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Germany's governing "Grand Coalition" between the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the Christian Social Union (CSU), and the Social Democrats (SPD) currently does not have the support from a majority of voters according to the latest Deutschlandtrend poll. Like other surveys over the past two weeks, Deutschlandtrend now sees the Green party in the first position at 26%, as the CDU/CSU continues to lose support and has fallen to a mere 23% and the SPD have come in at only 14%. The new situation in the polls can be linked to individual politicians: If German voters could decide directly who should succeed Angela Merkel as chancellor in September, 28% would vote for the Greens' chancellor candidate Annalena Baerbock.  Conservative CDU/CSU candidateArmin Laschet lags behind on 21%. Even among conservative CDU/CSU voters, only half said they'd vote for Laschet. SPD candidate, Finance Minister and current Vice-Chancellor Olaf Scholz, scooped up 21% of support from all people surveyed. Of the three chancellor candidates, Baerbock is seen as the most likable and credible. SPD's Scholz, however, is deemed to be the strongest leader of the three. In the evaluation of her political work, Baerbock has jumped a massive 41 percentage points in the last month to catch up with Scholz. Conservative frontman Laschet, on the other hand, cannot seem to gain popularity since being appointed as the CDU/CSU candidate. At 24%, the CDU party leader still has a similar rating to a month ago — which is far less than the 32.9% support they got in the last general election in 2017. Still, Angela Merkel, who will not be running for a fifth term in office in September's election, remains by far the most popular politician in Germany. Fighting the pandemic is the main topic on voters' minds for now. Germany still finds itself fighting the third wave — even if there have been positive signs of it weakening in recent days. In 2020, the initial government response to the outbreak saw a jump in voter confidence, but that quickly changed a year on due to growing doubts about crisis management and an initially sluggish vaccine rollout. The latest Deutschlandtrend survey shows that a good six out of 10 respondents are dissatisfied, while only around a third say they're happy with the government's response. Supporters of the business-friendly Free Democrats (74%) and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD, 91%) are particularly critical. When asked about whether the measures to curb the pandemic are justified, 40% say the rules are appropriate, while 26% think they don't go far enough. For 30% of people surveyed, the measures already go too far. In the coming week, Germany plans to ease coronavirus restrictions for people who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have recovered from the disease in the last six months. This would mean that the night-time curfew and contact restrictions would no longer be applicable to them. Mandatory testing before going to a non-essential shop or to the hairdresser would also be dropped. According to the Deutschlandtrend poll, however, opinion among people in Germany is divided. Every second person thinks that the restrictions should only be eased once more people have had the chance to be vaccinated. At the moment, around 30% of Germany's population has had their first shot, and approximately 9% have had their second. In general, 55% of those surveyed think that the targeted easing of restrictions for vaccinated and recovered people is a step in the right direction. As far as the important question of vaccination is concerned, willingness has grown considerably. In February, 60% of people in Germany said they were ready to be vaccinated. That's now at 75%. The poll also suggests that willingness to be vaccinated increases with age. The Deutschlandtrend survey was carried out by Infratest-Dimap from May 3-5, 2021, among 1,351 people in Germany.  This article has been translated from German.

7Politics

A senior Ukrainian official announced Friday that former Ambassador to Germany Andrij Melnyk would become Ukraine's deputy foreign minister.  Taras Melnychuk, the government's representative to parliament, announced the appointment on the Telegram messaging app.  Melnyk thanked President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and the entire Ukrainian government for its trust.  "It is a great honor and an enormous responsibility, after more than 25 years of my work in the diplomatic service, to serve my homeland in this new and very important function," Melnyk said, adding he was looking forward to the new role "immensely."  Melnyk, who is fluent in German and worked in Austria earlier in his diplomatic career, left Berlin in July after a stint of more than seven years as ambassador.  He was by far best known for his last few months in the role, however, following Russia's invasion. This period included several clashes with senior German politicians over their perceived closeness to Russia or perceived sluggishness to support Ukraine and a drastically heightened media presence because of global events. He made several impassioned appeals for Germany to send more weaponry more rapidly to Ukraine, a sensitive issue for a country that has been highly reluctant to use its military since the end of the Nazi era and World War II.  The Foreign Ministry in Kyiv had said when recalling Melnyk that he would be moving on to a new role in the ministry, and Kuleba had previously recommended him as a candidate to be his deputy. Melnyk was critical of President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, accusing him of having too many close Russian connections. He also became embroiled in a dispute with Chancellor Olaf Scholz after Steinmeier was told he was not wanted on a visit to Kyiv earlier in the war. When Scholz called Ukraine's snub of the German president unfortunate, Melnyk used a German idiom to imply that he was feigning insult and was overreacting to the situation.  Melnyk had defended himself in the past, when charged with being undiplomatic in his tone, by saying the time for unflinchingly deferential diplomacy had passed for a Ukraine fighting a defensive war for its survival as a state. His departure from Berlin also coincided quite closely with comments of his defending wartime nationalist Ukrainian leader Stepan Bandera, who still divides opinion in Ukraine and abroad.  Bandera was one of the leaders of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army that fought both Nazi and Soviet troops, but his allies also stand accused of the mass slaughter of Poles and Jews in what today is part of Ukraine.  The comments prompted sharp criticism from Poland and Israel and assurances from Kyiv that the opinions did not reflect those of Ukraine's government.  The former ambassador has maintained an online presence since returning to Kyiv, primarily in the German language. He continues to make appeals for more German support, often with a critical subtext. As recently as Thursday, he shared an image of a bottle of craft beer he said he saw at a store in the capital; the label bore a caricature of former Chancellor Angela Merkel captioned "Biere blanche Frau Ribbentrop." That's a reference to Adolf Hitler's foreign minister Joachim von Ribbentrop, who is best known for signing the then-secret accord with the Soviet Union carving up eastern Europe between the two sides before the outbreak of World War II. He would later be hanged after a conviction at the Nuremberg trials for his role in starting World War II and enabling the Holocaust. "Germany is still in focus," Melnyk said after a winking-face emoji. msh/sms (dpa, Reuters)

7Politics

Krishna Narode, 26, from Gangapur village in India's western Maharashtra state, is visibly excited as he surveys his four-acre farm where he cultivates an array of crops and fruits, including papaya, sugar cane, wheat and ginger.   In a few months, it will be time for harvesting and Narode knows that his efforts will pay dividends as he has relied on natural farming practices. "I hope to earn at least 600,000 Indian rupees (€6,765, $8,190) this year from my harvest. In 2016, I earned such a small sum that I wanted to give up. But thanks to new farming methods we have learnt, it is helping our community," Narode told DW. A few kilometers away, 51-year-old Mangala Maruti Waghmare, a woman farmer, is hoping to reap a windfall this year from her drumsticks, custard apple and mango produce. "My fruits are delicious and will sell for twice the general market price. Multi-cropping as a technique is benefitting a lot of farmers here who are willing to change," Waghmare told DW. Latur, one of the larger districts in the Marathawada, has been a perennial drought-prone area, notorious for its water scarcity and, at one point, farmer suicides. Five years back, authorities had to deploy special trains to supply water to the region and police had to stand guard outside water tankers, reservoirs and distribution points. But an initiative led by agriculturalist Mahadev Gomare, with the help of a committed band of villagers, helped change the sad state of affairs. A few years ago, they rejuvenated the 143-kilometer-long (89-mile) Manjara river and its tributaries, which are a key source of water for around 500,000 people in 900 villages.  Over 900,000 cubic meters of silt was removed from the river, giving it a new life. The silt, in turn, was used in the fields to help level adjoining farms where sharecropping was taken up. A river's ability to recharge groundwater is significantly reduced as silt accumulates at its bottom. "Once the rivers were revived, it increased the availability of water, and other initiatives to improve the biodiversity and ecology of the area were started," Gomare told DW. With technical help from the Art of Living foundation, which has expertise in river rejuvenation, desilting drains, gabion structures and arresting rainwater in rivers and rivulets were taken up. Since then, there has been no looking back for a large section of the farmers living here. The farming community has since gradually moved to natural farming, afforestation, agroforestry, social forestry and climate-resilient farming and seeding practices to green the area and help increase their farm produce. Entire village ecosystems were positively impacted because of the greater water availability, resulting in significant socioeconomic benefits. The changes led to a dramatic transformation in the lives of farmers. "It has taken time, but our labor has paid off and now we see a smile on many farmers' faces," Kaka Sehab Sindi, a farmer, told DW. "We know farmers outside Delhi are agitating for a law guaranteeing a minimum support price for their produce, but we decided to change our own fates," Ambalesh Kashinath, a cereal crop farmer, told DW. On the outskirts of Delhi, thousands of farmers from the northern states of Punjab and Haryana have been protesting resolutely for weeks against the three farm laws pushed through by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party-led government. They fear that these laws will destroy their livelihoods by offering big multinational corporations greater power over farming, and by undermining the main forms of state support to the cultivators, including minimum support prices (MSP) and government market committees. Much of the farming practices in the Marathwada region now rely on utilizing the natural processes of the soil and seed system, thus saving on input costs without compromising on the yield. This has become valuable for small farmers who are already financially overstretched. According to government figures, small and marginal farmers with less than two hectares of land account for as much as 86% of the 146 million total agricultural holdings in India. Bringing new technologies and practices to such a large number of smallholders scattered over a vast countryside and integrating them with the modern markets still remain a huge challenge. "Farmers across the country are not happy with what has happened to their incomes and this is increasingly getting reflected in their protests," Pandu Gangadar, a farmer, told DW. "We understand why Punjab farmers are angry over doing away with state-run wholesale buyers and markets that guaranteed a minimum support price," he added. But instead of relying on the government for help, farmers in Marathwada have brought in changes to crop management, leading to better crop yields, improved food security and increased resilience to adverse effects of climate change.

8Society

India will boost its spending on infrastructure and focus on creating more jobs, according to the government's annual federal budget unveiled on Wednesday. Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented to parliament an annual federal budget of $550 billion (€503 billion) for the 2023-24 financial year.  "After a subdued period of the pandemic, private investments are growing again," the finance minister said.  "Capital investment is being increased steeply for the third year in a row by 33% to 10 trillion rupees," she added. That is the equivalent of $122 billion the government is planning to spend on the construction of schools, airports and ports. While India's economy is projected to grow 7% in the fiscal year ending next March, the government forecasts growth of 6-6.5% next year. While the budget put an emphasis on boosting infrastructure to spur economic growth, it also lays focus on creating more jobs, ramping up welfare schemes, slashing taxes for the middle class, and boosting renewable energy. The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been under pressure to generate more jobs as it faces key state polls this year and a general election in 2024. Sitharaman said there was "the need once again to ramp up the virtuous cycle of investment and job creation." India surpassed the United Kingdom last year to become the world's fifth largest — and Asia's third largest — economy. On Wednesday, Modi praised the budget as laying a strong "foundation for the aspirations and resolutions of a developed India." Finance Minister Sitharaman said "green growth" is a top priority for the country and announced several new initiatives. The budget provided around 35,000 crore rupees, or $4.3 billion, to ramp up energy transition initiatives to help India reach its goal of net-zero emissions by 2070. India is currently the world's third highest-emitting nation.  Sitharaman announced around $8 billion for other projects as well, including mangrove restoration and converting waste into biogas. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The government also slashed taxes for India's large middle class — individuals with income up to 700,000 rupees ($8,560, €7,840) will not have to pay tax under the new income tax regime. A host of new tax relief measures is also expected to drive consumption. Despite the tax cuts, Sitharaman said the goverment is aiming for a budget deficit of 5.9% of India's gross domestic product for the fiscal year ending next March, lower than the 6.4% for this fiscal year. The budget also extended a $24 billion scheme to provide free grains to vulnerable households for one year and hiked spending by 66% on providing affordable housing to the urban poor. In the budget, India boosted its defense expenditure to around $73 billion — a 13% rise — as it faces tensions with China on their disputed Himalayan border. But the resources allocated specifically for the modernization of the armed forces saw only a moderate hike, according to experts. India plans to spend almost 242 billion rupees ($3 billion) for naval fleet construction and 571.4 billion rupees ($7 billion) for air force procurements, budget documents showed. The country's defense spending, estimated at about 2% of GDP, is still lower than China's 1.45 trillion yuan ($230 billion) in allocations for 2022. rm/nm (AP, AFP, Reuters)

0Business

DW: What's your take on the current situation in Afghanistan? Ahmed Rashid: The Taliban are emerging victorious not just in their traditional areas in the south of Afghanistan, like Kandahar or Helmand, but also in northern districts such as Mazar-e-Sharif. The government forces seem to be on the backfoot, while warlords are re-arming to fight the Taliban. It's an extremely dangerous situation that can suck in the neighboring countries. If that happens, that will be the end of Afghanistan. Why did the peace talks in Doha fail to yield the desired results? The Americans gave away far too much in this deal with the Taliban and without anything in return. The Taliban got many concessions but Kabul got nothing. Former US President Donald Trump was in a hurry to end the negotiations as soon as possible and nobody could control him. How do you look at the role of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in all this? Ghani has not been able to unite the people under a common position of dialogue with the Taliban. The militants know this and that's one of the reasons why they have refused to talk with Ghani so far, and also refused to accept the American plan for the Doha talks and the conference in Turkey. Is Pakistan's support still a major factor behind the Taliban's advances? As long as the Pakistani military and intelligence continue to give them the sanctuary, there is no need for the Taliban to accept any compromise or any deal or any dialogue with Kabul. Why should they when their leaders are safe and their families are safe? If Pakistan wants to show its sincerity, it needs to immediately force the Taliban leaders to either compromise or leave their sanctuaries in Quetta or in Peshawar. The warlords never left after the Taliban defeat in 2001. Wasn't this part of the problem from the very beginning? All these warlords were brought to Kabul by the Americans after the defeat of the Taliban. Many of them joined the government, often in senior positions. But there was no overarching security or political plan to unite these people. Elections were rigged by the warlords, by [former President] Hamid Karzai and then Ghani. The real failure has been the lack of unity among the Afghan resistance, but it's also been an international failure. The NATO and the rest of the international forces should have paid attention to that from the beginning. They left the issue in the hands of the UN, but the latter lacked the support of the Americans, who walked away from Afghanistan to fight a new war in Iraq. Afghans were left very much on their own and that allowed the Taliban to come back. So why did Washington keep supporting Pakistan? They were supporting former President Pervez Musharraf, who used a dual strategy: he was backing American drone operations from Pakistani bases and at the same time supporting the Taliban. The Taliban's relaunch would have never happened without Pakistan's help. By 2002, they had been totally wiped out, but by 2004, they were already a major force in Afghanistan. Their revival is a matter of neglect by the US and the stupidity of going to Iraq in 2003. It was in those first two years when all the progress was achieved in education and rebuilding. Then, the Taliban came back and endangered everyone. China has a growing presence in the region and strong ties with Pakistan. What's their plan regarding Afghanistan? Three years ago, when Beijing started to talk with the Taliban in China, and Chinese delegations were meeting the Taliban in Pakistan, it appeared that the Chinese might be very positive about making peace so their Belt and Road Initiative could go smoothly. The Taliban didn't agree with the Chinese and didn't accept their strategy. I think the Chinese realized that they didn't want to get sucked into a never-ending conflict. They eventually stepped back and moved away from encouraging peace processes in Afghanistan. Is an Afghanistan under the influence of India still among Pakistan's biggest fears? Yes, but they also have this ambition not to govern Afghanistan but to make sure that the leadership in Afghanistan is always pro-Pakistan. Islamabad didn't like Karzai because he was too independent, and they don't like Ghani because his vice president keeps talking about the role of Pakistan in a negative way. Pakistan will never be happy with anyone in Afghanistan because Afghans are nationalists, they are patriots. 'Who are these people sitting in Pakistan telling us how to rule ourselves?' is what most Afghans think. The Taliban cannot bring unity to Afghanistan because of their religious beliefs, which are not accepted by any other Afghan group. Are the Taliban capable of running the country if they eventually take over Kabul? The Taliban don't believe in democracy. They just want the collapse of the government so they can reconquer Afghanistan and reimpose their system with a few modifications. The media will be under their control and some women will have the chance to work, but in full burqa. What has changed? Absolutely nothing. Ahmed Rashid is a Pakistani journalist and best-selling author of several books, including "Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil and Fundamentalism in Central Asia." The interview was conducted by Karlos Zurutuza in Madrid, Spain.

2Conflicts

This article was last updated at 23:42 UTC/GMT This live updates article has been closed. For the latest news on the war in Ukraine, please click here.  Activists near Salzburg, Austria, occupied a lakeside villa thought to belong to a Russian businessman. The property is located in the town of Unterburgau, near the city of Salzburg. While protesters claimed 40 people were calling for the expropriation of the property, police said only 10 people were involved. Austria's land register and Finance Ministry register said the villa does not belong to an oligarch subject to EU sanctions but instead to a company associated with one of the oligarch's family members. Recently, 50 prominent Austrians published an open letter calling for an end to the country's military non-alignment. Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said that Vienna has no intention of abandoning neutrality. Ukrainian director Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk criticized the Cannes Film Festival for including a Russian director in the festival's line-up. Russian director Kirill Serebrennikov premiered his film "Tchaikovsky's Wife" at the festival on Wednesday. Serebrennikov has spoken out against the invasion of Ukraine. Earlier this week, Serebrennikov said that Russian culture should not be boycotted, arguing that it has always promoted "human values." "When [Serebrennikov]'s here, he is part of the Russian propaganda, and they can use him," Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk told Reuters. The Cannes Film Festival has banned official Russian delegations from attending. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Russia's TASS state news agency cited Donetsk separatist leader Denis Pushilin as saying that six Ukrainian fighters died in the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol "when they tried to blow up ammunition holdings before they were captured." Mariupol is part of Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, which has been contested by Kyiv and separatist forces since 2014. The pro-Russian leader said that there were 78 women among the fighters captured at the plant. Pushilin said that there were foreign volunteers among the fighters, but did not specify how many. "[Captured Ukrainian fighters] had enough food and water, they also had enough weapons," Pushilin said. "The problem was the lack of medicine." Donetsk regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said that seven civilians in the region were killed by Russian forces. Three people were killed in the town of Lyman. Another seven people were injured. Kyrylenko said "every war criminal will be punished." Pro-Russian administrators in the Kherson region accused Ukrainian forces of killing three civilians and injuring 10 in the village of Biloserka. Most of the Kherson region is under Russian occupation. Kyiv has accused Moscow of planning to annex the area to the Russian Federation. The dpa news agency said it could not immediately verify the information. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Kyiv has ruled out a cease-fire with Russia, saying it would play into the Kremlin's hands. Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said making concessions — like ceding territory — would backfire because Russia would hit back harder after any break in fighting. "The war will not stop (after any concessions). It will just be put on pause for some time," Podolyak told Reuters. He dismissed as "very strange" calls in the West for an urgent truce that would involve Russian forces remaining in territory they have occupied in Ukraine's south and east. "It would be good if the European and US elites understand: Russia can't be left halfway because they will [develop] a 'revanchist' mood and be even more cruel ... They must be defeated, be subjected to a painful defeat, as painful as possible." Both sides say peace talks have stagnated, with each blaming the other for the failure. Moscow could be open to exchanging Ukrainian fighters captured at the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol for pro-Russian politician Viktor Medvedchuk, a senior member of the Russian negotiating team has said. "We are going to study the possibility," foreign policy expert Leonid Sluzki was cited by Russian news agencies as saying. The idea was previously mooted by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Medvedchuk escaped from house arrest after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February but was rearrested in mid-April, accused of treason and embezzlement. The 67-year-old is considered Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest ally in Ukraine. On Friday, Moscow said the last defenders of Mariupol, the strategic port city in southeastern Ukraine, had surrendered after holding out at the steelworks for weeks. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen says Europe should impose an energy embargo on Russia to quickly end the war. In comments to German daily Handelsblatt, the former Danish prime minister called on Europeans to immediately stop importing oil and gas from Russia. "Certainly, an energy embargo will have a price. But compared to the cost of a protracted war, that price would be small," Rasmussen said. Rasmussen led the military alliance from 2009 to 2014 after being Danish prime minister from 2001 to 2009. He said there was a risk of the conflict turning into a war of attrition, which would favor Russia. "The Russians are experts at playing with unresolved conflicts. We see that in Georgia, in Moldova, and in the Donbas region of Ukraine, where they invaded back in 2014. We should do what it takes to end this conflict quickly." He said the most effective way to do this would be an energy embargo. He also criticized Germany for its hesitancy to supply heavy weapons and impose sanctions. "Of course, Germany is highly dependent on Russian gas imports, but I think a clear stance by the German government would change the whole dynamic in Ukraine. We need German leadership." He said the possible northern expansion of NATO was a historic step towards strengthening the alliance. "Finland has one of the strongest armies in Europe, strong artillery, and the number of troops, not to mention the reserve, is incredibly high. Sweden has a powerful air force and significant naval capabilities." So both countries would "bring a lot to the table," Rasmussen said. "They will increase NATO's defense capability — especially with the Baltic in mind." German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called upon former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder to cease all support for Russian companies. It comes after Schröder stood down from his role on the board of Russian energy company Rosneft under immense pressure in Germany. Schröder is currently nominated for a supervisory role on the board of Russian energy company Gazprom, and is a lobbyist for its subsidiaries Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2.  Schröder was ambiguous about his future at Gazprom in an interview with the New York Times — his only interview since Russia invaded Ukraine. The Gazprom annual general meeting is scheduled for June 30.  "We take note that it is now happening at one company, the others must still follow," Scholz said on Saturday on the sidelines of an SPD party conference in Germany. On Friday, Schröder announced "the impossibility of extending his powers on the board of directors of the company." The 78-year-old led Germany from 1998 to 2005, but has become increasingly isolated in recent months over his lobbyist work for Russian energy companies. Earlier, SPD Secretary-General Kevin Kühnert criticized Schröder's resignation as coming too late.  Scholz has rejected demands for sanctions on Schröder, saying the government's plans to remove his taxpayer-funded privileges — except his pension and his security staff — sufficed. Global risk analyst Justin Crump told DW that securing Mariupol would free Russia up for other military activity elsewhere, after having committed many troops to the lengthy siege of the vast underground steelworks. "I'm sure most viewers have seen just quite how large the site was. And you think covering thousands of meters of frontage was tying up a lot of soldiers that can now be used," said Crump, CEO of global risk analysis consultancy Sibylline. He said Russian soldiers were now needed on the country’s southern front and in the Donbas, as well as holding onto Mariupol itself and restoring order and facilities in a city which he described as a "shelled ruin" at this point. Crump described the fight in Ukraine as "evenly matched" currently, yet acknowledged that Russia’s gains are on frontlines that had been "static for years." The analyst also said reactions to the Mariupol capture were "split" inside Ukraine, between those who wanted the holdout to continue for longer, and others who just celebrated how long it lasted. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said his country condemns "terrorism in all its forms" in a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Saturday, as Sweden and Finland work on easing Erdogan’s rejection of them formally joining the NATO alliance. "I stated that as NATO allies Finland and Turkey will commit to each other's security and our relationship will thus grow stronger," Niinisto wrote on Twitter, saying that "close dialogue continues." Erdogan told Niinisto that "overlooking threatening terrorist organizations" is not in line with the NATO alliance’s ethos, according to the Turkish presidency. He reiterated the same line in a separate phone call with Sweden's Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, expecting Sweden to take "concrete" steps toward his country’s concern regarding terrorist groups. He also called on Sweden to lift the 2019 arms embargo it imposed in response to Ankara's military operations in Syria against Kurdish groups. The Turkish president is trying to halt Sweden and Finland's bids to join NATO, over what he described as their countries’ harboring of "terrorists." Erdogan is referring to Kurdish groups such as the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Syrian People's Defense Units (YPG) which Turkey has branded as "terrorists." The EU and US also classify the PKK as a terrorist organization. Turkey has fought a Kurdish insurgency, primarily in its southeast, for decades, displacing around 3 million people in total. The daily situation report from Ukraine's military general staff said that 11 Russian attacks were repelled in the eastern region on Saturday. It also warned of the danger of air strikes from neighboring Belarus, which is not officially a combatant but which has let Russia station troops on its territory. Ukraine accused Russian troops of preventing fleeing civilians from attempting to exit the Kherson area, also accusing them of blocking new humanitarian corridors. Russia’s Defense Ministry meanwhile said on Saturday that its long-range missiles had destroyed a shipment of western weapons bound for Ukraine's troops. Russia has issued a complete list of 963 Americans, including US President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and CIA chief William Burns, who are banned from entering the country. The bans are an indication of the deterioration in ties between Moscow and Washington since Russian President Vladimir Putin began his invasion of Ukraine on February 24. US President Joe Biden has signed a bill providing Ukraine with $40 billion (€38 billion) in aid to help fund its war effort amid the Russian invasion. Half of that money goes toward the Ukrainian military. Biden signed the bill after it was flown to him during a trip to Asia. The bill, which includes funds to upgrade Ukraine's armored vehicle fleet and air defense system, was approved by the US Congress this week with bipartisan support  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday that diplomacy was the only way to end Russia's invasion of his country.   "The end will be through diplomacy," he told a Ukrainian television channel. The war "will be bloody, there will be fighting but will only definitively end through diplomacy." Negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow are at a standstill, with both countries accusing each other of intransigence. A major issue hampering the talks is whether Russia should end up retaining territories it has seized in the war, or pull back to its internationally recognized borders. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Representatives of the US, Canada, New Zealand, Japan and Australia walked out of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in the Thai capital, Bangkok, in protest at Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to the Reuters news agency. The report said the walkout occurred while the Russian representative was speaking at the opening of the two-day meeting. Although many Western nations have expressed outrage at Russia's illegitimate and brutal invasion of its neighbor and imposed tough sanctions on Moscow, several APEC member nations, especially in Southeast Asia and Latin America, have declined to take part in such moves. UK wants to give Moldova arms to protect against Russia Britain would like to see Moldova receive modern weaponry to NATO standards to protect it from a Russia that, under President Vladimir Putin, is seeking to enlarge its territory, the British daily The Telegraph has reported. The paper cited the UK's foreign minister, Liz Truss, as saying that she wanted "to see Moldova equipped to NATO standard. This is a discussion we're having with our allies." Moldova, which borders Ukraine to the southwest, is not currently a member of the NATO alliance. Many observers consider it to be a possible target for Putin's territorial ambitions. "Putin has been absolutely clear about his ambitions to create a greater Russia. And just because his attempts to take Kyiv weren't successful doesn't mean he's abandoned those ambitions," she said. Moldova applied for EU membership in early March in a move prompted by the invasion in neighboring Ukraine. The UN's refugee agency, UNHCR, says more than 6.4 million people have left Ukraine since Russia began its invasion on February 24. Most have gone to neighboring Poland, which has taken in 3.4 million people from Ukraine, the UNHCR told the German daily Welt am Sonntag. Romania, Russia and Hungary were the other main destinations for refugees from Ukraine, the agency said. Germany, the Czech Republic and Italy were the non-neighboring countries that had taken in the most Ukrainian refugees, it said. Germany's Interior Ministry says that more than 700,000 refugees from Ukraine have already been registered, though the real number is thought to be higher. Russia's supply of Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) used for seeking out targets to strike could become increasingly limited as Western sanctions bite, according to an intelligence update from the UK's Ministry of Defence. The use of UAVs has been "pivotal" for both sides in the war, the update says, but they are vulnerable to being shot down or disabled by electronic jamming, meaning that many have been lost. According to the update, crewed Russian aircraft have been avoiding flying over Ukrainian territory because of the danger posed by Ukrainian air defense systems. Russian energy giant Gazprom has ceased exporting gas to neighboring Finland, the gas system operator Gasgrid Finland said on Saturday. "Gas imports through Imatra entry point have been stopped," it said in a statement. Imatra is the entry point for Russian gas into Finland. The move comes after Gazprom Export, which later confirmed the stoppage, demanded that European countries pay for Russian gas supplies in rubles because of sanctions imposed over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Finland has refused to comply. The halt in gas exports from Russia also comes amid tensions with Moscow produced by Finland's application on Wednesday to join NATO. Although most of the gas used in Finland comes from Russia, gas makes up only some 5% of its annual energy consumption. Moscow already cut off gas to Bulgaria and Poland last month after they refused to pay in rubles. The US Defense Department is organizing a video conference for the Ukraine contact group with some 40 countries expected to attend the event hosted by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, according to Pentagon spokesman John Kirby. In late April, Austin hosted international partners at the Ramstein US air base in Germany to discuss how to provide defense aid to Ukraine. He proposed the monthly contact group at the time. Kirby added that several countries not present back in April have since asked to join the Ukraine contact group. During his nightly video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said late Friday that Ukraine and its allies have formally proposed a deal to obtain financial compensation from Russia for the damage caused by Russian forces and munitions. Zelenskyy added Russia has dedicated itself to destroying as much of Ukrainian infrastructure as possible and that a deal addressing compensation would make it clear to nations planning unwarranted acts of military aggression that they would be made to pay. "Russia will feel the weight of every missile, every bomb, every shell which it has fired at us," he said. The Russian Defense Ministry said it fully controls the territory of the Azovstal steel plant in the southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol. According to the ministry, the last group of 531 Ukrainian fighters has now surrendered. Since May 16, a total of 2,439 Ukrainian soldiers have laid down their arms, Russia said. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview with Ukrainian TV channels that the operation to ensure the withdrawal of Mariupol defenders from the Azovstal steel plant was carried out with the participation of Western partners. Zelenskyy also said that Ukraine lost many helicopter pilots supplying the Mariupol garrison.  He lashed out against Russian airstrikes that destroyed a recently renovated cultural center in Lozova, in the eastern Kharkiv region. Seven people, including a child, were injured. On Telegram, Zelenskyy wrote, "The occupiers have identified culture, education and humanity as their enemies." Russian President Vladimir Putin called for "technological sovereignty," saying Russia has been hit by numerous cyberattacks since Moscow sent troops to Ukraine. According to Putin, the attacks are coming from different countries but are "clearly coordinated." Moscow is nearing full control of the separatist region of Lugansk in eastern Ukraine, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said in remarks carried by Russian news agencies. Shoigu's announcement came after Russia's war on Ukraine shifted focus from Kyiv to eastern Ukraine due to losses and strategic defeats. Russia's lower house of parliament is to debate allowing Russians over 40 and foreigners over 30 to sign up for the military, the State Duma website said on Friday. Up until now, only Russians aged 18-40 and foreigners aged 18-30 have been able to enter into a first contract with the military. The UK Ministry of Defense said in an intelligence update that Russia is likely to move troops from Mariupol to support its military operations in Donbas after securing the Black Sea port despite stiff resistance by Ukrainian fighters. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is expanding its investigation into human rights violations committed during Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine. Observers have been sent to Ukraine to interview witnesses and survivors, the OSCE Office for Democracy and Human Rights (ODIHR) said in a statement. Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said Friday that Italy had submitted a peace plan for Ukraine to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. According to Di Maio, the plan calls for local cease-fires to evacuate civilians along humanitarian corridors and create the conditions for a general cease-fire leading "to a long-lasting peace." The EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell said he was aware of the plan, adding the EU is "putting all our efforts into trying to bring this conflict to an end." Borrell also reiterated warnings of global food shortages due to the war in Ukraine. Germany will deliver the first 15 "Gepard" tanks to Ukraine in July, a German Defense Ministry spokesperson said following a conversation between German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht and her Ukrainian counterpart Oleksii Reznikov. The package also includes training support from the Bundeswehr, the provision of almost 60,000 rounds of ammunition and the delivery of a further 15 tanks in the summer. Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has told Russia's state-owned oil company Rosneft that he cannot continue serving on its board of directors, a statement on the company's website says.  Former Dresden Stasi chief turned German businessman Matthias Warnig also ditched the Rosneft board. Russian gas will stop flowing to neighboring Finland on Saturday morning, Finnish state-owned gas wholesaler Gasum has said in a statement.  The move comes amid a spat over Moscow's demand for countries to pay for gas in rubles and Finland's application for NATO membership in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Catch up on what happened Friday in Russia's war on Ukraine. mm, ar/sms (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)

2Conflicts

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) called for the release of opposition leader and Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny on Wednesday. "The Court grants an interim measure in favor of Aleksei Navalny and asks to the Government of Russia to release him," the European rights court said in a press release, using a different spelling of Navalny's name. Navalny's team had also shared a copy of a letter addressed to Navalny's lawyer, Olga Mikhailova, from the ECHR informing her of the decision and the plan to notify the government in Russia. The ECHR is the international court of the Council of Europe, Europe's main human rights forum, of which Russia is a member. A Moscow court on February 2 found Navalny guilty of disobeying the terms of his probation over a 2014 money laundering conviction. It sentenced Navalny to three and a half years in a penal colony, albeit with some of that time already served. But Europe’s top human rights court had already ruled in 2017 that Navalny’s 2014 conviction for fraud had been "arbitrary and manifestly unreasonable." It ordered Russia to pay him compensation. During the trial in February, Navalny said the legal actions against him were designed to intimidate people. Most European governmentsand the US have staunchly criticized Russia for jailing Navalny. The ECHR called for his release as an interim measure under Rule 39 of the Rules of Court. Rule 39 is for people who face "an imminent risk of irreparable harm," according to a UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) description. Rule 39 individual interim measures are binding for the period during which they remain in force, the UNHCR toolkit states. But Russia's justice minister dismissed the court's demand as "unfounded and unlawful." The Foreign Ministry dismissed the order as part of Western meddling in the country's domestic affairs. The Russian Justice Ministry previously warned: "The ECHR can't substitute a national court or cancel its verdict," the statement added. In the past, Moscow has abided by the ECHR's rulings awarding compensation to Russian citizens who have contested verdicts in Russian courts. But "this is an absolutely unique situation" Galina Arapova, director and senior media lawyer at the NGO Mass Media Defense Center (Russia) told DW. "I can’t remember any other example when the European Court demanded the release of a person charged with a criminal offense — and Navalny is formally serving a criminal sentence" Arapova said.. "The application of Rule 39 of the Rules of Court is an urgent measure. Such measures are usually taken when for example a person faces extradition to another country where this person would be in danger. Previously urgent measures were only taken upon request of the defense lawyer of the person in danger, when their case was connected with an extradition," Arapova added. The Council of Europe has very "limited" ways to pressure Russia to carry out the decision now, apart from deciding to expel it for failing to fulfill obligations, DW's Russia Correspondent Emily Sherwin tweeted, citing Arapova. "That would be very bad for the people of Russia," who often rely on the ECHR for justice. The 44-year-old is a Russian lawyer, anti-corruption activist and opposition leader. He has tried for over a decade to overthrow Russian President Vladimir Putin, using his YouTube channel to expose corruption and even launching a presidential run against Putin. His prominence was boosted after he survived an attempted poisoning in Siberia in August 2020. International experts believe he was poisoned by a Soviet-era nerve agent. After being treated in Germany, he returned to Russia and was arrested on arrival on January 17. His arrest sparked nationwide protests, attended by tens of thousands of people. He is currently standing trial, facing the separate charge of insulting a World War II veteran. kmm/msh (AFP, dpa, Reuters)

7Politics

The European Commission formally announced its proposal for a seventh package of sanctions against Russia on Friday in light of its monthslong war against Ukraine. The sanctions are expected to target Russian gold imports into the EU and "to close exit routes" for actors trying to get around earlier sanctions, European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic said. The EU is looking for ways to "slap a sanction regime on gold, which is an important commodity for exports from Russia" following the announced ban of Russian gold imports by G7 members in June, Sefcovic said. The 27-member bloc has already imposed six rounds of sanctions against Russia, with the most recent ban including the majority of Russian oil imports. European affairs ministers were meeting in Prague on Friday to discuss the seventh package. "As soon as we reach an agreement at the level of member states, we will publish it," Sefcovic said before the meeting. While some individuals close to the Kremlin will also be added to the list of people under sanctions, the package is considered to be more of "a maintenance and alignment package," the Reuters news agency reported. Brussels is aiming to tighten restrictions on goods such as chemicals and machinery that could be used for military purposes. It is also aiming to add clarifications to ensure that Russian food and medicine imports are not restricted by the sanctions. African countries have accused the EU of exacerbating the global food crisis with its sanctions. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A tweak to the previous packages aims to make clear that food and medicine imports are exempt from the sanctions, even when coming from Russian ports or being transported by Russian state-owned companies that are being directly sanctioned. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna was also in Prague for the informal EU meeting.  "Nothing makes Russia so far feel accountable for [its] crimes," she told reporters on Thursday. "We hope the next, seventh package of sanctions will have a strong restrictive potential and will be taken without further delay and as soon as possible," she added. The first EU sanctions were imposed just before Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. Following a failed attempt to take Kyiv, Russian forces have concentrated their attacks in the east of the country where they have taken control of the Luhansk region and large parts of the Donetsk region. ab/sms (AFP, Reuters)

2Conflicts

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Sri Lanka's newly elected President Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in Thursday during a ceremony at the parliamentary complex in Colombo amid heavy security.  However, there were no reports of protests during the ceremony similar to those that rocked the capital in recent weeks.  Sri Lanka's Parliament on Wednesday elected Wickremesinghe as president after embattled former leader Gotabaya Rajapaksa tendered his resignation and fled the country last week.  The new president, who previously served as prime minister, will serve the remainder of Rajapaksa's term, which ends in 2024.  "I thank parliament for this honor," the 73-year-old Wickremesinghe said in an acceptance speech Wednesday after his victory was announced by the secretary-general of the legislature. "Our divisions are now over." The incoming president faces the mammoth task of leading the country out of the deep political, economic and humanitarian crisis that has caused civil unrest and toppled the standing government.  Earlier this week, as Sri Lanka's acting president, Wickremesinghe imposed a state of emergency as Sri Lanka struggles with crippling shortages of essential items, including food, fuel and medicine. Wickremesinghe previously ran for president twice — unsuccessfully — but has held several senior government positions.  Often known as "the fox," thanks to his reputation as a shrewd political operator, the incoming president has experience negotiating with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which may help him guide the island nation out of the economic crisis. Wickremesinghe also enjoys a working relationship with key neighbors and donor countries, including India. Opposing Wickremesinghe was Dullas Alahapperuma, a former government minister and spokesman who is considered more acceptable to protesters but lacks top-level governing experience.  Alahapperuma was nominated by a breakaway faction of the ruling coalition and also holds the support of ethnic minority parties. Official results showed Wickremesinghe earned 134 votes with opponent Alahapperuma getting 82. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva told Nikkei Asia after Wickremesinghe's victory that the IMF hopes to resume rescue package talks with Sri Lanka "as quickly as possible." DW South Asia correspondent Charu Kartikeya said the new president has already laid out a road map on resuming the talks with IMF on a bailout package and will present is a debt restructuring plan. If that restructuring plan is agreed upon, a donor conference is scheduled for friendly countries to provide help that Sri Lanka needs. But this will be a long process, said Kartikeya. Despite Wickremesinghe's experience in diplomatic affairs and his role in leading the crucial IMF talks, he faces intense opposition from many Sri Lankans. Wickremesinghe's victory is expected to result in more demonstrations by protesters who see him as a proxy for the Rajapaksas. DW's South Asia Bureau Chief Amrita Cheena said protests would likely continue. "The people wanted a change they wanted something new," she reported, adding that Wickremesinghe was too closely associated with the ousted president. She also said he lacked a public mandate. "He lost his parliamentary seat in the last election, he was appointed on a national list to parliament and he has just one member. so people wonder can you have president with such little public mandate." As president, Wickremesinghe now has the discretion to appoint a new prime minister, the position he occupied under former President Rajapaksa.  Security forces, including hundreds of police, paramilitary and military troops, were deployed around the parliament building ahead of the vote as protesters waited for a new president to be elected. The road leading to the building had at least three barricades even as security personnel patrolled a lake around the parliament in speed boats. Military jeeps and armored vehicles were also stationed within the perimeter. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video see/wmr (Reuters, AP)

