people have left Russia are not available, but one thing is clear — in the five weeks since the start of the war, Russia experienced the largest exodus since the October Revolution. Several hundreds of thousands of people are sure to have left the country; some suggest the number is over a million. The figure is even more difficult to calculate since destinations like Georgia or Armenia do not require Russians to have an entry visa. Georgia alone, however, expects to receive more than 100,000 refugees from Russia; Armenia has reported a similar number. Other destinations include Azerbaijan, Dubai, Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and even Tajikistan, Mongolia and Latin America. Many are also heading to countries that already have large Russian communities, such as Montenegro and the Baltic states, including Latvia. Others who had the opportunity to emigrate to Israel or Western Europe, especially Germany, have seized the chance. Hardly anyone officially announces their departure. Most people simply pack up and leave with no idea about when they will ever return to Russia. Yet despite the lack of information about how many people have left, the reason for their flight is indisputable. "We are experiencing the largest brain drain in recent history," says Andrei Loshak. In particular, academics, IT specialists, journalists, bloggers and artists are turning their backs on Russia, as its leader, Vladimir Putin, has set the country against the whole world. Directors, writers, fashion designers, architects and celebrities were among the first to flee. Popstar Alla Pugacheva, for example, is building a new life in Israel with her comedian husband Maxim Galkin. Talk show host Ivan Urgant, a top star in Russian entertainment TV, is also there. Rock star Zemfira and her partner, actress Renata Litvinova, are in Paris. Director Kirill Serebrennikov, whose parole was surprisingly ended early in mid-March, has also been spotted in Paris, and recently in Berlin. Writer Lyudmila Ulitskaya is also giving interviews in her Berlin apartment. Her colleague Boris Akunin is reporting from London. Prima ballerina Olga Smirnova of the Bolshoi Theater has a new job in Amsterdam, and influential video blogger and filmmaker Yuri Dud works from Istanbul. But it's not only the well-heeled and celebrities who have left their homeland; most of those who have left are middle-class people working in creative professions. They have taken with them many questions about the future, as well as some cash, since Russian credit cards are blocked worldwide and the export of larger sums is forbidden by law. "None of us are looking for a better life abroad right now," says Andrei Loshak. "We have all lost our livelihoods. I would call the current wave a moral emigration: Our conscience doesn't allow us to stay in today's Russia in a crowd shouting 'Zig Heil.'" The "Z" in "Zig" is a reference to a symbol used by Putin supporters. Loshak has coined a term for those leaving: "I would call us 'Russian Europeans.'" According to the Levada Center, the only independent polling institute independent in Russia, pro-European Russians who condemn the war in Ukraine make up at least 20% of the total Russian population. In purely mathematical terms, that translates to 30 million people. However, very few of them are actually able to leave the country. "Leaving today is neither a courageous act, nor the only ethically acceptable way to express personal displeasure with current events," says renowned literary critic Galina Yuzefovich, who left for southern Turkey with her family. "It's clearly a privilege." Russia isn't being abandoned by the country's best, Yuzefovich says, "but simply by those who can somehow afford it." Her sympathies lie especially with those who remain and who must survive — in an open or silent protest — among other like-minded fellow citizens. The situation, she said, is comparable to Nazi-era Germany. "The Russian culture we knew until today ceased to exist on February 24," Anton Dolin states dryly. "Both the official culture and the one that functioned in opposition mode." Dolin is arguably Russia's most renowned film critic and a public figure. He testified in the trial of Ukrainian film director Oleg Sentsov as an expert for the defense. "My basic position was always that I would never leave Russia," Dolin says. A week after the war began, he changed his mind. He left the country with his family and has been staying in Latvia ever since. "I now consider my departure a form of personal surrender. Everything I did for three decades, a kind of cultural resistance to those in power, has now lost all meaning. My mission in life — to position Russia as a part of Europe — seems to have failed." Still, the film critic says he hopes that "the serious illness Russia is going through now is curable." "After that comes the phase of repentance for the crimes that are now being committed in our name. The price we will have to pay then will be high. Nevertheless, I will be happy to return to my country. I have no other home," states Dolin. But returning anytime soon seems unlikely. Vladimir Putin has called those who have left the country "traitors to the nation" and declared them enemies of the state. This article was originally written in German.
| 4Culture
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The Spandau Citadel in Berlin has added two Nazi-era sculptures to its permanent collection of vintage monuments. Nazi artist Josef Thorak created the two "Striding Horses" (known in German as "Schreitende Pferde") for Adolf Hitler's New Reich Chancellery in Berlin. Both sculptures are in need of restoration. One of them has already been placed in the permanent exhibition, where visitors can view the statue and witness the restoration process firsthand. Commissioned by Hitler at the height of his power, the colossal twin "Striding Horses" had stood in the garden of Hitler's seat of government from 1939 to 1943. They were part of the thousands of bronze works crafted for the Nazi regime in its quest to transform Berlin into the imperial global capital of "Germania." Josef Thorak was born in Vienna on February 7, 1889 and attended the Vienna Art Academy, eventually moving on to the Berlin Art Academy in 1915. After his studies he established himself as a sculptor of monumental works such as the 4-meter-high (13-foot) gable figure for the Reichsbank building in the western German city of Buer. His style secured him numerous government commissions, and he became known internationally when he worked on, among others, the Security Monument in Ankara, Turkey, in 1934. From 1937 onward, Thorak became one of the preferred sculptors of the Nazis, commissioned to create countless propaganda sculptures emphasizing the supposed strength and glory of the Nazi regime. While Hitler and his regime persecuted Jewish and modern artists who they claimed produced "degenerate art" and looted the collections of Jewish art collectors, Thorak flourished. He divorced his Jewish wife and accepted a prestigious position at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts. After the end of World War II, he continued to create unchallenged until his death in 1952. The "Striding Horses" were only rediscovered in 2015 after a series of spectacular raids on an underground art trading ring operating in Germany. Police secured the twin statues, as well as sculptures by Fritz Klimsch and Arno Breker, two more of Hitler's favorite artists. The works were probably intended to be sold on the black market, because Nazi art remains taboo on the official market, as art historian Christian Fuhrmeister told DW in 2015. "There are some private collectors in Germany, in the US or in Russia, there are people who are enthusiastic about it," he said. According to the official website of the Spandau Citadel, a former Renaissance fortress turned exhibition space, the purpose of displaying the sculptures is to illuminate how "the respective state powers wanted to shape the Berlin cityscape" through the monuments they commissioned. The collection features monuments created from 1849 to 1986, covering the German Reich, the Weimar Republic, Nazi Germany and East Germany. Stating on its website that the sculptures are "testimonies to German history," the museum has deemed the featured monuments "great symbols" of German history. The adjective "great" may raise some eyebrows, but the museum claims it is aiming to transform itself into a center for the study of "toxic" monuments. The federal government has also supported the acquisition of the "Striding Horses." Previously, the display of Nazi art has led to fierce protest. Last year, the Pinakothek in Munich was slammed in an open letter for displaying a painting by Adolf Ziegler, another Nazi artist. Georg Baselitz, one of the world's most influential living artists, called for it to be removed. "It is shocking that Nazi propaganda is possible in this grubby way in a Munich museum," Baselitz wrote last October. He added that it was "unbearable" that works by artists who were persecuted by the Nazis hung next to the work of an artist responsible for their persecution. In fact, plenty of Nazi propaganda sculptures remain in public spaces, such as in Berlin's Olympic Stadium, commissioned by the Nazi regime for the 1936 Olympics. Ahead of the World Cup in 2006, for which the stadium was one of the venues, some activists called for the removal of its statues. However, the city refused on the grounds that a removal would be a denial of Germany's history. Edited by: Brenda Haas Correction, January 13, 2023: A previous version of this article misspelled the name of sculptor Arno Breker. DW apologizes for the error.
| 4Culture
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Dame Cindy Kiro was sworn in as New Zealand's governor-general in parliament in Wellington on Thursday, becoming the first indigenous Maori woman to serve in the largely ceremonial role. The governor-general carries out a number of constitutional duties in the former British colony, including officially signing bills into law and presiding over many public ceremonies. They act as a representative of the British monarch — who remains New Zealand's official head of state. After taking her oath of office in English and Te Reo Maori, Kiro spoke of her mixed Maori and British heritage and vowed to reach out to migrants and marginalized citizens. "Communities develop resilience when people feel connected, have a sense of belonging, and have a place to stand," she said in a speech at the swearing-in ceremony. "I will connect to new migrants and former refugees, and celebrate the many diverse cultures and religions gifted to our nation by those who have chosen to make New Zealand their home," Kiro said. In her speech, she also vowed to be a champion of the Te Reo Maori language. "In my lifetime, I've also seen a remarkable shift in attitudes towards Te Reo Maori," she said. "It's a joy to see so many New Zealanders eager to learn the language, as it is by far the best portal to an understanding of Te Ao Maori — and I will continue to try and champion it," Kiro said. Te Reo Maori became an official language of New Zealand in 1987, alongside English. The Maoris are the country's largest ethnic minority, representing 16.5% of the population. They remain both economically and socially disadvantaged. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern welcomed the new governor-general in her speech. "I know as the first Maori woman to hold this role you are mindful that your opportunity here also provides inspiration that reaches far and wide for many from all walks of life," she said. "Hopefully when others follow your footsteps they won't be quite as surprised as you were when I offered you the role," Ardern said, news website Stuff reported. Kiro previously served as chief executive of the Royal Society, a nonprofit group that advocates for research. She has also been the New Zealand's Children's Commissioner and has held leadership roles at several universities. She holds a Ph.D. in social policy and an MBA from the University of Auckland and Massey University and was the first in her family to achieve a university qualification. Kiro succeeds Patsy Reddy, who had also been given the honorific "Dame" for her services to the community. adi/sri (Reuters, AP)
| 8Society
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Storm Ylenia hit northern Germany in the early hours of Thursday morning, with a wind speed of up to 152 kilometers per hour (almost 95 mph) recorded by the German Meteorological Service (DWD). Germany's national rail operator Deutsche Bahn (DB) canceled long-distance trains in the states of Lower Saxony, Bremen, Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Berlin and Brandenburg. In Lower Saxony, all trains were canceled because of damage from the storm to the south of Hamburg, DB said, with disruptions across the network expected until Saturday. Passengers who had bought tickets for the affected period will be able to use them again until February 26, or cancel them free of charge. Similar goodwill arrangements have also been put in place, where people can cancel seat reservations free of charge. DB tweeted that fallen trees were to blame for disruptions, saying that one fell on the track between Bremen and Hamburg on Thursday morning, and another between Dortmund and Münster on Wednesday evening. Both lines had been cleared, but bad weather caused delays on train routes. Lufthansa canceled 20 flights and announced there would be delays because of bad weather. The German airline asked people to check their flight status before traveling. Authorities recommended staying indoors and keeping a distance from buildings, scaffoldings and power lines. DWD officials asked people to watch out for falling branches and roof tiles. The General German Automobile Club (ADAC) also advised people against driving. The stormy winds stood to affect mostly northern states like North Rhine-Westphalia and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, according to the weather service. DWD expects the storm to subside by late afternoon and to be more over the North Sea and Baltic coasts by then. Still, gusts of winds up to 120 kilometers per hour (74 mph) are expected in the Harz mountains and in the highlands near the Czech-German border. Another storm packing gale force winds is expected to strike the northern part of Germany on Friday into Saturday. Just after midday, local police in the town of Bad Bevensen in Lower Saxony said the winds had caused one casualty — a 37-year-old man who died in a car after a tree collapsed onto a country road. In the southern part of the Harz Mountains, in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, a 55-year-old man also died as a tree fell onto his vehicle. Fire departments were put on high alert nationwide and Berlin's fire brigade declared a state of emergency early Thursday morning because of a surge in calls for their services. Several volunteer fire brigades were put to action in Berlin as some neighborhoods like Lichterfelde reported fallen trees on cars. However, there were no initial reports of injuries from the German capital. Authorities warned people against entering parks or forests in big cities, and zoos were to remain closed in cities like Berlin, Wuppertal (North Rhine-Westphalia), Magdeburg (Saxony-Anhalt). Water inundated streets in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany's northernmost state, with levels rising more than 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) above the average height. The Elbe River's waters rose to 1.5 to 2 meters higher than normal. But the storm surge was expected to be over by 5 a.m., with floodwaters expected to be highest in the port city of Hamburg. Dramatic images of a wave smashing through the windows of a ferry on the Elbe River circulated on social media. Germany's most populous state, North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), announced a shuttering of schools. The state government advised parents to look after their children at home, especially if they sent kids to daycare centers. Others states like Lower Saxony also canceled classes, while Bremen moved teaching online. In Poland, more than 500 homes were reported damaged in wind gusts measuring up to 125 kilometres per hour. Police said two people died and two were injured after a large crane was toppled by heavy wind at a construction site in the southern city of Krakow. In the UK, a rare "red weather" alert was issued Thursday and Friday, warning of "danger to life" from severe gusts in southwestern England and south Wales. sdi,rm,rc/jsi (AFP, dpa)
| 6Nature and Environment
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"I remember being in the classroom teaching, and I was in so much pain that I was in tears. And I just didn't know what to do. And obviously, I had to leave." This is how Judy Birch describes what it was like when she had severe menstrual symptoms. Birch, who now runs the UK-based Pelvic Pain Support Network, is among billions of women who suffer from severe menstruation symptoms. Called dysmenorrhea, this could include heavy bleeding, severe cramping and fatigue; or even nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. According to one comprehensive review of studies, up to 91% of women in reproductive age suffer from dysmenorrhea, including severe pain in among up to 29%. Dysmenorrhea is severe enough to interfere with the daily activities of up to 20% of women, says the American Academy of Family Physicians. So how do women cope? "I just struggled through," Birch says, "not able to concentrate, not able to focus … and I just wasn't functioning properly at all." In some countries around the world, women may draw upon legally allocated time off during their periods. Such "menstrual leave" policies are controversial — they're accused of fueling stigma and discrimination, end up a subject of intense debate and have difficulty gaining traction. Yet Spain could be poised to become the first such country in Europe to offer this kind of leave. The Spanish Cabinet on Tuesday approved a draft law that would allocate up to three days every month for menstrual leave. It now has to go through Parliament. Approval there would make Spain the first European country to have such a law. Although not all details are clear, women would need to be experiencing severe menstrual symptoms and likely be required to present a medical certificate to claim the leave. Toni Morillas, director of Spain's Institute of Women, a government agency, told Spanish online news outlet Publico, "In our country … we have difficulty recognizing menstruation as a physiological process that must generate rights." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Morillas also cited data indicating that one in every two women experience painful periods. DW did reach out to both the institute and the Spanish Ministry of Equality, where the institute is anchored, but both declined to offer comment at this time. The policy proposal, which may still be changed, is part of a new reproductive health law that provides leave to women who terminate pregnancies and removes the requirement for parental approval in abortions among women aged 16 to 17. It would also eliminate sales tax on menstrual products, like pads and tampons, in supermarkets. The Italian parliament had put forth a similar period leave proposal in 2017, which sparked extensive discussion around whether it might increase workplace discrimination. The bid ultimately failed to progress. Only a handful of countries — Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia and Zambia — currently have national policy frameworks that grant paid menstrual leave. Veve Hitipeuw, CEO of Kiroyan Partners in Indonesia, is both an employer who must offer this leave — and has also taken advantage of it as an employee. She says she's used this leave from time to time, as she suffered from severe abdominal pain during menstruation. "It was very difficult to sit down properly. I wasn't able to work if it has to be sitting in front of my desk or my laptop for eight or nine hours a day." "It was really awful," Hitipeuw said of her painful periods, and she described the policy as "really helpful for me." She says that although she never experienced any problems around taking or granting it, "There's still stigma or discrimination surrounding this leave, because people think: Women are just lazy, they don't want to work." Especially for female workers in factories, she adds, where productivity is directly linked to time present on the job, the framework may exist mostly in theory. A look at Japan, which introduced its period leave policy in 1947 as part of post-war industrial reforms, seems to uphold that viewpoint. A recent Nikkei survey found that less than 10% of women were claiming menstrual leave, although some 48% of those surveyed sometimes want to take it but never have, for example because they are reluctant to apply to their male boss or because so few other women take advantage of it. Also in European countries with generous leave policies, it's not common to cite menstruation as the reason for taking time off. In the Netherlands, a 2019 survey of more than 30,000 Dutch women found that although 14% had taken time off work during their period, only 20% provided the true reason. An extensive academic paper from 2020, published as part of a handbook on menstruation studies, outlined the benefits and drawbacks of menstrual leave in the workplace. Negative implications of such policies include "perpetuating sexist beliefs and attitudes, contributing to menstrual stigma and perpetuating gender stereotypes, negatively impacting the gendered wage gap, and reinforcing the medicalization of menstruation," the paper says. Such negative gender stereotypes include female fragility, unproductivity and unreliability, while "medicalization of menstruation" negatively portrays menstruation as a disease that needs "fixing," the paper explains. As mentioned in the paper, menstruators may include nonbinary and transgender people, who should also have access to period leave. In Birch's experience with the network in the UK, "A lot of women are actually penalized at work if they do take regular time off, as a monthly thing." They may be disciplined or even let go. The ability to get a menstrual leave policy in place would vary greatly from country to country, she points out, and be much more difficult in countries like the US, which offer little paid leave in general. For Birch, Spain's proposal is not enough. "When you have that type of pain every month, three days is nothing." "I think it's pitiful." She believes that the overall work environment needs to be made much more flexible to accommodate women with severe menstrual symptoms. This is also one upshot of the 2020 paper, which stated that "some menstruators would benefit from workplace flexibility more generally (for example, more time off, the ability to work from home, customized work schedules)." And some companies are picking up on this point, even building it into their company policies. Zomato, a platform based out of India with a core business of food delivery, has had a menstrual leave policy in place since August 2020. The company's communications head, Vaidika Parashar, describes the framework as granting 10 period leave days over the course of the year, in addition to other leave. She describes an honor system where employees simply post an emoticon of a calendar with red droplets as their status on a team chat, no questions asked. She also uses this leave. "On one of those days, I would literally put on the emoticon and be like, I am not available. And I've seen a lot of folks who respect it. It's taken very seriously here at Zomato." The company has made efforts to promote a company culture where stigma does not get attached to period leave. The policy applies to "all applicable genders," including transgender people, she explains. "You should not feel uncomfortable about it, it's a biological function." Implementing the policy has actually increased productivity at the company, she asserts. In the survey of women from the Netherlands, lost productivity due to "presenteeism," or occasions when about 81% of women showed up to work despite severe menstrual symptoms, amounted to almost nine days a year. Parashar adds that at Zomato, menstrual leave has helped to build transparency, enabled a work environment where people are confident of being themselves, and increased employee retention — and it acts to recruit women. According to a government report from 2020, in India only about 16% of women participate in the labor force. Perhaps some use menstrual leave when they are not doing that poorly, she adds, although "We've never had any case of misuse that's been reported formally to us." Regardless, such misuse is not relevant, Parashar believes, since "We just feel that we need to enable workers to have the right mechanisms to always be at their best. Be it the parental leave, be it the menstrual leave — all these functions become a part of it." For Hitipeuw, granting menstrual leave is also "basically a symbol of acknowledgement and support for women." "Workplaces or companies have to enable women to perform their work and at the same time, their role in the society — and also as a human being, as a woman and a mother." Edited by: Andreas Illmer
| 7Politics
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Security was heightened in Brasilia on Wednesday as supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro ramped up their efforts to launch a new wave of protests. The call to hold a "mega-protest" in several cities "to retake power" circulated on social media. Anticipating what was being touted as a major mobilization, security officials stood geared up with helicopter backup. Only a small number of demonstrators turned up at the planned protest sites. Journalists outnumbered protesters at Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach, where less than 10 protesters showed up, according to media reports. The AFP news agency said there was "virtually no turnout" in Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro, and Sao Paulo. Just one couple showed up in Brasilia's esplanade, which is surrounded by federal government buildings, the Associated Press news agency reported. "We were surprised to be the only ones here today," the AP quoted as saying Eunice Carvalho, a 58-year-old housewife who was joined by her husband. "People got scared after the imprisonments, which were excessive." Thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed the presidency, Congress and Supreme Court in Brasilia on Sunday. About 1,500 people were arrested by the next day. Fearing a repeat of Sunday's violence, authorities sought to quell any efforts that could have resembled Sunday's rampage, in which hundreds of protestors stormed the government's three most important buildings. Since Bolsonaro's defeat in the last presidential election, his supporters have been clamoring for the military to launch a coup against Bolsonaro's successor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. mf/fb (AFP, AP)
| 7Politics
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His in-person appearance surprised even those demanding he show up. Olaf Scholz, who hopes to be Germany's next chancellor, spent three hours on Monday with the parliamentary finance committee defending his current job performance as finance minister. He first said he would attend virtually, due to a campaign event six days before the election. Opposition parties requested that the committee convene. Angela Merkel's conservative Union bloc, which governs with Social Democrat support but is now fighting them to stay in power, didn't stand in the way. On the agenda: The Sept. 9 search of the finance and justice ministries, both in Social Democrat hands, over allegations that they ignored a report of possible money laundering. "I used the opportunity to once again explain that the last three years have probably been the best years for beefing up our capabilities in regards to fighting money laundering and terrorist financing," Scholz told reporters after the meeting in the Bundestag, the German parliament. Critics were not convinced, accusing Scholz of lacking accountability and evading the committee's questions. "Once again, Scholz as finance minister has denied all responsibility for the chaos at the anti-money laundering authority," Lisa Paus, a parliamentary member with the Green party, said. "Olaf Scholz has not done enough to combat money laundering." Her conservative colleague on the committee, Hans Michelbach, said the "failure is widespread." The accusations have a number of implications. They stem from an investigation by public prosecutors in the city of Osnabrück into the Cologne-based Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), which isresponsible for rooting out money laundering and terrorist financing. It has been often cited for lacking the personnel and resources it needs to handle an increasing caseload. In 2020, the FIU received 144,000 reports of suspicious financial transactions from banks. It forwarded just 17% of them onto police or public prosecutors. The FIU is a branch of the customs authority, which falls under the Finance Ministry. That makes Scholz the FIU's legal supervisor, responsible for ensuring that it complies with its mandate. Its operations are independent of the ministry, however. The Osnabrück prosecutors have been investigating employees of the FIU for obstruction of justice since February 2020. That's when an Osnabrück bank reported suspicious money transfers to locations in Africa totaling 1.7 million euros ($2 million), but the FIU is reported to have failed to act. Their search of the federal ministries earlier this month was to obtain emails between the FIU and the finance ministry, according to the prosecution office, and the names of the responsible people in the FIU. The public prosecutor's office has come under fire for issuing a news release that gave the impression that Olaf Scholz was under investigation. "Among other things, it will be investigated whether and, if so, to what extent the management, as well as those responsible for the ministries and superior departments, were involved in the decisions of the FIU." The goal of the search, according to the statement, was to clarify a suspected criminal offense and who might be responsible for it. So far, investigators have not been able to identify specific suspects. The intention of the raid earlier this month was to secure emails between the FIU and the finance ministry, to obtain the names of the responsible people in the FIU. This is also stated in the search warrant. However, when the raid was conducted the Osnabrück public prosecutor's office issued a press release that gave the impression that Olaf Scholz was also being investigated. According to the media statement, the goal of the raids was to further clarify a suspected criminal offense and in particular individual responsibilities, and further: "Among other things, it will be investigated whether and, if so, to what extent the management, as well as those responsible for the ministries, as well as superior departments, were involved in the decisions of the FIU." For the SPD, the matter is clear. The party assumes the raid is part of a conspiracy and accuses the CDU of a political smear campaign ahead of the general election, in which opinion polls see Olaf Scholz ahead of his conservative rival, Armin Laschet. They point to the fact that the head of the Osnabrück public prosecutor's office was once a CDU-chairperson in a town in Lower Saxony and office manager of the CDU-run justice ministry in Lower Saxony at the time. This person remains active in politics today, as a vice president in Lower Saxony's state parliament. Scholz's state secretary at the finance ministry, Wolfgang Schmidt, is now under investigation for tweeting part of the search warrant, which is supposed to be confidential. Schmidt said the tweet, which has since been deleted, was meant to show discrepancies between the warrant and the news release. SPD co-chair Saskia Esken has defended Schmidt. Publishing the warrant was "necessary because the press release by the public prosecutor was grossly negligent," she said in a radio interview. The investigations were not directed against Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, she said and argued that the press release had created a "false impression." Esken criticized the raid as "inappropriate." Several media and legal experts are of the opinion that the public prosecutor's approach was not proportionate to the matter. The prosecutors could have also obtained the information they sought by phone or online, according to critics. "That much trust we don't have — to believe they would give us everything voluntarily," a prosecution spokesperson told the German magazine, Der Spiegel, following the search. Heated discussions are taking place under the hashtag #CDUgate suggesting the raid could backfire on the CDU — instead of damaging Scholz and the SPD — if it turns out that it's timing close to the election was more than coincidental. Scholz is not new to facing an angry finance committee and accusations that the finance ministry has dropped the ball on his watch. A special inquiry report into the collapse of Wirecard called him "politically responsible"for one of the biggest corporate frauds in German history. "Scholz does not have his portfolio under control," said Florian Toncar, a committee member from the liberal Free Democrats (FDP). "(It's) embarrassing for someone who wants to become chancellor." This article was translated from German. It was first published on Sunday, September 19, but has been updated 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
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India reported a big jump in new coronavirus infections on Thursday, driven by a resurgence in cases in some of its richest states. The South Asian country recorded 35,871 new cases in the past 24 hours, taking its tally to 11.47 million infections, the third highest in the world after the United States and Brazil. Deaths rose by 172 to 159,216, according to Health Ministry data. India recorded a peak of just under 100,000 new daily infections in September, before a gradual decline. Infections fell to below 9,000 new cases in early February, but have steadily increased since then. "We have to stop the emerging second peak of the pandemic through quick and decisive steps," Prime Minister Narendra Modi told regional leaders on Wednesday during a virtual meeting to discuss the surge. "In recent weeks, some 70 districts have witnessed a more than 150% increase in the number of cases and if we do not stop the pandemic right now, it could lead to a nationwide outbreak," he pointed out. The surge in infections has been led by Maharashtra, home to the financial capital Mumbai, as businesses reopened and millions used crowded public transport again. "It does appear to be a second wave. That is not an incorrect description because the magnitude and speed of the rise in new cases is in fact comparable to the first wave," Pradip Awate of the state surveillance office for Maharashtra, who is in charge of monitoring epidemic-prone diseases, was quoted as saying by The Indian Express newspaper. The state of 112 million people ordered a new lockdown in some districts and put curbs on cinemas, hotels and restaurants until the end of the month after infections hit a multi-month high this week. New cases have more than doubled in the past two weeks in the state's industrial towns. And hospital beds and special COVID-19 facilities were reportedly filling up fast. Cases have also risen this month in several other states including Punjab and Madhya Pradesh. Arvind Kumar, a chest and lung specialist, told DW that "this is nothing but a déjà vu phenomenon." "Because of smugness on the part of everybody, including the authorities, the pathogen has come back with force. COVID wards which were closed are now opening up again," he said. Several badly hit states have announced fresh restrictions such as curbs on movement and public gatherings in some cities and towns. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Inter-state travel restrictions are also being enforced, with some state governments mandating RT-PCR tests for travelers from other states. The central Madhya Pradesh state has ordered a seven-day quarantine for visitors from Maharashtra, while Punjab in the north extended a night curfew across nine districts and Gujarat, PM Modi's home state, ordered a shutdown of schools and colleges across eight administrative divisions until April 10. But major nationwide restrictions imposed during a monthslong lockdown last year have mostly been lifted. Even mass religious gatherings are now allowed to go ahead. Over three million mostly maskless pilgrims were estimated to have gathered on the banks of the Ganges river in the northern state of Uttarakhand last week as part of the Hindu religious festival, the Kumbh Mela. Five Indian states are also holding regional elections over the next few weeks, with political rallies attracting huge, often maskless, crowds. K Srinath Reddy of the Public Health Foundation of India told DW that there is cause for worry. "We are seeing a lot more opening up, a lot more commuting, a lot more superspreader events and new variants." To control the virus' spread, PM Modi called for increased testing in small cities and towns as well as localized containment zones. He also stressed the importance of vaccination. The federal Health Ministry has so far distributed 75.4 million vaccine doses to states, of which some 36 million doses have so far been used. India is using the AstraZeneca shot and another developed domestically by Bharat Biotech. The current pace of inoculation is far from what's needed to meet the government's goal of vaccinating 300 million Indians, a quarter of the nation's population, by August. Health officials also pointed to another problem on Wednesday, saying that about 6.5% of vaccine doses in India are going to waste. Modi said state governments should urgently address the issue. "The pace of vaccination in the country is continuously increasing," he said. "But at the same time we have to take the problem of vaccine doses waste very seriously." Jacob John, one of the nation's renowned virologists, told DW that the virus "knows no geographical boundaries." "It will continue to infect people who are susceptible and that is why I am stressing that vaccinating the population is a must. When you see a fire, you have to put it out," he stressed.
