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Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday announced another milestone on the path to getting Nord Stream 2 up and running, on the same day the Kremlin maintained that the project remains on track. "Today the procedure of filling the second pipe of Nord Stream 2 with gas should be completed. The first string was filled in October," Putin said.  "This new route will certainly serve to stabilize prices on the European market," he added. Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller said the filling of the pipeline's second vessel was completed early on Wednesday afternoon. "The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline is ready for operation," he confirmed. Earlier on Wednesday, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak was adamant that the Nord Stream 2 project remained on track despite suggestions the gas pipeline does not comply with European law. Novak rejected the comments made by Yuriy Vitrenko, the head of Ukraine's state energy company Naftogaz, who said he believed Nord Stream 2 would not get the necessary certification. "It is impossible to disrupt this project," Novak told Russian news outlet RBK. "It was built in accordance with all legal requirements." When pressed on whether Russia had a "plan B" should Nord Stream 2 not be certified, Novak added: "We don't consider such options and we believe it will be launched in line with the timings, set for certification." Construction on the pipeline, which runs from Russia to Germany on the bed of the Baltic Sea, bypassing Ukraine, was completed in September. The project, however, is dormant while awaiting regulatory approval from both Berlin and Brussels. The project has become increasingly politicized as tensions grow between Russia and the West, with fears growing over Moscow's intentions near its border with Ukraine. Naftogaz chief Vitrenko said last month he had reason to believe Nord Stream 2 did not comply with European law, thus rendering it impossible to come online. jsi/dj (Reuters, dpa)

7Politics

Ramona Bachmann came off the bench to score an extra time winner, sending PSG through to the final four of the Champions League at Bayern Munich's expense. The result extends Bayern's wait for a Champions League title as PSG, who like their male counterparts, have been unable to go all the way in Europe's elite club competition. Lyon or Juventus wait for PSG, who have twice lost the final of this competition, in 2015 and 2017, and make up the final four for the third straight season. Earlier on Wednesday, Barcelona had set a new attendance record for a women's club game as over 91,000 fans assembled at Camp Nou. This meeting in Paris attracted 27,262, a new record for PSG and another positive advert for the women's game. This number included many PSG 'ultras' who transferred their support of the men to the women and helped create a big-game atmosphere and sense of occasion in Paris' 16th arrondissement. However, things didn't exactly go to plan for the hosts. Sandy Baltimore's opener after a mistake by Bayern keeper Janina Leitzig briefly put PSG 3-1 up on aggregate and on track for the final four – but Bayern had other ideas. Jen Scheuer's team leveled two minutes later through Saki Kumagai's close-range finish – her third goal in her last two games. By the time Lea Schüller redirected Klara Bühl's long ranger beyond the wrong-footed Barbora Votikova in the PSG goal, the tide was turning Bayern's way. With PSG struggling to wrestle control of midfield — they missed their injured ex-Bayern midfielder Sara Däbritz — the Germans dictated long periods of the second half but couldn't make their superiority count in normal time. Bayern would be made to pay for that with the substitute Bachmann firing in after 112 minutes to settle a compelling game and emerge as the heroin. Bayern Munich's dream of winning a treble are downgraded to a domestic double, with Wolfsburg laying in wait this Sunday in the Frauen Bundesliga's top-of-the-table clash, a game upon which the success of Bayern's season now rests.

9Sports

Irina Buravtsova and Natalia Afanaseva want to turn iconic artworks into multiflavored lollipops. On a recent morning at an incubator for food startups in Paris, they experimented with a new recipe in the professional kitchen, stirring a few drops of a flavor mix of raspberry, lychee and rose with sugar and water. They poured the sticky mixture into special 3D-printed molds they had spent months designing. Once it had set, they had a batch of lollipops that were perfect mini replicas of the famous Venus de Milo sculpture in the Louvre museum. "We want to make art edible and touchable and give it original tastes which candy in France usually doesn't have," Buravtsova said as she sucked on one of the still-warm lollipop sculptures. "So, it's surprising and pleasurable for adults who can become children again in licking the lollipops." The Paris-based entrepreneurs, who set up a company last year called Licone, soon plan to launch their handmade lollipops, targeting concept and fine food stores as well as museum shops. Irina and Natalia have been getting professional help at the incubator, Smart Food Paris, located in a trendy building in the city's east. The two attend mentoring sessions and workshops on commercialization, business strategy and distribution and get access to vital contacts and business networks. Like the quirky "edible art" company, Smart Food Paris has incubated dozens of startups in the food sector. The business ideas range from producing organic buckwheat products, setting up and running urban farms, creating edible tableware and smart delivery services, making insect-based food and plant-based proteins to replace meat and dairy to setting up an app to help bakers track and improve their operations. "France, and especially Paris, is famous for its gastronomy but in reality, the food sector is tough to crack. It operates in a very particular way. There are lots of players, both public and private, and there are lots of regulations," said Domitille Dezobry, the head of the incubator. "For a startup to make it to the market, you need a specialized support system that opens the door and helps it find the right model to successfully sell its products or services." Smart Food Paris is far from being the only launchpad in the French capital dedicated to food startups. In recent years, the city has turned into a hotspot for culinary tech with at least a dozen clusters, accelerators and incubators focused on supporting innovative food projects. The government provides crucial help. In 2019, President Emmanuel Macron's government announced that France had drummed up €5 billion ($5.92 billion) of capital from the country's institutional investors to inject into tech companies, especially for late-stage funding, over the next three years to help startups scale up, boost innovation and investment and make Paris a leading tech destination in Europe. France's public investment bank, Bpifrance, has also played an important role in providing financing, pouring several billion euros into startups. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Antoine Gillain, who set up a company last year, BUBBLe iT!, to sell a product that transforms tap water into a healthy, fizzy drink, said he managed to get up to €30,000 in initial funding through the bank. The condition was that he sign up for an incubation process. At Smart Food Paris, which is financed by the city government, he now pays subsidized fees of €1,600 each month for advice, mentoring and business contacts as well as renting three coworking spots. "It's a fair price to pay. There is a lot support for startups," Gillain, who's also raised funds through two crowdfunding campaigns, said. "The biggest advantage of the incubator is that you're in a place where there are 25 or 30 other startups all operating in the food space, so you can also really learn a lot from each other's experiences." For startups looking to still develop their products, Paris' food ecosystem has another key ingredient — a host of research institutes and universities focused on culinary science, innovation and research. Nour Akbaraly set up a company four years ago called Les Nouveaux Affineurs or "The New Cheesemakers" to make vegan cheese. Since it uses only cashew nuts, soya and water, it required him to experiment with scientific inputs to get the crucial process of fermentation and maturation right. He was accepted for incubation at Smart Food Paris and at the same time at a full-fledged scientific food lab at AgroParisTech, the National Institute of Technology for Life, Food and Environmental Sciences. "Here in France we have access to many cheesemakers and many food scientists and there's a lot of know-how in dairy cheese making," Akbaraly said, adding: "The food lab allowed us to experiment and carry out prototyping and apply all the best knowledge in the dairy process to the plant-based to create products with a good nutritional profile. And, the Smart Food Paris incubator helped connect us with retailers and institutional partners for the business." It turned out to be a winning recipe. Last year, Akbaraly managed to raise more than €2 million during a funding round, allowing him to expand his team and invest in a pilot production unit in southeast Paris. The vegan soft cheese wheels and spreads are available in select stores and bakeries in France as well as Germany. His plan is to export to other markets in Europe. France's reputation as a mecca for gastronomic cuisine undoubtedly goes a long way in helping its food startups. According to Choose Paris Region, an agency meant to attract investment to Paris, startups in the food sector raised a total of $700 million (€590 million) in 2019, making France the second largest player for food tech investments in Europe after the UK. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

0Business

Since June 11, the postponed 2020 European Championship has doggedly persevered through the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Teams and fans have traveled the length and breadth of Europe, from Sevilla to St. Petersburg, Rome to Baku, Amsterdam to Bucharest. Now, as the tournament reaches its climax, all roads lead to London. Though the United Kingdom has the highest COVID-19 death toll in western Europe, with more than 128,000, and currently records upwards of 27,000 new cases per day — many of which involve the delta variant — Wembley Stadium is set to welcome 65,000 fans per match for the semifinals (July 6-7) and final (July 11). The increase is the result of a deal between UEFA and the UK government after European football's governing body threatened to hand the three showcase games to Budapest if local authorities couldn't guarantee a higher attendance limit. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said she is "skeptical." Her interior minister, Horst Seehofer, has called it "irresponsible." Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi wanted to move the final to "a country where new coronavirus infections are not on the rise," suggesting the Italian capital, Rome. Indeed, with foreign fans unable to travel to the UK because of strict quarantine regulations, Italy head coach Roberto Mancini believes that it is "very unfair" that his team will have to play their semifinal against Spain in front of a predominantly British crowd. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson insisted in talks with Merkel recently that UK sporting events were being opened up in a "very careful and controlled manner." This week, he went further, announcing that the UK would revoke coronavirus regulations, including mandatory social distancing and the wearing of masks, and all limits on sports events, from July 19. UEFA insists that hygiene precautions have been in place at all times in accordance with guidelines from local health authorities in the host cities. Stadium capacities, with the exception of Budapest, have been limited and entry restricted to people with proof of vaccination, negative tests or recovery from COVID-19. Inside, fans have been encouraged to maintain social distancing, use hand sanitizer and wear masks. That's the theory. In reality, football supporters have gathered close together and celebrated wildly, falling into each other's arms, with few wearing masks. And beyond the stadium limits, they have traveled together on packed trains and buses, and gathered in busy pubs and town squares across the continent. The results so far? Health authorities in Scotland have reported that a total of 1,991 cases of COVID-19 were linked to Scottish fans traveling to London for their team's goalless draw with England. Finnish authorities say that at least 300 fans picked up COVID-19 while supporting their team at two matches in St. Petersburg. In Copenhagen, Danish authorities urged thousands of people to get checked after at least seven fans attending games in the city tested positive. UEFA insists that it is "satisfied with the overall situation" across the 11 host cities, reporting after the group stage that "overall rates of positive results are still marginally low." The World Health Organization (WHO), on the other hand, has said that Euro 2020 is responsible for a 10% rise in new cases across the continent. Senior emergency officer Catherine Smallwood has warned that a new wave is inevitable unless restrictions were placed on fans. "We need to look much beyond just the stadiums themselves," she said. "We need to look at how people get there, are they traveling in large-crowded convoys of buses? And, when they leave the stadiums, are they going into crowded bars and pubs to watch the matches?"

9Sports

Ukrainians on Sunday marked one month since Russia's troops withdrew from Kherson and its vicinity. The region had been occupied for eight months.  Since then, residents have struggled to regain normalcy, dealing instead with the aftermath of the lengthy occupation, as shelling continues to batter the southern Ukrainian city.  To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Kherson's regional administration said shelling has killed 41 people over the past month, including a child, while 96 people were hospitalized.  Kherson's regional governor, Yaroslav Yanushevich, said that another two people were killed by Russian attacks overnight. "The enemy again attacked the residential quarters of Kherson," he wrote on Telegram. "Last night, two people were killed due to Russian shelling." Access to electricity is still unreliable, although water is largely connected. Indoor heating has only very recently been restored to roughly 70-80% of the city, the result of Russians destroying one major central heating station last month.  The city's main police station, where detainees were reportedly tortured, was packed with explosives and made impenetrable to demining squads, which has hindered investigations into what happened there.  Ukrainian forces have had the painstaking task of clearing the myriad of mines and hidden explosives left behind by the Russians.  "The difficulties are very simple, it's the weather conditions," one unnamed military demining squad member told the AP, adding that some of their equipment simply does not work in frost conditions "because the soil is frozen like concrete.''  Kherson sits in an agricultural region that produces crops as diverse as wheat, tomatoes, and watermelon, but the fields are so heavily mined that some 30% of arable land in the region is unlikely to be available for planting in the spring, the unnamed deminer told the Associated Press news agency (AP).  As a result of the occupation, regional officials say some 80% of Kherson's pre-war population of about 320,000 fled. Only some 60,000-70,000 residents remained, making the city feel like a ghost town.   Here are the other top stories related to the war in Ukraine on Sunday, December 11:  In a call with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, US President Joe Biden highlighted his administration's efforts to boost Ukraine's air defense, the White House said. Biden mentioned the December 9 announcement of $275 million (€261 million) in additional ammunition and equipment that included systems to counter the Russian use of unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as the November 29 announcement of $53 million to support Ukraine's energy infrastructure. He also welcomed Zelenskyy's "stated openness to a just peace based on fundamental principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter." Biden reaffirmed the US commitment to continue providing Ukraine with security, economic, and humanitarian assistance, holding Russia accountable for its war crimes and atrocities, and imposing costs on Russia for its aggression. Emergency crews were working to ease power shortages in many parts of Ukraine after Russian attacks, particularly the Black Sea port of Odesa, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address. "At this time, it has become possible to partially restore supplies in Odesa and other cities and districts in the region," Zelenskyy said. "We are doing everything to reach the maximum number possible in the conditions that developed after the Russian strikes," he added. Russian forces used Iranian-made drones to hit two energy plants in Odesa on Saturday, knocking out power to about 1.5 million customers. According to Zelenskyy, Odesa was "among the regions with the most frequent power outages." Other areas experiencing "very difficult" conditions with power supplies included the Kyiv metropolitan area and four regions in western Ukraine, along with Dnipropetrovsk region in the center of the country. Ukraine's ambassador to Germany says Berlin has promised more assistance in the form of weapon deliveries. "In direct talks, we were assured of more weapons and more ammunition. Which ones, we will jointly announce in due course," Oleksii Makeiev told newspaper Welt am Sonntag. Makeiev told the publication that more anti-aircraft systems, artillery and ammunition were needed on the frontline. "In addition, we are still in talks about the delivery of Marder infantry fighting vehicles and Leopard battle tanks. However, the decision on this lies with the German government," the ambassador said. Germany has been under pressure to deliver high-tech battle tanks to help Ukraine's forces. However, the country's Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht has questioned the practicalities of training Ukrainian forces on advanced weapons systems that will take weeks, when Soviet-era tanks can be deployed almost immediately. Ukraine's senior military leadership has claimed responsibility for missile strikes on various targets in Russian-occupied territory over the weekend. The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces confirmed in a statement that its air force carried out five strikes "on areas where personnel, weapons and military equipment are concentrated." "Units of rocket troops and artillery at the same time hit seven control points, 10 personnel concentration areas, an artillery concentration area and an enemy ammunition depot," Ukraine's military said. The statement did not provide details of specific targets attacked. Russia reported that there had been multiple strikes on the south-eastern city of Melitopol on Saturday. At the same time Ukraine's military leadership said that Russia had continued attacking civilian infrastructure, with five air strikes and rocket attacks recorded on Sunday. US attempts to get former marine Paul Whelan freed in a prisoner exchange failed to materialize when Russia demanded the release of a convicted murderer in exchange, according to US media. Speaking to broadcaster ABC, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said that "there was a claim [Russia] wanted a man named Mr. Krasikov, that the Germans have held in custody, who is an assassin." "That wasn't considered a serious offer," Kirby said. Vadim Krasikov — a former colonel in Russia's domestic intelligence service — is serving a life sentence in Germany for murdering a Chechen fighter in a Berlin park in 2019. The body of a Zambian student killed while fighting for the Russian army in Ukraine has been repatriated. Lemekani Nyirenda had been studying nuclear engineering in Russia before he was convicted of drug trafficking in 2020 and was sentenced to 9 years in prison. He was pardoned in Russia's special amnesty, which saw convicts enlisted in the military and sent to fight in Ukraine. Zambia's Foreign Minister Stanley Kakubo had asked Russian authorities to provide a detailed account of the circumstances in which Nyirenda was killed. "We were told that on August 23 he was conditionally pardoned and was allowed to participate in a special military operation in which he was killed in September," said Kakubo in a statement. "We then demanded that officials provide details, not just of his recruitment.'' Kakubo said that DNA tests had been conducted and Russian compensation would be sent to his family. The Kremlin has responded to comments by former German Chancellor Angela Merkel that the Minsk agreements — which aimed to resolve the conflict between Kyiv and Russian-backed separatists in Donbas — were "an attempt to give Ukraine time" to prepare defensively, by accusing the western backers of the agreement of causing the Russian invasion. Both Kyiv and Moscow accused each other of violating the agreements, preventing its proper implementation. On Sunday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said it had become "obvious" that the agreements had been a deception. "But this was all ignored by the other participants of the negotiation process," he said. "This is all precisely the precursor to the special military operation." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Ukraine struck the strategically important coastal city of Melitopol on Sunday which has been occupied by Russian forces since early on in the invasion. The local Russian-installed leader, Yevgeny Balitsky, said that the city had been hit by four HIMARS long-range rockets. Two more were reportedly shot down. He added that a "recreation center" had been hit on the outskirts of the city and that two people had been killed and another 10 injured. Ivan Fedorov, the exiled mayor of the city, claimed that the strikes had hit Russian military positions and killed dozens of "invaders." British foreign minister James Cleverly said that any peace talks in Ukraine cannot be a fig-leaf for Russian rearmament, adding that he had not seen any signs that Moscow would enter into negotiations in good faith.  The UK wants to see peace talks sooner rather than later, but Ukraine should set the parameters for any negotiations that are held, Cleverly said.  "Any negotiations need to be real, they need to be meaningful, they can't just be a fig leaf for Russian rearmament and further recruitment of soldiers," he added.  Ukraine's ambassador to Germany, Oleksiy Makeyev, said he received guarantees from the German government about future arms deliveries. "In direct talks, we were assured of more weapons and more ammunition. Which ones, we will jointly announce in due course," Makeyev told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper.   The Ukrainian ambassador said he did not want to put diplomatic pressure on Berlin but wanted "Germany to deliver what it has more quickly."  Ukraine reportedly needs additional anti-aircraft systems, self-propelled howitzers, Gepard anti-aircraft tanks and ammunition.  Estonia called on Germany and other allies to offer more support to Ukraine. Estonia, one of the smallest EU countries, delivered weapons to Ukraine before Russia invaded in February.  Prime Minister Kaja Kallas told Germany's DPA news agency, "I urge all the allies, including Germany, to send whatever you have in order for Ukraine to defend themselves."   She added, "it's not only a matter of sovereignty and freedom of one country in Europe, but it's also a matter of security for the whole of Europe and also the rules-based order in the world - that if you are attacked, you have to be able to defend yourself."  "If all the allies would have sent weapons already in January or February, a lot of human lives would have been saved," she added.  Germany again offered Poland the equipment to secure its air space, the surface-to-air Patriot anti-missile system, in response to the astray missile from the war in Ukraine crashed into Polish territory and killed two people last month.  The US-made Patriot system can engage enemy aircraft, tactical ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, with a range of more than 60 kilometers  Warsaw had told Berlin it would be better for the security of the Polish side if Germany just sent the Patriot batteries directly to Ukraine, but the German government argued that no NATO member has sent Patriots to Ukraine and that the system has only been deployed to defend NATO territory.   ab, jcg/ar (Reuters, AFP, dpa, AP) 

2Conflicts

Amid a worldwide energy crisis, global coal power emissions are surging to pre-pandemic highs, especially in China and India. Rising oil and gas prices and the onset of winter have conspired with the energy needs of rebounding post-COVID economies to increase coal demand after a long decline.  The renaissance of the most carbon intensive fossil fuel was further reinforced when a commitment to a coal "phase-out" in the Glasgow Climate Pact was weakened to a "phase-down." Going into COP26, the UK president of the conference Alok Sharma said he hoped the summit would "consign coal power to history" in a bid to keep global heating to around 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit). That didn't quite happen.  "A green light for more coal production," was how former Australian resources minister, Matt Canavan, responded to the last-minute diluting of the plan to exit coal.  "The countries in our region, like India, like China, like Southeast Asia, are growing and developing their industries, and their demand for coal almost has no limit," he said in a television interview.  Experts admit that the weakened language in the Glasgow agreement could muddy the broader momentum towards a coal phase-out by 2030 or 2040 at the latest.  But the current spike in coal demand will be a "short-term phenomenon" linked to a strong post-lockdown economic rebound, believes Catharina Hillenbrand von der Neyen, head of research at climate think tank, Carbon Tracker. "I would strongly caution against any view that this is the revival of coal."  Neyen expects coal to revert to its pre-COVID slide driven by cheaper renewables — including in China, which generated over half of the world's coal-fired power in 2020.  "The structural trend is for steeply falling load factors," she said, meaning that with competition from renewables, coal plants aren't running at full capacity, rendering them unprofitable. While new coal power plants are being built, they contribute to an oversupply that only exacerbates the problem. As a result, 27% of the global coal fleet has become unviable, according to Carbon Tracker. "If I could put all my eggs into the coal basket again, you might find they drop onto the floor quite quickly," said Hillenbrand von der Neyen of coal's precipitous long-term outlook.  Gaurav Ganti, a researcher with Berlin-based think tank Climate Analytics, agrees. "This short-lived renaissance is unlikely to persist, given strong headwinds from low-cost renewables," he said.  Even as China and India power their COVID recovery with coal, the fact remains that the number of planned new coal power plants has declined by 76% since 2015 when the Paris Agreement was signed, according to climate change think tank E3G. This is equivalent to China's whole coal capacity.  China provided about 75% of global coal investment in 2020. However, its decision in September to end funding of coal projects beyond its shores, and to peak its own coal use by 2025 as part of its 2060 net-zero emissions plan, is a further signal of coal's inevitable demise, said Ganti.  "However, there is no room for complacency," he added — even despite the broader commitment by 47 countries at COP26 to phase out coal via the Global Coal to Clean Power Transition Statement. "Our work indicates that keeping to 1.5 C, the warming limit of the Paris Agreement, requires coal-fired power to be phased out by 2030 in developed economies, and 2040 globally. Developing countries will require substantial international support for ditching coal."  To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video And despite the Glasgow conference backing away from firm language on ending coal, individual countries are bringing their phase-out deadlines forward.   Germany's new governing coalition — comprising Social Democrats (SDP), Greens and Free Democrats (FDP) — is aiming for a 2030 coal exit, eight years ahead of the country's previous schedule.  Germany is Europe's second largest coal consumer and producer, but even amid a nuclear energy phase-out, it already managed to halve coal power consumption between 2010 and 2020. And while it's true that coal energy demand has also spiked in Germany in 2021, this was due in part to unusually poor weather conditions for wind and solar.  Along with other EU nations and the US, Germany is also helping to finance a coal phase-out in South Africa, which produces 90% of its energy from coal and is the biggest emitter of the fossil fuel in Africa. Germany's then-environment minister described the $8.5 billion (€7.3 billion) initiative agreed to in Glasgow to fund the shift from coal to clean energy as a potential "blueprint" for other regions.  Meanwhile, Portugal this week completely stopped burning coal for energy, two years ahead of a planned phase-out.  Fossil fuel powerhouse Ukraine has also committed to ending coal-power generation by 2035, or 2040 at the latest. At COP26, the country joined the Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA), a coalition of national governments, businesses and organizations committed to an accelerated coal exit.  Researchers are warning that governments who stick with coal could be set to lose billions in stranded assets — as well as hundreds of thousands of jobs — as the world decarbonizes to limit heating to below 2 degrees Celsius. A stranded asset is something that had value or generated income but no longer does.  According to a June 2021 report, one-third of coal mines in Europe, North America and Australia will become stranded assets by 2040 if countries meet their climate targets. Australia, for example, could lose $25 billion (€22 billion) per year in this scenario. Globally, 2.2 million jobs could be at risk unless countries act quickly to transition to a cleaner energy system.   But economics is not the only motivation to get out of coal. "Governments face a choice here," said Gaurav Ganti. "Invest in the fossil fuels of yesterday and risk stranded assets, or invest in renewable energy to get us on a 1.5 C pathway." Edited by Ruby Russell/Jennifer Collins

6Nature and Environment

The State Department on Saturday ordered non-essential diplomats at the US Embassy in Chad to leave the landlocked African nation due to potential insurgent attacks on the capital N'Djamena. It also ordered the families of American personnel stationed there to leave the country. "Armed non-governmental groups in northern Chad have moved south and appear to be heading toward N'Djamena. Due to their growing proximity to N'Djamena, and the possibility for violence in the city, non-essential US government employees have been ordered to leave Chad by commercial airline," said the department. The department has long warned Americans not to travel to Chad because of unrest and the presence of the jihadist Boko Haram group. It said any Americans there now who wanted to leave should do so. The UK also asked its citizens to leave Chad as soon as possible. Meanwhile, Chad's army said that it had "completely destroyed" a column of rebels, who had attacked the northern part of the country.   "The adventure of the mercenaries from Libya ended as announced. Congratulations to our valiant defense and security forces," said Chérif Mahamat Zene, Chad's minister of communications. Army spokesman Azem Bermandoa said that they were searching for the last of the rebels. The UK government said on Saturday that a group of Libya-based rebels, the Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT) was heading towards N'Djamena and a separate convoy was seen approaching a town 220 kilometers (137 miles) north of the capital. Last Sunday, FACT rebels said they had captured garrisons near Chad's northern borders with Niger and Libya "without resistance." The latest assault came last Sunday, the same day as the country's presidential election, which the incumbent Idriss Deby Itno — who has ruled the country for 30 years — is expected to win. An ally of Western powers in the fight against Islamist militants in West and Central Africa, Deby is one of Africa's longest-serving leaders, but there are signs of growing discontent over his handling of the nation's oil wealth. Chad's government has been forced to cut back public spending in recent years because of the low price of oil, its main export, sparking labour strikes. Opposition leaders called on their supporters to boycott the polls and make the country "ungovernable" after Deby's decision to seek a sixth term led to protests and clashes with security forces. Deby has relied on a firm grip over state institutions and one of the region's most capable militaries to maintain power. am/sri (AFP, dpa, AP)

7Politics

A parliamentary committee has taken notice of reports that huge amounts of hazardous waste from several countries, including the United Kingdom, Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, are being dumped into Pakistan, according to local media. Senator Mohammad Humayun Mohmand, a member of the committee, confirmed these reports to DW. "Relevant authorities have told us that Pakistan is importing waste from other countries but it does not have the required technology to separate hazardous waste from normal waste. We were told that up to 14% of normal waste could contain hazardous elements," he said. As to why the Pakistani government accepted the waste, the senator said that authorities have records of these imports and that the matter will be investigated. Senator Taj Haider, another member of the committee, also confirmed to DW that Pakistan has been the recipient of hazardous waste from developed countries. However, the parliamentary committee has not been given detailed information about what kind of hazardous waste is coming to Pakistan. Hazardous waste is classified as material listed by regulatory authorities originating from non-specified sources or containing discarded chemical products. Another trait of hazardous waste is that it cannot be disposed of by common methods. Syed Mujtaba Hussain, a senior official at the Ministry of Climate Change, said Pakistan is a signatory to the Basel Convention on the control of transboundary movement of hazardous waste, which prohibits its disposal and import. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video But sometimes the normal waste is mixed up with hazardous waste, for instance plastic waste could include clinical waste, he told DW. "In 2019, 624 containers of plastic waste that we imported from the US were contaminated. We launched a formal complaint," Hussain said. Zaigham Abbas, a Ministry of Climate Change official, said that developed nations often do not have sufficient sites to dump hazardous waste and recycling it could be costly for them. On the other hand, countries like Pakistan need normal waste like compressor scrap, aluminum scrap, plastic scrap and lead scrap that serve as raw materials to manufacture items such as fans, cables, motors, fiber, windows and doors. Abbas pointed out a loophole in laws dealing with waste imports. "There is a category called 'other items,' under which the countries exporting waste are not obliged to declare what is being sent," he said.  Hussain said the Pakistani government raised the issue in 2019, at the Conferences of Parties to Basel Convention in Geneva, Switzerland. "This waste is dangerous for the environment because it contaminates soil and water, whereas burning it causes air pollution." The official declined to provide a list of hazardous waste items to DW. A provincial Sindh government official told DW on condition of anonymity that Pakistan does not have the technology to segregate normal waste from hazardous waste, therefore the exact amount of hazardous waste cannot be determined. Experts say that corruption among government officials and private recycling companies allows foreign countries to dump harmful waste in Pakistan. Ahmad Shabbar, the CEO of a waste management company in Karachi, said that a ban by China on the import of hazardous waste has prompted advanced nations to send it to Pakistan and other developing countries. "It is a matter of grave concern because we have no effective safety protocols for the dumping of such waste," Shabbar told DW. "There is no scientific mechanism in place in Pakistan to dump such waste. This means that we are creating air pollution by burning the waste or contaminating groundwater by throwing it in rivers," he added. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Yasmin Lehri, a politician from the western Balochistan province, said government officials have admitted that up to 14% of waste in normal waste could be hazardous. "If each of the 624 waste containers [from the US] weighs up to 10 to 15 tons, then we have received over 1,000 tons of hazardous waste," she said. Lehri said that Pakistan itself generates around 30 million tons of municipal waste each year. "We cannot not deal with our own waste and the government is issuing permits to private parties to import more waste." Kishwar Zehra, a parliamentarian in Islamabad, laments that no Pakistani government has ever paid heed to environmental issues. Referring to a number of disease outbreaks in the country in the past few years, Zehra says they could be linked to the dumping of hazardous waste in areas close to major cities and towns. "We should not import more waste until we get the technology to segregate waste. If other countries want to import their waste to us, they must declare it as 'non-hazardous waste,'" she suggested. Ministry of Climate Change official Syed Mujtaba Hussain said the federal Cabinet approved National Hazardous Waste Management Policy 2022 on June 28, adding that this policy will tackle the issue of imported hazardous waste. Edited by: Shamil Shams

6Nature and Environment

Earlier this week, Germany's Federal Statistics Office (Destatis) announced that the German economy contracted by 5% last year when the coronavirus pandemic took its course. That's less than the 5.7% drop logged back in 2009 at the height of the global financial crisis and in fact much less than the economic prophets predicted in spring in face of the first lockdown in the country. One could say the country got off lightly, all the more so since the number of people who've lost their jobs during the crisis has so far been rather limited. Of course, everyone is now hoping for a rebound in the course of the current year. The German finance minister has repeated time and again the government will be able to keep paying aid money for pandemic-hit companies for a long time, but there's been an administrative backlog in payouts, meaning that many are still waiting for money which was due for November and December. And what does the minister mean when he says "for a long time"? His resources are limited, too. It's true that right now borrowing money doesn't cost you a lot — if anything at all — in terms of interest payments. Nonetheless, the government will need to ask itself who's going to foot the bill for all this generous financial assistance, and above all, how much debt burden we are leaving for the generations to come. The state is only able to pony up so much money right now because the economy witnessed steady growth for years before the crisis and tax income burgeoned due to a robust labor market and high employment, which also boosted private consumption. So, whoever is now calling for a complete standstill in factories and even more people working from home must have lost touch with what most people want and jeopardizes any economic recovery. There are in fact reports that some companies have been holding crisis meetings to address concerns of employees fed up with remote work. All those adults who don't have a huge home and spend the day with children in homeschooling and have to contend with the frequent collapsing of digital learning platforms will hardly be in a position to stay focused on their jobs. On the other side, there are many executives who don't trust their employees and won't let them work from home or are afraid of potential demands from their employees to better equip remote workplaces. All in all, the situation remains tricky. Policymakers shouldn't be too surprised at the shortcomings at hand. For too long, digitalization has been just a buzzword and has not yet reached many people in their daily lives. Just take the German initiative to provide broadband connectivity for schools across the nation. That sounds like a good plan, and €5 billion ($6.1 billion) have been allocated by the government to achieve this. The thing is only that schools have very different ideas of how they want to be hooked up to the web, which doesn't make it easier or faster to implement broadband connectivity. But coming back to calls to halt production in factories — this cannot be the right thing to do, considering the current uptick in orders particularly from Asia and the threat of losing crucial customers. Policymakers here appear helpless as they struggle to come up with an efficient strategy to fight the pandemic. They had the opportunity in summer to develop such a strategy, but they missed it as the wrangling over who's responsible for what continued between the federal government and top representatives from Germany's 16 states. Maybe the current restrictions will have to continue until the Easter holidays as we wait for a slot to get vaccinated. But forcing people into working from home and halting production on factory floors are no reasonable measures as it would add economic disaster to a crisis that we can get on top of with the help of an efficient vaccination campaign and yet-to-be-approved medication. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

0Business

Russia's top court has designated Ukraine's Azov Regiment a terrorist organization. It has now been added to a long list of terrorist groups compiled by Russian domestic intelligence agency FSB, alongside al-Qaida, the Taliban and others. The Azov Regiment originally grew out of a controversial right-wing extremist volunteer battalion. These days, Azov has been absorbed into Ukraine's national guard, which answers to the interior ministry. Russia has sought to legitimize its invasion of Ukraine claiming it needs to fight Azov. Ukraine's Azov Regiment used to be headquartered in Mariupol on the Sea of Azov. The city was captured and remains under Russian control since May. Ukraine says over 2,500 Azov fighters, who remained in the city defending its steel plant, are now in Russian captivity. Russia says 2,439 Azov members had surrendered to its forces. Recently, 50 Azov fighters held in a prison in Olenivka, Russian-held Donbas, were killed after an attack. The exact circumstances of their deaths remains disputed, with Russia and Ukraine blaming each other.  Russian decision-makers and media outlets have long since labelled Azov a Nazi group. They claim Azov fighters boobytrapped homes, committed atrocities and use civilians as human shields. Vyacheslav Volodin, currently serving as chairman of the State Duma, alleges Azov committed war crimes. It took Russia's top court a mere three hours to deliberate over and approve the request by Russia's public prosecutor to designate Azov a terrorist organization. The meeting was held behind closed doors. Despite this secrecy, pro-Kremlin media claim to know who gave testimony in this case. Georgiy Volkov, who heads the public monitoring commission, which looks into human rights issues and prisons, supposedly quoted a captured Azov fighter who said the regiment had practiced cannibalism. In addition, journalist Marina Akhmedova supposedly told the court she had conducted research in Mariupol and Volnovakha, Donetsk Oblast, and learned from witnesses that Azov fighters had tortured and executed civilians. Media reports quote her as having said this torture was born out of deep-rooted hatred. Russia's criminal code stipulates life-long jail terms and fines of up to €16,000 ($16,300) for founders and leaders of terrorist organizations. Ordinary members of terrorist organization may face between ten and twenty years behind bars, and fines of up to €8,000. Azov sympathizers, meanwhile, may be prosecuted for remarks "justifying terrorism." For this, the Russian penal code stipulates jail terms of between two to five years, and fines of up to 8,000€. The Moscow-based Center for Information and Analysis, which researches nationalism and racism in post-Soviet Russia, is urging people to carefully check their online behavior and ensure they do not follow any groups somehow linked to "terrorist" or "extremist" organizations. Symbols associated with the Azov Regiment were classified as terrorist insignia as far back as 2015. Displaying them can lead to 15-day jail terms. "It sounds somewhat strange: a country that is close to being classified as a state sponsor of terrorism, which violates all rules and conventions of war, is now designating this [Ukrainian] organization as terrorist," says Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak. This decision, he adds, has no bearing on the real world and will not impact negotiations over prisoner swaps. "This move is nothing but internal propaganda." Yegor Chernev, a member of Ukraine's governing Servant of the People party, tells DW he thinks Russia's move aims to remove Geneva Convention protection for Azov fighters. Volodymyr Aryev, an MP with the opposition European Solidarity party, agrees. He says Kyiv urged the world to designate Russia an aggressor as early as 2015. In response to Russia's move, the Ukrainian military declared: "After the public execution of Azov Regiment POWs in Olenivka, Russia is seeking out new ways to justify its war crimes." The Azov Regiment itself has called on the US and other countries to declare Russia a "terrorist state." In a statement, the group said "Russia's army and intelligence services commit war crimes ever day; tolerating or remaining silent on this equals complicity." The head of the Ukrainian Center for Civil Liberties, Oleksandra Matviichuk, who was involved in talks to arrange previous prisoner swaps, tells DW the "Azov Regiment belongs to the national guard — branding it a terrorist organization would be like designating all of Ukraine's armed forces a terrorist organization, when in fact, they are protecting our country against invading terrorists." This article was translated from German.  