7Politics

US authorities announced on Wednesday that they had arrested the owner of Hong Kong-based cryptocurrency exchange Bitzlato for allegedly laundering hundreds of millions of dollars for criminals on the platform. Anatoly Legkodymov is a 40-year-old Russian national living in China. He was arrested in Miami and is due to appear in court for his first hearing later on Wednesday. "Today the Department of Justice dealt a significant blow to the cryptocrime ecosystem," US Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco told a press conference, calling Bitzlato a "haven" for criminality. "Overnight, the department worked with key partners here and abroad to disrupt Bitzlato, the China-based money laundering engine that fueled a high-tech axis of cryptocrime," she said, adding that a joint operation with French, Cypriot, Portuguese and Spanish authorities had also allowed them to shut down Bitzlato's website. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Legkodymov is accused of not implementing the proper security measures required to prevent money laundering and other crimes on cryptocurrency platforms. Bitzlato's main client was Hydra, a major darknet marketplace shut down by US and German authorities last year. Users were able to transmit some $700 million for narcotics, stolen credit card information and fake identity papers, the US Justice Department said. According to court documents, Legkodymov allegedly wrote in an internal Bitzlato chat in 2019 that he knew many of the platform's users were "known to be crooks." Cryptocurrency values have plunged over the past year as an increasing number of platforms have been accused of being used for criminal activities or for fraudulent purposes. es/wmr (AP, AFP, Reuters)

3Crime

Elon Musk is abandoning his legal battle with Twitter and reinstating his original offer to purchase the company for $44 billion (roughly €44 billion).  Musk made the offer in a letter to Twitter, which was also filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) before the close of trade on Tuesday.  A spokesperson for Twitter said that the company had received Musk's letter and filed it with the SEC.  "The intention of the company is to close the transaction at $54.20 per share," Musk's original offer, the spokesperson said.  This follows months of reciprocal legal battles and public recriminations from both sides after their original apparent agreement to a deal back in April.  It also comes just days before Musk was expected to be deposed before trial by Twitter's lawyers and just under two weeks before the court case was scheduled to start at the Delaware Chancery Court.  According to the filing, Musk will complete the deal provided that he receives debt financing and so long as the court quashes the lawsuit from Twitter seeking to compel him to complete the deal.  Business publication Bloomberg News on Tuesday first reported that Musk made the proposal in a letter to Twitter. It cited people familiar with the case who were not identified.  The report caught investors' attention. Twitter shares jumped nearly 13% to $47.95 before trading was stopped, climbing towards Musk's original offer valuing each share at $54.20. The New York Stock Exchange then halted trade in the assets.  A few hours later, Musk's letter to Twitter also made its mandatory appearance at the US Securities and Exchange Commission.  Musk appeared for months to be trying to back out of the deal, primarily accusing Twitter of downplaying the number of suspected "spam bot" accounts not belonging to distinct users and individuals on the platform.  Twitter's shareholders had already approved the takeover. A trial between the two parties was scheduled to start on October 17, with Twitter seeking to compel Musk to go through with the deal and Musk accusing the company of fraud in a countersuit.  Musk was scheduled for a deposition hearing with Twitter's legal team later this week in preparation for the trial.  Observers had commented in recent weeks that Musk appeared to be facing an uphill battle convincing the Delaware court that core information about Twitter had changed sufficiently since April to justify calling off the transaction.  Some saw Tuesday's news as an indication of Musk and his entourage also coming to this conclusion.  "This is a clear sign that Musk recognized heading into Delaware Court that the chances of winning vs. Twitter board was highly unlikely," Dan Ives, an analyst at investment bank Wedbush, wrote in a note to investors.  "Being forced to do the deal after a long and ugly court battle in Delaware was not an ideal scenario, and instead accepting this path and moving forward with the deal will save a massive legal headache."  Eric Talley, a law professor at Columbia University, similarly told the Associated Press that Musk's about-face did not come as much of a surprise.  "On the legal merits, his case didn't look that strong," Talley told AP. "It kind of seemed like a pretty simple buyer's remorse case."  The news also coincides with the outspoken billionaire attracting negative attention for comments about Russia's invasion of Ukraine, posted on Twitter. Musk posted a poll on Monday asking if people approved of a proposed ceasefire framework under which Crimea would be "formally part of Russia, as it had been since 1783 (until Krushchev's mistake)," and the recent so-called referendums in other partially occupied regions would be rerun "under UN supervision," with Russia leaving "if that is the will of the people."  "This is highly likely to be the outcome in the end — just a question of how many die before then," Musk wrote.  The post prompted highly critical responses from Ukrainian officials in particular, including the ambassador to Germany, Andriiy Melnyk. The account for Ukraine's parliament responded with one word: "No."  msh/rt (AP, dpa, Reuters)

7Politics

When Australian swimmer Mackenzie James "Mack" Horton won gold in the 400 meter freestyle at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, a mole was visible on his upper body. A fan noticed that this mole had not only become darker but had also taken on a different shape – both common characteristics of skin cancer. The fan then wrote an email to the gold medalist's doctor. As a result, Horton had the mole examined and subsequently removed. That fan may well have saved his life. Like Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, the professional swimmer has a light skin tone. When these people are exposed to intense sunlight for long periods of time, it can also expose them to too much UV radiation, which increases the risk of developing skin cancer.  Participating in sports, whether as a professional or recreational athlete, causes the body to release protective substances. These endogenous antioxidants intercept carcinogenic substances known as free radicals and form a protective barrier that can shield genetic material from intruders. Other factors, such as a healthy diet with plant-based foods coupled with omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D, can also protect against cancer.  However, there are no guarantees, as dermatologist and best-selling author Dr. Yael Adler told DW. Mack Horton and Manuel Neuer are both professional athletes and therefore eat a very healthy diets.  "But when such a strong 'DNA poison' as the sun's UV radiation hits the cells, the 'body's own repair service' can still fail and you get cancer," Adler explained.  Both of these athletes having a light skin tone is also a disadvantage as this "by its nature has fewer protective mechanisms."  The intensity, duration and frequency of exposure to the sun are decisive factors in the development of skin cancer.  "Those who had frequent sunburns as a child, for example, have a significantly higher risk of developing skin cancer," Professor Alexander Enk of Heidelberg University Hospital told DW.  Enk, a former president of the German Dermatological Society, explained that it is not only the sun's UV-B radiation, which penetrates to the lowest layer of the epidermis, that damages the skin. UV-A radiation, which reaches much deeper layers of the skin, is also a significant factor, he said, especially when it comes to black skin cancer.  "It penetrates deeper into the skin and ages it faster because the collagen fibers are destroyed. Free radicals thus penetrate the tissue and go for the genetic material," he said.  In addition, UV-A radiation can suppress the tumor defense system.  So how can you recognize skin cancer? Dermatologists agree: Any changes to one's skin, whether in terms of color or shape, should be examined by a doctor immediately. This means you must know your own body well.  "But also, that of your partner," said Yael Adler. "When making love, leave the lights on sometimes. Then you'll notice any changes (to the skin)."  Manuel Neuer raised awareness of the disease back in November.  "If someone has a strange spot, it's better to say something once more than not to speak to someone," he said, after revealing that he had undergone three operations for skin cancer that had developed next to his nose – an area frequently exposed to the sun. Although the 36-year-old national team goalkeeper has since been cured, he has to undergo examinations every six months.   Athletes who mainly train and compete outdoors need special protection. For example, in tennis, where top players like Angelique Kerber spend hours on an outside court. Kerber suffers from sun-related hyperpigmentation and is intensively exposed to dangerous UV radiation due to her profession. This also affects sailors, cyclists, runners and footballers like Manuel Neuer.    Professor Enk advises athletes to avoid, when possible, the midday sun, by moving training to times of the day when the sunlight isn't as intense, as well as wearing the right clothing.  "Certain textiles offer even better protection than various sun creams," he noted. According to Enk, Australia is a role model in this regard.  "There, where the sun's rays are the highest in the world, it's mandatory to indicate the UV protection factor on clothing," he said.  Jerseys and training pants that have been tested and bear a seal of approval are best. This has long been the norm for golfers, "because too often they are exposed to the sun for long periods of time." Enk sees the fact that Neuer went public with his experiences with skin cancer as as stroke of luck in efforts to raise awareness of the dangers. Educational campaigns supported by the government and professional associations have failed to produce the desired effect. According to statistics from German health insurance companies, the incidences of skin cancer rose by 91% between the years 2010 and 2020.  Dermatologists continue to stress the need for athletes – and others – to take steps to protect themselves from the sun's harmful UV rays — and to go for regular check-ups. And keep an eye on those around you, as pointing out any changes in somebody's skin can save lives — as probably was the case with Mack Horton. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video This article was translated from German.

9Sports

People in Malta marked the fifth anniversary on Sunday of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia's untimely death by celebrating her work. The anti-corruption journalist was killed in a car bombing on October 16, 2017. Carrying pictures of Caruana Galizia the demonstrators chanted — "Daphne was right" and "We want full justice." They were accompanied by her husband and their three sons. Malta-born Roberta Metsola, president of the European Parliament, laid flowers at the site of the explosion five years ago. Maria Falcone, sister of Italian anti-mafia magistrate Giovanni Falcone, who was killed by a car bomb in 1992, was also present. Caruana Galizia, 53, was an investigative journalist who had targeted people in then-Prime Minister Joseph Muscat's inner circle whom she accused of having offshore firms disclosed in the Panama Papers. She also targeted the opposition in the financial haven island in the Mediterranean. Her niece Megan Mallia read out a message on behalf of her family saying the assassination of her aunt "robs people of their right to understand the reality in which they live.'' The men who killed her knew this, she continued. "They feared neither the country's authorities, nor their own conscience. They feared the thousands of people who chose to light a candle to drive away the darkness." EP President Metsola said: "We are responsible to work for the values she worked so hard for. This is also the responsibility of the Maltese State." An 2021 independent public inquiry into the killing declared that the culture of impunity created by the state bore responsibility the murder. The anniversary of Caruana Galizia's death comes only two days after a Malta court sentenced two brothers to 40 years in prison each over her murder. George and Alfred Degiorgio had initially pleaded not guilty before a judge but changed their stance just hours later. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Vincent Muscat, a third suspect, avoided trial after changing his plea to guilty and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. A prominent businessman with connections to the previous administration, Yorgen Fenech, is currently awaiting trial. He is accused of being the mastermind behind the killing. Following his detention in 2019, the nation saw a wave of widespread protests that ended with the resignation of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and government chief of staff Keith Schembri. Caruana Galizia made public the existence of a company reportedly used to transfer money to Panama-registered businesses owned by the former energy minister Konrad Mizzi and Schembri. Both Muscat and Schembri deny any involvement in the the journalist's killing and have not been prosecuted. ss/jsi (Reuters, AP)

3Crime

The head of the UN's human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine, Matilda Bogner, said Friday that Russian forces were preventing international monitors from meeting Ukrainian prisoners of war. "The Russian Federation has not provided access to prisoners of war held on its territory or in territory under its occupation," Bogner said. "This is all the more worrying since we have documented that prisoners of war in the power of the Russian Federation and held by the Russian Federation's armed forces or by affiliated armed groups have suffered torture and ill-treatment," she said. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian authorities did not have enough information to comment on Bogner's statement.  "We do not know who approached the military and whether they did," he told a news briefing. Bogner added that the mission had also documented cases of torture and ill-treatment of prisoners of war by Kyiv. Here are the other main headlines from the war in Ukraine on September 9 European Union finance ministers on Friday recommended providing a further €5 billion ($5 billion) in aid for Ukraine. "EU ministers ready to provide national guarantees to make €5 billion available in loans to Ukraine," EU Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis wrote on Twitter. The sum proposed is part of an aid package worth €9 billion announced in May. The first €1 euros was fully sent in early August. The European Commission proposed raising the sum on the capital markets, with interest and fees to be paid from the EU budget. The latest installment still requires the approval of the European Parliament, although this is seen as a formality. Kharkiv's city center was hit by Russian rocket fire, wounding 10 people, regional Governor Oleh Synehubov said. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said that rockets hit a children's arts center and a school, as well as private homes. Also on Friday, Russian state news agency Interfax cited Moscow's Defense Ministry as saying that Russian forces had destroyed a Ukrainian HIMARS rocket launcher vehicle in the Kharkiv region. Ukraine's Presidential Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak claimed that the attack was revenge for reported Ukrainian gains in a counter-offensive in the northeastern region, which hosts Ukraine's second-largest city. "For every success of Ukraine's armed forces, for every victory, Russians... answer with strikes on innocent people," Yermak said. Meanwhile, Russian state television broadcast an interview that acknowledged that Ukraine had achieved a "substantial victory" on the battlefield. "The very fact of a breach of our defences is already a substantial victory for the Ukrainian armed forces," Moscow-installed Kharkiv administration head Vitaly Ganchev said in an interview for the Russia-24 broadcaster. Andreas Schreiber, military expert at the German Institute for Defense and Strategic Studies, told DW that Kyiv's efforts in preparing for a counter-offensive were "paying off" and that gains of "up to 10 kilometers" seem to have been achieved. "In fact, gains of up to 10 kilometers into the Russian lines seem to have been achieved there," Schreiber said, commenting on the Ukrainian counter-offensive in the Kharkiv region. "That's quite a lot if you take the Donbas as a point of comparison, where Russians sometimes fight for days and weeks for a few hundred meters," he said. "That's a real solid blow. And ultimately, in my view, it serves to disguise the main focal point of the Ukrainian offensive." "It does in fact seem like Ukraine has now taken the military initiative," he said. "It seems like [Ukraine's] efforts are now paying off." "I don't think that the Russians currently have many countermeasures against these Ukrainian efforts," he concluded. "Russia is increasingly having massive problems with generating personnel." Anna Bjerde, President of European and Central Asia at the World Bank, told DW that $349 billion (€347 billion) will be needed for recovery and reconstruction in Ukraine. Priorities for reconstruction will be supporting the government of Ukraine in the delivery of essential services, including health, education and pensions, Bjerde said. Recovery would also need to focus on helping Ukraine prepare for winter, specifically in providing sources of energy and heating and supporting industry and businesses. She argued that although money for reconstruction will initially come from the international community, the private sector will also need to get involved. Bjerde said that reconstruction will bring along opportunities for more energy efficiency in the country, and that Kyiv will require guidance in order to build back a modern economy. Sumy regional Governor Dmytro Zhyvytskyy said that Russian forces had hit a hospital in an air strike. The strike hit a hospital in the Velika Pysarivka district in the region's southeast, Sumy's governor said in a Telegram post. The district lies on Ukraine's border with Russia. Zhyvytskyy said that the building was destroyed and people were wounded in the strike. As the EU announced a price cap on Russian gas Wednesday, the Group of Seven major industrialized countries also wants to impose an oil price cap that would deny insurance, finance and brokering to oil cargoes priced above a certain, yet unspecified amount.  Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, argued that the price cap will backfire on Western countries. "The collective West does not understand: the introduction of a cap on prices for Russian energy resources will lead to a slippery floor under its own feet," Zakharova said. "What G7 state officials call a price 'ceiling' will become a price floor," Russian Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said. "The global market is not limited to seven countries," he said. EU energy ministers are meeting today for discussions on how to buffer businesses and consumers from soaring energy prices. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian state-owned company Naftogaz is suing the Russian gas company Gazprom for lost transit fees, Naftogaz CEO Yuriy Vitrenko wrote on Facebook. The Russian company has transferred less money since reducing its gas flows as of May. However, the contract signed in 2019 stipulates a minimum transit volume in a clause, which must be paid regardless of the levels of gas actually transported. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Latvia's parliament has decided to separate the country's Orthodox Church from the Russia-based Moscow Patriarchate. According to media reports, 73 members of parliament voted in favor of the measure, with three votes against and one abstention. President Egils Levits thanked the Parliament for supporting the Church's autocephaly, arguing that it was a "question of national security." In the Eastern Orthodox church hierarchy, an autocephalous church is a body whose top bishop doesn't report to any higher-ranking bishop. Riga's metropolitan bishop traditionally reports to Russia's head bishop, known as the Patriarch of Moscow. Eastern Orthodox Church membership is most common among the country's Russian minority. Traditionally, Latvian-speakers are mostly Lutheran, with a minority of Roman Catholics. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which represents a minority of Ukraine's Eastern Orthodox believers, also broke from Moscow in May following Patriarch Kirill's support for Russia's invasion. The Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which is Ukraine's dominant church, was already autocephalous. The Moscow Patriarchate broke from the Constantinople Patriarchate based in Istanbul in 2018 over the latter's recognition of the Ukrainian church's independence. Kyiv is trying to recapture the southern Kherson region, which borders the strategically important Crimean Peninsula, in a counter-offensive. EU energy ministers are holding an emergency meeting in Brussels to tackle soaring energy prices amid Moscow's invasion. Kyiv city life is beginning to see some semblance of normalcy as domestic tourists return, DW's Natalia Vlasenko reports. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz of the SPD this week criticzed former Chancellor Angela Merkel's CDU government for implementing an energy policy that made Berlin more dependent on Russian fossil fuels. German and Ukrainian art historians are teeming up to protect cultural assets. sdi/wmr (AP, AFP, Reuters, dpa, KNA)

2Conflicts

"Syria serves as prime example for the impact of climate change on pre-existing issues such as political instability, poverty and scarce resources," Jamal Saghir, Professor at the Institute for the Study of International Development at McGill University, told DW. Saghir, a former director at the World Bank, considers climate change the world's biggest threat to security. He therefore sees the recent acknowledgment of climate change as a national security issue by US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd J. Austin III, on January 27, as game changer when it comes to recognizing the link between climate change and conflict. In the past, Syria's farmers have benefited from relatively fertile and productive lands, as well as the state's promotion of staple crop production between the 1970s and 1990s. The country of around 17 million people has been hit by three droughts since the 1980s. The most recent stretched from 2006 to 2010, and was recorded as the worst multiyear drought in around 900 years. Decreased precipitation combined with rising temperatures resulted in desertification and devastation of agricultural land, particularly in eastern Syria. Along with this, 800,000 people lost their income and 85% of the country's livestock died. Since crop yields had also plummeted by up to two-thirds, the country had to start importing large quantities of grain. Consequently, food prices doubled. "But the drought still continued and people were hopeless," Saghir said, thus explaining why 1.5 million rural workers headed to the cities for work. Those who stayed were mainly impoverished farmers who became easy targets for terrorist recruiters from groups like the so-called Islamic State (IS). "Climate disruption was an amplifier and multiplier of the political crisis that was building up in Syria," as Staffan de Mistura, former UN Special Envoy for Syria between 2014 and 2018, told DW. The crisis was aggravated by Bashar Assad's decisions to reduce fuel, water and food subsidies over the years. In addition to water scarcity in rural areas, tensions rose between Kurds, Arabs, Alawites and Sunnis. "A toxic cocktail started to turn into an explosive mixture with the ingredients of the Arab Spring, the anger of losing jobs, migration to cities, as well as the purchasing power decline and the anger against the very tough and very cruel reactions by the government," de Mistura said. Geopolitically, the situation didn't become any easier with ongoing competition over Syria between archenemies Iran and Saudi Arabia. "We started seeing horrible medieval sieges around many cities or villages when people were cut off from food and water, like in Homs or Aleppo," de Mistura remembered. When he left the country in 2018, there was less fighting, with 60% of the population under government control. "From my point of view, the country is now no longer in danger of a major war, but in danger of a collapse," de Mistura told DW.  According to Amnesty International, 6.6 million people have been displaced within Syria and more than 5 million people have escaped since 2011. Though the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) say that in 2019 around 82,500 people returned to Syria, and around 412,000 internally displaced people returned to their places of origin, problematic living conditions haven't improved. Vast parts of the country have been devastated by war, water remains scarce and infrastructure is in dire need repair across almost the entire country. "Assad has almost won the territorial war but is still very far from winning peace," said de Mistura at an online conference hosted by Berghof Foundation and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). Former World Bank director Jamal Saghir agrees: "For peace, you need reconstruction," he said and added that any peace agreement needs to be backed by an investment package. However, Syria itself won't be able to finance its reconstruction and it remains to be seen if either of its allies Russia or Turkey will be willing to invest in Syria's future. According to Saghir, it is obvious what needs to be done: "It is imperative to make Syria more resilient by helping transitioning the region to a more energy and water-secure infrastructure." 

7Politics

The European Parliament website was briefly affected by a hacking attack, officials said on Wednesday.  Parliament President Roberta Metsola said it was a "sophisticated attack" and that a pro-Kremlin group had claimed responsibility.  She noted that the attack followed the EU lawmakers' vote to name Russia a "state sponsor" of terrorism over its war in Ukraine.  "My response is: Slava Ukraini (Glory to Ukraine)," Metsola said.  The website was up again around two hours after European Parliament officials first reported the attack. Parliament spokesman Jaime Duch said the website was down due to a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack.  DDoS attacks involve a website being flooded with simultaneous and coordinated webpage requests from multiple computers. This makes it difficult for the website to handle all of the requests, and therefore becomes extremely slow or completely inaccessible to legitimate users. "Today's attack on the European Parliament's systems is a warning shot. It is an attack on the democratic heart of Europe," said German Member of European Parliament (MEP) Rasmus Andresen. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Just hours before the attack, MEPs voted overwhelmingly to declare Russia a "state sponsor" of terrorism, arguing that Moscow's strikes on civilian targets amounted to "war crimes." "The deliberate attacks and atrocities committed by Russian forces and their proxies against civilians in Ukraine, the destruction of civilian infrastructure and other serious violations of international and humanitarian law amount to acts of terror and constitute war crimes," a press release from the European Parliament stated. The designation is largely symbolic, and Russia will likely not face any hard and fast legal sanctions. Sergey Lagodinsky, a member of the European Parliament for the Green Party, told DW that the terminology "does have consequences," adding it was also an "important sign" to Kyiv. "This gives Russia a very clear description of what they are doing,"Lagodinsky said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who had pleaded for the designation, welcomed the move by parliament. He called for Moscow to be "isolated at all levels and held accountable." fb/dj (AFP, AP, Reuters)

7Politics

Artillery shelling on Iraq's autonomous region of Kurdistan killed at least eight civilians and wounded 20 others, local officials said on Wednesday, blaming the attack on Turkey. The "fierce artillery bombing" hit a tourist resort in Zakho, a city on the border between Iraq's Kurdistan region and Turkey, state TV said. The Kurdish health minister said children, including a 1-year-old, were among the victims, adding that they all died before reaching a hospital. All the victims were Iraqi tourists from other regions.  Witnesses spoke of horror as tour groups were vacationing in the area at the time of the attack.  Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi condemned the harm caused to "the life and security of Iraqi citizens" and reserved Iraq's right to retaliate. Iraq summoned the Turkish ambassador to Baghdad over the attack. Iraq also said it was recalling its charge d'affaires from Ankara and demanded an official apology from Turkey along with "the withdrawal of its armed forces from all Iraqi territory." "Turkish forces have perpetrated once more a flagrant violation of Iraqi sovereignty," al-Kadhimi said on Twitter. Al-Kadhimi's office said the Iraqi armed forces were holding an emergency meeting to discuss "the repercussions of the Turkish aggression." Turkey regularly carries out strikes on the Kurdistan region as part of its long-running crackdown on the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which Ankara considers a terrorist organization. The Turkish Foreign Ministry referred to the airstrike as a "terror attack" and expressed condolences to Iraq.  Ankara went on to urge Iraqi officials to avoid making statements influenced by "terrorist organization propaganda," an apparent reference to the PKK.  The ministry added that Turkey was ready to cooperate in investigating the attack. An earlier statement from Turkey's Defense Ministry said two Kurdish militants had surrendered to a Turkish security point at the Habur border crossing, about 10 kilometers (16 miles) from Zakho — but made no mention of the shelling.  On Thursday, the German Foreign Ministry called for an investigation into the incident.  "There must urgently be light shed on the circumstances of the attack and those responsible," the ministry said in a statement. "The German government assigns great importance to respect for Iraq's state sovereignty and international law." The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq called for a "thorough investigation" and urged "all parties" to cease violations.  "Civilians are once again suffering the indiscriminate effects of explosive weapons," it said in a statement, adding that it "emphasizes that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Iraq must be respected at all times." The US State Department also echoed the UN office, saying: "We reaffirm our position that military action in Iraq should respect Iraqi sovereignty and territorial integrity." Spokesman John Kirby told reporters that Washington also emphasizes "the importance of ensuring civilians are protected," while refusing to further comment on the matter.  Turkey launched a new offensive in northern Iraq in April against the PKK. Ankara justified the operation by saying it was protecting itself against terrorist attacks and it had the right to self-defense. The EU and the US also list the PKK as a terrorist organization. The group has been waging an insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984. The conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives. The PKK's presence in the region has hampered vital trade relations between Iraqi Kurdistan and Turkey, while Ankara's military operations have complicated its relations with Baghdad. Turkey has also extended its crackdown to the broader Kurdish movement in Turkey itself, including the imprisonment of political leaders and the attempted ban of the People's Democratic Party (HDP).  To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video fb/dj (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)

2Conflicts

The European General Court in Luxembourg on Wednesday rejected a trademark infringement suit brought by French luxury goods producer Chanel against the Chinese technology company Huawei. The case stems from Huawei's 2017 EU trademark protection application for its computer hardware division's logo. Chanel sought to block the application, claiming Huawei's interlocking rings were confusingly similar to its own iconic interlocking C logo. In 2019, the EU's Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), the bloc's trademark authority, rejected the French brand's claims. Chanel subsequently appealed the ruling, landing it before the Luxembourg court. At issue is not Huawei's well-known fan-shaped logo but rather one with vertically oriented, thinly-drawn, elongated and interlocking U's. In its ruling, the court said, "The figurative marks at issue are not similar. The marks must be compared as applied for and registered, without altering their orientation." Moreover, judges added: "In particular, Chanel's marks have more rounded curves, thicker lines and a horizontal orientation, whereas the orientation of the Huawei mark is vertical. Consequently, the General Court concludes that the marks are different." The final court of appeal for Chanel is now the European Court of Justice (ECJ), the EU's highest court. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

0Business

Many renters in Germany are receiving unpleasant letters these days. As energy prices rise dramatically, landlords and property management companies are increasing the monthly flat rate for heating costs. One housing company in Berlin is announcing a 100% increase in heating prices for apartments heated with gas or oil. Whether this will be enough is not clear. The high energy prices have a delayed impact because the advance payments are not offset against the actual costs incurred until the end of the year. The GdW, an association that represents 3,000 housing companies, has calculated that each household would have to budget up to €3,800 ($3,870) more for energy in the coming year. This represents a real problem for people on low or medium incomes, an association of housing cooperatives in the state of Saxony warned. "We are talking about family livelihoods. Politicians must finally understand that," it said in a statement. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video It's not just rising energy prices that are burdening people. Inflation is affecting almost everything. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has already made it clear that no state in the world will be able to absorb the impending avalanche of costs. "We will not be able to subsidize all prices," the chancellor stressed. Meanwhile, Economy Minister Robert Habeck has been urging Germans to save energy for the past few weeks. Germany's largest real estate group, Vonovia, is planning to reduce the default temperature in gas-heated buildings to a room temperature of 17 degrees Celsius  (62.6 F) at night, which it estimates will reduce consumption by 8%. During the day, heating will continue as usual. The hot water supply will not be affected, and there would be no restrictions on showering or bathing, it added. But things look different in Dippoldiswalde. In this small town in Saxony, a housing cooperative recently informed its tenants that in the future there would only be hot water in the early morning, at midday and in the evening. The residents were told: "As already announced in the general meeting, we now have to save for the winter." This sparked an excited discussion on social media. Federal Construction Minister Klara Geywitz was quick to call the restrictions illegal. The German Tenants' Association also pointed out that a lack of hot water is grounds for a rent reduction. The affected housing cooperative refuses to be deterred. Tenants have shown great understanding, said a board member. He said he was glad to have initiated a debate, even if the company was now being abused online. "People are already way ahead of the politicians in Berlin," the board member told the DPA news agency. In the Economy Ministry, the air conditioning was switched off weeks ago, and less heating will be used in the fall. This could also be done in state-level ministries and other government agencies, Minister Habeck said on Friday in the Bundesrat, the parliamentary chamber that represents Germany's states. The fact is that Berlin's dependence on Russian gas has been underestimated for a long time. Most of it flows through the Nord Stream pipeline, which brings natural gas through the Baltic Sea directly to Germany. In 2021, the share of Russian gas supplies was 55%; currently, it is 35%, according to the Economy Ministry. Russia had drastically cut back the supply, citing a missing gas turbine from the German company Siemens that was being repaired in Canada. It was stuck there for weeks because of the sanctions imposed on Russia, but has been sent to Germany at the weekend. Nord Stream has been shut down completely for maintenance on Monday, July 11. Will the Russians turn the pipeline back on after the scheduled ten to 14 days? "If the turbine comes after the repair, then that will allow an increase in volume," the Kremlin says, before insisting that Russia does not use its gas as a means of political pressure. That is exactly what the German government fears. In Berlin, they are hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. Laws are already being passed to mitigate the consequences of the shortage and the impact of rising energy prices. The Energy Security Act stipulates that in the future more coal-fired power plants can be used to generate electricity instead of gas-fired plants so that the gas can be used for heating. Previously, coal was to be steadily reduced in the interests of climate protection. On the other hand, it will be easier for ailing energy companies to get federal aid. One of these is Uniper: Since mid-June, the energy supplier, which is more dependent on Russian gas supplies than any other, has been receiving only 40% of the contractually guaranteed gas from Russia's Gazprom and has had to procure replacement quantities at significantly higher prices on the world market. This has plunged the company into a financially precarious situation, which is why Uniper has now asked the state for financial help. There is talk of a state subsidy of €9 billion, similar to the money provided to the airline Lufthansa at the height of the coronavirus crisis. When Lufthansa recovered, the government was able to sell the shares again and even make a profit. The number of financially distressed utilities is increasing almost daily. "Our country may be heading for the worst economic crisis since the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany," said Friedrich Merz, leader of the biggest opposition party, the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which was Germany's ruling party for 16 years until the new government was sworn in in December. Merz said Germany was experiencing its highest inflation rate in 30 years, and added that, for the first time in decades, the balance of trade is tipping so that the country is importing more goods than it is exporting. German companies are being threatened with a loss of international competitiveness, he concluded. In a study published at the end of June, the economic research institute Prognos looked at the consequences of a complete halt to Russian gas supplies, meaning that Germany would have to make do with supplies from other countries and the gas volumes it has already stored to date. The study found that, after four weeks, there would no longer be enough gas for everyone. Since, according to the law, private households, social services, and district heating suppliers would continue to be supplied, the stop would primarily affect the industry. Sectors such as steel, crude iron, chemicals, and glass would be particularly hard hit, with production expected to fall by around 50%. And the entire economy would be affected. Prognos estimated that, if Russian gas supplies were to fail, Germany's economic output could drop 12.7% by the end of the year. This article was originally written in German. It has been updated on Monday 11 to reflect the latest developments regarding the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. 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.

8Society

Since the first tanks rolled into eastern Ukraine early on February 24, Russia has intensified its attacks across Ukraine. Explosions and shelling have been reported in several major cities, including Kharkiv, Mariupol and the capital, Kyiv. On March 3, Russia announced that its troops had taken control of the strategic city of Kherson, in southern Ukraine. This map shows how far the Russian troops have advanced. Shortly after the attacks started, people began fleeing Ukraine's cities and villages. They headed overland to neighboring countries in the west and southwest, forming huge lines at the border crossings. The European Union is preparing for millions of refugees to arrive in the bloc and has promised that all war refugees will be accepted. Here's a look at where the refugees have gone to date. On March 2, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly backed a motion to demand that Russia stop its offensive in Ukraine and withdraw all its troops, deploring Russia's "aggression" against Ukraine "in the strongest terms." General Assembly resolutions aren't legally binding. This map shows which countries supported the resolution — and the five countries that voted against it. Russia's military outnumbers Ukraine's in virtually every way — on land, at sea and in the air. The only area where Russia and Ukraine are on par militarily is active personnel. On February 24, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree ordering the general mobilization of the population. Conscripts and reservists will be called up over the next 90 days to "ensure the defense of the state, maintaining combat and mobilization readiness." All men between the ages of 18 and 60 have been prohibited from leaving the country.  Prior to Russia's invasion, NATO had already begun building up its presence on Europe's eastern flank. In early February, the US sent additional troops to NATO members in the east. Germany sent troop reinforcements to Lithuania in mid-February.  Ukraine is not a member of the NATO security alliance, and Russia has repeatedly demanded guarantees to deny membership for Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin regards the eastward expansion of NATO as a threat to the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation. This map shows how the borders of the alliance have shifted toward Russia since the end of the Cold War. The history of the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine dates to the breakup of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. As Ukraine has oriented itself more toward the European Union, tensions have escalated, particularly since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and separatists gained control of Donetsk and Luhansk in the east. The following timeline plots out the course of the current conflict, from the breakdown in diplomacy to invasion. This article was originally written in German and published on February 24. It was last updated on March 3.

2Conflicts

In his own words, Marcus Rashford is a fan. "Guys, when does the paraolympics start?" the England international football player tweeted (he later admitted his spelling error). "Real life superheroes."  The Manchester United striker wished a handful of athletes good luck in Tokyo with other tweets, including the youngest British Paralympics competitor, Ellie Challis. At 16 months old, she contracted meningitis, which resulted in both legs and both forearms having to be amputated. Challis is now 17 and swim,ming for Paralympic gold in Tokyo.  There are few who wouldn't take their hats off for para athletes like her. Despite all the physical and other adversities, they have become competitive athletes and consistently pursued their dreams, which has now led them to the Games in Japan.  But none of them would probably think of calling themselves "superheroes." Yes, sport has helped them to master aspects of life. It has given them self-confidence, let them experience community and feelings of happiness. But isn't the same true for every other successful competitive athlete? "I don't feel like a disabled athlete; I'm just an athlete with a physical peculiarity," Rainer Schmidt, a multiple-Paralympic table tennis champion who was born without forearms, once told me.  In 1992 in Barcelona, Schmidt had won gold in the singles after a final in front of 12,000 enthusiastic spectators. "Did I think about my disability during the match? Not a thought! Do I wish I could have played with arms at the Olympics? Not a chance!" wrote Schmidt later. "I played table tennis, only table tennis — nothing else. I stand at the table not as a disabled person, but as an athlete." As an athlete who is focused on a goal, who has to produce an optimal performance at the decisive moment and keep any nerves in check in order to prevail. And who may end up with nothing after being unable to deliver that best performance or catch that little bit of luck. There will be several such moments of victory and defeat, euphoria and disappointment in Tokyo. In this respect, the Paralympic Games are no different from the Olympic Games. However, there will probably be another discussion about the individual competition classes.  The classification of disabilities is the permanent construction site of Paralympic sport — in contrast to other construction sites, however, it is one that is constantly shifting. And let's be honest, did anyone in the Olympic 100-meter race or the high jump discuss whether a centimeter difference in a person's height could be seen as an advantage? Let's just root for the para athletes and cross our fingers that they can deliver their best possible performance. Let's celebrate their victories and mourn their defeats. Let's take them just as seriously as top athletes and not glorify them as "superheroes in real life" — even if they actually are! This article has been translated from German.