| 5Health
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Iran's attorney general has said that the country's "morality police" will be disbanded, according to media reports on Sunday. "Morality police have nothing to do with the judiciary and have been abolished," Attorney General Mohammad Jafar Montazeri was quoted as saying late Saturday by the ISNA news agency. However, it is unclear whether the force will be set up again in a different context or under a different name. State news agencies have reported that death sentences and legal proceedings for "morality" offenses will continue. "Of course, the judiciary continues to monitor behavioral actions," Montazeri told a conference Saturday outlining religion-based policy. Kamran Matin, a Senior Lecturer of International Relations at the University of Sussex, told DW that the announcement by the attorney general should be taken with a level of caution. Matin clarified that Iran's morality police is not part of the judicial system, but is operated by so-called law enforcement forces or police forces. "Such an announcement should really be announced by that institution and that hasn't happened yet," Matin said. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video In September, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in the custody of the morality police, after having been arrested for not properly wearing a hijab headscarf, leading to months of anti-government protests. The regime in Tehran has been under considerable pressure since Amini's death. On Saturday, Montazeri also said authorities were reviewing the decades-old law requiring women wear headscarves to see if it needed any "changes." The so-called morality police are a unit of Iran's police force tasked with enforcing laws on Islamic dress codes and other behavior in public. They began patrolling the streets in 2006 after they were established by hardline president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In accordance with Iranian law, women and post-pubescent girls must wear head coverings and loose fitting clothing in public. The morality police have been accused of arbitrarily detaining women for transgressions. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video kb/wmr (AFP, dpa)
| 3Crime
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At least 32 people were killed in Madagascar after local bandits set homes on fire, according to the African country's Defense Ministry. The killings took place in the Ankazobe district, about 75 kilometers (47 miles) north of the capital Antananarivo overnight into Friday. "People here experienced a real tragedy ... many lives were lost. 32 people died. It is a crime perpetrated by ruthless
dahalo (bandits) who burned alive even women and children," Defense Minister General Richard Rakotonirina said in a video
posted on the ministry's Facebook page late on Saturday. The "dahalo" are organized criminal gangs in parts of Madagascar. They steal cattle from community members and engage in other various forms of banditry. Residents and criminal gangs in the island nation often engage in violence towards one another, often sparked by cattle theft. Authorities said the attack on the area was likely an act of revenge against the community for collaborating with security forces during previous operations against them. Police said they were looking for the perpetrators. "We will hunt down those who committed this crime and their accomplices," Rakotonirina said. tg/sri (dpa, Reuters)
| 3Crime
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Wherever Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic takes the stage to campaign for his reelection, he is greeted with roars of applause as supporters wave Serbian flags. It is difficult to say whether these are authentic or staged displays of affection. In any case, Vucic's reelection campaign is a highly organized affair — and nothing is left to chance — with thousands of supporters arriving in buses to take part in the rallies. Independent Serbian media outlets report that municipal employees are required to attend. "We want to achieve an even clearer victory this time, with Serbia voting for the future, liberty and stability," Vucic said at a recent rally. Serbia will see a spate of key elections this Sunday: Voters will cast ballots in the presidential, snap parliamentary, and Belgrade regional elations. Many expect Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) to emerge victorious. A major Belgrade betting company is offering just €2 in winnings on a €100 ($110) bet placed on Vucic's win. Polls, too, suggest the incumbent could maintain the presidency in the first round of voting — and his party is expected to win an absolute majority. Serbia's fractured opposition parties could, however, make gains in Belgrade's regional elections. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Amid Russia's war on Ukraine, Vucic has reiterated in television interviews that his victory would deliver "peace" and "stability." While Serbia — an EU candidate country — condemns Russia for violating Ukraine's territorial integrity, it did not join in Western sanctions targeting Moscow. One reason is that many Serbs feel culturally and historically connected to Russia. Another is that Serbia's leadership knows the country is heavily dependent on Russia for energy. And when it comes to the Kosovo issue, Russia takes Serbia's side. Neither Moscow nor Belgrade recognize the independence of the former south Serbian province. With the war in Ukraine dominating the headlines, Vucic has benefited. He tallies how many tons of wheat, maize and sardines the country has stockpiled for emergencies. He presents himself as the guarantor of peace safeguarding the precarious Balkans. "This propaganda aims to instill fear in people," philosopher Vladimir Milutinovic, author of a book on Vucic's rhetoric, tells DW. "The tabloids write that economic collapse is imminent elsewhere, that famine is even looming in Germany. Such statements are intended to cast Serbia as an oasis of stability." For 10 years, Aleksandar Vucic has held leadership posts in Serbia. His Serbian Progressive Party controls most major television stations and tabloid papers, in addition to state-run companies and municipal administrations. On television chat shows, opposition lawmakers are regularly vilified as thieves and traitors. Vucic has referred to his political party as a catch-all movement for everyone, regardless of ideology. The party has some 700,000 members — that's one-tenth of Serbia's entire population. The reason, however, is that it's almost impossible to get a job in the civil service, government, or state-owned companies without a party membership card. "The Serbian Progressive Party dominates public opinion," says Dejan Bursac of the Belgrade-based Institute for Political Studies. "This allows Vucic to take contradictory positions and appeal to voters on all sides. He makes agreements with Kosovo, yet also spouts fiery nationalist rhetoric — or he boasts of how Serbia was one of the first countries to secure enough coronavirus vaccines, then quickly lifts all measures against the pandemic." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video That leaves Serbia's opposition with limited options for winning over voters. Their main campaign issues are addressing corruption, environmental degradation, and drawing attention to the government's alleged ties to the mafia — none of these issues garnered much attention since war broke out in Ukraine. Just a few months back, opposition figures were finally beginning to get their message across. Environmental activists had blocked several highways to protest against a large lithium mine planned to open in western Serbia. Critics feared the Anglo-Australian mining company Rio Tinto would cause serious environmental damage and shift profits out of the country. President Vucic was forced to switch into crisis-management mode. Sensing the issue could harm his reelection campaign, Vucic revoked Rio Tinto's mining permit. And with that, public interest in the issue vanished almost overnight. Such political dominance would be almost unthinkable without the party's sway in Serbian media and the practically limitless financial means, writes independent weekly Vreme. Investigative reporters recently revealed that the party had spent some €23 million ($25 million) on election campaigns between 2015 and 2021 — three times more than all opposition parties combined. This means the regime is in control of everything and "can play a game of cat and mouse with its political opponents," according to Vreme. Opposition parties largely boycotted the 2020 parliamentary elections, citing unfair conditions. This year, several opposition coalitions are expected to win seats in the legislature. The United Serbia coalition, a broad alliance of centrist parties, is projected to take between 15% and 20% of the vote. Their presidential candidate, Zdravko Ponos, a retired chief of staff in the Serbian armed forces, could fare even better. The green alliance Moramo, meaning "We Must," could also pass the 3% threshold and enter parliament. Unimaginable in Serbia until recently, the environmental parties gained momentum from their fight against the Rio Tinto mine. The country's nationalists and right-wing camp, in contrast, appears more fractured, fielding five presidential candidates and just as many electoral lists. Their positions and nationalist slogans. do resonate with many voters. More than 80% of Serbians say they reject joining NATO, and two-thirds say Russia is Serbia's most important partner. Even so, Serbia's right-wing and nationalists don't have a good chance of securing any seats. Political analyst Bursac says the reason for this is that many in Serbia are more concerned with social and economic issues, rather than the Kosovo question and related topics. Today, he says, nationalism is not the basis for Serbian populism, but merely an additive. "Vucic's main voters since 2012 have been those who have lost out to the economic crisis: pensioners, housewives and low- to middle-income workers," says Bursac. "In the election campaign, the president promises new factories, highways and hospitals. The message is clear: There is hope for Serbia and for everyone." Some observers, however, warn that this approach will entail massive public debt. The price of food and energy could climb even further after the election. Analysts are also convinced that Brussels will increase its pressure on Serbia to join the EU in targeting Russia with sanctions. Radmilo Markovic contributed to this report This article was originally written in German
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On Monday, the militant Taliban announced they had captured Aybak, the capital of the northern Afghan province of Samangan — the sixth provincial capital to fall to the group in four days. Reports from the city say pro-government forces fled Aybak after the government in Kabul failed to send reinforcements and air support. Monday's news followed that of similar military victories over the weekend in which the radical group captured capitals across the country in quick succession, including Kunduz — a strategic crossroads with good access to much of northern Afghanistan, as well as the capital, Kabul, about 335 kilometers (200 miles) away. One of Afghanistan's larger cities, Kunduz served as home to the German army, or Bundeswehr, for the last 10 years of its 20-year deployment. It remained so until the last German soldiers were brought home this June. German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer reacted to Monday's news with a string of tweets that began: "The reports from Kunduz and all across Afghanistan are bitter and deeply painful. We fought there with our allies. Bundeswehr soldiers died in Afghanistan." After listing several positive aspects of Germany's mission in the long thread, Kramp-Karrenbauer made a point of noting: "What we apparently failed to do was effect long-term positive change in Afghanistan. We should learn from that when defining the aims of future foreign deployments." She also responded to calls by some to redeploy German soldiers to Afghanistan as the Taliban swiftly erase gains made over the past two decades. "Are society and parliament prepared to send the Bundeswehr into a war and keep large numbers of troops there for at least a generation? If we are not, then the joint withdrawal with our partners remains the right decision," the defense minister wrote. Her tweet seemed to offer a direct rebuttal to views expressed by Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Norbert Röttgen this weekend in an interview with Germany's Frankfurt Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper. Röttgen, a fellow center-right Christian Democrat, suggested that the international community must stop the Taliban, saying: "If that means having to use the military capabilities of the Europeans, of the Germans, then we should make them available." Kramp-Karrenbauer also brushed off critics who say the Taliban would not have gone on the offensive had German troops still been in the country, warning: "Anyone who seeks the long-term defeat of the Taliban must lead a long, tough combat mission." Lastly, the defense minister took aim at former US President Donald Trump for contributing the current quagmire: "Trump's unfortunate deal with the Taliban was the beginning of the end," she said of the former leader's announcement that he would withdraw US troops from the country — essentially forcing allies who came to assist the US to exit, too. DW spoke to German MP Patrick Sensburg from the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) about NATO's troop withdrawal in light of the recent capture of Kunduz by Taliban forces. Sensburg said he thinks NATO "should have stayed to secure peace and to give the society a chance to learn democracy," but he added that he did not think the Taliban would win. Considering the unlikelihood of German soldiers returning to Afghanistan, Sensburg said "I think it's time for diplomacy, to talk about aid, to support the government, to support the areas which are trying to build up democratic structures." But he added that it was "hard to see" the Taliban take over the city of Kunduz, the former home of the Bundeswehr. The October 2001 invasion of Afghanistan was undertaken by then-US President George W. Bush in an attempt to uproot al-Qaida terrorists given safe haven in Afghanistan before and after the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington DC. That invasion was the beginning of what would become the longest war in US history. US President Joe Biden has promised to have all troops out of Afghanistan by September 11, 2021, while other NATO troops are expected to be fully out by the end of summer. Violence has escalated since Trump announced the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, with the Taliban seizing territory across the country, with the Afghan army struggling to push back the offensive. The Pentagon admitted on Monday that the security situation in Afghanistan was "not going in the right direction" but that Afghan forces were capable of holding their own, Reuters reported. "These are their military forces, these are their provincial capitals, their people to defend and it's really going to come down to the leadership that they're willing to exude here at this particular moment," spokesperson John Kirby said. Slow moving peace talks that began in Qatar last year have now stalled completely as both sides speak of war. United Nations observers say more than 1,000 people have been killed or injured in Afghanistan over the past month. A massive rise in the number of displaced persons has also been registered, with thousands of Afghans fleeing as the Taliban advances. During its 20-year mission, Germany provided the second-largest military contingent in Afghanistan (after the United States), losing more troops in combat in Kunduz than anywhere since World War II. js/rs (dpa, Reuters)
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Americans have until recently been spared the dramatic hike in natural gas prices seen in other regions of the world. While energy bills have risen sharply on both sides of the Atlantic, skyrocketing natural gas prices have hit European consumers particularly hard, threatening millions of people with fuel poverty. Earlier this month, however, natural gas prices in the United States hit a 13-year high of $8.78 (€8.32) per million British thermal units (MMBTU). Since the beginning of March, prices have risen nearly 90% and the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) — the agency responsible for analyzing domestic energy use — said last week it expected prices to remain elevated for the rest of the year. Although the US spike is still nothing compared with Europe, where natural gas prices recently hit $37 per MMBTU, the rise is an additional burden for the Biden administration which is struggling to tackle stubbornly high inflation. US President Joe Biden last week admitted that rising prices were "a real tough problem to solve" and warned that inflation could get worse before it gets better. Unlike the recent hikes in gasoline and diesel prices, which have been met with public anger, analysts have warned that it may take time for higher natural gas prices to be fully visible to consumers. But they are already impacting manufacturing and transportation costs across many US economic sectors. "Natural gas influences the price of electricity, the price of plastics and various chemical products," Pavel Molchanov, director and equity research analyst, Energy Group at the US financial services giant Raymond James & Associates, told DW. "Consumers only see the effects of natural gas as a derivative in other types of products or services that they are buying." A number of factors have been blamed for the price spike, including wider post-pandemic shocks to the global energy sector, exacerbated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. As European countries have scrambled to secure alternative supplies and wean themselves off Russian fossil fuels, demand for US gas has skyrocketed. This includes liquefied natural gas (LNG), of which the US is now the biggest exporter. US LNG producers are struggling to increase capacity to meet Europe's energy needs, which is also fueling expectations of a higher demand for US natural gas. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The EIA said US gas storage was left at its lowest level in three years at the end of winter due to the particularly high demand for heating. Now, in a complete reversal, unusually warm weather in many parts of the US is also contributing to higher prices through the increased use of cooling systems in commercial and residential buildings. While natural gas demand has mostly recovered from the impact of COVID-19, the supply of the key fossil fuel has not. Supply growth is reportedly stalling in two mainstays of US natural gas production — the Appalachian region of 13 states from southern New York to northern Mississippi, and West Texas, where companies have blamed a lack of adequate pipeline infrastructure. Reuters news agency said this week that in Appalachia, which supplied more than a third of US gas last year, energy firms were having trouble building new pipes. Production growth in the Permian Shale — which supplied about 19% of US gas in 2021 — could slow significantly next year unless new pipelines were built soon, Reuters reported. High costs and lawsuits have slowed the construction of new pipes, along with pressure on energy producers from US states and investors to be more environmentally friendly and cut carbon emissions. Molchanov insisted the lack of supply was less about regulatory hurdles and more about an aggressive drive for profits after COVID left US energy producers nursing tens of billions of dollars in losses. "The reason companies are drilling less is because ... their shareholders demanded more dividends, more share buybacks instead of more investment in new drilling," Molchanov added. "The amount of decline during the pandemic was so severe and so unprecedented that even with the recovery, the industry is spending less today than it did in 2019," he said. Molchanov noted how COVID had forced the US oil industry to become "much more disciplined" and "sensitive" with its allocation of capital, forcing three consecutive years of contraction. As the economic impact of COVID wanes, US energy firms are investing again with capital spending up by 20% to 30% this year, but still not enough to meet demand. "There is definitely a need for more capital spending, but the recovery is happening quite slowly because of the pressure from investors," which Molchanov said "remains very powerful." Despite the demand side drivers, Molchanov believes US natural gas prices may have already peaked. "Prices have already begun to trickle down and in the next 12 months, we should see prices come down to more normalized levels of $4 to $5," he said. Edited by: Hardy Graupner
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The German government has granted an export license for delivery of older Leopard 1 main battle tanks to Ukraine, government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit confirmed in Berlin on Friday, without giving any further details. The Süddeutsche Zeitung was the first to report the news in its Friday edition. Deliveries of the tanks from the industrial stocks could be made as soon as the tanks are repaired, the newspaper said. However, according to the report, there are still problems in obtaining the required 105-millimeter ammunition. Although Brazil has large stocks of the ammunition, the government of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has so far refused to pass it on to Ukraine. First entering service in the 1960s, the Leopard 1 is the forerunner of the more advanced Leopard 2, which is widely used by armies across Europe. According to the German magazine Der Spiegel, the government decision concerned 29 Leopard 1s, which were in storage at a military manufacturer.
The Süddeutsche Zeitung, meanwhile, reported that two manufacturers want to refurbish "dozens" of Leopard 1s to send them to Ukraine. The German government had already decided to send 14 more modern Leopard 2 main battle tanks from Bundeswehr stocks to Ukraine. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Here are other updates on the war in Ukraine on Friday, February 3: The US said it is sending $2.175 billion (€2.01 billion) worth of military aid to Ukraine. The latest US-supplied defense package will include precision-guided as well as HAWK air defense firing units in addition to weapons and munitions. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon spokesman, said the new package will include ground-launched small-diameter bombs (GLSDB) which can fly up to 150 kilometers (93 miles). The munitions are capable of hitting deep behind enemy lines. Ryder said the bombs would enable the Ukrainians "to conduct operations in defense of their country and to take back their sovereign territory." Ukraine has previously requested munitions capable of traveling farther than HIMARS rockets which have an 80-kilometer range. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he hopes formal EU accession talks can begin by the end of this year. Speaking alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the European Council President Charles Michel, Zelenskyy said, "The goal is to start negotiations this year and this is not just a purpose but a major overwhelming goal." In response, Michel said, "Ukraine and the EU, we are family. The future of Ukraine is within the European Union." "Ukraine is the EU, the EU is Ukraine," Michel said. Michel, however, did not offer a timeline for when accession talks could start. Normally the process is lengthy, requiring legal reforms and adherence to EU standards and rules. A joint statement published later noted only Ukraine's desire to start talks "as soon as possible." Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, said the EU's next sanctions package will target Russia's military trade and technology sectors. Speaking in Kyiv, Von der Leyen said, "Our 9 packages of sanctions are biting, and a 10th one is on its way. With our partners, we must deny Russia the means to kill Ukrainian civilians and destroy homes and offices." "New measures will hit the trade and technology that supports Russia’s war machine," von der Leyen. Russia's monthly budget revenues from oil and gas fell in January to their lowest level since August 2020 under the impact of Western sanctions on Russian exports, Russian Finance Ministry said. Monthly tax and customs revenue from energy sales was down 46% in the space of a year. While the price of the global benchmark Brent blend was little changed, the average monthly price of Russia's Urals blend was down 42%, according to the ministry. The data also showed budget income from energy had dropped 54% from December's earnings of 931.5 billion roubles ($13.2 billion, €12.1 billion), though these were inflated by a one-off tax payment by monopoly gas exporter Gazprom. January's figure stood at 425.5 billion roubles ($6.05 billion). The finance ministry also said it would almost treble its daily sales of foreign currency to 8.9 billion roubles ($130 million) a day over the next month to compensate for the fall in oil and gas revenues. NATO has called on Russia to comply with a treaty to limit nuclear arsenals. The so-called New START Treaty signed by the United States and Russia limits the number of nuclear weapons the two countries are allowed to have and foresees bilateral inspections and data exchanges. Moscow's refusal to allow US inspection on its territory undermines the viability of the treaty, according to the statement issued by NATO members and Finland and Sweden. "NATO allies continue to view effective arms control as an essential contribution to our security objectives," it read. The statement also notes that Washington complies with the legally binding agreement, which is the only remaining major arms control measure between the US and Russia. It limits the nuclear arsenals of both countries to 800 carrier systems and 1,550 operational warheads each. The European Union sent 35 million energy-saving LED lamps to Ukraine, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on Twitter from the sidelines of a summit meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Ukrainians could exchange their old bulbs for LED bulbs "at the post office," according to von der Leyen. "Every kilowatt of energy saved is precious to counter Russia's energy war," she added. The EU had previously supplied the Ukrainian government with generators to protect against power outages caused by Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Russia plans to attend the assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna exactly one year after it launched its invasion of Ukraine. "We are now dealing with obtaining the visa and preparing for the trip. I think everything will be normal," the deputy head of the foreign affairs committee in Russia's upper house of parliament, Vladimir Dzhabarov, said. The Russian delegation had to be prepared for serious verbal attacks during the debate, Dzhabarov said: "We understand that all 30 NATO countries, which are also members of the OSCE, will speak out against our country." He also added that Austria had given assurances that it would grant visas to all Russian deputies. Russia last participated in an OSCE meeting in 2021. At the last two gatherings, host countries Britain and Poland denied visas to the Russian delegation. Many Russian delegates are now on Western sanctions lists. The Austrian Foreign Ministry, however, has defended issuing entry permits to the Russians for the February 23-24 meeting as an obligation under international law. The Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine brought war crimes charges against Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Russian Wagner mercenary group. "The head of the Wagner private military company has been charged with encroaching on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine and waging a war of aggression," the Prosecutor General's Office wrote on Telegram. According to the Ukrainian prosecutors, Prigozhin is directly responsible for thousands of war crimes. He openly admits his role in the war against Ukraine and, with the permission of the Kremlin, recruits tens of thousands of prisoners. The General Prosecutor's Office also warned that Wagner's rank-and-file mercenaries, even those who fled abroad, would not escape responsibility for any crimes they committed. "Prosecutors have already interrogated two such fighters who are in the EU. An investigation into the involvement in war crimes of another Wagner member, who is in Norway, is also underway," it said. Russian-installed authorities in Crimea said they had nationalized around 500 properties in the peninsula, including some belonging to senior Ukrainian politicians and business figures. In a statement on Telegram, Vladimir Konstantinov, speaker of the Crimean parliament, said the decree targeted "accomplices of the Kyiv regime" and that the nationalized properties included banks and tourist and sport infrastructure. According to a document published on a Crimean government website, properties belonging to former Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk and businessmen Igor Kolomoisky, Rinat Akhmetov and Serhiy Taruta were among those confiscated. Crimea, which is internationally recognized as part of Ukraine, has been controlled by Moscow since 2014, when Russia unilaterally annexed the peninsula. European Council President Charles Michel arrived in Kyiv to join an EU-Ukraine summit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and vowed support for Ukraine's bid to join the bloc. "Back in Kyiv for the EU-Ukraine summit with Zelensky (European Commission chief) Ursula von der Leyen and (EU senior diplomat) Josep Borrell. There will be no let up in our resolve. We will also support you every step of the way on your journey to the EU," Michel said on Twitter. Von der Leyen and Borrell arrived in the Ukrainian capital on Thursday and held talks with Ukrainian officials there. Ukraine's allies are pushing the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to finalize plans for a multibillion-dollar lending program, the Financial Times reported. IMF representatives are planning to meet Ukrainian officials in mid-February to advance discussions over a loan that could range from $14 billion (€12.9 billion) to $16 billion, the report said, citing officials familiar with the talks. Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, said the EU's next sanctions package will target Russia's military trade and technology sectors. Speaking in Kyiv, Von der Leyen said, "Our 9 packages of sanctions are biting, and a 10th one is on its way. With our partners, we must deny Russia the means to kill Ukrainian civilians and destroy homes and offices." "New measures will hit the trade and technology that supports Russia’s war machine," von der Leyen. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has condemned Ukraine's threat to boycott the Paris 2024 Summer Games. According to the IOC, the threat violates the fundamentals of the Olympic Movement. "It is extremely unfortunate to escalate this discussion at this early stage with a boycott threat," the IOC said. The participation of individual neutral athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games has not yet been discussed and decided, it added. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The Baltic nations and Poland on Thursday called on international sports bodies to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing in the Olympics and other events while the war in Ukraine continues. Poland believes it will be possible to build a coalition of some 40 countries, including the US, Britain and Canada, supporting the call to block Russian and Belarusian athletes from the 2024 Olympics, a Polish minister said. The prime ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania called on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to bar Russian athletes from the Olympic games in Paris next year. Kaja Kallas, Estonia's Prime Minister, said that her country's athletes could be placed in a situation where they compete against Russians. "I think that our efforts should be on convincing our other friends and allies that the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes is just wrong," Kallas said. She added, "So boycotting is the next step. I think people will understand why this is necessary." Krisjanis Karins, the Latvian Prime Minister, said it was "morally reprehensible" to permit Russians to compete in the Olympics. Earlier in the week, the Latvian Olympic Committee had threatened a boycott Lithuania's Prime Minister Gitanas Nauseda said he supported the International Paralympic Committee's decision to bar Russian athletes from competition. All three Baltic states were occupied for nearly half a century by the Soviet Union before declaring independence in 1991. The IOC has been pushing international sports federations to permit Russians and Belarusians who have not been "actively supporting the war in Ukraine" to compete under a neutral flag rather than their own. The recruitment of prisoners by the Russian mercenary Wagner group has recently decreased, UK Defense Ministry said in its daily intelligence update. A power struggle between different groups in the Russian ruling elite is at least partly responsible for the decline. "Significant tensions between Wagner and the Russian Ministry of Defense are playing out in public; competition between factions in the Russian elite is likely to be partially responsible for the reduced supply of convicts," the update said. Both data from the Russian law enforcement agency and reports from Ukrainian soldiers suggest that the number of Wagner mercenaries recruited in the prisons has fallen, the British ministry added. Kyiv is hosting a key summit with the European Union as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he wants to start talks on his war-torn country's accession "this year." ar, dh/jcg, sms (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters) 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.
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Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) on Friday said it was approving the psychedelic substances MDMA and psilocybin for medical use. From July, psychiatrists will be able to prescribe the two substances — better known as ecstasy and magic mushrooms — to treat depression and post-traumatic stress. The Australian drugs watchdog said it had found "sufficient evidence for potential benefits in certain patients." "The decision acknowledges the current lack of options for patients with specific treatment-resistant mental illnesses. It means that psilocybin and MDMA can be used therapeutically in a controlled medical setting. "However, patients may be vulnerable during psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, requiring controls to protect these patients," the TGA said. The TGA said it would allow practitioners to prescribe the drugs only after individual approval by a human research ethics committee. "Prescribing will be limited to psychiatrists, given their specialized qualifications and expertise to diagnose and treat patients with serious mental health conditions, with therapies that are not yet well established," the watchdog said. While authorities will list the two ingredients as controlled drugs for medical use, they will remain prohibited substances for all other purposes — restricting their use to clinical trials. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Advocates of psilocybin and MDMA hope doctors might one day use them to treat alcohol dependence, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and eating disorders. "If sufficient new evidence emerges that these substances will be beneficial in treating other conditions, the TGA can consider applications to make further amendments," the TGA said. Mike Musker, a mental health and suicide prevention researcher at the University of South Australia, told the AFP news agency that the move had been long-awaited. He said the two drugs "reduce inhibitions" and could allow people to process difficult images and memories. "There are many people in the community experiencing PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder] and depression, particularly army veterans and people who have worked in emergency services, where standard psychiatric drugs have not worked and offer no relief," said Musker. While indigenous people have used psychedelics for millennia, Western researchers only began to seriously look at their effects and potential medical uses in the middle of the last century. Psilocybin is a naturally occurring compound produced by more than 200 species of fungi. Although biologically inactive, psilocybin rapidly metabolizes to psilocin, which has mind-changing effects similar to LSD. Images on prehistoric rock paintings suggest that humans used psilocybin long before recorded history. MDMA, meanwhile, was initially synthesized in 1912 by the German pharmaceutical company Merck as part of work to develop substances that stopped abnormal bleeding. Other researchers, including the US military, became interested in its use as a psychedelic agent only decades later. MDMA became better known as the popular recreational drug ecstasy in the 1980s and 1990s, although it was possibly used by thrillseekers as early as the 1960s. Edited by: Sean Sinico
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The leadership of Germany's conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) on Monday urged the former head of Germany's domestic intelligence service, Hans-Georg Maassen, to leave the party. After repeating a string of extremist conspiracy theories, Maassen has proved to be a source of embarrassment for the German conservatives. The CDU — which could face a lengthy and complicated process to have Maassen removed against his will — has now asked him to leave voluntarily. The former boss of Germany's Germany's Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), Maassen was removed in 2018 after appearing to downplay far-right violence against migrants in the eastern city of Chemnitz. Since then, he has become a vocal but marginal figure on the extreme right of the center-right party, which led Germany's coalition governments under Chancellor Angela Merkel from 2005 to 2021. Maassen was deemed to have gone too far in a tweet he published in mid-January saying that "the driving forces in the political media sphere" was "eliminatory racism against whites." He is also accused of repeating antisemitic tropes. On Saturday, Maassen was elected as head of the Werte-Union, a group not formally linked to the party but which describes itself as representing conservative members. Referring to Maassen, a resolution from the CDU on Monday said that "there is no place in our party for his statements and the ideas they express." "Again and again he uses the language from the milieu of antisemites and conspiracy ideologues," they said. "Dr. Maassen is obviously not interested in the welfare of the CDU. On the contrary, he constantly violates the principles and rules of the party." The resolution said the 60-year-old should leave the party before a February 5 deadline or face "a party exclusion procedure and to withdraw his membership rights with immediate effect." The statement also sought to distance the CDU from the Werte-Union, saying the two were incompatible. "Each of its members must ask themselves where their political home is," it said. "There is no need for a so-called Werte-Union, which according to the statutes stands outside of our organization anyway. Rather, the so-called Werte-Union and its ideas are less and less compatible with the values of the CDU." rc/dj (dpa, Reuters, AP) 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.
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Lewis Hamilton wasted the advantage of his 100th pole, but recovered brilliantly to win his 98th race and his fifth in succession in Spain. The seven-time world champion is usually a master at leading from the front but a sluggish start enabled his closest rival, Max Verstappen, to nip through on the inside and take the early lead. Verstappen seemed to be in control in the improved Red Bull but Hamilton upped the ante as the race drew on, shaving a second here and a second there. With Verstappen staying out longer, Hamilton eventually took advantage to glide past the Dutchman on newer tires with six laps remaining. There was no way back in the race for Verstappen, who was reminded once again who any why Hamilton and Mercedes are the ones to beat. Given that his dominance can become tiring, it's sometimes easy to forget just what a driver Lewis Hamilton is. While in previous seasons, his car has clearly been superior, this time round he's having to show his full range. After losing the early initiative, Hamilton was forced in to an unusual position for him. But he was relentless, pushed his tires all the way, and timed his charge perfectly. He'll take some stopping. Ferrari — Clearly Mercedes were excellent, but given the season Ferrari are coming off, to have two drivers finish inside the top 7 is a big step in the right direction. Charles Leclerc drove superbly, took P3 at the start and then held up Bottas for a long stretch. Sainz will be annoyed to have lost a spot to the man behind him on the grid, but 7th was still points. Leclerc said the car felt amazing. A sign of things to come for Ferrari? "There was not much we could do… I was a bit of a sitting duck." Max Verstappen had an inkling that Hamilton's win was inevitable in the closing stages.
| 9Sports
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Voters in the Czech Republic headed to the polls on Friday for the country's parliamentary elections. Opinion polls have shown Prime Minister Andrej Babis as the front-runner despite a new scandal over his financial dealings. Up for grabs are 200 seats in the lower house of Parliament, the main legislative body. More than 8 million people are eligible to vote in the two-day election. Populist billionaire and euroskeptic Babis, who heads the ruling ANO (Yes) party, has had a shaky term as prime minister, with numerous scandals. The controversies range from police recommendations that he be indicted on charges of fraud involving EU subsidies after a recent bloc concluding that Babis has a conflict of interest over subsidies from the bloc involving his former business empire. Most recently his election campaign was marred by a financial scandal following the release of the so-called Pandora Papers. According to Findings by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, Babis put $22 million (about €19 million) into shell companies to buy 16 properties in southern France. The incumbent prime minister has denied having done anything unlawful. Ahead of Friday, all opinion polls showed ANO ranking the highest with at 25% of the vote. There is little clarity as to whether Babis and his potential allies will perform well enough to be able to form a new coalition government. The elections also come at a crucial juncture as the Czech Republic is setting the political course for its six-month stint leading the European Council, which is slated to start in mid-2022. dvv/msh (AP, dpa)
| 7Politics
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Over the past month, more than 4.6 million people across the United Kingdom have received their first dose of either the Oxford-AstraZeneca or the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine against COVID-19. The plan is to be vaccinating at least 2 million people per week by the end of January. Still, many people — as much a third of the population — are still unsure of whether or not they will take the vaccine, citing everything from concerns over side effects to distrust of government authorities. "Our government's response to the pandemic was always about the vaccine," said Sophie Harman, an international politics professor at Queen Mary University in East London with a specific interest in global health. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video "[The government] focused on making the vaccine and distributing the vaccine," she said. "No one ever asked what happens when people do not want the vaccine." The UK government's Cabinet Office Rapid Response Unit's top priority is now scouring the internet to identify coronavirus anti-vaccine content, and either remove it or counter it with correct information. While a distrust of vaccines is often associated with elaborate conspiracy theories, Harman told DW that it's important to distinguish between the highly politicized anti-vaxxer movement, which is pushing alarmist narratives, and ordinary members of the public who have legitimate questions or concerns about the vaccine. "The anti-vaxxer movement is a coordinated campaign that is trying to make this into a political issue," she said, referencing the decades-old movement known for discouraging mothers from taking their children for routine vaccinations to, more recently, using online platforms to spread theories that COVID-19 is a deep state conspiracy. "Most people who are vaccine hesitant do not think that Bill Gates is trying to kill them," said Harman. Adding that most people who fall into this category have been swayed by misleading news sources, or mistrust authorities due to past discrimination. "It is important not to stigmatize people who are vaccine hesitant," she stressed. "If we stigmatize them, they will go to people who don't judge them — who are often the extreme anti-vaxxers." A recent report from the London and Washington-based Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) revealed that over the past year, the anti-vaxxer movement has doubled down on its social media efforts. The campaign has capitalized on some of the most common concerns to spread disinformation, while sowing fear and distrust among vulnerable groups. "Our core finding is that the anti-vaxxer movement will tailor their messaging to different communities," said Imran Ahmed, CEO of the center. In the United States, many of these messages specifically target the Black community, drawing on examples such as the Tuskegee experiment to support the narrative that vaccines and other medical treatments come with a racist agenda. The infamous study, which ran from the 1930s into the 1970s, saw Black men in Alabama left untreated for syphilis so researchers could learn about the disease. In the UK, these messages have targeted Muslim and other ethnic and religious minorities. "Now we are seeing language questioning whether or not the vaccine is halal," said Ahmed, pointing out how UK-based anti-vaxxers have tailored their language to fit the concerns of the targeted community. "But it is everyone — for moms, they make it about their children's health. For people who care about health and wellness, they use the language of pseudoscience that is so common in the wellness industry," he said. Experts say that if the UK government is going to reach its goal of vaccinating 70% of the population to achieve herd immunity against COVID-19, everyone from health professionals to community leaders will need to address these concerns with reliable, trustworthy information. "We need to have a presence in ad hoc spaces that people are taking advantage of," said Ahmed, speaking to the need for health professionals to engage with people in local Facebook groups and residence associations, where this kind of misinformation is most common. "Social media has become a powerful tool in isolation," he added, pointing out that anti-vaxxers have particularly taken advantage of Instagram and YouTube. "It is where people express their anxieties about COVID — it is also where they express their anxieties about the vaccine." Now, people from doctors to celebrities and influencers are using the same social media spaces to make sure they reach people with the right information. "Lots of people have questions," said Dr. Will Budd, a research doctor who has recently taken to TikTok under the handle @dr_will6 as a part of the UN-sponsored TeamHalo project to connect vaccine experts with the public over social media. Given its success, UK government officials are working with other influencers to try to reach more people. While Dr. Will Budd focuses on answering questions of "vaccine hesitant" people living in the United Kingdom, TeamHalo is a global initiative with ambassadors tailoring their messages for audiences around the world. Some TeamHalo ambassadors show themselves getting the vaccine and update their followers on any side effects. Others describe how vaccines are shipped and distributed, letting ordinary social media users in on every detail of the inoculation. "Of course, there are a few anti-vaxxers and they're almost impossible to engage with," he continued. "But most of the time, people tell me that they learned something." 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| 8Society
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Flaring tensions in disputed areas of the South China Sea, and coronavirus-related lockdown measures complicating distribution of fish catches, are threatening the survival of Filipino fishermen, according to activists. Members of BIGKIS, a collective of fishermen from the northern fishing provinces of Zambales and Pangasinan, have said the presence of Chinese boats in the Philippines Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) hampers their fishing activities. In addition, quarantine-related checkpoints prevent the transport of catch from closer municipal waters to larger fishing markets, forcing the collective to sell their catch at a loss. Vicente Pauan, 35, told DW that fishers like him had been affected by China’s "aggressive" encroachment in the South China Sea since 2012, when Beijing started building military structures on islands and atolls in the region. "We do not even have enough fish to feed our families. We sell at a loss and are buried in debt. We will starve," Pauan said. Alternative livelihoods such as construction work have disappeared because of the economic slowdown brought on by a prolonged pandemic lockdown. "Our fishermen are cornered. We are not only speaking about livelihood here but also the right to live," Ria Teves, president of the grassroots NGO Peoples Development Institute, told DW. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea, although the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in 2016 that China's claims were inconsistent with international law. Annually about $3 trillion (€2.45 trillion) worth of ship-borne trade passes through the contested waters, which are also rich fishing grounds. In March 2020, tensions between the Philippines and China came to a climax after hundreds of Chinese boats were spotted in the disputed portions of the South China Sea. Philippine defense and foreign ministers and President Rodrigo Duterte's legal adviser claim that the "threatening" Chinese vessels are manned by militias. National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana slammed Beijing's maritime presence, calling it "a provocative action of militarizing the area." China's embassy in Manila has denied the presence of militias. Duterte, who is also eyeing big Chinese investments, has refrained from directly criticizing Beijing. The president said that the 2016 ruling by the arbitration tribunal in The Hague was "a scrap of paper that should be thrown in the wastebasket." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video In July, Duterte said China was "in possession" of the South China Sea. "China is claiming it. We are claiming it. ... China has arms. ... We do not. It's as simple as that. ... What can we do?" Duterte said in response to criticisms that his administration had not done enough to assert the Philippines' South China Sea claims. Retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio has publicly urged the president to retract his statements. He also warned that Duterte's statements could have major repercussions for Filipino fishermen. "You are allowing the largest fishing fleet in the world into our waters while discouraging our own fishermen. ... Duterte doesn't care about Filipino fishermen," Carpio said. "It is very sad. Our commander-in-chief, the one tasked to protect our territory, does not want to defend our sovereign rights," he said, adding that Manila is unlikely to challenge Beijing with Duterte in charge. After weeks of ministers speaking out against China's conduct in the contested waters, Duterte issued a gag order on May 17, preventing his cabinet from speaking on the South China Sea in public. "If we talk, we talk, but just among us," he said. Duterte maintained that the Philippines would defend its rightful territories and instructed maritime patrols to continue. Security expert Jose Antonio Custodio dismissed the move as a mere public relations stunt. "The chief executive is consistently defeatist when it comes to China. In that regard, China has already won a strategic victory over us," Custodio told DW. Political analyst Richard Heydarian, however, said the pushback on Duterte's China stance from such high-ranking officials as the foreign and defense secretaries indicate that Duterte does not have unilateral influence on foreign policy. Though they have no territorial claims, Western powers have recently directed their naval assets in the South China Sea to challenge China's expansion in the region. But the multinational show of force may not tip the scales in favor of the Philippines. "The shared naval passage is where our interests converge, but it is only us who can defend our fishing rights," Jay Batongbacal, director of the University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, told DW. Batongbacal said China's expansion in the South China Sea was inevitable. "China has a population of over 1 billion that it needs to feed. There is nothing ideological or even political about that, it is simply practical," he said. "We will get less and less fish because we cannot control China's overfishing. We may soon see the collapse of our fishing sector, " Batongbacal added.