7Politics

At least 45 people have died and several remain missing in Philippines as Tropical Storm Nalgae slammed into the country on Saturday morning, after unleashing landslides and flash floods. The authorities previously provided a death toll of 72, but then sharply revised the numbers hours later. Winds grew to 95 kilometers (59 miles) per hour in speed, as the storm made landfall on the sparsely populated Catanduanes island, officials said. The Maguindanao province was said to be most affected.  Meanwhile, the latest storm bulletin said heavy, torrential rain will continue in Manila and nearby provinces as the storm cuts through the main Luzon island and heads to the South China Sea. An average of 20 storms hit Philippines every year, killing hundreds and shunning scores of others into unrelenting poverty. Scientists warn that the intensity of these storms is only getting worse as climate change makes the world a warmer place.  To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Search and rescue teams are focusing on the village of Kusiong, where dozens of bodies were pulled out of water and thick mud on Friday after the floods hit. "Based on our projections, this one is really strong so we really prepared for it," Alejandro said, adding that 5,000 rescue teams were on standby. Nasrullah Imam, a disaster agency official in Maguindanao province, said they were gathering all rescue teams to conducts a briefing before further deployment. "It's no longer raining so this will help our search and operation," he said. Some 7,000 people were evacuated before Nalgae made landfall, officials said. They further urged residents in the storm's path to stay inside their homes. The Philippine Coast Guard has suspended ferry services across most regions. mk/wd (AFP, Reuters)

1Catastrophe

National anthems all over the world can be pretty violent. In their anthem written in 1792, the French sing about the blood of their enemies watering their fields; the Italians are ready to die fighting for peace and freedom (1847), and the Argentines swear to die gloriously for those same ideals (1813). The German anthem is comparatively peaceful, even though the lyrics also date back to the mid-19th century, a period of confrontation among nations. Just like the country, the "Song of Germany," known as the "Deutschlandlied," looks back at a turbulent history. Adopted on May 2, 1952, seven years after the end of World War II, West Germany's national anthem uses only the third verse of the original song. It begins with the lines: "Unity and justice and freedom for the German fatherland! Let us all strive for this, brotherly with heart and hand!" On August 26, 1841, the poet August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben (1798-1874) penned the verses in an appeal to his countrymen to create a united German empire. At the time, Germany was fragmented into countless individual states under the rule of various princes. Von Fallersleben set his text to the melody of Joseph Haydn's 1797 "Kaiserquartett" (Emperor Quartet). The "Deutschlandlied" first became the national anthem in the Weimar Republic, as decreed on August 11, 1922 by the Social Democratic president, Friedrich Ebert. It remained the national anthem under Nazi rule, too — but only the first stanza. The line "Germany, Germany, above all in the world" seemed tailor-made for the Nazi regime's ideology, even though Hoffmann von Fallersleben had originally intended to promote the idea of a unified German nation. In the aftermath of World War II, the song was banned in the American zone of occupation for a time. The German Democratic Republic (GDR) chose poet Johannes Robert Becher's "Auferstanden aus Ruinen" (Risen from Ruins) as its new anthem when the East German state was founded in 1949, but it took a while for West Germany, founded that same year, to find a new anthem. In the absence of a national anthem, at official receptions and sporting events, bands would play popular German carnival songs like "Wir sind die Eingeborenen von Trizonesien" (We are the natives of Trizonesia) — a reference to the three zones of occupation in West Germany after World War II. Even though Germany's first chancellor, Konrad Adenauerhailed from the Rhine region, known for its boisterous carnivals, these were deemed unsuitable as an official anthem. "Ich hab mich ergeben" (I have surrendered), Hans Ferdinand Massmann's 1820 folk and student song, was often sung at state events in West Germany, including at the proclamation of the Basic Law on May 23, 1949, and at the constituent session of the Bundestag on September 7, 1949. Its lyrics stated: "I surrendered with heart and hand, You land full of love and life My German fatherland!" But this song was not destined to be the national anthem either. President Theodor Heuss had in fact commissioned a new anthem entitled "Land of Faith, German Land," but it failed to convince the population, which was asked its opinion in a poll. Meanwhile, Chancellor Konrad Adenauer was in favor of keeping the "Deutschlandlied." The chancellor prevailed, and the president gave in, under the condition that only the third verse be sung on official occasions. In May 1952, West Germany finally had an anthem again. It took a while for other countries to take note, however. The following year, during a visit to Chicago in 1953, the German Chancellor was welcomed by a band playing yet another carnival song, "Heidewitzka, Herr Kapitän" (Heidewitzka, Mr. Captain). He remained unperturbed. These days, everyone knows the "Deutschlandlied" is the national anthem, although statistics show that only 50% of Germans know the words. And every now and then, somebody asks whether Germany needs a new national anthem — or at least a reworking of the old one. An alternative was mooted ahead of Germany's reunification in 1990, when the first freely-elected President of the German Democratic Republic, Lothar de Maiziere, played Bertolt Brecht's "Children's Hymn" on the violin for the West German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schäuble.  But the third paragraph of the "Deutschlandlied" won out, as determined by then-president Richard von Weizsäcker and Chancellor Helmut Kohl. In 2005, pop singer Sarah Conner inadvertently reworked the German anthem when she performed the song at a football game and changed the words "Bloom in the glow of happiness," into "Brew in the light of happiness." In 2018, the equal opportunities officer of the German family ministry, Kristin Rose-Möhring, suggested that the "Song of Germany" be modified to reflect gender equality. She suggested "fatherland" be replaced with "homeland" and "brotherly, with heart and hand" with "courageously, with heart and hand." The changes were not adopted. Austria had already led the way after changing the line "You are the home of great sons" to "home of great sons and daughters" in its anthem. Canada also corrected its national song to reflect gender neutrality. Questioning the German national anthem can bring its own set of problems, as Thüringen's chief minister Bodo Ramelow realized three years ago. In an interview, Ramelow said he wanted "a new text that was catchy enough for everyone to identify with." Ramelow landed on the first pages of Germany's tabloids, with the Bild newspaper talking of his "crazy plan" to replace the national anthem. The first two paragraphs of the German anthem are taboo, but not banned. In 2017, the anthem again became a subject of debate when the German Fed Cup women's team played against the USA in Maui and a singer sang the first paragraph of the song before a tennis match. Meanwhile, the Spanish have done away with all problems lyrics may bring: Their "Marcha Real" from 1761 has no text. This article was originally written in German.

4Culture

Russia on Wednesday warned theUnited Nationsagainst investigating the use of Iranian drones in Ukraine. Earlier, Ukrainesaid Iran broke a UN Security Council embargo on the transfer of drones with a 300-kilometer range. Kyiv invited UN specialists to examine the debris from Shahed-136 drones that were being deployed by Russia to attack civilian targets. The discussions occurred during the closed-door Security Council meeting called by the US, France, and the UK in response to the deployment of Iranian-made drones to Russia. The trio of permanent members of the UN Security Council said Russia had breached the UN arms embargo on Iran. On Monday, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that the city was struck by"kamikaze drones" that killed people and damaged several residential buildings. Both the European Union and United States said they have proofthat Iranian Shahed-136s low-cost drones, that explode on landing, are behind at least five deaths in Kyiv on Monday. In a little more than a month, Ukraine claims to have shot down more than 220 Iranian drones, and images have surfaced that appear to establish an Iranian connection. Ukraine has already moved to sever diplomatic ties with the Islamic Republic. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The US expressed its concerns regarding Russia's acquisition of the drones from Iran. According to the US, the drones violated UN Security Council Resolution 2231 of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. It contends that Resolution 2231 bars any transfers that could benefit nuclear-capable ballistic missiles. US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said, "We now have abundant evidence that these UAVs are being used to strike Ukrainian civilians and critical civilian infrastructure." He added, "We will not hesitate to use our sanctions and other appropriate tools on all involved in these transfers," James Kariuki, Britain's deputy U.N. ambassador, tweeted Tehran's denial that Russia is using Iranian drones to target civilians in Ukraine "doesn't stand up to scrutiny." Russia said that the UN does not have the mandate to investigate its use of drones in Ukraine calling it "absolutely unprofessional and political." "The UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) used by the Russian army in Ukraine are manufactured in Russia," Russian diplomat Dmitry Polyanskiy said, criticizing the "baseless accusations and conspiracy theories." "I would recommend that you do not underestimate the technological capabilities of the Russian drone industry." Polyanskiy said the UN probe would force Russia to reassess their collaboration with the international organization, where it has a permanent seat on the Security Council. Iran has already denied any drone transfers to Russia calling the claims "unfounded and unsubstantiated" Iran's UN envoy, Amir Saeid Iravani, said that Tehran wanted a "peaceful resolution" of the war. ss/ar (AP, AFP, Reuters)  

7Politics

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video US President Joe Biden said his country would double climate adaptation funding to Africa and that the US would meet its climate targets by 2030 at a speech during the UN climate conference in Egypt on Friday.  Biden highlighted the Democrat's Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) passed in the summer, which will dedicate $368 billion (€363 billion) over the next decade to cut greenhouse gases and shift to green energy sources. "I can stand here as president of the United States of America and say with confidence, the United States of America will meet our emissions targets by 2030." He added that US plans under the IRA would spur transformational shift to an economy based on clean energy and infrastructure, creating jobs in the process.  "We're proving that good climate policy is good economic policy," said Biden. The US president said Russia's war in Ukraine and the "harbingers" of climate change that are already with us made the transition to a fossil-free world even more urgent.  "The climate crisis is about human security, economic security, environmental security, national security and the very life of the planet," Biden said.  If the world is to win this fight, to bend the emissions curve, then every nation must "step up," added Biden.  Biden announced the US would double its financial pledges to global adaptation funds to help the most vulnerable adjust to living in a warming word. He said the US would mobilize $150 million for adaptation in Africa and will also support the new G7 "Global Shield" climate risk insurance initiative to address loss and damage caused by climate disasters.  Industrialized nations had pledged to mobilize $100 billion a year in climate financing by 2020, but have so far fallen short. Most of that financing is in loan rather than grant form.  Egypt will also receive $500 million from the US and European Union to help finance its green energy transition, said Biden.  The US President will likely still face major pressure to stump up more cash for low-income and climate vulnerable countries to deal with the deadly consequences they are already experiencing from global heating caused by burning fossil fuels. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video As the country that has contributed most to global emissions, the US has also been criticized for blocking negotiations on financing the loss and damage faced by countries on the frontline of climate change — like Pakistan, where flooding this year killed some 1,700 people and caused economic losses amounting to 10% of its Gross Domestic Product. While Biden said the US will meet its 2030 Paris climate targets,Climate Action Tracker said that even with the IRA, US climate policies and action are still "insufficient" to limit the global average temperature rise to below the 2 degrees Celcius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) upper target set by the 2015 Paris Agreement .  And although the Democrats didn't experience the drubbing they'd expected in the Senate and House midterm elections, some are concerned that Biden's climate plans could be scuppered if Republicans take control of Congress. Not all results have been called. But Samantha Gross, head of climate and energy studies at the centrist Brookings Institution think tank, told AP news agency that even if Republicans take control of Congress, they won't have a veto-proof majority. The Biden administration has also packaged the act in a way that will make it hard for the Republicans to overturn. "It's a lot of tax credits and goodies that make it hard to repeal," Gross said. Biden also discussed proposed new rules aimed at slashing methane emissions. At the COP26 held last year in Glasgow, countries led by the US and European Union pledged a 30% cut to methane emissions by 2030 from 2020 levels. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that is 80 times stronger than carbon dioxide over the first 20 years after it reaches the earth's atmosphere. It's responsible for about a third of global warming, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Cutting methane emissions is "our best chance of keeping in reach of the 1.5 degrees Celsius target" in the short term, said Biden.  An EPA statement published Friday said the new rules would now also target smaller oil and gas wells that emit less than 3 tons  (2.7 metric tonnes) of methane a year. The proposal also establishes a program that would require operators to respond to "credible third-party reports of high-volume methane leaks." "The agency estimates that in 2030, the proposal would reduce methane from covered sources by 87% below 2005 levels," said the statement. With reporting from Associated Press.  Edited by: Tamsin Walker

6Nature and Environment

A German businessman accused of exporting armaments for Russia's chemical and nuclear weapons program appeared before the Higher Regional Court of Dresden on Tuesday. The man is accused of violating the War Weapons Control Act and the Foreign Trade and Payments Act and has been in custody since May 2021. Prosecutors allege that since 2017, Alexander S.  attempted to "promote the production of chemical weapons" by brokering the delivery of equipment from a Chinese manufacturer to Russia, in violation of the War Weapons Control Act. The accused was also alleged to have exported goods ten times without a necessary license and was also accused of acting "for the secret service of a foreign power." German officials say the defendant is a managing director of a trading company in Saxony. Since 2017, he was alleged to have sold goods worth around €1 million ($1.07 million) via a Russian firm believed to be directed by the Russian secret service. Prosecutors say the accused knew that the exported items could be used in both civilian and military sectors and could also be used in the development of "ABC weapons" — short for atomic, biological and chemical weapons. The man is alleged to have tried to conceal the destination of the consignments by providing fake receipts. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Germany's Federal Prosecutor's Office says the country has made an international commitment to prevent the proliferation of technology enabling the production or distribution of weapons of mass destruction. Any export of this nature needs to be in compliance with the Foreign Trade and Military Weapons Control Act. High-tech civilian products could also fall into this category if the potential use could be for military purposes. Editor's note: DW follows the German press code, which stresses the importance of protecting the privacy of suspected criminals or victims and obliges us to refrain from revealing full names in such cases.  Edited by: Darko Janjevic

3Crime

One of Libya’s rival prime ministers was forced to leave the capital Tripoli on Tuesday just hours after he arrived to establish his government there, following clashes between warring militias. Former Interior Minister Bashagha had arrived in Tripoli with several ministers, according to his office. Fathi Bashagha had been appointed by the country’s eastern parliament, which based in the city of Tobruk, three months ago. The sitting Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah refused to step aside, however, saying he would only do so for an elected government. Dbeibah is supported by powerful armed militias in the capital. Dbeibah's defense ministry said it would respond "with an iron fist" to anyone "attacking security and the safety of citizens." Dbeibah was seen meeting the public in the streets of Tripoli. ''We arrived in the capital peacefully and safely. The reception was excellent,'' Bashagha had said earlier in the day, before violence erupted between supporters of the two governments. Bashagha later said that he had left Tripoli ''for the sake of the security and safety of citizens and to stop the bloodshed.'' Stephanie Williams, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Advisor on Libya, posted on Twitter calling for calm and offering the "good offices of the United Nations" to try and find a solution. "I urge restraint and insist on the absolute necessity of refraining from provocative actions, including inflammatory rhetoric, participation in clashes and the mobilization of forces," Williams wrote on Twitter. The oil-rich country has been beset by conflict since longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi was killed in 2011 following a NATO-backed uprising. Since then the country has had competing administrations in the east and west of the country, each backed by militias and foreign governments. Libya is scheduled to hold a presidential election in June. It was originally scheduled to take place in 2018, but was then postponed until December 2021 and then postponed again. er/msh (AP, AFP, Reuters)

2Conflicts

European firms are beginning to invest heavily in waste-to-energy (WtE) markets in Southeast Asia, as the region's electricity demands are expected to soar in the coming decades and Europe's own demand for burning waste is drying up.   European and Japanese companies have long dominated the WtE industry, which at the simplest level sees power plants incinerate landfilled waste that cannot be recycled to produce electricity. Energymonitor.ai, a clean energy news website, recently estimated that there are more than 100 waste-to-energy projects recently completed or underway in the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand. This includes a plant in Pangasinan, in the Philippines, financed by UK-based Allied Project Services, and a Danish government-backed project for a plant in Semarang, an Indonesian city. A project in Chonburi, Thailand, is backed by French firms ENGIE and Suez Environment. The Netherlands-based Harvest Waste, previously called Amsterdam Waste Environmental Consultancy and Technology, last year began conducting initial studies for a waste-to-energy project in Vietnam's Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang, at an estimated cost of $100 million (€93.5 million). In 2021, Harvest Waste also obtained original proponent status for a proposal to construct a facility in Cebu in the Philippines, which is set to become the most advanced WtE plant in Asia. It would use the same technology as the landmark facility in Amsterdam, which can generate 900 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity from each ton of waste, according to company documents.  To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Luuk Rietvelt, the Asia-Pacific region head at Harvest Waste, explained that the Southeast Asian market is growing because there is funding from major development banks and several of the region's governments offer incentives, including feed-in tariffs, to spur investment.  "A lot of municipal solid and commercial waste all over Asia is still landfilled or actually openly dumped for lack of alternatives," he told DW. In Europe, around 500 WtE plants are currently in operation, according to the Confederation of European Waste-to-Energy Plants. But European technology providers are now looking for new markets because of growing demand elsewhere and winnowing opportunities at home, Janek Vahk, a climate, energy and air pollution program coordinator at the nonprofit Zero Waste Europe, said. The "business climate" for Europe's WtE industry saw the biggest decline in a decade, according to the energy consultancy Ecoprog's latest annual WtE Industry Barometer survey, released in October.  At the same time, most other countries and regions in the world have very few, if any, incinerators so there is a huge market potential in those regions, Vahk added. Southeast Asia is one such region. According to various estimates, urban populations in Southeast Asian countries are expected to increase to around 400 million by 2030, up from around 280 million in 2017, while energy demand will grow by two-thirds by 2040. Because of this, experts reckon that the amount of landfill and unrecycled waste will soar in the coming years, further incentivizing some method of making it productive.  Policies to prevent the generation of waste will be implemented but "urgent treatment" will be necessary in the region, Masaki Takaoka, a professor and chair of the Waste to Energy Research Council at Kyoto University in Japan, told DW. "It is expected that many cities will consider waste to energy, mainly incineration technology," he added. Vietnam's largest WtE plant, capable of handling 4,000 tons of dry waste a day, started operations in June. Southeast Asia's waste-to-energy market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of around 3.5% between 2021 and 2028, according to recent analysis by Mordor Intelligence, a research firm. Veolia Environment SA, a France-based transnational company, was one of the five big firms active in Southeast Asia's WtE sector, according to Mordor Intelligence. Others included Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and local Indonesian and Singaporean firms. However, there are problems. One is funding. In Europe, the capital costs of the most high-tech WtE incinerators are typically around €1,000 per ton per year, said Vahk, which could be prohibitively expensive in some countries in Asia. Yet some of the largest development banks, including the International Finance Corporation and Asian Development Bank, are investing heavily in the industry. Getting cash from the European Union is unlikely. In terms of investment in waste-to-energy, the EU has excluded it from economic activities considered "sustainable finance" under the EU taxonomy for sustainable activities. Other investors are facing heat from climate activists. Last year, a consortium of environmental groups complained to the Asian Development Bank about its funding of a new WtE incineration project in Vietnam's Binh Duong province. Unlike in Europe, there is not as much separation of material between recyclable and non-recyclable, nor between natural and artificial goods, in Asian landfills. As such, non-burnable waste may find its way into the incinerators, climate activists have warned.  If that requires more plastics to be burned in order to increase the necessary heat of the incinerators, that could massively increase carbon dioxide emissions. Environmentalists also worry that a drive towards WtE incineration will disincentive local efforts to boost recycling and alternative uses for waste which are not as environmentally harmful. "From our perspective, building incinerators is neither viable nor necessary," said Vahk of Zero Waste Europe. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The European Union has made climate action core to its efforts to boost relations with countries in Southeast Asia. The EU's Waste Framework Directive states that other waste management methods are preferable to incineration. "Our goal is to ensure that the recovery of energy from waste in the EU supports the objectives of the circular economy action plan and is firmly guided by the EU waste hierarchy," an EU spokesperson told DW. "It is waste prevention and recycling that deliver the highest contribution in terms of energy savings and reductions in GHG emissions," the spokesperson added. Advocates of WtE industries, however, say that something needs to be done about the considerable landfilling of waste in regions like Southeast Asia, as well as the soaring demand for electricity. They point to a study last year from several Dutch academics published in Science Advances journal that argued methane emissions from landfills could be twice as high as previously thought. There is also an argument that because Southeast Asian countries are already far along on the path to making electricity from waste, it would be better if European firms take the lead.  Edited by: Wesley Rahn 

6Nature and Environment

US President Joe Biden raised concerns about the treatment of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny in his first phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the White House said on Tuesday. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki earlier said that Biden would keep all options on the table as the US considers possible responses to Navalny's detention.  Navalny, an opposition politician and anti-corruption campaigner, was arrested on January 17 upon returning to Russia from Germany after spending five months recovering from nerve-agent poisoning, which he has blamed on the Kremlin.  Navalny is currently serving a 30-day stint over alleged violations of the terms of a suspended sentence stemming from fraud charges in 2014. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video He is due back in court in February, and could be sent to prison for more than three years. The European Court of Human Rights ruled in 2017 that the fraud case against Navalny was unlawful and arbitrary.  Biden's conversation with Putin comes as the Russian government considers its response to massive nationwide pro-Navalny protests in more than 100 Russian cities over the weekend. More than 3,700 people were arrested across Russia in police crackdowns.  The Biden administration has called on Putin to immediately release Navalny along with the protesters. Biden's comments came as the foreign ministers from the G7 group of nations, which includes the US and Germany, condemned Navalny's arrest as "politically motivated." They called on Russia to "adhere to national and international obligations" and release protesters who were "detained arbitrarily."  "It is deplorable that Navalny is being detained in relation to court decisions which the European Court of Human Rights determined in 2017 to be arbitrary and manifestly unreasonable," the statement said.  On Tuesday, one of Navalny's top allies, lawyer and politician Lyubov Sobol, said Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation and his team's regional offices would continue to operate despite ongoing criminal probes and the "arrests of our followers and allies." Navalny aides on Tuesday also called for new protests in Moscow on Sunday outside the FSB security agency headquarters near Lubyanka Square and Staraya Square, near the presidential administration offices.  wmr/aw (AP, Reuters, AFP) Editor's note: The opening sentence of this article initially concluded with the words "Russian President Alexei Navalny," rather than Vladimir Putin. We apologize for the error, which was rapidly rectified.  

7Politics

We have come to that moment again in the Bundesliga season when yet another title race meets an untimely death. With just under half of the season left, it may seem like a premature statement, but history suggests otherwise. Borussia Dortmund have hit a slump and talk turns to mentality and the club being a stepping stone for young talent. RB Leipzig have a clear philosophy, one of the best coaches in Germany, and loads of money but can't keep up with Bayern. Both have been labeled challengers but haven't done enough challenging.  And while Leverkusen, Gladbach and Wolfsburg are often fun to watch, relying on them to launch a real title challenge is folly. It is all so familiar, as was Bayern beating Schalke on matchday 18. Hansi Flick's side might not be purring like they were when they won the treble last season but they are still winning. Whether it's that the financial gap is widening, Bayern's squad is deeper, other sides are underperforming, or all of the above, Bayern remain the league's immovable object. A ninth straight title beckons. Nine lives all used up In previous seasons, the Bundesliga has had enough of a title race or other distracting narratives to just about cover Bayern Munich winning it all again. Last season, the title race ran until late May. The season before that, Dortmund threw a nine-point lead and it still went down to the final day. Before that, the league has turned to its great team stories, vibrant fan culture or status as one of the best leagues in Europe for young players to develop. But with the pandemic tightening club finances and leaving stadiums empty, the Bundesliga can hide it's competition issue no more. Individual success stories, social media content that goes viral or amusing references to German football vocabularly are good fun but are not enough if the league wants to keep growing. The answers are not clear, but any solution will likely be connected to the foundational aspects (such as the 50+1 rule or the distribution of broadcasting rights) of the German game. To change that would mean revolution. Until then, the Bundesliga should and can consider what they already have, namely the success stories of clubs like Freiburg and its role in giving opportunities to young players and coaches. In football, these aspects are of great value. For some viewers, those aspects are what attracted them to the league in the first place and what keeps them coming back. For the league though, those aspects are no longer enough to survive off. Winning isn't everything, but in high-performance sport it certainly is and if, as expected, Bayern Munich are top of the Bundesliga table come the summer, then the Bundesliga will have to find answers to its biggest problem.

9Sports

India's air force on Tuesday dismissed three officers for accidentally firing a cruise missile into neighboring Pakistan. The air force in a statement said a formal inquiry found that "deviation from the Standard Operating Procedures by three officers led to the accidental firing of the missile" into Pakistan. "These three officers have primarily been held responsible for the incident. Their services have been terminated by the Central Govt with immediate effect," the statement said. The BrahMos cruise missile was fired from India on March 9. It landed in Pakistan's eastern Punjab province, roughly 125 kilometers (78 miles) inside Pakistani territory, damaging a wall in a residential area. No casualties or injuries were reported. Pakistani officials demanded an explanation from New Delhi and called the launch a "flagrant violation" of the country's airspace. Two days after the launch, India's defense ministry acknowledged the mistake, saying that the firing was caused by a "technical malfunction" during routine maintenance. The ministry called the incident "deeply regrettable." India and Pakistan have fought three wars since the two country's independence from the British Empire in 1947. Both Islamabad and New Delhi lay claim to the entire territory of the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir. In 2019, Pakistan's air force shot down an Indian aircraft in a Pakistani-administered area of Kashmir and captured a pilot, who was later released. Earlier, an Indian warplane carried out an airstrike allegedly targeting militants in the town of Balakot in Pakistan's northwestern region of Kyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The town lies immediately west of Pakistani-administered Kashmir. sdi/rt (AP, AFP, Reuters, dpa)

7Politics

Based on Aravind Adiga's Booker Prize-winning novel, The White Tiger is currently ranked the most popular film on Netflix worldwide. Featuring Bollywood actors Adarsh Gourav, Priyanka Chopra and Rajkummar Rao, the film tells the story of Balram, a young boy who is forced to drop out of school after his poor father dies. To support his remaining family he does odd jobs, breaking stones and working in a tea stall.  Despite his falling on hard times, Balram has not forgotten when a teacher called him a "white tiger" and thus complimented him for his strength to speak up in class. As a "white tiger" — a special person — his sole aim is to break out of "the coop" of his class and caste and make it big in life. Balram is the quintessential Indian underdog, from a poor, low-caste family of servants. After finding a job as a driver, he kills his employer to break out of his "servant" identity and establish a new life with a new name.  Many Indian film critics have lashed out at the movie's producers for creating yet another movie that revels in shots of India's poor and downtrodden — "poverty porn" as Indian news outlet The Quint refers to it. But for author and screenwriter Anu Singh Choudhary, the film can hardly be blamed for these images because like the novel, it is a commentary on life in India.  "It is very real and more than anything else, it is a statement about humanity. It is the hero's journey…It's a mirror for Indians who crave power and like to live a certain lifestyle without thinking about the kind of impact it has on people who are ‘serving' us."  Choudhary, who grew up in northern India and around Dhanbad, where the film is set, also feels that the depiction of lower castes in Balram's village Lakshmangarh is accurate. There are scenes from the village in which poor, low-caste members beg their landlords for money or work. The narrative of the movie lives from contrasts. For example, in Gurgaon, a suburb in Delhi, Balram's employers live in a fancy apartment block while he, like other drivers, is banished to the basement. The film "makes us realize that Balram, who represents people from that section of society, is not so because of choice, but because they have been oppressed to be that way," Choudhary says, referring to the "born-to-be-a-servant" mentality that the film's protagonist is constantly aware of. The movie "brings out the class-caste rift that we [Indians] have all seen day-in and day-out but have chosen to be blind to," she adds. But does it make sense to compare a work of fiction with reality in the first place? "I hate this idea of movies being a reflection of reality because movies are artificial constructs. It is a staged reality," says Indian film critic Bharadwaj Rangan. In the movie, like in the novel, Balram tells his story through the letter to the Chinese premier Wen Jiabao, who will soon be on a state visit to India. The film makes it very clear that the story is not reality, because the letter is the "distancing device" that is implemented to tell the story, Rangan says. "When we write letters, a certain formality creeps into our writing. What we speak versus how we write an e-mail are two very different things." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video This is also the reason why many characters in the movie communicate in English, Rangan says. Many Indian viewers have poked fun at Indian villagers speaking English in the movie and the lead actors Priyanka Chopra and Rajkumar Rao's strange in-between India and US English accents. In India, English is still considered a language of the priveleged classes and a means to climb the social ladder. But for Rangan, this fact does not affect the way he sees the movie, because using English is a creative choice and one made for the sake of consistency, since the book was written in English. "For instance, in old Hollywood films … French speak English in a French accent, whereas in reality, [they] would be communicating through a translator." Ultimately, Rangan agrees that The White Tiger is "a story of somebody who's an outsider in India. The movie makes it very clear that it is the people who have the power and the money who are the real insiders."  To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Having said that, it is unlikely that the movie has a mass appeal in the country it was made in, also because Netflix is one of the more expensive streaming platforms in India. "To be able to afford Netflix itself is a privilege," Rangan explains. According to author Anu Singh Choudhary, The White Tiger has been one of the top 10 movies in India, "but it is meant for a global and a niche audience and it is not something that will entertain or provide instant gratification," Choudhary says. "It's a film that makes you uncomfortable, it makes you think, it makes you question and that's not what a large part of Indian audiences are interested in. They are already burdened by so much that is happening around them. It's all there, starting from the farmers' protests in Delhi to so many personal and political conflicts that we see on a regular basis. It's not a film many people will watch because we all know this," she adds.