9Sports

Queen Elizabeth II was the head of state for 16 countries: the queen of the United Kingdom as well as the Commonwealth. As British monarch, she was also the head of the Anglican Church. She was born Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor on April 21, 1926, in London, the oldest daughter of King George VI and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. At the time, there was no way to know she would go on to become queen, as her uncle — the Prince of Wales and later King Edward VIII — and her father stood before her. However, she went on to become the longest-lived British monarch as of December 21, 2007, and the longest-reigning British monarch as of September 9, 2015, surpassing her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria on both counts. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Elizabeth represented her father around the world due to his losing battle with cancer. He died on February 6, 1952, while she was in Kenya, and she was pronounced queen on the same day. She was officially crowned in Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953. The crown fell to her not only as the result of her father's early death, but also because of her uncle's abdication due to his love for and marriage to an American divorcee, Wallis Simpson. Elizabeth could never truly forgive him for it. From the outset, her reign was thus characterized by discipline and a sense of duty. Elizabeth could also claim a "proper" education, so went a popular joke among Britons, as she was a trained auto mechanic and truck driver during the Second World War. For a long time, she was the only member of the royal family to have served in the military. Europe's first postwar royal wedding took place on November 20, 1947, when Elizabeth married Prince Philip Mountbatten, a scion of the Greek and Danish royal families who became a Royal Navy officer and was granted the title of Duke of Edinburgh shortly before the marriage took place. When crowned in 1953, Elizabeth swore to dedicate her life to the British people. It was an oath she took seriously: The queen would have an average of 500 official appointments in a given year. This made her the most well-traveled head of state in history, with her undertaking hundreds of royal visits around the world aboard the royal yacht, HMY Britannia. They included a six-month world tour in 1953-54. The queen was particularly partial to Germany and visited it more often than almost any other country, beginning with a trip in 1965 to the then-divided Berlin. The British royal family has its roots in Castle Callenberg in Coburg, today in Bavaria: In 1840, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha married his cousin, Queen Victoria. They had nine children. King George V changed the family name to Windsor in 1917 due to anti-German sentiment during the First World War. Queen Elizabeth II was a private person. She had a special affection for horses and dogs, and a penchant for colorful fashion. This was not only a personal choice in style, but an effort to leave an impression during royal appointments. During her rule, she oversaw 15 British prime ministers, from Winston Churchill to Liz Truss who relied heavily on her counsel, though she took care to keep her political opinions from public view. Every week, she received the politicians for confidential talks. But that wasn't limited to prime ministers. She also held talks with judges, trade unionists, entrepreneurs and ordinary people who were invited to the palace. In 1992, a fire damaged Windsor Castle, the family home, and the marriages of three of her four children collapsed: Princess Anne divorced Mark Phillips, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson separated, and Prince Charles, the heir to the throne, also faced marital troubles with Princess Diana, whom he divorced in 1996. Within the same period, Prince Charles publicly aired the contentious relationship he had with his mother and that she had with his wife, Diana, who was perceived as a far more warm-hearted person than Elizabeth. Diana's sudden death in a 1997 Paris car crash tore the royal family further asunder. Elizabeth was criticized for not immediately canceling the family vacation she was on at the time, and many Britons viewed her public comments as too little, too late. The queen worked to change her image and that of the monarchy. She hosted a rock concert at Buckingham Palace to celebrate her 50th anniversary on the throne in 2002, and gave her blessing to the marriage of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles. The monarchy's image, however, took another hit over the friendship between Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who in 2019 was arrested on charges of running a sex trafficking ring. Accusations re-emerged that he sexually assaulted a 16-year-old girl some 20 years earlier, allegations that the duke has consistently denied. He stood down from royal duties after a catastrophic TV interview with the prince aired. Elizabeth had another round of celebrations for her 60th anniversary as queen in 2012 and surprised everyone when she appeared on camera with James Bond actor Daniel Craig to open the London Olympic Games in that year. Her grandchildren have also helped modernize the monarchy. Prince William, along with his wife, Kate, is particularly beloved, and many would like to see his father Prince Charles passed over as king in favor of William — a break in tradition Elizabeth would have been loathe to allow. Another break with tradition occurred in January 2020, when William's brother, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and his American wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, decided to withdraw from British royal family duties. The move was dubbed "Megxit" in an allusion to "Brexit," the UK's withdrawal from the EU, also in 2020. At the time the decision was made, Elizabeth made a rare personal statement in which she said that although she would have preferred them to remain as full-time working members of the royal family, she respected and understood their wish to live "a more independent life as a family while remaining a valued part of my family." This measured response was widely praised. In April 2021, Philip — the queen's husband for 73 years — died, leaving Elizabeth to continue her reign without the support of the person she had described as her "strength and stay." Marveled at, criticized, occasionally mocked, but always respected: Queen Elizabeth II provided her nation stability for decades. In an era when many monarchies toppled, she helped secure Britain's royal family and a reimagined Commonwealth, transforming them into entities fit for the 21st century. Edited by: Rob Mudge

8Society

The US House of Representatives approved legislation on Thursday protecting same-sex marriage. The bill will now go to President Joe Biden, who is expected to sign it into law. The House vote was 258 in favor and 169 against, with all Democrats and 39 Republicans backing the measure. Some 169 of the chamber's Republicans voted against it and one voted "present." "Today this chamber proudly stands with the forces of freedom," outgoing House Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi said shortly before the vote. The bipartisan legislation also protects interracial unions, by requiring states to recognize legal marriages regardless of "sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin.'' Democrats in Congress drafted and moved the bill quickly through the House and Senate, following the Supreme Court's June decision that overturned the federal right to an abortion. In the ruling, an opinion from conservative Justice Clarence Thomas suggested that same-sex marriage rights should also be reconsidered. Several gay members of Congress spoke to their colleagues about what it would mean for them and their families, with Democratis representative from New Hampshire Chris Pappas saying it was "unthinkable'' that his upcoming marriage might not be recognized in some states. Most Republicans in the House opposed the legislation. "God's perfect design is indeed marriage between one man and one woman for life,'' said Republican representative from Virginia Bob Good said. "And it doesn't matter what you think or what I think, that's what the Bible says,'' Good added. Republican from Missoury Vicky Hartzler urged colleagues to vote against the bill, which she said undermines "natural marriage'' between a man and a woman. jcg/aw (AFP, Reuters, AP)

7Politics

The deaths of at least 41 unarmed protesters in Sudan have caught the attention and condemnation of international observers. Despite the internet outage ordered by General Abdel-Fattah Burhan following the military coup on October 25, activists were able to document the use of anti-aircraft weapons and armor-piercing bullets. The footage shows clearly that the Sudanese Security Forces and militias such as the Rapid Support Forces confronted the demonstrators with weapons that are prohibited from being used against civilians and in cities. Non-government organizations and rights groups have condemned the use of heavy arms against civilians as being in breach of humanitarian agreements that call for protecting civilians.  Amnesty International has referred to the extremely violent military reaction in Sudan as "lethal force." "The deadly attack by Sudan's security authorities in the past two weeks was calculated to intimidate and suppress street protests against the military's takeover of power last month," Deprose Muchena, regional director for east and southern Africa at Amnesty International, commented in late November. Meanwhile, also the Sudan Doctors' Committee has confirmed that Sudanese security forces used live ammunition to confront the demonstrators in Khartoum. Autopsy reports of at least 10 deaths received by DW Arabia from sources in Sudan show that gunshots caused the deaths. Sudanese security authorities — led by General Abdel-Fattah Burhan and the vice president of the Sudanese Sovereignty Council and commander of the RSF militia, General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo — have denied any involvement in the demonstrators' deaths, saying they used "minimum force" to disperse anti-coup protesters. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute(SIPRI), explained to DW what types of weapons mounted on four-wheel-drive vehicles can be seen in the videos.  1) ZPU-4 a towed anti-aircraft gun This Russian anti-aircraft weapon is also produced and licensed in China as "56" and in Romania as MR-4. The first version of this weapon was the Soviet KPV 14.5 x 114 mm cannon, with a range of 8 km horizontally and about 5 km vertically. 2) ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft twin-barrelled autocannon The Russian double-barrelled anti-aircraft weapon with a diameter of 23 mm has a range of about 2.5 km. 3) ZPU-2 14.5 mm anti-aircraft twin guns The ZPU-2 anti-aircraft weapon comes with a 14.5 mm diameter barrel and has been used extensively in several countries, including Libya 4) Khawad heavy machine gun 12.7 x 108 mm Furthermore, the Swiss SMALL ARMS SURVEY Foundation, which monitors the movement of weapons around the world, has confirmed, by email to DW, the Russian origin of three anti-warcraft weapons, as well as the Sudanese production of the Chinese 'Dushka' model. However, China is by far not new on Sudanese grounds. As early as 2017, China was named as the largest exporter of arms to Sudan, in a report by the Conflict Armament Research Institute. The report highlights the vast number of heavy weapons that have reached Sudan despite a ban on arms imports that was imposed in 1994 and complemented by the 2005-UN embargo following the Darfur crisis. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a militia of around 40,000 men led by General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, owns the majority of the heavy weapons seen in the videos. The militia even shows the weapons in posts on social media. "It is very concerning that they are using those kinds of weapons in a law enforcement context," Simon Bagshaw, a former policy adviser at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Geneva and New York, and an expert on the protection of civilians in armed conflict and forced displacement, told DW. While Bagshaw said such weapons are not prohibited in and of themselves — according to international laws, "it is a fortiori that these heavy weapons should not be used against civilians, and if they are used, this is a violation of the law related to the use of force against civilians." Furthermore, Major General Mamoun Abu Nawar, a military expert from Amman, Jordan, pointed out that "the imbalance between the use of weapons and the reasons for using them leads to the occurrence of a war crime." "This is unjustified violence that requires accountability within the framework of the Geneva and Rome Conventions," he said. "There is no meaning for a military victory over simple, unarmed civilians." In turn,  Antoine Saad, an expert in international law and based in Beirut, Lebanon, said Sudan's transitional authority has turned into a repressive authority that apparently committed a type of crime against humanity and genocide. "Shootings of this magnitude were never proportional to peaceful demonstrations," he said. The Lebanese legal expert said, "The use of heavy weapons such as anti-aircraft and mechanisms down to ordinary live bullets constitutes a crime of genocide and a crime against humanity, especially if this act takes a collective pattern." Following the condemnation of excessive force, international sanctions "may start with a siege on the authorities that commit such crimes, economically and financially," Antoine Saad told DW. For this, he suggested Sudanese activists prepare a legal file that includes complete documented evidence about specific killings and injuries, that activists try to identify the people who carried out the aggression and identify the judicial authorities that refrained from punishing them. "The file should also include the political leaders who supervised these events, and once this criminal file is completed it should be referred to the prosecutor's office as soon as possible," he said. This article has been adapted into English by Jennifer Holleis.

7Politics

The US Navy and Coast Guard were using underwater drones overnight on Tuesday to locate and map the debris field of a downed Chinese balloon. The suspected surveillance balloon was shot down off the South Carolina coast on Saturday after a days-long journey across the US mainland. Navy divers began pulling pieces of the suspected spy balloon from the ocean floor after all the balloon's pieces floating on the surface were collected earlier on Tuesday. The debris will eventually go either to the FBI lab at Quantico, Virginia, or other sites where experts can analyze it, officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the Associated Press. The Washington Post reported on Tuesday that US intelligence has linked the balloon to a vast surveillance program run by China across the globe. Unnamed officials told the newspaper the surveillance airships, operated by the Chinese military, have been spotted over five continents. The US believes such balloons were used to collect intelligence on strategically relevant territories. On Monday, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman briefed representatives of around 40 embassies about the surveillance program. "We want to make sure that we are sharing as much as we can with countries around the world who may also be susceptible to these types of operations," the senior administration official said. Meanwhile, China denied using such balloons for surveillance. On Tuesday, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning blamed the US of overreacting. She said that the US should handle such incidents "in a calm and professional manner" without using force. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video President Joe Biden said in his State of the Union address that the US would act to protect itself should China threaten its sovereignty, but he kept the door open to cooperation. He said he was committed to working with China where it could advance US interests and benefit the world. "But make no mistake about it: as we made clear last week, if China threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country. And we did," Biden added. In reaction to the speech, China said it would "firmly defend" its interests and urged the United States to work on repairing relations. "We will firmly defend China's sovereignty, security, and development interests," Mao Ning said. lo/es (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)

7Politics

In a thrilling team battle that is likely a sign of things to come for the rest of the season, Mercedes and Red Bull split the top four spots in a tight and tactical race. After an exciting back and forth with Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton ended up top of the podium. The Briton, who dropped to third at one point, sealed a win thanks in part to Valtteri Bottas' ability to hold off Verstappen for long periods of the race. Red Bull kept Sergio Perez out for most of the race before pitting their No. 2 driver but Verstappen wasn't able to take advantage and catch Hamilton. Verstappen and Bottas pitted for soft tires as both raced for the bonus point that comes with sealing the fastest lap, and although the Dutchman was faster he exceeded track limits and so the Finn claimed the extra point. Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren) — Having started in 16th, the Australian fought his way to 10th and then having not stopped when others did found himself in fifth at the halfway stage. A slow stop after 43 laps cost him two seconds, but the Aussie still managed to finish 10th. Alpine — Esteban Ocon finished seventh, making the most of a great qualifying run that saw him start sixth. Combined with a brilliant veteran drive from Fernando Alonso who climbed from 13th to claim points and finish behind his teammate in eighth, it was a fantastic weekend for Renault's team. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) — 1.19.865 "A lot to download from today, today wasn't all perfect." — Lewis Hamilton Casually known as Portimao, the 4.6 kilometer (2.85 mile) course has plenty of elevation changes, sending drivers up and down across the circuit. There are 66 laps on a circuit that has only been on the schedule since last season when it was added at the last minute due to the pandemic.

9Sports

Berlin's police chief Barbara Slowik on Sunday hit out at violent attacks on police officers during May Day protests a day earlier, describing them as "unacceptable." The rallies, to mark International Workers' Day rallies, had gone ahead without incident during the day, involving up to 30,000 people. But by evening, tensions rose when police pulled far-left protesters out of the crowd for not adhering to pandemic hygiene regulations such as social distancing.  Heavy scuffles ensued, with protesters throwing glass bottles and stones at police and setting dustbins and wooden pallets ablaze in the streets.  DW journalist Elliot Douglas tweeted photos from the scene of one of the fires, in the suburb of Neukölln shortly before curfew The fire brigade was brought in, and police used water cannon, to extinguish the fires. At least 93 officers were injured by the time the protests was broken up and 354 people were detained, according to the state of Berlin's Interior Ministry.  "Violence against police officers and a blind, destructive rage has nothing to do with political protest," state Interior Minister Andreas Geisel said. Slowik admitted the "situation did degenerate but was quickly brought under control." The German capital had deployed around 5,600 officers on Saturday to monitor the May Day protests, which have turned violent in the past. Similar protests took place elsewhere in Germany and around the world, some of which also descended into skirmishes. In Paris, police fired tear gas at protesters who smashed windows of bank branches, set fire to dustbins and threw projectiles at police. mm/rc (AFP, dpa)  

3Crime

China's recent decision to scrap quarantine for returning travelers is anticipated to revive the international tourism scene, though not immediately. On Monday, China said it would end quarantines for travelers from abroad on January 8. Currently, passengers arriving from abroad, including Chinese nationals, have to quarantine for five days at a hotel, followed by three days at home. The new rule significantly facilitates travel logistics for Chinese people returning home from trips abroad. Chinese people, who until the pandemic made up a significant chunk of the world's tourist population, reportedly flooded travel sites on Tuesday. Many looked forward to crossing the borders after nearly three years of being cut off from the rest of the world. However, travel agencies expected the return to pre-pandemic traffic to take time, at least a few months. In 2019, China recorded the highest outbound tourism travel and expenditure worldwide, standing at $262.1 billion (€246.1 billion), according to German statistical website Statista. However, the stringent Zero-COVID policy the country has followed to contain the deadly pandemic effectively prevented most Chinese people from leaving the country. On Tuesday, many proceeded to book travel, with searches reportedly focused on trips to Macau, Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand and South Korea. The country's National Immigration Administration also announced on Tuesday that it would resume processing passport applications, allowing Chinese nationals to travel abroad once more. It would also approve visits of mainland residents to Hong Kong, it added. Some airlines have already started considering whether to increase flights to and from China. Lufthansa said on Tuesday it was looking at adjusting its 18 flights a week to destinations in mainland China and Hong Kong. However, the Reuters news agency has cited some tourism companies as saying a full return to pre-pandemic tourism rates was unlikely to happen straight away. Reuters cited flight tracking app VariFlight as saying a healthy rate of flights to and from mainland China was not expected before May 2023. Meanwhile, Japan and India have introduced new rules requiring negative COVID-19 tests for travelers from China, as concern grows over the spread of the virus domestically amid lifting restrictions. Chinese officials have defended their decision to lift the travel quarantine. "The Chinese government has always followed the principle of science-based and targeted measures,'' the AP news agency quoted Chinese Foreign Affairs Spokesman Wang Wenbin as saying. He called for a "science-based response and coordinated approach'' to keep travel safe and "promote a steady and sound recovery of the world economy.'' Apart from boosting tourism revenues, the move is also expected to allow most foreign visitors into China for the first time since the pandemic. Travelers will only have to prove they have tested negative for COVID-19 before departing for China. They will not have to test on arrival. The head of the EU Chamber of Commerce in China welcomed Beijing's plan to scrap entry quarantines in January as a "baby step" in the right direction for investors. The chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China also welcomed was he said felt like China "finally… turn(ing) the corner." He expressed hopes that ending the travel quarantine would clear the way for resuming normal business travel. The British Chamber of Commerce also hoped China would restart normal processing of business visas to allow "resumption of crucial people to people exchanges." Business groups have recently warned of investments moving away from China, as the country's strict COVID restrictions blocked foreign executives out. However, an unprecedented wave of protests against the restrictions prompted a significant policy shift earlier this month, as China joins most countries in a new COVID strategy that attempts to coexist with the pandemic. The World Health Organization has warned nevertheless that a large number of vulnerable individuals remain at risk in the country of 1.4 billion people. China's insistence to rely on its own domestic vaccines, and resist more efficient mRNA vaccines, has also raised concerns regarding the efficacy of its vaccination campaign. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video rmt/dj (AP, AFP, Reuters)

5Health

The European continent has just experienced its warmest October since records began, according to the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).  It said temperatures were nearly 2 degrees Celsius above the average for the 1991-2020 reference period. "The severe consequences of climate change are very visible today and we need ambitious climate action at COP27 to ensure emissions reduction to stabilize temperatures close to the Paris Agreement target of 1.5 degrees," said C3S deputy director Samantha Burgess, referring to UN climate talks taking place in Egypt. The climate monitor said a warm spell "brought record daily temperatures to western Europe, and a record-warm October for Austria, Switzerland and France." Records were also shattered last month in large parts of Italy and Spain. Meanwhile, Australia, far eastern Russia, and parts of western Antarctica experienced colder-than-average temperatures. The news comes as world leaders gather in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh for the UN COP27 climate conference. Countries are under pressure to slash emissions and transition away from fossil fuels to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels — as stipulated in the Paris Agreement. Earth has already warmed more than 1.1 C since the late 19th century. Roughly half of that increase has occurred in the past 30 years. Scientists say heat waves, glacier melt, sea level rise and torrential downpours have become more severe due to climate change. Speaking at the COP27 summit, UN chief Antonio Guterres warned that nations must stick to emissions targets or face "collective suicide" in the fight against gobal heating. "Humanity has a choice: cooperate or perish," he said. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video nm/aw (AFP, dpa)

6Nature and Environment

Annalena Baerbock had a fiery baptism in her new job. Within weeks of being sworn in, Germany's first-ever female Foreign Minister, still only 41 years old, found herself in Moscow face to face with Sergei Lavrov, Russia's top diplomat for the last 18 years, trying to diffuse the powder keg in Ukraine. Given the skepticism — and the misogynistic vitriol on social media — she has received since she was first mooted for the role, Baerbock's reception from Germany's media afterwards was virtually triumphant. Newspapers of various political stripes praised her preparation and confidence in the face of one of the longest-serving politicians in the world. "I thought she was good," Wolfgang Schroeder, a political scientist at Kassel University, told DW. "It was surprising that she made no mistakes, that her tone was assertive but not too pointed." Schroeder also noted that Baerbock's handling of the Ukraine crisis so far has given the impression that she is working closely with Chancellor Olaf Scholz, of the Social Democrats, something that cannot necessarily be taken for granted, given that they are of different parties. "There was no attempt to challenge the chancellery — instead, there was an attempt to find a common line with the chancellor," he said. Hubert Kleinert, a politics professor at the Hesse University of Applied Sciences and himself a former Green Party Bundestag member, is not surprised that Baerbock has done well. "These are good conditions for early success," he told DW. "She's a young woman who brings a certain element of vitality. She's a bit different, and I'm sure the imagery in the media helps her." Then again, he noted, going down well in the media is not the same as de-escalating major power on the brink of war. "At the end of the day, it depends on what substance comes out of it. Whether anything was actually achieved I can't say," Kleinert added cautiously. Perhaps the pundits needn't have been all that surprised that Baerbock has made a principled stand in her early appearances as foreign minister. She had already emphasized the "value-guided foreign policy" she favored in last year's election debates. As the Green Party's candidate for chancellor, she made what many saw as assertive statements about China, Belarus, Hungary, and Russia. Moreover, as Kleinert pointed out, "it has always been part of the Green tradition that ethics and human rights aspects are emphasized more strongly." Indeed, the Greens have a tradition of posting troublesome foreign ministers. Baerbock's most notable predecessor is Joschka Fischer, the Green veteran who started out as an anti-establishment protester and rose to become Chancellor Gerhard Schröder's top diplomat in the late 1990s. Fischer's most famous moment of defiance came when he was one of the few US allies to openly question the evidence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, ensuring that Germany took no part in the US-led invasion in 2003. Baerbock's parents took her on anti-nuclear demos in her youth in the 1980s, and in the biography on her personal website, she describes being "touched by worldwide injustice" since her teenage years, which she claims fired early ambitions to be a journalist. She studied political science and public law in Hamburg, earned a Master's Degree in international law at the London School of Economics, and then began a doctorate at Berlin's Free University, which she broke off in 2013 on being elected to the Bundestag. Her academic career ran in parallel to a steep political ascent. Having joined the Green Party at the age of 25, she became leader of the party in the state of Brandenburg only four years later, while simultaneously acting as spokesperson of the party's working group on European affairs and serving as a member of the board of the European Green Party. She continued this focus on European affairs in her first term in the Bundestag, when she claims to have "worked hard on making the German government finally acknowledge its international responsibility as one of the largest economies in the world and to lead the German 'energy transition'." Nevertheless, her attention shifted to domestic affairs in her second term in the Bundestag, from 2017, when she focused on child poverty and single parents. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Her triumphal procession continued into April 2021, when she won an internal Green Party power struggle against her co-leader Robert Habeck, and became the party's first-ever chancellor candidate in a national election. That's when she hit trouble: Almost as soon as her candidacy was announced, negative press appeared, crushing early hopes that the Greens might even challenge the two big German parties, the center-left Social Democrats and the center-right Christian Democrats. In May it emerged that she had failed to properly report her extra income to parliament — something she described as a "silly mistake" — and a hastily ghost-written book, published in June 2021, was found to be riddled with plagiarized lines and poor annotation. Though her TV debate performances against future chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and conservative candidate Armin Laschet (CDU) were praised, her campaign never recovered, and the Greens ended with a disappointing 14.8% in September's election. In line with their earlier agreement, it was her rival and co-leader, Robert Habeck, who became vice-chancellor in the new coalition government. But that chapter is now over, and Baerbock has turned her attention to the challenges of her new office. Speaking to DW, Gustav Gressel of the Berlin-based European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) said he did not see any particular weakness in Baerbock's relative youth and inexperience. "Anyone who has risen that far in politics has to have a certain amount of toughness," he said. "I think much of this criticism as misguided because that's simply not how electoral democracy works," he added. "Ministers are not technocrats. They need to find and identify the people they can rely on in specific areas to work for them and with them." Perhaps mindful of criticism of the Greens from environmentalist pressure groups like Fridays for Future, Baerbock has been at pains to sell her new brief as essential to fighting the climate crisis: "We can only solve the big domestic policy questions like climate neutrality with a globalized world," she told public broadcaster ARD. "That's why, for a strong climate policy, we need an active European and German international foreign policy." When faced with countries such as China that have generally blocked global climate agreements, Baerbock has argued that the key was not to strive for unlikely global solutions, such as a universal carbon tax, but to cooperate bilaterally with countries prepared to retool their industries to be carbon neutral. Ultimately, though, Gressel believes that Baerbock's success will not only be measured in what she says about "values" in foreign policy. The more important question, he said, was: "How willing is Germany to create means to that end? For example, she has asked for a new fund for strategic infrastructure. That's a start to countering the Chinese takeover of infrastructure around the world, especially in the neighborhood of the EU. You have to stand for your values not just in words but also in money." Edited by: Rina Goldenberg This text has been updated since its publication in late 2021. 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.

7Politics

The Greens hesitated for a long time. In the wake of damage, suffering, and death following the floods in western Germany in mid-July, they seemed to not want to say that they had seen it all coming.  Leaders of this environmentalist party were cautious in their visits to the affected regions. Unlike Chancellor Angela Merkel and regional leaders, they focused on calls for donations, while praising volunteers, Germany's agency for technical relief (known as THW), and the German armed forces. But now, as the federal election campaign moves into high gear, they are once again emphasizing the issue they consider to be the core of their brand: climate change. And that includes preparing for extreme weather. The party's co-chair Robert Habeck, parliamentary group leader Anton Hofreiter and climate expert Oliver Krischer have presented an eight-page paper proposing a whopping €25 billion ($30 billion) program for the next 10 years. It calls for stronger dams and dikes, an end to sealing over land, more green spaces in cities, and to undo the channelization of rivers.  The German Green party's candidate for chancellor and party co-chair Annalena Baerbock is not an author of the paper. Despite a strong start to her campaign including very strong polling, after negative media attention regarding inflation of achievements on her resume and accusations that sections of her book may have been plagiarized, Baerbock seems to have faded from the spotlight. Now, the party appears to be seeking to divert attention toward the issues in order to push forward its party platform and present fresh ideas. "We want to invest more in preparedness, and make that the guiding principle of our politics. For that, we need a climate fund to invest in projects such as 'sponge cities,' flooding and health protection measures, and adapting the sewer systems," said Franziska Brantner, a Green member of parliament from the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg. "Sponge cities" refer to measures such as green roofs, which absorb rainfall and result in less runoff. Earth surfaces that have been sealed off by concrete and pavement in cities may be transformed into green space wherever possible. This allows water from rain to soak back into the earth, recharging aquifers instead of flooding urban areas. Brantner also believes that cooperation among different levels of government needs to change. "Optimized structures and agreements between the federal, state, and local governments, better warning systems, and heat plans are crucial. Adapting to the climate crisis is a huge challenge that we need to address now," he said. Robert Habeck called the overall strategy "closing the gap between the energy transition, climate protection, and disaster prevention." He added that "global warming is real. The only question is how we can slow it down." The paper also calls for a climate and disaster registry that includes a detailed list of the kinds of damage possible and regions particularly at risk. Germany's Social Democrat Party-led Environment Ministry hastened to agree. "Germany urgently needs a better knowledge base on the damage and costs of climate change," said Deputy Environment Minister Jochen Flasbarth in Berlin. But just two months ahead of the general elections in Germany, other parties are not yet willing to surrender the issues of climate protection and preparation for extreme weather to the Greens without a fight.  The Greens paper also includes critiques of the federal government's budget policy. The pandemic has been costly for the state, and has led to new highs in borrowing. Although the €25 billion proposed by the paper is also to be borrowed, the Greens qualified this: "We think tax cuts for the wealthy and rigid adherence to the notorious debt brake are wrong. By abandoning the rigid debt brake, we are enabling a decade of investment in the future."  While the balanced budget measure known as the "debt brake" (Schuldenbremse) was indeed largely ignored during the pandemic, it has nevertheless been in effect for a decade, and obligates governments to assure that spending does not exceed income. Introduced in 2016, Germany's debt brake has limited the federal government's structural net borrowing to 0.35% of gross domestic product. The center-right Christian Democrats (CDU), their Bavarian sister party the conservative Christian Social Union (CSU), and the pro-free market libertarian Free Democrat Party (FDP) all want to reinstate the spending limits as quickly as possible, once the pandemic allows. Due to this constellation, the Greens have few political partners with whom to implement their concept — particularly once coalition building begins after September's vote.  This article has been tranlsated from German. 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

British Prime Minister Liz Truss on Thursday unveiled plans to freeze domestic energy bills for two years. Truss also lifted a moratorium on fracking in a bid to secure increased energy supply. The government said it would also review progress towards its target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Truss became Britain's prime minister on Tuesday, replacing Boris Johnson. Her bid to rapidly mobilize follows roughly two months of inaction from Britain's government — with outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson reticent to commit to any major policies, and on holiday for the most part, during a protracted Conservative leadership contest to choose his successor.  Truss announced a cap on consumer energy bills for two years in a package that could cost around 150 billion pounds ($173 billion, €173 billion). The plan will be funded by government borrowing. Britain's new prime minister said that average household energy bills would be held at around 2,500 pounds a year for two years. An 80% leap in energy prices was predicted for October. "This is the moment to be bold, we are facing a global energy crisis, and there are no cost-free options," Truss said. "We are supporting this country through this winter and next, and tackling the root causes of high prices so we are never in the same position again." Truss and new Chancellor of the Exchequer (or finance minister) Kwasi Kwarteng said that the measures will have "substantial benefits" to the economy, curbing inflation by four to five percent. Truss said that the country's Finance Ministry and the Bank of England would launch a 40 billion pound scheme to ensure energy firms have the liquidity needed to manage price volatility. "This will stabilize the markets and decrease the likelihood that energy retailers need our support like they did last winter," she said. In reaction to the announcement, the opposition Labour Party proposed that the package be funded in part by a windfall tax on the energy sector. It also asked why more wasn't being done to improve insulation. Truss said that new methods of supply would be introduced, with a moratorium on fracking being dropped. She said that over 100 new oil and gas exploration licenses would be issued for the North Sea. "Energy over the past decade has not focused enough on securing supply," Truss said. "Extraordinary challenges call for extraordinary measures, ensuring that the United Kingdom is never in this situation again." Britain was a net exporter of energy from the late 1980s to 2004 following the development of North Sea oil and gas fields, but production declined after peaking in 1999. Roughly 38% of the UK's energy is now imported. Truss said that "decades of short-term thinking on energy" had left Britain dependent on imports. sdi/msh (AFP, AP, Reuters)

7Politics

Trees wouldn't be able to survive if it weren't for the massive networks of fungi operating below ground.  Out of sight, these microscopic fungal filaments pervade the soil, much like a subterranean internet, helping connect plants and trees to each other.   They can use this system — sometimes called the "wood wide web" — to exchange water, nitrogen, carbon and other nutrients, or even get advance warning of threats.  Mycorrhizal fungi networks have been around for more than 400 million years. And according to ecologist Thomas Crowther, they act as a type of "brain of the forest" that works to keep the entire ecosystem healthy.  "Mycorrhizal fungi are absolutely essential to the functioning of about 90% of the world's trees. One couldn't really exist without the other," says Crowther from ETH Zurich, who was among a team of scientists to develop the first ever global map of the wood wide web.   Trees and plants have a symbiotic relationship with the mycorrhizal fungi that weave around and bore into their roots. The plants pass their fungal partners carbon, and in return they get nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen that the fungi take from the soil.  But beyond that, plants also use this extensive underground web of fungi to interact with each other, moving information, nutrients, sugar and water to other trees in the system that need it most.  "Trees that are struggling for nutrients will often be enhanced by the network because the fungi will redistribute nutrients towards those struggling trees or areas where there's been a lot of insect damage," Crowther said. "This connectivity is what keeps the whole system going."  When seedlings get hooked up to the network, they can get an injection of nutrients and water from more mature trees. This helps them grow and develop resilience in the face of stress. Dying trees can also use the web to transfer their nutrients to neighboring plants.   Trees can receive early warning signals about threats via the network if a neighbor is under attack — for example, from aphids or caterpillars — and preemptively produce defensive chemicals to protect themselves from an assault.   Mycorrhizal networks support ecosystems and make forests resilient. They are also massive carbon sinks, keeping heat-trapping CO2 locked away underground. But agricultural expansion, pollution from chemical fertilizers and deforestation are putting these microbial webs at risk.   According to the UN, around 178 million hectares of forest — about triple the size of France — have been lost over the past three decades. When trees are cut down, the fungi underground is also destroyed. Researchers have found that logging can slash the abundance of mycorrhizal fungi in the ground by as much as 95%.  Rising temperatures associated with climate change could also see fungi that lock carbon away for longer periods replaced by a fast-cycling variety that "could potentially drive carbon losses into the atmosphere," according to Crowther, leading to additional warming.  Mycorrhizal fungi have been underpinning life on Earth for millions of years. By disrupting the complex webs they form beneath our feet, we are also endangering the organisms we depend on to survive.  Edited by: Tamsin Walker

6Nature and Environment

Tuesday's meeting between Ivory Coast's current president, Alassane Ouattara, and his rival Laurent Gbagbo, who recently returned after being acquitted of committing war crimes by the International Criminal Court (ICC), has raised tensions in the country. But amid the uneasiness, there is also a sense of optimism among many on the streets of Abidjan, the country's largest city. "President Gbagbo and President Alassane [Ouattara], they are brothers. Both will show the world that there is total reconciliation in Ivory Coast," one citizen told DW. Another believes the meeting could help heal the country's longstanding north-south divide: ''I think that the meeting between President Gbagbo and President Alassane [Ouattara] augurs good days, because for ... the north and the south, there is still hope." Publicly, both leaders have sought to project an image of peace and reconciliation. President Ouattara publicly welcomed Gbagbo's recent return, using the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha to appeal for national healing. "May the steps that have been taken for social cohesion, for reconciliation, continue to be made. May Ivory Coast continue to live in peace," 79-year-old Ouattara said last week. Gbagbo's spokesperson said the two rivals have been "in touch" via phone since early July. Tuesday's meeting will be the first between the two since during the country's 2010 disputed presidential election, when the Constitutional Council declared Gbagbo the winner, despite the country's Election Commission and the United Nations recognizing Ouattara as having won the vote. Abroad, Ouattara was also considered Ivory Coast's new leader with the international community, the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) imposing sanctions on Gbagbo after he refused to step down. The ensuing political crisis triggered widespread fighting that saw some 3,000 people killed, entire villages destroyed and the hundreds of thousands displaced by the violence between pro-Gbagbo militias and Ouattara's forces, which were supported by UN, ECOWAS and French troops and equipment. It also widened the rift between the mainly Muslim Ouattara-supporting communities in the north and the predominantly Christian, Gbagbo-allied south. Gbagbo was subsequently arrested in April 2011, banished from Ivory Coast and sent to The Hague to face charges of crimes against humanity brought by the International Criminal Court.  The ICC acquitted Gbagbo in 2019, granting him permission to return to Ivory Coast. Despite his decade-long absence, 76-year-old Gbagbo still has a large following at home — especially in the southern coastal regions, where he has a reputation for standing up for the poor and oppressed. As for Ouattara, amid a precarious peace, in 2015 he convincingly won his second election. But in 2020, scores of people were killed in pre-electoral clashes with the police after Ouattara controversially unveiled his bid for a third presidential term; the country's constitution allows only two terms. Ouattara went on to win a landslide victory in the 2020 poll but gained little credibility as the vote was boycotted by nearly the entire opposition. For many Ivorians, solving the differences between Ouattara and Gbagbo are key to overcoming the country's main problems. Although Ivory Coast has experienced vibrant economic growth since 2012, many citizens have been left behind with nearly 40% of the country's population still living in poverty. Ivory Coast is also floundering when it comes to creating work and education opportunities for young people between 15 and 29, who account for more than one-quarter of country's population. It has also failed to address its longstanding political and ethnic tensions between the north and south, according to Human Rights Watch. One group trying to rebuild these divides is the Abidjan-based NGO Femmes de Salem. ''We know that in 2010 the Ivory Coast was on fire with very visible social fractures," said Boussou Bintou Coulibaly, the NGO's leader, explaining the reason for the founding of reconciliation projects bringing women together from both parts of the country. "We had to break the ice between the women of the north and those of the south. Because through the women, for us, something could be done to bring the populations together," Coulibaly told DW. Anastasie Adjoua Kouadja and Cisse Makoko, who lived in a small village called Bodoukro in the Tiassale region, 120 kilometers (74 miles) from Abidjan, have benefited from Femmes de Salem's attempts at reconciliation. Makoko's family is originally from the north while Kouadja's family is from the south. During the 2010 crisis, their families, who had previously lived side by side, clashed. Several houses and plantations were destroyed. Kouadja regrets the violence that destroyed parts of her village and tore apart the community cohesion that once existed. ''We looked at each other like dogs and that's not good," she told DW. But that has changed since taking part in the NGO's project and meeting with "our sisters from the north," including Makoko, she said. "Our meeting went very well, we took pictures of each other and exchanged phone numbers," Kouadja said. "We are one people despite ethnic, religious and even political differences. Reconciliation came very naturally among us," said Makoko. "We have to live together so that the country can move forward." Many hope that today's meeting between President Alassane Ouattara and Laurent Gbagbo will have a similar outcome.

7Politics

The environment ministers from the European Union's 27-member states struck a deal to approve a raft of measures to combat climate change in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The agreement came after over 16 hours of negotiations in Luxembourg over proposed climate laws — and included a compromise on phasing out new fossil fuel car sales as of 2035. "The Council also agreed to introduce a 100% CO2 emissions reduction target by 2035 for new cars and vans," the ministers said in a statement. The agreement effectively means that no new cars with internal combustion engines will be allowed to be sold in the bloc starting from 2035. A final compromise must now be negotiated with the European Parliament — which also supports a complete ban on the sale of combustion engine vehicles as of 2035. With the EU seeking to become climate neutral by 2050, the combustion engine ban and the rest of the draft bills must come into effect to curb emissions. Ministers agreed on joint positions on five laws that were proposed last year by the European Commission. "The climate crisis and its consequences are clear, and so policy is unavoidable," EU climate policy chief Frans Timmermans said. The EU ministers' statement came after Germany's coalition government backed the phaseout, but on the condition that the sales of new cars running on "CO2 neutral" fuels will still go ahead after 2035. The debate over a potential combustion engine ban has been met with resistance particularly in Germany, the biggest car market in the bloc. "EU member states have voted with an overwhelming majority that starting from 2035, only cars and light commercial vehicles will be permitted that do not emit CO2," German Environment Minister Steffi Lemke said. "This sends a clear signal that we must achieve the climate targets. They also give the auto industry the planning security that it needs," she added. Another aspect of the agreement will see a €59 billion ($62 billion) Social Climate Fund established to shield low-income citizens from any increase in energy costs caused by carbon policy. All EU member countries will be able to submit proposals to the European Commission for how this money can be spent to help people, such as by making homes more energy efficient in winter or subsidizing new, zero-emissions transport. "The transition to renewable energy will bring the bills down, but many people will need some support in getting there," Timmermans added. Lithuania, Latvia and Poland had pushed for an even larger fund while Finland, Denmark and the Netherlands — wealthier countries that would contribute more to the fund than they would receive from it — had called for it to be smaller. zc,rs/rs (Reuters, dpa)

6Nature and Environment

The German Foreign Ministry on Saturday stepped up its travel and security warning for Ukraine, urging all of its nationals to leave the country due to the risk of a possible military confrontation.  The ministry had already asked German citizens to leave Ukraine, but the latest warning is more urgent. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video "German nationals are urgently requested to leave the country now," the ministry's website now says. "A military confrontation is possible at any time." "Travel out of the country in a timely manner," said the advice. "If there is a Russian attack on Ukraine, the options for assisting German nationals are very limited." Earlier in the week, the ministry said most staff members have left the German embassy in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. Family members and seconded employees not urgently needed for business operations had mostly left the country, the ministry said. Germany's national carrier Lufthansa on Saturday said it was stopping all flights to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, and the coastal city of Odessa as of Monday. The flights will be suspended "for the time being until the end of February," the company announced.  France on Saturday also recommended to all its citizens that they should leave Ukraine. For those in the most exposed areas "in the oblasts of Kharkiv, Luhansk and Donetsk," as well as in the region of Dnipro, Paris advises them to move away "without delay." "It is recommended to all French citizens who are not in Ukraine for a compelling reason to leave the country," said the French Foreign Ministry.  In addition, the Austrian Foreign Ministry issued a similar warning for its citizens.  The more urgent warning comes after intensified fighting in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, where Russia-backed separatists in 2014 declared "people's republics." It follows unusually pessimistic US warnings that Moscow could order an invasion of Ukraine any day. NATO leaders have said they fear Russia is seeking a pretext to attack. The past weeks have seen a flurry of diplomatic efforts as world leaders sought to avert a war in Europe amid soaring East-West tensions. Some 150,000 troops Russian troops have amassed around Ukraine's borders — in the Russian border region, Belarus and the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea annexed by Russia. Russia said the troops were there for maneuvers and that it had no intention of invading. rc/wd (Reuters, AFP)

7Politics

There were no reports of anyone being hurt after three rockets fired by suspected Palestinians from Lebanon to northern Israel were met with artillery fire on Wednesday. One of the three rockets did not make it out of Lebanese territory, another caused a small fire in Israel and a third was intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system. Tensions have been running high over the last week after the US accused Iran of attacking an Israeli managed ship, The Mercer Street, while on its way to the UAE. Although no one has claimed responsibility for the three rockets, an anonymous Lebanese security source said a hardline Palestinian group might have been to blame. The one rocket that evaded the Iron Dome missile defense system landed in an open area of an Israeli settlement and caused a brush fire. The attack triggered air raid sirens near the 20,000-strong Kiryat Shmona community and other areas in the north of the country, with residents fleeing to shelters. Israeli army artillery responded to the attack by firing six shells between the Lebanese villages of Marjayoun and Khiam that reported no casualties or property damage. Small Palestinian factions living near the Israeli border have fired rockets in the past, with two launched at Israel on July 20, 2021. Lebanon on Wednesday commemorated the first anniversary of the Beirut blast which killed more than 200 people with demonstrations across the city. There was a lot of"tension and anger" in the air in Beirut according to DW news reporters on the ground in the Lebanese capital. The country has struggled with financial and political problems in recent years, with Israel even offering aid. The Hezbollah group, considered one of the heaviest armed non-state groups in the world, has a major sway in southern Lebanon and has often threatened to strike at Israel. On the international front, Britain, Romania and Liberia told the UN Security Council it was "highly likely" Iran attacked the Mercer Street oil tanker with drones last Thursday. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennet said Tuesday he was prepared to act alone against Iran if necessary. jc/dj (Reuter, dpa, AP)