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| 7Politics
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Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko on Monday announced the formation of a joint unit of Belarusian forces with the Russian army. Lukashenko said the move was due to growing tensions on Belarus's border with Ukraine, saying it was necessary to bolster security. The announcement came amid a barrage of Russian missile strikes in several Ukrainian cities, which killed at least 11 people and wounded more than 60 others. Lukashenko said he had agreed on the joint deployment with Russian President Vladimir Putin at an informal summit of heads of former Soviet states. "We have agreed to deploy a regional grouping of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus," he said in quotes carried by state news agency Belta. The 68-year-old leader did not elaborate on where the troops would be deployed. The formation of these troops started two days ago, he said, and coincided with an explosion on the Kerch Bridge, which links Crimea to Russia. "Without escalating the situation, I want you to understand: If you want peace, you need to prepare for war. Always," he said. The Minsk autocrat — who has ruled Belarus since 1994 — claimed Ukraine was planning an attack on his country. He said Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine were training Belarusian "radicals" to carry out terror attacks. He said the warning had come through "unofficial channels," who said Ukraine was planning a "Crimean Bridge 2." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Kyiv has not claimed responsibility for the blast on the strategically important 12-mile (19-kilometer) Kerch Bridge but has celebrated it. The formation of the joint force has sparked concern that Belarus could be planning a preemptive attack on Ukraine. Ahead of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, Belarus allowed Russian troops into the country under the pretext of military exercises. Russia used the country as a staging post for the invasion of northern Ukraine. Belarus is reliant both financially and politically on Russia, its main ally. There have been no indications that Ukraine is preparing an assault on its northern neighbor. The Belarusian army has some 60,000 people. Minsk deployed 6 battalion-tactical groups, several thousand people, to the border areas earlier this year. The head of Belarus's border guards on Sunday accused Ukraine of provocations at the frontier. rc/rs (AFP, dpa, Reuters)
| 2Conflicts
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Iran's Revolutionary Guards detained several foreigners, state media reported on Wednesday, including the UK's second most senior diplomat in the country. "These spies were taking earth samples in Iran's central desert where the Revolutionary Guards' aerospace missile exercises were conducted," state TV said. Footage played on television showed the deputy head of mission at the British Embassy, Giles Whitaker, and his family in central Iran. Whitaker appears to be collecting soil samples in the video. The UK Foreign Office denied that its diplomat was arrested, calling the report "completely false." Other detainees included the husband of Austria's cultural attache in Iran and Polish university professor Maciej Walczak The professor, along with three colleagues, was in Iran on a scientific exchange program. There was also footage purporting to show Walczak taking pieces of soil from the ground. Iranian media said their alleged sample collection coincided with a missile test in Iran's southern Kerman province. Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards have arrested dozens of dual nationals and foreigners in recent years, mostly on espionage and security-related charges. A Belgian humanitarian worker, as well as a French couple who were sightseeing in Iran have all been detained in recent months for alleged spying or "agitating." The detentions follow rising tensions over the rapid advancement of Iran's nuclear work, while talks to revive the landmark 2015 nuclear agreement have stalled. Rights groups have accused the Islamic Republic of trying to win concessions from other countries through arrests on security charges that may have been trumped up. Although Tehran denies this, British-Iranian journalist Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was released after six years in prison in late March, immediately after the UK paid hundreds of millions of pounds that Tehran claimed it had owed them for decades. es/sms (AFP, Reuters)
| 7Politics
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"We have loved long enough and want to hate at last!" wrote the 24-year-old German poet Georg Herwegh in 1841. He called for love to be replaced by hate, for "tyranny on Earth" to be fought for, and for "the chains of oppression to be broken." Herwegh was one of the most important political poets of the Young Germany movement, who were active during the period before the revolution that began in March 1848. He and his like-minded contemporaries sought to overthrow by force the rule of the princes in the German Confederation. The hatred felt by Herwegh and his comrades-in-arms was directed against the aristocratic rulers and the existing order. All means were acceptable to the radical, democratic insurgents. But the revolution failed. The lyrics of Herwegh's "Song of Hate" and the German revolutions of 1848 to 1849 are just a few of the themes in the exhibition "Hatred. What Moves Us" at the Haus der Geschichte Baden-Württemberg (House of History in the southwestern German state of Baden-Württemberg). The exhibit encompasses 200 objects from 200 years that portray hatred in all its forms and manifestations. From hatred of women to hatred of Jews, to hatred of "infidels" or "foreigners," the shows reflects our society up to the present day. "I have seen too much hate to want to hate, myself," civil rights leader Martin Luther King is quoted as saying. And yet, over 50 years after his assassination, hatred remains a central phenomena in our society. A symbol of that hatred which runs through society are green-blue ropes that are strung through the museum's exhibition spaces, and which characterize "society's entanglement in hate," said Sebastian Dörfler, who is part of the curatorial team. The deadly attack in Hanau, Germany in 2020, motivated by racism and antisemitism; the murder of Kassel district president Walter Lübcke in 2019; the NSU attacks on Turkish-Germans in the early 2000s are just few examples giving the impression that the number of hate-motivated crimes is increasing. "As a historian, I would question that notion. Yes, the internet has dramatically facilitated the spread of hate-filled messages, but of course, they existed much earlier," said Dörfler. "The phenomenon is certainly not new, but it is more noticeable." The exhibition in the House of History therefore not only looks at the present, but also sheds light on two centuries' worth of aversion, hostility, fear, envy and contempt. The show begins with the 19th-century German Empire and a look at the assassination attempt on its chancellor and prime minister, Otto von Bismarck. The attempt failed, and the assassin committed suicide the following day. A central focus of the exhibition is a section dealing with hatred stemming from the far right. "Right-wing extremism is a fundamental evil of our society that goes hand-in-hand with democracy," said Dörfler, who studies the phenomenon. Although several contemporary examples are shown in the exhibition, past far-right attacks are also recalled, such as those carried out by the neo-Nazi organization Deutsche Aktionsgruppen ("German Action Groups") in 1980. "This group was not isolated; they actually did all the things that we also see today," said Dörfler. "They attacked a local politician; they targeted the culture of remembrance and, of course, 'foreigners.'" "In the process, they murdered two Vietnamese people. This shows that there are long strands that reach everywhere," said Dörfler. "We must not make the mistake of believing that everything we are experiencing now has come out of nowhere," Dörfler added. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A showcase in the exhibit with red women's shoes is intended to commemorate murdered women. Every third day in Germany, a woman is murdered by her (ex-)partner. Cases of so-called femicide are often referred to as "jealousy dramas" or "family tragedies," which often only serves to minimize their impact. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video On the contrary, these cases represent a societal problem. According to statistics from the German state of Baden-Württemberg, kits for medical examination and evidence recovery after a sexual offense were recorded for 13,066 cases in 2019. More than 80% of those affected were women, with both perpetrators and victims coming from all social classes. The exhibition also counters all this hatred with a section that offers hope: People who have fought against hate and advocate an open, tolerant and democratic order. One such person is Irmela Mensah-Schramm, who has been removing stickers with racist messages from building walls, lamp posts and other urban spots since 1986. The first sticker she removed demanded freedom for Hitler's "deputy" Rudolf Hess, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in the course of the Nuremberg trial. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The 76-year-old has meanwhile removed more than 90,000 stickers and over 10,000 pieces of graffiti. "We want to show that you can take action. Irmela Mensah-Schramm shows that very impressively. Often you pass by some messages, mostly you ignore them or you shake your head and you move on. But she has taken action," Dörfler said. The exhibition peers into the abysses of the human soul, with a view to society and history. Hate is part of the substance of a democratic society. It flares up when people stand up for rights, when they speak out for democracy. Only if people are determined and loud in confronting hatred can this anomaly be stopped, is among the messages. The exhibition runs through July 27, 2022. It is part two of a trilogy exhibition at the House of History, looking at greed, hatred and love. This article was originally written in German.
| 4Culture
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Hurricane Ian knocked out the power across Cuba and devastated some important tobacco farms as it hit the country's western tip on Tuesday. Cuba's Electric Union said they were working over the night to gradually restore power to the country's 11 million people. Ian was expected to get even stronger over the warm Gulf of Mexico, approaching the southwest coast of the US state of Florida. The hurricane packed a punch with winds of up to 130 miles (210 kilometers) per hour recorded at San Juan y Martinez, a small town on Cuba's southwest coast. Authorities in Cuba's Pinar del Rio province evacuated 50,000 people ahead of the storm. Some 6,000 evacuees were staying in state run-shelters. The hurricane left hundreds of thousands of people without electricity and swamped fishing villages as it tracked northward toward Florida. No fatalities had been reported as of Tuesday night. State-run media said 33,000 tonnes of tobacco from prior harvests in Pinar del Rio had been secured ahead of the storm. One of Cuba's most important tobacco farms in La Robaina was damaged due to the winds. Rain and winds buffeted the capital, Havana, but the city was spared the brunt of Ian's impact. "We almost lost the roof off our house. My daughter, my husband and I tied it down with a rope to keep it from flying away," street vendor Mayelin Suarez told Reuters.
The US National Hurricane Center said on Wednesday that Ian had strengthened into a Category 4 storm as it bore down on the state of Florida with winds of 140 miles (225 kilometers) per hour. "Air Force hurricane hunters find Ian has strengthened into an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane," the NHC said in an advisory. As of 05:00 local time (09:00 UTC/GMT), mandatory evacuation orders were issued in a dozen coastal Florida counties, while voluntary evacuations were recommended in a number of areas, according to the state's emergency officials. Coastal residents emptied grocery shelves, boarded up windows and fled to evacuation shelters as Ian lashed Florida's southern tip with tropical storm-force winds hours before it was forecast to make US landfall on Wednesday evening. A hurricane warning has been extended to portions of far southwestern Florida as the storm's path veered slightly from previous predictions. US President Joe Biden's administration declared a public health emergency for the state in anticipation of the storm's arrival. "This is a really, really big hurricane,'' Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned, saying he expects damage across the state. He also warned people to prepare for power cuts. "Even if the eye of the storm doesn't hit your region, you're going to have really significant winds, it's going to knock over trees, it's going to cause interruptions," DeSantis said, adding that flooding is likely. The governor urged residents to stock up on food, water, medicine and fuel, and he called up 7,000 National Guard members to help with the effort. NASA said it was rolling back its massive Moon rocket into its storage hangar at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida because of the hurricane. lo/mkg (AFP, AP, Reuters)
| 1Catastrophe
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The World Helath Organizaton has warned that a majority of the continent's frontline health workers were dangerously exposed to COVID-19 and only a quarter of them had been successfully vaccinated. "It is important to have high vaccine coverage among health workers not only for their own protection but also for their patients and to ensure health care systems keep operating during a time of extreme need," WHO's Africa director Matshidiso Moeti said. Here is a round-up of COVID news from around the world. The UK on Thursday expressed alarm over the newly discovered coronavirus variant spreading in South Africa. The UK Health Security Agency said the B.1.1.529 variant contains a spike protein that differs dramatically from the one in the original coronavirus that COVID-19 vaccines are based on. "This is the most significant variant we have encountered to date and urgent research is underway to learn more about its transmissibility, severity, and vaccine-susceptibility," UKHSA Chief Executive Jenny Harries said. British Health Secretary Sajid Javid suggested it may impact the effectiveness of vaccines. "What we do know is there's a significant number of mutations, perhaps double the number of mutations that we have seen in the Delta variant," Health Secretary Sajid Javid told broadcasters. "And that would suggest that it may well be more transmissible and the current vaccines that we have may well be less effective." Britain earlier rushed to introduce travel restrictions on South Africa and five neighboring countries, including Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, and Eswatini. A World Health Organization working group will meet on Friday to assess the variant and possibly assign it a name from the Greek alphabet. German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on the incoming government to take quick, decisive steps as the country's total death toll passed 100,000. "We need more contact restrictions," Merkel said, adding that she had "clearly told" chancellor-in-waiting Olaf Scholz that "we can still manage this transition period together and look at all necessary measures." Germany reported 76,414 new cases and 357 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). This takes the total number of infections to 5.65 million and more than 100,000 fatalities. The seven-day incidence rate hit a fresh high of 438 new infections per 100,000 people per week, the RKI reported. Germany's air force will transfer COVID-19 patients from overwhelmed hospitals, as the fourth wave takes its toll on the country's health system. The air force is set to shuttle will seriously ill COVID-19 patients from the southern town of Memmingen to Muenster near Osnabrueck in the north, Reuters reported. It marks the first time the air force has used planes fitted with up to six ICU beds, which are labelled "flying intensive care units," to transfer COVID-19 patients within Germany. Czech President Milos Zeman returned to the hospital on Thursday hours after being released as he tested positive for COVID-19. The 77-year-old was admitted to a military hospital on October 10, a day after general elections, to be treated for liver problems. "The president's program will be suspended while he undergoes treatment for COVID-19," Jiri Ovcacek, the presidential spokesperson said. Zeman, who had received three doses of a COVID vaccine, showed no symptoms of the disease but would stay for observation, the military hospital said. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video France has launched a plan to give COVID-19 booster shots to all adults amid rising infections in the country over the last few days. Opting against a further lockdown or curfew, Health Minister Olivier Veran announced a reduction in the time gap between second and third shots from six to five months. He added that France already has enough vaccines to launch the nationwide booster campaign. The European Commission has proposed a change in travel restrictions into the EU, saying the bloc should focus on travelers' vaccination status, rather than geographic zones. It wants to do away with national travel restrictions, and allow fully vaccinated travelers to enter the EU, increasing consistency across the 27-member bloc. Chile said it would start vaccinating children aged three and above against coronavirus. The country has successfully inoculated 90% of its initial target population. Children are set to receive the Chinese CoronaVac shot already used for kids aged six to 15, the Public Health Institute said. For 16 to 18-year-olds, Chile uses the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine. adi/dj (AFP, Reuters, AP, dpa)
| 5Health
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Climate change represents the "greatest threat to the future and security" of Australia, former defense and security officials wrote in an open letter to the Australian government on Wednesday. In the letter, former defense officials said they have witnessed up-close the devastation from war and crisis but climate change was the greatest "danger" facing Australians. "The first duty of government is the safety and protection of the people, but Australia has failed when it comes to climate change threats," the letter read. The officials called upon political leaders to commit resources and make climate change a "primary focus." "Climate must be made an immediate security priority, at the top of the national agenda, with a commitment for mobilization and emergency action from all sides of politics," officials said in the letter. The Australian federal election is due sometime before May this year. Australia's eastern coast was hit hard by heavy rains and record-breaking floods earlier this March, leaving some 20 people dead. Thousands of homes were destroyed. Australians slammed the federal and state government's response to the flooding, with protesters demanding action when, on March 9, Prime Minister Scott Morrison visited Lismore, a town in northern New South Wales that bore the brunt of a two-week deluge. People held up placards that read "Coal and gas did this," and "This is what climate change looks like." "Australia is becoming a harder country to live in because of these natural disasters," Morrison told people during his visit to Lismore two weeks ago. Australia, one of the world's leading fossil fuel exporters, committed to net-zero emissions by 2050 at the United Nations climate conference in Scotland last year, which meant cutting greenhouse gas as close to zero as possible. Morrison said he would not legislate the climate goal, but would rely on consumers and companies to bring emissions under control. Australia, one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, has faced repeated onslaughts of droughts, bush fires, warmer seas, destruction of corals and floods, as global weather patterns change. AFP material contributed to this report. Edited by: John Silk
| 7Politics
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Taking advantage of a brief respite, three new moms are happy to be out of the basement and in a big warm room in the ward as they closely hold their babies on their chests. Reminders of the Russian invasion just 20 kilometers (12 miles) away from Maternity Ward 5 in Kyiv are everywhere. Curtains are drawn over every window and lights are off to ensure that any activity that takes place within the ward remain hidden from Russian planes above. Even maternity wards are targets as was the case in the besieged city of Mariupol where at least three people were killed recently, including a child. "The sound of sirens and running away is harder to bear when you're not only by yourself, but responsible for a child," said Alina, who gave birth to her daughter Vasilisa on March 8. Alina, who is from Irpin, a Kyiv suburb, wanted to go to the hospital there to give birth but heard it had been destroyed. She and her husband decided to leave for Kyiv on March 3. Enduring a 10-hour journey avoiding tanks and gunfire, they finally made it to Ukraine's capital. "My daughter became a fighter," said Alina. For now, Alina has found refuge at Maternity Ward 5. "The babies, they behave and cry like they do in peacetime, as if there were no war," said Dr. Olena Yarashchuk, the deputy director of the ward. "For us what is important is that we take care of the mothers." Taking care of the mothers now includes ensuring they are safe from Russian shelling and air raids. "When you read the news that a maternity hospital was bombed in Mariupol and you see all these terrible pictures, after that you can't do anything but sit and listen carefully for any sirens," said Alina. So when the air raid sirens whine and the shelling echoes throughout the capital they make their way down to the basement of Maternity Ward 5, now repurposed as a bunker where women can give birth or mothers can take their babies for safety. "When something like this happens, you focus on your child, the birth, yourself. Only after, do you start thinking about the rest," said Natalia who had a C-section in the bomb shelter and was upstairs for the first time since coming in. "At least you are protected in the basement," she added. Like Alina, Natalia did not want to reveal her full name. Aside from the intense fluorescent glow, the basement is dark with low ceilings and beds hugging the walls of the hallways. It's warm, but not cozy. A makeshift emergency room is located down a long hallway and has everything you would need, including an incubator for babies that struggle with health issues. It doesn't matter that there is plaster all over the wall or a mattress on the floor. What matters is that it can be used effectively. "We can give birth here, we can do operations here, it can be used for intensive care," said Yarashchuk, who has been at the ward for over 20 years. She can't give us exact numbers, but points out that there are far fewer patients now than before the war. Typically women will stay three days. Now, some leave five hours after having given birth. With fewer patients and more space many doctors and their families stay in different rooms in the ward. Whenever there is a threat, they too head down to the basement. Yarashchuk moved her family to the ward after her neighbor's house was hit by a Russian bomb. She does her best to keep the fear at bay by reassuring everyone that Ukraine "will prevail and win the war." The ward still has all the medicine and supplies it needs for care, according to Yarashchuk. For her, it's one more reason to look on the bright side. The director of the ward, Dr. Dmytro Hovsyeyev, who has been at the clinic for 40 years, looks at it this way: "People come and bring bread and sweets. They don't even say who it's from, they just come and leave it at the security post for those who take care of the young mothers. This gives me hope. I think people who behave like this cannot be subdued." The optimistic approach and determination to give the care that patients need clearly has an effect on the three new-mothers in their room. After everything they've been through and everything that's ahead, they're faces still glow from looking at their little ones. Edited by: Rob Mudge To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
| 2Conflicts
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The title of reigning champion tends to bring a high degree of jeopardy at the World Cup. The defending champs have gone out in the group stage in four of the past five tournaments, including France in 2002, and this opening test versus Australia was a potential banana skin. For a while, it looked like France might come unstuck again. The fired-up Socceroos flooded forward in the ninth minute, with Craig Goodwin arriving unmarked at the far post. The Adelaide United forward made no mistake, emphatically lashing the ball into the roof of the net. France recovered from the early blow and it was Giroud's night, scoring two, including his 51st in 115 games for France, to equal the record set by Thierry Henry. "It's a pride, an honor," Giroud said at full-time. "I appreciate all the work I've done, but also the great French teams in which I've played. It's also a collective work, I try to finish the work of the guys." Before the comeback was the scare. With another shockbrewing, it took Australia's goal to jolt France into action. Adrien Rabiot tapped in an equaliser, with Giroud scoring his pair of goals each side of Kylian Mbappe's first goal in Qatar. The loss of Karim Benzema is an issue that may reveal its true cost later in the tournament, when his ability to produce magic moments is needed most. Although Benzema sometimes struggles to click in a France shirt, bringing his best performances for Real Madrid. However, with a starting attack of Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele it's hard to feel too sorry for France; their depth of talent looks capable of absorbing the loss of the Ballon d'Or winner, and Giroud spoke of his understanding with his teammates. A greater concern for France coach Didier Deschamps will be his side's mounting injuries at the back. Lucas Hernandez, the Bayern Munich defender, will miss the rest of the World Cup, injured in the build-up to Australia's goal. Raphael Varane is still not fit and the injured Presnel Kimpembe is already out of the tournament, robbing Deschamps of his first-choice pair. Former RB Leipzig pair Dayot Upamecano and Ibrahima Konate held things together here but things aren't ideal for the French, even if Deschamps can call upon an impressive list of reserves. "I will find other solutions in relation to Lucas," said Deschamps. "If we want to be quiet in all positions we should take 33 players! Theo (Hernandez) is there, then there will be other alternatives." The cascading list of injured French players includes Paul Pogba and N'Golo Kante, which has left the coach with a midfield conundrum too. But up front, Giroud continues to do his best work in the shadows. The perennially underappreciated finisher has pedigree. He's a Champions League winner, has won trophies in England, France and Italy and is now the oldest goalscorer for a European nation at the World Cup since Switzerland's Georges Bregy in 1994. It was fitting that Mbappe, France's best player on the night and probably the best in the world right now, scored the third: a rare header from Dembele's perfect cross. Mbappe is now on 29 international goals at 23-years-old and will one day take the crown from Giroud that he'll soon take from Henry. At 36, Giroud may be 13 years Mbappe's senior, but he will be crucial to France's hopes in this tournament, offering a focal point that many teams wish they had, including Germany. Benzema's dynamism and scoring ability is hard to replace. In Griezmann, Mbappe and Dembele they have a balanced attacking dynamic, while the evergreen Giroud quietly delivers the goals.
| 9Sports
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The British government is aiming to resolve trade disruptions between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said amid reports of problems caused by post-Brexit regulations coming into force at the beginning of the year. The Road Haulage Association (RHA) sent a report to the minister warning that the "supply chain is collapsing and within a matter of a week may totally collapse," Northern Ireland's The News Letter reported on Saturday. Several supermarket chains in Northern Ireland were forced to withdraw some produce from their shelves as the new regulations caused backlogs and delays. An editor for The News Letter tweeted a picture of oranges at a supermarket warehouse in Belfast, saying that the fruit took too long to arrive from the mainland and eventually needed to be thrown out. On Friday, Gove said the government was working on the issue, but added: "We said that there would be some initial disruption, we're ironing it out, but the situation will get worse before it gets better." There were also disruptions at Calais during the first week after Brexit came into full effect, as well as for haulers heading to the Republic of Ireland. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The situation is expected to deteriorate as activity ramps up after the relatively quiet holiday season. "The real challenge and potential for significant disruption starts next week, when we expect that the number of lorries heading to the border may return to normal levels," Gove said. According to new regulations, drivers must fill out a slew of new paperwork when they travel to the EU. So far 700 trucks have been turned away from the border and 150 fines had been given out for non-compliance, the British government said. The Republic of Ireland announced a temporary easing of customs arrangements on Friday to facilitate the movement of haulers and businesses that were struggling with the new documentation regulations, the Irish Times newspaper reported, although it was not clear how long the easing would last. Northern Ireland borders the independent Republic of Ireland, making it the only part of the UK to share a land border with the EU. The goods from the rest of the UK are transported across the Irish Sea. ab/dj (dpa, Reuters)
| 7Politics
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In October 2018, the global #MeToo movement against sexual abuse and harassment perpetrated by powerful men in society reached India's mainstream public discourse. A number of women came out with allegations and accounts of harassment on social media and other platforms. Accusations were leveled against several prominent personalities, but perhaps the most high-profile one was the case against former junior external affairs minister, M.J. Akbar. Journalist Priya Ramani, who had accused the former editor of inviting her to his hotel room for a job interview and behaving inappropriately, found herself at the receiving end of a 41-page defamation suit. Two years later, a Delhi court acquitted her of all charges. Taking into consideration the difficulties that women face in filing harassment complaints, the court said, "the right of reputation cannot be protected at the cost of dignity." It was hailed as a landmark judgment and celebrated by women across the country. "This shows us that women can withstand any pushbacks … That it's not that easy to shut us down and silence our truths," Ramani told DW. Like in other places across the world, the #MeToo movement generated discussion in India about sexual harassment within the workplace, particularly in the entertainment and film industries. As an immediate aftereffect, more women were encouraged to speak up against their harassers, both publicly and anonymously. Filmmaker Vinta Nanda had spoken up against veteran Bollywood actor Alok Nath, whom she accused of rape. "Before the movement, I was afraid to move because I felt isolated and ostracized," she told DW. But now, she added, "I know I am not alone." "Most of the others who have spoken out feel the same way as I do and that is one massive step forward that the women's empowerment movement has taken," she said. Nath was accused of sexual harassment by other women from the film industry, including actor Sandhya Mridul and singer Sona Mohapatra. He was stripped of his membership of the Cine and TV Artistes' Association (CINTAA) after he failed to appear before a special committee. While the actor faced temporary backlash, there were no long-term consequences. The case against him was eventually dropped due to lack of evidence. The case against prominent actor Nana Patekar, who was accused by actor Tanushree Dutta, was also dropped due to lack of evidence. While many of the accused faced some loss of projects or assignments, most of them have been able to find work and acceptance in the industry. Other public personalities, such as branding professional Suhel Seth and director Rajkumar Hirani, have been able to gradually resume their professional pursuits after an initial period of laying low and staying out of the public sphere. However, making these discussions part of the public discourse itself has been a huge victory for survivors. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video It is important to note that before the #MeToo movement took off in India, law student Raya Sarkar had come up with a list of alleged sexual harassers in academia back in 2017. The list had drawn mixed reactions from women in India. Many leading Indian feminists criticized it and recommended adherence to due process in cases of sexual assault and harassment. "If due process were done with integrity, the victims would not have approached me in the first place," Sarkar told DW at the time. She reiterated the failure of due process, which allowed predatory behavior from powerful men to go unchecked. While the list failed to create a significant impact, it highlighted the fact that speaking out publicly is not always an option for those who lack the voice, or resources. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Rukmini Sen, a professor of sociology at the Ambedkar University in New Delhi, says that many have raised the issue of the #MeToo movement not being inclusive, particularly when it comes to hearing the complaints of people from marginalized communities such as Dalits, queer, disabled, trans people and other non-binary persons. "It is important to take this criticism on board, also because the law of the land only protects women, and not other marginal genders, from sexual harassment in the workplace," she told DW. "There are definitely some fields where women can speak out comparatively more. However, in the last few years, we have seen students in higher educational institutions, women in the legal profession, in media and journalism, entertainment and film industry, all speaking out," Sen added. While India's #MeToo movement seems to have achieved little measurable success, the movement has evidently made it easier for women to speak up against sexual harassment in the workplace. The recent verdict has brought back into focus the issue of sexual harassment, which many women continue to face. "When the Priya Ramani verdict came in, I cried. I couldn't help myself. I felt vindicated. As for justice, it's been hard for those who weren't able to garner support among their friends, families and communities. But the recent victory of Ramani has been a victory for all the survivors," said Nanda.
| 8Society
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The miragelike Grand Mosque of Djenne in Mali could have very well have inspired Antoni Gaudi's renowned Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona. In Burkina Faso, the iconic Grand Mosque of Bobo-Dioulasso features conical towers dotted with wooden struts that resemble spears from afar but double up as scaffolding for repair works whenever necessary. These are but two of the numerous impressive buildings that first captivated Berlin-based architect and publisher Phillip Meuser. It was during his work trips to West Africa that Meuser discovered the richness and originality of sub-Saharan African architecture, which until then hardly got mention in specialist literature. This sparked the idea for an exercise in superlatives: a seven-volume, 3,400-page sub-Saharan architectural encyclopedia with contributions from nearly 350 local and international authors covering the history and beauty of 850 significant buildings in 49 countries in Africa. "The biggest challenge with this book project was striking a balance. We are based in Europe and perceive the region from Europe. We couldn't visit every place. We had to rely on many experts to support us," Meuser told DW in an interview. In his introductory essay, the architect first analyses the basic forms of African architecture. Traditionally, the architecture in sub-Saharan Africa is based on archaic building forms meant to protect against the weather, cold, and wild animals. A typical feature, for example, is large, overhanging roofs that protect against heavy rain. And clay is often used in West African architecture, especially in regions with minimal rainfall. During the colonial period, powers such as France and Britain erected numerous administrative buildings, and many metropolises resembled European-style cities. Classicist buildings, Gothic churches and rural dwellings mostly mirrored European building culture. From the 1960s onward, Tropical Modernism developed in the wake of independence, expressing the climatic conditions in forms of architectural openness that were oriented toward the design asceticism of postwar modernism in Europe. Besides this historical dimension, the focus is on the near future, particularly marked by ecological issues and immigration to the metropolises. The urban population of some African metropolises are projected to almost double in the next 30 years, with more than 400 million people expected to flock to the cities. Nevertheless, the cityscape of metropolises such as Lagos, Bamako or Luanda tends to be flat, with hardly any high-rises. "Cities in sub-Saharan Africa are mostly a collection of many neighborhoods, of villages. I don't want to describe this in a judgmental way: it is a community of houses that have not grown upwards, but have remained in the area," explains Meuser. China's involvement in African architecture in recent decades is also striking. Besides numerous sports arenas, entire cities, railway lines and airports have been built by Chinese construction companies. Many of these buildings could very well be standing in either China or North Korea, their architecture seemingly out of place here. This not entirely altruistic infrastructure support is compensated with raw material deliveries and mining rights. Meuser, however, views this as a new form of colonialism. He cites the large-scale, Chinese built housing project in Kilamba, a satellite town located 30 kilometers (18 miles) south of Luanda in Angola. "Aerial photos show that it is a cookie-cutter city with individual neighborhoods only distinguished by the different colors on their facades. Some of the houses are ten storeys high. A completely foreign city typology." For a country like Angola, such a large-scale project for 500,000 people is a welcome prestige project that signals economic attractiveness and is meant to invite investors. The only thing African about this property, though, is its geographical location, not its inspiration. There are nevertheless impressive building projects that combine regional traditions with sustainable concepts. Located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the Lideta Mercato is a roofed market conceptualized by Spanish architect Xavier Vilalta. The white building's facade is punctuated with square openings, inspired by the geometrical prints of Ethiopian women's traditional dresses. Like the maw of a giant whale, the fascinating entrance leads into an intricate labyrinth of stairs. Large solar panels on the roof and a rainwater harvesting system make this an ecologically ambitious self-sustaining building. The majority of sub-Saharan building projects focus more on fundamental issues. Architect Francis Kere, who hails from Burkina Faso, attracted a lot of attention with his opera village project in Laongo. The building and cultural project initiated by German theatre director, Christoph Schlingensief, is still considered a model for the African architectural scene. It combines proven building concepts such as permeable facades and protruding roof structures that allow for natural ventilation. What is also remarkable about this project is the basic idea of involving village residents in the basic building processes. The redesigning of megacities such as Lagos, which are dominated by huge slums, is a central theme of sub-Saharan architecture. A striking example is a project involving raftlike buildings in Lagos Bay. The Nigerian architect Kunle Adeyemi conceptualized the Makoko Floating School, a failed but nonetheless groundbreaking construction project. The triangular floating structure is made of recycled material and has its own sewage system. With such structures, the Makoko district could be transformed from a slum into an ecologically sustainable livable neighborhood. This is still a dream, but also an important trend of current and vital architecture on the sub-Saharan map. Philipp Meuser, Adil Dalbai (eds.): Sub-Saharan Africa: Architectural Guide, seven volumes, 3,412 pages, Dom Publishers, Berlin This article was adapted from the German by Brenda Haas.