4Culture

Two Americans — a father and son — on Monday admitted in a Tokyo court to helping former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn flee Japan at the end of 2019 while he was out on bail. Army Special Forces veteran Michael Taylor and his 28-year-old son Peter are facing trial for carrying out a Houdini-like operation. During the escape, Ghosn hid in a box for music equipment that was loaded onto a private jet that flew him to Lebanon, via Turkey in December 2019. The two men did not contest the details of the indictment against them laid out by prosecutors in their first court appearance. The Taylors, extradited to Japan from the United States in March, are currently being held in the same prison in Tokyo where Ghosn was detained. If convicted, they face up to three years behind bars. They fought a monthslong battle in the US in an attempt to prevent their extradition, with their lawyers arguing that they could not be prosecuted for helping someone "jump bail." They also said they could face interrogation and torture-like conditions in Japan. Suspects in the Asian country are interrogated without their lawyers present. Meanwhile, Ghosn — currently an international fugitive — is living in Lebanon, which has no extradition treaty with Japan. The former Nissan chief was out on bail in December 2019 while awaiting trial on four counts of financial misconduct — which he denies — when he orchestrated his getaway. The multimillionaire walked out of his luxury residence on December 29, 2019, and met two US citizens in a nearby hotel, according to Japanese media. They took a shinkansen bullet train from Shinagawa, a major Tokyo hub, to Osaka in western Japan. The trip took around three hours. "On the shinkansen journey, there were dozens of people in the carriage, but I was wearing a cap, a facemask and sunglasses. You'd have had to be a real expert to recognize me under all that," Ghosn wrote in a book published last year. The three of them entered a hotel near Kansai International Airport, with two "big boxes," but according to security footage, only the two Americans were seen leaving. Apparently, Ghosn was hidden in one of the boxes, which had holes drilled so that he could breathe. The boxes were not scanned through X-ray before being loaded onto the private jet because they were too big for the machine at the airport.  The private plane, with Ghosn on board, first went to Istanbul. There he boarded a second flight to Beirut. Michael Taylor, 60, has been described by the Wall Street Journal as an "expert in the art of clandestine getaways." According to prosecutors, the man and his son received $1.3 million (€1.07 million) for helping the former auto tycoon escape. Japanese authorities, embarrassed by their failure to keep Ghosn from slipping away, called it "one of the most brazen and well-orchestrated escape acts in recent history." Two Turkish pilots and a Turkish airline employee were eventually sentenced to four years and two months in prison for their role in helping Ghosn. Two other pilots were acquitted in the case. Ghosn's former aide at Nissan, Greg Kelly, is also on trial in Tokyo for his alleged role in underreporting the tycoon's income. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video adi/nm (Reuters, AFP)

3Crime

Everyone agrees that The Gambia would never have made it to the Africa Cup of Nations if the tournament had not become a 24-team event. But their run so far has shown why that expansion was needed. The Scorpions, ranked 150 in the FIFA standings, arrived at their first AFCON tournament as the lowest-ranked team. On Saturday, it took a 2-0 loss against Cameroon to finally bring an end to their fairytale run. How did a team from a country of less than two million people get that far? The Gambia defeated Mauritania 1-0 in their opening game, drew 1-1 with Mali and sneaked a late 1-0 win against Tunisia in the final game of Group F to finish second. Bologna's Musa Barrow then sent them through to the quarterfinal with a beautiful goal against Guinea in the last-16.  "We went back to basics to make sure that we developed football from the grassroots," Baboucarr Camara, director of marketing and communications of The Gambia Football Federation (GFF) tells DW. Scenes of celebration have flooded social media since the Scorpions began their campaign. Young Gambians have been running into the streets to celebrate their team's impressive showings. Videos of fans streaming onto the central Westfield Junction in the capital city, Banjul, have gone viral as they honk from their cars and toot their whistles waving the country's flag in the nightly celebrations. Tom Saintfiet's team has given voice to a generation of young Gambians who have shown a hunger for success despite the tough conditions that they face. Until six years ago, Gambia was under the iron rule of Yahya Jammeh, the dictator that ruled the country for more than two decades. His reign left Gambia as a caricature for homemade HIV/AIDS remedies instead of herbal remedies, as Jammeh paraded himself as a faith-healer leader with a long string of self-proclaimed titles. As his rule deepened, so did the misery. Young Gambians took to their heels, migrating in thousands across the Sahara to Europe in search of better lives. A handful of the Scorpions' players fled to Italy where they now play in Serie A - Ebrima Darboe at Roma, Musa Barrow at Bologna, Ebrima Colley at Spezia Calcio. The talent is shining through and showing that The Gambia can compete internationally. "We have produced a group of talented footballers who are playing in some of the best leagues in Europe," explains Momodu Jallow, a sports expert with the Gambian national broadcaster. "This has helped the team to compete against the big guns of African football," Jammeh's election defeat by Adama Barrow brought a change of government. But recent elections in December threatened to open old ethnic wounds as Barrow won a second term in office with the poll results contested by his opponents. Those animosities have been put aside as the Scorpions progressed in Cameroon. "The team has united our country," says Omar Jarju, editor of Banjul's The Chronicle newspaper. "Politicians have put aside their strife and got behind the team. Everyone is happy to see the boys doing well." This unprecedented footballing success has provided many young Gambians with new role models of their own. The national team is leading a resurgence of pride for Gambians who have had to live in the shadow of larger neighbours Senegal for many years. They watched the Teranga Lions reach the quarter finals of the 2002 World Cup and dominate the continent with the stars of their golden era. "Growing up, as young boys, we looked up to Senegal's El Hadji Diouf and Khalilou Fadiga as well as Nigeria's Austin Okocha as role models. But now young boys proudly call themselves Musa Barrow or Ebrima not Abdulie Colley on the football field," Jarju says. Now Gambians are dreaming of one day winning the AFCON and also qualifying to play at the World Cup. Despite falling short against the host nation, their impressive performance in Cameroon has given them the confidence that they can compete with the big boys of world football. "This generation wants to do well for their country," says Jarju. "They feel pride that as they are doing it for their clubs, they should be able to do it for their country too." With proper planning, The Gambia could take its place among the biggest teams on the continent. When Saintfiet took over in 2018, he was tasked with making the country a competitive force in football. The Belgian has done just that. "We are here to reach our limits, to build the team of the future," coach Saintfiet told media. "I want The Gambia not only to be in this quartefinal, but again in 2023 and 2025, and at the World Cup in 2026 when nine African countries will be able to participate." To make that happen, The Gambia will need to put a lot of things in place. The country has just one stadium and runs an amateur league. "We need to invest in infrastructure," says Jallow. "We need better financial investment in football, a professional league, capacity building for referees, coaches and medics. "We hope that investors will come to invest in football at the grassroots level to help us grow," says Camara of the GFF. But despite the current euphoria, Jarju sounds a note of warning: "We need to make our presence felt on the continental scene. We must establish ourselves as a powerhouse. We shouldn't be carried away by our first appearance, we need to build from here." Edited by: Matt Ford

9Sports

For the second time in a week, Bayern Munich cruised to victory without Julian Nagelsmann watching on, the 34-year-old having tested positive for COVID-19 in Lisbon on Wednesday. But, despite a comfortable 4-0 win over Hoffenheim, the subject of coronavirus still dominated, with Joshua Kimmich confirming pre-match reports in German tabloid Bild that he is yet to be vaccinated, with several other Bayern players believed to have refused the vaccine. "I have concerns about the lack of long-term studies," he told broadcaster Sky Sport. "I am of course aware of my responsibility. I follow all hygiene measures and get tested every two to three days. Everyone should make the decision for themselves." In March 2020, Kimmich co-founded a philanthropic initiative called WeKickCorona to support social and charitable organizations helping people struggling with the effects of the pandemic. "Solidarity is necessary because health is the most important thing, everyone can help," Kimmich is quoted as saying on the initiative's website. Asked by Sky why he "doesn't practice what he preaches" with regards to his vaccination status, he responded: "That doesn't mean I don't practice what I preach. We've donated money to UNICEF so that they can make vaccines available in countries with no access to vaccines. If people decide they want to get vaccinated, we should do all we can to ensure that they can." The Bayern and Germany midfielder also insisted that, despite his concerns, he is "not a COVID denier or an anti-vaxxer," saying: "I find it a shame that there is only vaccinated and unvaccinated in this debate. Unvaccinated then seems to equal COVID denier or anti-vaxxer. But there are other people who just have concerns, whatever their reasons, and I think we should respect that as long as they also stick to the measures." At the start of the season, Bayern coach Nagelsmann had claimed that Bayern Munich have "a significantly better vaccination rate than elsewhere in society," adding that that was "important and pleasing for us." In May, the German Football League (DFL) officially recommended that all players get vaccinated and earlier said 94% of players in the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 had received a vaccine. For comparison, 95% of NBA players are vaccinated, and earlier this year the NFL announced that teams that experience a COVID-19 outbreak involving unvaccinated players would be liable to severe penalties, including fines and enforced forfeits. No such pressure has been imposed by the DFL on the Bundesliga, or indeed on any of the top European leagues, leaving clubs vulnerable to outbreaks among unvaccinated playing and non-playing staff, of which the possible implications are obvious. In Germany as a whole, approximately 70% of the population is vaccinated, and Kimmich didn't rule out getting vaccinated himself. "I'm not saying categorically that I won't get vaccinated, I just still have some concerns," he said, although he wouldn't elaborate. "It is absolutely possible that I will get vaccinated in future." Also speaking on Sky, former Bayern Munich and Germany midfielder Dietmar Hamann questioned "how football can tell the fans that unvaccinated people can't go to the stadium while there are perhaps 10-15 players down there on the pitch who aren't vaccinated." Though many German clubs, including Bayern Munich, operate a so-called 3G policy ("genesen, geimpft, getestet" or "recovered, vaccinated, tested") for admission to stadiums, some, such as Cologne, only accept "2G" — recovered or vaccinated — and don't accept negative test results from unvaccinated fans. In recent weeks, fans of second-division clubs Dynamo Dresden and Hansa Rostock refused to travel to games away at Hamburg side St. Pauli because of the 2G policy. As for Nagelsmann, watching from isolation at home and reported to only be suffering mild symptoms, he reiterated his support for vaccines, but said: "There is still no obligation to get vaccinated in Germany or at Bayern Munich. We encourage it, and in my opinion it's a good thing, but I also won't force anybody." His replacement on the touchline, assistant coach Dino Toppmöller, told press: "Every player has the chance to talk to club staff about the topic, where everything is explained to them. At the end of the day, Joshua has decided not to get vaccinated for the time being, and I respect his decision. That's the end of it for me." On the field, Bayern remain imperious. In the past seven days, they have scored 14 goals and conceded just once. Title-winning form, of course, but on this evidence, this could be another one of those seasons where Bayern could sweep all before them. The biggest compliment one can pay them is that they make winning routine, even expected. Only the greatest teams can reach that level of near-invincibility and the impact that has on the overall health of the league can be questioned again, but Bayern cannot be faulted for being this good. Since their hiccup against Eintracht Frankfurt two weeks ago, they've hit new heights. This wasn't an explosive performance of the ilk seen last weekend in Leverkusen or in Lisbon in the Champions League, but it was another demonstration of efficiency. Leroy Sane came off the bench late on, with Leon Goretzka and Alphonso Davies given a weekend off. In came Jamal Musiala, Marcel Sabitzer and Omar Richards — and Bayern remained as effective as ever. The pick of the goals was a first half bullet by Robert Lewandowski, but Serge Gnabry scored, too, with Eric Choupo-Moting and Kingsley Coman enjoying a confidence bump with goals off the bench. As for Hoffenheim, coach Sebastian Hoeness will reflect on how the team could have made life harder for Bayern, but in reality the quality gap was too great to bridge.

9Sports

This live updates article is now closed. For the latest coverage on Afghanistan please see here. Foreign ministers from several countries will meet virtually on Monday to discuss their plans for Afghanistan, the US State Department has announced.  Representatives from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, Turkey, Qatar, the European Union and NATO are set to participate, the State Department said. "The participants will discuss an aligned approach for the days and weeks ahead," the statement said. The statement also said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken would speak after the meeting to give an update on the US' recent efforts in Afghanistan. In a televised debate, the three candidates to succeed Chancellor Angela Merkel in Germany's election touched on events in Afghanistan.  Armin Laschet for Merkel’s center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) described what happened as "a disaster for the West, also a disaster for the German government" and renewed a call for a "national security council'' to improve decision-making in Germany. Annalena Baerbock for the environmentalist Greens accused the government of "ducking away'' from decisions on assisting endangered Afghans out of the country. Olaf Scholz for the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) said the Left Party's refusal to support the military evacuation mission from Kabul "greatly saddened'' him and insisted that any government he leads must have "a clear commitment to NATO.'' President Emmanuel Macron Sunday said discussions France is having with the Taliban over evacuations from Afghanistan do not indicate recognition of the group as the country's new rulers, saying it needed to fulfil conditions on human rights and rejecting terror. "We have operations to carry out in Afghanistan, the evacuations. The Taliban are the ones in control... we have to have these discussions from a practical point of view. This does not mean there will be recognition," Macron told France's TF1 television during a visit to Iraq. "We have set conditions," said Macron, outlining three areas. He said the Tailban needed to respect humanitarian law by allowing those who qualify for asylum to leave the country, and also take a "very clear line" against all terror movements. Macron said the third area was human rights and "in particularly respect for the dignity of Afghan women." Following the drone strike which the US said killed IS suicide bombers, an Afghan official told the AP news agency that three children were killed in the blast. The official spoke on condition of anonymity out of security concerns.  It comes after the US said it was "assessing the possibilities" of having killed or injured civilians in the airstrike. US Military officials said the vehicle was carrying explosives and that the initial strike set off secondary explosions. American officials said the bombers planned to attack Kabul’s international airport. Witnesses to the drone strike said it targeted two cars parked in a residential building near the airport, killing and wounding several civilians, AP reported. The strike came two days before the US  is set to conclude a two-week-long airlift of more than 114,000 Afghans and foreigners and withdraw the last of its troops. A joint statement from Britain, the United States and many other countries has said that the Taliban will allow all foreign nationals and locals with authorization from another country to leave. "We have received assurances from the Taliban that all foreign nationals and any Afghan citizen with travel authorization from our countries will be allowed to proceed in a safe and orderly manner to points of departure and travel outside the country," the countries, which also included Australia, Japan, France, Spain and others, said. A military aircraft has brought home French special forces, embassy staff in Kabul and France's ambassador, along with the last group of Afghan refugees able to make the final evacuation. Defense Minister Florence Parly and Prime Minister Jean Castex were present to welcome the arrival at the Villacoulay military airport, just outside Paris, late afternoon Sunday. The plane flew in from Abu Dhabi, where a French base served as a transit point for the 2,834 people evacuated from Afghanistan since August 17. The large majority travelling on Sunday along with Ambassador David Martinon were Afghans. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The Taliban's supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada — who has never made a public appearance — is in Afghanistan, in the city of Kandahar, deputy spokesman for the militants, Bilal Karimi, said Sunday. "I can confirm that he is in Kandahar. He will soon appear in public," Karimi told news agency AFP. "He will soon appear in public." Turkey said it cannot take the burden of a new migrant wave from Afghanistan. "As Turkey, we have sufficiently carried out our moral and humanitarian responsibilities regarding migration," Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said, speaking in a joint press conference with his German counterpart, Heiko Maas. "It is out of the question for us to take an additional refugee burden." Turkey currently hosts some 3.7 million Syrian refugees as part of a 2016 deal with the European Union. Meanwhile, Maas tweeted his appreciation of the help Turkey has been offering at Kabul airport. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed Afghanistan and US-China relations over the phone on Sunday, Chinese state media reported. Wang said it is essential for all sides to engage with the Taliban and "positively guide" them. Wang said the US should work alongside the international community to provide economic and humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. "While respecting the sovereignty of Afghanistan, the US should take concrete action to help Afghanistan fight terrorism and stop violence, rather than playing double standards or fighting terrorism selectively," Wang was quoted as telling Blinken on a call that Chinese state television said was made at the invitation of Washington. On relations between the two world's largest economies, Wang said "China will consider how to engage with the US side based on the US attitude towards China." Militant fire from across the border in Afghanistan killed two Pakistani soldiers on Sunday, the army confirmed. The army said it responded by killing two or three attackers. The incident in Pakistan's Bajaur district is the first of its kind since the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan. US officials confirmed a drone strike against a vehicle threatening the Kabul airport.  "US military forces conducted a self-defense unmanned over-the-horizon airstrike today on a vehicle in Kabul, eliminating an imminent ISIS-K threat" to Hamid Karzai International airport, said Bill Urban, a spokesman for US Central Command (CENTCOM). "Significant secondary explosions from the vehicle indicated the presence of a substantial amount of explosive material," he said, adding there were "no indications at this time" of civilian casualties. Other reports indicated the vehicle carried multiple suicide bombers. Paul "Pen" Farthing, an ex-British marine who founded the Nowzad animal rescue charity in Afghanistan 15 years ago, has left Kabul with his animals but none of his local support staff. A privately funded charter brought Farthing to London while his support staff and their dependents remain behind in Kabul. Farthing and the support staff along with their families were eligible for evacuation as part of the UK's airlift but were not rescued from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. "We've just used a lot of troops to bring in 200 dogs. Meanwhile my interpreter's family is likely to be killed,'' Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat who served with the British Army in Afghanistan told LBC radio. British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said Farthing's demands and his social media supporters had "taken up too much time'' of senior commanders and military staff. US national security advisor Jake Sullivan told CNN there are 300 or fewer US citizens remaining in Kabul at present who wish to leave.  "After August 31, we believe we have substantial leverage to allow safe passage for US citizens, permanent residents and Afghan allies," Sullivan said. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken gave ABC News the same figure regarding the remaining US nationals. Early reports indicate a new blast in the Afghan capital on Sunday, just days after a suicide attack at Kabul airport's Abbey Gate which was claimed by the "Islamic State." Witnesses cited by the Reuters news agency say the blast appears to have been a rocket attack. AP, citing an Afghan police chief, reports the rocket hit northwest of the airport and killed a child. The Pentagon and Biden's national security team both warned of an imminent attack prior to the incident. US President Joe Biden is traveling to Dover Air Force Base in his home state of Delaware to receive the bodies of the service members killed in Thursday's suicide attacks at the Kabul airport. Biden and First Lady Jill are scheduled to meet the families of the service members then witness the transfer of the troops' remains. Thursday's bombing outside the gates of Kabul airport claimed the lives of 13 US service personnel including 11 marines, one sailor and one army staff sergeant. Two women are among the marines killed. The Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K) claimed responsibility for the attack in a video message. The US military launched a retaliatory drone strike against the group. A top Taliban officials has said privately that the group will allow for the safe passage of Americans, US residents and Afghan allies after Aug. 31, according to Reuters. The White House has also acknowledged those comments. "The Taliban have both communicated privately and publicly that they will allow for safe passage," said Jake Sullivan, US President Joe Biden's national security adviser, in a CBS TV interview set to be broadcast on Sunday. "After August 31st, we will make sure there is safe passage for any American citizen, any legal permanent resident," he added. "And yes, we will ensure the safe passage of those Afghans who helped us to continue coming out after the 31st of August." German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas issued a statement ahead of his trip to Turkey, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan and Qatar, touting Germany's commitment to tackling the situation in Afghanistan.  "I am traveling to the region today to make it clear: Germany's commitment does not end with the conclusion of the military evacuation mission," he said.  He also warned of a resurgence in international terrorism. "The attacks at Kabul airport show us how great the danger is that international terrorism will regain strength. A power-political vacuum has been created, into which ISIS-K and other terrorists are now striving with frightening speed." Maas additionally offered aid to countries surrounding Afghanistan, "to help them cope with the humanitarian and economic consequences." "It's in our own interest to prevent the collapse in Afghanistan from destabilizing the entire region," he added. Seven Afghans were detained after being evacuated to Germany, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper. One is in custody, two are still in the care of the police at the airport. "Three had forged documents with them and four had already been deported from Germany to Afghanistan as criminals. These were serious crimes," Seehofer said. Former university officials and lecturers have called on the Taliban to maintain and upgrade the country's education system instead of creating a new one.  At a conference on higher education, held by the Taliban, former minister of higher education Abas Basir said that starting over would be a mistake made by previous governments.  "Let's not reject everything, starting a new system, we should work more on what we already have," said Basir.  Taliban caretaker higher education minister Abdul Baqi Haqqani criticized the current education system founded by the international community, saying that there was not enough emphasis placed on religious education.  "The world tried to take religion out of scientific education, which harmed the people,'' Haqqani said. He added that "every item against Islam in the educational system will be removed.'' A report in the Welt am Sonntag newspaper says out of the 4,500 people who were evacuated to Germany by the middle of last week, just 101 of them were local Afghan employees.  Together with their families, they made up little more than a tenth of the total, the newspaper said, citing Interior Ministry figures. The Foreign Ministry, however, says around 5,300 people have been brought to safety from Kabul, including 530 Germans. The German government has come under massive criticism for not flying out Afghan military aides before the Taliban took power.  On Thursday, the Bundeswehr completed its evacuation flights from Kabul. German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer has vowed to tighten border controls in the event of new large-scale refugee movements from Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq. "Not everyone who wants to enter our country will be allowed to enter," Seehofer said in an interview with Bild am Sonntag newspaper. “We will do everything we can to prevent the uncontrolled influx of migrants to Europe.” Seehofer added that refugee movements from Afghanistan and other countries in the region, such as Syria and Iraq, are being monitored very closely. France and Britain will on Monday call on the United Nations to work for the creation of a "safe zone" in the Afghan capital Kabul to protect humanitarian operations, French President Emmanuel Macron said in comments published in the Journal du Dimanche.  "This is very important. This would provide a framework for the United Nations to act in an emergency." Such a safe zone would allow the international community "to maintain pressure on the Taliban," who are now in power in Afghanistan, he added.  The five permanent members of the UN Security Council, France, Britain, the US, Russia and China, are set to discuss the situation in Afghanistan on Monday.  France and Britain will present a draft resolution which "aims to define, under UN control, a 'safe zone' in Kabul, that will allow humanitarian operations to continue," Macron said. Journalist Franz Marty told DW, however, the draft is "only a vague plan or proposal, and that the Taliban would likely be opposed to such a plan.  "At some point, there even seemed to be discussions that the UN dramatically reduces its presence here in Afghanistan," said Marty. "So going from this to establishing a safe zone would be like a huge jump. The Taliban themselves would probably be opposed." UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson issued a statement praising evacuation efforts and the country's initiative to take in several Afghan refugees.  "All remaining soldiers, diplomats and civil servants have now left," he said. "This country has now processed, vetted and airlifted more than 15,000 people to safety in less than two weeks." Afghanistan's two Paralympic athletes made an "extremely emotional" arrival at the Tokyo Paralympic Village, Games chiefs said on Sunday. That comes after a top-secret flight from Paris following their evacuation from Kabul. Zakia Khudadadi and Hossain Rasouli arrived in Japan to compete at the Games, after leaving Afghanistan last weekend.  "Both athletes are here in Tokyo to fulfill their dreams, sending out a very strong message of hope to many others around the world," said International Paralympic Committee spokesman Craig Spence. Khudadadi and Rasouli were welcomed to the athletes' village on Saturday night by IPC chief Andrew Parsons and IPC Athletes' Council chairperson Chelsey Gotell, as well as the Afghan team's chef de mission Arian Sadiqi. "As you can imagine, the meeting was extremely emotional," said Spence. "There were lots of tears from everyone in the room. It really was a remarkable meeting." German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas is starting a four-day trip to five countries, all of which have a role in continued efforts to evacuate people from Afghanistan. He will begin in Turkey on Sunday, then make his way to Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Qatar.  Qatar's capital, Doha, is home to a political office of the Taliban, which functions as a foreign ministry for the group. The trip comes three days after the end of the Bundeswehr evacuation operation, in which the air force flew 5,347 people out of Kabul.  "The military evacuation is now over. But our work continues, and will continue until everyone for whom we have responsibility in Afghanistan is safe," Maas said on Thursday. The Taliban and the departing US forces are aiming for a swift handover of Kabul airport, a Taliban official told Reuters. "We are waiting for the final nod from the Americans to secure full control over Kabul airport," he said. The official added that the militants had a team of technical experts and engineers ready to complete the takeover.  Meanwhile, a Western security official told Reuters that just over 1,000 civilians remain at the airport to be flown out before troops fully withdraw. However, a date and time for the end of the operation have yet to be decided, they said.  US President Joe Biden has said he will stick by his Tuesday deadline to withdraw all troops from Afghanistan. The US Embassy in Kabul has urged all US citizens in the vicinity of Kabul airport to leave the area immediately due to a "specific, credible threat."  Americans are asked to avoid traveling to the airport.  The Australian government also issued a similar warning to avoid travel to the airport. The UK and France will call for a safe zone in Kabul during an emergency UN meeting on Monday. "Our resolution proposal aims to define a safe zone in Kabul, under UN control, which would allow humanitarian operations to continue," French President Emmanuel Macron told the Le Journal du Dimanche weekly newspaper. Britain's Defense Ministry said the last flight carrying UK army personnel has left Kabul, ending the evacuation mission.  Defense Minister Ben Wallace said 15,000 people have been evacuated in the last two weeks. ​​​​​​ "We should be proud of our armed forces, welcoming to those coming for a better life, and… sad for those left behind," Wallace said on Twitter.  "Our obligation to them does not end with our leaving," he added.  With the UK's 20-year mission coming to an end, Wallace said that there would be "many lessons to learn," but there were also "endless examples of amazing achievements."  mv, jsi, wd, ar/mm (AP, AFP, Reuters, dpa)

2Conflicts

For two weeks, all over the country, German flags fluttered on cars, on balconies, and in allotment gardens. They were a visible expression of cheerful patriotism, and they lasted from the German national team's first defeat by France until its last, by England.  As Italy and England face off Sunday in the final of the European Championships and Germany having bowed out, the flag and the face paint have both been stowed away — most likely until next year's World Cup, as long as Germany qualifies. It was another soccer tournament, the 2006 World Cup in Germany, that marked a turning point in the way Germans related to their flag. "A time to make friends" was the official motto of the championship, and it was the first time the Germans waved their national flag en masse. "If you compare the stadium crowds [at the World Cups in Germany] in 1974 and in 2006, you can see a huge difference. In 1974, a few people had flags. In 2006, almost everyone had a flag. This was the moment when Germans acknowledged their flag and were happy to wave it," said Harald Biermann,  communications director of the Haus der Geschichte in Bonn, a museum that focuses on contemporary German history.  Of course, the national flag is not simply merchandise, as the website of the German Bundestag points out: "Germans identify with these colors as they seldom have before in their eventful history, and this is expressed in many places, not just at soccer World Cups." Is this really the case, or is it wishful thinking on the part of national lawmakers? The relationship of its citizens to their own flag is more complicated in Germany than in almost any other country in the world, Biermann told DW. He emphasized that this makes Germany a "total exception" among the industrialized developed nations where national flags daily fly in front of government buildings and even people's front lawns. Each society has its own unique way of dealing with national symbols, and, at first, outsiders often find these peculiarities hard to understand. Something people in other countries may take for granted, such as wearing a T-shirt with the slogan "Vive la France!" or "God bless America!" doesn't transfer easily to Germany. The same is true of the way people view the German flag. But why is this? Biermann explains it as a consequence of recent history. "Basically, it must be said that Germans have a difficult relationship with national feelings, and the colors black-red-gold are associated with those feelings. Because of the history of National Socialism, many people struggle with their attitude to the nation and to national feelings. This burden still weighs on people, and it takes a toll on our relationship to the nation." Enrico Brissa is the author of the book "Flagge zeigen! Warum wir gerade jetzt Schwarz-Rot-Gold brauchen" [Show your colors! Why we need black-red-gold right now]. "The way we deal with state and national symbols is characterized by mistakes and confusion because our relationship to our state and nation has not been a consistent one; furthermore, it is one that has been, and is still, repeatedly brought up for discussion," he said. Many symbols from the National Socialist era are banned by German law. The use of symbols of unconstitutional organizations is punishable by up to three years in prison. These symbols include things like the swastika and the Nazi salute. The use of such symbols that have not been declared illegal is also widely avoided by general society. But Biermann said black-red-gold has nothing to do with either National Socialism or dictatorship: "Quite the opposite. Black-red-gold wasn't used under National Socialism. Instead, the swastika flag became the national symbol." The German national colors first appeared as a combination in the 1813-1815 "Wars of Liberation" against Napoleon. They were used as uniform colors by the Lützow Free Corps, a volunteer unit of the Prussian army, whose uniform consisted of black fabric, red piping, and gold buttons. Over the years that followed, the colors became more widely used, and in 1848 the Frankfurt National Assembly designated a flag with these three colors the official flag of the German Confederation. Black, red and gold, it said, were the colors of the flag "under which liberals and democrats joined together to found a common state through the national movement," after which, in the Weimar Republic of 1919, it was "established as the flag of the first German democracy." But this flag was rescinded by the Nazis when they seized power. "In that sense, black-red-gold really is completely untainted in every respect," Biermann said. But even if the Nazis were less interested in the colors of today's German flag, right-wing extremists have flocked to them. "Since the autumn of 2014, we have also been dealing with an insidious reinterpretation of our national colors," Brissa said. "The joy over the World Cup victory in Brazil had not yet faded when, a few months later, the [far-right, anti-Islam] PEGIDA demonstrations began in Dresden. Since then, black-red-gold has become a constant, highly visible accompaniment to right-wing protests 'against the system.' The big presence of these colors on the streets has been surpassed by their even bigger presence on social media. Since then, too many of our citizens believe that black-red-gold is a symbol of the extreme right — which, of course, is nonsense." In a speech in November 2020, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier warned that the German flag should not be abandoned by society and left to the right-wing extremists. "Black, red, gold — these are the colors of our democratic history," he said. "We must not allow them to be appropriated and misused by those who want to ignite fresh nationalist hatred." According to Biermann, one of the reasons for people's uneasy relationship with the German flag is a lack of knowledge about the history and significance of the three colors. "Many Germans simply don't know what the symbol black-red-gold actually stands for. It must be said that this is a failure on the part of schools," he says. Consequently, people are not sure what Germany's national colors actually mean. Brissa is committed to raising awareness about black-red-gold: "The aim is to persuade more people to develop positive feelings for the symbols of our state, and to connect with them because they have a better understanding of their meaning and content." This article has been translated from German.