2Conflicts

UK pupils are set to go back to school on March 8, with non-essential retail stores scheduled to open their doors against from April 12, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday. Addressing the public, the UK prime minister said that the approach to lift the restrictions would be "gradual and cautious."  The government hopes that the life in the country would return to normal by late June. Britain is one of the countries hardest-hit globally by the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 120,000 deaths from the virus. But it was also the first nation to begin a mass vaccination campaign. The roadmap would only apply to England, with lockdown rules in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland overseen by devolved administrations in each country. The success of the vaccine rollout means that more than 17 million people have now received at least a first vaccine dose — a third of the adult UK population. The number of confirmed cases in Germany has increased by 4,369 to 2,390,928, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases. The reported death toll has risen by 62, bringing the total to 67,903. The figure marks a significant decrease in the number of daily deaths, as Germany continues a monthslong lockdown which has seen nonessential businesses shut and private meetings limited. German elementary schools and child daycare centers reopened on Monday in 10 German states despite a slight rise in infections. Research carried out by political scientists from the southern German city of Freiburg revealed that only 20% of self-described voters for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party plan on accepting a vaccine. Some 90% of supporters of three other main parties, the Greens, the center-left Socialist Party of Germany (SPD) and the center-right Christian Democratic Union and Christian Socialist Union (CDU/CSU) parties said they were willing to be vaccinated. Among voters of the Left party, 80% were open to the vaccine, while 66% of the liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP) voters said they would happily receive the jab. German brewers have been forced to throw away millions of euros worth of beer due to Germany's lockdown as pubs, bars and restaurants remain closed.  The brewers called on the government on Monday to include them in programs for financial aid for industries struggling during the crisis. Pubs and beers already receive government support, but brewers do not. French pharmaceutical company Sanofi said on Monday that it would start producing doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, aiming for as much as 12 million a month. The company had already agreed to bottle and package vaccine doses for its rival BioNTech-Pfizer. Sanofi also has its own COVID-19 vaccine in development. Italy extended a ban on travel between regions until March 27 fearing a new surge due to the spread of the more contagious new variant of the virus first discovered in the UK. Health ministry officials also said that they planned to tell the different regions to use up all their available doses to give as many people as possible at least one shot rather than saving up doses for second shots. Japan will only receive limited doses of COVID-19 vaccines for the first months of the country's immunization rollout, the country's inoculation chief has said. Shots for the elderly will be distributed gradually. Increased supplies from Pfizer, the maker of Japan's only approved COVID-19 vaccine, are not likely to reach the country until May. Australia has kicked off its mass COVID-19 vaccine program. Front-line health care staff and senior citizens will be getting their doses first. Authorities hope to administer more than 60,000 doses by the end of the week. New Zealand is lifting remaining the coronavirus restrictions from Auckland. The city was placed into a three-day lockdown earlier this month after several people tested positive, but the country has largely managed to stamp out the spread of the pandemic. Doctors in South Korea have threatened to strike against legislation to strip them of their licenses following criminal convictions, creating fears of a possible disruption to vaccine distribution. The country's vaccine drive is set to begin this week, and health care workers are scheduled to receive the first batch of the AstraZeneca vaccine on Friday. Seoul hopes to protect at least 10 million high-risk people by July, and reach herd immunity by November.  Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte refused to ease coronavirus restrictions before vaccinations are rolled out, according to his spokesman.  Duterte has been under pressure recently as businessmen push to have freedom for commercial activities.  The government has authorized the emergency use of Sinovac, AstraZeneca and BioNTech-Pfizer. But The Philippines has not received any COVID-19 vaccine shots yet.  The government aims to buy 148 million doses to inoculate 50 to 70 million Filipinos this year.  Gaza began a limited vaccination program after receiving doses donated by Russia and the United Arab Emirates. Officials are administering the first of their 22,000 Russia Sputnik V doses to health care workers, to be followed by patients with chronic diseases and those over 60 years old. A wider campaign in the territory, which has around 2 million inhabitants, will begin later. Gaza received its first vaccine shipment last week after Israel approved a transfer of 2,000 doses that Russia had donated to the Palestinian Authority, which has limited self-rule in the occupied West Bank. It has separately received 20,000 Russian doses from the UAE. President John Magufuli of Tanzania has finally started acknowledging that his country has a coronavirus problem, urging citizens to wear face coverings and take other hygiene precautions. It marks a change of tack for Magufuli, who has claimed for months that the disease could be defeated by prayer. President Joe Biden will commemorate the more than 500,000 lives lost from COVID-19 in the United States with a moment of silence and candle-lighting ceremony at the White House. The nation is expected to pass the grim milestone on Monday. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video ab,kmm/ csb (dpa, Reuters, AFP, AP)

5Health

At least 700 people who participated in an illegal rally against COVID-19 restrictions in the southern German city of Stuttgart over the weekend have been identified, arrested and then released, police said late Saturday. The city and regional German courts had banned demonstrations this weekend due to the higher risk of spreading the virus. Stuttgart police said they recorded more than 1,000 violations of the face-mask requirement. The protests were organized by the Querdenker ("lateral thinkers") group, which opposes lockdown measures. Two police officers were injured due to demonstrators' resistance, the police statement said.  Meanwhile in Cologne, around 250 people gathered for a protest with the motto "no to curfews! Health protection instead of restricting our rights," public broadcaster Deutschlandfunk reported.  The city imposed a curfew for the first time since World War II to curb the spread of infections.  The broadcaster cited police as saying the participants complied with COVID measures and ended their protest before the curfew began.  Germany is set to hold a national memorial service on Sunday for its 80,000 victims of the coronavirus pandemic. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Angela Merkel will attend two special memorial events.  The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases reported on Sunday a rise in coronavirus cases by 19,185. The reported death toll rose by 67 to 79,914.  Here's a roundup of some other major COVID-related stories around the world. France is planning to impose a 10-day quarantine on arrivals from Argentina, Brazil, Chile and South Africa over concerns about variants of the coronavirus, the prime minister's office announced Saturday. The country recently suspended flights from Brazil until at least next Friday, fearing the spread of the P1 coronavirus variant that was first detected in the South American country.  India has hit another daily record with 261,500 new coronavirus cases over the last 24 hours, Reuters news agency reported. Japan is seeking an additional BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine supply. The prime minister, Yoshihide Suga, said on Sunday that he had preliminary talks with the drugmaker, who "agreed on the essentials."  The Japanese government had signed agreements to acquire the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine, AstraZeneca and Moderna. So far, BioNTech-Pfizer is the only one the country's health authorities have approved.   Canada has recorded the second case of rare but serious blood clotting linked to AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine. Health authorities said the patient, who received treatment, was vaccinated with the AstraZeneca jab supplied by the Serum Institute of India.  On Tuesday, Canada reported a case of blood clotting in a Quebec woman who received the same shot. Canadian health authorities said on Twitter that they would "continue to monitor the use of all #COVID19 vaccines closely and examine and assess any new safety concerns."  To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Sunday that he was in no hurry to reopen international borders and risk the country's nearly COVID-free lifestyle. Since March 2020, Australia closed its borders to all non-citizens and non-residents and only permitted limited international travel.  South Africa's health regulator recommended that the government lift the pause on using Johnson & Johnson's coronavirus vaccine under some conditions.  "These conditions include, but are not limited to, strengthened screening and monitoring of participants who are at high risk of a blood clotting disorder," the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) said. Israel lifted the mandatory wearing of face masks outdoors and fully reopened schools on Sunday. The country has recently lifted some measures as it returns to relative normality thanks to a mass-vaccination campaign.  Nearly 54% of its 9.3 million population have received both shots of the BioNTech-Pfizer coronavirus vaccine.  The Health Ministry said masks were still required for indoor public spaces and urged citizens to keep masks to hand. Last year, the country ordered a police-enforced policy of wearing masks outdoors. fb/mm (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)

5Health

Two men appeared at a higher regional court in Düsseldorf on Thursday charged with committing a war crime and the membership and support of a terror organization. The pair are suspected of having taken part in the execution of a lieutenant colonel of Syria's government forces in 2012. Investigators say the two men, aged 35 and 43, took the chained and severely abused prisoner to his execution. One suspect acted as a guard, the DPA news agency reported, while the other one filmed and commented on the shooting in a video to be used as propaganda. One man is charged with having belonged to a group affiliated with the Islamist al-Nusra Front terror organization. The other is alleged to have fought for the group without being a formal member. The two men were detained in July last year — in Naumburg in central Germany and the western city of Essen — and have been in pretrial custody since then. The suspect accused of filming the execution pleaded not-guilty while the other man did not answer to the charges, a court spokesman told DW. Owing to changes to German law in 2002, it's possible to try people on charges of crimes against humanity in Germany in almost any circumstances. Neither the perpetrators nor the victims must be German nationals, the crimes can have taken place anywhere in the world. Traditionally, the International Criminal Court would be a more standard venue for such cases — but prosecutions there often falter because many states are not full signatories to the Rome Statute.  Last week, a former member of the Syrian secret police was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison for being an accomplice to crimes against humanity in his homeland. The ongoing trial in Koblenz is the first of its kind worldwide, and a verdict against the primary suspect is expected later this year. Soon after the first verdict in Koblenz, Human Rights Watch sought to file charges against Saudi crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman in German courts over his suspected involvement in the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

3Crime

Zambia is getting ready to hold virtual talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) from Thursday in the hope of securing a bailout loan. This latest round of negotiations will run until March 3. The administration of President Edgar Lungu has accumulated massive debts in recent years, much of it for large-scale infrastructure projects. The level of debt has now blown out to around $12 billion (€9.97 billion), half of which comes from private creditors. Zambia failed to honor a $42.5 million (€35.3 million) payment on a $750 million Eurobond in November, becoming the first Africa country to default on its international debt payments since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. It has since missed a second bond payment of $56.1 million on January 30. Zambia's government formally asked the IMF for a financing arrangement in December, according to Reuters news agency. The exact details of the request have not been revealed. An IMF deal could include affordable financing, in the form of a zero- or low-interest loan, as well as technical support for economic reform. Zambia under President Lungu has had a rocky relationship with the IMF. His administration first requested a $1.6 billion aid package from the international fund back in 2016 — an request the IMF never agreed to because of concerns over Zambia's commitment to economic reform. But after Zambia hosted high-level discussions with the IMF in December 2020, Zambian economist Grieve Chelwa sees the relationship as improving. "I think this is the first time that the talks have been fruitful enough to begin to think about an IMF program," said Chelwa, a postdoctoral fellow in economics at New York's New School. He doubts, however, that the IMF will do an about-turn and agree to a new deal before presidential and parliamentary elections in August, when President Lungu and his Patriotic Front party will seek to stay in power.  Lungu's administration presented an economic recovery plan in December, said Chelwa, but "even if you have a plan that says you are not going to spend frivolously or exorbitantly, what happens in an election year?" "Budgeting goes out the window. You throw money at this thing. You want to splurge because if you want to return your seats and retain your power, you have to spend." Because of this, Chelwa rated the chances of the IMF agreeing to a major program in the run-up to the election as "quite low." International business consultant Trevor Simumba, who has written widely on Zambia's debt crisis, also believes the IMF will be "reluctant" to agree to a full program of support before elections. He points to the "panicked, preelection" decision of Zambia's state mining company, ZCCM-IH, to buy Glencore's stake in the country's Mopani copper mine, which employs 15,000 people.   The Mopani takeover, announced in January, will see Zambia taking on an additional $1.5 billion in debt in what Simumba called a "terrible deal" with "no real economic value to the country apart from delaying the pain of the high cost of mining in Zambia." But, Simumba said in a phone interview from Lusaka, the IMF may agree to emergency aid to soften the economic impact of COVID-19 on the condition that this flows to the underfunded health and education sectors. Zambia's finance minister, Bwalya Ng'andu, told the financial news agency Bloomberg last week that the government wanted a deal before the August poll. "There is absolutely no desire on our part that we delay things to election time, and we are hopeful that we'll be able to reach some agreement with the IMF," Bloomberg quoted Ng'andu as saying. Zambia's government has taken out massive loans for infrastructure projects in the past decade. According to Zambian economist Chelwa, the country's external debt has ballooned by 1,000% since 2011, when the ruling Patriotic Front came to power under Lungu's predecessor, Michael Sata. Some of the loans were spent on practical infrastructure, like hospital and school upgrades, improved telecommunications and roads. But many projects have been criticized for costing more than was necessary. "[The Patriotic Front] have certainly transformed the country in many parts in terms of infrastructure, but there is also the mismanagement, theft and pilferage that comes with these large-scale infrastructure projects," said economist Chelwa in a phone interview. "I think we we've gotten less bang for the buck, but we've gotten something." Before the coronavirus outbreak, Zambia's debt had already reached dangerous levels, with Zambian and international economists warning that Zambia had borrowed more than it could afford to pay back. The pandemic triggered a worldwide slump in the demand for raw materials, slashing Zambia's resources revenues last year, particularly from copper, which is the country's biggest foreign exchange earner. To make matter worse, Zambia's economy contracted by 4% because of the global COVID-19 downturn. Zambia's debt crisis coupled with the coronavirus pandemic is proving a double blow for the country's 17 million people. Zambians have been hard hit by rising food prices and job losses during the pandemic. And the nation's debt crisis means the government has limited resources to help. They are facing a sharp rise in prices for items such as bread, cereals, fish, dried foods and vegetables with annual inflation rising by 25%. At the same time, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic is still disrupting supplies and slowing consumer demand, leaving many traders and businesses in the southern African country struggling. But nearly half of Zambia's revenue currently goes towards paying off, or servicing, its loans. A large chunk — some 40% — is also earmarked to pay civil servant wages.  This means only 10% of the annual budget is available for all other services, such as agriculture, social protection, health and education. "This debt crisis essentially revealed how fragile our current fiscal system is ... because it leaves the government with very little resources to provide service delivery, especially now that we are currently in the COVID-19 pandemic," said Kangwa Muyunda, a program officer at the consumer organization, CUTS International. "We have cases of people [with COVID-19] dying because of lack of oxygen to support these patients because of the government's lack of resources to deal with this pandemic." Zambia's schools reopened last week under a loosening of lockdown restrictions, she added. "But you wonder if the government can even supply face masks and food for these children to actually go to school in this pandemic," Muyunda said. 

0Business

European Union leaders agreed on a new strategy aimed at boosting defense and security in the bloc on Friday.  Member states want to sign off on the plans early next year, said European Council President Charles Michel.  "We want to increase defence investment, and we want to enhance civilian and military capabilities and operational readiness," Michel told reporters. The 27 leaders also discussed how to increase their resilience to cyberattacks and hybrid threats, and debated relations with their southern neighbors. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also joined the video conference for a discussion on cooperation between the bloc and the defense alliance. "The EU efforts are going hand in hand with the military efforts across the continent," said Stoltenberg.  "For NATO, the main task during this pandemic has been to make sure that a health crisis doesn't turn into a security crisis, because the threats we are faced with before the pandemic, they are still there: Russia's aggressive actions, more brutal forms of terrorism, sophisticated cyber attacks, the rise of China and the security implications of climate change." Stoltenberg and European Council President Michel also touted cooperation with the new US administration. "I'm totally convinced that this new Biden administration offers a unique opportunity to renew the strong alliance between Europe and the United States," said Michel. "A strong partnership requires strong partners — that's why I'm convinced that a stronger European Union is a stronger NATO."  To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The EU has been trying to coordinate more closely on defense and security matters in recent years, for example with plans to jointly fund defense development projects. The aim is to offer Europe more strategic autonomy. France in particular has argued that the coronavirus pandemic, a resurgent Russia and former US leader Donald Trump's threats to cut off allies show Europe has to be able to stand on its own. "We share very much the same population, the same members and the same neighborhood and the same challenges," Stoltenberg said. "It makes it absolutely obvious that we need to work together." lc/rt (AFP, dpa)

7Politics

The defamation trial of Hollywood stars Johnny Depp and Amber Heard has long been making headlines, and with the trial coming to an end, there is heated online debate about the guilt or innocence of either party. While awaiting the verdict, social media influencers and their followers seem to have already passed their own judgements. The fact that so many people have a clear opinion on this celebrity mudslinging is probably mainly due to the fact that the trial is being streamed live on the internet. It all started with an op-ed Amber Heard published in the Washington Post in 2018 during the time of the #MeToo movement. In her essay, she wrote about how she too had experienced domestic violence. She did not name her ex-husband, Johnny Depp, in it. However, the "Pirates of the Caribbean" star sued Heard in 2019, claiming that she had defamed him. He claimed that it adversely affected his professional reputation and in turn accused his ex-wife of being the actual perpetrator. Heard responded with a countersuit. It has since become a battle of testimonies with millions of dollars in damages at stake. On May 27, closing arguments will be heard and a final verdict is expected soon. Viewers worldwide have been able to follow the court battle, free of charge via the digital broadcast platform "Court TV." Some see it as an amusing feud between Hollywood millionaires, others as an unbearable farce. The "curse of the cameras" is at the heart of the problem, Cologne-based media lawyer Lucas Brost told DW. "The pictures stick — a crying Amber Heard or a smiling Johnny Depp. That evokes particular emotions and also reactions in the population."  From a German perspective, the trial is "a very serious violation of personal rights," Brost said. He is very critical of the fact that such a trial has been subjected to public scrutiny, that PR teams are being used, that there are conflicting interpretations of the process, all resulting in preconceived judgements. "This way, the public forms an opinion that in the end has nothing to do with what the court may decide." A public procedure is intended to guarantee the greatest possible transparency in the United States. "The approach is understandable, but it goes — as this trial shows very clearly — far beyond what it was intended to do. The media presence acts like a fire accelerant." Every facial emotion can be directly commented upon and "sent into the ether", said Brost, referring to the countless people who have shared images from the trial on social media channels. Brost speculated that no one benefits from this public procedure, with Amber Heard's reputation especially being harmed by the live broadcast: "The public pendulum is swinging in favor of Johnny Depp." However, the trial is not a career booster for the Hollywood star either, since sordid details have come to light that will remain in the public's memory. Meanwhile, numerous memes, parodies or video snippets of the trial have been making their rounds on the internet. Influencers are either taking sides or ridiculing the trial, creating the impression that it is merely a form of entertainment.  US sociologist Nicole Bedera, who specializes in sexual violence research, fears that the trial could have far-reaching consequences for survivors of sexual violence.  The damage done by influencers is immense, she told DW. Influencers usually benefit from a "snowball effect" of algorithms. "Once you have a lot of people already on Johnny Depp's side, it looks like he has won the internet before Amber Heard's side of the case has even been presented," Bedera said. People supporting Heard have also faced online backlash. According to Bedera, this has led to many of them feeling that they can no longer speak out — especially survivors of sexual violence who identify with Heard but who are intimidated by such publicly scrutinized campaigns. Furthermore, Bedera is concerned that survivors might be deterred from taking legal action against perpetrators in the future. Or they might even keep quiet about their traumatic experiences altogether. But why do people tend to side with Johnny Depp? Why does the hashtag #IStandWithAmberHeard on TikTok have just 9.3 million views, while #JusticeForJohnnyDepp has gotten around 16.7 billion views (both as of May 27)? According to Bedera, there is a certain public idea of a "perfect victim that really no survivor can live up to." This bias, she says, leads to greater empathy for men accused of sexual violence. "Philosopher Kate Manne calls this phenomenon 'himpathy,' which is the excessive empathy that is given to men at the expense of women specifically in this context." It comes as no surprise, Bedera says, that Depp gets more sympathy than Amber Heard. "With these biases that come into play when such a trial is live, the man involved is almost always favored, especially if he is an abuser. The dispute between Amber Heard and Johnny Depp has been going on for a while now. For an independent assessment, previous court cases, like Depp's libel case against the British tabloid "The Sun," should also be taken into account. But Bedera is certain that the media attention the case is now getting is unique. "It's not typical to see a hashtag used billions of times." At any rate, both sociologist Nicole Bedera and media lawyer Lucas Brost agree that the case will probably not be over with the court hearing. Such proceedings, which involve violence and celebrities, often have a major social impact. "I do think that we'll continue to see this case come up for a very long time," Bedera predicted. "I don't know when it will stop trending on Twitter." This article was originally written in German. 

4Culture

During the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic, Britain's euroskeptic Daily Telegraph ran a front-page headline: "Coronavirus testing: How Germany got it right, while the UK got it wrong." Even faraway and basically COVID-free New Zealand was full of praise. The New Zealand Herald counted Germany and Angela Merkel among the success stories of the pandemic, saying the chancellor was setting a global example with her strategy.  If they'd been taking bets last summer on who might best weather the second and third waves of the pandemic, many would have put the farm on Germany.  Obviously… "Made in Germany," the masters of organization, with their researchers already working on an all-new type of vaccine. Who else?  Be grateful you never placed that bet. For Germany has morphed from model student to pandemic problem child in short order, fighting failure in a number of subjects.  Masks? Too few. Vaccinations? Too sluggish. Tests? Too late. An imaginary school report card might read: credible effort, but rather too much bound by the regulations and not sufficiently creative.  It's not just Germans asking what's happened. Among some abroad, there's an unmistakable note of schadenfreude about this teacher's pet who would never normally forget his homework. A critical commentary in Germany's Bild daily prompted so much interest with the Daily Mail in the UK that they borrowed the phrase "vaccine snails" for their own front page.  With the British government saying a third of the country has received its first doses, the Daily Mail noted how Germany had vaccinated just 2% of the population in a month, "a figure that Israel manages to achieve every single day."  "Germany loses COVID crown as vaccine campaign falters," the Financial Times wrote in early March. "Germany is famed for Vorsprung durch Technik, engineering knowhow and general competence. No wonder then that its COVID-19 vaccination drive is fast becoming a national embarrassment."  To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The Guardian columnist Ed Cumming also evoked Audi's advertising slogan, asking: "Wasn’t all that technik meant to lead to a bit of vorsprung?" Meanwhile, a bilingual Bild headline — "Liebe Briten, WE BENEIDEN YOU!" ("Dear Britons, we envy you!" — prompted The Sun to respond all in German with "Wir beneiden dich nicht [we don't envy you]." The center-left daily El Pais was more bemused than triumphant.  "The repeated mistakes of the German government have eradicated any preconceptions of German competence or superiority," it wrote.  Spain has also been hit hard by the pandemic. With around 71,000 deaths so far it's roughly on par with Germany, but that's in a country with 36 million fewer people. Still, the sense that's increasingly prevalent in Germany — that the government in Berlin enjoyed a big boost in trust and popularity for its circumspect policy at the start of the pandemic but has since lost its way — seems to have reached the Iberian Peninsula.  "Germany is not so special after all. Only the difference between its perception and reality is greater," El Pais wrote. Reporting in France and other European countries has not tended to single out Germany, focusing instead on the EU's perceived failings, especially on the acquisition of vaccines. After all, in no EU member state is the vaccine program running sufficiently well that Germany's slow start warrants singling it out.  The United States is now vaccinating in sports stadiums, at drive-ins, in supermarkets and even in churches; 3 million are being serviced daily and in the state of New Jersey simply being a smoker suffices to qualify you for a shot. There, a sentiment toward Germany is emerging that almost stings more than schadenfreude: pity.  It was Donald Trump, whom many in the US blame for more than half a million COVID-19 deaths, and who Germans often feared more than the virus itself, who dived in rather than dithering when it came to vaccines. The former president ordered millions of doses of the Moderna and BioNTech-Pfizer serums long before their efficacy had been proven.  The times of American media reporting glowingly about the German COVID response are long gone. In the summer of 2020, with Germany largely undisturbed but the US passing one grim milestone after the next, those comparisons abounded.  But the summer of 2021 seems far more likely to be trouble-free in the US rather than Germany. President Joe Biden recently announced his goal of having offered a shot to every US citizen by the end of May. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Any Russian is now eligible for a free dose of the Sputnik V vaccine, regardless of age or profession. Their mass vaccine rollout began in December when the government also proclaimed victory over the pandemic.  The arguments over the EU's vaccination strategy are regularly reported on as an example of the failings of the West in the fight against COVID. Meanwhile, Russia's stocks of a vaccine whose very name is plastered in patriotism — after the world's first artificial satellite, an allusion to Russia's successes in space — have been plentiful for some time. And what of Germany? Many Russians have relatively recently learned the name of the increasingly embattled German Health Minister Jens Spahn. Two weeks ago, when he was quizzed in the Bundestag parliament, this wasn't just broadcast on all channels in Germany: the exchange also got prominent play on the evening news in Russia. Where the coronavirus is concerned, Israel has always been something of a hare to Germany's tortoise. Face masks were made mandatory everywhere quite early, while in Germany for a long time they were only required in certain places. Israel started its second lockdown in September, earlier than Germany. And after a successful BioNTech-Pfizer vaccination campaign, half of the population has already received at least one dose. Germany might reach that stage by July or August.  Israel has also had its "green passport"for people who've been vaccinated or have overcome COVID-19 since February. Holders can gain access to gyms, sports facilities and cultural events.  With Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport reopened, many Israelis in Germany are considering a trip for the Passover festival at the end of May, also as an opportunity to get vaccinated. Most might be waiting until late summer here.  Chinese media tend to use the country's success containing COVID not just as a measure of success compared to Western countries, but as a sort of permanent warning not to let off at home. German is fast becoming an example of how not to do things, with one of the more popular headlines for such items including the word "Warning."  Germans are also hoping that the pace might soon pick up on the vaccine front. Approving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, securing more doses from various producers and enabling vaccinations at general practitioners' clinics could all help boost the tempo. But nobody should now expect Germany to regain the position many bestowed on it earlier in the pandemic, as an example for others to follow.  This article has been translated from German. While you're here: Starting on March 16, DW editors will round up for you what is happening in German politics and society, with an eye toward understanding this year's elections and beyond. Sign up here for the weekly email newsletter Berlin Briefing, to stay on top of developments as Germany enters the post-Merkel era.

8Society

Former US President Donald Trump said on Monday the FBI conducted a surprise "raid" at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. "After working and cooperating with the relevant Government agencies, this unannounced raid on my home was not necessary or appropriate," Trump said in a statement. Trump also said that FBI agents had forced open a safe as part of the search. In recent months, Trump has been giving strong hints over another bid for president in 2024. Meanwhile, the US Justice Department has been investigating allegations that classified records were taken to Mar-a-Lago after his presidency ended early last year. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A federal law called the US Presidential Records Act requires the preservation of memos, letters, notes, emails, faxes and other written communications related to a president's official duties. And Monday's search appeared to concern boxes of documents that Trump brought with him from the White House to his luxury Florida home, The New York Times and later The Associated Press reported, citing unnamed people familiar with the probe. Trump, meanwhile, alleged that the FBI search was "prosecutorial misconduct, the weaponization of the Justice System, and an attack by Radical Left Democrats who desperately don't want me to run for President in 2024, especially based on recent polls, and who will likewise do anything to stop Republicans and Conservatives in the upcoming Midterm Elections." Separately, investigations into the January 6 siege of the US Capitol have been intensifying. The FBI did not respond to requests for information, and it was unclear whether the reported search was connected to either investigation. Monday's events come after the US National Archives and Records Administration notified Congress in February that it had reclaimed around 15 boxes of White House documents from Mar-a-Lago, some of which contained classified materials. jsi/aw (AP, Reuters, AFP)

3Crime

A ship at a Beirut port carrying hazardous materials is getting prepared to set sail for Germany on Friday, months after an explosion in the area devastated the Lebanese capital. German company Combi Lift finished filling 59 containers with dangerous substances from the port, which were then loaded on the vessel to be disposed of in Europe. "The ship is here and so on the weekend we are leaving for Germany," Combi Lift CEO Heiko Felderhoff said during an event celebrating the disposal of the materials. The ceremony was organized by the German Embassy in Lebanon and Ambassador Andreas Kindl.  The Amoenitas ship is still docked in Beirut for now, according to the MarineTraffic tracking site. The August 2020 blast in Beirut, which resulted in 207 deaths and thousands wounded, was caused by 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate stored at the city's port. United Nations Development Programme official Jihan Seoud said the explosion caused an estimated 100,000 to 800,000 tons of toxic waste to be discharged in the area. Lebanon has limited areas for landfilling, with the country having no hazardous waste storage or treatment facilities. The UN and European countries then offered to assist Lebanon, with the Lebanese government eventually hiring Combi Lift to help dispose of dangerous materials from the port.  Lebanese-German Business Council head Elias Assouad said Friday the cleanup initiative had cleared the port of "all toxic, cancerous, flammable and highly reactive materials." Some of the dangerous materials at the port had been stored for decades. The blast itself has stirred controversy in Lebanon, with many Lebanese accusing the government of corruption and negligence. Prime Minister Hassan Diab resigned days after the explosion, as protests erupted across the country.  wd/aw (AFP) 

7Politics

As Ugandans prepare to cast their ballots in what observers consider one of the most competitive elections in Uganda's political history, President Yoweri Museveni confirmed that social media has been switched off ahead of the polls on Thursday, January 14. "The government has closed social media. This is unfortunate but it's unavoidable," Museveni said in a national address on Tuesday.While working on this article, the author was unable to communicate with DW correspondents or rights activists in Uganda via WhatsApp. There were also considerable difficulties calling people in Uganda directly over standard mobile phone networks.  Netblocks, an organization that tracks internet connectivity, reported that most social media networks were down as of Tuesday, including Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Viber. "The internet is very slow. The network is not good at all," Madina, a resident of Uganda's capital, Kampala, told DW. "We can't download anything from Facebook. We can't download anything. So we are in that situation." She said the social media blackout would have a big impact because "for us, we use our phones to see what is going on in Uganda or other countries. ... They [the authorities] don't want us to know or get what will take place on January 14. That is what they are avoiding maybe." The social media shutdown is adding to what is already a tense election atmosphere in urban centers where Museveni has deployed the military, fearing riots that could overwhelm the regime. The military presence is particularly heavy in Kampala, where scores of armored vehicles with mounted guns are patrolling the capital. "It doesn't feel as though the country is going into an election," said Nicholas Opiyo, a renowned Ugandan human rights lawyer. "It feels as though the country is at war." He described the mood in Kampala as apprehensive, telling DW that many people he knew had sent their families out of the country or to the countryside because they were scared. The social media shutdown will make it more difficult though for independent monitors and journalists to report on violence and any other issues that may hinder the elections.  In a letter addressed to the Ugandan government, the Committee to Protect Journalists on Tuesday joined 54 other organizations calling on President Museveni to keep the internet connected during and after Thursday's polls. The letter stresses that any disruption to the internet will impede journalists from effectively reporting and also infringe on citizens' rights to gain essential information at a critical moment. The letter also expressed concern over a request from Museveni's government to Google that asked the tech giant to shut down opposition figures' YouTube channels. Opposition presidential candidate for the National Unity Platform, Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, warned on Twitter that the government had denied many international journalists accreditation to cover the election. President Yoweri Museveni in 2018 complained that young people spend too much time on WhatsApp and other online applications — and were responsible for spreading false information. Later that same year, Uganda's government introduced the "over-the-top" tax — commonly known as the social media tax — for online services such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter. Since then, social media users in Uganda have to pay an additional USh200 ($0.05, €0.04) to access social media platforms. This led to technically savvy Ugandans taking to Virtual Private Networks, or VPNs, to evade payment. For many young Ugandans critical of the government, boycotting the tax has become a way to rebel against the Museveni and his National Resistance Movement party. The added advantage is that those who are already using VPNs are able to easily get around this latest social media blackout.  "Since [Monday], we have been having a problem with the internet, especially those people who are using [the social media tax]. They have found it so challenging but with people who had already downloaded VPN, they are okay," Gerald Sengelo, a Kampala resident, told DW. Uganda is now the the 15th country in Africa to restricted social media access due to elections since 2015, according to the privacy protection company Surfshark. On Monday, Facebook took down several accounts linked to President Museveni's administration.The social media giant alleged that some of the profiles were fake and manipulated public opinion to favor the government while attacking the opposition. The government rejected the accusations and blamed Facebook for "meddling in the country's election." It has since demanded that those deleted accounts be reinstated.  "Uganda is ours. It's not anybody's. There is no way anybody can come and play around with our country to decide who is good, who is bad," President Museveni said in response to Facebook's takedown orders. Rights activist Nicholas Opiyo said he was not surprised by the tech giant's move. "We saw it a long time coming because the Ministry of Information had created a group of people to abuse others online," Opiyo said. "They [Ugandan government] created a system that would manipulate public conscience and public debate. And gladly, Facebook was able to identify and block these accounts." According to the award-winning lawyer, Facebook should have blocked those accounts a long time ago because they distorted the quality of the political debate. "They create an artificial debate online to try and paint a picture that is not the truth. So I'm really happy that Facebook took that step," Opiyo added. Opiyo spent time in jail after facing charges of money laundering and is now out on bail. He described the allegations as a continuation of a pattern targeting civil society leaders. "It left me more emboldened to continue doing what we were doing," Opiyo said. "It might be difficult to do it, but we'll try as much as we can, using all means and resources to continue doing what we do to defend human rights because our work is most needed in times such as this." The Ugandan government has cracked down on opposition politicians and activists, as well as journalists. It accuses the opposition of flouting COVID-19 prevention rules. "When the authorities seek to abuse rights. When they seek to silence people, then we should seek them more. So we will continue doing what we do. And I'm happy to pay the ultimate price." Wambi Michael contributed to this article. This article was updated on 13.01.20 to reflect news developments. 

7Politics

A Spanish fishing boat has sunk off Newfoundland in eastern Canada, Spanish officials said. Canadian rescuers said they had recovered three more bodies on Tuesday after the boat sank off Canada's east coast overnight. This brought the death toll to 10. Rescuers have already saved three crew members, and another 11 people are still missing. Spanish officials had previously reported 7 deaths and 14 missing. A Canadian helicopter was searching the area about 450 kilometers (280 miles) off Newfoundland in the hope of finding the missing crew. The survivors and dead were found in one of four lifeboats, two others were empty, and one was missing. The 50-meter (164-foot) long Spanish fishing boat, called Villa de Pitanxo, operates out of northwest Spain's Galicia region.  The boat is a freezer trawler that was registered in 2004 and is based in Marin, a small port near Pontevedra. Spain's transportation ministry said it had received two distress signals from the Villa de Pitanxo at 5:24 a.m. (0424 GMT) in Madrid time. The boat sank around 600 GMT or 1 a.m. EST, Spain's regional representative Maica Larriba told Spanish public radio. She said the on-board data recorder ceased transmitting at that time. Five hours later, a second Spanish boat in the area spotted two life rafts, one of which was carrying three survivors and numerous bodies. The survivors all had hypothermia. Galician regional government head Alberto Nunez Feijoo said the country's ambassador to Canada said seven bodies had been located. "The sea was very bad," he said. Spain's maritime rescue center in Madrid received the first distress beacon and coordinated with Canadian authorities. An emergency center in nearby Halifax operated by the Canadian air force and coast guard, dispatched a Hercules-type helicopter and a rescue vessel to the area 450 kilometers (280 miles) off Newfoundland. Among the survivors were the boat's skipper, 53, and his nephew, 42, the regional paper La Voz de Galicia reported. The two men had reached their families by phone, the paper said. Spain's maritime rescue said the crew consisted of 16 Spaniards, five Peruvians and three from Ghana. sid,ar,lo/wmr, jsi (AP, AFP)

1Catastrophe

Medical professionals in Myanmar's second-largest city staged a peaceful dawn march on Sunday to show opposition to the military junta's power grab. With public protests growing increasingly dangerous, the protesters gathered early in the morning to curb the risk of fatalities at the hands of security forces. Wearing white coats, about 100 doctors, nurses, medical students and pharmacists lined up on a main road in Mandalay to chant slogans and proclaim their opposition to the February 1 coup. Myanmar has been in turmoil since soldiers ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi in early February. The coup reversed a transition towards democracy that appeared to be underway when Kyi's National League for Democracy party won a 2015 election after five decades of military rule The military's intervention triggered nationwide protests, with demonstrators demanding a return to democracy. In response, security forces have responded with brutal force, using tear gas, rubber bullets and, increasingly, live bullets. While there were no fatalities at the Mandalay march, a man was killed in a separate demonstration in the city of Monwya and several were wounded. The victim was said to have been shot in the head as he was helping assemble barricades for Sunday's protest. Almost all of the people killed since the coup have been shot — in many cases in the head. Myanmar's independent Assistance Association for Political Prisoners has verified 247 deaths nationwide linked to the clampdown. However, the association reports that the true figure is likely far higher. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video On Sunday, Australia's government confirmed that it was providing help to two citizens who were detained while trying to leave Yangon.  The two are understood to be business consultants Matthew O'Kane and Christa Avery, who is a dual Canadian-Australian citizen. The couple run a bespoke consultancy company. They were detained while trying to leave the country on a relief flight on Friday, and are now under house arrest. rc/dj (dpa, APF, AP, Reuters)

7Politics

The debt-to-GDP ratio for 12 sub-Saharan African countries has significantly surpassed the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) recommended threshold of 45% for low-middle income countries, raising alarm bells over the severity of Africa's debt as the continent looks towards post-pandemic economic recovery. South Africa, Guinea Bissau, Eritrea, Ghana, Togo, Sierra Leone, Gabon, Congo, Angola, Mozambique, Kenya and Zambia all have debt totalling more than 70% of their respective gross domestic products (GDPs), according to the most recent data from the IMF and the World Bank. Part of the debt can be linked to an increased appetite for borrowing, with multiple governments insisting the money needs to be put towards improving pandemic response programs and strengthening economic reforms. But not everyone agrees that this is a prudent move. Kenya-based financial expert Aly-Khan Satchu told DW that the "cumulative rate of borrowing [far exceeds] the capacity of these countries to absorb or spend wisely." "We are at a crunch," he said. "COVID is the accelerator of the crunch, but the crunch has arrived." With its total public debt topping almost $27 billion (€24 billion), Zambia became the first pandemic-era African country to make the sovereign default list — the failure of a government to pay back its debt when due — at the end of 2020. According to Zambian development analyst Charity Musamba, "Zambia's debt stock is huge and can sweep the country's entire resources envelope." "This is the situation we are already projecting for 2027 when one of our major loans comes to maturity," she told DW. Zambia's foreign debt is widely spread across various states, banks and multilateral institutions, with at least $6 billion (€5.3 billion) owed to China. The southern African country's debt worries are likely to loom large over its much-desired post-pandemic economic recovery, which is being shouldered by President Hakainde Hichilema after just three months in office. "We are in big trouble," said Musamba. "The debt stock has reached a level where it is classified as a crisis and its consequences are already being felt." The debt burden shock being felt in southern Africa has also flowed up towards East African nations, with Kenya now in urgent talks to try and avoid its own imminent crisis. Kenya's current debt-to-GDP ratio currently stands at 70% — a total of $70.8 billion (€62.57 billion). Back in February, lawmakers raised the country's debt ceiling of $82.30 billion (€72.73 billion) in preparation for upcoming difficult financial years. Satchu insists Kenya's debt issues do not come as a surprise. "We have been in a tunnel, we have seen the light coming towards us," he said. "We knew the train was coming and now the train has arrived." "We are likely to see restructuring of debt and the government resorting to austerity measures," he added. "This means higher taxes, increased cost of living and — in the worst scenario — weakening of currencies." Last week, Kenya's National Treasury uncharacteristically sounded the alarm over the country's rate of borrowing, warning that it could follow in Zambia's footsteps if steps weren't taken. Since coming to power in 2013, President Uhuru Kenyatta has prioritized the construction of infrastructure such as roads and railways, which has involved a significant amount of borrowing. But some are still defending the president's borrowing strategy. Wohoro Ndoho, the former head of debt at the Ministry of Finance, believes it has set the country up for better outside investment in the long term. "The very reason that Kenya has accumulated a huge infrastructural asset base-funded by debt is the primary reason why the country has become a preferred destination for foreign investment," he told DW. However, Satchu stressed that many of the infrastructure projects are not as successful as they are made out to be. "The biggest borrowing was of the construction of the standard-gauge railway line," he said. "It was meant to go as far as Uganda but it has currently stopped at nowhere in some small village without a road. I don't know how you call that investment sensible." However, although the debt crises of several African states are well-documented, debt-related issues are still rarely brought up in public discourse. According to Zambia's Charity Musamba, this has given the elite dominance over the subject. "Issues of debt are very secretive," she said. "Systems that are used by sub-Saharan countries are not transparent, not participatory and lack accountability." But — in Zambia at least — this trend appears to be changing, with an increasing number of Zambians demanding more involvement in their country's debt matters. "I am very much concerned about our debt, because when you have too much debt it affects service delivery," Zambian citizen Loyd Mwakwa told DW. "I feel we should be consulted because it is a democracy and it is us, the tax payers, who are affected." DW also reached out to Kenyans who want to see more candid talks among their leaders on the debt issue.  "We need a team of people who can represent our voices so that we can have some level of participation," said Saalim Onyango. "Without that, we are doomed to a level of indebtedness in our country." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Edited by: Ineke Mules