| 4Culture
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The Syrian army on Monday said Israel's military fired missiles toward the international airport in Damascus, putting it out of service. Two soldiers were killed, and two others injured. There was some material damage to the nearby area, the army added in a statement. The debris had been removed and flights would resume from 9 a.m. local time (0600 GMT), said the Transport Ministry. Syria's state news agency SANA reported, citing a military source, that Israel carried out an air attack with "barrages of missiles, targeting Damascus International Airport and its surroundings" at around 2 a.m. (2300 GMT). The report added that the attack caused "the death of two soldiers... [and put] Damascus international airport out of service." The Syrian army said missile attacks also hit the south of Damascus, killing two soldiers. There has been no comment from the Israeli military on the incident. An opposition war monitor, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), said the Israeli strikes hit the airport as well as an arms depot close to the facility south of Damascus. "Four fighters including two Syrian soldiers were killed" by the Israeli strike, Rami Abdul Rahman, head of SOHR, told the AFP news agency. The missiles also hit "positions for Hezbollah and pro-Iranian groups inside the airport and its surroundings, including a weapons warehouse," Abdul Rahman said. This is the second time the Damascus International Airport was put of service in less than a year. It was previously attacked by Israeli airstrikes on June 10, 2022. During the last attack, there was heavy damage to the runways and infrastructure. It had been shut for two weeks for repairs. Israel has repeatedly bombed Iranian-backed militant groups in Syria. It has also carried out strikes on targets in government-controlled parts of the war-torn country, particularly ports and airports, in an apparent attempt to prevent arms shipments from Iran to militant groups backed by Tehran. Western and regional intelligence sources say Tehran has adopted civilian air transportation as a more reliable means of ferrying military equipment to allied fighters in Syria, following Israeli disruption of ground supply. Correction, January 2, 2023: A previous version of this article stated that Tel Aviv had not commented on the incident. This has been corrected to reflect that the Israeli military had not commented. We apologize for the error. tg/wd,jcg (AFP, AP, Reuters)
| 2Conflicts
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Food shortages, foreign workers leaving and gas stations running empty. Britain certainly had its fair share of setbacks since the Brexit transition period — meant to smooth the UK's departure from the European Union — came to an end a year ago. A supply chain crisis, exacerbated by a shortage of truck drivers and other workers from EU countries, caused empty supermarket shelves, long lines for fuel for several weeks in September, and even the slaughter and disposal of thousands of pigs. New rules governing EU-UK trade took effect in January 2021, requiring four-page customs forms for all goods and health certificates for meat and dairy products. As a result, British exports to the EU fell nearly 15% in the first 10 months of the year, according to the EU's statistics agency Eurostat, while UK agri-food exports dropped by more than a quarter. All this happened as the country battled the then-new Alpha variant of the coronavirus that sent the UK into its third national lockdown. While the government insisted it was impossible to disentangle Brexit from the COVID effect, many economists disagreed. "What we can say is that the notable loss of UK trade with continental Europe … was not mirrored in UK trade with the rest of the world," Iain Begg, Professorial Research Fellow at the European Institute, London School of Economics (LSE), told DW. Brexit was supposed to bring an end to EU bureaucracy, but instead of allowing a bonfire of red tape, the additional paperwork hiked export costs that hit many UK and EU-based businesses hard. Small British firms, in particular, said their sales to the EU dropped off a cliff. Simon Spurrell, the co-founder of the Cheshire Cheese Company, told the Guardian newspaper recently that the post-Brexit trade deal was the "biggest disaster any government has ever negotiated." Some EU retailers have stopped taking orders from the UK. "It's the small businesses that suffer from the excessive paperwork, not the giants like Nissan," said Begg, referring to the Japanese automaker that has renewed its commitment to UK production, despite Brexit uncertainty. Red tape is set to get much worse from January, as the UK introduces new paperwork for imports from the EU, which must be lodged with authorities before goods are loaded on trains or trucks to Britain. The plans have been delayed three times over the past year to avoid further pain for businesses. Adding insult to injury for UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was the resignation this month of his chief Brexit negotiator, Lord David Frost. Some analysts speculated that the departure was hastened by pressure on Johnson to adopt a softer approach to negotiations with Brussels, as an all-out trade war loomed over several thorny issues. The post-Brexit trade deal left much "unfinished business," according to Begg, including over Northern Ireland, fisheries and financial services. The City of London financial hub is a major contributor to the British economy, and was "almost neglected" in the Brexit negotiations, he told DW. The City is trying to obtain what's known as equivalence with the EU — where both sides accept each other's regulations. But the Institute of Government think tank believes a permanent deal is currently unlikely. Jake Green, from London law firm Ashurst, told the Financial News weekly that Brexit was "going to get real" for banks and other financial firms in 2022, adding that the past 12 months have "been a bit of a hall pass for everyone." The row between Britain and France over fishing rights in UK-EU waters is set to persist, while the Northern Ireland protocol — a measure to avoid a hard border between the British territory of Northern Ireland and EU member, the Republic of Ireland — will only be settled when London concedes that the European Court of Justice should rule on trade disputes. "The optimal outcome for Northern Ireland would be if the border became almost invisible," Begg told DW. "There is a move towards that, but it will never be 100% because logic says you must have a border somewhere." UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has taken charge of the UK's Brexit negotiations. Truss is charged with keeping Euroskeptics within the ruling UK Conservative Party onside about the direction of Brexit, while not antagonizing Brussels further. Describing how Johnson and Frost "managed to rub people up the wrong way," Begg said the British had "misunderstood Germany's position on Brexit," thinking that Berlin would intervene during the Brexit standoff with the EU to avoid compromising a key export market for German automakers. "Angela Merkel never rode to their [the British government's] rescue and I very much doubt that new Chancellor Olaf Scholz will do anything different." Few positives have emerged about Global Britain — the promise that Brexit would allow the UK to boost its trade with the rest of the world A free trade deal with the United States remains elusive, especially since Donald Trump's election defeat, and closer trade ties with China are off the table for now due to political tensions over Hong Kong. While Britain has concluded new deals with Japan, Australia and New Zealand, "It's more a question of: 'Who cares?'" said Begg, as the three countries represent a tiny share of UK exports. "Even if we double that share, they're still tiny." The post-Brexit trade deal hasn't, however, led to some of the worst doomsday predictions. Rather than half a million job losses, Britain still has a major shortage of workers — after the UK ended freedom of movement for EU nationals. Rather than a forecast 18% fall in real estate prices, British property values hit an all-time high this year, climbing more than 20% since the 2016 referendum. UK residents will have to wait another eight years to see if they are each £4,300 (€5,117, $5,780) poorer by 2030, as predicted, but Britain's Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) thinks gross domestic product (GDP) has taken a 1.4% hit since the 2016 referendum, and in the longer term, UK GDP will be 4% lower than if there had been no divorce. Despite the gloomy headlines, political campaigning and a recent poll showing that 60% of Britons now think Brexit has gone "badly" or "worse than expected," the chances of Britain rejoining the EU remain as unlikely as ever, said Begg. "The whole Brexit saga has been so painful in UK domestic politics that I cannot see any wish to rejoin anytime soon." From the EU side, "I can't see it happening in a generation, let alone in the near future." The LSE economist said Brexit has "caused enormous difficulty and wasted an incredible amount of time [for EU states] when there were other pressing problems." Edited by: Kristie Pladson
| 0Business
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Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has signed an executive order to spend 5.3 billion reais ($918 million; €783 million) in funds to fight the coronavirus. The commitment came as Brazil registered 3,780 deaths on Tuesday, a new record for the country. Brazil now accounts for nearly a quarter of the total coronavirus deaths registered every day across the world. Bolsonaro's handling of the pandemic has been widely condemned, most recently as the country’s vaccination drive faces a lack of shots. Brazil expected to receive 46 million vaccine doses this month but ended up with only 22 million. The Finance Ministry said the newly announced loans will be used to support Brazil's healthcare system. The funds will be used at over 2,600 public health clinics and to build more hospital beds. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The pandemic has stalled efforts to reach global gender equality, a report from the World Economic Forum has revealed. At the current rate, it will take 133.4 years to achieve equality between men and women worldwide. The WEF evaluates progress in achieving gender equality in four key dimensions: economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival and political empowerment. Austria has said that it will look to order at least 1 million doses of the Russian Sputnik V doses, potentially as early as next week. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has argued Vienna is not going to receive their fair share from the EU's joint purchasing scheme. Previously Kurz had said he would wait for approval from the European regulatory body, the EMA. He made no mention of this on Wednesday. Two other EU nations have already placed orders: Slovakia and Hungary. Russia announced registering what it said was the world's first COVID-19 vaccine for animals. The Russian agriculture oversight agency Rosselkhoznadzor said it had been testing the vaccine called Carnivak-Cov since October. "All test animals that were vaccinated developed antibodies to coronavirus in 100 percent of cases," said Konstantin Savenkov, deputy head of Rosselkhoznadzor. Savenkov said Carnivak-Cov was a vital step to disrupting mutations, citing the mutated coronavirus outbreak among mink in Denmark. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Spain has expanded the list of places where people have to wear masks "until the end of the crisis." This includes all public places — inside and outside — even when a distance of 1.5 meters can be maintained, for example, the pool and the beach. The government has also announced that the country will use the AstraZeneca vaccine for people aged 55-65, but could give Johnson & Johnson's version of the shot to older people once it is available in the country. Germany has registered 17,051 new coronavirus infections, taking the total number of cases to 2,808,873, according to data from the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases. With 249 deaths reported, the country’s death toll has risen to 76,342. Germany will offer its first public round-the-clock vaccination center offered by the German army. The center will operate 24 hours a day, and will be able to handle 1,000 injections per day, state authorities said. Ukraine reported a record number of new coronavirus deaths and daily hospitalizations. The country's health system is under a huge burden as authorities struggle to accelerate a vaccine rollout. Venezuela has received doses of Russian coronavirus vaccine candidate EpiVacCorona for trials, officials have announced. In a visit to Venezuela, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov said: "We could consider supplying that vaccine in addition to Sputnik V." Venezuela is set to be supplied with 10 million doses of the Sputnik V shot, Russia's flagship jab, but so far only several hundred thousand have been received. More than 115,000 EpiVacCorona doses have been introduced into Russia's vaccination campaign. Moscow said it had produced positive results, although some trial volunteers have voiced concerns about its efficacy. South Africa has restricted the sale of alcohol over Easter to prevent a new surge in COVID-19 cases. The government has also restricted gatherings to a maximum of 250 people at indoor religious gatherings and 500 people at outdoor events. "Given the role of alcohol in fuelling reckless behavior, we will put in place some restrictions over the Easter weekend," President Cyril Ramaphosa said, with retail sales of alcohol banned Friday through Monday. China’s southwestern city of Ruili, which borders Myanmar, has ordered mass testing and a one-week home quarantine of residents after six new locally transmitted coronavirus cases were reported. While the six cases were Chinese citizens, three asymptomatic patients were citizens of Myanmar. Authorities are set to crack down on illegal border crossings following the discovery of new cases. Australia has missed its target for coronavirus vaccinations, with only around 670,000 people who have received the jab. Australia's initial target was to vaccinate 4 million people by the end of March. Officials have blamed the slow roullout on floods slowing down vaccine delivery and Europe cutting back on supply. However, Australia hit a record of 72,826 vaccinations on Tuesday, Health Minister Greg Hunt told reporters, signaling that health authorities were pushing to accelerate the process. Australia has largely contained the spread of COVID-19 through border closure and contact tracing. The country of 25 million has recorded under 30,000 coronavirus cases. Yemen has received on Wednesday its first batch of coronavirus vaccine doses through the COVAX program. The UN children's agency said the war-torn country received 360,000 shots as the first shipment of 1.9 million doses set to arrive throughout the year. fb, see/nm (Reuters, AP, AFP, dpa)
| 5Health
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Pakistan has moved to ban a hard-line party after two police officers were killed in protests following the arrest of the group's leader, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid said on Wednesday. The Tehreek-i-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) party, which has widely denounced perceived acts of blasphemy against Islam, has organized three days of protests in which more than 100 police officers have been injured. The group opposes the publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad in France, and also the French response reaffirming the right to "blasphemy" after schoolteacher Samuel Paty was beheaded last October. The TLP has demanded that the government expel the French ambassador and endorse a boycott of French products. On Wednesday, Pakistani security forces fired tear gas and used batons to clear sit-ins staged by supporters two days after the arrest of Saad Rizvi, the head of the TLP. Two police officers and three others have been killed in the clashes, which started on Monday after police arrested Rizvi for threatening protests if the government did not expel the French ambassador for the cartoons of Prophet Muhammad. Rizvi's arrest quickly sparked violent unrest, which saw demonstrators block highways and roads in several cities. Last week, Rizvi issued a statement asking the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan to honor what he said was a commitment made in February to expel the French envoy before April 20. However, the government has said it only committed to discussing the matter in Parliament. The TLP is known for initiating massive street protests in Pakistan in response to any change in the country's blasphemy law. The party was formed in August 2015 and has been the target of government regulation before. In 2018, police arrested several TLP members, and shut down social media accounts and websites affiliated with the party. lc/dj (Reuters, AFP)
| 7Politics
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US President Joe Biden arrived in Poland Friday to see firsthand how the country is coping with the large numbers of refugees fleeing Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Biden landed in the southeastern city of Rzeszow, about 70 kilometers (45 miles) from the Ukrainian border. The president's first stop was to meet members of the US Army's 82nd Airborne Division, which is serving alongside Polish troops. He was then briefed by aid agencies on the humanitarian response to the conflict in Ukraine. Biden said he wanted to visit Poland to underscore that the assistance it is providing is of "enormous consequence" as Europe experiences the biggest refugee crisis since World War II. "It's not stopping," Biden said of the devastation in Ukraine. "It's like something out of a science fiction movie." Poland has accepted the lion's share of the more than 3.5 million Ukrainians who have fled the month-old war. More than 2.2 million have entered Poland and many want to remain there. Polish President Andrzej Duda joined Biden for the briefing with humanitarian experts. Duda thanked Biden for his support and said of the people who have fled Ukraine: "We do not want to call them refugees. They are our guests, our brothers, our neighbors from Ukraine, who today are in a very difficult situation." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Ahead of his visit, the US leader said the trip would "reinforce my commitment to have the United States make sure we are a major piece of dealing with the relocation of all those folks, as well as humanitarian assistance needed both inside Ukraine and outside Ukraine." After stopping in Rzeszow, Biden was due to head to Warsaw on Saturday, where he'll address the Polish people. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has helped to uplift relations between Washington and Warsaw. Poland is a complicated ally whose populist leaders are accused by the European Union of riding roughshod over democratic norms. Duda, who is allied with a right-wing political party, was a supporter of Donald Trump and even proposed naming a new US base after the former president. The idea was mocked and quickly dropped. He was among a handful of leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, who waited weeks before congratulating Biden on his 2020 election win, after Trump refused to accept his defeat. Biden, in turn, has criticized Poland along with Belarus and Hungary, warning about the "rise of totalitarian regimes in the world,'' which caused offense in Warsaw. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Poles continue to want a permanent base and a greater US military presence as safeguards against Russia's aggression. Duda is also likely to raise the idea of an international peacekeeping mission to Ukraine, which Biden has already ruled out. Many Poles are hoping for a sign from Biden that Washington will make stronger military commitments and continue to urge Warsaw to adhere to democratic values. En route to Poland on Air Force One, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said NATO countries were conducting "contingency planning for the possibility that Russia chooses to strike NATO territory in that context or in any other context." "And the president has been about as clear as one can be about his absolute determination to respond decisively, alongside the other members of our alliance if Russia attacks NATO," Sullivan said. Biden's visit to Poland follows his appearance at a trio of emergency war summits in Brussels on Thursday. jsi, mm/wd (AFP, AP, Reuters)
| 2Conflicts
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The Open Balkan initiative was launched three years ago by the leaders of Albania, Serbia and North Macedonia to facilitate the free movement of people, goods, services and capital in the region. To date, Kosovo, Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina have refused to join, arguing that the initiative is unnecessary because regional economic cooperation is already part of the EU integration agenda and initiatives such as the Berlin Process. This process was set up in 2014 as a platform for high-level cooperation between the six countries of the Western Balkans, EU member states and institutions, international financial institutions, and regional civil society and businesses. DW: Mr. Joseph, you have spent many years working in the countries of the Western Balkans. What is your view of the Open Balkan initiative? Edward P. Joseph: The dangers of Open Balkan are not well understood, although they are clear to many in the Balkans themselves. I served for over a dozen years — including throughout the war years — in all conflict-afflicted countries in the Balkans. Like many in the region, I see dynamics through that prism, particularly the assertion of Greater Serbia nationalism, which is today being advanced by President Aleksandar Vucic and his delegates under the banner of "Serb World." The Open Balkan initiative is not just a distraction from the core problems in the region — which are political — it actually risks making those political problems worse. We can summarize the problems with Open Balkan as follows: "dubious theory, naive construct, dangerous implications." Let's start with the implicit theory underlying Open Balkan: "Trade equals trust." (This is my description). Unfortunately, this theory crashes head-first into reality. Just look at the raging Russian aggression against Ukraine. Until February 24, Russia and Ukraine had enormous trade, nearly $10 billion worth in combined value of exports-imports. Right now, China is conducting aggressive military exercises against Taiwan — a country that exports $273 billion worth of goods to China, including critical semiconductors. China is Taiwan's number one trading partner, responsible for one-third of its trade. According to the Open Balkan theory, all of these countries should be at peace. Instead, they are either at war, or in the steps towards war. Open Balkan proponents should be asked to explain this. Instead of "trade equals trust," I offer a significantly different conclusion, namely that the impact of trade depends upon the character of the regime, whether it is democratic or autocratic/authoritarian. If Western-oriented democracies trade, then, yes, there are political benefits. But if autocracies — particularly those like Russia, China and, yes, Serbia under Aleksandar Vucic that have territorial and political ambitions and destabilize their neighbors — are leading the trade, then you have growing mistrust, not trust. Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic said in a recent interview that the Open Balkan initiative would end with the disappearance of Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. What is your response to that statement? I find it significant for one major reason: It affirms the reality that proponents of Open Balkan ignore — the strong opposition. It doesn't matter what your opinion of Djukanovic is, or Albin Kurti, or Bosniak or Croat leaders who have similar concerns. What matters is that there is strongly held opposition to an initiative that backers claim is "only about creating jobs and growing the economy." Proponents of Open Balkan need to ask themselves: "Why is there this opposition to our supposedly benign initiative? Why would anyone oppose this?" To ask the question is to answer it: If there is so much opposition, then the initiative cannot be completely benign. There must be legitimate concerns. Proponents need to listen to the objections of skeptics in the region, instead of just pushing them to accept this initiative. The leaders of the countries that have joined this initiative are convinced that it will benefit their countries and citizens. Which country will benefit the most both financially and politically? Serbia will always benefit more than the others. This is another of the core mistakes of Open Balkan. Proponents speak of it as if all the economies of the region are the same size and same character. They are not at all the same. Serbia's economy is about 14 times the size of Montenegro's, for example. Serbia's economy is about double the size of Albania's and North Macedonia's combined. Serbia will always benefit more from open barriers (the four freedoms) than its neighbors; Serbia will be able to produce higher-value goods for export, growing even more dominant. This economic power translates into political power. Look at Germany in the European Union. Remember that Germany's neighbors, like France, were very worried about German economic power even after World War II. France and other European countries did not want Germany to get access to coal and other resources. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video France did not agree to a kind of "Open Europe" with Germany until France was assured that the trading relationship would be under an overarching umbrella. That structure became the basis for the European Union we know today. Germany consolidated its democracy, which we know and respect today. War between France and Germany is now unthinkable. But violence, even war, is not unthinkable between Serbia, or Serbian-backed proxies, or others in the Balkans. Giving an autocratic state like Serbia under Vucic even more power is irresponsible. It would be different if Serbia were a committed democracy, embracing the Western order. What makes sense is to follow the model of economic cooperation under a wider umbrella — in this case, an umbrella that insists on mutual respect, inclusion, EU values and has an overarching supervisory state like Germany. From your perspective, does Open Balkan undermine the "Berlin Process" initiative? Of course it does. Open Balkan is a competing initiative in a region that already has several entities and initiatives, including the "Berlin Process," CEFTA and the Regional Cooperation Council to help coordinate and promote concrete steps. What do you think the future holds for Open Balkan? That depends on the wisdom of leaders in the region, the US and the EU. If they grasp that the challenges in the region — even the economic problems — are political in nature, they will not support a regime that aggravates the political problems. In analyzing Bosnia's economic situation, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) points to political problems — the gridlock created by the Dayton Agreement. In fact, Bosnia-Herzegovina enjoys the "four freedoms" promoted by Open Balkan. For more than two decades, there has been freedom of movement of people, goods, services and capital. The same "magical claims" about Open Balkan were made about trade within Bosnia-Herzegovina: "As soon as they can trade, they will concentrate on making money and forget all these divisions." Instead, as the EBRD notes, there is grave economic obstruction due to the convoluted Dayton Agreement, which relies on ethno-territorial division of the country and complicated political rights. This requires serious political strategy, not just for Bosnia-Herzegovina, but for the region. Is Russia's influence in the Balkans a serious threat in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine? Russian influence, Chinese influence and Hungarian influence are all serious threats. All influence of anti-democratic regimes are negative factors in the Balkans. The point is to recognize where the vulnerability comes from: Only one country in the region, Serbia, rejects the Western order for the region. That is why the regime led by Vucic affiliates with Hungary, China and Russia. Edward P. Joseph is a professor at John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington. He has worked in the Balkans as a field practitioner specializing in conflict management and was until 2012 deputy head of the OSCE mission in Kosovo. Editors: Aingeal Flanagan, Rüdiger Rossig
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For hours, Biche Oliveira has been standing on the beach of Quirimba Island, watching young men unload bags of food from a dhow. A large part of the island's population is here because once a month the United Nations' World Food Programme distributes food. Just before it is his turn, Oliveira pulls out a photo from his pocket. "This is my daughter Muanarabo," he says. In April 2020, the 16-year-old was abducted here by Islamists. At that time, the militants attacked the island. They murdered two residents, looted food, and set the head of administration's house on fire. The local head of administration confirms: Thirty residents have been missing since the attack, most of them girls. This is news that the outside world of the island without electricity and telephone network has still not heard, almost a year later. "They are bad people after all," says Oliveira, who works as a wheelbarrow transporter. "They come from far away, take our children away and don't say why or what they want. I'm sad, angry — I just don't understand what this is all about." Issa Hamissi was there when Muanarabo was abducted. He faced the same fate. The 20-year-old was told to pray to prove he was a good Muslim. Those who could not, Hamissi says, were beaten. "Then they said to me: you come with us to our camp. We will train you, teach you to shoot and make you a soldier." But on the way to the mainland — which is accessible on foot during low tide — he was able to escape with five boys and two girls. Muanarabo was not among them. "She looked sad and was crying," recalls Hamissi, who is related to her. "The men said: we will make them our wives." Amnesty International has documented similar cases in a new report. The organization interviewed 79 displaced people between September 2020 and January 2021 and documented human rights crimes: Executions, mutilations, and abductions of 7-year-old girls. Al-Shabaab is the name of the group in Mozambique, even though it has nothing to do with the group of the same name in Somalia. The development of the Islamist militants in northern Mozambique is more like that of Boko Haram in Nigeria: they emerged in a marginalized area that was long neglected by the government. Politicians and security forces ignored the radicalisation for a long time and then respond with excessive violence, also against the civilian population — which loses even more trust in the state. The group's exact goals are unclear. Since 2019, the fighters have described themselves as part of the "Islamic State." The province of Cabo Delgado is rich in mineral resources: Rubies, and international companies want to extract gas off the coast. The security situation is delaying the exploration, and losing the state important revenues. In the meantime, more than half a million people have fled in the province of Cabo Delgado. That's about every fourth inhabitant. UNICEF estimates that half of them are children. About 4,000 people lived on the island of Quirimba before the violence escalated. Now there are more than 10,000 — because thousands have fled the attacks on the mainland.
The Amnesty report also makes serious accusations against the government and security forces, including the state-hired South African mercenary Dyck Advisory Group. "The policemen beat us and demand bribes because we have no documents," a 64-year-old displaced woman in a refugee camp near the provincial capital of Pemba complains to DW. Her house with all her belongings was set on fire by the militants. DW made several interview requests to the governor in Cabo Delgado, the head of the security forces, and the defense ministry during research on the ground. None were granted. On Quirimba Island, the people have no issues with the security forces, because there are none. Not a single soldier is stationed on the island. And so, Biche Oliveira is not only worried about when and if he will see his daughter Muanarabo again. But also about the safety of the rest of his family. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video This article has been adapted from German.
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Over the past month, Saudi Arabia has been announcing new social reforms almost every week. Earlier this month, Saudi Arabian authorities slightly amended a law to allow adult women to live independently, without first having to get permission from their father or other male kin. A few days after that, other officials declared that women could register to go on pilgrimage to Mecca, one of the holiest sites in Islam, located inside Saudi Arabia, without permission from a male guardian. They could, if they wanted, travel with other female pilgrims instead. Then this week, Saudi officials from the General Commission for Audiovisual Media (GCAM) reported that legal amendments meant that vetting procedures for imported books and magazines would be simplified. Saudi Arabia is considered one of the strictest censors of imported titles in the region. The new procedures would mean less censorship and more access to books in the Gulf state, officials told local English-language publication, the Saudi Gazette. Late in May, the country's Islamic Affairs Ministry also said mosque speakers might only be turned up to around one-third of their volume when the call to prayer was broadcast. That may sound like a simple reduction in noise pollution, but the move has been particularly contentious in the conservative monarchy, where religious practice often takes precedence over other aspects of life. These are neither the first such reforms in Saudi Arabia, nor are they likely to be the last. Social change was already underway under the previous Saudi king, Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. Many of the more recent reforms can be considered part of the so-called Vision 2030, a wide-ranging set of socio-economic reforms first proposed in 2016 by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in an effort to make his country more modern, liberal and business and tourism friendly. Other significant changes since 2016 have involved allowing women to drive, lifting a decadeslong ban on cinemas and letting women travel alone, as well as the ongoing, gradual relaxation of gender segregation rules. There have even been rumors that alcohol, which is banned in Saudi Arabia and mostly unavailable there, may soon be permitted in some limited way. Recently the changes have been accelerating, Saudi watchers say. Robert Mogielnicki, a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, describes it as "a dizzying pace of reform." "The policymakers seem to have stepped on the gas," he said. It was clear that there needed to be some visible progress on Vision 2030, Mogielnicki argued. "In my view, the Crown Prince and the policymakers working with him are trying to find a balance between long-term objectives and making tangible progress on the ground. A lot of these recent changes create an impact immediately." Such reforms also get more support from younger locals, Mogielnicki pointed out. Nearly two-thirds of Saudi Arabians are under the age of 35. Even though some changes — like the rule about loudspeakers — may seem minor to outsiders, taken altogether the reforms are important, political science professor Nathan Brown, a senior fellow with the Carnegie Endowment's Middle East program, told DW. And not least because some of the changes were seen as extremely unlikely just a few years ago. But the nagging question now is what kind of a pattern the reforms are establishing, Brown says. "My general reaction is to say that they are part of a trend of significant liberalization in some social spheres but not in political spheres. Some are significant in daily life and therefore should not be minimized. But they are not structural changes," he noted. "Social liberalization and political liberalization do not go hand in hand," Brown and another fellow at the program, Yasmine Farouk, wrote in an article headlined, "Saudi Arabia's Religious Reforms Are Touching Nothing but Changing Everything." In fact, the opposite has occurred, the Carnegie Endowment analysts argue. Many of the changes amount to a reshuffling of personnel, procedure, bureaucracy and legislation, they said, rather than a meaningful overhaul. And it is important to remember that many of these changes can still be reversed, they added. What the incremental series of reforms is doing though, is further centralizing power within the Saudi royal family. In fact, there is some suspicion that all the tinkering with power structures, the creation of new commissions and offices and the rapid introduction of changes is just another way for Mohammed bin Salman to accumulate power and ensure civil servants are loyal to him. It has also been suggested that the reforms are decreasing the power of Saudi Arabia's clerical elite and that the country is moving away from the staunchly religious backbone of its social, legal and political life. For centuries, a rigid form of Sunni Islam known as Wahhabism, which emphasizes a strict interpretation of the Koran, has guided culture in Saudi Arabia. The rash of reforms has changed this. One example is the change in status of the formerly feared religious police, who used to patrol the streets looking for locals who were not dressed modestly enough and make sure that restaurants and stores were closed during prayer times, among other tasks. Today, they no longer have any power to arrest offenders. "It is too soon to say that Wahhabism has come to an end," Brown argued. But, he added, "there is less emphasis on Wahhabism and of the role of religion in Saudi national identity." Despite all the reforms, something that has not changed in Saudi Arabia is the opaqueness of its leaders' decision-making. This is why, even as some patterns emerge, there is still uncertainty about what really motivates Saudi rulers. For critics of the regime, that difference between social liberalization and political liberalization remains a problem. A number of human rights organizations have pointed out the ongoing hypocrisy in the country, such as the fact that female activists who wanted to drive remain in prison despite the rule changes, and that despite royal promises to decrease the death penalty, Saudi Arabia remains a world leader in capital punishment. While the reforms do have an impact, it is limited, said Duaa Dhainy, a researcher at the Berlin-based European Saudi Organization for Human Rights. Anybody who opposes the reforms may face arrest, censure or "harsh punishment," she said. Dhainy pointed to the futuristic megacity project, Neom, planned for Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coastline. "There was a lot of talk about it being a green city, with a lot of healthy living," Dhainy said. "But in fact, the people who lived there for generations are being forced out of their homes to make way for it," she said, referring to the Huwaitat tribe who live in the area. In fact, one tribal leader who protested the displacement was killed in suspicious circumstances, in a shootout with Saudi secuirty forces, according to his supporters. "There have been some changes but no real difference in the way that political prisoners are treated, or the extent to which freedom of opinion is possible," Dhainy concluded. "They [the reforms] don't impact the human rights situation in a meaningful way and until they do, it is really just propaganda."
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In March, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a decree aimed at withdrawing his country from the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, or Istanbul Convention for short. Turkey was the first country to sign the 2011 agreement, but is set to leave the framework for good on July 1. Turkish presidency Communications Director Fahrettin Altun says the Istanbul Convention is being instrumentalized to "normalize homosexuality." This, he says, goes against Turkey's traditional societal and family values. Turkish women's rights activists, lawyers and opposition figures, meanwhile, are still hopeful they can stop their country pulling out of the agreement. Numerous complaints were filed with the Council of State, Turkey's highest administrative court. Yet so far, it has not ruled on the matter. Hulya Gulbahar, a lawyer with Turkey's Women's Platform for Equality, tells DW the court's refusal to rule on the issue runs counter to the rule of law. "If you want to a tear down a building tomorrow, it makes no sense to issue the permit two days later," she says. "We filed our complaint immediately after news broke of [President Erdogan's] decree, but the Tenth Chamber of the Council of State has launched slow and arbitrary proceedings," says lawyer and women's rights activist Yelda Kocak. She has taken action against Turkey's withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention on behalf of the Workers' Party of Turkey (TIP). Turkey's department for law and legislation, however, informed them their complaint would be rejected for being "unjust and without legal basis." Other Turkish lawyers say Erdogan should not have issued a decree to leave the Istanbul Convention. They argue that the Turkish parliament approved the framework in 2011, and should therefore also sign off on withdrawing from it. Hulya Gulbahar points out that Turkey's 2012 law to protect families and prevent violence against women, adopted to codify the Istanbul Convention in national legislation, will remain in place even if Tukey withdraws from the Council of Europe framework. The 2012 law is designed to protect women against violent abuse, and boost funding for women's shelters. Gulbahar is nevertheless adamant that Turkey should uphold the Istanbul Convention, which "enshrines important principles regarding the prohibition of child marriage and recognizes stalking and violence against women as crimes." The framework also stipulates women are entitled to an education. Gulbahar says by pulling out of the agreement, Turkey is telling the world that authorities should not step in to protect women from physical harm. Numerous women's organizations will be staging country-wide protests on July 1, when the withdrawal decree comes into effect. One campaign group supported by several organizations has announced it will "keep making noise and taking to the streets to reverse this decision; if it is not revoked, we will revolt come July 1." But even though Turkey ratified the Istanbul Convention in 2014, codifying it in national law, this says nothing about its effectiveness. Critics say that the principles established by the convention are not enforced in Turkey anyway. This article was translated from Turkish and German.