8Society

Hackers have leaked stolen coronavirus vaccine documents online and altered them prior to publication, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) said on Friday. Documents and emails about the BioNTech-Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were taken in a cyberattack on the EMA, the EU agency revealed in December 2020. Some of the correspondence been "manipulated in a way which could undermine trust in vaccines," the Netherlands-based agency said. "We have seen that some of the correspondence has been published not in its integrity and original form and, or with, comments or additions by the perpetrators," EMA added. The EU drug regulator did not state what information was altered. Dutch public broadcaster NOS said it had viewed documents posted online which appeared to show the EMA facing heavy pressure from the European Commission to approve the vaccines as soon as possible. According to NOS, the agency has not confirmed whether those passages — which were posted on a Russian internet forum — were genuine. The broadcaster quoted an unnamed source as saying that a "foreign intelligence service" was behind the hack. German media has reported similar findings. EU member states criticized the EMA for slow vaccine approval in December amid a growing second wave of infections. The agency issued its first recommendation for the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine weeks after the shot received approval in Britain, the United States, Canada and elsewhere. It recommended a second vaccine, made by Moderna, for use earlier this month. The EMA said it had been in "constant dialogue" with the European Commission. There had "always been consensus across the EU not to compromise the high-quality standards" it uses, despite high demand for vaccines. Dutch police are currently investigating the hack along with the EMA. kmm/rs (AP, AFP)

5Health

The German government said on Tuesday that it will place Gazprom Germania into long-term administration and provide it with a loan of up to €10 billion ($10.4 billion) to stop the company from going insolvent. The subsidiary of the Russian gas giant Gazprom was taken under temporary administration following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. A government spokesperson told Reuters news agency that the company will be renamed Securing Energy for Europe GmbH. The funding the keep the company afloat will come through the state-run development bank KfW. "With this approach, the German government can maintain control over this part of critical energy infrastructure and prevent threats to energy security," the government said in a statement. Gazprom severed ties with its German subsidiary after Moscow imposed retaliatory sanctions against the daughter company. Several days later, German authorities took temporary control to protect the supply of gas into Germany.  Germany is highly dependent on Russian gas and has repeatedly rejected calls to place an embargo on its imports despite the war in Ukraine. However, a more immediate reaction to Russia's invasion was to cancel the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project that would have increased the capacity for pumping Russian gas into Germany, and thus end Russia's dependence on key infrastructure running through Ukraine. Gazprom Germania has played a key role in securing the energy supply for Germany and the loan announcement on Tuesday is intended to prop up its role in ensuring gas supplies and prevent bankruptcy. The German company is made up of its own subsidiaries such as the storage firm Astora which is in charge of operating some 6 billion cubic meters of underground gas caverns in Germany and Austria. The bailout announcement came as the Russian Gazprom said it was reducing the flow of gas into Germany through the already existing Nord Stream 1 pipeline by 40% due to the need for repairs. The company cited delays on the part of the German company Siemens that is involved in the repairs, but the move sparked concern after Russia cut off gas to countries such as Poland and Bulgaria. German Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck has said he is working on finding alternatives to Russian energy and the government is planning to build LNG terminals, but a complete cutting off of Russian fuel will take time. ab/wd (Reuters, dpa, AFP)

0Business

Germany's new COVID test requirements for travelers flying into the country came into force on Tuesday. The rules change comes as Germany is grappling with a third wave of infections and as thousands of German tourists have flown abroad for the Easter holidays. The new testing rules went into effect shortly after midnight on Tuesday, after their implementation had been postponed to allow airlines and travelers more time to prepare. Previously, only people returning from countries designated high risk were required to present a negative test before traveling to Germany. The move to implement new travel rules comes as thousands of German vacationers flew to the Spanish island of Mallorca in recent days. The German government lifted its travel warning for the popular destination in mid-March after the incidence rate put it in the low-risk category. Until now, those returning from low-risk areas weren't required to quarantine or get tested upon return. The German government is still reviewing whether it is possible to implement a temporary ban on foreign vacations all together. A decision is expected to be made later this week. Last week, Chancellor Angela Merkel and the country's 16 state leaders agreed to extend the country's lockdown into April, but quickly reversed a decision to implement a 5-day hard lockdown over Easter. Germany is currently battling a third wave of infections — driven primarily by the highly-contagious B117 coronavirus variant that was first discovered in Britain. On Tuesday, the seven-day incidence rate of new coronavirus infections continued to rise, up to 135 new infections per 100,000 residents. Officials agreed to implement stricter lockdown measures in areas where the rate surpasses the critical benchmark of 100, although implementation has been inconsistent. Correction: A previous version of this article stated that tests must be taken no earlier than 48 hours before departure. It is 48 hours before arrival in Germany. We regret the error.  rs/rt (dpa, AFP)

5Health

Armin Laschet, the head of outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU), appeared buoyant after meeting with Green Party leaders on Tuesday. "We have clear differences," Laschet told reporters after the talks, "but differences that are not insurmountable." Laschet appeared alongside Markus Söder, the leader of the CDU's Bavarian sister party, the CSU, and Green Party co-chairs Annalena Baerbock and Robert Habeck. Baerbock was perhaps less upbeat when addressing the press, saying that, while the discussions with the CDU had been "constructive and serious," the parties, "on some topics, especially social policy, are rather far apart." All the parties have agreed to keep more specific policy discussions private during these preliminary talks, meaning that the politicians confined themselves to generalities. After Germany's federal elections on September 26, the Social Democrats (SPD) emerged with a narrow victory over the CDU.  The third- and fourth-place finishers, the Green Party and the neoliberal Free Democrats (FDP), respectively, have found themselves in the position of kingmakers. They must now establish whether they can reach a working deal with either of the country's largest parties, and if they can, decide which they prefer.   To that end, leaders from all of the top four parties have been meeting for bilateral talks over the past week. Although the FDP and Green Party have signaled that they would move forward as a unit, this process will not necessarily be smooth sailing. Outside of being future-focused, the two parties' platforms have little in common and it is widely accepted that the FDP is more closely ideologically aligned with the CDU and the Greens with the SPD. Green leader Robert Habeck told reporters that his party and the Free Democrats would make their path forward clear as soon as this week: "The FDP and we will certainly now evaluate the talks as a whole. ... We will take time for that today and tomorrow." After Germany went without a government for nearly six months during coalition talks in 2017, all parties have appeared eager to avoid another such political stalemate. Both Laschet and SPD leader Olaf Scholz have vowed to have a new government before Christmas. es/msh (dpa, Reuters)

7Politics

A US intelligence report found Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The release of the report Friday could prove a test for normally close relations between Washington and Riyadh. It comes the day after US President Joe Biden's first phone call with Saudi King Salman. The Saudi government rejected the allegations, adding that it had taken "all possible measures within our legal system to ensure that these individuals were properly investigated, and to ensure that justice was served," the Foreign Ministry said in after the release of the report.  US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday the State Department will impose a "Khashoggi Ban," a set of restrictions on 76 Saudi individuals who are believed to be involved in the killing.  "Starting today, we will have a new global policy bearing his name to impose visa restrictions on those who engage in extraterritorial attacks on journalists or activists," Blinken said on Twitter.  But media reports suggest that the US will not impose sanctions on the crown prince. The United States wants change but not a "rupture" in ties with Saudi Arabia, Blinken said. "What we've done by the actions that we've taken is really not to rupture the relationship, but to recalibrate to be more in line with our interests and our values," he told reporters. The document cites Mohammed bin Salman's "absolute power" over Saudi intelligence and security forces since 2017.  "The crown prince viewed Khashoggi as a threat to the Kingdom and broadly supported using violent measures if necessary to silence him," the report said.  Washington Post journalist Khashoggi — a critic of the prince's apparent authoritarian consolidation of power — was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October, 2018. Saudi Arabia sentenced five people to 20 years each in prison over the murder. The document concluded that a close adviser of the royal family, who publicly said that he did not make decisions without Mohammed bin Salman's approval, was affiliated with a Saudi delegation that arrived in Istanbul in October 2018. The same delegation included seven members of Mohammed bin Salman's aides and guards, known as the Rapid Intervention Force (RIF), who only answered to the crown prince's orders and carried out "dissident suppression operations" in the kingdom, according to the report. News media had reported that US intelligence agencies concluded in 2018 that the prince likely ordered the killing, although such a finding was never officially released until Friday. Recognition of the involvement of the prince could cast a huge shadow over relations between the US and its most significant ally in the Arab world, Saudi Arabia. Relations between the two had flourished under Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump. Trump was particularly cautious about criticizing Saudi Arabia's record on human rights, notably over the Khashoggi murder. Prince Mohammed's critics — including a rights group founded by the slain journalist — want the US president to back up past tough rhetoric about Saudi Arabia. They want sanctions or other tough actions that would target and isolate the prince. They fear Biden will simply opt for condemnation, avoiding a lasting standoff with Saudi Arabia, seen as a valuable strategic partner given its vast oil reserves and regional rivalry with Iran. Mohammed bin Salman, sometimes dubbed MBS, has consolidated power rapidly since his father, now in his 80s, became king in 2015. Critics blame the prince for the kingdom's imprisonment and alleged torture of rights advocates, businesspeople, and other royals domestically. He is also believed to be behind the launching of a devastating war in neighboring Yemen and a failed economic blockade against neighboring Qatar. Rather than mention the report, the White House said Biden and King Salman had discussed the two countries' "longstanding partnership." It said the US president had welcomed the kingdom's recent releases of political detainees, including women's right advocate Loujain al-Hathloul. The pair also discussed Iran's "destabilizing activities and its support for terrorist groups" in the Middle East. The language contrasted with Biden's pledge as a presidential candidate to make Saudi Arabia "a pariah" over the killing. rc, fb/rt (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)

7Politics

"Have you guys seen the middle one? No?" says a young woman in a TikTok video — she's wearing TikTok's rudimentary "mom costume," a bathrobe and glasses. Impersonating a mother and pretending to address the other siblings, TikToker Khalessa Guevara uses a casual, indifferent tone. "I haven't seen her in a couple days. Do you guys have her number?" In part of a TikTok video under the hashtag #siblings, Amanda McCants says: "No it's fine! Yell at me for something I did not do so I'll people-please later in life," presumably addressing parents. And in another post with the title "Youngest child problems," 23-year-old TikToker Sam Perry lip-syncs a dramatic song as the text overhead reads: "Always being compared to my siblings and could never find myself as I was growing up … it's no surprise why I feel the need to be good at everything and set unrealistic, high expectations for myself." Social media users seem to be fascinated with the idea of how birth order could both affect people's personality and how parents treat their children. Found on virtually every social media platform are countless videos, graphics and memes talking about the perks and perils of being the eldest, middle or youngest sibling. On TikTok alone, videos with hashtag #middlechildproblems have received at least 2.2 billion views. Certain accounts have garnered millions of followers by specializing in "sibling comedy," or making fun of how kids are treated differently by their parents based on the order of their birth. Among viral videos are people who claim to be certified psychologists explaining a simplified version of Adlers' birth order theory — a theory that has not proven to be true. Alfred Adler, an Austrian psychotherapist, first came up with the birth order theory in the early 20th century. According to the Alder institute in Mainz, Germany, the theory holds that the order in which a child is born shapes that person's development and personality. A large part of social media content centered around the topic echoes how Adler categorized siblings: Firstborns tend to be responsible, authoritarian and under constant pressure to meet their parents' expectations; the middle one is typically forgotten; and the youngest is confident, fun-loving and wild. This theory has inspired a pile of popular books since it was first propagated. But over the past decade or so, a spate of studies using large sample sizes and advanced statistical methods have discredited it. Among these studies is one by Rodica Damian and Brent Roberts, who surveyed about 300,000 Americans. They found that birth order has no effect on personality traits. The results were echoed by other studies with large samples in the United Kingdom, Germany and other countries. Although birth order can impact your life, such influences vary from a culture to culture or even family to family, Damian told DW, and do not create a visible, universal pattern in people's personalities. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video "Birth order can have an impact on your life if society pushes you in a certain direction based on cultural values, and if parents treat you differently based on such values," said Damian, who teaches social psychology at the university of Houston. "For example, if culturally the firstborn child gets most of the family's resources, then they tend to become more influential members of their extended family in their adult lives." While several studies hint that American firstborns tend to be slightly more educated that their siblings, Damian cited research conducted on an Indonesian sample that found the opposite result. "Later-borns in Indonesia tend to be more educated because the older children usually have to help their parents in farming or raising other siblings." In the United States, the firstborn might be slightly overrepresented in higher education, "simply because the family's college money runs out for other kids," she pointed out. Even if parents treat children differently based on their position in the family — which seems to be what most social media users are complaining about — other factors are more significant in shaping people's personalities, according to Damian. "The types of friends you make as an adolescent, your peer group, is more important for your personality and development than your parents," she said. "A firstborn child, for example, might be trained to be responsible but then they hit puberty, get in a group of delinquent friends and start doing risky behaviors." "Your personality traits are often a result of genetics and a large set of life experiences combined, and birth order does not have any influential impact on it, directly or through parents," she said. Despite evidence to the contrary, the public fascination with birth order has not abated. On the contrary, interest seems to be growing — particularly on social media platforms. "I constantly get interviews from media sources being super interested birth order theory," Damian said. "Sometimes people even write me and say: 'You are wrong! We have children and we see these differences in their behavior!'" For Christian Montag, a psychologist who studies social media, the popularity of invalid theories is typical to the medium. "What we see in a lot of content and also behaviors online is that a lot of people don't want to do analytical thinking because this is effortful," he told DW. "It's rather easier to be reflective about things; to say, I only process what fits into my worldview." Social media algorithms, many of which are kept secret, create virtual bubbles and echo chambers where people have contact only with content they like and confirm, said Montag. In other words, when someone feels neglected in their childhood because that person was the middle child, there is a good chance that a constant flux of social media content with the same thrust will eventually turn that feeling into a conviction. In addition, in today's digital world, kids prefer to talk about their problems online rather than confronting their families in person, Montag added. Damian believes birth order theory enables us to do something very typical: blame others. "It is often the easiest to blame things on your parents and your family." A behavior that is universally human — despite our best intentions. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Edited by: Sonya Diehn

8Society

Police in Ecuador on Tuesday said they had arrested Leonidas Iza, the leader of an Indigenous movement protesting rising gas pump prices and a higher cost of living. Officials said Iza, who has led the powerful Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE), was now in custody and awaiting a hearing. Police said they arrested Iza in the Pastocalle sector, south of Quito, which has been one of the focal points of roadblocks during the demonstrations. "@PoliciaEcuador apprehended Leonidas I., in Pastocalle #Cotopaxi, for suspected offenses," police said on Twitter. The protesters have blocked roads across the country and declared an ongoing protest to demand President Guillermo Lasso freeze fuel prices. Demonstrations turned violent on Monday, as protesters burned a patrol car and attacked police officers. "No one is above the law, Ecuadoreans cannot be victims of vandals who only want to provoke chaos," Lasso said early on Tuesday. The president added that he had initiated the arrest of the "intellectual and material perpetrators" of violent actions. CONAIE published a video of Iza's detention on Tuesday morning and described the action as "violent, illegal and arbitrary." "We call for a great Indigenous and popular uprising for the freedom of our top leader," it added. As well as lowering fuel prices, CONAIE also wants Lasso to impose a moratorium on small farmers' bank debts and to limit oil and mining expansion in the country. In 2019, protests led by CONAIE resulted in 11 deaths and forced then-president Lenin Moreno to abandon plans to do away with fuel subsidies. The group is also said to have been instrumental in the ousting of three other presidents between 1997 and 2005. Even before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which has led to higher fuel prices worldwide, Lasso was under pressure for increasing the price of gas.  rc/wd (AFP, Reuters, dpa)

7Politics

The German Bundestag elected Olaf Scholz as chancellor on Wednesday morning, as Angela Merkel bows out from the political stage. The morning vote by Germany's lower legislative chamber — held by secret ballot and without debate — was seen as a formality. Merkel wished Scholz the best of luck, using a German idiom that might be loosely translated as a "felicitous hand," while carrying out "the best job there is." "I know from personal experience what a moving moment it is to be elected to this office." President of the Bundestag Bärbel Bas opened the voting. Members of the parliament voted by 395 of 707 votes cast for Scholz to become Germany's new head of government. However, not all members of Scholz's so-called "traffic light coalition" voted in favor. Had they done so, he would have had received 416 votes. There were 303 votes against, and 6 abstentions from a total of 736. For his part, Scholz tweeted that he had accepted the task when called upon to accept by the Bundestag president. "I said 'yes'," he wrote. Scholz's center-left Social Democrats (SPD) emerged as the largest party in September's general election and has since negotiated a coalition deal with the environmentalist Greens and the business-focused Free Democratic Party (FDP). After the vote, Scholz headed by motorcade to the presidential palace Schloss Bellevue where German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier handed him an official document of appointment. Scholz was then whisked back to the Bundestag where he was sworn in. The new chancellor headed back to the palace with those selected to be members of his Cabinet before the new ministers were inaugurated. Over the course of the day, Merkel's ministers were to formally hand over portfolios to their successors. Scholz, who served as finance minister under Merkel, presents his own brief to FDP leader Christian Lindner. His vice-chancellor title goes to Green Party co-leader Robert Habeck. French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday told new German Chancellor Olaf Scholz the two countries would work together to shape the future of Europe. "We will write the next chapter together. For the French, for the Germans, for the Europeans," Macron told Scholz in a tweet welcoming his election. Macron also thanked Merkel for "never forgetting the lessons of history, for doing so much for us, with us, to move Europe forwards." US President Joe Biden congratulated Scholz, vowing "strong ties," between both countries. Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that Biden also wanted to thank Angela Merkel, who has stepped down after "her many years of leadership in Germany." Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen — herself a member of Merkel's CDU — said she looked forward to working with Scholz.   "I wish you a good start and look forward to further trusting cooperation for a strong Europe," she tweeted. The Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin would seek dialogue with Germany. "We hope that the president and the new chancellor develop constructive relations," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. "We hope, that the German side will continue to proceed from the understanding that there is no alternative to dialogue in order to resolve even the most difficult differences of opinion." "Congratulations to @OlafScholz on your appointment as German Chancellor. Germany and the UK are close friends and staunch allies and I look forward to working closely together in the years ahead," UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson wrote on Twitter. Scholz will be the first chancellor to have a Twitter handle under his own name while in office. The new government has said it will place dealing with the coronavirus pandemic and tackling climate change at the heart of its program. DW's Nina Haase said that, given that Scholz's SPD had been part of a grand coalition with Merkel's CDU-CSU bloc, there would be some continuity. However, she added, there would be a marked change. "The parties are completely different," said Haase. "The Social Democrats are a center-left party. The conservatives under Anglea Merkel have blocked some of the projects that the Social Democrats had always hoped to push through with the conservatives as their partners." "That wasn't possible so the Social Democrats are now going to try. They say they're going to make the country fairer, more liberal and more digital." Merkel leaves office as Germany's second-longest serving postwar chancellor, just 10 days short of the 16 years and 26 days that Helmut Kohl spent in office between 1982 and 1998. DW's Melinda Crane said Merkel's departure was "the end of an era." "Young Germans aged 16 to 25 really don't remember any other chancellor but Angela Merkel so this is really momentous for them," said Crane. The outgoing chancellor was present for the vote as a guest seated alongside her own predecessor Gerhard Schröder. Before the September election, Merkel had already said she would not serve another term as chancellor and her conservative Christian Democrats are looking to reshape after suffering their worst-ever election result. The new Cabinet is made up of 16 ministers — seven from the SPD, five from the Greens and four from the FDP. There is one portfolio more than in the previous government, due to the creation of a construction ministry. rc,es/sms (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)

7Politics

The UN on Monday declared the "official end" of the leaded petrol era, saying that Algeria had become the last country to stop selling fuel with the harmful additive. "The successful enforcement of the ban on leaded petrol is a huge milestone for global health and our environment," said Inger Andersen, executive director of the United National Environment Programme (UNEP). The UNEP said that the global effort to finally stop using all leaded petrol was estimated to have saved 1.2 million people from premature death per year, as well as reducing crime and considerably boosting the world economy. Experts linked its use in vehicles to premature death, health issues, soiland air pollution. "Overcoming a century of deaths and illnesses that affected hundreds of millions and degraded the environment worldwide, we are invigorated to change humanity's trajectory for the better through an accelerated transition to clean vehicles and electric mobility," UNEP chief Andersen said on Monday.  UNEP's campaign to eliminate leaded petrol around the world began in 2002, when much of the developing world was still using the gasoline long after major economies had phased it out. Lead was first used as an additive to improve engine performance around a century ago. It was of particular value in an era of poorly-refined low-octane gasoline. But as early as 1924, five US refinery workers died and dozens were sent to hospital after suffering convulsions at the Standard Oil plant that processed leaded petrol in New Jersey. Other indications of its harmfulness were common knowledge, but most national governments ultimately deemed the additive a necessary evil, instead bringing in new regulations to make its addition to gasoline in production safer. Most of the gasoline around the world was leaded until the 1970s, when unleaded fuels were offered first as an alternative and eventually as the only option in wealthier countries. The US first taxed and then ultimately banned leaded fuel. The EU, China and India followed suit, all phasing out leaded fuel at petrol stations by the 1990s. It was poorer countries like North Korea, Myanmar and Afghanistan that struggled more with this change. They finally removed the fuel from service stations in response to UNEP pressure, followed by Iraq, Yemen and now Algeria. In its latest report, the UNEP said the international community must now try to stop its dependence on fossil fuels altogether to fight the increasingly apparent effects of climate change. "The transport sector is responsible for nearly a quarter of energy-related global greenhouse gas emissions and is set to grow to one third by 2050," the UNEP said in a statement. With 1.2 billion new vehicles expected to hit the streets between 2015 and 2030, the UNEP is now pushing for more electric cars. jc/msh (AFP, dpa)  

6Nature and Environment

The leaders of Germany, France and Russia held a conference call on Tuesday in which they discussed security issues and the potential registration of the Russian Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine. The Kremlin said after the call that the three leaders had talked about shipment and joint-production of the Russian-developed jab, pending authorization from the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Russian President Vladimir Putin also fielded questions from German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron regarding the situation of the jailed opposition activist Alexei Navalny. The EMA began a fast-track rolling review of the Sputnik V vaccine in early March. Experts from the EMA are scheduled to visit Russia in April to scrutinize the results of clinical trials and production processes. More than 50 countries worldwide are waiting for the Russian jab meaning that Russian production of the vaccine would not be able to meet European demand, should it get authorization. The EU is in need of more vaccination doses to boost its faltering vaccination drive. Merkel has previously expressed willingness to accept the Russian vaccine if it gets the go-ahead from the EMA. European production of the vaccine is already planned to begin in Italy in July. The Russian pharmaceutical firm R-Pharm is also planning to produce the jab in the Bavarian town Illertissen from the summer. It is not yet clear if or when the EMA will grant authorization to Sputnik V. "This evaluation is taking place according to the same norms that apply to all other vaccines," Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert told the German news agency dpa. The trio also discussed security issues in Ukraine, Libya and Syria. The three leaders gave their unanimous support to the Iranian nuclear deal. Ukraine has been a diplomatic sticking point since Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014 and backed separatist forces against the government in the east of the country. The jailing of Navalny, who spent several months recovering from poisoning in Berlin, has been another contentious issue. Putin answered the questions posed by Merkel and Macron about the anti-Kremlin activist. The Russian president also expressed his readiness to "restore normal unpoliticized interaction with the EU if it shows interest in that," the Kremlin said. ab/nm (AP, dpa)

7Politics

Lava from the Cumbre Vieja volcano on La Palma in the Canary Islands has reached the sea, Spanish volcanologists said late on Tuesday. They warned that toxic gases could be released as the magma hits the seawater. An exclusion zone covering 2 nautical miles has been declared around the area where the lava hit the coast. Authorities have asked residents outside of the zone to remain at home with their windows and doors closed. "The lava flow has reached the sea at Playa Nueva," Involcan, the Canary Islands Volcanic Institute, wrote on Twitter. Entering the water, the lava created "an impressive deposit 50 meters high" in less than 45 minutes, the Spanish Institute of Oceanography told the newspaper El Pais. The magma, which has a temperature of 1,000 degrees Celsius, has already destroyed banana plantations and greenhouses. Locals had to be evacuated after the lava flow set fire to plastic tarpaulins and fertilizer, releasing poisonous fumes. Alexis Schwartz, a volcanologist with GeoTenerife, spoke with DW about the developing situation from La Palma on Wednesday. He claimed that the toxic gases released from the magma hitting the seawater had been blown away from populated areas and added that there was no immediate danger to residents. "We had very adverse meteorological conditions yesterday," Schwartz said. "So what we had is a huge concentration not of volcanic gasses, but toxic plumes because of the burning of the plastic covers of the banana plantations." At the same time, he described today's conditions as "excellent" and said the "wind is blowing everything towards the sea." Cumbre Vieja began erupting on September 19 for the first time in 50 years. Volcanologists say they cannot predict how long it will remain active. es, wd/rc (AFP, dpa)

1Catastrophe

Do young voters in Germany get a chance to put on political pressure for their own interests? As much as I would like to answer this question with 'yes,' the honest answer, unfortunately, is 'no.' In Germany, older voters decide the country's political future, which also applies to the 2021 federal vote as well. Their demographic supremacy is overwhelming: Official statistics show 57% of all voters are over the age of 50, while 14.4% are under 30. It's not just the voters who are older, the politicians are, too. In the current Bundestag, Germany's lower house of parliament, only three of 709 representatives are under 30. Of the 6,211 candidates on the ballot in Sunday's vote, 1,032 are under 30. No matter how you try to look at it, young people's interests don't have a chance in Germany without the support of older generations. Look no further than the debate surrounding the issue of climate protection, which is of particular importance to young people. Older Germans' support for the issue varies from survey to survey, but the most recent DeutschlandTrend shows a clear majority of Germans, 81% to be specific, see a lot of work to be done when it comes to protecting the climate. A representative survey conducted in July and August by the Nature And Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU), a German environmental association, found that only about 30% of those over 50 would take "climate and environmental protection interests of young people" into their considerations when choosing how they would vote. The September 26 election could offer the oldest-ever candidate for chancellor the opportunity to lay the groundwork for change. It's 63-year-old Olaf Scholz, the finance minister, deputy chancellor and Social Democratic Party's choice to succeed Chancellor Angela Merkel, who hopes to form a government with the Greens that will press ahead with climate protection. Even when every political party talks about the importance of young people, their main concern when putting together the party platform is not to scare off older voters. At a campaign event, Scholz even pressed his fingers together in Merkel's classic pose to show he represented consistency. Demographic developments force democracy's hand, and when it comes to political opinion-making, older people have more influence than younger generations. In theory, older voters could use their political influence to support the interests of their children and grandchildren and at the same time rein in their own power. In practice, however, it's a political illusion to believe that will happen. But what's not an illusion is the danger that striving for stability will end in stagnation. This article was translated from German.

7Politics

COVID-19 cases in India rose by a record daily amount on Monday — 103,558 — taking the total to 12.59 million. The news came as the country's richest state, Maharashtra, which accounts for more than half of the new cases, introduced stringent regulations. The state, which includes India's financial capital, Mumbai, is closing malls, cinemas, bars, restaurants and places of worship. There will also be a complete lockdown on weekends, Nawab Malik, a minister in the state government, told reporters. A day earlier, Bollywood star Akshay Kumar confirmed he had tested positive for COVID, becoming the latest Indian celebrity to contract the virus. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The government in the Philippines extended a lockdown by another week on Monday, after an alarming spike in coronavirus infections. As cases surge, the pandemic has started to overwhelm many hospitals in the capital and other more outlying regions. Some hospitals announced over the weekend that they could no longer accept walk-in patients as emergency rooms operate at twice their capacity. President Rodrigo Duterte placed Metropolitan Manila and four other provinces — a region of more than 25 million people — back under lockdown last week. In China, the southwestern city of Ruili, which borders Myanmar, has now seen cases top 100. The outbreak is something of an anomaly, with the country having almost eliminated local transmission of the disease. The news comes as authorities launch an aggressive campaign to vaccinate all 300,000 residents of the city. China's National Health Commission reported an additional 20 cases on Monday, with five patients having shown no symptoms. In Australia, hundreds more family doctors are set to join the national coronavirus vaccination program. The rollout is gathering pace with the number of clinics taking part doubling from 1,500 to 3,000 by the end of the week. The development comes after criticism that the country's vaccination program is moving far slower than had been planned. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Boris Johnson was scheduled to set out plans to reopen the economy and eventually relaunch international travel. With much of Europe entering new lockdowns to tackle rising case numbers, Johnson was expected to give an update on his staggered plan to ease restrictions in the coming months on Monday. The opening up would prove a huge boost for the UK, which has been one of the worst-hit countries during the pandemic. On Sunday, there was news that people in the UK might soon be able to attend football matches and nightclubs with the appropriate documentation showing vaccination or negative COVID-19 status. In Germany, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases increased by 8,497 to a total of 2,893,883, according to figures released Monday by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases. Reported fatalities rose by 50 to 77,013, the tally showed. On Sunday, German Health Minister Jens Spahn said people who have been fully vaccinated might soon be able to regain personal freedoms and return to a more ordinary life. The country's vaccine program has faced criticism for its lack of pace, but on Thursday the minister announced a ramping up of the rollout. Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said on Sunday that coronavirus rules should be made uniform across Germany. The call was echoed by Bavarian state premier Markus Söder, after some regions held back on "emergency brake" measures. Portugal has reopened museums, cafe terraces and secondary schools nearly two months after tightening coronavirus restrictions. An explosion of cases followed Christmas and New Year festivities, leading to overstretched hospitals. Lisbon imposed a general lockdown in the middle of January and closed schools a week later. Primary schools reopened in March. rc/sms (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)

5Health

A British court on Wednesday sentenced a follower of the extremist Islamic State (IS) group to life in prison for killing lawmaker David Amess last year. The sentence — a whole life order without the possibility for parole  — came after a London jury unanimously found the man guilty of the crime, the second murder of a British parliament member in five years. "This is a murder that struck at the heart of democracy," presiding Judge Nigel Sweeney said at London's Old Bailey courthouse, adding that the 26-year-old defendant had shown "no remorse or shame." In a statement, Amess' family said it felt "no elation" over the sentencing, and that there could be no compensation for the "appalling and violent manner" in which Amess had been killed.  "We will struggle through each day for the rest of our lives," the family said. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The defendant told investigators that he killed Amess in revenge for votes in parliament supporting airstrikes in Syria in 2014 and 2015. He attacked Amess with a foot-long carving knife and stabbed him 20 times as the Conservative lawmaker met constituents in a church in Essex, southeast England, last October. After researching several MPs and even considering going to Parliament to carry out an attack, the assailant had settled on Amess, a 69-year-old father of five who had been an MP from 1983 until his death. Faking his identity and tricking the MP's secretary into securing a meeting with Amess, the 26-year-old then stabbed the lawmaker. During his interrogation and trial, the assailant, who is from a Somali family, accepted the evidence against him. Jurors were told he did not suffer from mental health issues. The university drop-out became self-radicalized in 2014 and considered traveling to Syria before settling on a terror attack in Britain. Amess' killing followed the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox in 2016 when a far-right extremist attacked her before a constituent meeting. Her attacker, is also serving a whole-life sentence. The two recent attacks have prompted calls for better security for the UK's elected representatives. Parliament member Mike Freer, who was also a potential target selected by Amess' attacker, said at the sentencing that he and his staff would now wear protective vests and alarms at constituent meetings. sl/rs (AP, AFP)

3Crime

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video "Freedom comes to those who fight, but not to those who cry, coz the more you cry, the more your people continue to die, so rise and defend your rights!" With these lines from his song "Time Bomb," Bobi Wine opened a panel this week at the invitation of DW culture editors within the framework of the annual Global Media Forum. In his native Uganda, Wine could end up in prison for that statement. Since 2018, Robert Ssentamu Kyagulanyi — his real name — has been blacklisted as an "abolished artist" in Uganda. "I'm not supposed to stage a concert and neither is my music supposed to play on radio or TV," he said. Active in politics since 2017, Bobi Wine is a thorn in the side of Uganda's government. He opposes President Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled for the past 36 years. In 2021, Wine ran as a presidential candidate despite attempts at intimidation — he has been repeatedly arrested and tortured in recent years. He lost the election, and he and his family were placed under house arrest for months. The fact that he is still alive at all may be because the government wants to uphold the narrative, at least to the international community, that opposition is possible. But Wine does not want to leave his country, because that would "be betrayal — betrayal of myself and my people. And it would not make practical sense at the end of the day," he told DW. "The tyrants that rule some countries in Africa [...] can pick you from any part of the world and kill you," he said. "So, other than making it hard for my people, they would rather kill me from home. I don't want to make it expensive for my family to carry my body from wherever and take it back home. That's Uganda — it's where I'm born and it's where I'm going to buried at the end of the day." Stella Gaitano, a writer from neighboring South Sudan, decided to go into exile. She, too, was persecuted and arrested several times for writing texts that denounced warmongering in her region. The Sudanese-born author participated in protests against former strongman and autocrat Omar al-Bashir, who was overthrown by the military in 2019. She is also involved in various NGOs that provide food donations as well as books to refugees and displaced people. Change needs education, she argued. "Dreaming about countries is not enough. We have to work and we have to build ourselves first — then we can build our countries," she said. Gaitano prepared her children for the possibility that she might have to flee one day. "That made me strong and that made them strong," said the author, who has been living in the town of Kamen in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia since March 2022. She is a fellow of the PEN writers' association Writers-in-Exile program, but with her ex-husband in Sudan, her three sons are waiting for visas to join their mother. Ike Nnaebue from Nigeria wanted to leave his homeland more than 20 years ago to seek his fortune in Europe. He had already got as far as Mali when tales of the dangers of the journey made him change his mind. Today, Nnaebue is a celebrated Nigerian filmmaker. His documentary "No U-Turn" received special mention at the Berlin Film Festival this year. "As artists, we have very big responsibility," he told DW. "Part of our work is holding a mirror to society and pointing society in the right direction." "The job for us as creatives from Africa, from West Africa and especially from Nigeria is to show what is possible, to show that people can dream from wherever they are," he said.  He believes this is a good time for filmmakers in Nigeria because people want to hear about "everyday heroes of everyday life ... stories that show the magic of the people." Angele Etoundi Essamba, a photographer from Cameroon, captures that magic, too. "I wanted to break all the stereotypes that surrounded the representation not only of Africa, but of African women," said Essamba, whose works are being added to the permanent collection of New York's Museum of Modern Art. Essamba is convinced that art can bring about change. In the last 20 years, she said, African art has become increasingly in demand, which has clearly also benefited the artists. "It's really a very good time for African artists," said Akinbode Akinbiyi, a British-Nigerian photographer, adding that "from the continent, things are really moving forward." Settled in Berlin, Akinbiyi regularly travels to Africa to give workshops. Be passionate about what you do — that is the advice he gives young students. The five guests in the DW panel don't lack passion. In the face of censorship, conflicts and a lack of financial resources, they are convinced that, thanks to art, social change is possible. "Art is a soft power," said Stella Gaitano. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video This article was originally written in German.