7Politics

It is a long way from the farms and fields of Sezze in central Italy to the halls of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. But the decisions made at the European assembly this week can directly impact the lives of farmers like Valentina Pallavicino. Her farm southeast of Rome is the kind that is often cited by policymakers and lobbyists when seeking support for changes to Europe's complex, subsidy-heavy agricultural system. Pallavicino, like most Europeans, does not follow every twist and turn of farming reform debated by politicians in Brussels and Strasbourg, but she does discern two central aspects of the agricultural landscape with clarity: cheap food has been a boon for big, industrial farms and many farmers support sustainable farming. "What they ask for we already do," she says when presented with some of the key elements of a new "green" strategy for the future of European farming, known as "Farm to Fork," which aims to slash pesticide and antimicrobial use, set a threshold on food waste, and rely on renewable energy to create a sustainable food system. "We don't use antibiotics, preservatives, or chemicals," she added. Pallavicino says she is also wary of the organized lobby organizations claiming to speak in her name. It seems obvious, she says, that the big players do not like this kind of policy because it will increase costs and "they win if prices are lower." Although they have never met, Polish dairy farmer Alina Lis has reached the same conclusions at her 30-hectare (74-acre) farm in western Poland, where she rears 40 cows. "I believe agriculture in Europe should be sustainable for the sake of nature and food security," Lis says. Lis has seen the margins on her milk fall as she competes with intensive farms that rely on heavy use of chemical fertilizers and antibiotics. The battle over who represents the true voice and interests of farmers like Pallavicino and Lis, and the millions of Europeans they feed, reaches a climax this week as the European Parliament prepares for a vote on a radical new direction for farming in the EU. Any changes the legislative body introduces require approval from EU member states before taking effect. Farmers will receive support from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) budget, the EU's huge farming subsidy program that has paid out more than €50 billion ($58 billion) every year since 2005. Of the funding,  80% goes to 20% of the biggest farms in the EU. Proponents of the Farm to Fork strategy, including green groups, say it will reduce farming's share of planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions while keeping food affordable. An assessment by the Commission's in-house scientists found the strategy could support farmers and cut agriculture-related emissions by 20% across the EU. Yet, it has come under fire from the powerful agribusiness lobby that says the proposal is not scientifically viable, will push up prices for consumers and goes against the interests of EU farmers. Documents reviewed by DW showed these groups want to get rid of specific targets for reducing the use of pesticides and fertilizers, references to health risks associated with intensive farming, requirements to increase transparency by labeling products, and the ability of member states to impose higher taxes on unsustainable products. But the same interest groups have also been accused of abusing science, skewing media coverage and failing the farmers they claim to represent. In a monthslong joint investigation, investigative newsroom Lighthouse Reports, DW, Follow the Money, Mediapart and Domani spoke to nearly 30 farmers, politicians, scientists, lobby groups and experts and scanned confidential communications to reveal lobbying organizations' scope and influence. What emerges is a portrait of wealthy industrial pressure groups — from petrochemical companies and multinational meat-packing giants to pharmaceutical businesses — that have a stubborn hold over EU policy as well as critical differences with the family farmers whose welfare they say they aim to defend. A rift has emerged within the farming community, between those who want to continue expanding an industrial farming model, which experts say is damaging the environment, and others who prefer a smaller-scale, more ecologically friendly form of agriculture. Most independent farmers say they welcome the price increases that would result from focusing on the environmental costs of agriculture and fair trade practices. Many also say the big lobby groups do not speak for them. "I do not feel represented by farmer lobby groups... small farms in Poland are collapsing," said Lis. Marcin Wojcik, who owns a 270-hectare farm in the Low Beskid mountains in Poland, agreed. "For two years, I was vice-president of Narodowy Fundusz Promocji Mięsa Wołowego, but I resigned because I didn't relate to those people and what they do," he says. "It was more of politics. It was unclear where the money was going." Farming lobby groups including Copa-Cogeca, Liaison Centre for the Meat Processing Industry in the European Union (Clitravi), European Livestock Voice, European Dairy Association and CropLife Europe have commissioned studies that attack the Farm to Fork strategy. A study financed by the Grain Club, an alliance of German grain companies, and carried out by the University of Kiel, shows implementing the Farm to Fork plan would cause Europe's agricultural production to decrease, prices to rise and the EU to become more dependent on imports. Copa-Cogeca has used the study to criticize the Farm to Fork strategy without mentioning that the report also shows the income and welfare of farmers, especially livestock farmers, could be significantly improved. The study's author, scientist Christian Henning, pointed this out in an interview with DW: "The green deal is potentially a win-win situation for total society as the benefits more than compensate for losses from reduced conventional farm production." The green deal Henning refers to is a set of proposals adopted by the European Commission on July 14 to ensure the EU's climate, energy, transport and taxation policies reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels. Farm to Fork is "at the heart" of the Green Deal, the Commission has said, adding that farming is responsible for 10% of the EU's greenhouse gas emissions. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Another publication commissioned by CropLife, which lobbies on behalf of pesticide manufacturers and other players in the agri-food industry, and used by Copa-Cogeca, comes from the Netherlands' Wageningen University. It concludes that if Farm to Fork is implemented, prices will rise and meat production will fall by 10% to 15% and crop production by 10% to 20%. Jean-Baptiste Boucher, Copa-Cogeca's communications director, told DW such studies showed "many blind spots" of Farm to Fork and accused NGOs of "a deliberate attempt to trigger a media backlash" for speaking out against the strategy. However, the research did not address "the positive impact of the Farm to Fork strategy on climate change," the proposal's main objective, admitted Johan Bremmer, an author of the Wageningen report. In the span of two days, the Wageningen report was presented at a conference on the media platform Euractiv, which produced sponsored content articles critical of the Farm to Fork initiative, and at a special event organized by pro-meat group European Livestock Voice. CropLife paid for the Euractiv event. A scan of the platform's website showed that of the seven events organized by Euractiv with "Farm to Fork" in the title over the past two years, six were sponsored by the agri-food industry. Chris Powers, communications director of Euractiv, says that while the organization was paid to host the events, Euractiv values impartial, inclusive and constructive debates. The sustained campaign against Farm to Fork has confused small-scale farmers who were already struggling to stay profitable and are unsure whether to welcome all the proposed measures. Dutch dairy farmer Peter Gille says low margins have made it difficult for many farmers like himself to secure their future. He has set up side businesses, including a nursery, a camping site and a restaurant, to supplement his income. Susan Malhieu, a 29-year-old dairy farmer in Ypres, Belgium, said while some of the strategy's policies will work, environmentally friendly farming will cost money. "I am a bit concerned this has not been addressed very well in Farm to Fork," she said. "I am fine with having environmental targets ... but to meet the targets, will the monetary help be delivered?" Italian farmer Emanuele Pullano thinks raising awareness amongst consumers is crucial. "We need to make people understand that they might be spending those extra two euros but buying a product that is healthy for themselves and for the environment. In this way, the price increase can be digested." Celine VanKerschaver, 29, international representative for Grone King, the organization for young farmers in Belgium, said Farm to Fork could help the EU achieve more coherence within the food chain and improve the social and environmental aspects of farming. But politicians should listen to farmers, not just lobbies, she says. "We want more recognition for young farmers because they are the next generation," she says. "There is a lot of talking about farmers but not with farmers."   

7Politics

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Tuesday dismissed Reconstruction Minister Kenya Akiba. He is the fourth minister to leave Kishida's cabinet in three months. Japan's government has been rocked by scandals involving funding and ties with the Unification Church. Akiba will be replaced by former Reconstruction Minister Hiromichi Watanbe, Kishida said. Akiba is facing allegations that he made illegal political payments to his aides, wife and mother. "I believe there is no illegality in terms of my actions," the former minister said. But "it is not my wish to see proceedings for the budget and other legislative agendas stall." "I feel responsible that a minister has resigned," Kishida said. "We must continue to deal with a mountain of tasks at hand. I want to fulfil my responsibility by continuing the work of politics." Parliamentary vice-minister for internal affairs Mio Sugita also stepped down following Akiba's departure. In early December, she apologized for a number of past comments, including calling sexual minorities "unproductive." In October, the minister for economic revitalization resigned over allegations of ties to the Unification Church. The South Korea-based religious group has been in the spotlight since the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in July. The man accused of slaying the former head of government was reportedly motivated by resentment against the church, which has been accused of intimidating members into making large donations. Also in October, Kishida opened an investigation into allegations against the Unification Church. Last month, Kishida's minister for internal affairs resigned over campaign finance irregularities, and his justice minister stepped down after he reportedly said that his "low-profile" job only generated media coverage when approving death sentences. Japan's prime minister said that he had not ruled out reshuffling his cabinet, but that he was "not considering [it] over the New Year Holidays." sdi/ar (AFP, Reuters)

7Politics

Three UN peacekeepers were killed on Monday by a highway bomb in Mali, according to the UN peacekeeping mission MINUSMA. The bomb, which went off in the northeastern Kidal region, also injured four peacekeepers. "This is obviously the latest incident in what is already a very challenging environment for UN peacekeeping," said UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric. "This year already, 12 U.N. peacekeepers were killed in Mali in hostile acts." The UN mission currently has around 12,000 military personnel deployed in Mali. MINUSMA said that improvised explosive devices (IEDs) have killed 74 peacekeepers since 2013, when the mission began. A report by MINUSMA said that IEDs and mines killed 103 people and injured 297 in Mali last year. Mali has been battling an Islamist insurgency in its north since 2012. The conflict has since spread to neighboring countries in the Sahel region. Late last month, Malian interim Prime Minister Abdoulaye Maiga accused Paris of having stabbed Mali "in the back" following the withdrawal of French forces. In July, Bamako expelled a MINUSMA spokesman over the UN's position on a spat between Mali and the Ivory Coast. sdi/wmr (AFP, Reuters)

2Conflicts

There is hardly a better symbol for the balancing act of German foreign policy between economic interests on one side and the values of liberal democracy on the other than Nord Stream 2 — one of Germany's biggest infrastructure projects. Several German politicians called for a halt to building the pipeline, which will transport gas from Russia directly to Germany's Baltic coast, especially in the wake of the poisoning attack on Kremlin opponent Alexi Navalny. The controversial natural gas project is only one of many issues with which Merkel must contend when she travels to Russia and then Ukraine for what will probably be her last political visit. In view of several conflicts and disagreements, experts speak of a current "low point" in German-Russian relations. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Germany is holding its federal election on September 26. Either Olaf Scholz, Armin Laschet or Annalena Baerbock will replace Merkel as chancellor. In the ongoing Bundestag election campaign, there are astonishing overlaps between rival opposition parties when it comes to Nord Stream 2. The FDP foreign policy spokesperson Alexander Graf Lambsdorff sharply criticizes Merkel's government, which he says has "negligently neglected the diplomatic integration of the project with our partners in Europe and America for years." Above all, Merkel's long-held argument that Nord Stream 2 was solely an economic project has caused a lot of foreign policy damage, he argued. The Greens and their chancellor candidate Annalena Baerbock share that view. Their tough stance on the policies of the Kremlin has earned them a lot of support in conservative, middle-class circles in Germany. The chancellor candidate for the Social Democrats (SPD) party, Olaf Scholz, called for a new European Union policy toward the east during a recent interview with DW. He wanted to upgrade the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe), which was co-founded by Helmut Schmidt, a former German Social Democrat chancellor. Scholz wanted to strengthen the EU as a whole, not just individual member states. "We don't want to return to the political world of the 17th, 18th, or 19th centuries when powers like Russia, Germany, France, and England shaped policy among themselves. If we want to ensure joint security in Europe, then it's about the European Union and Russia." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Janis Kluge, an expert on Eastern Europe at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, SWP), views the current relationship between Berlin and Moscow as at an all-time low in post-Soviet history. After Russia's annexation of Crimea, the poisoning of Navalny and support for the regime in Belarus have finally led to a change in awareness among German politicians — the majority now see Russia as a strategic adversary, says Kluge. According to him, there are three big problem areas in German-Russian relations: Firstly: Russia's increasingly repressive domestic policies and the persecution of independent media, non-governmental organizations, and the political opposition. The case of Navalny is only the most prominent example of this. Secondly: The operations of the Russian secret services in the EU. That is not only about direct attacks but on computer hacking attacks on political institutions in Germany. Thirdly: The conflict in Ukraine is the key issue in the German-Russian relationship. "As long as there is no progress in this crisis, it will not be possible to attempt to restore confidence in Russia," says Janis Kluge. Ralf Fücks, the director of the Center for Liberal Modernity (LibMod - Zentrum Liberale Moderne), a Berlin-based think tank which recently had to cease its activities in Russia after being included on a government list of "undesirable organizations," sees the relationship with Russia as "at a very critical point." That's because: "Putin's Russia has become an antagonist to the liberal democracies of the West, both in terms of foreign and security policy," he says. "The systematic undermining of Western democracies, cooperation with right-wing and left-wing populist parties, violations of international law and international norms, whether they be in Syria or Ukraine — Russian is on a collision course with the West. And we struggle to find an answer to this," Fücks continues. The main goal for the next government will be to develop a common EU policy on Russia. For all three German chancellor candidates, Fücks sees the task not as establishing a better relationship with Vladimir Putin, but in a "readjusting of the relationship between conflict and cooperation." The point is to make it clear where the red lines are for the EU and Germany, which we will defend against attacks, he added. Stefan Meister, head of the program for international order and democracy at the German Council on Foreign Relations (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Auswärtige Politik, DGAP) in Berlin also speaks of a "low point" in Germany-Russia relations. However, he also sees a part of the solution in Germany: "We should simply be more realistic about what is possible in Russia, we should also support the forces who want a different Russia and some of them are increasingly going abroad." But regarding the Navalny case, Stefan Meister says: "We should not be driven by populists and social media, but rather clearly assess that this change in Russia is not taking place right now in this form, but it will come in the medium to long-term." He considers Navalny to be a populist whose role in Russian politics is overestimated. In recent years, the Putin regime has cleverly exploited the West's inability to act in order to play a decisive role in key conflicts, says Stefan Meister. Whether in Syria, Libya, or the South Caucasus, there is no getting around Russia, the expert from the DGAP said. He urges more pragmatism and less hysteria: to look for compromises where they are possible. This article was adapted from German. It was first published on August 27, 2021, and later updated. 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

One thing Mali's military government doesn't seem to have to worry about at the moment is losing the general public's widespread support. At a solidarity rally held last week in the capital Bamako, many Malians came out to show their approval. "These soldiers are our hope," demonstrator Mariam Simpara Diakite told the AFP news agency. Another supporter of the military government told APF that the military was providing much-needed security. "Without security, nothing works. No farming, no trade, no livestock," Bakabigny Keita said. "Showing our support [for them] is the least we can do." The military leadership may enjoy the support of many Malians, but it's a different story internationally. The interim government of Colonel Assimi Goita, which secured power in a "coup within a coup" just under a year ago, is charting a course leading it further into global isolation. In particular, a trade embargo imposed by the West African economic bloc ECOWAS in January is driving up prices in the Sahelian country. ECOWAS member states closed air and land borders to Mali as part of the sanction measures, while also cutting off the country from most commercial and financial transactions with West African banks. At the same time, cracks in the military's support for the junta-led transitional government are beginning to show.  On Tuesday, there were reports that Colonel Amadou Keita, previously considered loyal to the junta, had been arrested. Kieta was one of several suspected participants in a failed coup attempt that the military leadership made public on Monday night. Government spokesman Amadou Maiga called the events, yet to be independently confirmed, an "unhealthy attempt to break the momentum of Mali's re-emancipation." Since the May 2021 coup, the rift between the new rulers and the international community has widened. On Sunday, the interim government announced its withdrawal from the G5-Sahel regional security alliance, ostensibly because it had been denied the organization's rotating chairmanship since the beginning of the year. Apart from Mali, the G5 coalition includes Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad. "Until today, G5-Sahel has done everything to deny the Malian president his rights," Fousseynou Ouattara from the ruling National Transitional Council told DW. Ouattara, who is vice president of the Transitional Council's defense committee, added that this was because of the "interference of a third country."  Asked whom he was alluding to, Ouattara blamed France ⁠— Mali's military government has repeatedly distanced itself from its former colonial power. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Europe's response to Mali's withdrawal from the G5-Sahel has been swift. The EU's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, reaffirmed that the bloc would continue with its suspension of the EU training mission in Mali, but would not yet cancel the mission. Sahel expert Fahiraman Rodrigue Kone from the Institute of Security Studies's Bamako office doesn't believe that Mali's decision to withdraw from the G5-Sahel will change much.  "The joint force's options were already limited by the government crises in three of the five member states," said Kone, referring to Mali as well as Burkina Faso and Chad. Burkina Faso and Chad are both led by military governments and similarly to Mali, there are no indications when the two countries may return to civilian rule. Niger's former defense minister, Kalla Moutari, believes that Mali's withdrawal from the G5-Sahel is self-defeating.  Mali had already withdrawn from active cooperation with the group, he pointed out, but by making its withdrawal official, the country is now no longer entitled to diverse financial and technical support from abroad that forms part of G5 collaboration. For Mali, turning away from old allies is a sign of its political reorientation, Sahel expert Rodrigue Kone says.  "Mali has been trying to redefine its alliances for some time, relying on Russia," he said.  According to Olaf Bernau from the German civil society network Fokus Sahel, Mali has benefited from this relationship, with Russia providing military equipment to fight terrorism.  Bernau warns, however, that relying on Russia, which is also experiencing growing international isolation because of its war on Ukraine, is not without risk for Mali's military junta. At the same time, turning traditional allies into enemies, as Mali is doing, is "a proven means of maintaining a mood in favor of the government," he said. Olaf Bernau points out that the Malian population is suffering under the ECOWAS sanctions. "ECOWAS is making a very crucial mistake here," he said. "The population opposes the sanctions and as resentment rises, it drives Mali further into the arms of Russia." Public support for military leaders shouldn't be confused with a general rejection of democratic structures in Mali, Bernau said. On the contrary, he points out, people often still talk of this being a transitional and not a permanent government. At last week's solidarity rally, for example, the protester Amina Toure said: "We are showing ECOWAS that we have chosen these military men for the transition." "The duration of the transition is not our problem at all. All we want is for our country to regain its stability and its dignity," she told AFP.  Reliou Koubakin and Remy Mallet contributed to this article, which was originally written in German.

7Politics

The UK-headquartered energy giant Shell has apologized for buying Russian crude oil at a discount price last week and said it will gradually stop its involvement with hydrocarbons from Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. The move comes amid intense international pressure for companies to sever ties with Russia. "We are acutely aware that our decision last week to purchase a cargo of Russian crude oil to be refined into products like petrol and diesel — despite being made with security of supplies at the forefront of our thinking — was not the right one and we are sorry," said Shell CEO Ben van Beurden. In a statement, the company said it would withdraw from all Russian hydrocarbons, including crude oil, petroleum products, natural gas and liquefied natural gas, ''in a phased manner'' that could take some weeks to complete. It also said it would shut its service stations and aviation fuels and lubricants operations in Russia. Ukraine's foreign minister recently slammed the company for continuing to buy Russian oil and do business with the government of President Vladimir Putin. Energy exports are an essential source of revenue for Russia. As the war in Ukraine reaches its 13th day, calls for oil and gas embargoes are growing to apply pressure to the Kremlin. But Russia supplies around 40% of Europe's gas, and some leaders are wary of quickly cutting off energy imports from Russia. On Monday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said oil and gas sourced from Russia was "essential" to everyday life in Europe. "Europe's supply with energy for heating, for mobility, power supply and for industry cannot at the moment be secured otherwise," he said in a statement. Russia could halt its gas deliveries to Germany in retaliation for Berlin's recent decision to suspend the Nord Stream 2 project, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak warned on Monday. Scholz had halted the approval process of the gas pipeline in response to the invasion of Ukraine last month. Oil prices could also more than double to $300 a barrel if the United States and its allies embargoed Russian crude oil imports, Novak added. On Tuesday, the European Commission is set to issue plans aiming to reduce dependency on Russian hydrocarbon imports.  fh/msh (AFP, dpa, Reuters)

0Business

When the Indonesian government announced plans to make the country's fishing industry sustainable in early 2019, Arifsyah Nasution welcomed the news. The ocean campaign leader for Greenpeace in Southeast Asia has long been sounding the alarm about endangered fish stocks in Indonesian waters. But he is skeptical that the situation will change much by 2025. With over 7 million tons of catch annually, Indonesia is the second-largest fishing nation after China. Most is for domestic consumption, with the 270 million-strong population eating more than three times as much fish and seafood as the global average. This has wide-ranging consequences: Most fish stocks in Indonesia are completely depleted or already overfished. According to the Marine Affairs and Fisheries Ministry, 90% of Indonesian boats draw their catch from areas that are already overfished and overcrowded with boats. Indonesian waters are home to 37% of the world's marine species, many of which are endangered as a result of fishing. Shrimp, for example, are already overfished in more than two-thirds of Indonesian waters, and are therefore becoming increasingly rare. Quotas have already been exhausted in other parts of the country, too. The decline in stocks is alarming. The problem is not easy to solve though, because often the economic aspect, the sales volume, is in the focus. Nasution told DW "it's not about the demand of the world market, but the survival of the Indonesian population."   Subsidies in Indonesia's fisheries sector — such as lower fuel prices and tax deductions — have also contributed to a steady increase in catches over the past decades. Many scientists are therefore critical of them: harmful subsidies can lead to overfishing, loss of biodiversity and destruction of marine areas. This happens, for example, when fishing is undertaken beyond sustainable levels or when subsidies encourage harmful fishing practices. More than 60% of global subsidies in the fishing industry are potentially harmful to the oceans, according to a study by the University of British Columbia in Canada.  The World Trade Organization has been advocating for the abolition of harmful subsidies in the fishing industry since 2001, but has so far not been successful. "Two decades is too long for ending subsidies that finance the relentless overexploitation of our ocean. [...] We need these rules for the sake of the environment, food security and livelihoods worldwide," WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said in a speech marking World Ocean Day in June.  So far, Indonesia is subsidizing fisheries more than other developing countries, spending over $932 million (€825 million) in 2018. Peru, which catches almost as much, spends only a third as much as Indonesia on subsidies for the fishing industry. Indonesia spends more on capacity-enhancing, harmful subsidies (60%) in total US dollar, but, as a percentage of the budget, Peru's spending is much higher. Such capacity-enhancing subsidies entail support for boat construction and renovation as well as bigger projects such as fishing port developments. Although small-scale fishing operations account for almost 95% of the sector, experts say it is mainly the fishing fleets of large-scale industry that benefit from subsidies.  On the other hand, targeted, beneficial subsidies can help maintain biodiversity and protect ecosystems. In Indonesia, about one-third of subsidies have so far been used for this purpose. Some of the funds have gone toward the promotion of marine protected areas, which are intended to protect threatened ecosystems from human exploitation. One successful example is Raja Ampat, in eastern Indonesia, where several marine protected areas were designated in 2004. They now cover 4.6 million hectares (11.3 million acres) and are considered the most biodiverse protected region in the world, home to more than 1,600 species of fish and hundreds of corals. The abundance of fish attracts many tourists — but also some poachers, who have repeatedly caused damage by fishing with dynamite, for example. Worldwide, however, Raja Ampat is considered a success story for the cooperation between NGOs, fishing communities and the Indonesian government. NGOs focused more on research and communication to increase public awareness and inform stakeholders. The government, for example, focused more on establishing structures such as a monitoring force to protect the area. Protected areas can't be established everywhere, and it's not yet possible to completely phase out harmful subsidies. With entire industries depending on these funds, there is a risk of economic collapse without them, said Simon Funge-Smith, senior fishery officer at FAO's Asia-Pacific regional office in Bangkok, adding that the consequences would be far-reaching. "The loss of jobs, the loss of livelihoods is political dynamite." Almost 7 million people are employed in Indonesia's fishing industry. If the government suddenly stopped all harmful subsidies, small-scale fishermen in particular would suffer, according to Indonesia for Global Justice, an NGO that advocates for a fair-trade system.  The government must therefore plan carefully, gradually converting harmful subsidies into beneficial ones while continuing to ensure the industry's economic viability, Funge-Smith said.  That is easier said than done. In recent years, there has been little continuity in Indonesia's Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries. Since 2019 alone, the minister in charge has changed several times. As a result, a ban on particularly harmful trawl nets was temporarily lifted in November 2020 before it was reintroduced in July 2021. Nevertheless, in order to encourage responsible fisheries management, "all stakeholders including the civil society need to continue and to focus on advocating the Indonesia fisheries issues at local, national and international levels," Greenpeace's Nasution said. After all, he said, the ministry's knowledge when it comes to sustainable fishing has increased greatly in recent years. However, leadership problems in the ministry and the government's focus on attractive investments from abroad has hindered these efforts. Foreign investment is primarily focused on profit, which increases the pressure on marine resources.  From 2014, the Indonesian government used radical methods against illegal boats, sinking more than 300 foreign and domestic vessels within four years. The number of foreign fishing boats dropped by a quarter, yet local fishermen were more active, according to a study by the ministry and American and Indonesian researchers from various universities. The authors observed an overall recovery of fish stocks in that time, but noted the risk that this would be wiped out by a strong increase in local fishing. Another crucial problem in combating overfishing is the lack of reliable data to monitor compliance with regulations and to make the necessary decisions to protect the ocean. The mere size of the Indonesian archipelago, with its 17,500 islands and over half a million fishing boats, makes monitoring tricky. And most boats don't have onboard electronic devices to facilitate tracking. Several pilot projects could provide a solution. One of these is FishFace, which automatically records catches and species using connected cameras on board. The technology enables remote monitoring in real time.  Such developments give observers, including Funge-Smith, reasons to be optimistic, even if Indonesia ends up missing its stated goal of sustainable fishing by 2025. "Any progress towards that goal is great," he said.    DW's Arti Ekawati contributed to this piece. Edited by: Anke Rasper, Gianna Grün and Martin Kübler.

6Nature and Environment

This live updates article is now closed. For our latest, from July 12, click here. Despite the ongoing war, Ukraine will kick off a new football season in August.  "The Ukrainian football championship will start on August 23," Sports Minister Vadym Gutsait wrote on Facebook. "We agreed to work out... the procedure for organizing and holding competitions under martial law," he added. Ukrainian football clubs decided in April to end the previous season early after it was suspended following Russia's invasion. Clubs will have to play in empty stadiums without spectators. "During air raids, matches will be stopped, and football players, coaches and the staff must quickly go to a shelter," Gutsait said. The pro-Russian head of a village occupied by Moscow's troops near Kharkiv in Ukraine died after his car was blown up. A Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group had killed Yevgeny Yunakov, chief administrator of Velikyi Burluk, the village's "military-civilian administration" told the Russian Tass news agency. Meanwhile, Andrei Siguta, the Russian-installed district head of Melitopol in Zaporizhzhia, escaped an attempt on his life on Monday.  Attacks against pro-Moscow officials have increased in Kherson and the partially occupied region of Zaporizhzhia in recent weeks. Rinat Akhmetov, Ukraine's richest person, would give up his vast media business because of pending plans to have all oligarchs listed in a state register. He said Media Group Ukraine would hand over the licenses for its television channels and print media and cease online media. "Being the largest private investor in the Ukrainian economy, I have repeatedly stated that I have never been and am not going to be an oligarch," he said. Ukraine last year passed a law to order "oligarchs" to register and stay out of politics. Akhmetov is considered a patron of ousted pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych, but has avoided taking public political stances in recent years. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia in November of trying to use Akhmetov in a coup attempt against him. Akhmetov dismissed the allegations. The death toll has risen to 31, as rescuers search rubble after a Russian missile hit a five-story building in the eastern Ukrainian city of Chasiv Yar. Five people were brought out of the building alive, Donetsk regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko tweeted earlier. Rescue efforts are continuing, and it remains unknown how many people are still missing. Ukrainian presidential adviser Andriy Yermak said the rocket strike was "another terrorist attack" and that Russia should be designated as a state sponsor of terrorism. Moscow denies targeting civilians. Ukraine wants to resume grain exports, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Zelenskyy wrote on Twitter they discussed the importance of unblocking Ukraine's ports in the Black Sea. He also said Russia couldn't be allowed to seize grain in Ukrainian territories under its control.  In an earlier phone call, Erdogan told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin it was time to follow a United Nations proposal to create a corridor for Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte warned the war in Ukraine may last longer than hoped. "This war may last longer than we all hoped or expected. But that does not mean we can sit back and passively watch how it unfolds," Rutte said during a visit to Kyiv. He said the Netherlands would supply Ukraine with more long-range artillery and an aid package for €200 million ($201 million). "We have to stay focused and continue to support Ukraine in every way," he said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the "constructive" talks with Rutte and the decision to supply weapons to Ukraine. Romania is investigating possible "crimes against humanity" in Ukraine. Prosecutors said Russia's invasion resulted in "a large number of deaths among the civilian population, including children, as well as injuries." Romania is exercising its jurisdiction based on the "principle of universality" and criminal law if crimes were committed against anyone holding Romanian citizenship in neighboring Ukraine.  Last month, UN investigators found a high probability that war crimes and crimes against humanity were committed by invading Russian forces. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the phone that it was time to follow a United Nations proposal to create a corridor for Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea, Ankara's state-owned Anadolu news agency reported. The phone call between the two leaders comes at a time of record food prices, as the conflict in Ukraine, the world's largest grain supplier, has fueled concerns about global food security. President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Monday which will fast track Russian citizenship for all Ukrainians, a document published on the government's website showed. Previously, a simplified procedure to be nationalized only applied to residents of the self-proclaimed breakaway territories of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) in eastern Ukraine. The number of Ukrainians entering the European Union has returned to pre-invasion levels, a senior EU official said on Monday morning. "When it comes to the refugee flows, the situation now is stable," the EU's Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson said ahead of a meeting in Prague. "The crossings between the EU and Ukraine, the numbers are pre-war, pre-COVID level, so we are back to like a normal number of people crossing." The Czech Republic has the highest number of Ukrainian refugees per capita, followed by Poland, the Baltic states and Bulgaria. But around half of the 6 million Ukrainian refugees who fled to the EU have already returned home. "I foresee that a lot of Ukrainians in the EU will take a decision before school starts — where to start school, in an EU member state or going back to Ukraine to start school there," Johansson added. In its daily update, the UK defense ministry said: "As of Sunday July 10, Russian artillery bombardments continued in the Donbas, but probably without any major territorial advances." Russia opened fire with artillery, multiple rocket launchers and tanks in and around Kharkiv as Moscow kept up its onslaught on eastern cities, Ukraine's general staff said on Monday. An apartment building in Ukraine's second-largest city was struck by a missile overnight. Later on Monday, the regional governor said that three people had been killed in Kharkiv while dozens more were wounded from the Russian shelling. Meanwhile, the death toll from a Russian rocket attack that hit an apartment block in the town of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk region over the weekend has risen to 18 as rescuers continue to search for survivors, the emergency services said. Rescuers were in voice contact with two people trapped in the ruins of the five-story building in that was struck late on Saturday, the service said. "As of 08:45 on July 11, ... 18 people were killed, 6 people were rescued from the rubble," it said. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said the rocket strike was "another terrorist attack" and that Russia should be designated as a state sponsor of terrorism. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The Italian oil and gas company Eni said that the Russian state-owned gas provider Gazprom has announced that, from Monday, it will be delivering only 21 million cubic meters of gas per day, down from the average of 32 million cubic meters. This reduction, which amounts to a third of average daily supplies, comes as the Nord Stream 1 pipeline in the Baltic Sea between Russia and Germany is turned off for maintenance work. There are widespread fears that Russia is using its gas supplies to pressure European countries to lift sanctions imposed against Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine. And Austria's OMV said Monday that Gazprom was further reducing its gas supply. "OMV has been informed by Gazprom about a reduction in the gas supply. This means for today a reduction of about 70% of the amount that arrives at the Baumgarten natural gas hub" near the Slovak border, the group said in a statement, and reported on by news agency AFP. Europe has been cut off from Russian gas after the Nord Stream 1 pipeline was turned off for planned repairs. The shutdown is expected to last 10 days, but other repairs have missed deadlines in the past. Germany's Economy Minister Robert Habeck has warned that Russia could continue to suspend gas flows beyond the planned maintenance period in order to destabilize Europe. "We are confronted by an unprecedented situation — anything is possible," he told public radio over the weekend. Several European countries remain dependent on Russian gas exports. After Russia invaded Ukraine this year, Germany reduced the proportion of gas it imports from Russia from 55% to around 35%. Ukraine's deputy prime minister urged civilians in the Russian-occupied southern region of Kherson to urgently evacuate as Ukraine's armed forces were preparing a counterattack there. Ukraine lost control of most of the Black Sea region of Kherson, including its eponymous capital, in the first weeks after Russia's February 24 invasion. Ukrainian emergency services said that the number of people killed in a Russian strike on a five-story apartment building had risen to 15. The incident took place in the town of Chasiv Yar, in the Donetsk region, not far from the front line. Ukraine's energy and foreign ministries said they were "deeply disappointed" by Canada's decision to return a repaired Siemens turbine used for the Nord Stream 1 natural gas pipeline to Germany. Canada announced it will grant a sanctions waiver for the return of repaired Russian turbines needed for the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to pump more gas from Russia to Germany. The UK's Ministry of Defense said in its intelligence update that Russian shells fired from Izium continue to focus along the axis of the E40 main road. "Control of the E40, which links Donetsk to Kharkiv, is likely to be an important objective for Russia as it attempts to advance through Donetsk Oblast," the ministry said. Click here for more details on Sunday's events in Russia's war against Ukraine. lo,ar/rc (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)

7Politics

An Iranian couple, Astiyazh Haghighi and her fiancé, Amir Mohammad Ahmadi, both in their early 20s, received prison sentences of more than 10 years on Tuesday after appearing in a video where they danced in front of an iconic Tehran landmark, activists said. The young couple was arrested in November after footage of their romantic tango at the Azadi Tower went viral, with Ahmadi at one point elevating his partner in the air. In defiance of the Islamic Republic's strict dress code and in the wake of monthslong anti-hijab protests, Haghighi went without a headscarf. Women are additionally precluded from public dancing and singing in Iran, especially in the company of a man. The couple was already popular on social networking sites in Iran at the time of the incident, and the video had been heralded as symbolic of the country's protest movement against the hijab and wider rights. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The pair was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison. They also face a ban on using the internet and leaving the country, the US-based rights group the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported. HRANA cited people who knew the families of the couple in reporting that the trials had gone forward without the pair having a right to legal representation. Efforts to secure a release on bail were also frustrated by the so-called revolutionary court. Haghighi is now in Qarchak prison, a notorious women's prison outside Tehran. Conditions at Qarchak are routinely condemned by activists. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A strict crackdown has come in the aftermath of months of protests following the death of a young woman, Jina Mahsa Amini, who was arrested for violating the country's Islamic dress code for women. The protests turned into a larger movement against oppression and the government in Tehran. The UN reports that at least 14,000 individuals have been arrested in the crackdown. Celebrities, journalists, and lawyers have all been swept up and detained. The iconic Azadi Tower, which means "freedom," opened under the country's last shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, in the early 1970s. He was ousted in 1979 during the Islamic Revolution. ar/nm (AFP, dpa)

8Society

Over the past four weeks, Gladbach's sporting director Max Eberl has been holed up in the mountains of southern Germany, taking a breather in the crisp Bavarian air. He's watched from afar as Gladbach have risen up the table to fifth with four wins out of five and returns this weekend with possibly the biggest assignment of his career - keeping hold of Marco Rose. While Eberl has been the mastermind behind Gladbach's gradual resurgence across the past 12 years, Rose has provided the practical brains since 2019, turning Eberl's hard work into on-pitch results. Borussia Dortmund are now reportedly trying to lure Rose to new pastures, but Gladbach's seedlings have the potential to bloom in the next years. It's a decision Rose won't take lightly and one which may be swayed by both club's fortunes this season. New year, new Gladbach After leading Gladbach back into the Champions League last season, Rose has inevitably found it challenging to juggle the added burden of European nights. Heading into the shortened winter break, Gladbach had won just one Bundesliga match (against bottom feeders Schalke) in seven. In five of those matches, they lost points from a winning position. Since the new year, however, Gladbach are the Bundesliga's form team after four wins in five including defeats of Bayern Munich and Dortmund. They're also due to face Manchester City in the Champions League round of 16 after navigating a tricky group containing Real Madrid, Inter Milan, and Shakhtar Donetsk. Rose has developed an impressive mix of styles at the club, with his players comfortable either in possession or launching quick transitions in attack, all while blending controlled pressing and deep defending, depending on the opposition. When they click on the pitch, Gladbach can flow from dynamic and aggressive football to remaining pragmatic and controlled, all within the scope of 90 minutes. Aided by Eberl's impressive work in building a talented and balanced squad, Rose is revelling under a harmonious relationship with his sporting director. It's a luxury that wouldn't be assured in Dortmund, where the higher-ups are still pining incessantly, and unrealistically, for Jürgen Klopp 2.0. Title tussle on the cards The looming shadow of Klopp in Dortmund is one factor which may persuade Rose to stay put, while Dortmund's faltering form is another. He has a genuine chance of replicating his colleague and friend's exploits at the other Borussia. While Gladbach's sluggish patch of form late last year has them trailing Bayern Munich by 11 points, the ingredients are there for future title challenges. Rose certainly hasn't given up hope of Bayern faltering this season, despite the Bavarians extending their lead at the top from 2 points to 7 points in the space of just 9 days. "We feel that Bayern can be tripped this season," Rose said. "And of course the teams behind them can start a run. We should all try to keep the title race open as long as possible.” The gap is probably too large for Gladbach, with Rose admitting that "the job for us is staying in touch” in the race for Champions League qualification, a non-negotiable for Gladbach's progression plan. But the fact Gladbach have beaten four of the top five clubs, bodes well for Rose and Eberl's project. Up next on Saturday is another tough task against Union Berlin, where a win could see them crack the top four for the first time this season. Gladbach haven't won a title since their heyday in the 1970s and are without a trophy since a German Cup win in 1995. Eberl knows that holding onto Rose and players such as Denis Zakaria, Florian Neuhaus, and Marcus Thuram is the club's best chance of seeing the glory days return. Sliding doors moment Eberl at least is going nowhere. He negotiated his month-long sabbatical when signing a new contract until 2026. And even if he does lose Rose and one or two players, it's likely he already has a plan in place. He's reportedly already sounded out former Bayern man Erik ten Hag, who's impressed at Ajax, while his recruiting history after losing top stars has been almost flawless. But dreams of returning to the top of the Bundesliga as quickly as possible clearly hinge on Rose staying and extending his contract. Eberl has a big job on his hands convincing the 44-year-old. At the same time, Rose may realise his best chance of success also lies in Gladbach rather than Dortmund. Where both clubs finish at the end of this season could be a defining factor.