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After a period of relative calm, war has returned to the Ukrainian capital in recent days as Russia continues its attacks on Kyiv. Bombardments were particularly intense on October 10, the day with the heaviest attacks since Russia's invasion began. According to official figures, 19 people were killed in Kyiv and other regions as a result, and 105 people were injured. In Kyiv alone, 43 people were hospitalized that day according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko. Images of bloodied civilian victims of the attacks were published by many media outlets. And afterward, a video was circulated on social media that questioned the authenticity of the images coming out of Kyiv. Claim: "Production of dramatic images for the Western media," tweeted Maria Dubovikova, who claims to be a Russian media expert. And another user wrote, "cheeky-headed actors are filmed for the Western media to show a 'bloody' picture for their owners." In doing so, both posted a video of an apparently wounded woman with a head bandage taking a selfie of herself. Numerous other accounts repeat the claim, writing of "staging" for Western media. Verdict: False. The 14-second video, which was viewed more than 50,000 times on Twitter alone and also spread in Spanish on Telegram and in German on Facebook, among other channels, does not show any "staging" by actors, but actual wounded civilians in Kyiv. In the photo in the upper part of the video, a woman is shown wearing a bandage around her head and a bloodstained shirt. To the right of the woman are other people, including a man who is also wearing a head bandage and has a bloodied face. In the sequence shown, the woman says in Ukrainian: "Take my picture, Andrei Andrejitsch! In a moment I'll take a picture of myself and send it to my sister in Russia." With a reverse image search, DW found out that this is an image from The Associated Press. According to the agency, the photo shows wounded people after the Russian attack on October 10, 2022, and was taken by Kyiv AP correspondent Efrem Lukatsky. Lukatsky also published the image on his Facebook account. DW's fact-checking team contacted Efrem Lukatsky and asked how the picture was taken. He confirmed that both the photo and the video were taken by him. In a DW interview, the photographer described how on October 10 at 8:19 a.m. local time, he and his colleague from Reuters first drove to the site of the first missile strike at Shevchenko University, and then followed Ukrainian journalists to the site of another missile strike at the intersection of Zhylianska and Lva Tolstogo. Photos and video of the wounded civilians were taken at the latter site. Lukatsky's Reuters colleague, Vladyslav Musiienko, also photographed the wounded, as seen in this news article by Austrian outlet NZZ. "Upon arrival, we saw people standing against a wall being helped. They were receiving medical care from doctors and also military people. This was the first scene we shot. Besides me, there were some journalists with cameras. In total, I would say up to 10 people," Lukatsky said. He himself shot a video on his phone, in addition to taking photos with his other hand, said the Ukrainian photographer. The 14 seconds of the viral Twitter video are a segment of this video — which DW has seen in its full length of 33 seconds. In the original video, the wounded woman can be heard complaining about a headache. Just before the cut scene and after the pan at the end, other obviously wounded people can be seen, as well as several ambulances and rescue vehicles. They suffered injuries from flying shards of glass from a high-rise building, according to Lukatsky, who has worked as a war reporter in Afghanistan, Iraq, Gaza and Chechnya. DW was able to locate the site of the video recording: The skyscraper visible in the course of the video is the Kyiv skyscraper Business Center 101 Tower, the glass cladding of which was massively damaged by the air attack on the neighboring heating and power plant, as several videos on the web show. A spokesperson for the German Foreign Office, Christian Wagner, confirmed at a press conference on October 10 that "there was apparently damage to the 101 Tower in Kyiv, which also houses the German visa office." In the same week the missile attacks on Kyiv took place, Ukrainian channel 1+1 published a piece featuring the woman in the allegedly staged video. Ukrainian journalists had visited her in one of the Kyiv hospitals. Her name is Oleksandra Kyselyova, and she described in detail how she was injured on October 10 on the way from her workplace to the shelter. In fact, you can still see several injuries on her face, some of which required stitches. In the interview, she stressed that the world should see what Russia is doing to civilians in Ukraine. Most of all, she wanted her sister in Russia to see her injured face and thus believe such attacks are taking place. This is the sister Oleksandra Kyselyova referred to in the video. Ukrainian journalists also found the young man in the military uniform who gave first aid to Kyselyova in the video. Oleksandr Myroshnichenko is a 19-year-old student of the National Economic University of Kyiv who volunteered treating the injured in Kyiv on October 10. Myroshnichenko wears the badge of the medical evacuation unit "Pulse" on his uniform. An Instagram story from October 10 can be found on the Instagram account of the "Pulse" unit, in which Myroshnichenko is seen. "Our brother @aamyros saved 8 lives in Kyiv today," reads the caption to the picture, in which Myroshnichenko (his name is on the uniform) is sitting on the ground, seemingly exhausted. The scene where Myroshnichenko applies a bandage to Kyselyova is also in the story. Myroshnichenko also posted some images from the scene on his own Instagram account. In the same Instagram story, Myroshnichenko reported about the Russian missile attacks in a TV program with the BBC on October 10. He explained how after the first explosion, he and other friends went to the center of the city to help people. Conclusion: The claim that the civilian casualties of the October 10 airstrike on Kyiv were actors is false. The missile attack near the 101 Tower took place, with the wounds of people near the impact being documented by several international journalists and outlets. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video This fact check was originally written in German.
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Voters in Colombia began to cast their votes for a new president on Sunday in an election that may give the South American country the first left-wing leader in its history. The leftist candidate, Gustavo Petro, has captured international attention due to his dominant lead in pre-election polls, in what is considered to be a traditionally conservative country. The 62-year-old ex-guerrilla and former mayor of the capital, Bogota, is hoping to win over 50% of the votes in Sunday's first-round and thus avoid a second-round run-off against his main right-wing rival. His running mate, Francia Marquez, is hoping to become the country's first-ever black female vice president. Federico Gutierrez, the former mayor of Medellin, is standing as the candidate for an alliance of right-wing parties and has been polling at around 25% in comparison to Petro's 40%. He has also received support from outgoing President Ivan Duque, although it is yet to be seen whether support from the leader with record-low approval ratings will prove advantageous. Polls will be open between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. local time (1300 to 2100 GMT) with just under 39 million people eligible to take part. The second round, if needed, is set for June 19. Gutierrez has tried to distance himself from claims that he is the successor to Duque and the conservative "uribismo" movement he's associated with — named after former President Alvaro Uribe Velez who ran the country between 2002 and 2010. The 47-year-old center-right candidate has made pledges for government spending including a basic income for some 5 million households. Colombia has one of the highest levels of income inequality in the world and about 40% of the population lives in poverty, according to the World Bank. Petro, who lost against Duque in 2018, has plans to redistribute pensions, make public universities free, and tackle the country's inequality and poverty. He has also said he will put a stop to new oil and gas projects. The third-highest polling candidate, the independent Bucaramanga Rodolfo Hernandez, is running on a platform of anti-corruption promises. The 77-year-old is also under investigation over whether he intervened to benefit a company that his son has been linked to. Petro's popularity has been met with pushback from parts of the country that maintain a deep-rooted fear of the left which is associated with both the guerrilla groups that kept up a decades-long conflict with the central government, as well as the disastrous economic policies of neighboring Venezuela. However, it was under Duque's presidency that peace talks with the last remaining guerrilla group, the ELN, were suspended following the historic agreement with the FARC just prior to Duque's election. Petro, a former member of the M-19 urban rebel group that laid down its arms in 1990, has vowed to restart peace talks. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Colombia's history has been marked by decades of civil war, violent drug traffickers, guerrilla groups, and political assassinations — both Petro and Gutierrez have received death threats. The Duque government was also internationally condemned last year after its violent crackdown on anti-poverty protests saw dozens of civilians killed. Candidates have expressed concerns over voting irregularities during legislative elections in March, however, officials have put these down to clerical errors and said that there is no chance of electoral fraud. Observers from the Organization of American States and the EU will be present and some 300,000 armed police and soldiers have been deployed to protect the 12,000 polling stations. ab/jcg (EFE, Reuters, AFP)
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Italy's Constitutional Court on Tuesday blocked a possible referendum on the decriminalization of assisted suicide. Advocates for the referendum gathered 750,000 signatures in August, which is well above the minimum required. The court said in a press release that the referendum would not guarantee "minimum protection of human life in general, particularly with reference to weak and vulnerable persons." Under current Italian law, anyone helping another person commit suicide can be jailed for between five and 12 years. In 2019, the court called on parliament to clarify its law on assisted suicide. The law said that euthanasia could be permissible for those with an incurable illness causing "intolerable" suffering and who were on life support. The court ruled that those patients must remain capable of making "free and informed decisions." Anyone who does not fall into the category stipulated by the 2019 law has no legal recourse to assisted suicide in Italy. Following the ruling, Enrico Letta of the Democratic Party (PD) said it was now up to parliament to address the issue with a concrete law. The PD is the third-largest party in parliament and participates in the coalition government under Mario Draghi. Italy's political parties remain split on the issue, with the center-left generally supporting it and the center-right opposed. Pope Francis recently condemned euthanasia, calling it an unacceptable deviation from medical ethics. A poll by the SWG research group in 2019 showed 92% of Italians who were asked said they were in favor of allowing assisted suicide and euthanasia. sdi/jsi (AFP, Reuters, dpa)
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Security has been beefed up across the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo after a protest outside President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's residence turned violent the previous night. The protests came after widespread demonstrations over the government's handling of the South Asian nation's worst economic crisis in decades. An overnight curfew was lifted in the early hours of Friday but police and military presence has been increased. On Thursday, hundreds of protesters gathered near Gotabaya's home in Mirihana residential quarter, demanding his resignation. Security forces opened fire and used tear gas and water cannons as the protesters tried to storm the President's home, reports said. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video It was unclear whether the authorities used live rounds or rubber bullets. Police said they had arrested 45 people in Colombo after the unrest. One man is reported to have been critically injured. The crowd also set an army bus and a police vehicle on fire. The protesters — some of whom were wearing motorcycle helmets — toppled a neighbor's wall and used bricks to attack the police. Five policemen were injured during the violence and are currently in hospital, Senior Superintendent Nihal Thalduwa told news agency Reuters. The island nation of 22 million people is witnessing blackouts for up to 13 hours a day because the government does not have enough foreign currency for essential imports, mainly fuel. Public transport in the country has been severely impacted as diesel — the main fuel for buses and commercial vehicles — was not available at stations across Sri Lanka, officials and media reported. "We are siphoning off fuel from buses that are in the garage for repairs and using that diesel to operate serviceable vehicles," Transport Minister Dilum Amunugama said. Authorities are also turning off street lights to save electricity, Power Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi told the media, as the continued shortage of diesel led to more power cuts and crippled trading on the main stock market. According to reports, many state-run hospitals have stopped conducting surgeries as they have run out of essential life-saving medicines. Sri Lanka's foreign exchange reserves have dropped by 70% in the last two years as a result of ill-timed tax cuts and the blow from the coronavirus pandemic combined with historically weak government finances. The government is seeking a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as it looks for a way out of the crisis. The IMF will begin discussions with Sri Lankan authorities on a possible loan program in the coming days, a spokesman told the media on Thursday. The government is also asking for more loans from India and China. dvv/sms (AFP, Reuters)
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A 97-year-old woman who worked as secretary to the commander of the Stutthof concentration camp during World War II while a teenager is appealing her conviction for being an accessory to murder in thousands of cases. The December 20 verdict by the state court in Itzehoe is being appealed at the Federal Court of Justice (BGH), Germany's supreme criminal court, by both the woman's defense lawyers and a lawyer for a co-plaintiff, according to the Itzehoe court. A spokeswoman for the court said the appeal could only concern an examination of whether the sentence had been based on a violation of the law and that no new evidence would be presented. Irmgard F.'s conviction relied on a German legal precedent established over the last decade that allows people to be prosecuted as an accessory to the murders in Nazi death camps even if they cannot be shown to have participated in specific killings. Irmgard F., who was secretary to camp commander Paul Werner Hoppe at the Stutthof camp in German-occupied Poland between June 1943 and April 1945, received a two-year suspended sentence for being an accessory to murder in 10,505 cases and an accessory to attempted murder in five cases. She was tried in juvenile court because she was 18 and 19 when the alleged crimes were committed Prosecutors accused her of complicity in the "cruel and malicious murder" of prisoners. Her lawyers, on the other hand, argued that there was no evidence she knew about the systematic killings at the camp and thus no proof of intent as would be necessary to make her criminally liable. Presiding Judge Dominik Gross said, however, as he announced the verdict that it was "simply beyond all imagination'' that the accused didn't notice the killings at Stutthof. As the trial drew to a close, Irmgard F. told the court she was "sorry about everything that happened." An estimated 65,000 people died at the camp, which was situated near today's Gdansk. They included "Jewish prisoners, Polish partisans and Soviet Russian prisoners of war," prosecutors said. No date has so far been given for the supreme court to review the case. While you're here: Restarting in 2023, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society every Tuesday. You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter Berlin Briefing. tj/rt (AP, AFP)
| 3Crime
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Indonesia's health care system and hospitals are struggling to keep up with an influx of new COVID patients. One of the largest hospitals in Indonesia's Yogyakarta province reported last week that dozens of patients died after the hospital ran out of oxygen due to the large numbers of COVID-19 patients coming in. Meanwhile, in the capital, Jakarta, burials for COVID victims have increased tenfold, city officials said. Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan also recently established an emergency oxygen refill station at the National Monument, for hospitals in the area. With a population of about 270 million, the Southeast Asian country was severely hit by the outbreak after the Eid celebration on May 12 and 13, which saw millions of people travel and gather to celebrate the Ramadan. That outbreak has been made worse, as infections surge during the spread of the highly transmissible delta variant. On Tuesday, Indonesia confirmed more than 31,000 new cases and 728 related fatalities, bringing the total official number of infections to about 2,345,000 and deaths to 61,868. The government announced two weeks of restrictions on public activity on the Java and Bali islands starting on July 3, but experts say the policy doesn't go far enough. Over the weekend, almost all of the hospitals in Yogyakarta province were full, while oxygen supplies were running low, Sagiran, a surgeon at the Nur Hidayah Hospital, who uses only one name, told DW. "Yogyakarta has been facing an oxygen shortage over the last five days. Usually for a small hospital like this, we receive at least 20 canisters of oxygen per delivery, but [now] we only get around five canisters. One day, we didn't receive any oxygen supplies at all. So, we must turn away patients and postpone all nonurgent surgeries," said Sagiran. Meanwhile, other hospitals are building additional tents to accommodate the overflow in patients. "All medical facilities such as public health centers and clinics have reached their full capacities. Doctors are overworked and we don't have enough human resources because many doctors are infected by coronavirus themselves and have to self-isolate," he said. In one district, he said, hospitals started hiring medical students to work as volunteers. He said many people were letting down their guard when it comes to health protocols, resulting in the higher infection rate. Rini Aryani, a doctor from a hospital in Kudus, Central Java Province, said the bed occupancy in her hospital remained high. In June, Aryani said, sometimes up to eight people would die on her watch in a single day. Meanwhile, the emergency room was full, with cars queuing in front of the hospital to bring in new patients. Aryani said family members of patients had accused her of being inhumane for turning patients away. "It makes me angry. They said we are inhumane because we cannot give them a bed. But the truth is that there are no more beds available, and we don't have enough doctors and rooms to treat them," she told DW. Because hospitals often reach their maximum capacities and turn down patients, many people with COVID-19 have no other choice than to isolate themselves at home. More than 260 people with COVID died while self-isolating between June and July, according to independent data initiative, LaporCovid-19. "This is just the tip of the iceberg and must be addressed immediately," Irma Hidayana, of LaporCovid-19, told DW. The number of doctors and health care workers dying from the virus also continues to grow. According to the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI), as of June 28, at least 1,031 health care workers died, 405 of whom were doctors. Meanwhile, between February and May 2021, around 61 doctors died, 14 of whom had been fully vaccinated. Experts warned that the actual number of infections could be significantly higher than the reported numbers because of the low rate of testing, especially in rural areas. "It is clear that the data shows only around 10% of the actual numbers," Dicky Budiman, an epidemiologist from Griffith University in Australia, told DW. Without implementing tougher measures, Budiman predicts that the pandemic will reach its peak by the end of July or August. Only about 32.3 million people have received their first shots, while only 14 million have been fully vaccinated. Meanwhile, the government is seeking to vaccinate more than 181 million by April 2022 in order to achieve herd immunity. The Health Ministry's vaccine spokesperson, Siti Nadia Tarimizi, said the government would accelerate its vaccination program and increase early testing to contain the delta variant. Indonesia has so far secured more than 99 million vaccine doses, she said: "It is enough to fully vaccinate 44 million people, and we will continue to gradually receive vaccines, with a total of 400 million doses."
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The PEN Center in Germany's Darmstadt announced the winners of the Hermann Kesten Prize on Monday, September 19. This year's award goes to Meena Kandasamy, an Indian author and poet, whose books include "The Gypsy Goddess," (2014) and "When I Hit You: Or, A Portrait of the Writer as a Young Wife" (2017). She has also published anthologies of her poems, most notably "Ms Militancy" (2010) and "#ThisPoemWillProvokeYou and Other Poems" (2015). "Honestly, I am not sure how to process it," Kandasamy told DW in a statement shortly after she heard she had won the award. "Previous recipients include Günter Grass and Harold Pinter, and the weight of what this prize means is actually still sinking in,” she said, adding that she viewed this prize "not only as an affirmation of what I have done, but of the historical responsibility that we all have as progressive writers and artists in India today." Vice-president of the German PEN Center, Cornelia Zetzsche, called Kandasamy "a fearless fighter for democracy and human rights, for the free word and against the suppression of landless people, minorities and Dalits in India: not a 'Ms. Pleasant' but more of a 'Ms. Militancy,' like the title of one of her books." Zetsche was referring to Kandasamy's 2011 book of poems titled "Ms Militancy." "With empathy, analytical precision and literary fervor, she [Kandasamy] goes through patriarchal, feudal structures and identifies in speeches and writings, violence against women, consequences of unbridled capitalism and the massacre of farmers in southern India," Zetzsche added. The Art and Culture Minister Angela Dorn of the state of Hesse, which sponsors the prize, also lauded the Indian author, saying Kandasamy rebelled in her books against inequality and repression. "She gives victims of violence a voice and always speaks up when intellectuals, dissidents and academics face distress." Kandasamy was born in 1984 in Chennai to parents who were university professors. She has been writing poetry since she was a teenager and calls herself an "anti-caste activist, poet, novelist and translator." According to her website, her writing aims to deconstruct trauma and violence, while spotlighting the militant resistance against caste, gender and ethnic oppression. Kandasamy's novels have been shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction, the International Dylan Thomas Prize and the Hindu Literary Prize. This year, she was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (RSL) of the United Kingdom. She also released a collection of essays in 2021 titled "The Orders Were to Rape You: Tamil Tigresses in the Eelam Struggle." Kandasamy has been vocal about the repression of authors in India, including Telugu poet Varavara Rao, who had been arrested in 2018 for allegedly inciting caste-based violence. She also spoke in support of GN Saibaba, poet and professor at Delhi University, who is in prison for his alleged ties with left-wing organizations. The PEN Center, Germany, will present the award to the Indian author at a ceremony in Darmstadt on November 15 this year. The winner will receive an amount of €20,000 ($19,996) as prize money. This year, the PEN Center is also honoring the website "Weiter Schreiben" (German for "Keep writing") with a special award for encouragement, for giving authors in exile and writers from conflict zones a platform to express their thoughts. The Hermann Kesten Prize honors personalities, who in the spirit of the charter of the PEN association, stand up for the rights of persecuted authors and journalists. Previous awardees include Günter Grass, Anna Politkowskaya, Liu Xiaobo, Harold Pinter and Can Dündar. Edited by Brenda Haas
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Canada has reached a settlement agreement worth CA$2.8 billion ($2.09 billion, €1.93 billion) with representatives of Indigenous peoples, abused for nearly a century at church schools. The sum will be placed in a not-for-profit trust aimed at financing Indigenous education, culture, and language, the Canadian government announced on Saturday. Starting in the early 19th century, the Canadian government forcibly removed Indigenous children from their families to take them to residential institutions under the church's administration. The schools were meant to assimilate Indigenous children into Euro-Christian society, effectively stripping them of their identity, culture and language. The last school only shut down in the late 1990s. The announced settlement is the result of a class action lawsuit by 325 Indigenous groups. Its goal is to address the collective harm that the system of residential schools caused, including the loss of language, culture and heritage. The settlement is guided by what is called the Four Pillars, which the plaintiffs representing the Indigenous groups developed. They refer to reviving and protecting Indigenous languages, cultures, and heritage and ensuring the wellness of the Indigenous communities and their members. "It has taken Canada far too long to own up to its history, own up to the genocide it committed and recognize the collective harm caused to our Nations by Residential Schools," said Garry Feschuk, an Indigenous leader who is one of the plaintiffs in the suit. "It is time that Canada not only recognize this harm, but help undo it by walking with us. This settlement is a good first step," he added. Another plaintiff, Chief Rosanne Casimir, said it would take "incredible efforts" to restore the "profound damage" caused to Indigenous languages and culture in over 100 years. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Between the late 1800s to the 1990s, nearly 150,000 First Nations, Metis and Inuit children were sent by Canada's government to 139 residential schools run by the church as part of a failed policy of forced assimilation. Many faced physical and sexual abuse at the hands of headmasters and teachers, while thousands are believed to have died because of neglect, malnutrition and disease. Since 2021, hundreds of remains of Indigenous children in unmarked graves have been discovered at the sites of former schools, with the national truth and reconciliation commission decrying "cultural genocide." During a trip to Canada last year, Catholic Pope Francis personally apologized for the horrors of Catholic Church-run Indigenous residential schools. The AFP news agency contributed material to this report. Edited by: Sean Sinico
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China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Thursday while on a vist to Kenya that China would name a special envoy for the Horn of Africa. Wang said conflicts in the Horn of Africa hamper the region's "tremendous potential for development.'' Later in the day, the US said its own envoy to the region would soon be replaced. Speaking in Mombasa through an interpreter, Wang said China's new envoy will work "to share political consensus and to coordinate actions." He did not provide further details on the envoy's new role. However, he did say China hoped to help Eritrea develop its Red Sea coastline. Kenya has been involved in diplomatic efforts to bring about an end to the conflict between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front. The conflict has resulted in the deaths of thousands of people and hundreds of thousands have been displaced. China remains opposed to sanctions. Previously on his tour of East Africa, Wang visited Eritrea on the northern border of the Tigray region. Eritrea is aligned with the Ethiopian government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in the conflict. The region's other major war is in Somalia, where Islamist militants are battling a Western-backed government. Wang urged nations in the region to "resolve various ethnic, religious and regional differences in an African way." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video China has a naval base in Djibouti and has made loans to the Ethiopian government. China also has significant investments in the oil sector in South Sudan. Six agreements were signed while Yang was in Kenya, including one trade agreement that will see avocados from Kenya shipped to China. Kenya will also receive 10 million COVID-19 vaccine doses from China. Traditionally, China has focused more on business and trade in Africa over politics and diplomacy. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The US special envoy to the Horn of Africa, Jeffrey Feltman, was also in the region Thursday in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. Feltman will step down from his role "in the coming days" after nine months on the job, the US State Department has said. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Feltman would continue to serve in an advisory role. Feltman will be replaced by the outgoing US ambassador to Turkey, David Satterfield. The State Department said it was "aware" of reports of the Chinese envoy. It reiterated that the Horn of Africa's challenges "demand sustained focus by the United States.'' ar/rt (AFP, AP, Reuters)
| 7Politics
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During a routine inspection of the Trave River in the northern German city of Lübeck last year, divers discovered the wreck of a nearly four-hundred-old sunken ship from the Hanseatic era. For the city, it was a sensational find and an important testimony to its own history. The wreck, which is partially exposed, faces a serious risk of erosion and divers have noted how the exposed parts were infested with shipworm. Thus, the city administration has now decided to salvage it. However, discoveries of wrecks in the Baltic Sea are not uncommon, says underwater archaeologist Florian Huber. "According to estimates, there are between 10,000 and up to 100,000 shipwrecks" scattered in the Baltic Sea. The wreck's find is sensational for two reasons: for its location in the western Baltic Sea and because it dates back to the end of the 17th century, the heyday of the Hanseatic city's maritime trade. "We don't know that many ships from that period," Huber told DW. The Hanseatic league was a network of trade and merchant cities across northern Germany and around the Baltic Sea. From a scientific perspective, such a find is "particularly exciting, because you can learn how ships were built back then, what technology was behind them," explains Huber, who has been exploring the world's oceans since 1992. He says the 150 or so barrels discovered on the Lübeck ship are equally important evidence of the past. "We learn something about the cargo that was traded at the time." But why do wrecks and other long-sunken treasures hold up so well in the Baltic Sea? There are several reasons. Large parts of the inland sea of northern Europe are low in oxygen, cold, dark, and have a low saltwater content. "The Baltic Sea is like a giant ice-cold museum — like a refrigerator that just preserves everything that falls in there," Huber says. Often, he says, it's not just the wood that's preserved, but the cargo as well. "Remnants of leather and textiles are often found." You often still find the goods — "sometimes the dried fish is still in the barrels. You find bones. Anything organic preserves very, very well underwater," Huber explains. And indeed, traces of quicklime, an important building material traded during the Hanseatic era, were discovered in the barrels of the Lübeck wreck as well. "Wine, champagne, and beer bottles have been found in the Baltic Sea. Of course, they weren't that old, but I'd say 100 years, 200 years, and they were still edible. The champagne was auctioned off for tens of thousands." But the cold and dark don't just act as preservatives, they also help repel one of biggest fiends of shipwrecks namely, the shipworm, Teredo navalis. This particularly benefits the wooden wrecks slumbering on the Baltic Sea floor. Shipworm prefer oxygen-rich salt water. The further east you go in the Baltic Sea, the more fresh water accumulates there. "At the Gulf of Bothnia around Finland and Sweden, there is almost only fresh water, so there is only very little salt, and accordingly, the shipworm can no longer survive there." That's why exceptionally well-preserved wrecks are usually found there. "In the Baltic Sea, there are sometimes wrecks that are two, three, four, or five hundred years old — and they are still standing upright with the masts. That's unique in the world." This also explains why the ship parts found in Lübeck already look a bit "pitted." Lübeck is located in the western part of the Baltic Sea. In pictures published by the city of Lübeck, clear traces of the shipworm can be seen in the wood of the wreck. "In addition to the shipworm, however, wrecks are also threatened by climate change, fishing trawlers, and looting," Huber explains. A press release from the Hanseatic city on the sensational find states that ocean currents and the shipworm are massively endangering the wreck. It is, therefore, necessary to protect and preserve the discovery because it is classified as a "unique and outstanding find for the history and archaeology of the western Baltic Sea." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Conserving the wreck once it's salvaged will be a mammoth task facing the city of Lübeck. After all, anything that comes out of the water can't just be dried somewhere and then placed in a museum, Huber points out. Wood, in particular, continues to work. After centuries of slumber on the seabed, it is saturated with water, and that needs to be brought out slowly. The water "has to be replaced with a liquid plastic so that the wood cells don't collapse. The process is complex and expensive." Other salvaged ships, such as the English Mary Rose or the Bremen cog, are impressive examples of the complexity in conserving old wrecks. In 1961, Sweden salvaged the warship Vasa, which had sunk in the 17th century, from the Baltic Sea and built a museum especially for it. The wreck had to be impregnated with polyethylene glycol for 17 years to prevent the wood from shrinking or cracking as it dried. "It always has to be considered whether you can afford it and whether you want it," says Huber. The city of Lübeck is determined to resurrect the wreck from the Trave River. "It should be salvaged and conserved as quickly as possible so that it can then be preserved as part of the history of the Hanseatic League and preserved for the future in all its authenticity." This article was originally written in German.