4Culture

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeieron Tuesday said a proposed trip to Kyiv had been rejected by the Ukrainian leadership. Steinmeier had been planning to make a joint visit to Ukraine with Polish President Andrzej Duda and their Estonian, Lithuanian and Latvian counterparts "a strong signal of joint European solidarity with Ukraine." But "that apparently wasn't wanted in Kyiv" Steinmeier said while visiting the Polish capital Warsaw. Ukraine has previously been highly critical of the German president over his connections with Russia and the leading role he played as former foreign minister in improving relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.  To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video According to the Office of the Federal President, the visit to Poland was intended to illustrate that the Germans and Poles stand together at the side of Ukraine after Russia invaded its neighbor on February 24. He was scheduled to visit the Polish capital at the end of March, but the trip was canceled after his wife, Elke Büdenbender, tested positive for the coronavirus. Büdenbender is accompanying her husband, and the pair was received by Steinmeier's Polish counterpart, Andrzej Duda.  The war in Ukraine is expected to be the trip's main focus. The couple will also meet Ukrainian refugees and volunteers in Poland after the country took in more than 2.6 million people seeking protection from the conflict in their homeland. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Earlier this month, Ukrainian ambassador to Germany Andriy Melnyk and Polish Deputy Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski took aim at Steinmeier for his closeness to Russia. Melnyk told the Tagesspiegel newspaper that the German president had not been serious about his break with Russia. He added that people connected to Steinmeier like Jens Plötner, foreign policy advisor to Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and State Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Andreas Michaelis, as well as many important ambassadors, also share Steinmeier's close relations with Moscow. Steinmeier was close to former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, whose ties to Russia after retirement have become increasingly notorious. He also had two stints as foreign minister before becoming president, including when Crimea was annexed. Kaczynski was also critical of Berlin's foreign policy in Welt am Sonntag, where he said Poland "is not pleased with Germany's role in Europe." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Three German lawmakers are headed to the Polish-Ukrainian border on Tuesday having spent Monday evening in Warsaw. Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (Free Democrats), Michael Roth (Social Democrats), from the Foreign Ministry, and Anton Hofreiter (Greens) will meet with representatives from Kyiv. ab, jsi/fb (AFP, dpa, Reuters)

7Politics

Iran launched its coronavirus vaccination campaign on Tuesday as the country seeks to curb the deadliest outbreak of the virus in the Middle East. President Hassan Rouhani kicked off the campaign by paying tribute to the health workers who lost their lives to COVID-19 during a ceremony at a Tehran hospital. In footage broadcast by state television, Rouhani said Iran had begun its national vaccination campaign in "memory of the martyrdom of health workers." Iran, with a population of over 80 million, is using Russia's Sputnik V vaccine to start its vaccination drive. The "top priority groups" for getting the jab are doctors and nurses working in intensive care units, Iran's state-run news agency IRNA reported. Iranian authorities hope to eventually use its own locally-developed vaccines. Clinical trials for one candidate began in December, while unveiled a second vaccine project on Monday. The country banned COVID vaccines from the United States and the United Kingdom earlier this year. Over 1.4 million people have been infected by COVID-19 in Iran, while over 58,500 have died. Read on for all the latest coronavirus news from around the world. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video German exports contracted by 9.3% in 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic has slammed global trade. Data released on Tuesday by the Federal Statistical Office data showed a sharp decline in global demand for German products as 2020 came to an end. Europe's biggest economy recorded a trade balance of €16.1 billion euros ($19.5 billion) in December 2020. The number of new daily coronavirus cases in Germany rose by 3,379 according to the latest data released by the Robert  Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases. The figure was down slightly compared to the previous day, with Germany still under strict lockdown restrictions. France has so far inoculated 1.92 million people with the coronavirus vaccine. The number of COVID-19 patients in intensive units reached 3,363 on Monday, the highest in more than two months. In Greece, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Tuesday announced a strict lockdown in the capital, Athens, amid a surge in cases. All non-essential shops and schools in Athens will be closed from Thursday, Feb. 11 through the end of the month. Greek health authorities registered 1,526 new cases on Tuesday, with half of the new infections coming from the greater Athens area. In Myanmar, testing for coronavirus has collapsed as doctors and health workers lead a civil disobedience movement against the recent military coup. On Monday only 1,987 tests were conducted compared to 17,000 a day in the week before the coup. Myanmar is one of the worst affected countries by the pandemic in Southeast Asia. Over 141,000 people have been infected, while over 3,100 have died from the virus.  The number of newborns in China in 2020 has fallen by 15% compared to 2019. The disruption of the economy by the coronavirus pandemic is believed to have weighed heavily on decisions to have a family or not. China reported just over 10 million births last year compared to 11.79 million in 2019. Pakistan has approved Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine for emergency use. The vaccine is administered in two shots, three weeks apart. It has a shelf life of six months and is stored at -18 Celsius. Sputnik V's approval by the South Asian country comes after its approval of China's Sinopharm and the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines. Pakistan has become the 22nd country to approve the Russian vaccine.    To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video India has ordered 10 million more doses of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine from the Serum Institute of India. It has also placed an order of 4.5 million doses of home-grown Bharat Biotech vaccines.   The Serum Institute had earlier supplied 11 million doses to India. The doses were administered to 6.3 million front-line workers.  Bharat Biotech, which is developing its vaccine with the state-run Indian Council of Medical Research, has already supplied 5.5 million doses.  India has so far recorded 10.85 million cases of coronavirus, the world's second-highest number after the US. So far 155,000 people have lost their lives due to COVID-19. The world's second-most populated country started its inoculation campaign on January 16. Ethiopia has secured nine million doses of coronavirus vaccine. The country aims to inoculate at least a fifth of its 110 million people by the end of this year. Ethiopia was not procuring the vaccine doses independently but only through the global COVAX scheme which is the WHO-backed effort to secure and distribute the jabs to poorer countries. Health Minister Lia Tadesse said that her country was open to possible donations of vaccines by other countries.  A team from the World Health Organization (WHO) says it had not yet found the mammalian host responsible for transmitting the disease to humans. Investigators on Tuesday said they were still trying to find the animal vector through which the COVID-19 virus was transmitted to humans.  Scientists believe the disease originated in bats, but the WHO team visiting the Chinese city of Wuhan is looking into how it could have made the jump to humans via another mammal. WHO virus expert Peter Ben says that work to identify the origins of the coronavirus pointed to a natural reservoir in bats. But, he said the absence of bat environments in Wuhan indicated that it had been transmitted to humans through another animal.  bj/rs (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)

5Health

The 12 members of the jury found former police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of the murder of George Floyd on Tuesday in a Minneapolis courthouse. The jury declared Chauvin guilty on all three charges, namely second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The charges carry a possible sentence of up to 40 years in prison. The jurors deliberated for 10 hours over two days before arriving at their historic decision on Tuesday morning. The verdict was read out later in the day as thousands of National Guard troops and police officers stood by. Police officers in the US have rarely been convicted of murder. Chauvin, a 45-year-old white man, was found guilty of killing Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, after kneeling on his neck for 9 ½ minutes in May last year. Floyd's death sparked outrage and protests against police violence and racial discrimination across the US and the world. Following the verdict, the judge revoked Chauvin's bail and he was led out of the courtroom in handcuffs. People had gathered to wait for the news of the verdict outside the court as well as at the intersection where Floyd was murdered — now named George Floyd Square. The crowds erupted in cheers and chants of "George Floyd" and "all three counts" after the conviction was announced. "Justice for Black America is justice for all of America," the Floyd family's attorney Benjamin Crump said in a statement.  "This case is a turning point in American history for accountability of law enforcement and sends a clear message we hope is heard clearly in every city and every state." Crump also shared a video of Floyd's family receiving a call from US President Joe Biden. The president told the family that "nothing is going to make it all better, but at least there is some justice." Vice President Kamala Harris, who is of Black and Indian origin, hailed a "day of justice in America." "History will look back at this moment," she told Floyd's relatives. Judge Peter Cahill said Chauvin was placed in the custody of the Hennepin County Sheriff. Sentencing will take place at a later date. Three other officers who have been charged with aiding and abetting in Floyd's murder will go on trial in August. President Biden held a press conference to speak on the verdict. "Today's verdict is a step forward" and it can be "a giant step forwards toward justice in America," he said. At the same time, he warned that the verdict was "not enough." "We are going to deliver real change and reform. We can and must do more to reduce the likelihood that tragedies like this will ever happen again," the president said. He acknowledged that for many such convictions are "too rare" and in this case, the conviction only happened due to an array of overwhelming factors. Biden and Vice President Harris urged Congress to move quickly on police reform, including a bill named after Floyd.  "'I can't breathe.' Those were George Floyd's last words," Biden said. "We can't let those words die with him. We have to keep hearing those words. We must not turn away. We can't turn away." He called for local law enforcement and the federal government to "step up" to end police murders so that people do not have to fear for their lives every day. US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, known for her liberal views, warned the verdict only came after Floyd's murder was filmed and protests broke out across the US and the world. "And this verdict is not a substitute for policy change," she said. Former President Barack Obama welcomed the news and called the decision correct, but highlighted the importance of further progress in racial justice and equality. In a statement, he said that "Black Americans are being treated differently every day" and that many live in fear of encounters with law enforcement. The former Democrat president called for further steps to be taken following the verdict, not just to reduce racial biases in the criminal justice system, but also to tackle the lack of economic opportunities in marginalized communities. Senator Tim Scott from South Carolina, the only Black Republican in the chamber, also expressed relief after the jury announced their decision, saying it showed that "our justice system continues to become more just." His fellow Republican Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa had a less enthusiastic response, saying: "I guess I'm in agreement" with the verdict. "Today, for the first time in state history, a white police officer has been held accountable for killing a Black man," John Gordon, executive director of the Minnesota branch of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), said. The situation in Minneapolis was tense as people awaited the jury's decision. Some businesses had been boarded up as people feared a repeat of scenes from last year when protests erupted after a witness released a video of Chauvin killing Floyd. Protesters had gathered in the nearby town of Brooklyn Center last week after a white police officer shot and killed 20-year-old Black man Daunte Wright. The officer in that incident was arrested after she resigned from the force. Further protests broke out across the country just days after the killing of Wright when police released footage of another police officer shooting a 13-year-old Black boy dead in Chicago. ab/nm (dpa, AP)

3Crime

German Health Minister Jens Spahn said Friday that Germany had broken the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic. Spahn said that despite the number of infections falling, he urged the public to remain cautious and to abide by regulations. "Every week that the infection numbers fall increases the chances of a good summer," he said. But, "we must be pragmatic and patient." He called on people to keep adhering to regulations, such as maintaining distance and limiting group size. He said the prioritization scheme for vaccinations would be dropped on June 7 as planned, but that "not everyone can be vaccinated straightaway."  Lothar Wieler from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases underscored the need to follow restrictions. "Let us use the summer and weaken the virus outbreak as much as possible before winter," he urged. "We must not let the virus get the upper hand." Spahn also urged patience on rollout of a digital vaccination pass. In the meantime, however, people will be issued paper vaccine certificates that should function much like the yellow fever certificate required for traveling to certain countries. "If we achieve a QR code concept across the EU, which is recognized as a vaccine passport, it would be a world-first. These things take time," he said. He said he would involve doctors and pharmacists into the digitalization process. European Union member states and the European Parliament agreed on the practicalities of the certificate on Thursday. Spahn said it should be ready by the end of June.  To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Spahn said two-thirds of people who were willing and able to be vaccinated had received at least one vaccination. More than 70% of people over 60 have been vaccinated at least once, and 10.9 million people are fully vaccinated. Everyone should have the opportunity for a vaccine by the end of September. Wieler said the vaccination campaign was moving forward and that surveys showed a very high acceptance rate among the public. For herd immunity, at least 80% of the population should get vaccinated or have recovered from the virus, Wieler said. Once vaccines for children are fully approved, inoculation will remain optional and up to the parents. However, Wieler noted that  children are also susceptible to serious COVID infections causing hospitalization and death, as well as long COVID. Therefore, he is recommending vaccinations for children as well. He said with children heavily affected by the lockdowns, infections will also limit their ability to go to school. Information on long COVID among children is still sparse, but more definitive data should come soon. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

5Health

Authorities blocked all major roads leading to Pakistan's capital city, Islamabad, on Wednesday in an attempt to shut down a protest march led by former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Clashes broke out between police and protesters. "No obstacle can stop us: We will cross all the barriers and will reach ... Islamabad," Khan declared from atop a truck after making a dramatic arrival in a helicopter to join his supporters about 100 kilometres (60 miles) from the capital.  Khan said Wednesday's rally would be massive and not end until the government agrees to hold fresh elections this year. Parliamentary elections are currently scheduled for 2023. Authorities had blocked entry to Islamabad, Lahore, Multan and Peshawar, as crowds of Khan's supporters clashed with police.  The main highway leading into Islamabad was blocked with shipping containers overnight, with authorities putting similar obstacles on other routes into the capital. Islamabad police published a traffic plan showcasing a complete blockade of the city amid a heavy security presence. "Nobody should be allowed to besiege the capital and dictate his terms," Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said Tuesday. Organizers planned for protesters to travel by car and bus to the capital's city limits, after which they would march on foot. By Wednesday Khan supporters were trying to tear down blockades outside Lahore and Faizabad, including with an excavator, while police fired tear gas at them.  A day earlier, a police officer was killed during a raid on the home of a Khan supporter in Lahore, prompting a crackdown from the government.  Khan did not condemn the killing, but defended the shooter — a retired army officer and official of his party — by asking what a person should do if police forcibly entered their home. Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has accused authorities of arresting and detaining hundreds of its supporters in raids overnight, while the government and police said some protesters planned to join the march with weapons. The cricketer-turned-Islamist politician was at the helm of Pakistan’s government for over three and half years before he was ousted by a no-confidence vote in Parliament last month. Following his dismissal, he and his followers have held several rallies across the country in the hope of bringing down a fragile coalition government and forcing early elections. Khan has maintained that a US plot was behind his removal, accusing Washington of colluding with his successor, Shahbaz Sharif. The US has denied any role in Pakistan's internal politics. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video see, er/rt (AP, AFP)

7Politics

Instead of tearing the ground asunder and swallowing Wall Street whole, Coinbase's direct listing on Wednesday was a conventional, though thoroughly successful, affair. Seen as a litmus test for cryptocurrencies in mainstream finance, investors snapped up the shares and sent the price soaring more than 50% higher directly after launching on the Nasdaq. Briefly topping out at $100 billion, the valuation of the cryptocurrency exchange was not far off Facebook's back in 2012, and easily dwarfed some of the biggest exchange companies in the world, including Nasdaq itself. Advocates of Bitcoin, Ether and a broad range of other cryptocurrencies traded on Coinbase's exchange would like to tell you the listing is a vindication of the digital tokens, and proof of their ascent toward becoming a mainstream asset class alongside fiat currencies or commodities. But cryptocurrencies still have a long way to go. Companies like Coinbase are forced to bare all when going public. A quick flick through the paperwork reveals what keeps its bosses up at night: volatility. This is at once the greatest strength and weakness of both Coinbase and crypto. High trading volumes are good for exchange because fees are pocketed when users buy or sell assets. However, volatility can come in waves — and too much of a downward swing can lead investors to either exit the market entirely or hold some of their assets until the mood improves. That volatility is the kryptonite of cryptotrading when it comes to big institutional investors. Despite listing more than 50 cryptocurrencies, Coinbase's success tracks closely to the value of Bitcoin, as the company itself admits. Bitcoin has crashed before, and it may crash again — perhaps permanently. With most of the platform's income from transaction fees, Coinbase's fortunes are married to those swings, for richer or for poorer. This makes Coinbase's income erratic and, in turn, complicates the platform's long-term investments. Buyers of Bitcoin have long viewed the token less as money and more akin to a commodity, like gold. Paying for products and services is cumbersome due to the computational work required to verify transactions, while massive price swings make accepting Bitcoin impractical for retailers. Still, the rush of enthusiasm around crypto has done Coinbase plenty of good. What seems to have caught investors' attention is its leap in profit over the past year, shifting from a loss of $30 million (€25 million) in 2019 to a profit of more than $320 million last year, after more than doubling its revenue. The company admits that volatility in the sector is a double-edged sword, and says it hopes to attract investors to its stock by adding on new coins and hoping for widening of crypto. Crypto supporters are hailing the successful listing as a sign that digital currencies are here to stay. But the very qualities of crypto that have brought Coinbase so much success are also what stand in the way of digital currencies becoming a mainstream asset class. The future fortunes of Coinbase, digital currencies and their attendant investors hang on whether crypto can dial down the volatility to become a dependable investment. Not to mention that over a decade of development has not yet brought a credible mainstream token to rival Bitcoin. Although Coinbase's listing may be a big milestone in the development of crypto, if a stable alternative to Bitcoin cannot be found, the company's future — along with that of cryptocurrencies — will remain unclear.

0Business

The African Union on Monday said it had suspended Burkina Faso in response to a coup last week that ousted President Roch Marc Christian Kabore. The AU's 15-member Peace and Security Council tweeted that it had voted "to suspend the participation of #BurkinaFaso in all AU activities until the effective restoration of constitutional order in the country." The West African bloc ECOWAS suspended Burkina Faso on Friday, sending a delegation to meet with the ruling junta Saturday. ECOWAS — a regional bloc comprising 15 countries — also demanded the release of the president.  A landlocked state, Burkina Faso has suffered chronic instability since it gained independence from France in 1960.  An insurgency by jihadis in neighboring Mali spread across the border and has killed more than 2,000 people since 2015, forcing 1.5 million to flee their homes. The AU has also suspended Mali and Guinea — also ECOWAS nations — in the past 18 months after coups in those countries. It suspended Sudan as well after a coup there in October. Neither organization has so far opted for the imposition of sanctions against Burkina Faso, something that ECOWAS could consider at a summit later this week in Ghana. The impoverished Sahel state is being run by a junta led by Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, who commands military units in the country's east. On the eve of the ECOWAS summit, Damiba made a televised appeal for "the international community to support our country so it can exit this crisis as soon as possible." He promised Burkina would "return to a normal constitutional life [...] when the conditions are right." Critics say ECOWAS is suffering from a crisis of credibility, with West Africans losing faith in regional leaders they see as manipulating the democratic process and failing to alleviate poverty or contain Islamist violence. rc/msh (AFP, EFE)

7Politics

A Danish man accused of bludgeoning a German backpacker to death on a Baltic Sea cruise more than three decades ago was set free by judges in Finland on Wednesday. Prosecutors accused the 52-year-old, identified in court only as Herman H, of killing Klaus Schelkle, 20, and attempting to murder his girlfriend Bettina Taxis. The fatal incident took place on the Viking Sally ferry that was travelling from Sweden to Finland in July 1987. The couple were found with serious head injuries in the ship's sleeping area. Schelke died as he was being airlifted to hospital. Taxis survived but suffered lifelong injuries. The man, who was 18 at the time, was arrested last year after new information emerged in one of the longest unresolved cases in Finnish history. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Prosecution lawyers claimed the suspect had confessed to committing the crime and wanted the court in Turku to hand him a life sentence, pointing to his apparent knowledge that the murder weapon was a welding hammer. They said Herman H had told several people that he had "killed and got away with murder." Defense attorneys rejected that argument, saying their client denied all the charges. They said Herman H would make such so-called confessions to scare people and test whether they could be trusted or not. The court agreed. Judges ruled that the prosecution "failed to prove the defendant was the only person with the opportunity and possibility of carrying out the offences". They ordered the Finnish state to pay the defendant 3,000 euros ($4,791) in compensation. Judges also said that because the murder weapon had never been recovered it was impossible to establish sufficient proof that Herman H was the author of the crime. Police never released any information about the hammer. A further setback for the prosecution was the refusal of a key witness — the defendant's former wife — to give evidence at the trial. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Officers questioned all of the passengers at the time. But travel records were incomplete and there was no DNA or CCTV evidence to assist their enquiries. The Viking Sally was later renamed the MS Estonia, which sank during a crossing from Estonia to Sweden in 1994, killing 852 people. jf/aw (AFP, AP, dpa)

3Crime

Japan has marked 10 years since an earthquake caused a tsunami to strike the country's northeast coast, triggering meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. It was the worst natural disaster in the country's living memory. Around 18,500 people were killed or left missing. A minute's silence was observed across the country at 2:46 p.m. local time (05:46 UTC) on Thursday, the exact moment the 9.0 magnitude quake hit Japan's coast on March 11, 2011. Survivors prayed for the victims and remembered their loved ones. Speaking at a memorial service in Tokyo, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said: Emperor Naruhito also expressed his condolences and said Japan had to build a stronger nation for the future. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The magnitude 9.0 earthquake — one of the strongest temblors on record — struck offshore and generated a towering tsunami that reached land within half an hour. A wave as high as 19 meters (62 feet) was recorded in the coastal town of Miyako in Iwate prefecture. In Miyagi prefecture, the tsunami swept as far as 6 kilometers (3.6 miles) inland. The tsunami in total devastated around about 400 kilometers (240 miles) of coastline. Nearly half a million people were displaced across the northeastern region. Ten years later, 42,565 people, including 35,725 from Fukushima, still haven't been able to return home. Much of Japan's northeastern coastline has been fortified with enormous concrete seawalls as high as 15 meters (50 feet). When completed, the total length will be 432 kilometers (270 miles). No-go zones remain in nine Fukushima municipalities surrounding the wrecked nuclear plant. This accounts for 2.4% of prefectural land, down from more than 10% in the initial no-go zone. About 14 million tons — enough to fill 11 enclosed baseball stadiums — of radioactive soil, trees and other waste from around Fukushima remain in waste bags piled at temporary storage sites. Around the world, the disaster prompted some countries to reconsider nuclear power. Several months later, the German parliament voted to phase out atomic energy completely by the end of 2022. The government has spent 32 trillion yen ($295 billion/€247 billion) on the region's recovery. This includes funds for the construction of roads, seawalls and houses, and support for people's livelihood. Tokyo Electric Power Company, the operator of the destroyed plant, has said its costs will total 21.5 trillion yen. This will cover decommissioning the nuclear power plant in the coming decades, compensating evacuees and decontaminating radioactive materials outside the plant. kmm/rt (AP, AFP, Reuters)

1Catastrophe

Serena Williams has walked off the tennis court one last time. Williams, now 40 and having hardly played consistent, regular tennis in years, played her last match with the same joy of a child. Her US Open ended on Friday when she was eliminated in the third round by Ajla Tomljanovic 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-1. At the end of Friday's lengthy match, Williams waved to the crowd, putting her hand over her heart. Williams' career goes beyond 23 Grand Slam singles titles, four Olympic gold medals, 14 women's doubles slams, nearly $100 million (€100 million) in career earnings and over 850 wins. It goes beyond the fashion iconic and businesswoman she has become. It's about the first African American woman to win a Grand Slam tournament in the Open Era and changing the game for her community, becoming an icon and forcing people to change the way they viewed women in sport, in particular Black women. After an unconventional rise to prominence in tennis, Williams has never shied away from being a Black woman in a predominantly white, male sport. In 2016, when Philando Castile and Alton Sterling were killed in the US, Williams posted a message on Facebook saying she would not be silent. That same year, Serena and her sister, Venus, opened a community center in her childhood home of Compton, California to offer therapy to residents affected by violence. Two years later, Serena Williams showed support for how much football player Colin Kaepernick had done for the African American community, saying she was "especially proud to be a part of the Nike family today" when Nike decided to select the former NFL quarterback as the brand's advertisement role model. Earlier this year, Williams wrote an essay for Elle magazine, revealing that she nearly died while giving birth. "In the U.S., Black women are nearly three times more likely to die during or after childbirth than their white counterparts. Many of these deaths are considered by experts to be preventable. Being heard and appropriately treated was the difference between life or death for me; I know those statistics would be different if the medical establishment listened to every Black woman's experience." Sadly, the world of tennis has also tested Williams' resolve. In the 2001 final at Indian Wells, Williams was booed consistently in an uncomfortable atmosphere. In his autobiography, Williams' father, Richard, said that racial slurs "flew through the stadium" at him and his daughters. Serena Williams would boycott Indian Wells for the next 13 years. In the 2004 US Open quarterfinal, Williams lost to Jennifer Capriati after controversial line calls. It was a match that played a huge role in the arrival of Hawk-Eye in tennis, a computer vision system used to track the trajectory of the ball, and left Williams traumatized. "The reason Hawk-Eye became a thing was because they were calling my balls out and they weren't even close to the line," Williams recently said on a podcast with Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex. "In that match, I gained this fear of hitting because every time I hit the ball, they would call it out no matter how close or far it was (inside the line)." After losing her temper during the 2018 US Open final about what she felt was unfair treatment from the chair umpire, an Australian newspaper depicted Williams in a cartoon exaggerating her physical characteristics. The National Association of Black Journalists in the US denounced it as "repugnant on many levels." Williams has also had to contend with being a successful Black woman in a sport dominated by men, a situation which she feels has created a different set of expectations. "I can't win being someone different, I have to win being Serena and sometimes that means being more fierce... But is it fierce when guys are saying 'come on' or pumping their fists? It's exciting. But for me, it's aggressive," she told Meghan. Beyond the double standards of the tennis court, Williams also feels she has been challenged over being an ambitious woman. "Often women are put in these different boxes when we are ambitious or when we do have goals or when we reach our goals there's a negative connotation on how we reach those goals," she said. One of Williams' goals was to equal the 24 Grand Slam titles won by Australian player Margaret Court. Four lost finals in 2018 and 2019 ended that dream, but many of the goals Williams achieved went beyond titles. On the podcast interview with the Duchess of Sussex, Williams revealed that the night before a match at the French Open in 2018, her daughter Olympia fell out of her high chair and broke her wrist. Williams spent most of the night awake, devastated at what had happened. Not only did she win the next day despite being emotionally drained, she did so wearing a black catsuit (for media reasons), once again inspiring people and changing the game at the same time. Williams has said what happens next is less of a retirement and more of an evolution. "To not do that [professional tennis] anymore, it is exciting, I am really looking forward to it," she said. "I cannot wait to wake up one day and literally never have to worry about performing on such a high level and competing. I have never felt that." After her second-round win against Anett Kontaveit earlier this week, Williams said: "I don't have anything to prove. I don't have anything to win. I have absolutely nothing to lose." Williams may indeed have lost the match, and tennis might have lost one of its greatest players. But all those who ever watched or listened to Serena Williams have won, such was the magnitude of her greatness. Edited by: Sean Sinico

9Sports

Max Verstappen recorded a comfortable victory in Italy, finishing 22 seconds clear of  Lewis Hamilton. But the British driver's recovery after spinning in to the gravel suggests he won't give up his title without a fight. After Verstappen overtook Hamilton on turn one, he never loked back, but the Brit was forced in to reverse when he spun off the track midway through, eventually emerging in ninth before weaving through the field to take the runners-up spot and fastest lap point. Wet conditions played their part too, with accidents involving Nicholas Latifi and then Mick Schumacher forcing the safety car on to the track. But the most serious incident came in a collision between George Russell and and Valtteri Bottas which caused a race suspension and both men to retire. Fortunatley both drivers were unhurt. Lewis Hamilon (Mercedes)  Lando Norris, on being told that fans voted him driver of the day: "They did? I didn't think I had any fans, but thank you." He may have lost out on second to his compatriot Hamilton, another contender for this, late on but Norris was near-flawless throughout in another demonstration of his potential that earned him a second career podium.  Success for only one driver each from Red Bull and Mercedes opened the door to the others. Ferrari arguably made the most of it, with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz picking up points in fourth and fifth.

9Sports

Olena Pankiv-Bola's clothing store in the Polish town of Slubice, near the border of Germany and Poland, hasn't closed its doors for days. Ever since the Ukrainian business owner posted a message on social media last Friday asking for help for Ukrainian men from Slubice heading to the war front, locals have been bringing supplies almost continuously — from bandages, cans of food, medicines, power banks and blankets to sandbags and much more. Sometimes there are unexpected donations. "I have 10 liters of diesel here," a middle-aged man tells the puzzled store owner. "Where should I put them?" He begins to stack them in front of the clothing store. Slubice, with a population of around 16,000, is in western Poland and more than 800 kilometers (497 miles) from the Ukrainian border to the east. But the town feels like it's in the midst of an emergency. People are so keen to help that last Saturday, the local pharmacies ran out of painkillers and first aid kits. Some of the pharmacies don't even ask customers what they want to buy any more. They simply find out how much money they are willing to spend and put together an appropriate package to donate. Some of the donors have come from far away. Marcin is from Poznan, a town almost 200 kilometers away. The young Polish man has brought new cell phones with him to donate and also plans to send two vans to the Ukrainian border to pick up refugees and bring them to Poland. He's already organized the vans through friends. A German-Polish couple have also travelled here from Berlin with donations after they found out online about the aid campaign in the clothing store.  "I didn't expect that my appeal would trigger such a huge wave of willingness to help," Olena Pankiv-Bola says. She's been touched by the generosity. "Some people bring things to donate, others bring cash. The trust is enormous, I am infinitely grateful." Some of the donations have already gone to Ukraine over the weekend. The supplies are being transported by a group of 15 Ukrainian men who had decided to return home to fight the Russians. One of them is Andriy, who doesn't want to give his full name or have his picture taken. He's been working as a  truck driver in Poland for the past two years and is visibly upset. He hasn't slept for days. He says his wife and two children are in Ukraine, close to the capital, Kyiv. "So I decided to return immediately," Andriy explains. "My Polish boss agreed right away." Andriy doesn't know what to expect on the journey. The group's first stop will be in Kyiv, if possible, to hand over the donations to hospitals and medical clinics. "I can't talk about my feelings right now," Andriy says. "It's just too hard." Since Saturday, there have been more vans in the town square loading up with supplies. The next group of Ukrainian volunteers is leaving this week and will take further donations with them. The organizers of the aid drive have said that the campaign will continue and will also try to meet the needs of refugees arriving in the German-Polish border area. On Monday, the municipal authorities set up a camp for the new arrivals. The first refugees from Ukraine actually arrived in Slubice on Saturday morning. "We have already accommodated a family of six," local resident Mariusz Dubacki says. He is coordinating the the housing plan for refugees in town. "I am now looking for a room for three young Ukrainians who are on their way to us. At the moment we have about 40 places available with private individuals," Dubacki says. "Most of them want to take women with children. I think that the housing prepared by the municipality is not needed for now. But of course, everything could change very quickly." Slubice has about 60 housing facilities to accommodate refugees. Beata Bielecka, a spokesperson for the mayor, also pointed out that  Ukrainians who have been in Poland for a long time might also need support. There are estimated to be more than 3,000 Ukrainians living and working in the area. "We have had information from schools in Slubice that children of Ukrainian workers are also under a lot of stress," Bielecka explains. "Their parents are torn. They don't know what to do. Should they go to Ukraine to get the rest of their family, or stay here where it's safe? These are dramatic decisions. That's why we've focused on providing psychological support to the Ukrainian students here." On the other side of the Oder river, in Germany, preparations have begun in the eastern city of Frankfurt to take on refugees. The first refugees from Ukraine arrived here on Friday. Most of them went on to stay with relatives elsewhere in Germany. In Brandenburg, the German state that borders Poland, authorities have set up 800 housing facilities. In the long term, officials plan to expand the number to 10,000. So far though, there hasn't been much demand. In fact, the refugee reception center in nearby Eisenhuettenstadt was helping just 11 people from Ukraine. Many more — an estimated 400 — have arrived in Berlin, according to Berlin's Sate Office for Refugee Affairs. Between Sunday and Monday, 85 people arrived there. Some are staying with friends or relatives, others have already applied for asylum. The first Ukrainian refugees have also arrived in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Around 20 women and children have found refuge in the state's capital, Schwerin, and further accommodation has been prepared in Rostock, Neubrandenburg and Stralsund. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Katarzyna Werth, a local councilor in Loecknitz, a town of around 3,000 residents just a few kilometers from the Polish border, suggested building a reception center nearer the border. "The current reception centers are too far away," she told DW. "I also hope that a hotline in Ukrainian will be set up soon. Most information is only available in German at the moment." An anticipated flow of arrivals from Ukraine has also prompted German federal police to step up checks along the German-Polish border. Trucks and buses coming from the east are being stopped and inspected near Frankfurt (Oder), on the way to Berlin. This article was originally written in German

7Politics

Wolfgang Kubicki, deputy chairman of Germany's Free Democrats (FDP), faced severe criticism on Friday after suggesting that Germany should allow gas to flow through the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.  The neoliberal Free Democrats are part of Germany's governing coalition alongside Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats (SPD) and the Greens. Kubicki is a member of the Bundestag for the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein. The Nord Stream 2 pipeline runs from Russia to northern Germany. The project, which was completed in late 2021, was suspended before it entered service as a consequence of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "We should hasten to open Nord Stream 2 to fill up our gas reserves for the winter," Kubicki said in an interview for the RND media group, arguing that there was "no sensible reason" not to do so. "If the gas storage units are full, we can close Nord Stream 2 again — and the other pipelines as well, when we become independent of Russian gas," he argued. "But we aren't there yet," Kubicki added. A spokeswoman for FDP leader and German Finance Minister Christian Lindner called Kubicki's suggestion "wrong and absurd." FDP parliamentary leader Christian Dürr told the dpa news agency, "We are conducting intense discussions on how to avoid a looming energy crisis this winter." "As a party, we have made a number of proposals on this matter. Opening Nord Stream 2 is not one of them," he stressed. Dürr also insisted that the reopening of the pipeline would send "the wrong signal to our European partners." Dürr called for Germany's three remaining nuclear plants, which are due to shut down at the end of the year as a part of Berlin's long-awaited nuclear phase-out, to continue operating as a way to reduce pressure on the energy market. Franziska Brandmann, leader of the FDP's Young Liberals youth wing, said Kubicki's comments showed the "same naivety towards Russia that got us into this precarious situation of energy dependence." Deputy government spokesman Wolfgang Büchner said the pipeline project was suspended for "good reasons," stressing that a "resumption of the project is not up for debate." He argued that the capacity of other pipelines available was enough to fulfill Russian delivery obligations. Omid Nouripour, a co-leader of the Greens, told dpa that Kubicki's proposal would be ineffective as Russia was already cutting the volume of gas delivered via the operational Nord Stream 1 pipeline. "It is completely irrelevant how many empty pipelines you open," he said. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba slammed Kubicki's proposal as "totally irrational" on Twitter, adding that such a move would bring about "devastating consequences." SPD foreign policy spokesman Nils Schmid told the t-online.de website that Kubicki had "taken on ... Russian propaganda" and accused him of "making himself Putin's henchman." sdi/sms (dpa, AFP)