9Sports

Last year, researchers uncovered that Werner Haftmann (1912-1999), one of post-war Germany's most important art historians and co-founder of the Documenta art show, was not only a member of the Nazi Party, but also of the SA, the Nazi Party's original paramilitary wing. It has now been found that he also actively fought partisans in northern Italy from 1944, according to Carlo Gentile, a historian who was commissioned by the German Historical Museum (DHM) to do in-depth research on the issue. Haftmann participated in activities where "civilians were shot and suspects were tortured," Gentile said. The findings glaringly clash with the program Documentasubmitted for its very first edition in 1955. It wanted nothing less than a "zero hour" in art: a radical dissociation from Nazism and the rehabilitation of the modern artists whose works of art had been confiscated, defamed as "degenerate art" and destroyed by the Nazis. The DHM exhibition shows that covering up the Nazi past of the Documenta founder also shaped the curatorial program. Curator and art historian Julia Voss proved that Haftmann not only excluded artworks that addressed the violence and murders in the Third Reich, but also artists who were victims of the Nazis. "People who were murdered — Jewish artists but also political artists — do not appear at the Documenta," said Voss. Werner Haftmann claimed in his art history essays that there was not a single Jew among the German modern painters of the 20th century. But he knew very well that was not true, according to Voss. For example, he must have been personally acquainted with the Expressionist Rudolf Levy from his stay in Florence, where the two men worked not far from one another. Emy Roeder, another artist in exile in Florence, was labeled "degenerate" by the Nazis. She reported about Levy's deportation in 1943; her letters, which she kept writing after 1945, are in sharp contrast to Haftmann's appraisal, who did what he could to prevent the violent crimes from being mentioned.  The documents reveal how, despite knowing about the crimes, art experts of the time concealed them.  Levy's name was on a list of proposed artists for the Documenta, but was then eliminated. Jewish artists who were murdered in the Holocaust did not appear in the Documenta shows 1-3 from 1955 to 1964, which were directed by Haftmann along with Arnold Bode. The DHM is now showing Levy's works. They come across as a testimonial to the suppression, concealment and cover-ups of Nazi crimes, and how many Nazi criminals remained in lead positions — in the art world, too. After his work for the Documenta, Werner Haftmann directed the New National Gallery in Berlin for many years and published works about 20th-century art. He never addressed his difficult past. Nearly half of all people responsible for organizing the first Documenta were once members of the Nazi Party, or the paramilitary organizations SA or SS, according to Voss. That percentage was not unusual for various organizations in the young Federal Republic, but was nevertheless a rather high figure compared to other sectors, said Dorothee Wierling, one of the DHM curators.  The DHM exhibition contextualizes works of art with historical works, but also leaves space for the impact of art. On display are 390 Documenta exhibits by Max Beckmann, Willi Baumeister, Joseph Beuys, Hans Haacke, Seraphine Louis, Wolfgang Mattheuer, Emy Roeder, Andy Warhol and Fritz Winter. Apart from pointing out ties to the Nazis, the exhibition also sheds light on other gaps in Documenta programs, including the fact that Communist artists were just as absent as Jewish artists.  As a general rule, the early Documenta shows looked towards to Western modernism and excluded many other artistic directions. And as the Danish curator Lars Bang Larsen points out, it was a patriarchal affair for a long time. Above all, the steady questioning of the artistic canon that the exhibition triggers is productive, argued Julia Voss. The realization that this canon had and has systematic gaps makes it possible to rediscover what has been lost, including Rudolf Levy. "This process will continue," she added. The DHM show offers added value to the contemporary art business, a call for more accuracy and independence. Julia Voss for one is optimistic about the consequences. The great Documenta promise is one of freedom and independence, said Voss, adding that the weak points have become much clearer. "I'm probably more critical than ever, but that makes it that much more exciting to see what the response will be at the next Documenta," which is curated by Ruangrupa, a collective of artists from Jakarta. The DHM exhibition is on show from June 18, 2021 to January 9, 2022 at the PEI Building of the German Historical Museum in Berlin. Documenta 15 will be held next year from June 18 to September 25, 2022. This article has been translated from German

4Culture

In late April 2022, a Syrian defector leaked a video of the Tadamon massacre. Hundreds of Syrian families watched the clip, hoping to learn what had happened to their missing sons. The Siyam family watched it, too. Their son, Waseem Siyam, left his home in Damascus in the early morning of April 14, 2013. He had been ordered by the government to deliver flour to a state-run bakery in the city's southern Tadamon neighborhood. The 34-year-old never returned from what should have been a routine task. For many years, the Siyams, who now live in Germany, believed Waseem had been arrested at a checkpoint and taken to a government jail. Yet the leaked video finally revealed to them the grisly details of his disappearance. The clip shows a blindfolded man in a white t-shirt and jeans being led through an empty alley to a pit filled with corpses. "My father was the first to recognize him [in the video]," says Tasnim Siyam, Waseem's sister, adding that her father recognized his son by his gait. "He looked so different, they had beaten him already, maybe it was also the fear." They made Waseem jump into the pit and shot him dead. "It is surreal, how can I process the fact the man being killed in the video is my brother," asks Tasnim Siyam. The leaked video was recorded on April 16, 2013, just days after Waseem's disappearance. It shows two uniformed men methodically kill 41 people. Each time, one of the two gets a blindfolded person from a white delivery van, leads the person to a large pit that already contains several corpses and car tires. They are pushed in and shot dead. Then, the bodies are doused in fuel and set alight. The Syrian war has now been raging for 11 years, during which countless atrocities have been committed by all parties involved in the fighting. The Tadamon massacre video, recorded in what was then government-controlled Damascus, however, stands out for the planned nature of the callous brutality it shows. It is clear from the video that the two executioners are enjoying their "work." They murder civilians in broad daylight in a calm, routine manner. They play a twisted game with their victims, falsely telling them the alley they are passing through is being targeted by snipers, so the blindfolded victims run along and fall into the pit. Before they know what has happened, they are shot. The murderers, feeling untouchable, documented their crimes by filming high-definition footage. Sometimes they wave at the camera and crack jokes. Why did they record their crimes? Did they want to produce "war trophies"? Or show their superiors they were doing as they were ordered? Whatever the reason, it's highly unlikely they thought the video would be seen by the public. Ugur Umit Ungor, a professor of Holocaust and genocide studies at the University of Amsterdam, was among the first to receive a copy of the clip in 2019. Working with his colleague Annsar Shahhoud, the two were able to identify the two killers in the video: Najib al-Halabi, who is now dead, was part of a militia loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad; the other man, seen wearing a fishing hat, is Amjad Youssef. He is an officer in Assad's secret service. "The last two years were hellish for us," Ungor tells DW. "Imagine you know of a horrible massacre, need to watch this video again and again, but cannot tell anyone else about it." Analyzing the video to identify the murderers was nothing like ordinary academic research. They set out to do what so far few have managed to achieve: Produce definitive proof that the Syrian state is directly responsible for some of the worst atrocities committed in the war. Ungor and his Syrian colleague Shahhoud used unconventional research methods. Shahhoud adopted a fake online identity to dupe the Syrian regime and find out more about the men behind the massacre. Shahhoud pretended to be a young Alawite woman from Homs by the name of "Anna Sh" who supported Alawite President Assad. The Guardian newspaper first covered how, over the course of two years, Shahhoud succeeded in talking to hundreds of Assad staffers and winning their trust. One day, she stumbled across Amjad's online profile. Shahhoud, as Anna, befriended the man. Occasionally, they would chat on the phone, with Ungor secretly listening. Amjad Youssef told her he felt lonely and stressed. Shahhoud's assumed character lent him her ear. After several months, he confided in her: "I killed many people." The two academics had finally achieved their goal. The two passed the recorded conversations to Dutch and German prosecutors, and described their findings in New Lines magazine. "We could not lean back and say: We are academics, we do research, let this revelation blow up on social media and not get involved," says Ungor. "We had to take responsibility." The leaked six-minute video presents solid evidence of crimes as they were committed by identifiable perpetrators and victims. It also shows the killings were a pre-mediated massacre. A mass grave had been prepared, both killers acted in a routine fashion and attempted to conceal their victims' identities. The video suggests the killings followed a systematic pattern, said Alexander Schwarz, an expert on international criminal law with Amnesty International. "A systematic attack on civilians, as seen in this video, is one criterion for a crime against humanity." Still, it is unclear whether these revelations will lead to a trial. A life sentence handed down to Syrian officer Anwar Raslan in January by a German court in Koblenz, however, shows the surviving executioner in the video could be prosecuted. Additionally, the video is of great political significance, according to Fritz Streiff, who provides legal counsel to Mnemonic, an organization documenting human rights abuses. He argued that its shocking nature shows that nations should not normalize ties with the Assad regime. "This is not just about Amjad Youssef," says Ungor. "This is also about the system that creates people like him." Schwarz and Streiff work with people whose relatives have vanished in Syria. Shedding light on the disappearance of loved ones, as the Anwar Raslan case did, can bring closure to some families. Tasnim, the sister of murdered Waseem, is not so hopeful. "I know you need to stay positive in life, but we have lost all hope," she says. "We're alive only because we want to be. "I want people to understand why some of us need months, or years, to settle down [in Germany]," she says. "Some never settle down, because they endured things in Syria that were so horrific no normal person could ever imagine them." This article was originally written in German.

2Conflicts

After the Taliban took Kabul and desperate Afghans flooded the airport trying to escape the country, outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed her dismay: "The developments are bitter, dramatic and terrible," she said at a press conference on August 16. "It seems right now like it was all in vain."   For Germany, whose military has spent nearly 20 years in Afghanistan, the human and financial cost has been significant. The Bundeswehr, Germany’s army, entered Afghanistan to support the US after the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001 — in what would become its largest and longest military deployment abroad. Along the way, Germany committed to the nation-building project. Now those hopes have been dashed.  The chancellor candidate for Merkel's Christian Democrats, Armin Laschet, spoke of a major blow to the trans-Atlantic relationship and dismay at US President Joe Biden's actions: "I was disappointed by his announcement on April 14 that he would implement Donald Trump's Afghanistan withdrawal order one-to-one without fully involving the allies in this momentous decision," Laschet told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper in mid-August.  "It is a big loss of confidence. In particular in America's competency as a military power," says political analyst Stephan Bierling of Regensburg University. "After four catastrophic years under Trump, we had a very positive view of Joe Biden. Now that mood is changing."  After World War II the US played the lead role in establishing West Germany as a liberal democracy, setting up democratic institutions and a free press. The US then provided the security throughout the Cold War that ensured West Germany continued to exist alongside communist East Germany. "The US defeated Germany in World War II and then as an occupying power was part of restructuring German society," explains Ruth Hatlapa, a historian specializing in how Germany views the US. There was pro-Americanism in West German society that supported deeper connections, she says, but also resentment — particularly concerning West Germany's security dependence on the US, creating a "contradictory relationship," according to Hatlapa. The relationship has seen its low points. The Vietnam War was such a case. 12,000 anti-war protesters took to the streets of West Berlin in 1968. One of them was the author Friedrich Christian Delius. "This disappointment that the Americans, whom we admired, were going into a war that was, so to speak, completely contrary to their own principles, that stirred us up and upset us, just as it upset hundreds of thousands of American students at the time," he told public broadcaster Deutschlandfunk, looking back 50 years after the events unfolded.  Germany had rejected US calls to participate militarily in Vietnam. Instead, it embarked on a humanitarian relief mission, sending a hospital ship to the war zone in 1966, coordinated by and equipped with personnel from the German Red Cross (DRK).  Another blow to the US image in Germany came in 2003. Although the US, under President George W. Bush, urged the German government to participate in the war against Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq, then-foreign minister Joschka Fischer from the Green Party stood by his legendary phrase: "I am not convinced."  Doubts that the invasion of Iraq was justified were based on the findings of Germany's foreign intelligence service. "According to our information at the time, the reasons Colin Powell had given before the United Nations Security Council were not substantiated, contrary to his account, and proved to be false," August Hanning, then president of the Federal Intelligence Service (BND), told Die Welt newspaper.  "The mistakes made by the US are still having an effect today: the conflict between Sunnis and Shiites, the rise of the terrorist organizations al-Qaida and IS, the political instability," terrorism and security analyst Rolf Tophoven of the Institute for Crisis Prevention Iftus told German broadcaster ntv, looking back after 15 years. "We would also not have the refugee problem if there were peace in the region. Then people wouldn't have to flee to Europe."  However, the current situation is unprecedented. "The main difference is obvious: In Afghanistan we have had soldiers as long as America has had soldiers there," says historian Klaus Schwabe, a professor at RWTH Aachen University. "Afghanistan is a reality check for those who had big plans for a revived trans-Atlantic relationship," says Bastian Giegerich of the International Institute for Strategic Studies.   "Germany's direct involvement has made recent events much more painful. It mixes a sense of failure, disappointment and humiliation," he says. "The fall of Kabul shows crystal clear that Germany and other European powers don't have the means to pursue an independent strategy."   In the wake of events in Afghanistan, calls for greater German and European military independence are getting louder. "The EU must be able to act without its American partner. We must be able to secure an airport like the one in Kabul on our own," said Laschet in his interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.   When the Biden administration entered office, it called on Germany and other European partners to take tougher lines on China and Russia, hoping to mobilize the EU into taking a stronger stance on protecting liberal democracies.    Recent events in Afghanistan may have been counterproductive, says political analyst Giegerich. "Afghanistan was a mission that from a German and European point of view was undertaken out of solidarity with the US. Many here will feel, 'we did this for the US and look how it ended.'" 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

Police have arrested two people after a major fire broke out on Friday evening in a four-story commercial building in New Delhi, leaving at least 27 people dead and several injured.  Local media quoted police saying 60 to 70 people were rescued from the building, which is located in the Mundka neighborhood in the west of the Indian capital.  More than 40 people had sustained burns and were hospitalized, according to the broadcaster NDTV. At least 20 fire engines managed to douse the fire after several hours.  A search operation was under way for anyone trapped in the rubble, fire department officials said. The blaze started from the first floor of the building, which houses the office of a security camera and router manufacturing company, police official Sameer Sharma told NDTV. Two owners of the company were arrested on Saturday. Details of what caused of the fire were not immediately available.  Atul Garg, director of Delhi Fire Services, said the building had no clearance from the fire department and it was not equipped with fire safety equipment like extinguishers, the Associated Press reported.  India's President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered their condolences to loved ones of the fire victims via Twitter. Fires are common in India, where building laws and safety norms can often be overlooked by builders and residents.   In 2019, a fire caused by an electrical short circuit engulfed a building in New Delhi and killed 43 people. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video dh/wmr (AP, AFP)

1Catastrophe

Hundreds of protesters rallied in two cities in western Germany on Tuesday, after a man died during a police operation. The cause of the 47-year-old's death on Monday is not yet known, and people took to the streets of Mannheim and nearby Heidelberg demanding answers. The public prosecutor's office has launched an investigation into two police officers for bodily harm resulting in death while on duty. According to a statement from authorities, police stopped the man in central Mannheim after being informed that a patient from the city's mental health institute had left the facility and needed help.  The Baden-Württemberg state office of criminal investigation (LKA) and the Mannheim public prosecutor's office said the man refused to cooperate with officers before they overpowered him. The LKA said officers deployed the use of force, but did not give further details. The man subsequently collapsed before being resuscitated. Later, however, he died in hospital. In videos shared online, one officer appeared to hit the man in the head during the confrontation. An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday and the results are expected by the end of the week. jsi/nm (AFP, dpa)

3Crime

A Dutch Defense Ministry statement on Monday said a special forces commando had died of his injuries after he and two colleagues were gunned down outside a hotel in the US. Local media said the shooting in Indiana appeared to have followed an earlier altercation and was not random. The three men, who were in the US for training, were off duty when the incident happened in the early hours of Saturday, the Defense Ministry statement said. "The Dutch commando who was in a critical condition in a hospital in the American city of Indianapolis died of his injuries last night," it said. "His family and colleagues were at his side." The ministry said the two other soldiers were both conscious and able to speak. All three soldiers came from the Dutch commando corps. The Dutch military police said it had sent three detectives to gather information although — having no jurisdiction — they would not be launching their own investigation. Authorities said the soldiers were wounded on Saturday in downtown Indianapolis after what local police believe was a disturbance outside their hotel. Police made no arrests in the immediate aftermath. According to the Indiana National Guard, the soldiers had been training at the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, a 1,000-acre (405-hectare) complex some 40 miles (65 kilometers) southeast of Indianapolis. Personnel from the Department of Defense train at the center "as well as other allies," the National Guard said. rc/nm (dpa, AP, AFP)

3Crime

A fire at an apartment building in the New York City borough of the Bronx has left at least 17 people dead, Mayor Eric Adams said.  The death toll was initially reported at 19, but the mayor revised the death toll on Monday. The city's fire officials said the blaze on Sunday, which was started by an electric heater, is one of the worst blazes in recent memory. At least 17 people have died, said Mayor Adams, adding that eight of the victims were children. The fire started from a space heater in an apartment that spanned both the second and third floors, and only made it as far as the hallway, officials said. But smoke still spread to every floor, probably because the door to the apartment where the blaze began was open, the city's fire department commissioner, Daniel Nigro, told reporters at a news conference. "This is going to be one of the worst fires in our history," Adams said in an interview with CNN. Emergency crews said around 60 people were injured in total, while more than a dozen are in hospital and in a critical condition. The fire broke out at a 19-story building in the Bronx around 11 a.m. (1600 GMT), with the blaze quickly spreading throughout. Around 200 firefighters responded to the scene at East 181st Street , the city's fire department said, where they discovered victims on every floor of the building. "Members found victims on every floor in stairwells and were taking them out in cardiac and respiratory arrest," fire department commissioner Nigro said at a press conference earlier on Sunday. Many of the victims were suffering from smoke inhalation. Fire Commissioner Nigro said that the blaze was caused by a malfunctioning electric space heater. The fire quickly spread through the duplex unit that the heater was in — climbing up the second and third floors. The door to the apartment where the fire began was left open — causing a thick cloud of smoke to spread throughout the apartment building. He added that there were smoke alarms located throughout the building. Some of the residents who were trapped in their apartments broke open their windows in an effort to get air. Other stuffed wet towels under their doors to block the smoke. Nigro said earlier that the smoke was so dense that it was "unprecedented." New York City Mayor Adams, who has officially been in the job for a little over a week, paid tribute to the victims. "It's a tragedy beyond measure," Adams said in a message posted on Twitter. "Join me in praying for those we lost," he added, remembering especially the children whose "innocent young lives ... were cut short." Update, January 10, 2022: New York Mayor Eric Adams released an updated death toll, saying the total death toll was 17, and not 19 as reported on Sunday. This story has been updated to reflect this change. jsi, rs/wd (Reuters, AP, AFP, dpa)   

1Catastrophe

Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to attend a ceremony celebrating Hong Kong's handover to China 25 years ago, state media reported on Saturday. The city was handed over to China on July 1, 1997, after 156 years of British colonial rule. He will also attend the inauguration of the next Hong Kong administration of Chief Executive John Lee. The Beijing-anointed leader and his ministers will be sworn in on July 1. Xi's last visit to the former British colony was in 2017 to swear in outgoing city leader Carrie Lam. The Chinese president has avoided travel outside of mainland China since he visited Myanmar in January 2020, shortly before acknowledging the severity of COVID-19 and imposing strict lockdowns. It was not confirmed whether he would travel to Hong Kong for the event or attend it virtually, but if he did, it would be his first trip outside of mainland China in more than two years.  The Hong Kong handover anniversary is one of the highest-profile political events. Analysts say Xi's attendance is likely intended to showcase Beijing's control over the city after crushing a democracy movement.  The anniversary celebrations follow turbulent months during which the global financial hub was roiled by mass pro-democracy protests. Political tensions have also risen as people struggle with soaring living costs in one of the most densely populated places in the world. In a stringent crackdown to crush the sometimes-violent protests, activists were arrested and sentenced to prison, and Hong Kong's most prominent pro-democracy newspaper was shut down. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The city also sentenced Hong Kong's 90-year-old former Roman Catholic bishop, Joseph Zen, to prison time.  These actions were aided by a sweeping security law that criminalized dissent. The crackdown has added to the tension between Beijing and the United States, Europe, Japan and other Asian governments. Earlier, coronavirus outbreaks in both mainland China and Hong Kong had prompted doubts over whether Xi would risk traveling to the city, with Beijing committed to its zero-COVID strategy. Hong Kong has its own version of the zero-COVID strategy, which has kept the international business hub isolated for much of the pandemic. Outgoing city leader Carrie Lam said the currrent situation was "not an alarm bell." Hospitalizations have remained low even though daily case numbers have climbed to nearly 2,000. ss/fb (AP, AFP, Reuters)

7Politics

An Italian court on Thursday acquitted former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi of  bribing a witness in a 2013 underage prostitution case. Berlusconi was accused of having paid Italian singer Mariano Apicella €157,000 ($162,680) to make false statements in a previous trial where Berlusconi was accused of having paid money to have sex with a 17-year-old girl. "I am satisfied," Berlusconi told reporters after the verdict was delivered in a court in Rome on Thursday. Berlusconi, the founder and leader of the conservative Forza Italia party pleaded not guilty in the subsequent bribery trial. The judges also acquitted Apicella of receiving bribes and cleared him of alleged perjury because the time limit for reaching a verdict for the crime had passed. Apicella was a regular at Berlusconi's infamous "Bunga Bunga" sex parties at his villa near Milan. Berlusconi was charged in 2013 for having sex with an underage prostitute at one of his sex parties, but the charge was overturned the next year. Berlusconi still faces another trial in Milan, where he is accused of bribing 24 witnesses that attended his sex parties, which he called "elegant dinners." For the case in Milan, prosecutors have requested Berlusconi be sentenced to jail for six years. Berlusconi has denied the charge and a verdict is not expected before January 2023. Last year, a court in Siena acquitted Berlusconi of bribing another witness to his parties. Prosecutors have appealed the ruling, but no trial date has been set. Berlusconi was re-elected to Italy's upper house with more than 50% of the votes in September in the northern city of Monza, where he also owns a soccer team. That marked a significant comeback for him as he was expelled from the Senate in 2013 because of a tax fraud conviction stemming from his media business. While overall his party lost ground compared with 2018 general elections, it fared better than expected in this year's vote, gaining just over 8% votes in the elections, which was dominated by his ally Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's fa-right party. The Forza Italia party is part of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's ruling alliance. rm/aw (Reuters, AP, dpa)

7Politics

This live updates article is now closed. For our latest from April 21, click here.  Finance ministers from the Group of 7 wealthy nations said that they and partners had provided and pledged additional support to Ukraine worth more than $24 billion (roughly €22 billion) for 2022 and beyond, adding that they were prepared to do more as needed.  In a statement, they also said they regretted Russia's participation in international forums, including G20, International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings this week.  "International organizations and multilateral fora should no longer conduct their activities with Russia in a business-as-usual manner," the ministers' statement said.  The G7 had been known as the G8 for several years, until Russia was kicked out of the group in the aftermath of the annexation of Crimea in 2014. While several G7 members, especially major NATO powers, were pushing to exclude Russia from the larger forum meetings this week, other international partners questioned whether this was the right course.  A 91-year-old woman Jewish woman who survived Nazi round-ups by hiding in a Mariupol basement has died while sheltering from Russian shelling in another Mariupol basement, according to her daughter and the Auschwitz Memorial. At age 10, Vanda Semyonovna Obiedkova, hid in a basement as the SS seized her mother – one of between 9,000 and 16,000 jews murdered in the city of Mariupol during World War II, her daughter told Jewish organization Chabad. She spent the rest of her life in Mariupol and started her own family. But when Russia started shelling the city, the family took shelter in the basement of a neighboring shop, her daughter told Chabad. After about a month in hiding, lacking food, water and heat, she finally succumbed, her daughter said. Her daughter said Obiedkova died on April 4, with the story published on April 19. Ukrainian presidential advisor and negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak said Kyiv would agree to Russia's proposal to hold a "special round" of negotiations in the besieged city of Mariupol. "Yes. Without any conditions. We're ready to hold a 'special round of negotiations' right in Mariupol," Podolyak tweeted. "One on one. Two on two. To save our guys, Azov, military, civilians, children, the living & the wounded. Everyone. Because they are ours. Because they are in my heart. Forever." US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken sought to emphasize the plight of the people trapped in Mariupol, pressing Russia to allow an evacuation. "The conditions there, the situation there, as a result of this Russian aggression, are truly horrific,'' Blinken said Wednesday. Blinken said the US is trying to help by sharing its assessments, but the decision to risk leaving shelter is ultimately up to the Ukrainian government and the people themselves. "What gives pause is the fact there have been agreements on humanitarian corridors established before that have fallen apart very, very quickly, if not immediately, principally because the security has been violated by Russian forces." Blinken said the world witnessed "death and destruction and atrocities'' after the Russians retreated from Bucha, and "we can only anticipate that when this tide also recedes from Mariupol, we're going to see far worse, if that's possible to imagine." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen led a multi-nation walkout of a G20 finance meeting in protest of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. The war cast a strong shadow over the meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors for the world’s 20 largest economies. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell, European Central Bank head Christine Lagarde, Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko all left the room when Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov began to speak. A number of finance ministers who were attending virtually reportedly turned off their cameras when it was Russia's turn to speak. German Finance Minister Christian Lindner and a number of other G7 ministers did not leave the room. Ukraine’s deputy prime minister, Iryna Vereshchuk, has said a planned humanitarian corridor in the besieged city of Mariupol "did not work as planned," as Russian shelling continued unabated and the transportation of civilians could not be secured. The city has been under near-constant bombardment for two months. At least 1,000 civilians, mostly women and children, and hundreds of wounded soldiers have sought refuge in the Azovstal steel plant, which is the last holdout of Ukrainian troops in the area. Moscow had made a humanitarian corridor contingent on a surrender before an afternoon deadline, but no such surrender came. Russian government officials blamed the Ukrainian military, saying they were not adhering to a planned cease-fire. Mariupol has been under a fierce siege by Russian forces for almost two months, and was a major site of resistance to Russian-backed separatists in 2014. According to the city's mayor, some 100,000 civilians are still in Maiupol. The figure could not be independently verified.  Earlier on Wednesday, Russia issued another ultimatum for the Ukrainian troops in Azovstal. Azovstal is the last remaining pocket of Ukrainian resistance in the key port of Mariupol. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has officially requested to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to press for peace. Guterres sent a letter to both leaders, asking to meet in Moscow and Kyiv to "discuss whatever urgent steps can be taken to stop the fighting.'' His spokesman Stephane Dujarric has said he is yet to receive a response. Guterres also called for a four-day "humanitarian pause" in the shelling over Orthodox Easter, which would also allow civilians to be evacuated and receive aid. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The head of Ukraine's Orthodox church has cautioned both the clergy and congregants to forgo Easter services on Sunday in areas affected by fighting. Orthodox Easter begins at midnight on the first Sunday after the first full moon following Passover. Metropolitan Epifaniy said in a televised address that he had little faith that a pause in shelling by Russian troops, proposed by the Ukrainian association of churches and religious communities for the duration of the holiday, would hold. "It is hard to believe this will really happen, because the enemy is trying to completely destroy us," he said. Ukrainian church leaders have been at odds with Russia since Ukraine formed a new Orthodox church in 2018, ending centuries of religious ties with Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a review of Moscow's position within the World Trade Organization, looking to counter "illegal" sanctions imposed over its military operation in Ukraine. Putin said during a televised meeting that Western governments have broken WTO rules because their economic sanctions against Moscow are "politically motivated." He said the review must be completed by June 1, but gave no details about who would carry it out and what it would entail. His comments came during a government summit focused on how to revive Russia's steel industry, which is key to the economy and has been a major target of sanctions.   "The unfriendly steps towards Russia's metals producers were taken to suit immediate political interests," Putin said. Putin then instructed his cabinet to find ways to increase domestic demand for steel so that factories will not be forced to close. Russia said it has test-launched its new Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile. According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, this missile had no analogues elsewhere and would provide food for thought for those who try to threaten Russia. Putin was shown on Russian TV being briefed by the military that the Sarmat missile had been launched from Plesetsk in the country's northwest and hit targets in the Kamchatka peninsula in the far east. US officials said they had been aware of the Russian launch and viewed as a routine one. "Russia properly notified the United States under its New START obligations that it planned to test this ICBM," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said. "Such testing is routine. It was not a surprise. We did not deem the test to be a threat to the United States or its allies.'' Tennis players from Russia and Belarus will be banned from the Wimbledon tournament in June, the All England Club venue has confirmed. "It is our responsibility to play our part in the widespread efforts ... to limit Russia's global influence through the strongest means possible,'' the All England Club said in a statement posted on its Twitter account. "In the circumstances of such unjustified and unprecedented military aggression, it would be unacceptable for the Russian regime to derive any benefits from the involvement of Russian or Belarusian players with The Championships.'' Russian athletes have been barred from a number of international tournaments, including the upcoming World Cup in Qatar. However, the French Open, the first tennis grand slam tournament to be held since the invasion began, is expected to welcome Russian players when it begins next month. Dozens of civilians boarded a small convoy of buses in the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol, the Reuters news agency reported, citing two witnesses. Then the buses departed from a planned evacuation point to a Ukraine-controlled territory, according to Reuters. Mariupol city authorities said earlier on Wednesday that they were hoping to evacuate about 6,000 people from the city.  To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Mariupol could fall into Russian hands within "hours", a Ukrainian official said as a 1100 UTC deadline for surrender demanded by Moscow passed without capitulation from Ukrainian forces holding onto the besieged Azovstal steel plant. Some 500 wounded soldiers, as well as hundreds of women and children, were also sheltering in the plant. Moscow had said that should the deadline be respected, a humanitarian corridor for any Ukrainian troops who agreed to lay down their arms. However, Major Serhiy Volyna, who is commanding the troops in the Azovstal plant, said he would never surrender. Mariupol has been under a fierce siege by Russian forces for two months, and was a major site of resistance to Russian-backed separatists in 2014.  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed with the President of the European Council Charles Michel sanctions against Russia, as well as defense and financial support of Ukraine. "A big friend of Ukraine, the President of the European Council Charles Michel, is in Kyiv today. We have discussed sanctions against Russia, defense and financial support of our state and answers to the questionnaire on compliance with EU criteria. Thank you for a meaningful meeting and solidarity with the people of Ukraine"! Zelenskyy wrote on Twitter.  Meanwhile, Michel said the EU will hold an international donors conference on May 5 to ensure "the victory of Ukraine." "We are determined to do everything we can in order to support Ukraine because we want the victory of Ukraine," Michel said during a press conference alongside Zelenskyy.  Prior to his meeting with Zelenskyy, Michel visited Borodyanka, the small city near Kyiv devastated during the Russian occupation. "History will not forget the war crimes that have been committed here," he wrote on Twitter.  The Japanese parliament has voted to remove Moscow from a list of "most favored nations" for trade. This means that Tokyo can significantly increase tariffs on Russian goods, following the lead of the other G7 nations. Japanese parliament also voted in favor of a revision to a foreign exchange law to prevent the transfer of virtual currency held by those subject to asset freezing as Prime Minister Fumio Kishida ramps up economic sanctions against Russia. Japan has already frozen the assets of hundreds of Russian individuals and institutions. Kishida’s government is becoming increasingly involved in penalizing Moscow due to the invasion’s impact in East Asia, where the Chinese military presence has been growing steadily. Also on Wednesday, eight Russian diplomats expelled by Tokyo were escorted to a city airport and left the country. Ukraine likely needs $5 billion a month in financial assistance to keep its economy operating, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said. According to her, the immediate priority was finding ways to fill that gap in the next three months. Georgieva said that despite uncertainty over Ukraine's future, the IMF will start work on a future loan program for Ukraine. She also added that it was "unfair" to expect Ukraine to implement a far-reaching package of reforms at the moment. Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz has authorized the supply of helmets and flak jackets to Ukrainian rescue services, according to a ministry statement. The announcement came shortly after Gantz spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart Oleksii Reznikov. Israel has sent medical aid and cold-weather supplies, but had thus far rebuffed Ukrainian requests for military equipment.  According to multiple reports, that included a request for spyware to use against Russia, including the controversial Pegasus software created by Israel-based NSO Group. Since February 24, 1.1 million Ukrainian citizens have entered Ukraine, the spokesman of Ukraine's border guard service, Andriy Demchenko, reported. "In total, since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, about 5 million people have crossed the state border in both directions. The vast majority were Ukrainians traveling abroad, 3.2 million people. However, 1.1 million of our compatriots have arrived in Ukraine since then," Demchenko said. The spokesman also said that passenger traffic increased last week. "It reached 80,000 per day in both directions. But leaving Ukraine always prevailed over entry. There was only one day, Saturday [April 16], when we saw the inflow outweigh the outflow, but in small numbers," Demchenko said.  Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that a draft document of the peace proposals had been handed over to Ukraine. "At present, our draft document has been handed over to the Ukrainian side, which includes absolutely clear, elaborated formulations. The ball is on their side, we are waiting for an answer," Peskov said. When asked if there were any specific deadlines for Kyiv's reaction, Peskov said: "It depends on the Ukrainian side." Later on Wednesday, the Ukrainian negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak confirmed the Ukraine has received Russia's proposals as part of the negotiation process, and is studying them.  To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock says Berlin has chosen not to make public all the weapons that it has sent to Ukraine to help defend the country from Russia's invasion.  During a press conference in Riga, the minister said Germany had already "delivered anti-tank Stinger [missiles] and other things that we didn't talk about in public so that the deliveries could be carried out quickly and securely." She also added that the German government was not against sending armored vehicles to Ukraine. Baerbock said Berlin had already signed off on the option, but that it currently does not have the capacity to send equipment. However, Baerbock said Germany was taking a long-term perspective on assisting Ukraine with military defense. "It is about the next three months, and the next three years. This is where Germany can contribute more," she said. Germany has previously been criticized for not sending heavy weapons to Ukraine. Responding to criticism from Ukraine's Ambassador to Germany Andriy Melnyk that Berlin has not been doing enough, German lawmaker Ralf Stegner told DW this was not the case. Stegner, a member of the Bundestag for Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats (SPD), said Germany was giving Ukraine "whatever we can, what works, what is there." However, he added that there were concerns about the delivery of heavy weapons and whether this could mean NATO getting embroiled in the conflict. "There's a difference in opinion whether we should send heavy weapons or not. And one of the obligations our chancellor has, and the other heads of state as well, is keeping NATO out of the conflict," said Stegner. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The United Nations' refugee agency UNHCR says the number of Ukrainians fleeing abroad since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 now stands at 5,010,971. The exodus is said to have been somewhat slower in recent weeks than it was at the beginning of the war. More than 7 million people have been internally displaced within Ukraine since the invasion began, the UN says. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Liudmyla Denisova, Ombudsman for Human Rights in Ukraine, has said the country will do its utmost to ensure that those responsible for using rape as a weapon of war in Ukraine face justice. Denisova told DW there was evidence that sexual violence — against women, children and men — was being used as a tool for genocide in Russia's war on Ukraine. "We are doing everything to document these crimes and to ensure that those criminals, starting with Putin, are all punished…We are trying to organize a special tribunal like Nuremberg, Rwanda or Yugoslavia so that the court has unlimited rights as to how the criminals can be punished." "It is already possible and only a final political will is needed," said Denisova. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A former UK military intelligence officer has told DW that Russia is not "ready for this operation," referring to its renewed eastern assault in Donbas. "Something of this size would really take several months to set up — they've had a few weeks," said Frank Ledwidge, a lecturer in military capabilities and strategy at England's University of Portsmouth. "It speaks actually of a lot of pressure on the Russians to get things done, and I think that's going to backfire on them," he said. The former military intelligence officer said the conflict will become a "battle of attrition" where "the side which can sustain its logistics and supply, will prevail in that battle." He said that this is why Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is asking for heavy weaponry from its western partners, such as "artillery, armor, armored personnel carriers, things like that, as well as maintaining their air defenses." Ledwidge said he expected Russian forces to run into problems, in part due to the lack of time to prepare for the new operation. "They are going to face an enemy which is very well prepared and has been preparing for a number of years for an attack like this, and of course, an enemy that's demonstrated itself to be operationally and tactically far more efficient if they're given the weapons to complete their task," he said. European Council President Charles Michel is visiting Kyiv in a previously unannounced visit to show solidarity with Ukraine. "In Kyiv today. In the heart of a free and democratic Europe," Michel said on Twitter. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Olga Stefanishyna greeted Michel on his arrival in the Ukrainian capital. A meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was said to be on the agenda for Michel, who represents the European Union's 27 member states. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said Wednesday that Kyiv has reached a preliminary agreement with Russia on establishing a humanitarian corridor for civilians from the besieged city of Mariupol.  Vereshchuk said the route had been agreed for the evacuation of women, children and older people.  "Given the very difficult security situation, changes may occur during the corridor action," Vereshchuk said in a message posted on Facebook.  "We will put our best effort to make everything work as it should." Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boichenko said he hoped 6,000 people could be evacuated from the city on Wednesday, adding he hoped the preliminary agreement with Russia would hold. Ukraine has accused Russia of blocking previous attempts at evacuation. More than 100,000 people remain in the city awaiting evacuation, the mayor said. The southeastern Ukrainian port city was surrounded by Russian troops on March 1, shortly after the start of the Russian attack on Ukraine. Both the port and the city are largely considered to have been destroyed.  Russia is reported to have been hitting the Azovstal steel plant, which is the main remaining Ukrainian stronghold in Mariupol, with bunker-busting bombs.  Ukraine's Azov battalion says hundreds of women, children and elderly civilians are sheltering at the site, with supplies running out.  Serhiy Volyna, the commander of the 36th Separate Marine Brigade at the plant, earlier on Wednesday called for an "extraction procedure." He urged that everyone — soldiers, the wounded, and hundreds of civilians — be taken to safety on the territory of a third country.  "This is our appeal to the world," said Volyna. "This could be the last appeal of our lives. We are probably facing our last days, if not hours."  To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video British military intelligence reports that fighting in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine is intensifying as Russian troops seek to break through Ukrainian defenses.  It said Moscow was continuing to build its military presence on the eastern border of Ukraine.  The UK said Russian air activity in northern Ukraine was likely to remain low after Russia’s withdrawal, but that there was still the possibility of precision strikes against priority targets across the country. It said this was as Moscow sought to disrupt the movement of Ukrainian reinforcement eastwards.  The Ukrainian General staff says Russian troops have tried unsuccessfully to storm two towns in the eastern Ukrainian region of Luhansk.  "After the storming attempts of the Russian occupiers in Rubishne and Severodonetsk, 130 wounded soldiers of the enemy were taken to the local hospital in Novoaydar," the General Staff said in its situation report early on Wednesday.  The Ukrainian military leadership also said there had been attempted assaults on the small town of Isyum in the Kharkiv region and heavy fighting around Marjinka, Popasna, Torske, Selena Dolyna, and Kreminna.  The pro-Russian separatists have previously announced that they have gained control of Kreminna. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Russian forces again called for those still in the besieged Azovstal power plant to surrender by 2 p.m. Moscow time (1100 GMT). They also called on Ukrainian forces to lay down their weapons. Serhiy Volyna, the commander of the 36th Separate Marine Brigade said his marines "may be facing our last days, if not hours." He added, "The enemy is outnumbering us 10 to one." He called for an "extraction procedure" and urged that everyone — soldiers, the wounded, and hundreds of civilians — be taken to safety on the territory of a third country.  Thousands of troops and civilians remain at the plant. The mayor of Mariupol described a "horrible situation" where up to 2,000 people, mostly women and children, are trapped without "normal" supplies like water and food. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned it in his late-night video address, calling the situation in the embattled port city "as difficult as it can be." He accused the Russian side of blocking all attempts to organize humanitarian corridors and rescuing civilians. Meanwhile, Russia said its Tuesday evening offer of such a corridor went unused and that another would be opened later on Wednesday.  In recent weeks, both sides have repeatedly accused each other of sabotaging efforts to allow civilians to be brought to safety. Janet Yellen, the US Treasury Secretary, said Russia's war on Ukraine was responsible for stretching "already dire" global food insecurity. She said price and supply shocks had added to global inflationary pressures. Prior to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, 10% of the global population faced chronic food insecurity, Yellen said. Economic models suggest at least 10 million more people could be pushed into poverty because of the conflict. Yellen said that countries should avoid export bans that could drive prices higher while stepping up support for vulnerable populations and small-scale farmers. Germany's Finance Minister Christian Lindner concurred, calling on countries to "keep agricultural markets open, not stockpile and not withhold stocks, and not impose unjustified export restrictions on agricultural products or nutrients." Russia and Ukraine are both major agricultural exporters of foodstuffs, fertilizer and other products. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Ukraine has received fighter planes and aircraft parts to bolster its air force. "Right now have available to them more fixed-wing fighter aircraft than they did two weeks ago," Kirby said, adding, "Other nations who have experience with those kinds of aircraft have been able to help them get more aircraft up and running." Kirby declined to specify how many aircraft or their origin. The Pentagon announcement comes one week after US President Joe Biden unveiled $800 million in military aid for Ukraine. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said "direct communications" between Chernobyl and Ukraine's national regulator have been restored. The IAEA said contact between the defunct Chernobyl nuclear power plant, site of the world's worst nuclear catastrophe at the time the reactor exploded due to human error in 1986, and Ukraine's national regulator had been lost for "more than a month" when Russian forces occupied the facility. Grossi said, "This was clearly not a sustainable situation, and it is very good news that the regulator can now contact the plant directly when it needs to." According to the IAEA, Russia told it its troops left the area on March 31 having held the site for five weeks. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The UN said the number of people to have fled Ukraine hit 5 million, with a further 7 million people internally displaced by the fighting. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk reported that 76 prisoners of war were being returned to the country as part of the fourth exchange of captives with Russia. Russia says it has opened a corridor so that Ukrainian troops trapped in a steel plant in the besieged city of Mariupol can leave if they agree to surrender their weapons. Russia's Defense Ministry demanded that measures be taken to release civilians from the Azovstal metallurgical plant in the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol. Azovstal is the last remaining pocket of Ukrainian resistance in the key southeastern port. According to the governor of the Luhansk region, Russian forces have seized the city of Kreminna, a city of around 18,000 people, in eastern Ukraine. Four people including three emergency service officials defusing unexploded ordinance were among the dead in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, the city's mayor said. Kharkiv is near the front lines and has faced repeated shelling from Russian forces. US President Joe Biden discussed further action concerning the Ukraine war in a call with G7, NATO and EU leaders. Biden, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged to send more artillery weaponry to Ukraine. Ukraine's allies have agreed to provide artillery to fight a Russian advance, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said, albeit again ruling out direct NATO involvement in the conflict. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Czech authorities have launched a preliminary investigation into possible war crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine.  The British Defense Ministry said Russian shelling and strikes on the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine continued, but Ukrainian forces managed to repel numerous attempted advances. Britain has announced plans to revoke the Moscow Stock Exchange's status as a recognized stock exchange in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The European Commission has given the green light to a €20 billion ($21.6 billion) German scheme to help companies affected by the fallout of the war in Ukraine. The EU executive also approved €836 million in Polish state aid to support farmers hit by rising fertilizer costs. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres denounced Russia's new offensive in eastern Ukraine and called for a four-day truce to mark Orthodox Holy Week. You can revisit our live updates from April 19 here.  To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video es, rc,ar/fb (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters, Interfax)