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The husband of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was sentenced to five days in jail and ordered to pay $6,800 (€6,800) on Tuesday after he pleaded guilty to causing injury by driving under the
influence in California. However, Paul Pelosi will avoid any further incarceration after Napa County Superior Court Judge Joseph Solga gave him two days' credit for the time he already served in jail following his arrest, and another two days' credit for good behavior. The 82-year-old has also been ordered to perform eight hours of community service in lieu of the one remaining day. As part of his probation, the venture capital executive will have to attend a three-month drunk driver class and install an ignition interlock device on his car, where the driver has to provide a breath sample before the engine will start. Paul Pelosi was arrested on May 28 after his Porsche Carrera collided with a Jeep on a highway in California's wine country. The other driver reported arm, shoulder and neck pains, but nobody was seriously injured. A blood alcohol level test showed he had a blood alcohol content of .082% — just over the legally permitted level. California Highway Patrol officers reported that Pelosi was "unsteady on his feet, his speech was slurred, and he had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage." Nancy Pelosi, who has been serving as speaker of the United States House of Representatives since 2019, was in Rhode Island at the time of the accident. zc/jsi (AP, Reuters)
| 3Crime
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European Union leaders agreed at a summit on Thursday to increase the production of COVID-19 vaccines in Europe. They also agreed to improve the rollout of inoculations across member states, European Council President Charles Michel said. "We are on the one hand inclined to respect global supply chains and want to fight protectionism but of course we also want to protect our own people because we know this is the way out of the crisis," German Chancellor Angela Merkel told journalists. The European Union on Wednesday increased control over exports of COVID vaccines outside of the bloc in a bid to combat vaccine shortages. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Vaccine numbers in the EU, including Germany, are far behind those in other countries such as the UK, US and Israel. The slow vaccine rollout has been caused in part by supply chain issues. Following the summit, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen renewed her threat to stop pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca exporting vaccines made in the EU: "I think it is clear that first of all the company [AstraZeneca] has to catch up, has to honor the contract it has with the European member states before it can engage again in exporting vaccines." AstraZeneca has severely slashed forecasts for the number of vaccines it can produce for the EU in the first and second quarters this year. French President Emmanuel Macron spoke up in favor of export control mechanisms put in place by the European Commission. "I support the fact that we must block all exports for as long as some drug companies don't respect their commitments with Europeans," he said after the virtual EU summit. "It's the end of naivety," Macron told reporters. Merkel discussed Britain receiving COVID vaccines produced in the EU: "In relation to Britain, we want a win-win situation, we want to act sensibly politically." She added that it was a complicated issue. The EU has shipped off 77 million COVID vaccine doses manufactured in the bloc, according to new figures von der Leyen shared on Thursday, more than a quarter of those to the UK. kmm/rc (Reuters, AFP)
| 5Health
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The wanted ex-Wirecard executive Jan Marsalek went into hiding in Moscow and may still be living there today, according to a report shared Monday by the German daily Bild. Marsalek moved into a "gated community" in Moscow "under the care" of the FSB, the Russian secret service, and could still live there today, the paper reported. Germany's Federal Intelligence Service (BND) is said to have known about his whereabouts since early 2021. The international police organization Interpol is currently seeking Maralek's arrest for his role as an executive at Wirecard. The disgraced financial services company collapsed in a shocking fraud scandal in 2020. In Moscow, Marsalek was involved in dealing the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine and had connections to paramilitary mercenary forces, Bild reported. In 2021, the FSB reportedly contacted their counterparts in Berlin to ask "if a meeting with Marsalek should take place." But the question went "unanswered," according to the report. The German government was also "informed" of the situation. The Bavarian prosecution authorities, who are tasked with investigating those responsible for the company, which was based near Munich, were apparently not informed of the offer. They were instead given a vague reference to a building near a "long chaussee in Moscow" as Marsalek's possible hideout. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The former Wirecard board member went into hiding in 2020. He is wanted on an international arrest warrant for commercial fraud charges amounting to billions, among other financial and economic offenses. The main hearing against former Wirecard CEO Markus Braun, who was charged with fraud by German authorities earlier this year, is scheduled to begin at Munich Regional Court in the fall. Marsalek is considered to be Braun's right-hand man. Once boasting a market capitalization of over €24 billion ($27 billion) — more than Germany's biggest lender, Deutsche Bank — at its peak in 2018, the formerly DAX-listed payment processor collapsed in June 2020 after admitting that €1.9 billion it had listed as assets likely didn't exist. It was an "unparallelled" scandal in Germany's history, according to the then finance minister, Olaf Scholz, who is now chancellor. Edited by: Hardy Graupner
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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday tried to cool tensions over the movement of goods between the Russian mainland and the Kaliningrad exclave, which is wedged between Lithuania and Poland. EU sanctions against Moscow should not apply to the goods Russia wants to send to its territory through Lithuania, Scholz argued. In mid-June, Lithuania began blocking goods banned under EU anti-Russia sanctions from being transported through its territory to Russia's Kaliningrad exclave. Prohibited items include coal, metals and construction materials. A few days later, video footage showed some panic buying at Kaliningrad’s construction supply stores. In April, the EU, had banned 21 Russian airlines from operating in the 27-member bloc, preventing goods from being flown into Kaliningrad as well. Russia's foreign ministry blasted the ban as "openly hostile" and demanded that transit through the region be restored immediately. Russian TASS news agency reported that the transport of food has also been blocked. Moscow warned that Lithuania may face measures of "serious negative impact" in response. Lithuania, however, said it was merely fulfilling its responsibilities as an EU memberby implementing sanctions imposed on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine Sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania — both of which are European Union and NATO members — Kaliningrad lies on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea. Kaliningrad is Russia's westernmost region, or oblast. It is an exclave, meaning it shares no borders with mainland Russia. It spans an area of 15,000 square kilometers (5,830 square miles — about a fifth of Lithuania’s size), and has a population of roughly a million. Its capital is the eponymous city of Kaliningrad, where about half of the population lives. The exclave receives much of its supplies via rail through Lithuania and Belarus, but a sea route of about 1,057 kilometres (about 657 miles) connects its port to the port of St. Petersburg through international waters. The area of present-day Kaliningrad used to be part of the Kingdom of Prussia, and had a mixed Polish, Lithuanian and German-speaking population. After the defeat of Nazi Germany at the end of World War II, the territory was ceded to Soviet Russia. Its main city, known in German times as Königsberg, was renamed Kaliningrad — the same name given to the entire area. After the collapse and disintegration of the Soviet Union, Kaliningrad became part of Russia. After the Cold War, Moscow tried to turn Kaliningrad into a “Baltic Hong Kong.” It operates as a special duty-free zone with low taxes, meant to attract investment. More importantly, it is Russia's only port on the Baltic Sea that is ice-free year-round, and the Russian Baltic Sea Fleet is based there. Russia also holds nuclear missiles in Kaliningrad, placing them within close striking range of major European capitals. Neighboring countries Lithuania and Poland are EU and NATO states. Shortly after the end of the Cold War,Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, once ruled by the Soviet Union, joined NATO. They had been worried that Putin’s military aggression might target them next. That has led to Lithuania becoming one ofRussia's fiercest critics in the EU The country has been at odds with officials in Germany and Brussels who want to defuse the row. But an escalation in the standoff over the transit of Russian goods to Kaliningrad could widen the war. Moscow could use military force to form a land corridor from Belarusto the exclave by capturing the stretch of land along the Polish-Lithuanian border. That could cut the land connection between the Baltic states and the rest of NATO. Germany and other NATO members have soldiers stationedin Lithuania and Poland could be dragged into the conflict. On Thursday, Poland's Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki was quoted by Reuters News agency as saying that the European Union and Russia agree it is necessary to come up with a plan concerning the movement of goods between the Russian mainland and Kaliningrad. With the EU trying to reach a compromise with Lithuania, freight transport to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad could return to normal within days, an anonymous source told Reuters. .Edited by: Sonya Diehn
| 7Politics
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When Miras Günes body was found a few days ago, her face was disfigured beyond recognition. The preliminary autopsy report revealed she was beaten to death with a hard object. Investigators are trying to find who was behind the attack on Günes, a trans woman from Izmir who had been reported missing in February. Just days before Günes' body was found, 18-year-old Emre B. allegedly attacked a trans woman with acid on March 9 in Istanbul's Beyoglu district. She suffered burns all over her body and lost much of her eyesight. A week before that attack, also in Istanbul, Harun S. was charged with sexual assault after allegedly following a transgender woman, Asel, to her front door, where he sexually assaulted her at gunpoint. "I thought it was a woman. But it turned out to be a man," he reportedly said while detained — before being released. These three recent violent attacks have been all over the Turkish press — and have received a lot of attention from the Turkish public. According to a study by Pink Life, a Turkish transgender association, attacks against trans people are not rare. The study lists 54 transgender people killed in Turkey since 2008, but Pink Life estimates that with the number of unreported cases the total is significantly higher. "Suspicious deaths and suicide attempts, as well as unregistered deaths, are not included in the statistics," says Yildiz Tar of the LGBT+ organization Kaos GL. Attacks on transgender people should not be seen as isolated incidents, but as a social problem, he told DW. "Hate crimes result from a very long history of discrimination. Such attacks are made possible in the first place by a system of inequality." Police officers had refused to take on the case of Asya, a trans woman who went to the police after being threatened and beaten. Three days later, she was attacked with acid, according to Pink Life activist Efruz Kaya. "The male-dominated justice system does not care about us. There is no trust in the judicial authorities," the activist told DW. Transgender people face a wide variety of discrimination in everyday life in Turkey, she said, adding they are often denied the most basic rights, including work, housing, health, education — and it is considered legitimate. "They already doomed to social death," she argued. According to Article 10 of the Turkish constitution, police officers are obliged to treat all people equally, Levent Piskin told DW. Instead, they do not protect LGBT+ people, but promote homophobia and transphobia, the lawyer said. Getting access to the justice system is difficult where hate crimes against transgender people are concerned, the lawyer added. "Far from being objective, vague concepts like morality and honor are used to justify a policy of impunity." The Turkish government has been using increasingly harsh rhetoric towards the LGBT+ community. Since the beginning of January, there have been regular raids or arbitrary arrests of students in Istanbul protesting the appointment of pro-government Professor Melih Bulu as president of the city's prestigious Bogazici University. In particular, the Istanbul police and judiciary targeted LGBT+ people, activists say. The students had organized an art exhibition on campus, where one picture showed the Kaaba — a holy shrine of Islam — side by side with a rainbow flag, the symbol of the LGBT+ scene. The Istanbul prosecutor's office launched an investigation, and four students were arrested, two of whom were subsequently detained, while government politicians made transphobic remarks, including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has flatly denied the existence of transgender people. "We will carry our young people to the future, not as the LGBT youth, but as the youth that existed in our nation's glorious past," Erdogan said. His communications chief Fahrettin Altun also made disparaging remarks, saying "concepts like freedom and tolerance should never be exploited for homosexuality propaganda." Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu wrote on Twitter about the arrests of "four LGBT deviants." Even before the student protests, LGBT groups criticized the government's homophobic and transphobic attitude. The ban of the 2015 Gay Pride march in Istanbul was a turning point for the community. The annual parade has not been held since. Above all, lawyer Levent Piskin said politicians are responsible for the homophobic and transphobic climate in Turkey. Public institutions, lawmakers and politicians have initiated a discourse that is clearly directed against LGBT+ people, he said, adding that "the state has moved from a policy of denial to a policy of hate." Transgender people are being used as scapegoats in hard times, warned Pink Life activist Kaya. The government is not doing a good job on the political or economic front, she added. "In such crisis situations, right-wing governments in particular immediately identify an enemy, demonize them and incite their voters against them." Despite the tense political climate, however, she remains optimistic. "We're getting better organized, we're getting a lot of support — today we don't feel as alone as we once used to."
| 7Politics
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A series of blasts triggered by a fire at a military base in southern Kazakhstan killed nine servicemen and wounded 90 people, officials said Friday. According to the country's defense minister, the soldiers died while trying to put out the fire which triggered some 10 blasts. The Defense Ministry said that a fire broke out on Thursday at an ammunitions depot in the southern region of Jambyl. The blaze quickly spread to storage facilities where engineering ammunition is stored. The ministry counted six blasts but other reports suggested there were up to 10. Videos showed a large fire and a tall column of smoke emanating from the depot. Four soldiers were initially reported to have been killed. The ministry later said nine people had died. The Jambyl regional government said that of more than 90 who received treatment for injuries, 28 remained in hospital with six in serious condition. All of the casualties were members of the military or rescue workers, the Kazakh agency Tengrinews reported. Local authorities evacuated people from the villages closest to the site of the accident. More than 1,000 people had to temporarily leave their homes and a railway line was closed. The main road linking the province to Almaty, the country's business hub and biggest city, was shut. The exact cause of the incident has not been established but Defense Minister Nurlan Yermekbayev has offered to resign. Some of the munitions stored at the Soviet-era depot had been transferred from another depot in the adjacent Turkestan region, where three lethal explosions took place in the last decade. In one incident in 2019, authorities had to evacuate a whole town of 44,000 people. mm/rt (AFP, dpa, Reuters)
| 1Catastrophe
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Russian and US negotiators will sit down for security talks early next year in an effort to defuse rising tensions, the Kremlin's top diplomat said Wednesday. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed a first round of talks with the US has been agreed for the beginning of 2020 as he said Russia "doesn't want to take the path of confrontation." Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the dialogue should aim for "concrete results and not become drawn out." "We want these talks," he said in a conference call with reporters. "And, certainly, the talks are held to discuss each other's positions." Moscow is, however, seeking guarantees over the expansion of NATO, which might include Ukraine, while the West is becoming increasingly concerned over the buildup of Russian military near its southern border. Last week, Moscow submitted draft security documents demanding that NATO deny membership to Ukraine and Georgia, both former Soviet countries. In the files, Russia also called for the withdrawal of NATO's military deployments in Central and Eastern Europe, namely the alliance's operating battalions in Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The West has declined to make such pledges but has given a firm commitment to dialogue. "This means we need to talk even if proposals have been made which are not our negotiating basis," German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Wednesday. On Tuesday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a telephone call. The two leaders "discussed the increased Russian military presence near Ukraine," a German government statement read. Scholz also "expressed his concern about the situation and the urgent need for de-escalation" in the region. jsi/rt (AP, Reuters, dpa)
| 7Politics
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A virtual conference held by the United Nations and co-hosted by Sweden and Switzerland fell far short of its aid goal for Yemen — with experts concerned about preventing large-scale famine from "engulfing" the war-torn country. More than 100 governments and donors had worked to raise a targeted $3.85 billion (€3.19 billion) to help civilians caught in what the UN describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis. In the end, only $1.7 billion was pledged. After the conference concluded, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the pledged amounts as "disappointing." Falling far short of expectations, funding was "less than we received for the humanitarian response plan in 2020 and a billion dollars less than what was pledged at the conference we held in 2019," he said in a statement. "For most people, life in Yemen is now unbearable. Childhood in Yemen is a special kind of hell. Yemeni children are starving," said Guterres. Guterres called for countries to "consider again what they can do to help stave off the worst famine the world has seen in decades." The six-year conflict has killed some 130,000 and millions are going hungry. According to the latest UN data, more than 16 million Yemenis — about half the 29-million population — will face hunger this year, and nearly 50,000 are already starving to death in famine-like conditions. The UN warned that 400,000 Yemeni children under the age of five could die from acute malnutrition. This year Saudi Arabia, which leads the military coalition fighting the Houthis, announced it would donate $430 million in aid. Like last year, it was the largest amount pledged by any single country. The United States promised it would donate $191 million this year, a decrease of about $35 million from what it announced in the 2020 pledging conference. Germany alone has pledged $241 million as well. It is a matter of "life or death," German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Monday. "Enough is enough!" tweeted Maas. "We will continue to increase our humanitarian contributions in 2021 and provide €200 million for the humanitarian aid plan." The United Arab Emirates also pledged to give $230 million. Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soereide said Norway would earmark 200 million kroner ($23 million) in aid. Other major pledges came from the United Kingdom ($121 million) and the European Union ($115 million). Wealthy countries, such as the US, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, cut back drastically on aid to Yemen last year amid the coronavirus pandemic, corruption allegations, and concerns that the aid might not be reaching its intended recipients in territories controlled by the rebels. In 2020 more than a third of the UN's humanitarian programs in the country either reduced aid or shut down entirely. Today, six million people, including three million children, have no clean water or sanitation services during the coronavirus pandemic. Twelve aid groups, including Save the Children and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), warned in a joint statement Friday of a "catastrophe" for Yemen if funding cuts continue. Meanwhile, the World Food Program said Sunday it was "facing a significant funding shortfall", adding it urgently needed $482 million to fund operations from March to August. In an interview with DW, Olivia Headon of the International Organization for Migration said that the situation on the ground is worsening. "In the past three weeks, we've had an escalation of fighting in Marib, which has led to the displacement of over 10,000 people. That's in addition to the four million people who are estimated to be already displaced by the conflict throughout the country," she told DW. Despite the donor conference, Headon believes that "the only end to the overall crisis and emergency is a political, peaceful solution." Auke Lootsma, director of the United Nations Development Program in Yemen, also warned of the escalating situation. "We have about 20 million Yemenis at the moment that are in need of humanitarian assistance, and indeed 16 million people that need emergency food assistance as we speak," Lootsma told DW. "We have a looming famine around the corner," he added, describing the potential crisis as one "we have not seen in the world for decades." The nation's war started in 2014 when the Iran-backed rebel Houthis seized the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, and much of the country's north. The Saudi-led, US-backed coalition intervened months later to try to dislodge the rebels and restore the internationally recognized government. mb/rs (AFP, AP, Reuters)
| 2Conflicts
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German tennis player Andrea Petkovic has announced that she is retiring from professional tennis, indicating she would likely step away after the US Open. "I'm still leaving the option open to add a tournament in Europe, which is a bit closer to my family and friends — but in general, this is my last tournament," the 34-year-old said in an interview with German broadcaster ARD on Sunday. "Maybe it's already over here in New York," she added. After 16 years on the tour, the former top 10 player didn't give any reasons for her announcement, though in recent years the injuries have been mounting up, undergoing knee surgery in 2020. As recently as July, the German was unable to finish her match against Annet Kontaveit in Hamburg after suffering an adductor injury, leaving the court in tears. She is due to play Swiss Olympic champion Belinda Bencic in the first round of the US Open on Tuesday. A few days ago she posted a cryptic training video on Instagram saying she was changing direction forever. Petkovic has won nine WTA singles titles since turning professional at the age of 18. She also reached the 2014 French Open semifinals and made the quarterfinals of both the Australian and US Open. Petkovic reached the final with the German Fed Cup team in 2014, losing to the Czech Republic. The US Open will also be the last tournament of US tennis star Serena Williams's career. lo/jsi (dpa, SID)
| 9Sports
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A federal prosecutor in Argentina called on Monday for a 12-year prison sentence for Cristina Fernandez, the country's former president and current vice president. She has been on trial since 2019 for allegedly defrauding the state and involvement in a scheme to divert public funds during her two terms as president between 2007 and 2015. As head of the senate, Fernandez cannot be detained, but in closing arguments, Prosecutor Diego Luciani said she should be sent to jail. "This is probably the biggest corruption maneuver that has ever been known in the country," Luciani said in arguing for the sentence. He also wants her barred from ever holding public office again. Fernandez had previously denied any wrongdoing and claimed the charges are politically motivated. On Monday, current President Alberto Fernandez, condemned the prosecution, describing the sentencing request as judicial persecution. "None of the acts attributed to the former president have been proven," a statement from the presidency said. The prosecution claims Fernandez favored firms owned by businessman Lazaro Baez in the bidding processes for dozens of public works, many of which were overpriced or were not completed. It is alleged some of the money would have been paid back to her family through companies they owned. The court's decision could take months. lo/jsi (AFP, Reuters, EFE)
| 3Crime
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Sam Bankman-Fried has agreed to be extradited to the United States to face charges for fraud, his lawyers said Monday. The about-turn came just hours after one of his lawyers told a judge in the Bahamas that the FTX founder insisted upon seeing the indictment against him before agreeing to the extradition. By Monday afternoon, however, Jerone Roberts, Bankman-Fried's defense attorney in The Bahamas, told media outlets, including the New York Times, that his client had agreed to the extradition. "We as counsel will prepare the necessary documents to trigger the court," the newspaper quoted Roberts as saying. "Mr. Bankman-Fried wishes to put the customers right, and that is what has driven his decision." It was not clear when the extradition could occur, though. Monday's court appearance comes a week after Bankman-Fried's legal team said they would counter any plans to force him to go to the United States. An extradition hearing had been scheduled for February 8. The decision to relent, however, could facilitate a much speedier process. Bahamian authorities arrested Bankman-Fried last Monday at the request of the US government. Prosecutors in the United States allege he played a central role in the rapid collapse of FTX and hid its problems from the public and investors. The Securities and Exchange Commission said Bankman-Fried illegally used investors' money to fund purchases of real estate. The 30-year-old could face a life sentence. FTX, which had been among the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges, filed for bankruptcy protection on November 11 in one of the highest-profile crypto blowups after traders pulled $6 billion (€5.7 billion) from the platform in three days. Bankman-Fried resigned as FTX's chief executive officer the same day as the bankruptcy filing. jsi/ar (Reuters, AP)
| 3Crime
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Belgium's Health Ministry said Friday that the country's intensive care units are struggling to cope with a third wave of coronavirus infections and has asked Germany for help relieving the patient load, according to a Belgian health official. Germany received coronavirus patients from Belgium in November during an earlier wave of the pandemic, and earlier this week, more patients suffering from COVID-19 were brought to nearby Aachen, just across the border. "Germany is already prepared to take over patients," said Belgian health official Marcel Van der Auwera. Van der Auwera said hospital staff in Belgium were "exhausted, pushed well beyond their limits." He did not specify how many patents could be transferred to German hospitals. Van der Auwera added that there were just 82 beds currently available in intensive care units across the country. Nevertheless, Belgium still plans to ease restrictions in the coming weeks. Prime Minister Alexander De Croo confirmed Friday that restaurants and cafes would reopen outdoor terraces from May 8, with four people allowed per table. Here's a roundup of the latest coronavirus news from elsewhere in Europe and around the world: In Spain's island of Mallorca, a man was arrested for assault after he allegedly ignored his COVID-19 symptoms. The 40-year-old continued coming to work and visiting a gym despite developing a fever. The suspect also disregarded his supervisor's appeal to stay home and ignored pleas from his colleagues. After his PCR test came back positive, five other colleagues also tested positive and then passed the virus on to their family members, including three babies. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video In Switzerland, health authorities discovered a patient suffering from a new coronavirus variant which seems to have originated in India. The patient was in transit on one of the country's airports, they added. Swiss officials were considering putting India on the list on high risk countries. Germany has reported 23,392 coronavirus cases, while 286 more people have died, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) announced in its daily update on Saturday. Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Germans to accept the nationwide pandemic measures that came into force at midnight. The restrictions include 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfews and access to non-essential shops in districts with high infection rates. Celebrities have come under fire for mocking the law. Germany also joined several countries in announcing a travel ban on hard-hit India. Health Minister Jens Spahn cited a new coronavirus variant that has made India the latest COVID-19 hotspot. Days after a national "emergency brake" was signed off by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in order to stem the tide of infections, the federal government is set to upgrade Germany's 2021 economic growth forecast, despite the ongoing curbs. The move comes as industries are bouncing back from the economic fallout caused by the pandemic. "Despite the continuing lockdowns, the economy is developing stronger than many expected," Economy Minister Peter Altmaier told the Funke Media Group. "In January, we forecast growth of 3%. Current data shows that it will even be slightly higher," Altmaier added. The government will announce its spring projections on Thursday. German Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht said people who have been fully vaccinated may have certain restrictions lifted soon. There is a major meeting on the topic on Monday. Exemptions may cover entry regulations, access to shops and certain services. India's Supreme Court has told Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government that it wants a "national plan" for the supply of oxygen and essential drugs for the treatment of coronavirus patients. India's underfunded health system is falling apart as the world's worst coronavirus surge shows no signs of easing up. India registered another global record in daily infections on Saturday with 346,786 reported cases. And now, the Press Trust of India news agency has said the country's Defense Ministry will fly 23 mobile oxygen generating plants from Germany to help with critical shortages of the vital gas, along with drugs and hospital beds. Each plant will be able to produce 2,400 liters of oxygen per hour, the agency reported. Hospitals in capital New Delhi and other hard-hit states are critically short of beds and oxygen, while crematoriums are overburdened. At least 20 COVID-19 patients died overnight at the critical care unit of New Delhi's Jaipur Golden Hospital due to low oxygen levels. Kuwait's directorate general of civil aviation said early on Saturday that it had suspended all direct commercial flights coming from India, beginning April 24, remaining in place "until further notice." Iran is also barring travelers from India. Officials raised concern over the new COVID-19 variant but did not specify if and how many cases linked to it were detected in Iran. "The Indian coronavirus [variant] is a new threat we face," President Hassan Rouhani said in remarks broadcast on state TV. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters he was "very excited" as he received his first dose of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine at an Ottawa pharmacy. Trudeau then watched on as his wife Sophie received her first shot. The Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 shot will be administered with immediate effect in the United States after a brief halt to the rollout of the one-dose vaccine prompted by blood clot fears. US lawmakers and nonprofit groups are pressuring President Joe Biden's administration to support a temporary patent waiver for coronavirus vaccines to help developing countries contain the pandemic. A group of legislators, House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, former heads of state and nearly 100 Nobel Prize winners delivered a petition signed by two million people to Biden, Reuters reported. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video New Zealand has paused its newly opened travel bubble with Australia after a COVID-19 outbreak in the west of its larger neighbor. "As set out in our Trans-Tasman bubble protocols, travel between New Zealand and Western Australia has been paused, pending further advice from the state government," the New Zealand government said on its website. The decision came after Western Australia announced that the regions of Perth and Peel were entering a three-day lockdown, starting midnight Friday to Saturday, due to a traveler testing positive for the virus. On April 19, Australia and New Zealand began an arrangement whereby travelers between the two countries no longer needed to go into a managed isolation facility. fb,jsi/wmr (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)
| 5Health
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Just weeks after a similar strike brought parent company Lufthansa to a standstill, Germany's Eurowings airline on Tuesday announced a 24-hour work stoppage. The strike will take place on Thursday, starting at midnight, according to the pilots' union Cockpit. Pilots are striking for better pay and working conditions, saying things have reached a crisis point after two years of a pandemic and soaring inflation exacerbated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Cockpit is asking for increased time off between flights and a reduction in maximum work hours for pilots on the low-cost carrier. The last time these conditions were improved by management was 2015, the union said. The union said it was aware that the strike would affect customers, but added that Eurowings executives had left workers with no other option. "We are open to discussion as to how we can create manageable working hours for Eurowings employees in the long term," said Marcel Gröls, of Cockpit. "It's not enough to come to the negotiating table," he warned Eurowings. "You have to bring with you a desire to find a solution and not bring a list of demands and present it as an offer." Airlines including Lufthansa were forced to cancel thousands of flights in the summer because of strikes and staff shortages. That caused long queues at major airports, frustrating travelers. In August, Lufthansa's management reached a pay deal with ground staff, averting further walkouts after a strike had forced it to cancel more than 1,000 flights. es/rt (dpa, Reuters)
| 0Business
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It's a tragedy. First, people had to wait months to get the COVID-19 vaccine and now doctors are waiting for people to come and get vaccinated. Meanwhile, thousands of expired doses are ending up in the garbage. Many German states, including Hamburg, Berlin and Baden-Württemberg, have proposed returning their surplus vaccine doses to the Health Ministry. Otherwise, they will have to be disposed of once they reach their expiry date. It's bad enough that the disposal of the vaccines is costing millions in taxpayers' money, but what's worse is the fact that some people are still maintaining their skepticism toward the vaccine — making it increasingly hard for Germany to reach the goal of herd immunity hailed at the beginning of the inoculation campaign. Many people are responsible for this tragedy. Not only those who do not want to be vaccinated, but also the politicians failing to make the necessary decisions as well as the experts giving contradictory information. By invoking their rights to personal freedom, anti-vaxxers risk contributing to a situation in which society's rights to freedom overall are restricted. This understanding of freedom at the expense of the general public has nothing to do with the ideal of the enlightened citizen, which liberals rightly champion. On the contrary: It shows that some people are willing to deprive society as whole from its freedom when the next lockdown is imposed. The conflicting recommendations with regard to the AstraZeneca vaccine have also contributed to the tragedy. While the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has approved it for all age groups, Germany's STIKO (the standing committee on vaccination) has advised that AstraZeneca only be used for people over 60. Denmark has even stopped using it altogether. In Germany, the political decision-makers seem to have taken leave from this issue to focus on the election campaign. The destruction of expired vaccines isn't considered a suitable topic of discussion — let alone the issue of compulsory vaccination. The fact that Germany's neighbors have introduced compulsory vaccination for certain professions shows that another way is possible. Italy made vaccines mandatory for health care workers as of May 25, and is currently debating whether to do the same for teachers. In France, health care workers in hospitals and care homes will have to prove that they are vaccinated from September 15, if they want to continue doing their job. And on June 16, the British government introduced legislation making it compulsory for care workers to have been vaccinated from October onward. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The COVID-19 pandemic has made clear that ideological debates and political posturing do not save lives or render viruses harmless — that can only happen with the rapid development of a vaccine. Thanks to scientific excellence and international cooperation, it does seem possible we will get the pandemic under control. This makes this destruction of valuable vaccines all the more devastating. The suffering of those who have contracted COVID-19, and the relatives of those who have died from it, obliges us to carry on despite painful setbacks and continue to vaccinate and fight for every single human life. It means that we will have to continue taking part in unpleasant debates and make decisions, instead of shirking on our responsibilities. Only then will this tragedy come to an end. This article has been translated from German
| 8Society
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Rock singer, soccer goalkeeper and economics professor — those are the interests most dear to Javier Milei's heart. And it looks like he is about to add "politician" to his list. To make that dream come true, Milei founded the La Libertad Avanza (freedom advances) party in July. In conjunction with other small parties, it has drawn up a list for the upcoming parliamentary elections on November 14. In the primaries in September — a peculiarity of Argentina's electoral system — La Libertad Avanza came in at 13%, enough to garner quite some attention. Young people in particular voted for him. Many of them might have been attracted by his style. His past as the lead singer in a rock band is reflected in his campaign appearances; he often dons a leather jacket, sings a rock anthem and basks in the crowd's acclaim. His thick, unruly hair has earned him the nickname "Peluca" (wig). It is not just his unconventional style that often leads people to compare him to Donald Trump or Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro. "Our common line is the fight against communism, against socialism," Milei argues. With Trump, he also shares a past as TV star. However, unlike the former US president, Milei did not have his own reality show, but instead spent years explaining the economy to Argentines on news and talk shows — speaking mainly about how politicians were putting obstacles in the path of growth. Milei also has showbiz talent. In a comedy program, he once said: "The right wing doesn't let you go to bed with the people you want; the left wing doesn't let you do business with the people you want. The libertarians don't care who you do business with or who you go to bed with." But Milei's libertarianism goes beyond comedy. He considers collecting taxes worse than theft because, he says, the state is mainly a tool used to distribute plum posts among politicians. He describes social benefits as antisocial as they drive people into dependence on the state and on politicians who promise them, in his view. That defeats individual initiative and creative entrepreneurship, he argues. His reasoning follows the teachings of the Austrian School of economic thought, whose most important representatives include the economists Ludwig von Mises, Nobel laureate Friedrich von Hayek and Murray Rothbard, a US anarcho-capitalist. They all agree a minimal state is best for people. Most Europeans shake their heads in incomprehension at libertarian theories. These ideas are much better known on the other side of the Atlantic, says Argentine-German economics professor Federico Foders, adding that "the Austrian School definitely has a tradition in Argentina." Foders says he can understand why Argentine voters like Milei. "It almost doesn't matter which government was in power in Argentina: They mainly provided their clientele with posts, licenses and government contracts and raked in cash for it," Foders says. The result was unprecedented economic decline. Frustration about that runs deep among many Argentines. That decline is evident to anyone who has ever been to the Argentine capital. Downtown Buenos Aires boasts wide boulevards and magnificent Art Nouveau and Classicist buildings that stem from an era when immigrants from Europe flocked to the country beginning in the 19th century. Some parts look like something from an architecture museum — an increasingly rundown one. A century ago, Argentina was one of the richest countries in the world. Per capita income was many times higher than that of Germany, Britain or the United States. Argentina dreamed of becoming a world power. While Europe and the US were fighting two coffer-draining world wars, Argentina was getting rich by supplying the world with grain, meat and other commodities. But instead of investing in education and industrializing the country to create a viable economy for the mass of often destitute immigrants, the elites largely kept on dividing up what they had — for the most part, among themselves. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video "Not much has changed in this regard," says Foders, who was born in Argentina, adding that decades of misguided fiscal policies also led Argentina from one national bankruptcy to the next. This triggered inflation that has averaged at 24% over the past 60 years — not counting the 15 years when the rate was at three or even four digits. "Government after government has proved incapable of permanently leading the country out of the crisis," Foders says. Now, neighboring Chile, Brazil and Uruguay, not to mention Mexico, have higher per capita incomes than Argentina. It's little wonder that Milei uses pithy slogans like "pure, hard libertarianism made Argentina the leading country in the world" to appeal to Argentines' sense of pride. Pure, hard libertarianism is exactly what Milei wants to reintroduce in Argentina. A move into the Chamber of Deputies would be a first step. In 2023, Javier Milei wants to become president. This article has been translated from German.