7Politics

Warnings from the West are becoming ever clearer, with many seeing a Russian invasion of Ukraine as a growing possibility. Russia has amassed 100,000 troops on its border with Ukraine and NATO is sending ships and fighter jets into Eastern Europe — in direct contravention of the Kremlin's demands, which wants those forces removed. For Europe, there presents a serious conundrum: What to do if Russian troops cross the border and invade Ukraine? European Union foreign ministers agreed at a meeting on Monday that "any further military aggression by Russia against Ukraine will have massive consequences and severe costs," according to a joint statement. We have heard this many times by now. But what consequences, exactly, are we talking about? At a summit in mid-December, EU heads of state and government agreed in principle on punitive measures against Russia, but disagreed about what those measures could be exactly. Germany, Austria and Hungary are more closely linked to the Russian economy than, say, Portugal or the Netherlands; and, because the EU requires unanimity to pass any political actions, the only thing that the European Commission has at the moment is a list of possible sanctions, tucked away in a drawer in Brussels. EU diplomats who have been busy preparing punitive sanctions have said these sanctions would have to be implemented within 48 hours of an invasion by Russia. These would have to be coordinated with the United States and the United Kingdom, which has also announced unspecified plans for sanctions. It remains unclear whether those possible sanctions include plans to sever Russia from the global electronic payments system, SWIFT or end the Russian-German gas pipeline Nord Stream 2. "Putting tough sanctions on Russia can also have consequences for the EU because the economies are linked," said Amanda Paul, a security expert at the European Policy Centre, a think tank that fosters European integration. "There could be costs to pay that some member states do not want to pay," she added. Paul said officials would need to consider the possibility that Ukrainian refugees could be forced into EU territory and that destabilization of the country could destabilize the entire Black Sea region. Gustav Gressel, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said that only really severe sanctions will change Putin's position. "He has priced in and extensively prepared Russia for economic sanctions," Gressel told DW. "Only harsh sanctions against the energy sector would really hurt Russia — other sanctions are rather a disturbance than an obstacle, and Moscow is confident it can work around them." Currently, one of the main debates in Brussels centers around the need to clarify what exactly triggers EU sanctions. Would that include a military invasion involving Russian troops crossing Ukraine's border? Or the infiltration of "little green men," a reference to soldiers lacking national insignias on their green uniforms, as was the case during the 2014 invasion of Crimea?  Or what about an increase in fighting in eastern Ukraine, where separatists have been able to hold territory since 2014 thanks to Russian backing? Or would a cyberattack on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure fit the bill? Such matters remain unclear. Either way, experts agree the response by the US and European partners needs to be unified. Ian Lesser, vice president of The German Marshall Fund of the United States, told DW: "Without US-European cohesion, Moscow will have — or at least will feel it has — a blank check." For Russia's strategy, "Driving a wedge between trans-Atlantic partners is likely at least as important as Ukraine itself." Russia is demanding that NATO withdraw its troops from Eastern Europe, in addition to assurances that Ukraine and Georgia will never become NATO members, before it withdraws its troops from the border. NATO has repeated its position that every country's security decisions are sovereign choice and that its "open door" policy will never be changed. Lesser believes different positions are being expressed behind closed doors, however. "In truth, there is very little enthusiasm in the EU or NATO for Ukrainian membership," he said. "Some may see commitments to Ukraine as a security liability." When it comes to protecting member states from aggression by Russia, the NATO alliance, to which most EU members belong, is however clear on one thing: Though Ukraine has aspirations of joining NATO, it currently isn't a member and therefore doesn't fall under its protective umbrella. "We will always respond in a determined way to any deterioration of our security environment, including through strengthening our collective defense posture as necessary," the alliance's decision-making body, the North Atlantic Council, said in December. The alliance said it is in a position to activate its Very High Readiness Joint Task Force, which comprises some 5,000 soldiers, on short notice. Within 30 days, this first "spearhead" could expand to up to 40,000 soldiers in what the alliance calls its NATO Response Force. "We will provide Ukraine with further military assistance, equipment and defensive weapons in the coming weeks," said US Assistant Secretary of State Karen Donfried last month. "If Russia continues with an invasion," she added, "we will provide more." The response force's mission would be to defend NATO territory. Germany currently has 16,000 troops assigned to the response force. Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden is mulling whether he should send several thousand troops to Eastern Europe. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CBS News on Sunday that the US is "very much focused on building up defense, building up deterrence." US officials have said the plans being considered would not include deployments to Ukraine itself, which would be seen in Moscow as a major provocation. Instead, the additions would likely go to the Baltic NATO members of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia — among the countries most worried about Russia's actions. The size of the deployment could be somewhere between 1,000 and 5,000 US military personnel. In December, Germany's new Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht chose to first officially visit Lithuania, where NATO forces have been sending in reinforcements over recent years to counter a potential threat from Russia. "The situation in Ukraine is very serious, and I can understand the concerns of our Baltic allies and understand if one feels threatened," Lambrecht said. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Edited by: Sonya Diehn

7Politics

As hope spreads that new vaccines will help the world put the coronavirus in the rearview mirror, Germany's leading DAX index reached a new high of just over 14,000 points on Thursday before it dropped to 13,968.24.    The DAX still made a record closing at slightly under 14,000, with 0.55% up compared to the last few days.   Indices for small- and medium-sized German companies also gained ground to set new records.   In 2020, the DAX made an annual increase of 3.5%, despite fear surrounding the coronavirus pandemic. The index reached a record high of 13.818 points in December 2020.  The DAX first crossed the 13,000-point milestone in 2017.   Markets in the United States were also climbing in early trading on Thursday as some investors saw the Democratic Party's upcoming control of the White House and both houses of Congress as a sign of an additional coronavirus stimulus package on the horizon. The S&P 500 was 1.2% higher after Congress confirmed Joe Biden as the winner of the presidential election and Jon Ossoff was declared the winner of a Georgia runoff election, handing control of the Senate to Democrats. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 172 points, or 0.6, at 31,005, at 10 a.m. local time. The Nasdaq composite was also 1.8% higher. sms/aw (AFP, dpa. Reuters)

0Business

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas promised aid for countries that border Afghanistan on Sunday. He made the announcement as he embarked on a trip which involves five countries, all of which are playing a role in the ongoing efforts to get those in need of protection out of Afghanistan.  His first stop was Turkey, which could play a key role in operating the Kabul airport and the reception of refugees, as thousands seek to flee the Taliban. "It is in our own interest to prevent the collapse in Afghanistan from destabilizing the entire region," Maas said as he promised humanitarian and economic aid. He also called for international coordination in dealing with the Taliban.   But Turkey has said it cannot take the burden of a new migrant influx from Afghanistan. "As Turkey, we have sufficiently carried out our moral and humanitarian responsibilities regarding migration," Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said after talks with Maas. Turkey currently hosts 3.7 million Syrian refugees as part of a 2016 deal with the European Union. "It is out of the question for us to take an additional refugee burden," Cavusoglu added. After Turkey, Maas also plans to visit Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Tajikistan, three of Afghanistan's neighboring countries, as well as Qatar, during what was scheduled to be a four-day trip. His visit to Qatar is also of note as the country has actively participated in the evacuation effort from Kabul following the Taliban takeover. Qatar's capital city of Doha houses the political office of the Taliban, functioning as the Foreign Ministry of the new regime in Afghanistan. German negotiator Markus Potzel has been in talks with the office on issues related to evacuations. Ahead of his trip, Maas said in a statement that the evacuation effort to date has been a "tour de force involving many partners" and that the situation in Afghanistan remains "extremely volatile and dangerous." "Not only Afghans but also neighboring states are facing challenges that they can hardly overcome on their own," Maas added, referring to the mounting refugee crisis. "I am traveling to the region today to highlight this: Germany's commitment does not end with the conclusion of the military evacuation mission." The minister said cooperation should now focus on reaching an "agreement with Afghanistan's neighbors on how Germans, our local forces and other Afghans in need of protection can reach Germany quickly and safely." "It also includes our offer to neighboring states to help them cope with the humanitarian and economic consequences." Maas is expected to take part in talks that will allow evacuees to get from the Afghanistan border to German embassies quickly and safely. The visit comes three days after the last Bundeswehr rescue flight took off from Kabul on Thursday. According to official figures, 5,347 people from at least 45 countries were brought to safety on 37 flights under the German evacuation mission. This included about 500 German and 4,000 Afghan citizens who feared for their safety after the takeover of the radical Islamist group. More than 10,000 people still need to be evacuated, including 300 Germans. In order to bring them out of the country by land, Germany is relying on cooperation with Afghanistan's neighbors. mvb, jsi, see/mm (dpa, AFP, Reuters)

7Politics

The EU's top executive body said on Monday that it has found that Apple is infringing EU Competition rules with its Apple Pay system. The EU Commission finding follows a months-long preliminary investigation. The Commission oversees competition in the EU's single market and has the power to issue fines to companies it deems have damaged consumers' interests. Apple Pay is a digital wallet that allows users to make contactless payments. "On a preliminary basis, we have found that Apple abused its dominant position," the European Commission said in a press statement. The statement said that Apple restricted access to "key inputs" that are necessary for other third parties to develop mobile wallets. "Apple has built a closed ecosystem around its devices and its operating system, iOS," the statement said. "Apple controls the gates to this ecosystem, setting the rules of the game for anyone who wants to reach consumers using Apple devices." "We are concerned that Apple may have illegally distorted competition in the market for mobile wallets on Apple devices. Now Apple can answer our concerns," European Competitor Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said in a tweet. Apple had previously argued that restrictions it placed on Apple Pay were due to security concerns. Vestager said at a news conference that the investigation "did not real any evidence that would point to such a higher security risk" and that Apple's conduct "cannot be justified" in this manner. The Commission said that the anti-competitive practices dated back to 2015 when Apple Pay was launched. Apple could face a fine of up to 10% of its global turnover, which would amount to $36.6 billion (€34.7 billion) based on its revenue last year. However, the EU rarely hands out maximum penalties. Apple Pay is used by more than 25,000 banks in Europe. The US-based company can ask for a closed-door hearing to defend its case. It may also send a written response before the Commission issues a decision. There is no legal deadline for the end of the investigation. In September of last year, Apple was ordered by a US federal court to accommodate app developers and loosen control over in-app payments. sdi/dj (Reuters, AP, dpa)

7Politics

The labor contract of 22,000 West Coast dock workers expired on July 1 and negotiations for a new one are reportedly stalled. A key issue for the workers and the employers is one that has rattled the ports for six decades: automation.  Terminal operators and ocean carriers claim that automated technology at the ports is necessary to keep the United States competitive. Yet the dock workers' union argues that while automated ports are killing jobs and stripping worker power, they are not even leading to an increase in productivity.  "I like the work, but the sad part is there have been a large number of jobs that have been eliminated because of it," Rebecca Schlarb, an automation coordinator at the Long Beach Container Terminal, one of two automated ports on the US West Coast, told DW. The labor agreement under negotiation covers workers across 29 ports in California, Oregon and Washington state. That includes two of the country's most trafficked ports at Long Beach and Los Angeles. The Wall Street Journal reported that labor talks, which began on May 10 in San Francisco, are presently stalled over a jurisdictional conflict at the Port of Seattle between the negotiating union, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), and a separate machinists union. As they often are, these negotiations are incredibly high stakes. US President Joe Biden has met with both negotiating parties to encourage smooth talks, so as to prevent the monthslong shipping delays that resulted from previous disagreements between the union and employers in 2002 and 2014.  US ports are already strained due to supply chain disruptions, operating at peak capacity and handling record volumes over the past two years of the pandemic. The ports at Los Angeles and Long Beach have been rated among the world's least efficient in the World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence's 2021 Container Port Performance Index. The union and the 70 terminal operators and ocean carriers represented in the negotiations by the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) have agreed to a media blackout during the labor talks, but they released a joint statement in July announcing they have a tentative agreement on health benefits. Stalled talks mean the ILWU and PMA have yet to settle on wages and the key issue of automation.  Whether more remotely operated cranes, autonomous vehicles and other automated technology should be brought to West Coast ports sits at the center of the current labor dispute.  Two automated ports reside on the US West Coast in the San Pedro Bay Complex: the Trans-Pacific Container Service Corporation (TraPac) at the Port of Los Angeles and the Long Beach Container Terminal (LBCT) at the Port of Long Beach. Even though automation requires massive upfront investments, the PMA argues the changes are critical for American ports to increase their waning efficiency. PMA President Jim McKenna told Bloomberg news agency that this was "the key to long-term survival, long-term competitiveness." The ILWU, on the other hand, has been arguing for years that automated technologies are job killers for their members. Employers' introduction of machines has stripped workers of their power over the docks and weakened the union. Indeed, the issue has been front and center during labor talks for over six decades. The massive cranes, cargo ships, and rectangular containers that speckle coasts around the world were an innovation, or automation, of the mid-20th century.  Prior to the 1960s, during the "break-bulk" era of shipping, longshoremen loaded and unloaded cargo ships in cases, nets, or on wooden pallets. It was meticulous, dangerous and time-consuming work that required large numbers of dock workers. The ILWU and PMA struck a deal in 1960 to allow the burgeoning technologies on the ports, but neither party expected just how much the automation would transform work on the waterfront. Tens of thousands of longshoremen jobs were shed from the ports as employers decided to cut labor costs. In 1971, a few years after so-called containerization really took hold on the ports, West Coast dock workers were fed up with the deterioration of their jobs and led the union's longest strike in history — 134 days. It was the first such coordinated strike for the union, shutting down ports up and down the coast.  While workers won wage increases, automation remained on the table, and in the decades following, the ILWU has conceded to more and more automated technology at the ports. Most recently in 2008, the union explicitly accepted machine-automation technology in their labor agreement. Employers are insistent that automation will not kill jobs. The PMA commissioned a report showing that the West Coast's two automated port terminals, TraPac and LBCT, actually saw a 31.5% increase in paid hours for dock workers, in addition to container processing twice the speed as nonautomated ports. But workers and labor researchers dispute both findings. Patrick Burns, a senior researcher at the Los Angeles-based nonprofit Economics Roundtable told DW that the influx of shipping volume over the past two years masked the job loss at both terminals. Accounting for the job hours per container that went through the ports, Burns and his colleague Daniel Flaming found in their report "Someone Else's Ocean" — which was underwritten by the ILWU — that automation reduced employment by 37% to 52% at LBCT, and by 34% to 37% at TraPac.  Nearly 580 jobs were eliminated at the ports in 2020 and 2021, "a huge, kind of staggering amount of job loss," according to Burns. Schlarb has been a dock worker since 1991 and was the first woman to be elected business agent at ILWU Local 63. She describes her work as a "bittersweet job," because while she likes the position, it's clear to her that automation technology has cut many jobs from the port. According to her, if LBCT were a conventional port, it'd have 138 crane operators and 69 signal people. But with automated technology, "the signal people were eliminated and now crane operators are down to 14 in a remote location."  Burns and Schlarb explained that job losses have a negative effect on the surrounding communities. "They're the types of jobs where you can get health coverage, buy a house and maybe put your child through college," said Burns adding that "those types of jobs are extremely valuable for the region." Ironically, Burns' research also found that automated ports were 7% to 15% less productive than nonautomated ports. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Schlarb's own experience backs up the findings. If cranes suffer mechanical failures, she said, or the autonomous ground vehicles lose their wireless network connection, for example, repairs are less seamless and disruptions are more severe than at nonautomated ports. "Cranes go down quite often, and if one crane goes down, for a mechanic to safely enter, both cranes [in the specific bay] and other adjacent cranes have to be shut down too," Schlarb explained. "Now you've got thousands of containers within the two blocks while the repairs are being done. In a conventional operation, you would lose that bay where the crane broke down and that would have been only 30 containers." Schlarb believes workers across the economy should be concerned about automation. Even as an automation coordinator, Schlarb doesn't believe automation is always the answer. "Just because you can advance something doesn't mean you need to," she said.  Some things, she said, work better the old-fashioned way. "There is nothing more beautiful to watch than a group of longshoremen executing a plan," she added. Edited by: Uwe Hessler

0Business

Philippines' former President Fidel Ramos, who oversaw a stable tenure following the upheaval which peaked with the overthrow of a dictatorial regime, died on Sunday aged 94. Known as "steady Eddie" for his calm resolve in the face of turmoil, Ramos' six-year presidential term witnessed peace, stability and prosperity. Before leading his country, Ramos had enjoyed a distinguished military career. And while many remember him for his political achievements, others cannot forget the role he played in enforcing martial law under the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos. The press office of Ferdinand Marcos jr., the dictator's son and namesake who was sworn in as the country's president at the end of June, mourned Ramos' death. "He leaves behind a colourful legacy and a secure place in history for his participation in the great changes of our country, both as military officer and chief executive." A veteran of the Korean war, Ramos put his military career on the line in 1986, when he joined the rebellion against Marcos. He also inspired many others to join the rebellion, which drove Marcos' family into exile. Ramos was elected as president in 1992, replacing Corazon Aquino who presided over the country after Marcos' ouster. Ramos' prosperous tenure constituted an open economy where deregulation and liberalization policies encouraged foreign investments. A social reform agenda he oversaw created a decline in poverty rates from 39% to 31%. He was also credited for ending the country's power crisis, marked by frequent and long electricity outages. On the political front, Ramos is remembered for orchestrating peace talks with different factions dubbed "enemies of the state." He extended offers of peace with his government to communist guerrillas, and Muslim and military separatists. Only the communists turned down his offers. The former president fought hard to distance himself from Marcos' rule of abuses. He stressed that his role in leading the military and police revolt that eventually toppled the dictator was his "atonement." rmt/sri (AFP, Reuters)

7Politics

Violent storms caused more damage than any other type of extreme weather in 2019, with poorest nations bearing the brunt, according to a study published Monday by environmental organization Germanwatch. Made stronger by climate change, they wreaked havoc across the world. "On the one hand, there was Cyclone Idai on the southeast coast of Africa, which caused damage in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi; and, on the other hand, a hurricane in the Caribbean that hit the Bahamas," said David Eckstein, a policy advisor at Germanwatch and co-author of the report, which has been published each year since 2006. More than 1,000 people lost their lives Idai in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi in March 2019, causing "catastrophic damage and a humanitarian crisis," the authors wrote. The global index is based on data from the German reinsurance company Munich Re. It compares the number of deaths and property damage caused by extreme weather to the number of inhabitants and the gross domestic product of the country in which it strikes. Japan was also hit hard by Typhoon Hagibis, which killed 290 people. Prolonged rainfall caused more than 2,200 deaths in India. Several hundred people also died in Afghanistan, South Sudan and Niger as heavy rains triggered landslides and destroyed homes. In Bolivia, heavy rains led to flooding; 34 people died and 23,000 families were left homeless. Fires also destroyed 2 million hectares of forest, grassland and protected areas. While storms have always claimed lives and damaged homes, they are "increasing in intensity, and that can be attributed to climate change," said Eckstein. "We did interviews with people from Mozambique who said that there have always been cyclones on the southeast coast of Africa, but never with the ferocity as in 2019 with Idai." In 2019, all 10 of the countries most severely affected by extreme weather suffered from heavy floods, according to the report. Last year, large amounts of rain hit eight of the 10 most-affected countries, while two others, Germany and Canada, were exposed to extreme heat. "The rain actually causes the most damage in a cyclone due to the extreme amounts of water," said Eckstein. "Climate change plays a special role in this on several levels." One reason for the increase in rain is that the sea and the air are getting warmer as the planet heats. Warm air holds more moisture, which means more rain. Climate scientists say storms are not becoming more common, but, rather, stronger. The report projects that the number of tropical cyclones that are classed as severe will increase with every tenth of a degree rise in average global temperature.  Since 2000, more than 475,000 people have died in more than 11,000 extreme weather events, according to the report. Eight of the 10 countries hardest-hit between 2000 and 2019 are poorer nations. "They are the hardest-hit because they are more vulnerable to the damaging effects of a hazard and have a lower coping capacity," said report co-author Vera Kuenzel. These countries have less money to build back than industrial countries. "Countries like Haiti, the Philippines and Pakistan are repeatedly affected by extreme weather events and do not have time to fully recover before the next event occurs," says Kuenzel. "Strengthening their resilience must therefore not only address adaptation, but also provide the necessary support to deal with loss and damage." Most developing countries have contributed little to the rise of CO2 in the atmosphere and bear less responsibility for the damages of global warming than historic emitters like the US and Germany. "Now, however, they urgently need financial and technical support to adapt to the consequences as far as possible," said Eckstein. The rise in CO2 in the atmosphere has mostly been caused by industrialized countries burning coal, oil and gas. But so far, the energy companies that profited from this have not paid anything for the damage that has followed. Leaders of industrialized countries have promised poorer countries $100 billion (€82.3 billion) in climate finance each year from 2020 to cope with the crises. But "recent studies show that the $100 billion per year pledged by industrialized nations is not being met and only a small part of it has been allocated to climate adaptation," said Eckstein.   To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video That might soon change. Former US President Donald Trump, who stopped all US payments to the International Climate Fund, took the country out of the Paris Agreement on climate change. But within hours of taking office last week, President Biden signed an executive order for the US to rejoin. "We hope that there will be a positive change in position and that the US will significantly revise the climate protection goals formulated under Obama upward," said Eckstein. "We also hope that a dynamic is sparked between the US, China and the EU." The pandemic shows how important financial aid is for many countries, said Laura Schaefer of Germanwatch. Risks in different areas, such as health and the economy, are closely linked. In the future, "it will be important to improve the crisis resilience of these countries — especially climate resilience." This article was adapted from German. 

6Nature and Environment

Death rates from COVID-19 infections are higher in patients with diabetes in Africa, where the number of people with diabetes is also growing rapidly, the World Health Organization warned on Thursday. A WHO preliminary analysis of data from 13 African countries found a 10.2% case fatality rate in COVID-19 patients with diabetes, compared with 2.5% for COVID-19 patients overall. This matches similar known data about diabetes sufferers being at increased risk from COVID. "COVID-19 is delivering a clear message: fighting the diabetes epidemic in Africa is in many ways as critical as the battle against the current pandemic," Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO regional director for Africa, said ahead of World Diabetes Day on November 14. An estimated 24 million people are living with diabetes in Africa, according to the International Diabetes Federation. The number of Africans suffering from the disease is predicted to rise to 55 million by 2045 as living standards continue to improve. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The WHO warned that the high number of suspected undiagnosed diabetes cases in Africa was a particular cause for concern. Estimates point to around 70% of African diabetes sufferers not knowing they have the disease. "We must act now to prevent new cases, vaccinate people who have this condition and, equally importantly, identify and support the millions of Africans unaware they are suffering from this silent killer," Moeti said. About 90% of diabetes cases globally, and the vast majority in Africa, are type 2, as the continent starts to share the problems of poor diets and sedentary lifestyles that were once primarily prevalent in wealthier parts of the world. The COVID-19 pandemic has also severely disrupted access to diabetes care throughout Africa. Lockdowns to limit the spread of the virus, for example, have hampered access to health care and the basic elements of proper disease management, such as routine glucose monitoring and eating a healthy diet, the WHO said. In addition to COVID-19 risks, diabetes can also increase risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, lower limb amputation, visual impairment, blindness and nerve damage. The countries contributing data to WHO's analysis were Burkina Faso, Chad, Ivory Coast, Congo, Eswatini, Guinea, Namibia, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Sao Tome and Principe and Uganda. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video mvb/msh (AFP, Reuters)

5Health

Hungary's parliament on Tuesday gave the green light for the country to hold a referendum on LGBTQ issues. The vote, backed by Prime Minister Viktor Orban, is the latest move that critics argue suppresses human rights. Lawmakers from the ruling Fidesz party approved four referendum questions pertaining to sex education programs in schools and the availability to children of information regarding sexual orientation. The ballot paper will also question whether voters support the unrestricted presentation of media content that "influences the development of underage children." Opposition lawmakers abstained from voting on the bill. With an election due next year, Orban has sought to promote policies that he says safeguard Christian values against Western liberalism, putting gender issues and what he repeatedly calls LGBTQ "propaganda" at the center of his reelection campaign, along with migration. Many of Orban's policies have put him at loggerheads with the European Union, which is keen to preserve human rights in its member states. In July, the European Commission launched legal action against Hungary and Poland over measures it says discriminate against the LGBTQ community. However, deputy minister Balazs Orban told parliament that Hungarians "should have a chance to express their stance on the issues of gender propaganda." "We are committed. We have to say no to LGBTQ propaganda in schools carried out with the help of NGOs and media, without parental consent." He said holding the referendum on the same day as the national election would save taxpayer money. jsi/nm (AP, Reuters)

7Politics

In May 2005, when American businessman Malcolm Glazer and his family completed their takeover of Manchester United, they were advised by Ed Woodward, then of investment bank JP Morgan. The takeover saw previously debt-free United saddled with £660 million (€766 million, $921 million) of liabilities, the servicing of which has since cost the club over £1 billion in interest and repayments. In protest, a section of United supporters broke away from the club they and their families had followed across England and Europe for decades and formed their own club: FC United of Manchester. They'd seen what happened, and they saw what was coming. Enough was enough. Sixteen years later, Woodward is United's executive vice-chairman, second only to Glazer's son, Joel, who has become a vice-chairman of the new so-called Super League, a venture lead by 12 elite football clubs to break away from European football's governing body UEFA and stage their own competition, initially underwritten to the tune of €3.5 billion by JP Morgan. Anybody who is remotely surprised that Glazer-controlled Manchester United, along with American-owned Liverpool and Arsenal, would be the ringleaders planning a closed-shop US style franchise league with no relegation, breaking away from over a century of tradition in European football, has not been paying attention. For decades now, elite clubs in Europe's top leagues have been aggressively and cynically seeking ever greater revenues. It started with increased ticket prices and, once it became clear that those tens of thousands of fans passing through the turnstiles were in fact negligible compared to the hundreds of millions watching on TV around the world, continued with eye-watering media rights contracts. Meanwhile clubs across Europe with hundreds of years of combined tradition at the hearts of their communities were willingly sold off to venture capitalists (United, Liverpool, Arsenal), Russian oligarchs (Chelsea), human rights abusing nation states (Manchester City) and dangerously untrustworthy Chinese investors (Inter Milan). When they wanted greater shares of Champions League revenues, they got them. When they wanted more qualification places to reduce the likelihood of them failing to qualify, they got them. And even when they wanted a reformed "Swiss Model" with places awarded on historical coefficient, they got that, too. But it still wasn't enough for the "snakes and liars," in UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin's words, in charge of these clubs. Not that Ceferin and UEFA have any right to be claiming the moral high ground; they've been just as complicit in the establishment of this sickening system of greed. Of course, money talks, and the breakaway clubs have planned their Super League on the back of careful calculations; they know full well that there are hundreds of millions of people around the world who will tune in to watch Real Madrid vs. Manchester United on TikTok 10 times a year. Younger generations will always "consume" the game slightly differently, and football, the global game with such power for good, should always look to adapt. But in no way does that make it acceptable to trample all over the people who made these clubs attractive to the vultures in the first place: the generations of supporters who have packed the Stretford End in Manchester, the Kop in Liverpool or the Curvas of the San Siro, not to mention the dozens of other clubs who have done their utmost to compete fairly for a chance to play against the best, now betrayed by the sheer arrogance and deceit of a minority. But don't let anyone tell you this wasn't coming. The warnings have been loud and clear ever since the Glazers set foot in Manchester. The Super League is the logical, tragic consequence of football's dance with the devil.

9Sports

The Kilauea Volcano on the island of Hawaii began erupting late Wednesday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said. Footage of the volcano's crater showed lava fountains covering its floor and clouds of volcanic gas rising into the air.  "What was once a cooling lava lake is now a new fissure eruption," USGS Volcanoes said in a tweet. The volcano sits within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, away from residential and commercial areas, so it does not pose any immediate threat to the public, authorities said. "We're not seeing any indications that lava is moving into the lower part of the east rift zone where people live. Currently, all the activity is within the park,'' said Ken Hon, USGS scientist in charge of Hawaii Volcano Observatory. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park spokesperson Jessica Ferracane told the AP that she expected the eruption to draw tens of thousands of visitors to the park. "This eruption is going to draw many people to the park, we're already seeing people come into the park, drive-in after dark tonight,'' Ferracane said. "Really need people to remember that we are in the middle of a pandemic and they need to stay safe and to keep us safe, too,'' she added. "If you're sick, please don't come. Come visit another day. Enjoy the views from the webcam,'' Ferracane stressed. "We really want to not have these current eruption conditions increase the spread of COVID.'' To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Although Kilauea does not pose a threat right now, this has not always been the case. The volcano's last major eruption in 2018 destroyed more than 700 homes and displaced thousands of residents. The lava flow reduced landmarks, streets, and neighborhoods to a vast field of blackened boulders and volcanic shards.  The activity lasted four months, as Kilauea spewed enough lava to fill 320,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Its lava buried an area more than half the size of Manhattan up to 80 feet (24 meters) deep.  Kilauea began erupting in 1983 and since then, its streams of lava have occasionally rolled over rural farms and homes, with the lava also sometimes reaching the ocean.  jcg/rt (AP, Reuters)

6Nature and Environment

Uganda declared an outbreak of Ebola virus disease, after one person died of the highly contagious virus, the country's health ministry said Tuesday.  Health authorities reported that a man in the central Mubende district, who died on Monday, had tested positive for the virus. "The confirmed case is a 24-year-old male [...] who presented with EVD symptoms and later succumbed," the health ministry said in a statement on Twitter on Tuesday, using an abbreviation for the disease. The World Health Organization's (WHO) Africa office said in a statement that the case was of the relatively rare Sudan strain. "This is the first time in more than a decade that Uganda is recording the Ebola Sudan strain," WHO Africa Director Matshidiso Moeti said. The case was confirmed after six suspicious deaths that have occurred in the district this month were investigated by the National Rapid Response team, the WHO said. "There are currently eight suspected cases who are receiving care in a health facility," it added. The global health body said that it was helping Uganda's health authorities with their probe and deploying staff to the affected area. Ebola is an often deadly viral haemorrhagic fever.  The virus was first identified in Central Africa in 1976. It spreads by contact with bodily fluids of an infected person or contaminated materials. Symptoms of the disease include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain and sometimes internal and external bleeding. Uganda has witnessed multiple outbreaks of the Ebola virus with the most recent one in 2019 that left at least five people dead. The country also shares a porous border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, which recorded a new Ebola case last month less than six weeks after an epidemic in its northwest was declared over. dvv/wmr (AFP, AP, Reuters)

5Health

When a human being's temperature rises from a healthy 36.6 to 38.6 degrees Celsius (97.8 to 101.48 degrees Fahrenheit), it has consequences. Just a seemingly minor increase leaves the body feeling unwell and unable to function normally.   It's a similar story for the planet.  Since the late 19th century, when burning fossil fuels was becoming more widespread, the Earth has warmed by an average of more than 1 degree Celsius. Some places, however, have warmed beyond that level.  One of them is the Arctic. According to the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP), a working group of the intergovernmental Arctic Council, the average annual temperature in the region jumped by3 degrees Celsius between 1971 to 2019. And that spells big problems for the region's ecosystem.  In a 2021 study published in The Cryosphere scientific journal, British researchers revealed findings indicating the loss of 28 trillion tons of ice between 1994 and 2017. They said the volume lost would be enough to cover the whole of the United Kingdom in an ice sheet 100 meters (328 feet) thick. Using satellite data to examine glaciers and the poles, scientists from the UK's University of Edinburgh, University College London and University of Leeds concluded that some 800 billion metric tons of ice was lost annually in the 1990s. By 2017, however, that number had risen to 1.2 trillion tons each year within that time span. Steven Amstrup, chief scientist at United States-based conservation nongovernmental organization Polar Bears International, has been researching wildlife in the Arctic since the 1980s and has seen the changes firsthand. "Back then, I remember looking at the sea ice that was right offshore in northern Alaska in the middle of summer — it was never very far from the coast," he told DW.  "Now during the same period, the sea ice is hundreds of miles offshore. If you'd told me at the beginning of my career that I was going to see these kinds of changes, I would have said you're crazy," Amstrup said.  In findings published in the Nature Climate Journal last year, he and his colleagues predicted that if the temperature keeps rising, most polar bears, which prey on seals resting on the ice, could disappear by the end of the century.  "Sea ice is a polar bear's dinner plate," Amstrup said. "There's almost nothing as nutritious as seals for them to eat on land."  The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts that if the planet warms 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, the iconic polar species will still have sea ice during most Arctic summers. Under a 2 degrees scenario, however, they would face ice-free summers every 10 years.  Polar bears are not the only victims of rising temperature. Some 19% of species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red list face an increased likelihood of extinction due to climate change. At least one species has already been wiped out. In 2019, the Bramble Cay melomys, a tiny rodent that lived on a small sandy island at the tip of the Great Barrier Reef, became the first mammal to be officially recognized by the Australian government as extinct due to human-induced climate change. Rising sea levels and surging seas are believed to have wiped out its food and habitat. Changes to our oceans are also impacting coral reefs, which serve as nurseries and pantries for up to a quarter of marine species. Warmer waters cause the corals to expel the sustaining marine algae from their tissues — known as bleaching. Prolonged bleaching kills the corals. A recent study found that Australia's Great Barrier Reef has lost half its corals since 1995.  The IPCC has warned that if the planet warms beyond 2 degrees Celsius, corals will be almost entirely wiped out. Small temperature increases will also change life for humans. People will be exposed to more extreme weather — heat waves, droughts, floods and tropical cyclones. Their frequency and severity will likely depend on how high temperatures rise.   If the world warms 2 degrees Celsius by 2100, the IPCC warns that 37% of the global population could be exposed to severe heat waves at least once every five years. Fewer than half of that number would be affected in a 1.5 degree scenario. According to a 2018 study carried out by The Joint Research Center (JRC) of the European Commission's science and knowledge service, as the world warms, two-thirds of the population will experience a progressive increase in drought conditions. The UN Refugee Agency says increasing intensity of extreme weather events and sea-level rise are already causing more than 20 million people around the world each year to be internally displaced, or be forced to move to other parts of their country.  Displacement is an even bigger issue for small island nations in the Pacific, Indian Ocean and Caribbean.  "Countries like the Marshall Islands can carry adoption plans for a certain sea level rise," said Helene Jacot Des Combes, a climate scientist at the University of the South Pacific, also an IPCC author and adaptation adviser to the Marshall Islands government.  "But if it continues to go up, then these islands won't be inhabitable anymore." The Pacific island state of Fiji is also facing new realities. After being hit by 12 cyclones and other extreme weather events since 2016, the government launched a relocation program. More than 40 coastal communities need to be moved inland, and six of them have already been relocated.  Given the far-reaching consequences of just a slight temperature increase, the Paris climate accord ultimately aims to cap the global rise at 1.5 degrees Celsius in this century. But modeling suggests that based on current performance, the world is on track to reach that level of warming within the next 15 years. And without radical action today, temperature increases won't stop there. According to The Climate Action Tracker (CAT), an independent group of organizations that analyse governments' climate action, even if all current promises and plans worldwide were met on time, temperatures would still rise to 2 to 2.2 degrees Celsius by the end of this century. And the CAT considers that an optimistic outlook.  This article is part of a series in which DW is debunking myths surrounding climate change. Read also: Part 1 — Is global warming merely a natural cycle? Part 3 — Is China the main climate change culprit? Part 4 — Climate protection: Can I make a difference? Part 5 — Does climate protection stifle economic growth?