2Conflicts

People in Germany are spending their summer with COVID-19 out of mind, if not out of sight. With most restrictions now lifted, they are traveling and filling bars, restaurants, and clubs. Festivals and other events are taking place again, and many are trying to make up for lost time. In fact, confirmed cases and hospitalizations are higher now than at the same time in either of the last two years, but Germany's third pandemic summer feels like the most normal. Like other countries, Germany is seeing an increase in coronavirus cases caused by the BA.5 subvariant, which the World Health Organization (WHO) currently classifies as a "variant of concern." Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has spoken of a "summer wave" of new infections sweeping the country. "This has unfortunately become a fact," he told the Rheinische Post newspaper. On Twitter, he urged vulnerable individuals to get a fourth shot of the vaccine and suggested the wearing of masks in closed spaces. "No one can say right now if omicron will continue to dominate in the fall and winter; whether we'll have a harmless variant or one that causes serious cases," said Klaus Reinhardt, the president of the German Medical Association (BÄK), in a statement last week criticizing state and federal pandemic planning. Specifically, they and others in their field want to focus on keeping schools open, protecting the most vulnerable, boosting immunity, and ensuring normal operations of hospitals and other critical infrastructure. Throughout the pandemic, doctors and researchers have lamented that Germany has been "flying blind." The absence of reliable and consistent data is "not a good basis for rational decisions," the statement said. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The doctors' association was speaking in support of a list of recommendations — foremost better data collection — put out by the so-called expert council, a multidisciplinary body set up to advise the government on its pandemic strategy. At the moment this is no straightforward task, given the crossroads at which Germany finds itself. On one hand, the country is benefitting from a "high level of immunity," according to the report, and variants that cause relatively mild cases. On the other hand, that immunity may wane and a "vaccination gap" still persists, as rates haven't seen a significant bump in months. Those factors together could prove problematic in winter, especially if a variant emerges that is more dangerous than omicron or its circulating sub-variants. The council laid out three scenarios for the coming fall, based primarily on the severity of the dominant variant. In the best case, infections remain mild and hospitals can cope with the patient load, including due to the normal flu season. At most, restrictions would be necessary only for at-risk people. In a worst-case scenario, hospitals would be overrun with life-threatening cases. Then, restrictions on social contact and widespread use of masks would become necessary again, and vaccination centers would have to reopen for a fourth round of mass immunization. The council has an in-between outlook, which calls for some mask use and capacity limits at public events, with the ad hoc addition of stricter measures in regions with more serious outbreaks. It will be the job of state and federal leaders to translate experts' scientific recommendations into political decisions. They have to take into account not just the pandemic, but knock-on economic and psychological effects. For example, a new study from the Kiel Institute, a think tank, found that closing schools effectively slows the spread of the virus. However, it has also been detrimental to child well-being. Less invasive steps, such as better communication with the public, a comprehensive testing strategy and medical masks, could go a long way in controlling COVID-19, the study found, which looked at 14 non-medical measures in 182 countries in the first year of the pandemic. The government's initial impulse is to wait at least until the end of June before making decisions about the fall. That's when another advisory group releases its evaluation of existing measures. Officials say they will then use the summer break to discuss with states about the way forward. "I'm asking for a little bit of patience, but preparations for measures are currently underway," Sebastian Gülde, a spokesperson for the Federal Health Ministry, said in response to a DW query. The current version of the federal law that regulates the government's power to enforce pandemic restrictions expires on September 23. That sets up a parliamentary fight over changes between the three-party ruling coalition and the opposition. That happened the last time the law was amended, when the Social Democrat-led government was taking power in late fall and cases began to rise again. Critics said the changes left states confused and with little authority to control the pandemic, and some measures had to be written back in after the fact. The ruling parties themselves may not be on the same page. Several members of the Greens have advocated for getting ahead of any possible surge. The Free Democrats, in keeping with their laissez-faire approach to governing, have been more hesitant. Earlier this year, they opposed their partners in government and prevented a law on mandatory vaccination for all adults. A mandatory vaccination exists only for certain groups of the population, such as health workers or soldiers. The protection provided by COVID vaccines or past infection slowly decreases over time, as antibody levels drop. So new infections, for example with the variant BA.5, are possible despite vaccination or past infection. The Federal Health Ministry, which the coalition-leading Social Democrats run, has concerned itself largely with ensuring that Germany has enough vaccines on hand, although a second booster is so far not in the cards for the general population. An omicron-specific vaccine will be available in the fall, the ministry spokesperson said. Originally, vaccine maker BioNTech said it would be ready for approval in April or May. Edited by: Rina Goldenberg 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.

5Health

Pakistan demanded an explanation Saturday from US Ambassador Donald Blome after US President Joe Biden referred to the South Asian country as being "maybe one of the most dangerous nations in the world." In a speech Thursday at a fundraiser for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in California, Biden said Pakistan's nuclear stockpile is "without cohesion." The White House later published his remarks on its website, igniting a response in Islamabad. Pakistan's foreign minister, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the son of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and former President Asif Ali Zardari, said the US ambassador had been summoned over Biden's remarks. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video After Biden spoke, Pakistani Twitter pounced with politicians, retired diplomats and regular people all weighing in on the invective with some of their own. In Karachi, Bhutto Zardari told reporters that he was "surprised by the remarks of President Biden." He said the concerns were not raised in meetings with officials during his recent visit to Washington. "If this was such a concern, I imagine it would have been raised with me," Bhutto Zardari noted, adding that Pakistan's nuclear weapons meet "each and every international standard" of security and safety outlined by the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency. He pointed to India and charged that his country's archrival had once mistakenly fired a missile into Pakistan. Biden's words come at a time when Pakistan and the US are looking to renew their engagement with one another after the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan just over a year ago. Prior to the withdrawal in August 2021, relations had been rocky as the US accused Pakistan's military and intelligence services of supporting the Taliban in Afghanistan while at the same time providing the US military with essential logistical access. Washington is also weary of Pakistan's deepening ties to China. Beijing has offered $54 billion (€55.5 billion) in infrastructure deals as part of the Belt and Road Initiative to Pakistan in exchange for access to the Indian Ocean. The US believes the deal will leave Pakistan with unsustainable debt. Islamabad, however, has brushed aside concerns the US has about China, its most formidable competition on the world stage. Despite the disagreement, Bhutto Zardari said of Biden's comment, " I don't believe it negatively impacts the relations between Pakistan and the US. We will continue on the positive trajectory of engagements we are having so far." Bhutto Zardari also offered that Biden's remarks were "not an official function, it was not an address to the nation or an address to the parliament." ar/nm (AFP, dpa, Reuters)

7Politics

Four months ago, Indonesia suffered the most-deadly football stadium tragedy in the country's history after a police response to a pitch invasion during a match between Arema Maland and Persebaya Surabayaat the Kanjuruhan Stadium led to mass panic, stampedes and crushes which caused at least 135 fatalities. However, while many of the victims' families from the October 2022 tragedy are still fighting for justice for their loved ones, Indonesian football is now preparing to host the upcoming U20 World Cup in May, having been handed hosting duties for this year's tournament following the postponement of the 2021 edition due to the pandemic. Though the prestige of hosting one of FIFA's flagship tournaments holds much meaning for the country, it is a difficult pill to swallow for the families struggling to come to terms with the Kanjuruhan Tragedy. Aremania, an Arema supporter group, remain steadfast in their calls for justice by protesting often and taking collective action to give voice to their #UsutTuntasTragediKanjuruhan ("Investigate the Kanjuruhan Tragedy") campaign. Febri Wibowo, an Aremania member, who is still in touch with the families of the victims, expressed his deep disappointment to DW. "We don't believe anything anymore," he said. Following the Kanjuruhan Tragedy, competition in Indonesia's top three leagues was put on hold by the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI). Play resumed on December 5 behind closed doors. Yet, with the consultation of the PSSI, league operators and the police, a restricted number of fans were allowed to attend one of the most heated matches in the country, Persib Bandung vs Persija Jakarta, on January 11. The return of football against the backdrop of ongoing legal proceedings is a challenge, especially following a comment from a representative of the PSSI seeming to claim that Indonesian football fans were "less educated." Firzie Idris, an Indonesian sports journalist, who has been following the legal case since October, observed that the progress of the trial has not run optimally. "Right now justice is proceeding very slowly and it seems that it is not being given enough priority from the government and the authorities," he told DW. The PSSI's decision to resume footballing operations across the top three leagues was partially tied to the U20 World Cup as, alongside agreements with various parties to complete the league, all footballing events are required to be completed before the FIFA tournament takes place. Aside from being the biggest footballing event the country has held, it is also the first time Indonesia has participated in a World Cup at any age group since the country gained independence in 1945. Hasani Abdulgani, a member of the PSSI Executive Committee, believes that Indonesian football is currently improving after the Kanjuruhan Tragedy. "First, I again apologize to the victim's families," he told DW. "Of course, we wouldn't want there to be victims first to make Indonesian football better. However, we feel that the Kanjuruhan Tragedy was a very important wake-up call for Indonesian football to become better." "We're improving. Especially in terms of security and standardization across stadiums. Security protocols are now in the hands of the stewards in the stadium, which is according to FIFA regulations, and no longer to the police as before." Under the direct supervision of FIFA, infrastructure to support the tournament continues to be prepared and efforts are being finalizing in how security will be handled. FIFA has further agreed to oversee a change to the management structure within the PSSI, approving an Extraordinary Congress for the association on February 16.  Current chairman Mochamad Iriawan told a press conference in January that, although he was not resigning, he would not be running for the General Chair of the PSSI for the 2023-2027 period. Erick Thohir, the former president of Italian club Inter Milan and Indonesia's current Minister of State Owned Enterprises is in the running for the position while former Indonesian players Bambang Pamungkas and Ponaryo Astaman are seeking to be named the vice-chairman. Local journalist Idris believes this will be an important step in ensuring real change following Kanjuruhan Tragedy. "Whoever the chairperson will be, their main priority is to put pressure on the government," he explained. "And on the judicial system to uphold a judicial process that is as transparent and fair as possible for the victims of Kanjuruhan. "After that, then we can discuss and fix other things such as development, chaotic competition, and an underachieving national team." For the families that lost loved ones in October, the wheels of justice continue to turn far too slowly. Additional reporting by Bergas Brillianto. Edited by: Matthew Ford To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

9Sports

For Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a candidate in the forthcoming Brazilian presidential election, it's a question of independence for the entire region. "If God wills, we will create a common currency for Latin America, because we shouldn't be dependent on the dollar," he said a few weeks ago. It remains to be seen whether this was just an attempt to create an issue in the early stages of the election campaign or whether the former Brazilian president (2003-2011), who is currently leading the polls, is serious about this idea. Either way, it has sparked a debate. The Argentine business portal El Destape subsequently asked: "A single currency for all of Latin America — is that possible?" The idea is not new. An original proponent is the Brazilian Fernando Haddad, former mayor of Sao Paulo and ex-presidential candidate of the left-wing Workers' Party (PT), who lost the 2018 ballot to current incumbent Jair Bolsonaro. He recently brought up the idea again in a guest article for the newspaper Folha. He even suggested a name — sur, meaning south. The fact that Lula, as a political heavyweight in Latin America, took up the topic shows that it has what it takes to move people both emotionally and politically. The idea of ​​a single currency is easy to formulate, but the path to creating it is complicated. Jacques D'Adesky from the Fluminense Federal University in Rio de Janeiro referred to the existing differences and historical rivalries, for example between neighboring Argentina and Brazil. "The formation of a single currency zone would initially require many negotiations between the future partners," he told DW, saying such a process would take years. Economist Leandro Dias from AkinTec bank in Sao Paulo wants to wait and see whether the idea survives the current election campaign. In principle, the Mercosur economic area has already contributed to the region working more closely together. However, "most countries would like to retain their sovereignty and economic independence," Dias told DW. A single Latin American currency, as Haddad envisions, aims to "improve trade and commercial exchanges in the countries of the region." According to his proposal, it should be supported by a central bank as a digital currency. However, in order to take the first step in this direction, a public declaration of intent by several governments is required so that negotiations can begin. Venezuela's socialist president, Nicolas Maduro, whose country has been suffering from chronic inflation for years, also recently brought the idea of ​​a single currency back into play. He suggested promoting the sucre, a means of payment used by the ALBA alliance of states, which is dominated by left-wing governments including Bolivia, Cuba and some smaller West Indies nations. He believes using it as a regional digital means of payment could then replace the dollar. However, the sucre has not grown beyond its symbolic status, while confidence in Maduro's economic policy competence is low. The introduction of a uniform Latin American currency would also have a political dimension, similar to that of the euro in Europe. Latin America — or South America — would be viewed as a unified economic area from both the inside and the outside, and the region would move closer together economically and socially. The sur proposed by Haddad could, therefore, be a precursor to a political development that could eventually lead to a Latin American Union, a possible "United States of Latin America." Ramona Samuel contributed to this report from Rio de Janeiro.

0Business

A man accused of driving his car into a crowd of people in a busy shopping street in Berlin has been placed in a psychiatric ward, after a Berlin court approved a request from prosecutors on Thursday.  A teacher was killed and 31 others, including students, were injured in the tragic incident in Berlin's Charlottenburg neighborhood on Wednesday. The suspected driver is in police custody. Sebastian Büchner, a spokesperson for the public prosecutor's office, said the suspect has been officially accused of murder and attempted murder — but it is unclear whether he could be held criminally responsible. Büchner said the suspect "deliberately drove a vehicle" into a group of people near the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church before hitting a group of students and teachers one block away. A police statement said investigations have so far pointed to a "deliberate act of a psychologically ill man." Iris Spranger, Berlin's interior affairs minister, said the alleged perpetrator had previously been under police investigation on multiple occasions for crimes such as bodily harm and trespassing, noting that none of them were politically motivated. Later on Thursday, a local court in Berlin granted a request from prosecutors to have the suspect temporarily placed in psychiatric care while investigations continue. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Berlin Mayor Franziska Giffey told RBB inforadio that investigators were trying to make sense of "at times confused statements" that the 29-year-old suspect made to police. Prosecutors are seeking to place the German-Armenian in psychiatric care as he appears to be suffering from paranoid schizophrenia, Büchner said.  The teacher killed in Wednesday's incident had been on an end-of-term trip with students to Berlin from a small town in central Germany.  Families were morning her death on Thursday in the town of Bad Arolsen in the state of Hesse.  Another teacher, who was also with the group, has been critically injured and is currently fighting for his life, officials said.  The regional government in Hesse said that the students who were hit were in 10th grade, meaning they were between the ages of 15 and 17. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Berlin Mayor Giffey spoke of a "dark day" for Berlin that brought back "bad memories." Wednesday's incident took place near the site of a deadly rampage in 2016 that killed 11 people in a Christmas market in what was later declared a terrorist attack. Germany has also seen several over car rammings since the 2016 terror attack — including one that took place near Bad Arolsen in 2020. In the February 2020 incident in the town of Volkmarsen, a man rammed his car into a carnival parade in 2020, injuring dozens of people, including children. fb/rs (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)

3Crime

A German soldier was arrested on Thursday after releasing a video in which he threatened the government. "Officers from Munich police arrested a Bundeswehr soldier in Munich's city center, who is suspected of publicly inciting crimes," police in nearby Upper Bavaria wrote on Twitter late on Thursday.  They said the criminal police unit based in Rosenheim, Bavaria, would take over the case and that the suspect was in their custody. The man was then released on Friday morning. A police spokesperson said there were no grounds for further detention. However, an investgation is ongoing. The Defense Ministry earlier released a statement condemning the video, which was widely shared on social media. "A video of a supposed soldier, which has been shared here a lot, is currently circulating online," the ministry wrote on Twitter. "It contains threats against the rule of law that are unacceptable. The consequences are already being examined," it added. The man who appears in the video is dressed in a Bundeswehr uniform and gives what he claims to be his surname and rank, a junior officer akin to a sergeant or staff sergeant. His message targets the vaccine mandate for both health care workers and soldiers. He then warns the German state that it has until "tomorrow at 4 p.m." to revoke these rules, without specifying which day he meant (the video appears to have been posted around midnight local time) or what he claimed to be threatening. Police in the region of Upper Bavaria also said on Twitter that they were "aware of the videos and their contents," and their officers had "already taken up the case."  Police later announced they had arrested the man, and confirmed he was a Bundeswehr soldier. "Officers of the Munich Police arrested a Bundeswehr soldier in the center of Munich who is suspected of publicly inciting people to commit crimes. The further processing of the case lies with the Criminal Investigation Department Rosenheim, which has taken custody of the arrested man," police announced on Twitter. Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said on Twitter: "The Bundeswehr needs reflective and upstanding people who have a solid grounding in our Basic Law. Anyone who does not share this has no place in our Bundeswehr!" Protests in Germany against pandemic restrictions have intensified of late, according to comments from one of the country's police trade unions on Wednesday, which said the strain on their officers was becoming excessive.  Earlier in the month, police uncovered a potential plot to assassinate the state premier of Saxony by a group of extremists opposing coronavirus vaccinations. Numerous reports of far-right extremists within the German armed forces in recent years have also caused outrage and, in some cases, led to dismissals or even prosecutions. About 71% of people in Germany are fully vaccinated, although this share goes up when only counting people aged 18 and above. The new German government has said it will consider introducing a full-scale obligation to be vaccinated in 2022. Current restrictions limit most activities for the unvaccinated. ab,aw/msh (AFP, dpa)

2Conflicts

The US, the EU, Japan and the UK have unveiled a range of economic and financial sanctions against Russia. The moves came in the wake of Russian President Vladimir Putin's ordering troops into the separatist-held regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine. Putin also recognized the independence of the two regions, despite the fact that they are part of Ukraine under international law. The sanctions target different areas, hitting specific financial institutions, Russia's capacity to raise sovereign debt on international markets as well as several individuals. Germany has also indefinitely postponed certification of the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline, a completed but not yet operational Baltic Sea gas pipeline which connects mainland Russia with Germany. On Thursday, US President Joe Biden said the Russian financial institutions VEB and Promsvyazbank would be targeted. The UK has hit Rossiya, IS Bank, GenBank, Promsvyazbank and the Black Sea Bank. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The EU says it will target 351 members of the Russian parliament with sanctions, as well as 27 individuals and entities it says are undermining Ukraine's sovereignty. The US and the UK will also target several wealthy individuals. The EU has not yet named the institutions it will hit, but sources familiar with the plans told the Financial Times that VEB and Promsvyazbank will be on the list. Promsvyazbank is a military bank and is the only one of those targeted which is on the Russian central bank's list of systemically important credit institutions. The US sanctions on VEB and Promsvyazbank aim to freeze their assets in the country and will block US businesses from conducting transactions with them. Separately, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU would ban trade between the bloc and the two separatist-held regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, a move the bloc also made when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. The US, the EU and Japan have all taken steps to restrict Russia's capacity to borrow on international markets. "We've cut off Russia's government from Western financing," Biden said. "It can no longer raise money from the West and cannot trade in its new debt on our markets or European markets either." Von der Leyen said: "We are limiting the Russian government's ability to raise capital on the EU's financial markets. We will make it as difficult as possible for the Kremlin to pursue its aggressive actions." Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also prohibited the issuance of Russian bonds in Japan. US investors have been banned from buying new dollar-denominated Russia debt since the Crimean annexation in 2014, while US banks have not been allowed to take part in Russia's primary market for non-rouble sovereign bonds and rouble-denominated bonds since 2019 and 2021 respectively. The US Treasury said the new measures would prohibit US banks taking part in Russia's secondary market for bonds issued after March 1. "The message from the US is clear, we don't want you to hold Russian assets," Tim Ash, senior EM sovereign strategist at BlueBay Asset Management, told Reuters. "'Get out now' is the clear-cut message." The sanctions are likely to have little more than a minimal effect, a view enforced by the fact that the US and the EU have held back from using far stronger measures for now. Russia's big state-run banks have not been included and almost all the banks hit are relatively small lenders. Shares in Russia's biggest banks, Sberbank and VTB soared after they were let off with no sanctions. Sanctions imposed after the annexation of Crimea were more significant, and many of those remain in place. In terms of the efforts to hit Russia's sovereign options, experts say Russia is in a far different place to how it was in 2014. The country has pivoted away from US dollars, and from foreign sources of revenue as a whole. The foreign share of ruble debt holdings, known as OFZ, is just 18% according to analysts at VTB. The new US measures simply extend restrictions which have been in place for years now. Russia has hard currency reserves of more than $600 billion (€529 billion) and Elina Ribakova, deputy chief economist at the Institute of International Finance, told Reuters the sovereign debt sanctions would have very little effect. "Russia's fiscal position is in surplus and Russian authorities are overfunding," she said. Western allies have more severe options still available, which they may use in responsce to Russia's overnight announcement of a military operation that Ukraine has called a "full-scale invasion." One major option left is to target Russia's big state-run banks, which are crucial to the financing of the country's energy sector. "If this invasion proceeds, we are ready to press a button to take further action on the very largest Russian financial institutions, including Sberbank and VTB, which collectively hold almost $750 billion in assets," an unnamed US official told the Financial Times. Perhaps the biggest option of all would be to cut Russia off from SWIFT, the main international payments network. In anticipation of a possible ban, Russia has developed an alternative system called SPFS, which handles around 20% of its domestic payments. Other sanction options include export controls which would target Russia's capacity to obtain key technology, such as semiconductor chips. But the most severe options come with the biggest risks. Hitting the country's biggest banks could lead to energy supplies being cut off from Europe, one of the main retaliation options available to Russia. Following the German move to suspend the Nord Stream 2 deal on Tuesday, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev tweeted: "Welcome to the brave new world where Europeans are very soon going to pay €2.000 for 1.000 cubic meters of natural gas!" Cutting off access to SWIFT also carries risks. While Russian banks would be hit, many European creditors would also be at risk of not getting owed money back. European banks in Austria, France and Italy are among those most exposed to Russia. "(In the case of further Russian military action) we are likely to see some of the really qualitatively more devastating measures than in the past," Samuel Charap, a political scientist at the RAND Corporation, told Reuters, before Russia's overnight attack. Edited by: Hardy Graupner

0Business

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has opened a formal investigation into the case of Belarusian sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, a spokesman announced Tuesday. Tsimanouskaya had refused her team's order to fly home early from the Tokyo Games after criticizing Belarusian sports officials. She was granted a humanitarian visa by Poland after accusing Belarus officials of trying to kidnap her. IOC spokesman Mark Adams said Olympic organizers needed to "establish the full facts" and "hear everyone involved" in the case.  The committee said it was expecting a report later in the day from the Belarusian team on the case. The IOC also contacted Poland's National Olympic Committee to discuss how to support Tsimanouskaya in the future, Adam said. The International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected an urgent appeal by Tsimanouskaya for her to be allowed to compete in the 200-meter heats at the Games. She was previously excluded from the event by Belarusian authorities. The court said it turned down Tsimanouskaya's application on the grounds that she had not been able to prove her case. The Belarusian Olympic Committee said Tsimanouskaya had been examined by a doctor and would not participate in the 200-meter heats because of her "emotional-psychological condition." Tsimanouskaya denied the allegations and told the radio station Euroradio in an interview: "They just told me to pack my things and fly home." Global Athlete, an athlete-led activist group, decried "The alleged kidnapping of Belarusian Olympic athlete Krystsina Tsimanouskaya by the Belarus National Olympic Committee (NOC)," calling it "yet another example of the alarming athlete abuse occurring in Belarus." The group has demanded the IOC suspend the Belarus NOC and allow team members to compete as neutral athletes. Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi on Tuesday assured that Tsimanouskaya was in a "safe situation." "We, in cooperation with relevant parties, are trying to keep her safe [...] She is now in a safe situation," Motegi told a regular news conference. Olympics organizers also said they had spoken with Tsimanouskaya twice on Monday and that she was safe. The athlete's plight is the latest international scandal to hit Belarus, which has faced a backlash from the international community over a crackdown on human rights.  United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken slammed Belarus' attempt to "commit another act of transnational repression" by sending Tsimanouskaya home. "Such actions violate the Olympic spirit, are an affront to basic rights, and cannot be tolerated," Blinken said on Twitter late on Monday. Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki described it as a "criminal attempt to abduct an athlete critical of the Belarusian regime." Tsimanouskaya was one of more than 2,000 Belarusian athletes to sign an open letter calling for new elections in her country and the release of political prisoners. This "act of aggression by Belarussian security services on Japanese territory" must be met with "resolute opposition from the international community," Morawiecki said on Facebook, adding that the Olympics should be a symbol of peace and fair play. When DW spoke with Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Marrcin Przydacz about the incident Tuesday, he said it was "the right decision" to grant Tsimanouskaya a humanitarian visa. He also acknowledged Poland's obligation to protect her against any future retribution: "I would say Eastern intelligence is very active on European soil and we need to be aware of that. And we need to protect not only our people, but also our guests." fb (AFP, AP, dpa, EFE, Reuters) 

9Sports

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo on Tuesday announced that the French capital would start switching off the lights of its monuments hours earlier than usual. The potential disappointment to millions of tourists comes as Paris seeks to cope with soaring energy costs.  Ornamental lights typically illuminate the Eiffel Tower until 1 a.m. (2300 UTC), with dazzling white lights every hour. It will now go dark after 11:45 p.m. Lights will also go out as early as 10:00 p.m. for public buildings across Paris, Hidalgo said. Street lights, however, will not be restricted for public safety.  To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The measures are part of a plan that the mayor called "energy sobriety," which is set to go into effect starting September 23.  Hidalgo said the plan aims to reduce the city's energy use by 10% in a bid to soften the blow of rising costs by an estimated €10 million ($10.2 million). Scaling back the Eiffel Tower's lights would mean a 4% reduction in its power consumption.  The plan also includes reducing the temperature in pools to 25 degrees Celsius (77 Fahrenheit), 1 degree down from the usual 26, and public buildings are set to lower their heating to 18 Celsius.  As European Union countries look for ways to end their reliance on Russian energy imports, French President Emmanuel Macron had laid out the goal that industry, households, and municipal authorities reduce their consumption by 10%. Unlike its neighbors, France is less affected by the reduction of Russian gas. However, the country that was typically an exporter of energy has been forced to import power due to a record number of nuclear reactor outages.  To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video fb/wd (dpa, AFP, Reuters)

8Society

German authorities have arrested a French national accused of stealing a rare Ferrari, according to an announcement Monday by prosecutors in the northwestern city of Düsseldorf. The 45-year-old reportedly stole the 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO while taking it on a test drive in May 2019. The man posed as a prospective buyer and sped off in the vehicle after meeting with its owner. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The vehicle was later found in the town of Grevenbroich, which is located to the south-west of Düsseldorf. Authorities managed to collect fingerprints belonging to the suspect. The man had been photographed shortly before the theft at a classic car show where the Ferrari was being shown.  The man had a criminal history in France, and had to serve a prison term there before being handed over to the German authorities. The original owner of the car is reported to have been British Formula One racer Eddie Irvine. The vehicle is worth more than €2 million ($2.4 million). Ferrari vehicles have been featured in famous television shows and movies such as Magnum, P.I., and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. The car was also recently showcased in the 2019 sports drama film Ford v Ferrari. Ferrari was founded in 1939 in Italy by entrepreneur Enzo Ferrari, and has since become one of the world's largest luxury car companies in terms of market capitalization.

3Crime

US tech giant Intel has announced the first phase of plans to invest €80 billion ($87.9 billion) in Europe over the next 10 years. The investment focuses on the research and production of semiconductor chips, which are crucial components in computers, smartphones and other electronic devices.  The company said that the German city of Magdeburg had been identified as the site of a new hub to develop "two first-of-their-kind semiconductors." Germany was described as "the ideal place" for a new hub, with Intel calling it a "silicon junction" for chipmaking. The company said that the project would create 7,000 construction jobs and 3,000 permanent high-tech jobs. It said there would also be tens of thousands of jobs across suppliers and partners. The company would also expand facilities in France, Ireland, Italy, Poland and Spain.  In February the European Union unveiled its new Chips Act, in which the bloc announced it would spend some €42 billion ($48 billion) in public and private funds to become a microchip producer,  with the aim of breaking dependency on Asian markets. Pat Gelsinger, CEO of Intel, said: "Our planned investments are a major step both for Intel and for Europe. The EU Chips Act will empower private companies and governments to work together to drastically advance Europe’s position in the semiconductor sector." The EU is moving to boost its economic self-sufficiency in the critical semiconductor sector, which has been plagued by supply chain shortages for more than a year.  Microchips, otherwise known as semiconductors, are made mainly in Asia. Dependence on a limited number of chip producers in Asia has raised concerns in the West as massive shortages have brought assembly lines to a halt. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hailed the announcement calling it the "first major achievement under the EU Chips Act. This is just the beginning," von der Leyen said in a tweet, adding, "we are open for business."  kb/aw (AFP, dpa)

0Business

Full internet access has been restored in Tonga five weeks after the eruption of the Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha'apai undersea volcano, local media reports said on Tuesday. Residents were able to connect with the digital world on the main island of Tongatapu and the island of Eua. "People on the main island will have access almost immediately," Tonga Cable chief executive James Panuve told Reuters. The tiny South Pacific kingdom's undersea fiber-optic cable, which is used to transmit almost all digital information and was damaged in the seaquake, has been repaired. Tongans had to use makeshift satellite services as the repairs to the cable were made. Repair ship Reliance took 20 days to replace the 92-kilometer (57-mile) section of the 827 km cable that connects the island nation to Fiji and other international networks. "Thanks, optic fiber internet. We can now see the world,” news portal Kaniva Tonga quoted resident Paulo Lātu’s post on Facebook. The eruption that took place late in January,  triggered a tsunami that reached as far as Alaska, Japan and South America. The Tongan government had said that  84% of its population of nearly 105,000 people was affected by what experts have deemed one of the world's worst volcanic eruptions in decades. The next task is to repair the domestic cable connecting Tongatapu with the outer islands that bore the brunt of the tsunami, Panuve said, adding that it could take six to nine months. "We don't have enough cable," he said. dvv/rt (Reuters, dpa)

1Catastrophe

Eleanor Harvey, Canada | Fencing | Makuhari Messe Hall, Chiba  Cristina Ouvina, Spain | Basketball | Saitama Super Arena Anita Blaze, France vs Arianna Errigo, Italy | Fencing | Makuhari Messe Hall, Chiba Valentina Rodini and Federica Casarini, Italy | Rowing, Double Sculls | Sea Forest Waterway, Tokyo David Kostelecky, Czech Republic | Shooting | Asaka Shooting Range, Tokyo Melanie De Jesus Dos Santos, France | Gymnastics, Individual All-Around | Ariake Gymnastics Centre, Tokyo Evgenii Kuznetsov and Nikita Shleikher, Russia | Synchronized 3m | Tokyo Aquatics Centre  Patricia Cantero Reina and Silvia Mas Despares, Spain | Sailing, 470er | Enoshima Yacht Harbor, Tokyo Eleanor Harvey, Canada | Fencing | Makuhari Messe Hall, Chiba  Jessica Fox, Australia | Canoe slalom | Kasai Canoe Slalom Centre, Tokyo Dimitrij Ovtcharov, Germany vs Ma Long, China | Table tennis | Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium Aaron Wolf, Japan vs Cho Guham, South Korea | Judo | Nippon Budokan, Tokyo Alessandra Perilli, San Marino | Shooting | Asaka Shooting Range, Tokyo  

9Sports

A Russian court on Tuesday rejected US basketball star Brittney Griner's appeal against a nine-year prison sentence. A court in the city of Krasnogorsk, located immediately northwest of Moscow, ruled to leave the verdict "without change". Griner is a two-time Olympic gold medalist. Griner was arrested on February 17 at Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport with vape cartridges containing cannabis oil. The substance is banned in Russia. She was sentenced on August 4 to nine years in a penal colony for possession and smuggling of drugs. The court that handed Griner her 9-year sentence found that she had committed the crime "deliberately." Griner had pleaded guilty, while maintaining in her testimony that it was an "honest mistake" and that she had packed "in a rush." Her defense team presented statements saying she had been prescribed the cannabis oil to treat pain. It also argued that the 9-year term was excessive, saying that in similar cases defendants have received an average sentence of about five years. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video On Tuesday, the White House slammed what it called a "sham" court proceeding that saw Griner's appeal rejected. "We are aware of the news out of Russia that Brittney Griner will continue to be wrongfully detained under intolerable circumstances after having to undergo another sham judicial proceeding today," National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said. Sullivan said that US President Joe Biden insists Griner should be "released immediately" and stressed that Washington is "willing to go to extraordinary lengths and make tough decisions to bring America home." Last month, Biden met with Griner's wife Cherelle  and called the verdict "unacceptable."  He said that his administration was doing "everything that we can" to push for her release. In July, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken revealed that Washington had made a "substantial proposal to get Griner home. The White House said that it has yet to receive a producitve response from Russia, while Russian officials have urged the US to discuss the matter in confidential talks. Washington has also called for the release of former US marine Paul Whelan, who was accused of espionage and handed a 16-year jail term in 2020. sdi/aw (AFP, AP, Reuters)

3Crime

Heavy rains in Brazil's northeastern Pernambuco state have left at least 79 dead as of Sunday evening, according to authorities. "As of 6:00 pm (2100 GMT) this Sunday, the number of people killed as a result of the rains has reached 79," the civil defense authority of Pernambuco state said in a statement, according to reporting by the Associated Press news agency. The Minister of Regional Development Daniel Ferreira told a press conference earlier Sunday in Recife, the capital of the northeastern Pernambuco state, that at least 56 people were missing, 25 injured, 3,957 without shelter and 533 displaced. The first deaths reported by authorities took place on Wednesday. A red alert was issued by the National Institute of Meteorology for Sunday as well in Pernambuco. A landslide in the Ibura district in the south of the port city of Recife killed 19, Globo television channel reported. It also said three more people were killed in Camaragibe near Recife due to another landslide. Two died in Recife itself and another in Jaboatao dos Guararapes. Local press reports said three were killed by a landslide in Olinda, and a fourth person died after falling into a canal, also in Olinda. The region has recently seen heavy rainfall, with more than 200 milliliters of rain falling in 24 hours in the greater Recife area, according to state officials. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro expressed sorrow, and said that forces were being deployed to provide aid and assistance. He also announced relief of 1 billion Brazilian real (€196 billion, $211 billion). Videos circulating on social media showed flooded roads, as well as collapsing houses and landslides. Meteorologist Estael Sias told news agency AFP in that the heavy rains lashing Pernambuco and, to a lesser extent, four other northeastern states, are the product of a typical seasonal phenomenon called "eastern waves." These are areas of "atmospheric disturbance" that move from the African continent to Brazil's northeastern coastal region. "In other areas of the Atlantic this instability forms hurricanes, but in northeastern Brazil it has the potential for a lot of rain and even thunderstorms," he added. Recife received 236 millimeters of rain between Friday night and Saturday morning, said the mayor's office. That is equivalent to more than 70% of the forecast for the whole month of May in the city.  To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Last month 14 more people were killed, also by flooding and landslides, in Rio de Janeiro. Climate change and La Nina are responsible for the heavy downpour in Brazil, say experts. rm, tg/wd (dpa, AFP)