| 7Politics
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US President Joe Biden on Thursday heralded a new era as he reassured the watching world that "America is back." In his first diplomatic speech since becoming president, Biden signaled a no-nonsense approach to China and Russia, urged Myanmar's military leaders to bring their coup to an end, said the US would no longer support Saudi offensives in Yemen, and halted the withdrawal of US troops in Germany. As part of a list of policies in stark contrast to Donald Trump, he also announced a more open policy regarding refugee admissions. Speaking at the State Department, Biden said: "American leadership must meet this new moment of advancing authoritarianism, including the growing ambitions of China to rival the United States and the determination of Russia to damage and disrupt our democracy." "Investing in our diplomacy isn't something we do just because it's the right thing to do for the world," he continued. "We do it in order to live in peace, security and prosperity." President Biden has halted Donald Trump's plans to withdraw US troops from Germany. Biden said the pullout would be stopped until Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had conducted an extensive review of the United States' global military presence. Last year, then-President Trump announced he was going to withdraw some 9,500 of the roughly 34,500 US troops currently stationed in Germany. Trump announced the cuts after repeatedly criticizing the NATO ally's defense budget, which is increasing but remains well short of the alliance's target of 2% of GDP. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Biden said he would not accept Russian President Vladimir Putin's strong-arm tactics against the West. He also called for the unconditional release of Kremlin-critic Alexei Navalny, who was earlier this week given a lengthy jail term. "I made it clear to President Putin, in a manner very different from my predecessor, that the days of the United States rolling over in the face of Russia's aggressive actions, interfering with our elections, cyberattacks, poisoning its citizens, are over," he said. Biden also gave a stern defense of Navalny and heavily criticized the Kremlin's treatment of the opposition leader. Navalny narrowly escaped death after being poisoned last year. He, along with the EU, blames Russian security services for the nerve agent attack. Russia has also used heavy-handed tactics on those protesting on Navalny's behalf. "The Russian efforts to suppress freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are a matter of deep concern to us and the international community," Biden said. "Mr Navalny, like all Russian citizens, is entitled to his rights under the Russian constitution. He's been targeted for exposing corruption. He should be released immediately and without condition." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Trump had initially sought a warm relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping. However, differences over trade, Hong Kong and what the US military called China's destabilizing and aggressive behavior in the South China Sea, sparked a rift between the two nations which has yet to heal. Beijing, which is expanding its military and making efforts to increase its global influence, is the United States' "most serious competitor," according to Biden. "We'll confront China's economic abuses, counter its aggressive, coercive action to push back on China's attack on human rights, intellectual property and global governance," he said, before offering an olive branch: "But we're ready to work with Beijing when it's in America's interest to do so." Biden said the United States was working with allies and partners to address the military coup in Myanmar, that began on Monday. "There can be no doubt, in a democracy, force should never seek to overrule the will of the people or attempt to erase the outcome of a credible election," Biden said in reference to last November's ballot that saw Nobel Peace laureate Suu Kyi win a huge landslide. National security adviser Jake Sullivan said the White House was considering targeted sanctions on individuals and on entities controlled by the military. President Biden said the United States was ending its support for a five-year Saudi-led military offensive in Yemen that has deepened suffering in the Arabian peninsula's poorest country. "The war has created a humanitarian and strategic catastrophe," Biden told diplomats. "This war has to end." The move comes as a rebuke to Saudi Arabia, a global oil giant and US strategic partner. Joe Biden also wants to raise yearly refugee admissions to 125,000 in the coming fiscal year, a more than eight-fold increase after former President Trump slashed levels to historic lows. Biden said he would approve an executive order to increase the capacity to accept refugees in the face of "unprecedented global need." Trump portrayed refugees as a security threat and a drain on resources. "It's going to take time to rebuild what has been so badly damaged," Biden said. "But that's precisely what we're going to do." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video jsi/msh (AP, Reuters)
| 7Politics
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2022 was the year when the global economy was expected to recover from the mayhem unleashed by the COVID-19 pandemic. But then, Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 and the economy was pushed into the throes of uncertainty. The war in Ukraine and ensuing Western sanctions against Russia stoked geopolitical tensions, sent energy and food prices soaring to record levels and disrupted supply chains, throwing a wrench into the global recovery. As inflation climbed to multiyear highs, central banks were forced to tighten the money taps at a frenetic pace by increasing interest rates in the face of an already slowing economy, further boosting the prospects of a recession in 2023. A recession is, however, just one of the economic difficulties that awaits us this year. Here's a look at some of the biggest challenges likely to confront the global economy. 2023 is expected to be the third-worst year for global economic growth this century behind 2009, when the global financial crisis caused the Great Recession, and 2020 when COVID-19 lockdowns brought the global economy to a virtual standstill. Analysts expect the world's major economies, including the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as the eurozone, to slip into a recession this year as central banks continue raising interest rates to temper demand for consumer goods and services in an effort to rein in raging inflation. The head of International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, has warned that a third of the global economy could be hit by a recession in 2023, which she described as a "tougher" year than 2022. The eurozone, in the midst of a severe energy crisis as it looks to shed its reliance on Russian fossil fuels, and the UK are likely to witness a deeper recession than their peers. "The severity of the coming hit to global GDP depends principally on the trajectory of the war in Ukraine," analysts from The Institute of International Finance wrote in a research note, adding that the conflict risked becoming a "forever war." The contraction in advanced economies and a stronger American dollar will hurt exports, spelling trouble for export-oriented Asian economies. The consolation is that any recession will likely be short-lived and won't be as severe as initially feared, causing only a modest rise in unemployment. "Since inflation now seems to be receding all over the world, central banks should be able to take their feet off the brakes before long, allowing a recovery to begin late next year [2023]," analysts at Capital Economics said in December. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Price rises will likely be moderate in 2023, helped by weakening demand, falling energy prices, easing of supply snarls and a decline in shipping costs. However, inflation will stay above central bank target levels, prompting further interest rate hikes. That means more pain for the economy, and it risks worsening a global debt crisis. Inflation in the eurozone is expected to come down more slowly than in the US. In Germany, the eurozone's economic engine, inflation is expected to fall thanks to measures like a cap on gas and power prices. But core inflation, which strips out volatile food and energy prices, could remain stubbornly high as a result of the government's cash transfers to help households deal with higher living costs. "The resilience of the [eurozone] economy, and particularly the labor market, suggests that inflation could be higher for longer than we expect," said Andrew Kenningham, chief Europe economist at Capital Economics, adding that core inflation would fall more slowly as strong wage growth keeps inflation in the service sector high. "There are several obvious risks to that forecast. 'Known unknowns' include what happens to energy markets, which in turn depends on the course of the Ukraine war and the weather, and how German manufacturers cope with high energy prices," he said. Just weeks before the start of 2023, China announced an exit from its controversial zero-COVID policy. The swift pivot has left the country's health care system overwhelmed amid an alarming rise in COVID cases. Going by the experience of other countries, the deluge of infections is expected to cause short-term disruption to the world's second-largest economy. This could deal a blow to the fragile recovery in global supply chains. There is also the risk of a new coronavirus variant emerging and spreading to other parts of the world. While the near-term prospects appear bleak, analysts expect the Chinese economy to end 2023 on a brighter note with a big boost resulting from Beijing's ditching of zero-COVID and its support for the country's ailing property sector, which accounts for nearly a quarter of China's economic output. "Chinese recovery, combined with the regional reopening, means Asia could have a good 2023," Christian Nolting, Deutsche Bank's chief investment officer, said in a note to clients. The recovery could "stabilize the economies of neighboring and many commodity exporting countries (such as those in Latin America) given that China is the dominant commodities consumer." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The precarious energy situation, especially in Europe, will continue giving headaches to governments in 2023. Europe might just manage to escape a complete energy crisis this winter thanks to milder-than-normal weather and consumers cutting their energy usage. The lower demand for heating means the region's storage facilities, which were filled to the brim last year, might remain well-stocked at the end of this winter. That's likely to keep gas prices in check next spring, helping to pull down inflation. The situation could still become challenging ahead of next winter. Having spent hundreds of billions of euros last year scouting for alternatives to Russian energy and shielding consumers, Europe might struggle to once again fill up its storage facilities. The competition for liquefied natural gas will be especially tough as China reopens and traditional Asian buyers like Japan and Korea start looking for more sources of energy. Nolting said energy remains the main risk factor for the region, "coupled with a possible shortage of gas in winter 2023/2024." Military and political tensions will continue to remain among the biggest risks to the economy, much like in 2022. While there is no end in sight to Russia's war in Ukraine, US-China frictions over Taiwan, the world's top semiconductor manufacturer, and soaring tensions in the Korean Peninsula amid North Korea's missile testing are likely to keep investors on their toes this year. "Solutions to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine remain elusive. This in turn means no solutions to the knock-on effects of this conflict on areas such as migration movements, global supplies of fossil energy commodities and food; and potential geopolitical shifts extending far beyond the region," said Nolting. The battle for technological supremacy between the US and China might get more intense in 2023. Last year, Washington banned the transfer of advanced US semiconductor technology to China. "A trade conflict has now morphed into an effort to set the applicable long-term standards in highly important fields such as 5G, artificial intelligence and chips," said Nolting. "Success will expand the country's power base over the long term. So both sides will not want to yield ground easily." Edited by: Tim Rooks
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Games between Germany and Israel always carry a lot of baggage due to the history of the two countries and their peoples. But for one Israeli player in particular, Tuesday's World Cup qualifier between Martina Voss-Tecklenburg's side and their Israeli counterparts in Essen will mean even more. For Sharon Beck, this will be a game between her two nationalities, two cultures and ultimately — two parts of her identity. Beck, 26, was born in Tönisvorst, on the outskirts of the western German town of Krefeld, just 35 kilometers (22 miles) from Essen. Her father is Israeli, her mother German. Despite growing up in Germany — a country where Christianity still plays a role in day-to-day life — Beck also celebrated Jewish holidays. "My father explained all the Jewish traditions and holidays to me when I was a child," she told DW. "Judaism has a very moving history and I am very thankful to have grown up with both cultures, Jewish and Christian." Despite the idea that experiencing both cultures side by side was "completely normal" at Beck's home, she said conversations with others made differences between the two religions clear to her. Beck discovered her love for football at a young age and her talent eventually saw her playing in Germany's Bundesliga. After starting at several local clubs in her region, she signed with SGS Essen. Following stops in Leverkusen, Hoffenheim and Freiburg, the striker now plays for Bundesliga side Cologne. While celebrating Jewish holidays was the norm at her home, Beck's career as a professional footballer in Germany means she often is not able to mark important Jewish holidays like Yom Kippur — Judaism's holiest day on which Jews fast for 25 hours. "Unfortunately I cannot tell my coach that I cannot train for two days because it's Yom Kippur. But when I'm in Israel, I observe all holidays properly, such as Shabbat or Hanukkah," she said. In 2018, she was called up to Germany's squad for the SheBelieves Cup in the United States. After several weeks with the national team, and despite representing Germany at youth level, Beck decided that her international career should continue elsewhere: in Israel. "I like how warmhearted Israelis are, which is why I decided to play for them," she told DW. Beck knows that her decision comes at a sporting price. "Israel is a small country and I know I will never experience sporting success with them like with Germany. But I'm not a person who just cares about titles or status. I do what feels good to me." Despite her decision to play for Israel, Beck still said she saw her call-up for Germany as acknowledgement of her talent. "Germany is among the best national teams in the world. It was a dream to be called up and I'm thankful to have been given the chance to belong to their squad. But I had to decide where it felt better for me to play, and that's why I chose Israel," she said. After her decision became public, Beck said many people did not understand her choice. Her Israeli family, too, was brutally honest with her about Israel's chances of ever becoming a women's football powerhouse. "My family was happy to hear about my decision but they also told me: ‘Think about it, you have enormous talent and you're more likely to win titles with Germany.' They were very fair with me." Still, Beck stands by her decision. Israel's game against Germany isn't only about Beck's two countries facing each other; she will also be coming face to face with former SC Freiburg teammate Giulia Gwinn, now of Bayern Munich. "We got along really well," Gwinn told a press conference ahead of the game. "I'm very glad to be facing Sharon again in a national team uniform." Germany coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg, too, has a personal connection to the Israeli international, having coached Beck as a child and getting to know her family. "When you get to know a player that well, you follow her wherever she goes and however she develops," she said. While many Jews in Germany feel they have to hide any Jewish symbols, Beck said she "stands firmly" behind both sides of her identity, Jewish and Christian. Speaking about the relations between Germany and Israel today, she said she's well aware of the rising number of antisemitic incidents — a topic of conversation among her Israeli teammates. "I think it's very sad that there are still antisemitic incidents," she told DW. "I cannot understand it." Beck said she hasn't experienced any antisemitic incidents herself, but she is well aware of the situation many Jews in Germany face. "That's probably because it's not easy to get to me. I have a clear opinion and I stand against any injustice," she said. Be it her footballing career, her choice of national team or speaking out about her background, Beck is a player with a clear opinion. That doesn't always seem in line with what others expect of a professional Bundesliga player, but she doesn't mind. "I've reached a point where I don't feel I have to justify myself to anyone. It's my life and I make my decisions for good reasons. I don't really care what other people think." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
| 9Sports
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Germany and Real Madid midfielder Toni Kroos has issued scathing criticism of 2022 World Cup host nation Qatar, speaking out about working conditions for migrant laborers and the persecution of homosexuals in the country. "I think it's wrong that this tournament was awarded to Qatar," Kroos said on his podcast "Einfach mal Luppen," which he records weekly with his brother, Union Berlin player Felix Kroos. "Many of the laborers are migrant workers from other countries and they work without breaks in up to 50 degree heat. They suffer under inadequate nutrition and lack of drinking water, which is madness in those temperatures," he claimed in response to a listener's question about the tournament. "Their safety is not guaranteed at all, there is no medical care and there are also examples of violence against workers." He then added: "Homosexuality is also illegal in Qatar and is persecuted. These are issues which are simply unacceptable, there can be no two ways of looking at it." Kroos is currently out injured but his Germany teammates made headlines recently when they posed wearing t-shirts spelling out "Human Rights" ahead of their first World Cup qualifier against Iceland last week. A similar protest followed against Romania, while Norway, Denmark and Netherlands players have also spoken out. After a recent report by British newspaper the Guardian revealed that an estimated 6,500 migrant workers have died on World Cup construction sites in Qatar since it was awarded hosting rights in 2010, calls have grown for countries to boycott the tournament. Seven Norwegian clubs have urged their country's football association to boycott the tournament, backed by fourteen supporters' groups and the fan initiative Var Fotball (Our Football). The Norwegian FA will hold an extraordinary meeting on June 20 to discuss the issue, but German 2014 World Cup winner Kroos is not convinced that a boycott is the best way forward. "What would a boycott achieve? Would it change the working conditions? I don't believe it would," he said. "These conditions don't just exist because the World Cup is taking place in Qatar, the situation is generally like that there, so boycotting the World Cup won't change anything." Instead, Kroos believes that football can – and indeed "must" – use its reach to draw attention to the problems, "again and again, in the build-up to the tournament or maybe even during it, so that perhaps things will improve as a result." The Qatari government insists that it has implemented reforms to improve conditions for migrant workers, while world football's governing body FIFA also claims progress has been made. Human rights organizations regularly contradict such claims.
| 9Sports
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The German sportswear retailer Adidas announced on Tuesday that it plans to sell off its US subsidiary Reebok. The Reebok sportswear brand has failed to see market improvement in recent years. This led the German manufacturer to take the decision "to begin a formal process aimed at divesting Reebok." The company plans to start a formal procedure to divest Reebok as part of a five-year turnaround plan on March 10 when it releases its 2020 results. The two brands have been together for almost 15 years. "Reebok and Adidas will be able to significantly better realize their growth potential independently of each other," Chief Executive Kasper Rorsted said in a statement. Analysts believe Adidas is likely to make a large loss when selling, perhaps recouping in the region of $1.2 billion. Adidas bought Reebok in 2006 for $3.8 billion (€3.14 billion at today's exchange rate) Adidas in 2019 year reduced Reebok's book value to €842 million Reebok was badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic, with net sales in the second quarter of 2020 falling by almost 44% The third quarter of 2020 saw the brand's sales drop by 7% while Adidas sales were down just 2% To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Reebok fails to impress Adidas acquired Reebok comparatively recently, in 2006. At the time, it said it wanted to create a more viable competitor to the global and US market leader Nike. But the Boston-based sports brand failed to meet expectations under its new German owners. Rorsted has faced dogged calls from shareholders since 2017 to sell off the acquisition. A German magazine reported at the end of 2020 that the Chinese corporation Anta Sports as well as VF Corp, owner of the North Face brand, were interested in purchasing Reebok. This is a developing news story and will be updated. ab/msh (AFP, Reuters, dpa)
| 0Business
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An all-party review of Swedish security policy concluded that NATO membership would have a stabilizing effect and would benefit countries around the Baltic sea, Foreign Minister Ann Linde said on Friday. "Swedish NATO membership would raise the threshold for military conflicts and thus have a conflict-preventing effect in northern Europe," Linde told reporters when presenting a parliament report on security. The report does not contain any proposals but Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist warned, "If Sweden chooses to seek NATO membership, there is a risk of a reaction from Russia," Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist said. "Let me state that, in such a case, we are prepared to deal with any counter-response." Sweden's parliament was exepcted to debate the security situation on Monday. Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson was then expected to call a special cabinet meeting where the formal decision to apply would be taken. If the Nordic country formally joins NATO, it will end over 200 years of Swedish non-alignment. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video It would be a severe setback for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who used the expansion of the West's defensive military alliance as a pretext for its war in Ukraine. On Thursday, Sweden's neighbor, Finland made its first move towards joining the alliance. On Thursday Russia's Foreign Ministry said that Finland joining NATO would "inflict serious damage to Russian-Finnish relations as well as stability and security in Northern Europe." The Kremlin had previously warned of "military and political repercussions'' if Sweden and Finland decided to become NATO members. NATO's land border with Russia is set to more than double if Finland and Sweden submit their membership applications. Such an expansion by the Western military alliance would leave Russia surrounded by NATO countries in the Baltic Sea and the Arctic. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video lo/rt (AP, Reuters, dpa)
| 2Conflicts
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The European Union on Monday imposed sanctions on the Russian-based private military contractor known as the Wagner Group, which is accused of carrying out "hybrid warfare" on behalf of the Kremlin. "They represent a threat and create instability in a number of countries around the world,'' EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters Monday after a meeting of EU foreign ministers. The foreign ministers decided to "target the Wagner group itself, and eight individuals and three entities connected to it," according to a statement. The sanctions include asset bans and travel freezes intended to limit the group's operations. The statement added that those who have been targeted "are involved in serious human rights abuses, including torture and extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and killings, or in destabilizing activities in some of the countries they operate in." The countries where Wagner is said to operate include Libya, Mali, Syria, Ukraine and the Central African Republic. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The Wagner Group is a private military contractor that has been involved in flashpoints around the world. It has a controversial reputation primarily due to the conduct of its personnel, but also because of who leads and finances the organization. EU lawmakers have said the group should be considered as a "proxy organization" for the Russian state. The EU said the group is "spreading its malign influence ... notably in the Sahel region" of Africa, which includes Mali. Germany and France have objected to the presence of Wagner Group fighters in Mali. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said the group has a "legitimate" purpose in Mali, as it was invited by the transitional government. Moscow has said the group does not represent the Russian government. Since 2014, rights groups and media reports have linked the Wagner Group to separatist insurrection in eastern Ukraine. It has been in the crosshairs of the US and the EU for a number of years. Dmitry Utkin, who is believed to be the paramilitary group's commander, was Monday's list of eight sanctioned individuals. Utkin is a former military intelligence officer and is accused of ordering the torture and murder of a Syrian deserter, which was filmed and made global headlines. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Russian oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin is understood to be the financier of the Wagner Group and is said to be a close associate of President Putin. In 2018, the US imposed sanctions on Prigozhin. as he was indicted in the US probe into Russian interference in the 2016 elections. The EU followed up with its own punitive measures targeting the Russian national. The move on Wagner Group comes as the EU foreign ministers warned of an unprecedented economic response, should Russia carry out an invasion of Ukraine, amid tensions over a Russian troop build-up near the border with Ukraine. "The ministers — all of them — have been very clear today that any aggression against Ukraine will come with political consequences and with a high economic cost for Russia," Borrell told reporters on Monday, following talks. kb/wmr (AP, Reuters, AFP, dpa)
| 2Conflicts
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In 2015, nearly 200 governments promised to try to stop global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7°F) by the end of the century. But seven years later, as they meet again for a climate summit in Egypt, they are pursuing policies that will heat the planet by almost double that. For world leaders to honor their promises, they must sharply cut the amount of planet-heating gas humanity pumps into the air each year. Greenhouse gas emissions would have to fall 45% by the end of the decade and reach net-zero by 2050. A key driver of that titanic shift would be making electricity cleanly, instead of with fossil fuels, and electrifying activities that involve burning coal, oil and gas. Here's where the world stands in building infrastructure to make clean electricity. Most electricity is made from coal, the dirtiest source of energy, and fossil gas, which is cleaner but still polluting. Burning these fuels releases gases that act like a greenhouse around the Earth, heating the planet and making extreme weather worse. Just under 40% of the world's electricity comes from low-carbon sources like solar, wind, nuclear and hydropower. The share of renewable energy in the global electricity mix has risen rapidly in the last decade, while the share of nuclear has fallen. The amount of fossil fuels in the mix has remained steady. Total demand for electricity has nearly doubled in the last two decades. In countries where living standards have risen rapidly, like China and India, people have burned more coal as governments have connected people in rural towns and sprawling megacities to electricity grids for the first time. In rich countries where electricity has grown cleaner, like the US and parts of Europe, people have swapped from coal to gas as the main source of electricity. Renewable energy sources like solar, wind and hydropower now make up about a quarter of the world's electricity. The rise of renewable energy is set to speed up. As manufacturers have built more solar panels and wind turbines, the technologies have improved and the industry has become more efficient, making them cheap and easy to build. The costs of making electricity from sunlight or wind have fallen sharply enough to make them competitive with fossil fuels. In most of the world, building a new solar farm is now cheaper than keeping an existing coal plant running, let alone building new ones. The calculations do not include the costs of storing electricity on cloudy days with little wind, or account for the health costs of breathing dirty air from burning fossil fuels. Spending on clean energy is expected to hit $1.4 trillion (€1.4 trillion) in 2022, according to the International Energy Agency, a Paris-based organization led by the energy ministers of mostly rich countries. But almost all the growth is in rich countries and China, where the costs of financing new infrastructure are lower. Middle-income countries must spend more than twice as much paying off debt, and struggle to get loans for projects. In sub-Saharan Africa, where 600 million people do not have access to electricity, finance is particularly hard to come by. Rich countries promised poor ones $100 billion a year in finance by 2020 to cut their emissions and adapt to a hotter world. They broke their promise. The latest estimates show they raised $83 billion of public and private finance in 2020. The share of low-carbon energy is growing. But it would have to rise six times faster than historical rates to put the world on track to keep global warming to 1.5 C, according to a report published in late October by two environmental research groups, Climate Action Tracker and the World Resources Institute. Fossil fuels are projected to peak this decade, the International Energy Agency announced at the end of October. To cut emissions quickly enough for world leaders to honor their promises, electricity grids would have to become twice as clean by the end of the decade. In rich countries, they would have to hit net zero by 2035 – compensating for remaining emissions by sucking carbon out of the atmosphere – and in the rest of the world by 2040. A previous version of the legend in the third graphic mislabeled offshore and onshore wind energy. This has been corrected.
| 6Nature and Environment
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Leading Russian politicians are rejecting the G7's demand that Moscow hand control of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, which has been occupied by Russian troops since March, back to Ukraine. "No, and no again," Konstantin Kosachev, deputy speaker of Russia's upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, answered when asked about the possible handover, according to the Russian Interfax news agency. To ensure the safety of the nuclear power plant, he said, complete control over the facility is necessary. Kosachev's sentiment was echoed by the head of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the State Duma, Leonid Slutsky, who accused Ukraine of "nuclear terrorism." "And all the statements of support by the G7 foreign ministers are nothing but sponsorship of nuclear terrorism," he wrote on his Telegram channel. Ukraine has accused Russia of firing at Ukrainian towns from the site in the knowledge that Ukrainian forces could not risk returning fire. It says Moscow has shelled the area itself while blaming Ukraine. Russia says it is Ukraine that has shelled the plant. The security situation around the facility, which has been occupied by Russian troops since March, has deteriorated in recent days, with fresh shelling reported at the site on Thursday. Meanwhile, the German government has expressed concern about the ongoing fighting in the area around Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant. Government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said Berlin had "no findings of its own" that could confirm any of the conflicting accounts coming from Kyiv or Moscow, but Berlin was calling "on all sides to stop this highly dangerous shelling." The European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, also supported calls for demilitarization of the area starting with the full withdrawal of Russian forces and urged IAEA to visit. "Zaporizhzhia facility must not be used as part of any military operation," he wrote on Twitter. Here are the other main headlines from the war in Ukraine on August 12. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Bilateral diplomatic relations between Russia and the United States would be badly damaged, or even broken off, if the latter brands Moscow a state sponsor of terrorism, Russian news agency TASS cited a top official as saying. The Russian Foreign Ministry’s Alexander Darchiyev, who heads the North American department, said that if the US Senate succeeded in passing a law to single out Moscow, it would be taken as Washington crossing the point of no return. Meanwhile, the US said it was concerned over reports that British, Swedish, and Croatian nationals were being charged by "illegitimate authorities in eastern Ukraine". "Russia and its proxies have an obligation to respect international humanitarian law, including the rights & protections afforded to prisoners of war," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Twitter. The US Defense Department said on Friday that American-supplied weapons were not used to attack a Russian airbase in Crimea. The US also did not know the cause of the devastating explosions at the site, the Pentagon said. No one has officially claimed responsibility, and Russia has called the incident an accident, but analysts say satellite photos and ground videos suggest an attack. "We haven't provided anything that allows or that would enable them [Ukrainians] to strike into Crimea," a senior US defense official told reporters. The official specifically said it could not have been a US precision-guided, medium-range tactical missile, known as ATACMS, which Kyiv has requested and which can be launched by US-supplied HIMARS systems already in Ukraine. "It was not ATACMS, because we have not given them [Ukrainians] ATACMS," the defense official said. Russia's economy contracted by four percent year-on-year in the second quarter, the country's statistics agency said Friday. In the period from April to June, gross domestic product "amounted to 96% of the level attained in the same period of 2021, preliminary estimates show," Rosstat said in a statement. It was the first full quarterly growth data to be published since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in late February and western countries slapped stinging economic sanctions on Russia in response. After Russia's GDP expanded by 3.5% year-on-year in the first three months of 2022, the country is now facing a long period of recession. Western sanctions have targeted Russia's energy and banking sectors in particular. The Czech Republic, which holds the rotating EU presidency, said Friday that a blanket ban on visas for all Russian travelers could be the bloc's next step directed at Moscow. "The flat halting of Russian visas by all EU member states could be another very effective sanction," Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said. He said he would propose the idea at an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Prague at the end of August. The growing calls to stop granting Russian tourists Schengen Area visas have struck a sore spot in Moscow, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said on Friday, a day after her government tightened rules on Russian visitors. The strong reaction from Russia's elite shows that it is an effective sanctions tool, Kallas told Estonian radio. Dr. Alex Rosen, member of IPPNW Deutschland (International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War), told DW that he is "afraid and very concerned" about the dangerous situation around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which has been occupied by Russian troops since March. According to Rosen, any damage to the plant, be it from sabotage, cyberattacks, shelling or accidents, would cause a really widespread disaster depending on the direction and the strength of the wind. "This is a big danger because one side could inadvertently or actually on purpose use this kill switch," Rosen said. He added that a meltdown at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant "would make large parts of the country uninhabitable for decades, if not centuries." Ukraine's security agencies issued a joint statement on Friday calling for the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross to send representatives to locations where Russia is holding Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs). The appeal follows earlier allegations by Kyiv that Moscow's forces have tortured and executed prisoners, including by staging an explosion in a Ukrainian POW camp in Olenivka. Moscow claims Ukraine shelled the facility, killing more than 50 POWs. The first UN-chartered vessel set to transport grain from Ukraine under a deal to relieve a global food crisis should dock in Ukraine on Friday, the United Nations said. Several non-UN-chartered vessels have already transported food from Ukraine. According to UN's World Food Program (WFP), The MV Brave Commander, which left Istanbul on Wednesday, is due to arrive in Yuzhne, east of Odessa on the Black Sea coast. It will collect Ukrainian wheat grain purchased by the WFP, the agency's spokesman Tomson Phiri said. "This is obviously the first shipment of humanitarian food assistance under the Black Sea Grain Initiative," he said. Blasts this week at the Russian-operated Saky military airfield in Crimea have degraded Russia's Black Sea aviation fleet, Britain said Friday in its regular intelligence briefing. Eight Russian fighter jets were damaged or destroyed, according to reports. While the damaged jets make up only a fraction of the overall aviation fleet, Britain said Black Sea capability would be affected, since Saky is used as a primary operational base. The UK Defence Ministry said the airfield probably remained operational, but its dispersal area had suffered serious damage. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a demilitarized zone around Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant to ensure the safety of the area. Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has sued the German parliament, the Bundestag, for taking away some of his state privileges in May. The Bundestag had closed Schröder's publicly funded office and reallocated his staff after his refusal to condemn Russian leader Vladimir Putin for invading Ukraine. dh/dj (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)
| 7Politics
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Aid agencies have suspended their operations in an area of Tigray in Ethiopia after 56 civilians were killed in an airstrike , the United Nations said Sunday. "Humanitarian partners suspended activities in the area due to the ongoing threats of drone strikes," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement. According to the region's main hospital, 126 people were injured. OCHA said a lack of medicines, fuel, and other essential commodities was "severely disrupting the response to the injured, and (has) led to the nearly total collapse of the health system in Tigray." "The intensification of airstrikes is alarming, and we once again remind all parties to the conflict to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law," it said. The attack on midnight Friday targeted a camp for displaced people in the town of Dedebit in northwestern Tigray. It came just hours after the Ethiopian government called for "national reconciliation," announcing amnesty for opposition leaders from several ethnic groups, and senior officials of the rebel Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). Reports of the airstrike could not be identified independently as access to Tigray is restricted, and the region remains under a communications blackout. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The UN humanitarian agency reported last month that airstrikes on Tigray between December 19 and 24 caused "mass civilian casualties." Earlier this month, the UN said three Eritrean refugees, including two children, had been killed in an airstrike Wednesday on a refugee camp in Tigray. Ethiopia's Tigray, a mountainous region of 5 million people, has been ravaged by a war that broke out between Tigrayan forces and federal troops 14 months ago. The war has threatened to tear apart Africa's second-most populous country. Three Eritrean refugees, including two children, were killed in an airstrike on a camp in Tigray, according to the UN refugee agency. adi/aw (AFP, Reuters)
| 2Conflicts