6Nature and Environment

Preliminary data published by Britain's public health agency suggests that people with the omicron variant of the coronavirus are between 50% and 70% less likely to end up in hospital than those with the delta variant. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) cautioned that its analysis was "preliminary and highly uncertain" due to the small number of omicron patients in hospitals and the fact that most were in younger age groups. Nevertheless, UKHSA Chief Executive Jenny Harries said it was "an encouraging early signal that people who contract the omicron variant may be at a relatively lower risk of hospitalization than those who contract other variants." "However, it should be noted both that this is early data and more research is required to confirm these findings," she said. The findings are consistent with recent studies from Imperial College London. Research conducted in South Africa, where the variant was first detected, has also suggested omicron might be milder than first feared. Scientists have warned that although omicron might be less severe, the fact it spreads so quickly could mean it will still overwhelm health systems faster than the delta variant. The UKHSA also warned of reinfections with omicron, suggesting the variant can circumnavigate antibodies built up through either vaccination or among those who have previously contracted COVID-19. Initial data showed 9.5% of omicron cases were among those who had already been infected with the coronavirus. Omicron is rife in the UK, and COVID cases have surged by more than 50% in the last week. Britain reported almost 120,000 cases on Thursday, a record-high since the virus first emerged there almost two years ago. jsi/aw (AP, Reuters)

5Health

Neelam, a 15-year-old girl in Murshidabad, got married in May just days before Cyclone Yaas hit the West Bengal state in eastern India. Already under pressure because of the pandemic, her family decided to marry her off knowing that the cyclone would further damage their livelihood. West Bengal is one of the five states in India that have a high prevalence of early marriages. Though 12% of girls between 15 and 19 years of age are married off nationally, in West Bengal the figure stands at 25.6%. "Many families in the state depend on daily wage work, but COVID has deprived them of that. Food insecurity is prevalent, and the financial situation is dire," Baitali Ganguly, who works at the Jabala Action Research Organization in Kolkata, told DW. The child rights organization says there has been an alarming increase in child marriages in the state, especially in rural areas. "We have tried to stop several such marriages during the pandemic. In some cases, we have succeeded, but a lot more needs to be done apart from the NGO interventions," Biplob Mandal, a rights activist, told DW. In southern Telangana state, distress calls to child safety helplines have increased manifold, with many girls seeking help from state authorities. They say their parents are forcing them to get married. From February 2019 through March 2020, the government-run Women's Development and Child Welfare Department averted 977 child marriages in the state. Since the start of the pandemic, the number has increased to 1,355. "It is the official figure; imagine how many cases have gone unreported," Srivyal Vuyyuri, director of Sphoorti Foundation, a nongovernmental organization, told DW. India was recording more than 400,000 new coronavirus infections per day at the height of the second wave in April and May. Despite a decrease in the number of new COVID-19 cases and the easing of restrictions, experts are warning that the country still has a long way to go to effectively prevent the spread of the virus. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Along with Niger, Guinea, South Sudan, Chad and Burkina Faso, India is one of the few countries in the world where child marriage continues to enjoy wide social acceptance. Poverty, weak law enforcement, patriarchal norms and concern about family honor are factors contributing to early marriage. Despite reports suggesting that child marriage is on the decline in the country since 2001, the 2011 census report revealed that child marriage is rampant, with almost one in every three married women being below 18 years. The problem is particularly acute in rural areas, where two-thirds of the Indian population lives. India has 70 districts that report a "high incidence" of underage marriages. These districts are spread across 13 states, which account for 21% of the country's child marriages, according to IndiaSpend, the country's first data journalism initiative. There is gender discrimination inherent in child marriage, as the practice is more prevalent among girls than among boys. It also violates child rights — cutting across every part of women's development and creating a vicious cycle of malnutrition, poor health and ignorance, experts say. Though the government enacted the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act in 2006 to prevent child marriages, as opposed to only restraining them, the reality on the ground is completely different. According to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), India's highest child rights body, underage marriages, especially of girls, are rising even in urban places in India. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video "The number of child marriages has skyrocketed during the pandemic. We believe it is driven by poverty, insecurity, gender inequalities and an inadequate implementation of the law," Enakshi Ganguly, a child rights activist, told DW. Rights groups say economically disenfranchised parents tend to resort to child marriage to escape the financial burden of caring for a girl. "Child marriage leads to a range of devastating consequences. It is taking place in both urban and rural areas, where girls are not encouraged to study," Indira Pancholi, founder of the Mahila Jan Adhikar Samiti, a Rajasthan-based organization fighting for female empowerment, told DW. Activists say underage marriage denies girls their fundamental rights and deprives them of their childhood. In most cases, it puts an end to a girl's formal schooling, and increases risks to her health due to early pregnancy or physical and sexual violence. "We are concerned that COVID-19 could threaten progress against child marriage in India. The pandemic has caused schools to close, economic shocks and interruption in social services, which can all increase the threat of child marriage," Yasmin Ali Haque, UNICEF's representative to India, told DW. Haque stressed that district-level bodies should be empowered across the country so that officials can respond faster and prevent child marriages. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

8Society

US authorities released new camera footage on Thursday showing how Columbus, Ohio, police neglected Andre Hill in the moments after he was  shot dead by a police officer. Hill, a 47-year-old Black man, was shot dead on December 22 by Adam Coy, a white police officer. Hill emerged from a garage and was holding up a cellphone with his left hand and his right hand not visible seconds before he was fatally shot by Coy. Hill was unarmed. In the newly released footage, two Columbus officers can be seen rolling over Hill after he had been shot and putting handcuffs on him before leaving him alone again. None of them offered any help, even though Hill was groaning and bleeding and barely moved on the garage floor. An unidentified woman comes out of the home and tells police, "He was bringing me Christmas money! He didn't do anything." Moments passed before a police supervisor showed up and asked, "Anybody doing anything for him?'' It wasn't until then that an officer began pumping Hill's chest, who later was pronounced dead at a hospital on the same day. Relatives of Andre Hill on Thursday said Ohio police treated him "like an animal." "The way that my brother was treated, to me, it's like an animal,'' said Hill's sister, Michelle Hairston, during a news conference on Thursday.  "He was preyed upon. He wasn't given any kind of chances." Police Chief Thomas Quinlan said he was horrified by the events. "As a police chief, and just as a human being, the events of the last week have left me shaken and heartbroken for the family of Andre Hill," Quinlan said in a statement. "Every man and woman who wears this badge should feel the same." Coy was fired on Monday over accusations of incompetence and gross neglect of duty. He faces an independent criminal investigation by the state as well as the US Department of Justice, according to Quinlan. A probe is also being conducted into the other officers who responded to the call that ended in Hill being fatally shot. "Where is the humanity?" said Benjamin Crump, a civil rights and lawyer representing Hill's family and who called on Coy to be arrested and charged. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video mvb/dj (AP, Reuters)

7Politics

Indian stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqui is facing legal action in two states after he was arrested for allegedly insulting Hindu deities, in a case that critics say is an attack on freedom of speech. Faruqui and four others were detained in India’s central city of Indore on January 1 after the leader of a right-wing vigilante group filed a complaint against them for hurting religious sentiments.  Eklavya Singh Gaur is the son of Malini Gaur, a politician from India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. He said he and his associates were in the audience when the comedian made the objectionable remarks. They created a ruckus and forced the event to stop, local media outlet NDTV reported. The 28-year-old performer has been booked on suspicion of outraging religious feelings and helping the spread of disease. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video He has also been asked to appear before a court in the state of Uttar Pradesh over an earlier case of “insulting” Hindu deities as well as senior BJP leader Amit Shah, local news publication The Wire reported. Nearly three weeks later, Faruqui has been denied bail by lower courts. His lawyers approached the Madhya Pradesh High Court last week but the hearing was adjourned after the police failed to produce the case diary. Talking to NDTV, Faruqui's defender Anshuman Shrivastav said this was the result of police "negligence" and that the document was located in a police station across the street from the court. Authorities are pursuing the case despite Indore police admitting they had no evidence, Indian Express reported. "There’s no evidence against him for insulting Hindu deities or Union Minister Amit Shah," local police officer Kamlesh Sharma told the news daily days after the initial arrest. He added that the two videos submitted by the complainant were of another comedian.  To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Last week, Indore’s Superintendent of Police Vijay Khatri told news portal Article 14 that Faruqui was arrested after Gaur, son of the BJP politician, said he overheard some jokes during rehearsal. The lack of video evidence was not important. "Doesn’t really matter," Khatri told the website. "There was ruckus at the venue even before Faruqui could perform. But, we were told [by the complainants] that they [the comedians] were cracking jokes about Ram and Shiv ji [the Hindu deities] while rehearsing." Faruqui’s arbitrary arrest and prolonged detention have been criticized as an attempt to stifle freedom of speech in India. Fellow comedians and activists have come out in support of their colleagues. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Comedian Vir Das took to Twitter to share a screenshot of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2017 tweet that talked about the importance of humor. "I think we need more satire and humour. Humour brings happiness in our lives. Humour is the best healer," Modi had said in the tweet. Others, including popular comedians Rohan Joshi, Kaneez Surka and Abish Mathew, shared a video where Faruqui is trying to reason with those offended with his jokes. "Turns out now you can just assault people while they’re doing their job and the cops will take 'them' to the police station," Joshi said on Instagram.

7Politics

Panagarh rural hospital is a major government health care facility in West Bengal state's Paschim Bardhaman district. On June 4, dozens of people were seen huddled together outside a section of the hospital to get tested for COVID-19.    "People in these villages are very aware of COVID symptoms, especially after the recent wave of infections. They are by themselves turning up at the hospital to get tested," said Mridula Banerjee, a nurse at the hospital. The staff attending to patients at the rural hospital are mainly nurses. A lack of doctors has forced nursing staff to step up. "We are here for the patients more than the doctors themselves," said a nurse at the hospital, who asked not to be named. Nurses have played a key role in India's fight against COVID, filling in the gap left by a dismal doctor-patient ratio in hospitals nationwide. But female nurses in rural areas face unique barriers which impede their work, said Sunita Harkar Shalla, head of operations at the Child Heart Foundation, an NGO based in Delhi. "Usually there are no toilets or water in rural hospitals. Added to this is bad road connectivity, lack of internet, phone signals and safety measures, which deter female nurses from contributing effectively," she explained. Many nurses also face opposition from their families, she added. Arnab Halder, a nursing assistant at the hospital, is mainly responsible for administering oxygen to patients in the COVID ward and assisting doctors and nurses with stitches following a surgery. "When I joined this hospital in 2019, I used to weep when I saw blood. After this second wave of COVID infections, I don't feel anything when I see a dead body. I've gotten used to it," he said. Halder pointed out that the rural hospital has a five-bed isolation facility for COVID patients, but when cases become critical, patients are referred to a larger government hospital. He added that the hospital could save many lives because it procured oxygen from a local gurdwara, instead of relying on other channels. "We had as many as 20 COVID cases a day in April, and this trend lasted till the first week of May. Now, we have 3-4 cases a day," Halder said. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The pandemic has left a deep impact on Halder's mental health. He is scared of contracting COVID. "The hospital has a staff of 30 people. At least six of us got COVID when cases shot up in May. I was working in the COVID isolation ward at that time and I also had to attend to my roommate as he had COVID. Each day, I prayed for my life, before coming to work," Halder explained. Halder's friend and roommate, Uday, who is responsible for conducting COVID tests at the hospital, recovered from the disease last week. "We [colleagues] were testing each other using the rapid antigen test, just for fun. My test result came positive, which meant I was asymptomatic. I isolated myself for 14 days and then came back to work. I keep wondering how many people I would have infected had I not taken the test," Uday said. COVID-related facilities — for testing, vaccination and isolation — in the Panagarh rural hospital are confined to three different areas of the hospital. The non-COVID care section is relatively quiet. According to Mridula Banerjee, non-COVID facilities have been hit badly during the last two months. "Before COVID spread rapidly, it was normal for people to seek medical help for problems like diarrhea or typhoid. Once COVID cases shot up, people were too scared to come to the hospital and only came here when they couldn't handle the situation at home," she said.  "The staff and hospital capacity were limited, so we triaged cases. For example, pregnant women were only admitted and treated when they were in the final stages of their pregnancy." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Non-COVID sections of the hospital continue to see little footfall in June, even after a drop in COVID cases. The immunization room for babies is in a decrepit condition, while the bedsheets in wards haven't been changed for days. A man approaches Banerjee for medicines, without wearing a mask, and he is promptly denied service. "People follow COVID protocols when we make it clear that we won't help them otherwise. They leave us no choice but to be strict with them," said Banerjee. At the other end of the hospital, COVID inoculations are in full swing. The hospital has administered nearly 150 doses of Covaxin, a vaccine against COVID developed by the Indian pharma firm Bharat Biotech. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Padma, a community health worker, is noting down details of each person and checking them against information she has received from the local administrative body. She said that the Panagarh hospital wasn't overburdened with cases because community health workers spent a considerable amount of time raising awareness of the virus. "We used tactics like scaring people with news about death and the long-lasting consequences of COVID. This helped us tackle issues like vaccine hesitancy in certain communities," she underlined. Hospitals in rural areas across India are currently burdened with a rising number of COVID cases. According to a report by the NGO Center for Science and Environment (CSE), 53% of fresh cases and 52% of new deaths from COVID in May were reported from rural areas. The report added that community health centers in rural India need 76% more doctors.

5Health

Interpol on Thursday elected a contentious official from the United Arab Emirates as its new president. Major General Ahmed Naser al-Raisi, inspector general at the UAE's interior ministry, was chosen for one four-year term, despite having been accused of involvement in torture and arbitrary detentions by human rights groups. The decision was announced amid the international law enforcement body's annual General Assembly held in Istanbul. "It's an honor to have been elected to serve as the next president of Interpol," al-Raisi said. "Interpol is an indispensable organization built on the strength of its partnerships. It is this collaborative spirit, united in mission, that I will continue to foster as we work to make a safer world for people and communities." Al-Raisi will take on a largely ceremonial role while the Interpol secretary general, Jürgen Stock, handles the day-to-day management of the organization. Stock was handed a second five-year term in 2019. The appointment of al-Raisi comes despite concerns raised by human rights groups and members of the European Parliament. Al-Raisi is accused of torture and has criminal complaints against him in five countries, including in France, where Interpol has its headquarters, and in Turkey, where the elections are currently taking place. German MP Peter Heidt of the Free Democrats also raised his concerns over the new appointment, telling DW it is "not a good sign for Interpol." And when asked whether the election of al-Raisi suggests that Interpol is too dependent on the UAE, Heidt said: "We know that Interpol needs money, and the Arabic Emirates gave money to Interpol and they will continue this. Is that a good situation? It would be better that Interpol gets the money from all the state members and did not need money just as a gift." Interpol also elected regional vice presidents during the agency's annual assembly. Valdecy Urquiza of Brazil will take up the post of vice president for the Americas, while Garba Baba Umar of Nigeria was elected vice president for Africa. The vote for Interpol's new president was being closely monitored following the 2018 disappearance of Meng Hongwei. He was the first president of the law enforcement agency to come from China, and he vanished during a trip to his homeland. It later emerged he had been detained, accused of bribery and other alleged crimes. Al-Raisi succeeds Kim Jong-yang of South Korea, who has been in office since Meng Hongwei vanished. jsi/msh (AP, Reuters, AFP)

3Crime

A Serb, a Romanian and a German sit together in a Catholic church listening to a priest saying the Lord's Prayer in Hungarian. What sounds like the opening line of a joke is a normal occurrence here in Timisoara, capital of the western region of Banat. Once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Timisoara (population 315,000) is now the third-largest city in Romania. For centuries, people of different origins and faiths have lived with and alongside each other here. This diversity was the main thread running through Timisoara's bid for the title of European Capital of Culture.  Timisoara was supposed to be Capital of Culture in 2021 but was given a two-year stay because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In view of the fact that much remained to be done, it proved a long but welcome delay. Now, says Mayor Dominic Fritz proudly, the city is "on the home straight." Timisoara's chosen slogan for the year is "Shine your light!" Mayor Fritz explains: "It is meant to show that everyone — male or female — has something to contribute, regardless of their background. Everyone can shine their light for society." "The intention is," he continues, "that our program of culture will involve as many people as possible — not only as consumers of culture, but as participants — and allow people to experience places in the city in a new way. Timisoara's heritage will shape Europe's future, too." Dominic Fritz is not a Romanian citizen with German roots: He's actually a German citizen from the Black Forest who fell in love with Timisoara when he first set foot here 10 years ago. Two years ago, he ran for the post of city mayor and won by a comfortable margin. Now he intends to play an active role in the city's cultural program in 2023 and beyond: "This is not about a one-year fireworks display. We want to do things that are sustainable and have a long-term, positive impact on the city and on life," he says. "When we invest in culture, we invest in the prosperity of the local community." Fritz goes on to say that Timisoara has been a European city for centuries, long before the establishment of the European Union. It was here, in December 1989, that the revolution against the country's communist leader, Nicolae Ceausescu, began. "The people of Timisoara know what Europe and its values mean. And they know that you have to fight for freedom, and for European freedom," Fritz tells DW. The city's rich diversity is reflected in its architecture. Take, for example, Timisoara's imposing National Theater and Opera House, which is home to no fewer than three national theater groups, each of which performs in a different language (Romanian, Hungarian and German). This is unique in Europe. Incidentally, it was from the balcony of this building that the city's liberation from communism was announced in 1989. A short distance away is the German-language secondary school named after the poet Nikolaus Lenau, who was born in the region. The school is immensely proud of the fact that two of its former pupils have won Nobel Prizes: Herta Muller (Literature, 2009) and Stefan Hell (Chemistry, 2014). Other major buildings in the vicinity include the Romanian Orthodox Cathedral, the Catholic cathedral, where masses are said in Romanian, Hungarian, German and Latin, and the Serbian Orthodox church. The large synagogue and the Lutheran church are also located in the city center. Everywhere in the city's charming streets are cozy cafes and restaurants, book shops and boutiques. Vlad Tausance grew up in the district of Fabric. In the 18th century, Fabric was home to the region's first printing works, several mills and breweries — and many craftsmen. Tausance is head of the city's Capital of Culture communications office. He points out buildings in a wide range of styles — art nouveau, secession, historicism and eclecticism, modernism and neoclassicism — some of which have been restored with great attention to detail. "When I was a child," says Tausance, "this was a very sleepy district. Today, a growing number of people come here to get away from the hustle and bustle of the center and in search of alternative cultural events, hip bars and vintage shops."  On the other side of the city is the district of Iosefin, with its popular traditional marketplace. Its old puppet theater and the students' culture house will be used as locations during the year of culture. During the communist era, the district was known for its lively underground scene, which boasted some of Romania's best rock bands. For several years now, the Prin Banat Association's Heritage of Timisoara initiative has been organizing an inventory of historical monuments and their renovation. One such a building is the old water tower, which was built in 1910 but has not been in use for 50 years. Although it is still covered in scaffolding, the intention is that it will open its doors as a cultural center in time for the city's year as Capital of Culture. "Right now," says Simona Giura of Prin Banat, "there is no culture on offer in the district. So we came up with an extensive program of art and culture for all age groups." Sustainability is the watchword here too: "For us, 2023 is just the beginning." Timisoara's year as a Capital of Culture will officially begin in mid-February. For Mimo Obradov, an author and music critic from the Serbian community, it promises to be a unique event. "It is also recognition of Timisoara's avant-garde role and underground culture in the last few years and decades," he tells DW. For Obradov, it is essential to counter the constant risk of the globalization and uniformization of culture. "Timisoara's diversity has something to offer. The city and the entire region are an example of how the EU should work: as a melting pot of diverse ethnicities and communities, with different cultural influences and a coexistence that should exist all over Europe," he says with conviction. Thirty cultural events are planned for each week of the year. The program contains a large number of highlights, including events with two Nobel laureates for literature, Orhan Pamuk and Olga Tokarczuk, German philosopher Peter Sloterdijk, a concert directed by Timisoara-born conductor Cristian Macelarum, who is also artistic director of the George Enescu International Festival, and an exhibition of the works of renowned Romanian sculptor Constantin Brancusi. This article was originally published in German

4Culture

After almost two years away, nearly 3,000 Borussia Dortmund fans traveled to watch their team in Europe on a Tuesday night. They will have left as dazed and confused as Dortmund's players following a scintillating performance from Ajax that handed Dortmund their biggest ever loss in the Champions League. The home side played the kind of free-flowing, fast, fantastic football that rendered Dortmund's efforts irrelevant. That is not to say Dortmund weren't bad — sloppy defensive errors, poor use of wide areas and an inability to wrestle any control in the middle all proved costly — but Ajax were so good it didn't seem to matter what Dortmund did. "It's not easy to find the right words at the moment," Marco Reus told Amazon afterwards. "To concede goals like that and the fact that Ajax had so many chances is too easy." Mats Hummels couldn't keep up with Antony, and the resulting foul led to Ajax's opener when Marco Reus flicked Dusan Tadic's free-kick into his own net. It was the first own goal of Reus' career, and a sign of things to come. Hummels' poor night continued when he sent a header sideways rather than forward, setting up Sebastien Haller to knock the ball down for Daley Blind to smash in off the post. Suddenly, Dortmund weren't just struggling, they were reeling. Thomas Meunier couldn't control the ball, Axel Witsel was chasing shadows, and, despite having three chances, even Erling Haaland couldn't score. For the first time, the Norwegian ended a Champions League group stage game for Dortmund without a goal to his name. "We made too many mistakes, and too many simple mistakes today," head coach Marco Rose told Amazon afterwards. "We lost the ball too easily and we invested too little into the final third... It was a very deserved loss." The most telling part of the defeat was that, despite conceding four goals Gregor Kobel was their best player, making three or four strong saves to avoid a historic night of embarrassment. "We were too open, it was too back and forth," said Reus afterwards. Perhaps Dortmund weren't fit. Given the number of players who have struggled with injuries already this season, that might well have been a factor. Perhaps this was a night that exposed deeper issues in the Bundesliga side, or perhaps it was just a reminder to never underestimate Ajax. Whatever it was, by the time Haller nonchalantly headed in a fourth there was nothing familiar about Dortmund but neon yellow. The Bundesliga side had crumbled in the face of one of the great European performances, and their only silver lining was that it came in a group-stage game.

9Sports

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov on Tuesday announced that his country's delegates would not be traveling to Cairo, Egypt, for talks on the New START nuclear weapons control treaty. "The session of the Bilateral Coordinating Committee on the Russian-American START Treaty, previously scheduled to take place in Cairo between November 29 and December 6, will not take place on the dates indicated," he told TASS news agency. The Foreign Ministry has since said no new talks would likely take place before the end of the year. Ryabkov said there was a "deep disconnect" between the two countries over the treaty's implementation, lamenting that the US delegation was "traveling to Cairo to push for the resumption of inspections and not to address Russia concerns." Moscow suspended US inspections of its military sites back in August, pointing to American obstruction of Russian inspections at US sites. Ryabkov insisted Moscow was not seeking to set preconditions, simply that it sought a "balanced program" and discussions on "strategic stability." Acknowledging that Ukraine had also been a determining factor for Moscow's seemingly last-minute decision, the deputy foreign minister said: "By and large, the situation was such that we had no other choice. The decision was made at the political level." Ryabkov added leadership in Moscow had, "repeatedly explained our position ... but we did not see the slightest desire on the American side to move in this direction." The US has accused Moscow of using "nuclear blackmail" as a tactic in its ongoing war of aggression against neighboring Ukraine, something Moscow denies, insisting instead that it is the West that is to blame for the escalatory rhetoric surrounding the Russian invasion and war. According to the White House, CIA Director William Burns issued warnings over the use of such threats when he met his Russian counterpart, foreign intelligence boss Sergei Naryshkin, in Ankara two weeks ago. Earlier this month the US said it expected the resumption of talks on the key nuclear disarmament treaty, but was at a loss to explain the last-minute boycott. "We haven't received a real solid answer from the Russians as to why they postponed this," said White House National Security Council (NSC) spokesman John Kirby, adding, "We're going to be working through the embassy to try to figure out what happened here." Signed in 2010 and finalized in 2011, the New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty), is the last bilateral nuclear agreement between the two nations. The treaty, currently scheduled to expire on February 5, 2026 — after a five-year extension in 2021 — limits each country to a maximum deployment of 1,550 nuclear warheads (down nearly 30% from 2002). Talks in Cairo were scheduled to take place despite tensions over Ukraine and would have been the first face-to-face meeting of representatives from the two nuclear powers in years. The last scheduled talks, in March 2020, had to be postponed until now as a consequence of the coronavirus pandemic. NSC spokesman Kirby said Washington "would like to see it [New START negotiations] get back on schedule as soon as possible," adding: "It's not just important for our two nations. It's important for the rest of the world." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video js/sms (AFP, Reuters)

2Conflicts

Spanish lawmakers on Thursday passed a law to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide for people with severe and incurable illnesses. The ruling passed the lower house of parliament with 202 votes in favor and 141 against and 2 abstentions.  "Today we are a more humane, just and freer country. The euthanasia law, widely demanded by society, finally becomes a reality," Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Twitter.  Supporting and opposing groups reportedly protested outside the parliament during the debate.  The legislation allows medical staff to intentionally end a life to relieve suffering, known as euthanasia, and assisted suicide, meaning the patient carries out the procedure. Patients have to be Spanish citizens or legal residents and must be fully conscious when they request the procedures. A request is to be submitted twice in writing, 15 days apart. It must be approved by two separate doctors and an evaluation body, according to AFP news agency.  Doctors will have the right to reject requests if they believe requirements were not met.  Until now, helping someone end their life carried a jail term of up to 10 years under Spanish law.   To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Far-right parties and religious groups strongly oppose the new legislation. The far-right Vox party said it would challenge the law before the country's Constitutional Court. Euthanasia has long been a topic of public debate in Spain. An Academy Award-winning 2004 film titled "The Sea Inside" told the story of a man's assisted suicide in 1998 who was denied that right by Spanish courts.  A 2019 poll showed that the majority of people in Spain supported decriminalizing assisted suicide .  Euthanasia is legal in Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. In Switzerland assisted suicide is exempt from punishment. Portugal's parliament also approved a bill to legalize assisted suicide, but the country's top court blocked the decision.   fb/rs (AFP, EFE, Reuters)

7Politics

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday voiced his support for Serbia and Kosovo in their aspirations to join the European Union, as the leaders of both Balkan countries pledged to push forward with the necessary reforms required to do so. Scholz first met with Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti then later with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. Standing alongside Kurti, the German leader said, "The Western Balkans belong in Europe." Later, alongside Vucic, Scholz said, "For Serbia, it is important that it continues its path of reforms and that includes on media freedom and fighting organized crime." Scholz stressed that beyond the reforms each country needed to undertake, progress on the issue of rapprochement between the two was paramount, calling it "enormously important" to their membership aspirations. "All open questions must be clarified in this dialogue," Scholz said, referring to issues between the neighbors. Largely ethnic Albanian, Kosovo broke away from Serbia in 1999 before declaring independence in 2008. Though most EU member states recognize Kosovo's independence, Serbia does not and still claims it as its own territory. After stressing the progress his country was making regarding rule of law reforms and fighting corruption, Kosovo's Kurti said Brussels, for its part, needed to make it easier for Kosovans to attain EU visas. He also alluded to Russia's influence in the Balkans, calling it a threat to peace and security. He said that in the face of Moscow's actions, Kosovo saw no alternative but to join the EU and NATO to secure its future. Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and its suspected exploitation of unresolved conflicts in the Balkans to foster anti-European sentiment have in part motivated Berlin's push to bring countries in the region into the EU. The invasion has put Serbia, for instance, in a difficult position. While it has condemned Russia's invasion, its historical religious, ethnic and political ties with Moscow have kept it from signing on to sanctions. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Still, Vucic was clear about where he sees Serbia's future when speaking in Berlin: "It is Serbia's choice to be on the European path and Serbia is fully committed to that. Disregarding opinion polls which show that it [the EU path] is not the most popular, Serbia's leadership will support that path." Vucic also spoke of his willingness to reach a compromise with Kosovo to facilitate that aim, saying he would do everything in his power to achieve it. Scholz announced Wednesday that he will travel to the Balkans later this year for talks with leaders from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro and North Macedonia, as well as with Serbia and Kosovo. He said he will also be inviting Western Balkan leaders to participate in talks on regional cooperation. "In the future," said Scholz, "all its countries must belong to the European Union." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video js/sms (dpa, Reuters)

7Politics

Bayern Munich suffered their heaviest ever German Cup defeat as they were hammered 5-0 by Borussia Mönchengladbach, going out of the competition in the second round for the second season in a row. Gladbach striker Breel Embolo was unplayable, dominating Bayern centerbacks Dayot Upamecano and Lucas Hernandez to assist two goals in the first half and score two more himself in the second, as Bayern lost for only the second time this season. "Auf Wiedersehen! You can go home now!" sang the jubilant home fans in the direction their Bayern counterparts, 5-0 up and still with half an hour to play. And Bayern head coach Julian Nagelsmann, watching from home for the third game in a row as he recovers from a COVID-19 infection in isolation, could have been forgiven for turning off his television there and then. It was the first time Bayern had conceded five goals in this competition since the 5-2 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the 2012 final. Before that, there was a 5-1 defeat to Cologne in a 1972 quarterfinal replay. And it continued the Bavarians' poor run of form at Borussia Park: they have now failed to win on their any of their last five visits to this part of the Rhineland. "You dream of nights like this from time to time but you never really think it could be reality," said Gladbach sporting director Max Eberl at full-time. "Tonight will go down in the club's history." Eberl's Bayern counterpart, Hasan Salihamidzic, spoke of a "collective blackout," telling broadcaster ARD: "We're shocked, we just didn't turn up. I don't think we won a single tackle in the first half, and every ball just bounced away from us. I can't explain it. We know it's hard to come here, we know how well Gladbach press, but everything went wrong tonight which could go wrong." Given the two teams' recent form, there was little to suggest that such an upset was on the cards, let alone one of such historic proportions. Since losing to Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga earlier this month, Bayern had seemed entirely unaffected by Nagelsmann's absence in quarantine, brushing aside Bayer Leverkusen, Benfica and Hoffenheim with assistant coach Dino Toppmöller on the sideline. Gladbach, on the other hand, came into the game on the back of poor performances against Hertha Berlin and Stuttgart but, just like in the Bundesliga meeting the two teams back in August, the Foals came flying out of the blocks, creating a string of early chances. And this time, they took them mercilessly. Kouadio Kone gave them the lead after just two minutes before Ramy Bensebaini added a second, and then a third from the penalty spot. Three goals in 21 minutes, and it could well have been more. "The first 30 minutes were a frenzy," said Eberl. "We completely outplayed Bayern and showed that they, too, are only human." Then came the Embolo show. The Swiss hitman had already set-up Kone's opener and won Bensebaini's penalty, but he took center-stage after half-time, bullying and beating Upamecano and Hernandez with his movement, physicality and precise finishing to make it four and then five. "We haven't rewarded ourselves in recent games and we wanted to show what we can do," the 24-year-old told ARD. "We haven't been clinical enough but now we can see, when we stay cool, we can beat anyone, even perhaps the best team in the world." With Bayern once again out of the competition, the German Cup now looks wide open for the second year in a row. Last season, Borussia Dortmund capitalized on the Bavarians' absence to win their first silverware since 2017. Borussia Mönchengladbach have been waiting since 1995 but, on this form, they will feel they can beat anyone. As it happened: What an astonishing result. Borussia Mönchengladbach were exceptionally efficient in front of goal and picked off Bayern time and time again, producing on of Europe's most astonishing scorelines tonight. Bayern were terrible, Borussia exceptional.  Not much more to add. Gladbach coasting to one of their biggest wins for years. The fans are loving this. And so is their coach, Adi Hütter, who perhaps deserves more of a mention. What a night for him, he's got his tactical decisions spot on, and he's guided Gladbach to their best night in a long time, certainly since Marco Rose's departure as coach. Even for Bayern, this is over. 5-0 is too much for them, and this will be a defeat, a heavy defeat, without Julian Nagelsmann on the sidelines as the coach recovers from COVID-19. It may prove to be better for Nagelsmann reputation if he isn't there tonight, unassociated with this bereft display. If you're just joining us, firstly: why? Secondly, you have missed an exhibition of finishing from Borussia Mönchengladbach, who have swept Bayern Munich away. The point of the game we're at now is that Bayern have all of the ball, with Gladbach just defending and waiting to pick them off for a sixth. Speechless now. These numbers must be approaching historic proportions now. We'll check that and get back to you, but it's another relatively easy goal for Gladbach, as Breel Embolo powers a run between Süle and Pavard — you could drive a truck through that gap — and finishes past Neuer. This is really crazy. Embolo gets on the scoreline, smashing the ball in after a mistake by, yes Upamecano. Gladbach dreaming, Bayern crushed. A truly amazing scoreline. It's worth mentioning, because this is a live text commentary and I am the commentator, that Dayot Upamecano has been awful tonight. Like, really bad. Cannot settle against the movement Gladbach have up front, and then he gets a yellow for hacking Embolo down.  What a performance by Gladbach, you have to give it to them. An amazing performance in which everything has gone right. Bayern struggling a lit bit, still looking dangerous in places, but they seem preoccupied, hesitant, and off their game. What a sensational scoreline. Wow, a lot to unpack here. Firstly, Lewandowksi should have been sent off for a late, high, studs up challenge on Kone. Bayern then get the ball up to Sane, via Goretzka, but Sane somehow fails to get a great contact on the ball. Borussia fans livid that Lewandowski has escaped punishment. Could have been 3-1, could have been a red card, in the end it was neither. Bayern are seeing a lot more of the ball heading into the break. A few minutes ago, Serge Gnabry and Thomas Müller combined, with Gnabry poking the ball towards goal, without much conviction. Borussia containing them so far. Bayern are getting bullied here tonight, you don't see it very often. Just beaten to every ball, no ideas, no opportunity to settle, a few mistakes, boom — they look out of the game. But the one thing about Bayern, they're rarely out of the game. And now they have a goal. Bensebaini gives Neuer the eyes from 11 metres — or 12 yards — to put the ball into the net. Gladbach's third was quite fortunate, you feel a bit for Bayern. Nah, not really.  Embolo fouled, not really a foul to be honest, but it's given and... Oh my days, what is happening? Gladbach are two up against Bayern. Jonas Hofmann gets into a great position, cuts it back for Bensebaini, who drills a beautiful low shot past Neuer. It's brilliant, and Bayern are getting hammered. Thr atmosphere is bouncing in Mönchengladbach. I think we might hear 'Sweet Caroline' soon. Set to a consistent drumbass. Not an annoying one, just a consistent one. Oh wow, what a start in Mönchengladbach. A loose pass by Alphonso Davies is seized upon by Breel Embolo, who finds Kouadio Koné, who steers the ball in from close range. He checks the flag for offside but he's not, Borussia lead Bayern after one minute and 20 seconds.  We're underway on a chilly night in Mönchengladbach.   A bit of Bayern news the morning before the game: Lucas Hernandez will not go to a Spanish jail for violating a restraining order in 2017 after a Madrid court on Wednesday accepted an appeal by the French player.  "We consider that the appeal should be upheld and the order to enter prison suspended," the court said in a statement. More on that one here. This is the eighth German Cup tie between Gladbach and Bayern, who have never lost to the Foals. Five of the seven matches have gone to extra time including their most recent clash in the 2011/12 semifinals which Bayern won 4-2 on penalties.   Bayern have dominated German football over the course of the last decade, but Gladbach have proven a regular thorn in their side. Of the most recent 21 league meetings, the record champions have only won nine times, drawing four matches and losing eight. No other Bundesliga team has beaten FCB more than five times during this period. "Bayern are a different caliber to Hertha. They're in great form, but I know my team is capable of showing a reaction. Having our fans behind us is a game changer. Bayern are favorites, but we'll see what we can do from the underdog role." "We're in very good physical condition. The boys have gained a lot of confidence. We have a very good team with a lot of quality. The coaches have done a very good job managing the busy schedule and workload. We want to continue like this and try and play the next games as well as we have done the last few."  Borussia Mönchengladbach have been knocked out by a fellow Bundesliga team in each of the last six cup campaigns, including twice by Borussia Dortmund in each of the last two seasons (2019/20 in the second round, 2020/21 in the quarterfinals). The FIFA Ballon d'Or nominee scored the equalizer in the 1-1 draw when these sides met in the opening fixture of the 2021/22 Bundesliga campaign. On Saturday, he moved onto double digits for the 11th straight season with a goal in the 4-0 win against Hoffenheim. The question is, can Gladbach stop the prolific Pole? The Germany international was not a happy bunny after Gladbach's 1-0 loss to Hertha Berlin on Saturday. "Overall it was a poor performance by our standards," he told reporters. "In the first half we were clearly the better team and dominated, but to concede a goal from a throw in by the corner flag is laughable." Last season, Bayern were knocked out before the round of 16 for the first time since 2000/01,falling to Holstein Kiel in the second round despite taking the lead twice. The second-tier side won on penalties. It was the first trophy that Hansi Flick failed to win in charge of Bayern.  Gladbach: Sommer - Ginter, Elvedi, Beyer - Scally, Zakaria, Neuhaus, Bensebaini - Hofmann, Stindl - Embolo Bayern: Neuer - Stanisic, Upamecano, Süle, Richards - Sabitzer, Kimmich - Sane, Musiala, Coman - Lewandowski