1Catastrophe

A chart showing the proportion of women in each party in Germany's new parliament, the Bundestag, has been doing the rounds of various media outlets over the past few days.  The numbers are bleak. Just 255, or 34.7%, of the members of the new parliament are female — out of a total of 735 deputies in the increasingly bloated chamber. While that's a slight improvement on the makeup of the previous Bundestag, I'm disappointed — to say the least. The Greens lead the way, with 58%. The neoliberal Free Democrats (FDP), along with the center-right bloc made up of the Christian Democrats (CDU) and their Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), barely scratch the 25% mark, respectively. Don't even get me started on the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). Although the CDU/CSU and FDP quite happily and casually use buzzwords such as the "promotion of women" and "equal rights" in their manifestos, I just don't buy it — on the one hand because of the obviously low number of women in their own parliamentary groups while on the other, the parties' policies speak a different language. The best example is the CDU's dogmatic and misplaced loyalty to the concept of Ehegattensplitting (spouse splitting) whereby married couples can save taxes by dividing their income — a law harking back to the 1950s that makes it unattractive for many women to pursue gainful employment. Not only is it anachronistic, it also promotes backward traditional role models. A recent story in the Austrian newspaper Der Standard ran with this headline: "Since 1949, twice as many men have sat for the CSU and CDU in the Bundestag as women have for all parties." Equal rights for women and men are enshrined in the German constitution, the Basic Law. However, that equality is nowhere to be seen in the representation of society by the Bundestag. Equality begins when just as many women as men have a say in shaping policies; it ends when female politicians are still subjected to questions that no one would dare to ask men in the first place. Could anyone seriously imagine a man, let alone a candidate for chancellor, being asked how he reconciles pursuing a career with having children? The classic role models are still far too deeply entrenched in politics and society. So how did the Greens manage to get more women than men into their parliamentary group? It's not rocket science: Among other things, they fill their electoral lists with an equal share of men and women. The other parties should take a leaf out of their book. I'm in favor of a women's quota, not only in boardrooms but also in the Bundestag. Without it, there can be no equality, as the past few years have demonstrated. I'm sick and tired of hearing the argument that such a quota would mean that women end up in positions for which they are unsuited or not good enough. At the risk of stating the obvious: There are indisputably enough women who are more than qualified. But they continue to face hurdles that prevent them from taking the next step. Many women still experience discrimination when it comes to balancing a family and a career. More often than not, they are forced to take a back seat as a result of Germany's backward conservative approach of the past few years: Witness the policy of tax splitting for married couples. A study currently making the rounds estimates that we won't achieve complete equality for another 100 years. That's just about par for the course if the newly elected Bundestag is anything to go by. This opinion piece was translated from German (rm). To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

7Politics

People in the United States head to the polls on Tuesday to vote for their congressional representatives in the 2022 midterm elections. The word "midterm" refers to the fact that it comes directly in the middle of a presidential term. It is considered a bellwether for the sitting president, in this case, Joe Biden. Americans cast ballots for who will represent their state in the capital of Washington, DC. In the lower house of Congress, the House of Representatives, states have been broken up into 435 districts based on population. Because these representatives serve a term of two years, all 435 seats are being contested on Tuesday. For the upper house, the Senate, two senators are elected from each of the 50 states. Because senators are elected on six-year staggered terms, every two years elections are held for about a third of the Senate. In 2022, 35 senate races are being contested. Even with people voting in all 50 states, just a handful of battleground elections will likely determine whether Democrats or Republicans control the House of Representatives and Senate. Additionally, 36 states are electing their governors. While governors do not directly impact politics in Washington, they have a great deal of influence on politics in their state and often on their state's representatives in Congress. Democrats currently control the House of Representatives by only a handful of seats. In the Senate, there are 50 serving Republicans, 48 Democrats, and two Independents. Vice President Kamala Harris is also allowed to cast a tie-breaking vote as the president of the Senate. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video If the Democrats lose control of one or both houses of Congress, Biden will unlikely be able to pass much, if any, legislation in the second half of his term due to long-standing Republican policy to block nearly all bills coming from a Democratic White House. Just as in the rest of the world, the United States is grappling with soaring inflation and the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. Conservative politicians have also focused on making social issues like abortion, affirmative action, racial equity, and LGBT rights key issues in their campaigns. For many Democrats, the most pressing issue on the ballot is democracy itself in the face of partisan gerrymandering and election fraud claims from Republicans. Many, however, have also made access to abortions a central plank of their platforms after the Supreme Court overturned a decision legalizing abortion. With early and mail-in voting common in many states, counting the vote tallies could take some time. Some races will be called relatively quickly, while others could take days or weeks. Recounts can also be mandatory or requested in some districts where the election is particularly close. The key state of Georgia, for example, will see its polls close at 7 p.m. EST (0000 GMT/UTC), whereas another battleground, Pennsylvania, will close at 8 p.m. EST (0100 GMT/UTC). Important states to watch further west include Arizona and Nevada, with polls closing in those two states at 9 p.m. EST (2 a.m. GMT/UTC) and 10 p.m. EST (0300 GMT/UTC) respectively.    According to the election analysis website FiveThirtyEight, most of the results would likely be in by 3 a.m. EST on Wednesday (0800 GMT/UTC), but some states like Nevada could take longer if their races are close. wd, es/sms (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)

7Politics

In the past week alone, Ukraine has seen unprecedented cyber-attacks against both the defense ministry and two large Ukrainian banks: PrivatBank and JSC Oschadbank. Individual customers and the whole online banking system were affected. This coincided with reports from the frontline in eastern Ukraine of intensified clashes between Russian-trained rebels from Luhansk and Donetsk and Ukrainian army forces. There have also been reports that the Russian parliament is on the verge of recognizing these self-pronounced people's republics. These are just some examples of the skirmishes in the hybrid war that Russia has been fighting against Ukraine for eight years now. The world has largely looked the other way and for the people of Ukraine, it has just become part of everyday life. "In hybrid warfare what is very important to remember is that non-military methods play a central role,” says Margarete Klein, a researcher with the Berlin-based German Institute for Security Affairs (SWP) who specializes in eastern Europe. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video "It is not primarily a question of the military occupation of territory. Instead, it's about generating influence. Demonstrations of military might like the current troop build-up on the border with Ukraine, the military exercises in Belarus, as well as the carefully choreographed communication surrounding the announced troop withdrawal are all part of a well-equipped toolbox, whereby the main priority is to determine the narrative. And Vladimir Putin has truly mastered such a coordinated approach." Anybody who has spent much time in recent weeks monitoring the mood in Ukraine — be it on social media and other networks, or talking with ordinary people, may have been surprised to discover how calm many Ukrainians are. Of course, there has been some anxiety and reports of families even contemplating fleeing the country to join friends and relatives in Germany or Poland. Israel, meanwhile, has reportedly even set up an evacuation strategy for Jews wanting to leave Ukraine. Still, the mood in Kyiv might almost be described as mellow. There seems to be little doubt that people have simply become used to the hybrid warfare waged against their country by Moscow. And perhaps they're more battle-hardened than the febrile international media. Eight years is, after all, a long time to become accustomed to new realities: eight years since the "Revolution of Dignity" or the Maidan Revolution in the capital Kyiv. "It's a strategy of attrition. They are trying to put Ukraine under as much pressure as possible, especially domestically — with the goal of pushing it back onto a pro-Russian path," says SWP researcher Klein. "One aim is certainly also to create what might be called 'Ukraine fatigue' in the West," says the researcher, in an attempt to explain the constant cycle of tension and de-escalation, more tension and more de-escalation.  To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video All this, says Margarete Klein, helps to create "a sense, for instance, that the US leadership is simply paranoid. And part of that strategy is surely the announcement of a troop withdrawal at precisely the moment when German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was visiting Moscow." "At the same time, however, there is no real evidence that a substantial withdrawal has begun. Look at the units that were deployed from as far away as Siberia or Russia's Far East. If they were removed, that would really be a signal that a pull-back has begun. Instead, the only troops being withdrawn are those who could be back on the front line in no time at all," Klein explains. Vladimir Putin's show of force has had a concrete impact on the heart of Ukraine. For instance, the fear of full-scale war — real or not — was enough to see the national airline UIA lose its insurance coverage for some flights. There was even talk of the company possibly relocating to another country. That in turn forced the government to come up with a new fund costing half a billion euros to protect UIA flights. Ukraine's pro-European course, says Margarete Klein, ensures key economic backing from the EU itself. And one of Putin's goals in the hybrid war is therefore "to undermine Ukraine's economy." Russia is not so much looking to create a buffer zone against NATO, as to put an end for good to Ukraine's drive to the West. "Hybrid warfare sows the seeds of uncertainty. That, in turn, frightens off potential investors," researcher Klein explains.  Ukraine's westward orientation has proved to be unexpectedly successful. The balance of trade between Germany and Ukraine recovered from the shock of COVID-19 within just one year, again reaching the 7.7 billion euro mark ($8.75bn). "There's a growing impression that Ukraine can get back on track under its own steam," said Alexander Markus, chairman of the German-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry during an online conference in early February. And, commenting on Putin's hybrid warfare, he said: "I don't think it's going to work." There are, he argued, just too many, "young people in the country who are determined to shape their future." The spirit of the pro-European Maidan Revolution is believed to be precisely what makes Ukraine so interesting for western investors. Many young men and women who were school kids or university students at the time are now entrepreneurs and have founded their own startups. From that perspective, it is all the easier to understand why the Kremlin is pushing so hard to escalate the hybrid war. Maybe it is not, after all, the issue of whether Ukraine could or should eventually get NATO membership that is so decisive. Perhaps it is rather Ukraine's small pro-European success stories that are being closely monitored in the Kremlin. Western politicians like German Chancellor Olaf Scholz have been stressing that Ukraine isn't going to become a NATO member any time soon. Membership would possibly be considered only in due course. "But then it may be too late for us," Putin replied. This article was originally written in German.  To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 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.

7Politics

A new lawsuit has been filed against Facebook parent company Meta, claiming that the platform enabled the incitement of hatred in Ethiopia's civil war. The suit was filed in Kenya on Tuesday by two Ethiopian researchers and a Kenyan rights group, the Katiba Institute. According to court documents, the plaintiffs accuse Meta of not only failing to moderate violent posts about the country's conflict in the Tigray region, but also amplifying the most virulent ones. One of these posts preceded the murder of a plaintiff's father, their filing said. Abrham Amare, a researcher and son of chemistry professor Meareg Amare, said that his father was targeted by a series of threatening posts because he was ethnically Tigrayan. He reported the posts, some of them shared over 50,000 times, to Facebook because they contained his father's address and called for his death. Eight days after the elder Amare was murdered, Facebook finally removed the post, according to the researcher. "The content moderation decisions that are being taken by Facebook are matters of life and death," British lawyer Rosa Curling, a director from equitable tech advocacy organization Foxglove Legal, told DW. Curling added that Facebook not only needs to change its algorithms but also needs to give more importance to the work of moderators tasked with removing violent and hateful posts. "Nairobi is the hub for content moderation in relation to about 500 million users in Africa, and it's crucial the content moderation individuals who are doing this work are properly valued, properly paid, and that there is a vast increase in number for the Ethiopian market," she said. "The Ethiopian market has 117 million people, Facebook currently employs 25 content moderators," Curling added. "That is woefully inadequate." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The company denied the claims and said they "invest heavily in teams and technology" to remove hateful content. "We employ staff with local knowledge and expertise and continue to develop our capabilities to catch violating content in the most widely spoken languages in" Ethiopia, Meta spokesperson Erin McPike said. Last year, Meta's independent oversight board recommended that Facebook and Instagram make changes to counter how the platforms were being used to spread hateful messages in Ethiopia To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video But, according to the plaintiffs, little change actually materialized. They are now asking the court to force Meta, whose regional content moderation hub is in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, to implement emergency measures to restrict violent content and increase moderation staff. They are also seeking restitution funds of around $2 billion (€1.88 billion) for the victims of violence incited on their platforms. The suit is not the first time Meta and Facebook have been accused of doing too little, too late when violence is being fomented on their sites. Similar accusations have been made in Myanmar, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Cambodia. Meta has faced repeated allegations of failing to hire enough moderation staff familiar with local languages and culture. Since the renewed outbreak of violence between separatists and the government in Tigray in 2020, thousands have been killed and millions more displaced. However, a peace deal signed last month appears to be holding despite continued tensions.

2Conflicts

Yes - but only just. Hansi Flick's team eventually ran out 3-2 winners in an entertaining game away at third-place Wolfsburg. Jamal Musiala was the man-of-the-match, the German international scoring his fifth and sixth goals of the season and generally linking up well with Alphonso Davies to provide a constant threat down the left. After scoring in both legs of Bayern's Champions League semifinal defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, Eric Maxim Choup-Moting was also on target again in Robert Lewandowski's absence. Wolfsburg have been one of the Bundesliga's surprise packages this season, quietly establishing themselves in third. As coach Oliver Glasner said pre-match: "It's not a fluke." And his team demonstrated why against Bayern, keeping themselves in the game thanks to goals from Wout Weghorst (the Dutchman's 19th of the season) and Maximilian Philipp. If it wasn't for two errors from goalkeeper Koen Casteels for Bayern's first two goals, the Wolves may have got more out of this game. As it was though, Bayern capitalized on RB Leipzig's goalless draw against Hoffenheim on Friday night to go seven points clear with just six games to play. They did, and pretty comfortably. Erling Haaland returned to the scoring trail with two goals, one of which came from the penalty spot, after Gio Reyna equalized Milot Rashica's early opener. A late Mats Hummels' effort secured a 4-1 win that leaves the door open for BVB's Champions League hopes after... ... Champions League contenders Eintracht Frankfurt were hammered 4-0 away at Borussia Mönchengladbach, meaning that Dortmund could close the gap on them to four points. Now, Frankfurt losing away to Gladbach wouldn't normally constitute a huge surprise, but the nature of the Foals' 4-0 victory was certainly surprising. The game was full of off-the-field intrigue with Frankfurt coach Adi Hütter announcing earlier in the week that he will be joining Gladbach next season as Marco Rose's successor. And since Rose controversially announced his departure in February, Gladbach's form had collapsed, dropping as low as 10th while Hütter's Frankfurt challenged for Champions League. But goals from Matthias Ginter, Jonas Hofmann, Ramy Bensebaini and Hannes Wolf gave Gladbach a commanding victory which kept their Europa League hopes alive ... and may have planted a seed of doubt in Frankfurt. There were a few contenders on Saturday as the goals flew in across the country. Away from Wolfsburg and Mönchengladbach, Union Berlin secured an impressive 2-1 win over Stuttgart, while Freiburg thrashed hapless Schalke 4-0.  On the other hand, if you missed Augsburg vs. Bielefeld or RB Leipzig vs. Hoffenheim, don't worry. You didn't miss much. Two terrible games which ended 0-0. * Games in hand Similar to Jose Mourinho during his time at Manchester United, Wolfsburg coach Oliver Glasner actually lives in a hotel in the Autostadt - the same hotel that the traveling Bayern Munich squad and staff stayed in on Friday night. When asked by Sky TV whether he able to pick up any inside information on Bayern's plans, Glasner said no. But he did buy Hansi Flick a beer in the hotel lobby, as a good host should.

9Sports

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Turkey's parliament on Thursday passed a law proposed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that would make it possible to jail journalists and social media users for up to three years for spreading "disinformation." The Council of Europe said the measure's vague definition of "disinformation" and accompanying threat of jail could have a "chilling effect and increased self-censorship, not least in view of the upcoming elections in June 2023." The law's Article 29 raised the most concerns over free expression. It says those who spread false information online about Turkey's security to "create fear and disturb public order" will face a prison sentence of one to three years. Engin Altay, a parliamentarian from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), said minutes before the final vote that the country already trails most others in press freedom and the law makes it "impossible to categorize on these lists." However, Erdogan's AKP has said laws are needed to crack down on misinformation and false accusations on social media, saying this is not designed to silence the opposition. The bill now goes to the president for final approval. The issue of media freedom is gaining increasing importance ahead of next year's presidential and parliamentary elections, with polls showing that support for Erdogan and his AKP has been waning since the last vote. The Venice Commission, which advises the rights watchdog Council of Europe, said it is particularly concerned about consequences of the law's prison provision, "namely the chilling effect and increased self-censorship" ahead of the vote. The new law imposes a criminal penalty for those found guilty of disseminating false or misleading information. It also requires social networks and internet sites to hand over personal details of users suspected of "propagating misleading information." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Most Turkish newspapers and TV channels came under the control of government officials and their business allies during a sweeping crackdown after a failed coup in 2016. But social networks and internet-based media remained largely free of oversight. However, later Turkey used the threat of heavy penalties to force giants such as Facebook and Twitter to appoint local representatives who can quickly comply with local court orders to take down contentious posts. Around the same time, Erdogan began arguing that Turkey's highly polarized society was particularly vulnerable to fake and misleading news. Social media have "turned into one of the main threats to today's democracy," he said last December. Turkey was ranked 149th out of 180 countries in the annual media freedom index released earlier this year by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). According to annual tallies by the Committee to Protect Journalists NGO, for several years following the failed coup Turkey was also the world's most prolific jailer of journalists, though it dropped to sixth in the last rankings in 2021. In July, the Turkey's Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTUK) blocked the websites of German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle citing licensing issues. dh/msh (AFP, Reuters)

7Politics

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday once more stressed that Moscow's invasion of Ukraine was a turning point in European history, underlining the importance of Germany's armed forces in the new situation. He said Russian President Vladimir Putin was trying to redraw borders with the aim of making Russia an "imperial power" in Europe once more. "NATO remains responsible for the collective defence of the entire alliance with a focus on Europe. Credible deterrence remains the core element," said Scholz. "We, Europeans, must however assume significantly more responsibility within NATO." He was speaking on the second day of a two-day conference of the German armed forces that took the title "The Bundeswehr in a new era — Taking critical stock at a time of war in Europe." Scholz said Germany had to get used to the fact that Putin's Russia will define itself as an adversary to it, to NATO and the EU for the foreseeable future. He said that in view of the situation, Germany's military force must become Europe's best-equipped. "We are making it convincingly clear: Germany is ready to take on leading responsibility for the security of our continent," he said. "As the most populous country with the greatest economic power and as a country in the middle of the continent, our army must become the cornerstone of conventional defence in Europe: the best-equipped force in Europe," he added.  Scholz said that Germany had long "avoided really prioritizing the Bundeswehr's tasks." But, he said, although a good army could drill wells, give humanitarian assistance and help with vaccination during pandemics, that was not the "core task." "The core task of the Bundeswehr is to defend freedom in Europe," he said, adding that all other jobs had to take a secondary role. The German government was also ready to review reservations with regard to military export rules that affect joint defence projects, the chancellor said.   His remarks come as lawmakers from coalition partners the Green Party and the Free Democrats (FDP) are putting pressure on the Social Democrat (SPD) chancellor to deliver the battle tanks Kyiv has called for to help fight invading Russian forces. Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht, also a Social Democrat, on Thursday announced that two more rocket launchers and 50 Dingo armored vehicles would be sent to Ukraine but has so far rejected calls to deliver tanks. In May this year, in response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, Germany's coalition government and the conservative CDU/CSU alliance agreed on a €100 billion ($107 billion) boost to the country's military spending. tj/rt (dpa, AFP, 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.  

7Politics

Police guarded the access roads, and bags were checked. Only those wearing colored wristbands were granted admission, based on prior registration and a negative COVID test. It was also mandatory for the audience to wear FFP2 masks. Typically, the annual Bayreuth Festival in Richard Wagner's Festspielhaus — or the Bayreuth Festival Theater — attracts more than 60,000 visitors from Germany and abroad. This year however, only 911 seats of 1,974 are being filled for every performance, with audiences seated apart from one other in a checkerboard pattern. German Chancellor Angela Merkel — an avowed Wagner fan — and Bavarian State Premier Markus Söder attended opening night, although this year the red carpet wasn't rolled out. However, the audience's resounding applause was reserved mainly for two women: Ukrainian conductor Oksana Lyniv and Lithuanian singer Asmik Grigorian, who plays the role of Senta in this year's opening opera, The Flying Dutchman.  Grigorian wowed the audience with her magnificent vocals, while Lyniv made history by becoming the first woman to conduct the orchestra in the festival's 145-year run — a fact that reportedly also pleased Merkel. The 43-year-old conducted the orchestra for a new interpretation of The Flying Dutchman directed by Russian Dmitri Tcherniakov. As in many Wagner operas, "redemption" is a major theme in The Flying Dutchman — in this case, a man is redeemed from fate by the unconditional love of a woman. The Flying Dutchman is a former sea captain who is condemned to roam the seas for having made a deal with the devil. However, every seven years he is cast ashore, and if he wins the love of a faithful woman willing to sacrifice her life for him, he will be released from his curse. Tempted by the Dutchman's wealth — and unaware of his true identity and destiny — a Norwegian sailor named Daland agrees to give the Dutchman his daughter Senta's hand in marriage.  Senta happens to have long been fascinated by the legend of the Flying Dutchman. When her father introduces the stranger to her, she immediately promises her eternal fidelity to the mysterious man. However, the Dutchman later overhears a bitter argument between Senta and her former boyfriend, Erik, who still loves her. Convinced he has been betrayed, the Dutchman reveals the nature of his curse before setting sail again in his quest for redemption. Desperately in love, Senta throws herself into the sea, thus saving the Dutchman's soul. In later reworked versions, Wagner had the two ascend to heaven, alluding to the romantic notion of unconditional love in death and beyond. However, director Tcherniakov has dispensed with this ending, as with Wagner's mysticism in general. There is also no ship in the whole opera. Tcherniakov's stage instead reflects the cool atmosphere of a black-and-white 1960s thriller. The brick houses of the village have a lifeless feel, even when the sailors set up their folding tables and chairs in front of a drinking hall.  There's even a sadness to the women's choir rehearsing their singing in the street with Senta's governess, Mary (Marina Prudenskaya), and the color scheme is muted. Only Senta, with a striking red and blue streak in her hair, stands out from the crowd with her hoodie and her exuberant movements. "My Senta is an angry teenager, maybe between 14-15 years old. She reminds me of myself at that age," Grigorian told DW.  At times Senta is bored by what the other women are saying, at other times wildly determined to assure the Dutchman of her fidelity, while being dismissive towards her boyfriend, Erik. Grigorian has put her heart and soul into the role. Swedish baritone John Lundgren, who stars as the Flying Dutchman,  plays the role as a silent observer harboring a psychological trauma that bursts out of him at the end. "Often the 'Dutchman' is staged as the story of Senta, the strong woman. For me, it was about telling the story of the Dutchman," Tcherniakov told DW. In Tcherniakov's version, when the Flying Dutchman overhears Senta and Erik arguing and no longer believes in Senta's fidelity to him, he pulls a pistol from his coat and fires into the crowd. His men also shoot, flames burst from the windows of the buildings, and dead bodies litter the village square. When Senta nevertheless swears her unwavering fidelity to him until death, her governess Mary appears with a rifle and shoots the Dutchman. Senta survives, and the two women embrace. It is an unexpected ending devoid of the shared love and redemption — which some die-hard Wagner fans must have been waiting for, leading to a few boos aimed at the director. The twist was well thought out but did not always seem coherently realized. Furthermore the cold, retro-inspired atmosphere hardly allowed emotionally charged moments to play out.  Festival director Katharina Wagner had told the press a day before the opening that she wants to focus more on young people, and on exciting and unusual ideas at the Bayreuth Festival. This also includes the topic of digitalization. In 2023, for example, there will be a complete production of Parsifal with action both on stage and via virtual reality glasses, to attract younger audiences to the Festspielhaus. Correction, July 27, 2021: A previous version of this article's headline made a reference to the punk rock women's empowerment slogan, Girl Power. It was changed. This article was adapted from the German by Brenda Haas.  

4Culture

The European Parliament on Thursday overwhelmingly adopted a resolution condemning "baseless and arbitrary sanctions" imposed by China on European lawmakers and institutions, adding it would not ratify an investment pact if the sanctions remained in place. In March, the EU sanctioned four Chinese officials over alleged human rights violations involving the Uyghur Muslim minority group in the Xinjiang region. China responded with its own sanctions against European politicians, scholars and research groups. Thursday's resolution said that China's sanctions were an "attack on fundamental freedoms," and urged Chinese authorities to "lift these wholly unjustified restrictive measures.'' The multi-billion investment accord, called the "Comprehensive Agreement on Investment," needs MEP approval to take effect. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The EU and China approved the pact in December 2020, after seven years of negotiations. Proponents of the pact say it would help open China's economy to European companies, and help balance market access. The deal was pushed through with the heavy backing of Germany, which was the largest EU exporter of goods to China in 2020. On the sidelines of an EU trade ministers' meeting on Thursday, German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier expressed his support for keeping the pact alive. China "is the European Union's largest trading partner and the United States' largest trading partner, and thus plays an important role in the global economy," CDU politician Altmaier said. "We want to reach results with China that are in the interest of both sides." However, the ongoing diplomatic spat between the EU and China over human rights issues has complicated moving forward on business ties. "The European Parliament's decision underlines what I have been saying for weeks: the investment agreement with China is on ice and will only be unfrozen when China withdraws sanctions against members of the European Parliament," said German MEP Bernd Lange, an SPD politician and head of the parliamentary trade committee. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The status of the deal had already been thrown into question several weeks ago, when European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis told journalists that the European Commission had "in a sense suspended" political outreach efforts to win approval for the deal. A spokesperson for the European Commission told DW at the time that the ratification process had not begun, and was subject to a legal review. The spokesperson said the ratification process was now effectively paused as it "cannot be separated from the evolving dynamics of the wider EU-China relationship." wmr/msh (AFP, AP)

7Politics

Hundreds of protesters — including human rights activists and Christian groups — held peaceful rallies across the Philippine capital of Manila on Wednesday to mark five decades since the country's late strongman Ferdinand Marcos Sr. declared martial law. Many demonstrators carried signs reading "never again" and displaying images of victims of the martial law era, which lasted 14 years until Marcos Sr. was ousted following a popular uprising. Former political detainees, activists and youth leaders reflected on the commemoration and the state of human rights in the Philippines, with the former dictator's son and namesake now ruling the country as president. Bonifacio Ilagan was a 23-year-old student activist in the '70s when state forces raided the safe house where he and the publishers of an underground newspaper were hiding. Ilagan was detained and endured torture for two years.  Ilagan described Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s landslide presidential victory in May as "a nightmare." "Watching news that addresses the son of the dictator as president makes me cringe. I will not forget what he said about the torture victims being only after money. Money never crossed our minds when we fought his father's dictatorship," Ilagan told DW.  Ilagan's sister, Rizalina, was also arrested. To this day, she remains missing. Her name is inscribed on the Bantayog ng mga Bayani (Monument of Heroes) memorial wall along with that of more than 300 others. Now, Ilagan fears that truth memorials and other political institutions that hold the memories of the martial law years are under threat by the Marcos Jr. regime. "We will be relentless in pursuit of truth and justice. I have spent more than half of my lifetime in the struggle, I think I know what it entails," Ilagan, who is also co-convenor of the Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses and Martial Law (CARMMA), told DW. "History and consciousness are still the basis arenas of resistance." According to Amnesty International, during the nearly two decades of martial law, about 70,000 people were detained on charges of subversion, more than 34,000 were tortured, and more than 3,000 were murdered in extrajudicial killings.   On September 18, Akbayan Youth's national chairperson, RJ Naguit, guided mostly young participants on a bus and walking tour of martial law historical sites around Manila.  The tour used interactive games like a treasure hunt to educate participants about the Marcos family's ill-gotten wealth. The latest data from the Philippine Commission on Good Governance (PCGG) — the government agency tasked to recover the amassed wealth — suggested that 125 billion pesos (€2 billion) remain to be accounted for. "Events like this are more meaningful and important now," Naguit told DW. "True history is not an academic exercise anymore. It is something that has real stakes in the lives of Filipinos." More than half of the 65 million registered voters are between 18-41, according to data from the Commission on Elections. A large portion of this group was born after the ouster of Marcos Sr. in a peaceful revolution in 1986. Naguit, 27, did not experience the martial law era but rejected the notion that the youth are more accepting of a Marcos, Jr. presidency.  "It's one thing to see the horrors of the past, and quite another to have it fully return to us," he said. But for Isnihayah Tomawis, 27, martial law is "still a blur." Tomawis, a resident of Marawi City on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, told DW that her elders, as living witnesses of history, are her primary source of information.  "What my elders remember about martial law is not the same as what I have read in books," said Tomawis. "People just bury the past and move on with their lives — at least that's what my grandmother always tells me. This is one of the reasons why until now martial law is a neutral thing for me," she added. Meanwhile, Melanie Joy Feranil, spokesperson for the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP), told DW that campus journalists are not exempt from state repression and have been relentlessly labeled terrorists or terrorist supporters. Last June, six CEGP members and nine campus journalists were among those illegally arrested, along with farmers who were cultivating a piece of land. Other reporters have been injured and arrested while covering other protests.   "Crisis generates resistance. The youth, especially the student press, will be active in asserting the resistance," Feranil, 22, told DW.  Cristina Palabay, secretary-general of the rights organization Karapatan, warned of an even worsening state of human rights under Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte, daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte.  "Both explicitly extol their fathers' legacies of massive human rights violations, political repression, corrupt practices and ways, and kill-kill-kill governance," Palabay told DW.  Karapatan reported that 2017 was the bloodiest year for human rights defenders. At least 134 were killed, most of whom were farmers advocating for land rights.  According to Human Rights Watch, at least 13 Karapatan members have been killed since 2016. The Supreme Court has not issued a decision on Karapatan's petition for legal protection.  "Our domestic mechanisms are largely ineffective in delivering justice and in exacting accountability. There is practically an infrastructure for the state of impunity," she said. Edited by: Keith Walker 

7Politics

The relationship between Russia and Israel has rarely been so tense. Despite high-level phone calls, the Russian arm of the Jewish Agency for Israel faces forced closure. There has been speculation in both countries as to what might be behind this development. The Russian-language department of the British broadcaster BBC reported in July on a 20-page document containing a list of alleged irregularities that the Russian Justice Ministry had sent to the Jewish Agency in June. According to an anonymous source at the Jewish Agency in Russia, there were two main points of criticism: That the personal data of Russian citizens had been collected and sent abroad, and that the Jewish Agency was encouraging the "brain drain" from Russia by helping some of best qualified workers in the country to leave. A Jewish Agency staffer was cited as saying that the ministry had said that this was "adversely affecting the economy and prospects of the Russian Federation." According to official statistics, some 4 million Russians left the country in the first quarter of 2022, which Russian media have said is an increase of 46% over the previous year.  The Jewish Agency, also known as the Sochnut, has two main goals: To help Jews from around the world to emigrate to Israel and to strengthen Jewish identity. It provides Hebrew courses and educational programs and also assists those in need in both Israel and abroad. In Russia, the agency also provides support to partners that help the elderly and people with disabilities — including Jews and non-Jews. Set up in 1929 and now boasting branches all over the world, the Jewish Agency started operating in Russia in 1989, when more emigration to Israel began. However, it does not promote emigration to Israel. It only supports those who are entitled to emigrate, paying for flights and helping people to build new lives once they have arrived in Israel. According to its data, in 2021 the number of emigrants from Russia to Israel increased by 10% to 7,500. Russians account for the largest group of people relocating to the country. Natan Sharansky, a Soviet dissident and the former chairman of the Jewish Agency, told DW that the non-profit group had been "targeted by Russian authorities" after the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the subsequent outbreak of war in Ukraine. As tensions increased with the West, Russia banned all non-governmental organizations from collecting data on Russian citizens and storing it abroad. "But that is exactly what the Jewish Agency does," Sharansky said. "It contacts people who have a right to emigrate, runs various programs and helps people to resettle in Israel." The Israeli Jerusalem Post daily suspected there might be a political reason behind the development. The relationship between Russia and Israel, the newspaper wrote, has become more complicated since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February. Though Israel did not join the Western sanctions, it did condemn Russia and has provided support to Ukraine. In May, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov caused a scandal when he compared Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Hitler. Russian President Vladimir Putin later apologized for these remarks to Naftali Bennett, who was Israeli prime minister at the time. Last month, Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Nachman Shai suggested that Moscow was attempting to "punish the Jewish Agency for Israel's stance on the war" and was quoted by The Times of Israel as saying that this was "deplorable and offensive." "Russian Jews will not be held hostage by the war in Ukraine," he insisted. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid has warned that the forced closure of the Jewish Agency in Russia would have a "serious impact on Israel-Russia relations."   The matter was the subject of a phone conversation between Putin and his Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog on August 9. The Reuters news agency reported that the Kremlin had said the men had agreed that "contacts about the Jewish Agency" would be "continued in both countries." Nonetheless, the Jewish Agency is preparing for the worst and, according to The Jerusalem Post, "has taken steps to move its Russian operations to Israel and online."  This article was originally written in Russian. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

2Conflicts

Two Senate committees assessing security in the aftermath of the January 6 storming of the US Capitol building laid out broad government, military and law enforcement breakdowns in a report released on Tuesday.  The report advised giving the Capitol Police chief greater authority. It also laid out plans for rapid response by the Pentagon, the base of the US Defense Department. In a statement, US Capitol Police (USCP) welcomed the report. It said it had already changed its operations planning to focus on national security. The service continued to point to US intelligence failures to warn of the attack. The Senate Rules and Homeland Security bipartisan committees found that multiple intelligence agencies did not function properly during the incident. It found that Capitol Police officers did not have the proper training to stop the rioters.  During the incident, the committees found that the Pentagon spent hours assessing pleas for help from Capitol Police. They deployed DC National Guard troops nearly three hours after they were requested. This delay was procedural and was not down to foot-dragging at the White House, a Senate aide said. The senators criticized the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Homeland Security Department for downplaying online threats. The committees said they did not issue formal intelligence bulletins to help law enforcement. The report recommended empowering the Capitol Police chief to ask directly for DC National Guard help in an emergency in order to speed up the deployment process. Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat who chairs the Rules committee, said she and Republican Senator Roy Blunt would introduce legislation to make the change. The senators recommended that the three-member Capitol Police board "regularly review the policies and procedures" after finding they did not understand their own authority. The report further recommended a consolidated intelligence unit within the Capitol Police after widespread failures from multiple agencies in predicting the incident. The USCP responded to the report. In a statement, it stressed that it was prepared for a large demonstration but did not know "thousands of rioters were planning to attack." It added that improvements were needed in intelligence analysis and distribution, both at the federal level and within its own force. The 95-page document noted that Trump encouraged his supporters to go to the Capitol. A copy of his speech was appended to the report, but it did not discuss his role. The committee leaders acknowledged the report confined its focus to intelligence gathering, security preparations and emergency response. It did not explore the motivation for the attack. Gary Peters, a Democrat who chairs the Senate Homeland Security Committee, told press that the report was not intended to be a substitute for a bipartisan commission that could investigate further. But last month, Senate Republicans blocked legislation to set up a bipartisan commission that could potentially do this. The Senate committees said they did not get all the information they had sought from several agencies regarding the storming. kmm/wmr (AP, AFP, Reuters)

7Politics

Rafael Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said Wednesday that the negotiations held yesterday with Iranian officials were "intense" but that the two sides "could not agree" on several points of contention between the agency and Tehran. "Despite my best efforts, these extensive negotiations and deliberations to address Iran's outstanding safeguard issues, proved inconclusive," Grossi told the quarterly meeting of the IAEA board of governors. Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi said talks between the two sides had agreed, however, to continue consultations. "The talks between the agency's chief Rafael Grossi and Iranian officials in Tehran took place in a constructive atmosphere and the two sides reached a general agreement on how to pursue issues of interest," Kamalvandi added. Under the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, Tehran agreed to limit uranium enrichment and allow for wider inspections of nuclear facilities in exchange for sanctions relief. However, after the United States walked away from the agreement and reapplied sanctions in 2018, Iran again began enriching nuclear fuel and limiting access to sites.  This week's talks came ahead of new negotiations in Vienna scheduled for Monday between Iran and world powers on reviving the tattered deal. Constraints put on UN inspectors accessing several nuclear sites in Iran, and the treatment of IAEA staff in the country, were at the center of negotiations. Earlier this year, IAEA inspectors found uranium particles at two previously undeclared sites that Iran had long prevented them from entering.  The UN nuclear watchdog has also asked for damaged surveillance cameras to be reinstalled at a centrifuge parts production site near the northern city of Karaj. Inspectors are also seeking access to real-time data from automated measuring devices, which monitor Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium.  Last week, Grossi complained about restrictions on the work of IAEA inspectors, saying they've had to endure "excessively intrusive body searches" by security forces in Iran.  US special envoy Rob Malley told National Public Radio warned that Washington would not "sit idly" on Iran if it drags its feet on returning to a nuclear accord. "If they start getting too close, too close for comfort, then,of course, we will not be prepared to sit idly," US negotiator Rob Malley told the National Public Radio in excerpts released Tuesday. "If it doesn't want to get back into the deal, if it continues to do what it appears to be doing now, which is to drag its feet at the nuclear diplomatic table and accelerate its pace when it comes to its nuclear program, if that's the path it chooses, we'll have to respond accordingly," Malley said. jcg,wmr/aw (AP, Reuters)

7Politics

Japanese authorities on Wednesday warned of the threat of lava flows and falling rocks after a volcano erupted on the main southern island of Kyushu. Mount Aso is one of the world's largest active volcanoes and the largest volcano in Japan. The 1,592-meter (5,223-foot) volcano is a popular tourist destination. The eruption sent stones tumbling down its grassy slopes and plumes of ash 3.5 kilometers (2.2 miles) high, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. It erupted at about 11:43 a.m. local time (0243 UTC), according to the agency.  JMA on Wednesday raised its warning for Aso to three out of five.  There have been no reports of casualties, but authorities were checking if any hikers had been trapped or injured, officials told local media. For those near the mountain, "caution must be exercised for large flying rocks and flows of pyroclastic materials," said JMA official Tomoaki Ozaki. "Caution is warranted even in far-away areas downwind, as the wind may carry not just ash but also pebbles," Ozaki told a televised press conference, warning that toxic gases may also have been emitted. Television footage showed dozens of vehicles and tour buses parked at a nearby museum that has a clear view of the volcano. Torrents of ash were seen rushing down Aso's slopes toward the museum, but it did not reach the site. The last time JMA's warning was raised to Wednesday's level was when Aso erupted in 2016. Japan is one of the most volcanically active countries in the world.  The island country sits on the so-called "Ring of Fire," where several of the planet's quakes and volcanic eruptions are recorded.  In 2014, Japan saw its deadliest volcanic eruption in almost nine decades on Mount Ontake, in the central Nagano prefecture. The eruption killed 63 people. fb/sms (AFP, dpa, Reuters)

1Catastrophe

In their biggest-ever drug haul, New Zealand authorities seized cocaine worth more than $300 million (€279.5 million) found floating in the Pacific Ocean. The police said it a statement it had recovered 3.5 tons of cocaine — enough to supply New Zealand for 30 years. "This is the largest find of illicit drugs by New Zealand's agencies by some margin," police commissioner Andrew Coster said. Officials believe the consignment were dumped at a "floating transit point" in the ocean, where they would have been picked up and transported to Australia. New Zealand Customs Service acting controller Bill Perry said the 81 bales of cocaine seized "is estimated to have taken more than half a billion dollars' worth" of the drug out of circulation. The haul was made possible by the intelligence sharing between the "Five Eyes" alliance. The network, which is several decades old, includes the US, Canada, Britain, Australia, and New Zealand. "There is no doubt this discovery lands a major financial blow right from the South American producers through to the distributors of this product," Coster said. "While this disrupts the syndicate's operations, we remain vigilant given the lengths we know these groups will go to circumvent coming to law enforcement's attention." ss/es (AFP, dpa)  

3Crime