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This live updates article is now closed. For further updates on the situation in Afghanistan see here. The Pentagon said it has conducted a drone strike targeting a member of IS-K who is involved in planning terrorist attacks. The US military said the strike killed one individual in eastern Afghanistan. This live updates article is now being closed. See this article for continued coverage. The US Embassy in Kabul has warned Americans to avoid Kabul airport due to security threats. A statement from the embassy called on Americans at the Abbey, East, North or Ministry of Interior gates of the airport to leave "immediately." Counterterrorism expert Jason Killmeyer told DW that Afghanistan is likely to experience volatility in the coming months as the Taliban face threats from jihadist groups such as the "Islamic State Khorasan" (IS-K). "I think they're going to see the Taliban seek to confront this group, just as they're seeking to confront folks in the Panjshir Valley and other domestic rivals," Killmeyer said in reference to IS-K. He said governments in Afghanistan typically cannot control all of the country. "Even in the '90s, there was at least 10% of the country they (the Taliban) never controlled. So these groups are going to have a freer reign over the next few years, regardless of the Taliban's recent victory," Killmeyer said. He said Afghanistan could wind up in a "dangerous" scenario such as a civil war, as the country faces a humanitarian crisis. France concluded its evacuation operations from Afghanistan on Friday, according to a joint statement from Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly. The statement said France managed to evacuate almost 3,000 people. Parly said 2,600 of those people were Afghans. The French officials thanked the United Arab Emirates for serving as a transit country during the airlift. France said the evacuation mission had to end due to the precarious security situation at Kabul airport. The French officials said they will maintain contacts with the Taliban to let at-risk Afghans leave the country in the future. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has promised to bring more Afghans to the UK for resettlement, as evacuations come to a close. "As we come down to the final hours of the operation, there will also be people who haven't got through, people who might qualify (for resettlement)" Johnson told journalists. "What I say to them is that we will shift heaven and earth to help them, we will do whatever we can." Johnson said it's in the Taliban's interest to allow Afghans to resettle in western countries in the future. "If they want to have engagement with the West, if they want to have a relationship with us, then safe passage for the (people) is absolutely paramount," he said. The Taliban and the US military have given conflicting statements about the state of Kabul airport on Friday. The Taliban claim to have taken control of various parts of the military side of the airport. "Today, three important locations in the military part of Kabul airport were evacuated by the Americans and are under the control of the Islamic Emirate," Taliban spokesperson Bilal Karimi said. Yet, Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said US forces still completely control the military side of the airport, in contradiction to the Taliban. "They are not in charge of any of the gates, are not in charge of any of the airport operations. That is still under US military control," Kirby said, referring to the Taliban. State Department spokesman Ned Price partially denied a report published in Politico Thursday that said lists of names of US citizens and Afghans, including fearful special immigrant visa applicants, were given to the Taliban. Price said it was simply wrong that the US State Department had given lists with personally identifiable information to the Taliban. Turkey said it has completed the evacuation of its armed forces, Reuters report. However, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said a small contingent of technical experts will remain in Afghanistan. Before the fall of Kabul, NATO had negotiated for Turkey to handle security at Kabul airport. Since the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan including the capital August 15, that plan has been in question. Reuters reports Turkey is in talks with the Taliban to provide technical assistance to operate Kabul airport but Al Jazeera reports the Taliban has requested assistance from Qatar. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told a press briefing that the US airlift mission at Kabul airport has started reducing the number of troops ahead of the August 31 deadline. After a suicide bombing carried out by the so-called Islamic State Khorasan at Kabul airport Thursday, Psaki reiterated Biden "does not want them to live on the earth anymore." Since the start of the evacuation effort, 105,000 people have been flown out of Kabul the White House said Friday. More than 18,700 refugees have transited through Ramstein air force base in Germany and many more will arrive this weekend as the US continues to airlift people from Kabul airport. For many, the US is their final destination. "We hope to have a better future," an Afghan man at Ramstein told DW. DW's Giulia Saudelli reports, "It has been an exhausting journey," for many arriving at Ramstein from Kabul or Udeid air force base in Qatar. "People have told us the processing takes between three and four days," she said. In a White House meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, US President Joe Biden addressed the suicide attack at the Kabul airport that killed 13 US service members Thursday. "We will complete the mission," Biden said. The president also said that he received a detailed briefing about events at Kabul airport while meeting military commanders on Friday. Reuters reports Pentagon officials have warned Biden that there is still a possibility of another attack, and that the next few days of the airlift mission at Kabul airport will be the most perilous. British Foreign Minister Dominic Raab said Friday two British nationals and a third British national's child were killed in the suicide attack at Kabul airport Thursday, Reuters reports. "Yesterday's despicable attack underlines the dangers facing those in Afghanistan and reinforces why we are doing all we can to get people out," Raab said. Major General Hank Taylor announced one suicide bomber struck the Kabul airport on Thursday, rather than two as previously reported. Initial reports suggested one attacker detonated a suicide vest at the airport's Abbey Gate, with another bomber striking the nearby Baron Hotel. Taylor said two flights took US soldiers wounded in Thursday's attack to Ramstein air force base and that they had since been transported to the nearby Landstuhl medical center for treatment. There are currently 5,400 people awaiting flights at Kabul airport. Three additional military installations in the US are being made available to temporarily house special immigrant visa holders and their families, the Department of Defense said. Spain has ended its evacuations from Kabul airport with 2,200 airlifted from Afghanistan since the fall of Kabul to the Taliban. Early Friday, the final two Spanish flights out arrived in Dubai. Spain did not have "an exact number" of Afghans still in the country that worked with Spain but was working on "a way to continue getting them out," Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced. Sanchez noted 1,671 Afghans and their families who worked for Spain were ferried out of Kabul airport since the start of the country's airlift on August 18, nine days ago. Italy's minister of foreign affairs, Luigi Di Maio, announced on Twitter that the last Italian flight carrying Afghan civilians, the country's ambassador to Afghanistan and Italian military personnel had departed Kabul. The UN's refugee agency, the UNHCR, said it is preparing for as many as half a million or possibly more refugees to pour out of Afghanistan by the end of the year in what officials are calling a "worse-case scenario." This would add to the already 2.2 million Afghans registered as refugees abroad, nearly all of them in Pakistan or Iran, and the estimated 558,000 people who are internally displaced within Afghanistan. Nearly four in five of Afghanistan's internally displaced are women and children. The UNHCR is seeking nearly $300 million in funding to handle the upsurge in refugees and is appealing to Afghanistan's neighbors to keep their borders open to those who wish to flee the country. Moscow condemned Thursday's attacks at Kabul airport "in the strongest possible terms," according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. "Unfortunately, pessimistic forecasts are being confirmed that terrorist groups and organizations that have settled there, the Islamic State first and foremost, and its derivatives, would take advantage of the chaos that has arisen in Afghanistan,'' Peskov told a conference call with reporters Friday. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also discussed the situation in Afghanistan during a meeting with Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio in Rome on Friday. Lavrov said Russia was concerned over the flow of refugees across "our southern borders, our allies in Central Asia." Lavrov added that the lesson to be learned was that it was "explosive" to "impose someone else's systems of values... in alien spaces." Some 76 military flights have transported a total of 18,700 evacuees from Afghanistan to the US Ramstein air base — the largest in Europe — in south-west Germany, a spokesperson for the base told dpa. Over 4,100 of those evacuated have already traveled onward to the US while the rest continue to be processed. The number of people taken to the US base do not count towards the numbers evacuated by the German Bundeswehr. After Germany ended its air bridge between Kabul and Tashkent, the foreign ministry announced that around 300 German nationals remain in the country. Another 10,000 Afghans who were eligible for evacuation were also left behind. Visas for Afghan nationals were being processed after arrival due to the complicated situation in Kabul, a spokesperson for the interior ministry said. It turned out that four people were flown to Germany who had previously been deported, one of which "went straight back into detention." Swedish rescue operations at Kabul airport have ended, Foreign Minister Ann Linde said in a press conference. "All in all some 1,100 people have been evacuated by the Foreign Ministry. All locally employed embassy staff and their families have been evacuated," Linde said. "The incredibly difficult and risky conditions meant we were not able to evacuate more Swedes and local employees," she added. Three Gulf states have condemned the attack by Islamic State extremists at Kabul airport. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, all three majority Muslim and all regional allies of the US, flatly denounced the attacks. The UAE called them "criminal acts," while Saudi Arabia, the home of Islam's holiest city and whose ruling monarchy also adheres to a very conservative form of the religion, strongly condemned the "terrorist attack" and called for stability in Afghanistan "as soon as possible." The foreign ministry of Iran, one of Afghanistan's main neighbors, also condemned the attack and called for the "immediate establishment of a broad-based government in Kabul." Several countries have already ended their rescue operations, including Germany, Canada and Belgium. The German Bundeswehr managed to evacuate 5,347, including more than 4,000 Afghans, during its operation. Spain and Australia announced the end of their rescue flights on Friday while the UK said that it would likely wrap up at some point during the day. US forces continued boarding people onto flights on Friday after 13 US soldiers were killed in Thursday's attacks. The Pentagon has said it will continue its operations until August 31, but will focus on evacuating US troops and military equipment during the last few days. Around 1,500 US citizens were still in Afghanistan by Friday, Reuters reported. So far, around 100,100 people have been flown out of Kabul airport since August 14, the day before the Taliban took the city, by the US and coalition partners. The World Health Organization said on Friday that it was hoping to launch an air bridge to the Afghan city of Mazar-i Sharif within the next few days, Reuters reported. "Right now because of security concerns and several other operational considerations, Kabul airport is not going to be an option for the next week at least," WHO regional emergency director Rick Brennan said at a press briefing. One of the main problems for the delivery of medical supplies was the high cost of insurance for flying following the attacks at Kabul airport. The UN agency is planning to work with Pakistan to restart deliveries. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has sent condolences to his US counterpart Joe Biden after the deaths of 13 American soldiers in the Kabul airport attack. "We mourn with you ... our thoughts are with the families of the brave American soldiers who gave their lives to save the lives of others," he said. Steinmeier praised the soldiers' courageous efforts, which he said had helped many Germans and thousands of Afghans to be evacuated. He added that Germany stands "firmly at the side of the United States in this difficult hour in the fight against terrorism." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video US forces at Kabul airport are preparing for more attacks by Islamic State militants, including possibly with car bombs or rockets, General Kenneth McKenzie told the Washington Post newspaper. "We believe it is their desire to continue those attacks, and we expect those attacks to continue," McKenzie said the day after the extremist group killed at least 95 people. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that talks lasted over three hours and that Ankara would hold further discussions "if necessary." The Taliban made a proposal on the running of Kabul airport. "They say, 'We'll ensure security and you can operate it.' But we have not made a decision yet because there is always a possibility of death and such things there," Erdogan told reporters. Twin bombing attacks at Kabul airport on Thursday killed scores of people, including Afghan civilians and US soldiers. Read the full story here. Islamic State's Afghanistan affiliate group, Islamic State Khorasan, has claimed responsibility for the Kabul airport bombing. The group already has a record of lethal attacks and says that the ultraconservative Taliban is too moderate. Read DW's explainer on Islamic State Khorasan here . Germany ended its rescue operation from Kabul airport on Thursday, five days ahead of the August 31 final deadline. The threat of an attack was one of the reasons behind the early withdrawal. Find out more here. The US and allies scrambled to evacuate tens of thousands of Afghan and foreign citizens from Kabul after the capital fell to the Taliban almost two weeks ago. DW rounds up some of the most dramatic pictures below. Authorities in the Pakistani capital Islamabad have asked local hotels to book out all available rooms for the next three weeks to make them available for people being evacuated from Afghanistan. Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority said that Afghan interpreters who had worked with foreign militaries and are trying to leave the country, would be brought to Pakistan. Plans have been drawn up to host them in Karachi and towns in Peshawar and Punjab. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Britain says that it plans to complete its evacuations out of Afghanistan "in a matter of hours." Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said the country had completed the processing of people at Kabul airport, telling Sky News that about 1,000 people are currently in the airfield awaiting departure. Britain has advised fleeing Afghans to try to cross the border to neighboring countries like Pakistan and Iran. London says it is trying to set up processing centers in those countries to help those applying for resettlement to the UK. Germany carried out its last flight on Thursday, having safely evacuated over 5,300 people, including more than 3,600 Afghans. Spain and Norway ended their evacuations Friday. Two military planes carrying the last 81 Spaniards out of Kabul arrived in Dubai early on Friday morning, El Pais newspaper said. Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden has insisted the US mission to get Afghan allies out “will go on.” But he cited the threat of terrorist attacks as a reason to keep to his Tuesday deadline for the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. US veterans have reacted to the suicide attacks in Kabul, calling the deaths of 85 people including 13 US soldiers "absolutely heartbreaking." "Everybody that’s got someone over there is just sitting there wondering, 'Was it my son, was it my daughter, was it my husband, was it my father?'" Colonel Rob Campbell, who served in Afghanistan, told WECT TV in Wilmington, North Carolina. "It’s absolutely heartbreaking to see what’s going on given the sacrifices that American men and women have done over the last 20-plus years," said former marine raider Chayse Roth, who also served in the war-torn country. Another ex-serviceman, central-Florida-based Donn Weaver told News 6 that the attacks reminded him of the moment in Sept 2010 when he drove to the airport to collect the body of his son who was killed in Afghanistan. "My heart goes out to them [relatives of the victims] because there is no way to describe it, the reality doesn’t sink," Weaver said. "I had hoped it wouldn’t happen, somehow nobody miraculously would be killed getting out, but I knew people would die or be tortured," he said. DW spoke to Swiss journalist Franz Marty in Kabul. Marty said that at least 90 people have died in the attack, with a further 150 wounded. He explained that while Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the first bombing, which has been confirmed by the Pentagon as a suicide attack, details surrounding the second explosion remain unclear. "There have been warnings that more attacks could come," Marty said. He also reported that sources had told him of further IS militants in Kabul who have the intention of carrying out more attacks. But it can be difficult to know how seriously to take the threats. "In Kabul there have always been threat warnings and after an attack it is not always clear if the warnings of further attacks are out of fear rather than intelligence," he said. In Kabul, people have become used to suicide attacks, but part of the reaction there now is outrage over the media's focus on the deaths of US soldiers rather than the much higher Afghan death toll, Marty added. This "reinforces the feeling among Afghans that Afghan lives don't matter and that it is only about the foreigners," he said. Germany's Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer has arrived in the Uzbek capital Tashkent along with General Eberhard Zorn. They met with the German soldiers who had been deployed to Kabul airport to aid with the evacuation operation. Germany ended its rescue missions on Thursday and has evacuated all of its staff and military personnel. Staff from the UK's Kabul Embassy reportedly left behind sensitive documents showing the contact details of several locals who had applied to work for them. The papers were found scattered on the ground of the compound after it was taken by the Taliban, British newspaper The Times said. A spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office told Reuters that "every effort" had been made to destroy sensitive documents as personnel rushed to leave Kabul amid the deteriorating situation. The Times said it had handed over the information of three Afghan staff as well as eight family members to the UK authorities. "Crucially we have now been able to get these three families to safety", a Foreign Office spokesperson told Reuters late on Thursday. More than 4,000 Afghans have been flown out of Kabul by the German military. Some of the last evacuees arrived at Frankfurt airport on Friday morning. DW spoke to some of the arrivals. One of them spoke of waiting at the airport for days and just making it out before the bombing attack that happened right where he had been earlier in the day. "We spent four days at the airport in Kabul, there was nothing to eat or drink. We nearly despaired. We wondered if we'd ever make it out. Today I thought to myself, if I don't make a flight, I'll go home, then luckily I managed to get on one," the Afghan man said. "I'm so scared because my family is still in Kabul. I'm frightened because I don't know what will happen to them," another told DW. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed that more blasts had been heard at the airport on Friday morning, but that these were controlled explosions carried out by US forces, he said. The Taliban also condemned Thursday's bombing attack saying that the group was very concerned about the "security and protection" of its people. The Taliban is opposed to the Islamic State Khorasan group that claimed responsibility for the attack. A group of Afghans on an evacuation flight from Kabul have landed in Albania early on Friday, according to an Albanian government spokesperson. Some 171 Afghans were expected on the plane. The Afghans will be temporarily lodged in hotels in the Albanian town of Durres, as they wait for visas to the United States. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has said the country could welcome up to 4,000 Afghans who will eventually go to the US. Members of the German military who were deployed for evacuations in Kabul have returned safely to Germany, according to the German Ministry of Defense. Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, along with other German officials, are expected to meet with the soldiers on Friday. Around 600 soldiers were deployed for the evacuations in Kabul. The Defense Ministry said extending its evacuations from Afghanistan was not possible due to the deteriorating security situation in Kabul. The White House said in a statement Thursday that more than 100,000 people have been evacuated from Afghanistan since the Taliban took over on August 14. It's estimated that as many as 1,000 Americans are still stranded in Kabul. Thousands of Afghans who worked with the US military are also stuck in the country, according to the International Rescue Committee. President Joe Biden has decided to stick with a plan to remove all troops from the country by August 31. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Australian Defense Minister Peter Dutton said Friday that all Australian troops had left Afghanistan prior to the attack on Kabul airport. "I'm very pleased and relieved that our soldiers have departed from Kabul," Dutton told the Australian Channel 9 network. "We took the decision to lift the last of our people yesterday and they are safely in the United Arab Emirates." "It's a horrible, horrible day, and I just grieve like every decent person would at the loss of life, and in particular for us the loss of American lives," Dutton said in the wake of the attack. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he was "deeply saddened" by the attack. Meanwhile, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern condemned the "despicable" attack in Kabul and said the country's last evacuation flight left prior to the explosions. In a televised speech Thursday evening, President Joe Biden said US military is in the process of developing "operational plans to strike IS leadership, assets and facilities," following a bombing outside Kabul airport that killed 12 US service members, along with at least 60 Afghan civilians. The Islamic State's Afghanistan affiliate, known as IS-K claimed responsibility for the attack. "We will not be deterred by terrorists. We will not let them stop our mission," Biden told reporters. "We will continue the evacuation." "We will not forgive. We will not forget. We will hunt you down and make you pay," Biden said, referring to those responsible. The president said there was no evidence that IS-K colluded with the Taliban to carry out the attack. President Biden also said US forces would continue evacuation of US citizens and Afghan allies and would meet the August 31 pullout deadline. He defended his decision to end the US combat mission in the country: "It was time to end a 20-year war." Terror group "Islamic State" (IS) said in a statement that it was behind the deadly twin suicide bombings at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul on Thursday afternoon. US military officials also confirmed that IS was responsible for the attack. General Kenneth McKenzie, head of US Central Command, said the US airlift in Kabul will continue, adding that the two bombers were "assessed to have been ISIS fighters." "We continue to execute our number one mission, which is to get as many evacuees and citizens out of Afghanistan," said General McKenzie. "ISIS will not deter us from accomplishing the mission," he said, adding that US forces were "prepared and ready to defend against" further IS attacks. Earlier, McKenzie had confirmed that 12 American service members were killed in, the bombings and 15 others were injured. The death toll makes it one of the deadliest incidents for American troops for the entire 20-year war in Afghanistan. Thousands of people have been gathering outside the building over the past several days in a desperate attempt to flee on an evacuation flight. One blast hit the airport's Abbey Gate, while the other targeted a nearby hotel. McKenzie said the explosions were followed by a gunfight, and that efforts to evacuate about 1,000 US citizens estimated to still be in the country would continue. ab, wd, ar/rt (dpa, AP, AFP, Reuters)
| 2Conflicts
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With every passing Bundesliga matchday, there's mounting evidence that this will be Jamal Musiala's season. Bayern Munich's 2-0 home win over Wolfsburg was routine and a game in which Joshua Kimmich, Benjamin Pavard, Thomas Müller and Marcel Sabitzer, increasingly comfortable in Bayern colors, all exceled. But the one player who stood out again was Musiala. "We are very flexible and rotate quite a bit,” he said of Bayern's attack after the win, in which he and Müller scored before the break. "We have a lot of control up front, have a lot of ball contact and runs deep. It's fun to be up front. "Things are going very, very well for us. We're playing good soccer, like we practice all the time in training. We're trying to bring the same energy and style of play to the pitch here." This wasn't a vintage game or performance by Bayern but it was another indicator of Musiala's precocious talent, which has been clear for a couple of seasons now. Even at 17, he was a Hansi Flick favorite, with the now Germany coach selecting him regularly in the Bundesliga and Champions League. That bodes well for Musiala, now 19, three months ahead of a World Cup, with his chances of being Flick's trequartista in Qatar growing more likely by the day. Musiala, who is developing an intuitive understanding with Alphonso Davies, is hitting form at just the right time. Against Wolfsburg, he was the channel through which everything seemed to go. Müller operates closer to the penalty box following Robert Lewandowski's departure, which gives Musiala the space to do what he's best at: drive at defenders, create chances for others, and score. Before the Pole's departure, Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann found it difficult to accommodate all three forwards – but given Sadio Mane's different skillset, there's now space for both Musiala and his idol, Müller. When Bayern made the breakthough against a Wolfsburg team who defended pretty stubbornly but ultimately had no answer to Bayern's multitude of attacking options, it was Musiala who pierced through. He showed strength in bouncing off Wolfsburg's French defender Maxence Lacroix and tenacity by staying on his feet as Patrick Wimmer came steaming in. In doing so, he crafted the space outside the box to let fly with an arrowed shot into the bottom corner. Musiala is a natural finisher, but he has a physical strength that most teenagers don't possess. When Nagelsmann switched things up at halftime, it was Gnabry whom he replaced with Leroy Sane – not Musiala. The man from Fulda who spent his formative years in South London has become a permanent fixture again at Bayern, bulking up too to become as physically imposing as he is fleet-footed. It's not as if Bayern don't know that they have a potentially world class talent on their hands. Here's what Oliver Kahn, Bayern's CEO, had to say after the game: "I just met Jamal in the dressing room and said that there must be more to come. No, he's had a great start to the season. How he plays is already outstanding at the moment, extraordinary." With Lewandowksi gone and Müller pushed up higher – as he plays for Germany – Musiala can enjoy himself in attacking midfield. Of course, Mane and Serge Gnabry need to be accommodated in the system too which means that Musiala tends to drift out to the left while Gnabry operates on the right. Musiala's gain has come at a time when Leon Goretzka remains out with a knee injury – but after two wins from two and standout performances by Musiala in Frankfurt and again here against Wolfsburg, Goretzka might find it hard to displace the youngster. It's still early days with stiffer challengers in wait, but Musiala remains the bright light of Bayern's post-Lewandowski era, and just might be Germany's secret weapon in Qatar. Although to those familiar with the Bundesliga, the secret is already out.
| 9Sports
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Amid its driest spell of weather in well over a century, the UK is on the verge of introducing a hosepipe ban in some parts of the country, while the source of the River Thames is experiencing an unprecedented lack of water, according to media reports on Friday. The river that runs through the British capital stretches 215 miles (356 kilometres) across southern England, from Gloucestershire in the west to Essex in the east, before entering the sea. And the source of the river has dried up further downstream than ever before, as some regions in England said they were suffering droughts — something experts have suggested authorities are ill-prepared for. "All water companies have reassured us that essential supplies are still safe," Water Minister Steve Double said in a statement. The Met Office — the UK's national weather service — has already declared last month as the driest for England since 1935, with average rainfall at 23.1 millimetres (0.9 inches), while some regions experienced their driest July ever. In the north of England, Yorkshire Water announced on Friday that it would introduce a hosepipe ban from August 26, in the hope of reducing water usage as the utility firm said the county is experiencing its lowest rainfall since records began more than 130 years ago. "The hot, dry, weather means that Yorkshire's rivers are running low and our reservoirs are around 20% lower than we would expect for this time of year," Yorkshire Water's Director Neil Dewis said. "We've been doing everything we can to avoid putting in restrictions but unfortunately, they're now necessary as part of our drought planning," he said in comments carried by local newspaper the Yorkshire Evening Post. Meanwhile, Thames Water, which supplies some 15 million people across London and south east England, also said it was planning to introduce a ban on the use of hosepipes and sprinkler systems. Parts of Europe have faced weeks of searing temperatures that have sparked large wildfires, threatening crops and draining water levels as the continent battles the effects of climate change. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The Met Office has declared a four-day "extreme heat" warning in several parts of England and Wales, that came into effect on Thursday. This comes after the weather agency announced it had registered Britain's hottest temperature ever on July 19 with 40.2 C (104.3 F) recorded at London's Heathrow Airport. The previous record was 38.7 C (101.6 F) in Cambridge in 2019. Climate expert and hydrologist at the University of Reading Hannah Cloke said a lack of rain has left river levels and aquifers alarmingly low, while water has been removed from the waterways to irrigate crops, top up drinking water and for use in industry. "If we don't get rain in August, in fact, if we have a dry winter, then we could be in severe trouble come spring and next summer when we really don't have any water stores left whatsoever," news agency Reuters reported Cloke as saying. Cloke added that while curbs on the use of hosepipes were useful, more needs to be done to help change attitudes over water usage. Moreover, she said investment in infrastructure and policy on preventing further climate change were more important than ever before. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Edited by Jenipher Camino Gonzalez
| 6Nature and Environment
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After years of keeping rates at historic lows, and in negative territory since 2014, the European Central Bank (ECB) departed from its zero interest rate policy on Thursday. It raised the key interest rate from zero to 0.5%, with further increases to follow. It's highly questionable whether this will be enough to get a grip on inflation of 8.6% in the eurozone, especially since the main reasons for the price increases are beyond the control of the EU. Energy prices have risen because of strong demand following the pandemic, and also because of the Russian war against Ukraine. Disruptions in global supply chains are also driving up prices. In addition, the ECB is walking a tightrope in its interest rate hikes. In economic theory, prices usually rise during boom times when all capacities are overstretched. Higher interest rates then have a dampening effect because they make credit more expensive and thus also slow down economic activity. Now, however, inflation is striking EU countries that are all emerging weakened from the pandemic, and in some cases with greatly increased debt burdens. Further weakening these already struggling economies with higher interest rates thus carries some risks. The end of the zero interest rate policy heralds the return of a specter that 10 years ago brought the eurozone to the brink of collapse: The vastly differing credit conditions of the member states. Countries borrow money on the financial markets by issuing government bonds. The greater investors' confidence in a country's creditworthiness, the lower the interest rates that country has to pay on its debt. Conversely, countries with high debts and weaker economies are "punished" by lenders charging higher interest rates. This difference, known in financial jargon as a spread, is now widening again. For example, one year ago Italy had to pay 1.21% higher interest than Germany if it wanted to borrow money for 10 years. In the meantime, the spread has almost doubled to 2.26 %. Highly indebted countries like Italy could get into trouble as a result, because higher interest costs leave policymakers with little financial leeway. During the euro debt crisis that began in 2010, market players began speculating against individual nations, amounting to a kind of bet on the collapse of the monetary union. To prevent a repeat of the crisis, the ECB has created a new anti-fragmentation tool. Called the TPI (Transmission Protection Instrument), it's a bond-buying program that lends money specifically to those countries that the markets have particularly little confidence in. It's intended as a signal to speculators: Don't bet on the end of monetary union, you can only lose. The downside of the new instrument is that the ECB is forbidden to engage in direct government financing. This could lead to protracted disputes in the courts over the limits of the ECB's mandate. Once again, it will become clear that the common monetary policy faces different demands — which in turn could likely to fuel betting against the monetary union. Rising gas prices prompted the EU Commission to draft an emergency energy plan on Wednesday. It foresees slashing gas consumption in the EU by 15% in the coming winter. If that amount is not cut on a voluntary basis, the EU Commission could declare an EU-level emergency and force member countries to save. Certain sectors of the economy could then receive less gas. Financial incentives are also planned for companies that switch to other energy sources. However, the emergency plan has to be approved by the EU member states before it can come into effect. Spain and Portugal have already said they plan to oppose it and rejected the plan as "untenable," which all points to a looming dispute on this measure as well. Many EU countries have cobbled together relief measures to ease the burden on their citizens in the face of rising inflation and surging energy costs — and to attempt to defuse voter anger. These measures range from tax breaks to flat-rate discounts on electricity bills and direct cash transfers to bailing out ailing companies, such as in the case of German gas utility company Uniper. The size of these aid packages varies greatly from country to country. What they all have in common is that they put a strain on government budgets and further increase debt. And all of that comes on top of the financial burdens that have piled up in most nations during the coronavirus pandemic. These developments are being closely watched on the financial markets — and could then lead to growing spreads (see above). In 2020, the EU set up a coronavirus recovery fund to help member states shoulder the huge financial burden triggered by the pandemic. With an overall budget of €750 billion, it is the largest aid package in the history of the EU. The money is intended to help countries weather the pandemic-related economic slump while enabling investments to make economies more climate-friendly and digital. Like many other crisis-fighting measures in the EU, the reconstruction fund sends mixed signals. On the one hand, it is meant to demonstrate unity and the strength of the EU community. It marks the first time that the EU states have jointly borrowed debt to be disbursed through grants on an unprecedented scale. On the other hand, days of acrimonious debate during the negotiations showed how big the differences are between the countries of the EU. Dispute and compromise, it seems, are likely to keep the European Union company in the future as well. This article was orginally writen in German.
| 0Business
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The cultivation of opium poppy as a medicinal plant has a long history in Afghanistan. The milky sap extracted from the seed pods is dried to produce raw opium, an effective remedy for severe pain. Today, opium is used primarily as an intoxicant and as a raw material for the production of stronger drugs like prescription painkillers and heroin. In the last harvest season, which ended in July, an estimated 6,800 tons of opium were produced in Afghanistan. This was an 8% increase over 2020, according to a recent report by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). According to the report, Afghanistan accounts for 85% of global opium production, and Afghan opiates supply 80% of users worldwide. The UNODC has calculated that the opium business will have generated between $1.8 billion and $2.7 billion (€1.6 billion and €2.4 billion) in Afghanistan in 2021, about one-tenth of Afghanistan's economic output. The agency said the Taliban takeover in August 2021, and the resulting protracted economic uncertainty, drove opium prices in August and September to new highs. "This strengthens the incentive for opium cultivation," the report said. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video "Opium production in Afghanistan will continue to increase," says a former Afghan army officer under the condition of anonymity. "Growing opium is a secure source of income for farmers and many unemployed people who are now returning to their villages from the cities," says the army officer, whose identity is protected for security reasons. Up until the Taliban takeover, the officer belonged to a special unit of the Afghan army tasked with fighting drug-related crime. "We didn't have everything under control at the time," the officer admitted. "Especially in remote areas, the Taliban had more influence and protected farmers growing opium poppies. If the Taliban wanted to, they could hinder opium production — they've done that before." During the Taliban's first period of rule from 1996 to 2001, they cracked down on opium production, which consequently dropped to 185 metric tons in 2001. However, after the Taliban were toppled from power that year, opium production shot up again. Even today, the Taliban claim they want to combat opium cultivation and drug trafficking in Afghanistan. After taking power in August, the Taliban announced their intention to reduce opium production to zero. However, the Taliban are known for using the drug trade to finance militant operations. According to the US government, they generate up to 60% of their annual revenue from growing and trafficking drugs. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Thomas Ruttig of the Afghanistan Analysts Network said the Taliban are not the only factor driving the drug economy in Afghanistan in recent years. "The previous government struggled with the Taliban for influence in rural areas, and many of its people were directly involved in drug smuggling," he said. The analyst said Western troops in Afghanistan often worked with warlords, commanders and government officials who were involved in the drug trade, and rarely did anything to stop it. Ruttig added that he does not think the Taliban are serious about wanting to reduce opium production in Afghanistan to zero. "They don't want to do it, and they can't do it, because they would lose key rural supporters," he said. This article has been translated from German Edited by: Kate Martyr
| 2Conflicts
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"Justice has been served. The whole international community must understand this," Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya told DW in an exclusive interview late on Tuesday. "Of course, some say that sports and politics are two different things. But when ice is bloody, it's not about sports any longer," she added. Tsikhanouskaya was referring to the violent crackdown on demonstrators in Belarus that has been ongoing ever since Lukashenko claimed a landslide victory in the disputed presidential election last August. Fearing for her safety, Tsikhanouskaya, an opposition candidate in that election, subsequently fled to Lithuania, from where she spoke to DW. After months of lobbying against the plan for Belarus to co-host this year's World Championships Tsikhanouskaya and the rest of the country's opposition and human rights organizations had achieved their common goal on Monday evening, when the International Ice Hockey Federation announced that it was moving Minsk's portion of the tournament. Tsikhanouskaya sees the reason given for the IIHF's decision, "safety and security issues," as an even clearer victory than they had hoped for. "The IIHF said the decision to move the championship from Belarus had been made due to safety issues," she said. "We expected that it would be worse and that they would say it's due to COVID-19." In fact, there had been speculation in the weeks leading up to the decision, that the IIHF could try to use the pandemic as an excuse in an effort to comply with its official position of being non-political. To the federation's credit, in its statement announcing the decision, it cited "both the rising political unrest and COVID-19" in Belarus. Ales Bialatski of the Viasna Human Rights Centre, a co-winner of the 2020 Right Livelihood Award, widely known as the "Alternative Nobel Prize," struck a similar note to Tsikhanouskaya, telling a virtual press conference on Tuesday that "justice has been served." Responding to a DW query, Bialatski played down the suggestion that it had mainly been a threat by the World Championship's biggest sponsor, Skoda, to pull out if the tournament remained in Belarus that forced the IIHF's hand. "The threats by the sponsors of the championship to pull out were probably the last straw in a series of critical voices against the tournament," he said. "The Viasna Human Rights Centre wrote a lot about it and we wrote directly to Fasel. Unfortunately, he didn't respond to us." At the same time, he congratulated Skoda and Liqui Moly, another sponsor that had threatened to pull out, for taking the stand they did last weekend. "It's very important that the corporations reacted in the way they did, and I very much hope that this example of business taking human rights into account will be followed by other corporations planning to work with Belarus in the future." This was only the second time that an Ice Hockey World Championship has been moved. The first was in 1968, when hosts Czechoslovakia were forced to pull out following the Soviet invasion. So given that Monday's decision was an unprecedented move for the IIHF, some are now wondering whether this could set a precedent for other international sports federations when choosing the host countries of future major sporting events. Bialatski, who described the IIHF's decision as "a very serious signal to the Belarusian authorities that the situation is really extreme," said he believed it would force other sports federations to at least "take human rights into account" when deciding on granting hosting rights for sporting events. His theory could be put to the test soon. The 2021 Pentathlon and Laser Run World Championships is scheduled to be hosted by Belarus in June, and while it is a much lower-profile tournament than the ice hockey worlds, the World Association of Modern Pentathletes (UIPM), too, is feeling the heat. "The political pressure is there, no question," UIPM President Klaus Schormann told the SID news agency. "But we are not driven by it, we want to make a right decision after considering all the arguments." As was the case with the IIHF, it will be the member national federations who will have the final word. For his part, IIHF President Rene Fasel has said that he's "relieved" that the decision had finally been taken. In an interview with the Swiss daily "Le Matin," Fasel said that he was also sad because last week's "bridge-building" talks with Lukashenko in Minsk had failed to bring about any change in the president's position. "I might be one of the last romantics in sports, but I believed in it," he said. Fasel, though, won't have long to catch his breath, as the IIHF now has to figure out what to do with the half of the World Championship schedule that was to have been played in Minsk. Possible solutions that have been mentioned include moving those games to Denmark, who last hosted the tournament in 2018, or Slovakia, which hosted the last Worlds to actually be played in 2019 — Switzerland had been set to host last year's Championship before the coronavirus forced its cancellation. A further possibility would be for Riga to host the entire tournament, as it did in 2006, and on Wednesday, Lithuania's minister responsible for sport raised the possibility of her country hosting games.
| 9Sports
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In a telephone conversation on July 4, Kazakhstan's president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev assured EU Council President Charles Michel of his country's support in helping the 27-nation bloc overcome its current energy crisis. Only a day later, a district court in Novorossiysk — Russia's biggest Black Sea port — ordered a pipeline coming from Kazakhstan and exporting oil to Europe shut for a month. The two events are no coincidence. They are part of the sanctions tit-for-tat between the West and Russia over the war in Ukraine. Officially, the Russian court's decision was a punishment for violations of the country's oil spill regulations committed by the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, or CPC, which owns the pipeline through which Kazakh crude is shipped from the Tengiz oil field across Russian territory to the Black Sea port. An audit of hazardous operation facilities, carried out by Russia's Rostransnadzor oil regulator, has revealed "a number of documentary violations under the Oil Spill Response (OSR) Plan," according to a statement on the CPC website. Even though no oil spill has been reported, the company was given until November 30 to rectify the violations and was ordered to halt shipments from the export terminal for 30 days as punishment for the offense. As Kazakh authorities tried to de-escalate the situation, saying the pipeline would be operating "in line with safety standards," President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on July 7 announced Kazakhstan would explore alternative routes for its crude exports. Mikhail Krutikhin, an expert on Russian energy policy at independent consultancy RusEnergy, thinks the court's order to shut down the CPC pipeline was "clearly politically motivated." "He [President Tokayev] made the statement with the intention of helping the EU overcome its energy problems as a result of the imminent EU oil embargo against Russia and the current throttling of Russian gas supplies to Europe," Krutikhin told DW. But Leyla Alieva, Eastern Europe expert at Oxford University, thinks that the move was "generally a reaction to Kazakh attempts at becoming politically more independent of Moscow." She told DW that President Tokayev made it quite clear at the St.Petersburg Economic Forum, organized by Moscow last month, that he didn't intend to recognize the pro-Russian "republics" of Luhansk and Donetsk in eastern Ukraine as independent territories, and would heed Western sanctions against Moscow. Kazakhstan seems to have ruffled feathers in Moscow , with some Russian politicians already warning Kazakh leaders of "a Ukrainian scenario" becoming reality. After operating without any trouble for more than 20 years, the CPC pipeline has been hit with a series of outages in the months since Russia invaded Ukraine and the EU imposed sanctions. On March 22, two loading buoys were allegedly damaged during a storm, taking the entire terminal out of operation for several weeks. However German business newspaper Handelsblatt reported though that there wasn't a "heavy storm" in the region, citing German Weather Service data. In June, a routine seabed survey suddenly revealed a World War II mine that forced suspension of loading from two of the three buoys. The search for "explosive devices" was extended ten days, until July 15. The latest stoppage was a "test balloon" from Moscow to see how Kazakhstan reacts to Moscow's interventions, said Alieva. "I think the Kremlin is hoping for Kazakh leaders to give in to their demands and make concessions in possible negotiations. However, exerting pressure often brings undesired results, and countries in the region could begin looking for alternative alliances, markets and resources." But alternatives to export routes via Russia are far and few between in Central Asia. Official talking points released from the Tokayev-Michel meeting in early July show the Kazakh president is seeking EU support for developing "alternative transcontinental corridors," including "an international trans-Caspian traffic route." What Tokayev has in mind is an export route for Kazakh crude that would bypass Russia, leading along the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan, where an existing pipeline connects the country with the Turkish Mediterranean port of Ceyhan. Kazakhstan already has minimal access to the so-called Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, which is operated by a consortium of 11 energy companies and would have to be expanded. Russian influence on Kazakh crude exports will remain "a big and lasting problem," said Krutikhin, because for the time being the existing alternatives cannot make up for the present CPC shortfalls. Germany has been importing crude from Kazakhstan for more than two decades, with the country having increased its share of the German market steadily in recent years. In 2021, the Central Asian nation became Germany's third-largest oil supplier behind the United States and Russia. Figures for the EU as a whole show Kazakh oil has a market share of 7.5% making the country the bloc's fifth-largest supplier in 2019. Kazakhstan is attaining even bigger importance with European sanctions on Russian oil expected to kick in on December 5 and the G7 group of industrialized countries considering a price cap on Moscow's crude exports. Oxford University's Krutikhin said he doesn't expect massive repercussions for the European oil market should flows from Kazakhstan remain curtailed for longer. Supplies to EU refineries could be affected though, he said and added, "it's difficult to make an assessment because for now there is no shortage of oil on the world market." This article was originally written in German.
| 0Business
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