9Sports

The tale of the Easter Bunny and Easter eggs sounds like something that should have originated in the Middle Ages, but it didn't. It was the era of Enlightenment that saw the emergence of hares hopping across the fields while laying (and hiding) colorfully painted eggs. The legend has about as much to do with the Resurrection of Jesus Christ as Christmas has to do with Santa Claus. And, oddly enough, it can be traced back to Protestants. In an attempt to explain to their children why there were so many eggs around at Easter, they simply put the blame on bunnies, which have always been known for their fertility. That's how Alois Döring, an expert on folk traditions based in Bonn, Germany, explains this strange phenomenon. "During Lent, Catholics were not allowed to eat eggs, so on Easter many of them could be found in the chicken coops," Döring said. The Protestants rejected the fasting tradition, which they regarded as imposed by the pope. But that didn't mean they rejected Easter, which they likewise celebrated with colored eggs. Eggs were seen as a symbol of new life, and therefore a symbol of the resurrection of Christ. The making of a blessed egg Back then, the eggs used to be blessed in the Catholic Church, added the folklorist. The blessed ones were painted in order to distinguish them from those that hadn't yet received a blessing. The colored eggs were then given away as gifts. "The priests also liked the beautiful decorations," Döring said. During the Baroque era, the clergy would even mention various egg-painting techniques in their sermons. Was it an act of revenge by the Protestants that the beautiful blessed eggs came to be associated with an animal as mundane as the hare? That's just speculation. "All we know for sure is that the first Easter Bunny stories appeared in 17th-century Protestant literature," said Döring. The hare wasn't the only bringer of Easter gifts. Depending on the region, the fox and the raven also carried out this task, but they didn't last for long. "Hares lent themselves better to being humanized," the folklorist speculated. Expert Gunther Hirschfelder from the University of Regensburg follows a different theory based on the fasting guidelines spelled out in the Gospels of the New Testament. They mention another animal associated with fasting, namely the rock hyrax, which is also known as the dassie. That animal doesn't exist in Europe but only in southern Africa and especially some Middle Eastern regions - i.e. where most biblical stories took place. The rock hyrax even gets a direct mention in the Book of Proverbs, where it is attributed great wisdom despite its petite size. But size doesn't matter: As unlikely as it sounds, the rock hyrax is actually genetically related to elephants, although it rather resembles a little hare with shorter ears. The hare and a fake fertility goddess Some experts have searched for other potential explanations in old legends. They came across a Germanic goddess of spring and fertility named Ostara, who was said to be regularly accompanied by a hare. But this theory has turned out to be wrong. "We now know that this goddess never existed," said Döring. "She was invented by myth-inclined esoteric circles in the 19th century." Consequently, the assumption that it was Ostara who gave Easter its name cannot be true. "It's possible that the word Easter goes back to an Indo-Germanic word that meant aurora," Döring explained. After all, the church celebrated the resurrection of Christ at dawn, and also baptized new members during the service — which is why the word Easter could just as well go back to the Northern Germanic word "ausa" or "austr," meaning "to pour water." Fire and water both belong to Easter Blessed baptismal water was believed to have healing powers. Another reason why the water was regarded as holy was the fact that the Easter candle was immersed in it while a blessing was pronounced, explained Döring. And since the 12th century, the Easter candle has been ignited with a larger fire symbolizing the resurrection of Christ, whose "light drives out the darkness of the heart." A holy fire constitutes the climax of Easter celebrations for Orthodox Christians. In line with tradition, the Greek-Orthodox Patriarch enters the Church of the Nativity in Jerusalem with an oil lamp. A holy fire is believed to come down from heaven, igniting the oil lamp. The patriarch then passes around the lamp so that the assembled pilgrims can ignite their own candles with the flame. The ritual symbolizes hope before the resurrection of Christ. For centuries, large Easter fires have been ignited in many parts of Germany. Huge piles of wood and dry sticks are burned during the night before Easter. This ritual clearly has pagan roots. In pre-Christian times, the fires were intended to drive out the winter spirits. Easter fires have become a part of present-day Easter celebrations despite the destruction they can cause — and despite strict fire regulations in Germany.  "In Germany, fires are as closely associated with Easter as the Easter Bunny and his eggs," said Döring. Even in increasingly secularized societies, Easter celebrations are likely to remain a regularly observed custom, the folklorist believes. After all, the dates have been fixed for centuries. Following a ruling of the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D., Easter takes place during the first Sunday following the first full moon after the beginning of spring. That means that Easter often takes place between March 22 and April 25. That is when the year's newly born bunnies can once again be seen happily hopping around in the fields.

4Culture

Victor Dominguez did not have much time to talk. He and his team from the Red Cross had just been dispatched to the municipality of Casas de Miravete, in the province of Extremadura, about 215 kilometers (130 miles) southwest of Madrid. They had just evacuated 66 people after a wildfire broke out and needed to find them places to stay, water, food and psychological support. "Generally, people are very nervous," Dominguez told DW. "They had to leave everything behind in the early hours of the morning and witness a big fire right above their village." For days, Dominguez and other aid workers have gone from one place to the next as fires have broken out. They have traveled to Ladrillar, for example, where the flames have devoured at least 6,500 hectares (16,000 acres) and hundreds of people had to leave their homes.  "It's been a very complicated week," Dominguez said. "The temperatures are extremely high. The wind changes direction constantly. Firefighters are working to their limits, giving it their all. … But sometimes we all feel powerless here. We can't control the weather. And that's fundamental for getting a fire under control. Spain is in the midst of its second heat wave of the summer. In some places, temperatures have soared to 46 degrees Celsius (115 F). In June, a heat wave that came unusually early lasted over a week and also triggered several wildfires. One of them destroyed 30,000 hectares in the Sierra de la Culebra nature reserve, which is home to one of the largest wolf populations in western Europe, and also important for agriculture and tourism. The global climate catastrophe is more apparent than ever, with extreme heat, forest fires, droughts and crop failures across Spain. The country’s meteorological agency AEMET recently published a series of studies and records from the past decades. "We have to analyze the influence of climate change precisely," meteorologist Beatriz Hervella said. "But the average temperature in Spain has risen." The number of heat waves and their duration have doubled over the past decade, Hervella said. The changes, Hervella said, have not only led to extreme drought, but also increased the risk of forest fires and are having an impact on human health. At least 1,300 people are dying each year because of the extreme heat. Hervella said the first heat wave of the year was usually the most dangerous. "The body is not yet used to heat at this point," she said. "Vulnerable people or those with chronic diseases cannot cope with the stress of the heat. They die earlier, when in fact they could have lived a long time. So it's very important to understand that the first heat wave is the one where you have to be extra careful." People in northern regions are particularly affected, Hervella said: "They're not as used to higher temperatures as, say, people in southern climates." When it is that hot, people try to stay inside as much as possible — going out only when necessary, in the early morning and late at night. Construction worker Juan Pablo Marredo was about to take the last load from the cement mixer. He refused to complain. "Summer is the same as always," Marredo told DW. "But people forget very quickly about last year's heat wave. Maybe summers really are a little longer now, though." Marredo said he and his colleagues and other outdoor workers, such as farmers, tried to stop working before 3 p.m. if possible because it is too hot in the afternoon sun. Not far away, Mar Cayado had all the fans going in her delicatessen. She also had air conditioning and was trying to keep cool with a hand-held fan. That was in vain, however: In the end, Cayado said, she was just fanning warm air. "We are beat," she said. "It has been this hot for four days already." Cayado worries about her electric bill. "I'm afraid that the politicians will abandon us," she said. "I have to use fans and air conditioning to keep the store cool for longer, as well as my apartment of course." More extreme heat waves are projected, but Cayado said she wouldn't let it drive her from her home. "Even at 46 degrees, I would never move away from here," she said. "Extremadura is Extremadura. We know these summers. So we just have to cope the best way we can — and look ahead." The villagers of Olivenza are determined to show resilience despite the fires in northern Extremadura and other parts of Spain. Dominguez said his team was exhausted. "The days are long," he said. "And it is heartbreaking when you see the faces of those affected — when they have to leave their house and you can tell that they're scared." Dominguez said it was a tense situation for everybody involved, but there were moments of respite. "When you give a cold bottle of water to a tired firefighter, you know that your work makes a difference," he said, "and that you have to keep going — no matter the cost." 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

6Nature and Environment

Iran's Revolutionary Guard launched ballistic missiles against a simulated target in the Indian Ocean, state television reported on Saturday. The drill took place amid a pressure campaign by the United States against the Islamic Republic and heightened tensions over Tehran's nuclear program. Footage showed two missiles smash into a target that Iranian state television described as a "hypothetical hostile enemy ship." The missiles of "various classes" had "destroyed" their target from 1,800 kilometers (1,125 miles) away, according to the Sepahnews website. The missiles were fired from central Iran, the Revolutionary Guard said. Chief of Staff General Mohammad Baqeri said while Iran had "no offensive intentions," it would now be able to "respond to any hostile and malicious act in the shortest time." Saturday's test was the third military exercise in less than two weeks after a naval exercise in the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday and Thursday and an army drone drill on January 5-6. The drill also took place just days after Tehran marked the anniversary of the assassination of revered Guards commander Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in a US drone strike in Iraq in January last year. Dubbed Great Prophet 15, the latest exercise also featured a drone attack on a missile defense system followed by the launch of a barrage of "new generation" surface-to-surface ballistic missiles. The war games come at a time of rising tensions with the US in the final days of President Donald Trump's administration. Amid Trump's final days as president, Tehran has recently seized a South Korean oil tanker and begun  enriching uranium closer to weapons-grade levels, while the US has sent B-52 bombers, the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier and a nuclear submarine into the region. Tehran's stepped-up military drills are widely seen as aimed at pressuring President-elect Joe Biden over the Iran nuclear deal, which he has said the US could reenter after Trump unilaterally withdrew in 2018. Trump cited Iran's ballistic missile program among other issues in withdrawing from the accord. Before exiting the agreement, Trump's own government, however, certified multiple times that Iran was adhering to the deal. Iran has a missile capability of up to 2,000 kilometers, far enough to reach archenemy Israel and US military bases in the region. mm/sms (AFP, AP)

2Conflicts

"This medal is for Ukraine, all my country, all my people, all the military. I must protect our country on the track in an international arena." Yaroslava Mahuchikh's words after the 20-year-old won gold medal in the high jump at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade were as emotional as the Ukrainian's victory. "They killed our people and they killed our nation and they killed our children, the future of Ukraine," Mahuchikh said of Russian military actions in her home country. "I don't know what they want because we enjoy our life in Ukraine. I think a lot of people in Russia must understand that this war in Ukraine is true. I know that a lot of Russian people said that it's all fake, the videos are all fake, but a lot of our cities have been destroyed, how was that fake?" Mahuchikh fled her home in Dniprojust three weeks ago, hid in a cellar and needed three days and "hundreds of phone calls" to eventually reach Belgrade. After winning bronze in Tokyo last summer, Mahuchikh overcame three failed jumps before sailing over 2.02m. A standing ovation followed her victory. Teammate Iryna Gerashchenko, who fled Kyiv with her husband and dog amid "everything at once: bombs and rockets" but no kit, finished fifth. "Before we went to the field, the only thought in my mind was about Ukraine because too many terrible things have happened there," Mahuchikh said afterwards. "I even doubted that I could jump at all, but my coach said I must go out and perform with the shape and fitness I had before the start of the Russian invasion." Mahuchikh's victory came in the absence of Russia's Mariya Lasitskene, the gold medal winner in Tokyo who was ruled out following World Athletics' ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes after the invasion of Ukraine. Australia's Eleanor Patterson, silver winner, painted her nails with a blue and yellow love heart in support of Ukraine. "To win a silver behind Yaroslava makes it even more special," Patterson said afterward. "She's had to deal with such hardships that no one deserves to, so I'm incredibly proud of her too." Unable to return to Ukraine, Mahuchikh now heads to Germany to prepare for a busy season ahead. jh/mf /AFP)

9Sports

A 96-year-oldformer secretary at the Stutthof Nazi concentration camp will be tried at a north German juvenile court, accused of assisting in the systematic murder of thousands of people. The regional Itzehoe court in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein said on Friday that the trial would provisionally start on September 30.  It decided to try the woman for the crimes in the Juvenile Chamber because she was a teenager when she worked as a secretary at the Stutthof camp near Gdansk during the Nazi occupation of Poland in World War II. The 96-year-old, who worked as a civilian employee in the Stutthof Nazi concentration camp, is accused of aiding and abetting the murder of more than 11,000 people. The indictment reads: "The defendant is charged with committing a crime as a stenographer and typist in the camp commandant's office of the Stutthof former concentration camp between June 1943 and April 1945." It adds that she is alleged to have "assisted the camp commanders in the systematic killing of those imprisoned there." The defendant has already been questioned a number of times about the Holocaust as a witness, according to the ARDꞌs Taggesschau. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video She testified in a 1954 court case that all correspondence with the SS-Wirtschaftsverwaltungshauptamt had passed over her desk. Commandant Paul Werner Hoppe dictated letters and radio messages to her every day. She has denied knowing anything about the killings at the camp. A medical expert has examined the defendant and deemed that she is capable of standing trial. The Nazis first opened the Stutthof camp in September 1939 with the majority of the inmates being Polish. Prisoners from 28 countries arrived later with around 110,000 people passing through the camp in total. At least 65,000 people were killed there, over a third of them Jews, through a combination of starvation, disease, gassing, lethal injection, gunshots or being clubbed to death. Stutthof was the last camp to be liberated by the allies in May 1945, just days before the end of the war. Many of its commanders and guards were hanged for their crimes. The legal precedent that made it easier to try to bring elderly former Nazi concentration camp workers to justice in Germany was set by the John Demjanjuk trial, who was tried in Germany in 2011. Nazi Germany captured Demjanjuk as a Ukrainian prisoner of war but he was later drafted in to work at the notorious Treblinka extermination camp. Before that case, judges needed solid enough evidence of concrete personal involvement in a specific murder or murders before they could agree to hear a case. Now, demonstrating that an individual worked at a concentration camp and contributed to its more general systematic killing of inmates can suffice for a conviction. The legal change came too late to bring justice to many Nazi collaborators. In July 2020, a 93-year-old man was found guilty at a juvenile court for being an SS guard at the camp and given a two-year suspended sentence. jc/msh (dpa, epd)

3Crime

First denied by FIFA, then by Japan, Germany's tumultuous 2022 World Cup continues to unfold in dramatic fashion. Two days after football's governing body threatened Germany and other nations over the One Love armband, Germany suffered a sporting setback by losing a game they were largely in control of. And after their next opponents Spain won their opener 7-0 against Costa Rica, Germany's World Cup now hangs in the balance.  Even before a ball was kicked, Germany delivered their latest retort in the on-going battle with FIFA. Captain Manuel Neuer wore the FIFA-approved "No Discrimination" armband, but under the sleeve of his jersey – joking afterwards that the reason for it being there was because the manufacturer wasn't great. And then, shortly before kickoff, Germany's starting eleven all held a hand over their mouth during the team photo. Shortly afterwards, the German FA posted a statement saying: "Denying us the armband is the same as denying us a voice." Germany certainly made their point off the field and for 70 minutes the same was largely true of their performance on it. Comfortable for over an hour and ahead thanks to Ilkay Gündogan's coolly-taken penalty, Germany needed only a second goal to secure three points. But despite the best efforts of Serge Gnabry, Jamal Musiala, Jonas Hofmann and Gündogan, it never came as the familiar lack of ruthlessness in attack was exposed. Germany's inability to target Niclas Füllkrug, who came off the bench for the final 10 minutes, was a reminder how long it has been since this team has played with a proper number nine as Hansi Flick's team paid the price for their poor composure in attack as an effective Japan team quickly exposed their weaknesses at the back. In 17 games under Flick, Germany have played with 12 different defensive units. In each of their last four games, their right back has been different. The defensive issues in this side have long been an issue, but there is certainly a feeling that Flick's selections and substitutions aren't helping. Nico Schlotterbeck, a surprise starter, was marking air for Ritsu Doan's equalizer and left in Takuma Asano's dust for the second. David Raum, a mainstay down the left under Flick, was unsteady throughout and Niklas Süle played like a defender out of position, ultimately opening the door for Japan's second by inexplicably playing Asano onside. All three endured rather than enjoyed the afternoon in Al-Rayyan and in doing so appeared to dilute the usually strong Antonio Rüdiger.  "That second goal – no one has conceded an easier goal at the World Cup," Gündogan told broadcaster ARD afterwards. "The conviction to hold onto the ball at the back and offer yourself was missing … You almost got the feeling that not everyone wanted the ball." "It's inexplicable for me that we didn't keep on playing like we did in the first half," added goalkeeper Neuer. "These are basics that everyone at this level who plays for Germany must have and like Illy [Ilkay], I can't understand it." Leon Goretzka cut a particularly dejected figure afterwards, while Joshua Kimmich could barely contain his anger. The Bayern Munich midfielder was stony faced as he lamented that Germany kept the game open, saying: "We had to kill the opponent off." Now under immense pressure going into their second game, and knowing that defeat will likely see them crash out of a second consecutive World Cup in the group stage, the comparisons with Russia 2018 are unavoidable. "This is a horror scenario for us," admitted Thomas Müller. "It's similar to 2018." The problems are familiar, but the first-half performance remains reason for optimism. Germany were not as blunt or as exposed as they were against Mexico in Moscow and there were plenty of positive signs from Gündogan and co, and particularly from Musiala, in whom Germany really do have one of the most exciting players in the world.  But the result was the same and that leaves Germany in a bind. The World Cup in Qatar continues to be a challenge for Germany on multiple fronts. Edited by Matt Ford

9Sports

A small passenger plane flying on a popular tourist route in Nepal went missing on Sunday with 22 people on board, according to flight operator Tara Air. Cloudy weather was preventing search helicopters from flying into the area of the flight's last known location, officials said.  "One search helicopter returned to Jomsom due to bad weather without locating the plane. Helicopters are ready to take off for search from Kathmandu, Pokhara and Jomsom once weather conditions improve. Army and police search teams have left towards the site," the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal said in a statement. The plane lost contact with the airport tower shortly after takeoff. Police official Prem Kumar Dani said a land rescue-and-search team had been sent to the area near Mount Dhaulagiri, the world's seventh-highest peak at 8,167 meters (26,795 feet). The Tara Air plane, which was on a 15-minute scheduled flight, had 19 passengers and three crew members on board. The airline mainly flies Canadian-built, turboprop Twin Otter planes. The airline said there were four Indians, two Germans and 16 Nepalis on board, including three crew members. The mountainous region around Jomsom has been receiving rain in the past few days, though flights had been operating as per schedule.  The trip is a popular route with foreign hikers who trek on the mountain trails, and also with Indian and Nepalese pilgrims who visit the Muktinath temple. The country, which lies in the Himalayan mountain range and has 14 of the highest peaks, has frequent air incidents. The weather changes quickly, and the geography makes it difficult to reach airstrips.  In early 2018, a US-Bangla Airlines flight from Dhaka to Kathmandu crashed on landing and caught fire, killing 51 people. A Pakistan International Airlines plane had plowed into a hill in 1992, while trying to land in Kathmandu. All 167 on board were killed. tg/jcg (AFP, AP, Reuters)

1Catastrophe

Federal prosecutors said on Tuesday that they have charged a German woman with several offenses including crimes against humanity after she alleged joined the so-called "Islamic State" (IS) in Syria. Prosecutors said the woman, known as Jalda A. — in line with German privacy laws — had been charged with membership of a terrorist organization, war crimes, and being an accessory to genocide. The charge of war crimes was brought against her in February. The officials also said that the woman had lived with a man who kept a Kurdish Yazidi woman as a slave. Prosecutors said the defendant had physically abused the woman "almost every day." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Jalda A. is believed to have traveled to Syria via Turkey in 2014. Soon after, she married an IS fighter and gave birth to his son. After he was killed she married a second and then a third man in succession. It was the third husband who allegedly kept the Yazidi slave. Prosecutors said he regularly raped her with the suspect's knowledge. The federal prosecutors claim she physically abused the Yazidi woman, punching and kicking her, pulling her hair, and slamming her head against the wall. The suspect also forced the woman to pray in accordance with Islamic custom, even though she was Yazidi — an entirely different religious group. This "served the stated goal of the IS, to eradicate the Yazidi faith," the prosecutors said. During this time, she allegedly supported her husband's activities in the extremist group. Prosecutors say she watched as IS engaged in public punishments and brutality, and even raised her son in the IS ideology. Jalda A. was held captive by Kurdish forces since late 2017 before being sent back to Germany in October last year. Upon her return she was arrested and has been held under investigation since then. Prosecutors brought the charges before a regional court in the northern German city of Hamburg. They are still going over the charges and will decide on the course of the prosecution. Germany has already prosecuted several people for crimes committed in Syria, including both German citizens and people who fled to Germany. ab/fb (AP, AFP)

3Crime

In the dark of night, parents leave the "unwanted" newborns in outdoor cribs put in place by the Edhi Foundation, one of the most well-known charity organizations in Pakistan. The foundation's workers then bring the infants to their shelter. The Edhi Foundation has installed around 300 "baby hatches" across the country. In 1952, the organization's founder, Abdul Sattar Edhi, launched this project, called "jhoola" (cradle), to save the lives of "unwanted" children. "Our project aims to save the lives of the newborns who were previously dumped on garbage heaps, on the roadside, or in deserted areas," Faisal Edhi, the NGO's head, told DW. Replicating the project, Chhipa Welfare Association has placed over 100 hatches in Karachi, Pakistan's financial hub. Other charity organizations, too, are running orphanages across the country, but they don't receive as many abandoned children as the Edhi Foundation or Chhipa Welfare Association. In Pakistan, most children thrown out on the streets are born out of wedlock as a result of unprotected sex. Also, many rape victims who get pregnant don't have the facilities to abort the child and thus discard the newborns. Pakistan's conservative society looks down upon unmarried mothers and doesn't allow abortions. This means that children born out of wedlock are either murdered or mercilessly discarded. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video "Girls make up 95% of the children left at our centers because poor, conservative families consider them a financial burden," Edhi underlined. The organization keeps these children in its orphanages or puts them up for adoption to married couples after thorough interviews and verifications. "We keep a tab on these parents after they adopt a child," Edhi said. Muhammad Shahid, an official at Chhipa Welfare Association, told DW that most of the abandoned infants are found in the outskirts of Pakistani cities. "Around 70% of these children are girls, and almost half of them are left out there dead," he added. Niaz Muhammad, a doctor at Polyclinic Hospital in Islamabad, says only a handful of women go to hospitals to deliver "illegitimate babies," adding that some mothers just run away from the hospital after delivering a child. Child abandonment is a punishable offense under Pakistani law. "According to the Pakistan Penal Code, abandoning a child under the age of 12 by his or her father, mother or guardian in any place could be jailed for seven years. If the child dies as a result of this, there could also be a murder trial against parents," said Nadeem Farhat Gilani, a lawyer. Muhammad Arshad, a police official in Islamabad, said that law enforcement agencies encourage people to leave the newborns with charity organizations rather than killing or abandoning them on the roadside. An abandoned baby's death is treated as a premeditated murder, so the police are bound by the law to act, Arshad said, adding that in many cases, the culprits can't be traced, therefore they get away with infanticides. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Pakistan's Islamic groups oppose baby hatches, arguing they don't address the root cause of the problem. Muhammad Kamil, a cleric, told DW that the entire society needs to reform to deal with the issue. "We need to first ascertain why people abandon babies and then take corrective measures instead of just adopting abandoned babies," he said. But Qibla Ayaz, chairman of the Council of Islamic Ideology that advises the government and parliament on religious issues, believes leaving "unwanted" infants in hatches is a better act than killing these babies or dumping them. The "illegitimate children don't choose to be born out of wedlock, therefore their parents are responsible for this, not the children," he said. "In Islam, adultery is sin, and so is killing a person," he added. Edited by: Shamil Shams

8Society

India has been at the receiving end of a strong diplomatic backlash from a number of Muslim-majority nations over the past few days after two spokespersons of the country's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made contentious remarks on the Prophet Muhammad.  Nupur Sharma, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP, commented on the prophet's private life during a recent heated TV debate, sparking furor among Muslims from both within and outside India. Many Islamic nations have demanded an apology from the Indian government and there have also been calls for a boycott of Indian products. New Delhi went into damage control and tried to distance itself from the controversial comments by saying that they did not in any way reflect the Indian government's views. The BJP has suspended Sharma from the party for expressing "views contrary to the party's position" and said it "respects all religions." The party also expelled another spokesman, Naveen Kumar Jindal, over comments he made about Islam on social media. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Furthermore, the BJP instructed officials to be "extremely cautious" when talking about religion on public platforms. Police in the Indian capital New Delhi said they had registered a case against the suspended spokeswoman for "inciting people on divisive lines." Authorities also arrested a BJP youth leader for posting anti-Muslim comments on social media. "I think the government has taken the issue seriously. At all levels, it has stressed that all religions are equal and it has acted expeditiously on this incident. We cannot afford to upset our friendly relations with the Arab world," Veena Sikri, a former diplomat and a member of the Forum of Former Ambassadors of India, told DW. The controversy comes against the backdrop of growing criticism of how Muslims are being treated in the South Asian country. Since coming to power nationally in 2014, Modi's government and the BJP have been accused of championing Hindu nationalist causes and discriminating against Muslims. Critics say the BJP rule has emboldened hardline Hindu groups. Tensions between Hindus and Muslims — who make up around 15% of India's 1.35 billion population — appear to be on the rise, with growing disagreements between the two communities over issues such as disputed places of worship and the wearing of head scarves in educational institutions, among others. The BJP, however, has repeatedly denied any rise in religious tensions under Modi's premiership. The blowback from Muslim countries has become a major diplomatic challenge for Modi who in recent years has cultivated strong ties to energy-rich Islamic nations, particularly in the Persian Gulf. Relations with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) — a club consisting of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain — are extremely important for India. The region is a major source of India's energy supplies — accounting for around 60% of India's crude imports — and foreign remittances. It also hosts millions of Indian migrant laborers, whose well-being is of critical importance to New Delhi.  Commerce between the two sides has been growing rapidly, with India's exports to the GCC increasing over 58% year-on-year to about $44 billion in 2021, and imports jumping over 85% to $110.73 billion. New Delhi is also reportedly looking at negotiating a free trade agreement with the grouping. While these countries hadn't been overtly critical of the Modi government's policies vis-à-vis Indian Muslims, they condemned the now-suspended spokespersons' controversial remarks, indicating that insulting the Prophet was a red line. Some countries also summoned Indian ambassadors to express their disappointment.   Happymon Jacob, who teaches foreign policy at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, said India cannot fend off criticism from influential regional powers in West Asia unlike criticism from the West. "The recent incident has highlighted the undeniable danger of unconstrained domestic extremism harming India's policy objectives," he told DW, adding that New Delhi's foreign policy should not be undermined by hate speech and communal politics. "India needs the West Asian states more than they need India," said Jacob. Edited by: Srinivas Mazumdaru

8Society

Was it worth it? It is a tough question many in Germany are asking, including the families of the 59 German soldiers who lost their lives in Afghanistan.  Soldiers of the Bundeswehr — Germany's armed forces — were expressly told that their mission was not a combat one, but rather a short intervention aimed only at stabilizing a war-torn, isolated country in which al-Qaida founder and September 11 attacks mastermind Osama bin Laden was hiding. But everything turned out very differently: Germany is still taking part in a NATO-led mission to train the Afghan National Defense forces, with up to 1,300 soldiers deployed to Afghanistan until January 2022. According to the German government, the Afghan intervention had cost German taxpayers around €16.4 billion by the end of 2018. The use of the Bundeswehr alone accounted for €12 billion. Nearly 20 years after the September 11 attacks, the US desperately wants to end what has become America's longest war — and that puts pressure on Washington's allies, including Germany. Because if the Americans go, all other NATO partners go, too. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The fundamentalist Taliban regime that had sheltered al-Qaida in Afghanistan was overthrown in December 2001, and bin Laden was killed a decade later — in neighboring Pakistan. An Islamic republic has been formed, and Afghanistan today has an elected president and an elected parliament. Women are allowed to work and girls can attend school. The rubble desert of Kabul has turned into a modern city, where the internet and smartphones are part of everyday life for many people. But the conflict in Afghanistan is still one of the bloodiest in the world. According to the United Nations, more than 32,000 civilians were killed in terrorist attacks, battles and air strikes in the past 10 years alone, and more than 60,000 were injured. The Taliban control half of the country again and are pushing their way back to power after direct negotiations with US officials. More than half of the population lives in dire poverty. The country cannot finance itself without international help, corruption is eating away at the state. Was it worth it? DW asked two veterans and a military historian for their takes. Carl-Hubertus von Butler was the first German commander in Afghanistan from January to June 2002, after which he completed many short deployments in the country. The retired army lieutenant general comes from a family of soldiers and now lives on an estate in Bavaria. "It was like [after] an earthquake," says von Butler of his first impression of Kabul in January 2002. At that time, Afghanistan had already been through 20 years of war: Soviet occupation, civil war, the Taliban regime. The pictures from back then still haunt him today. "You hardly saw any people on the street. Everything was destroyed. You have to imagine it like Berlin after World War II." Until September 11, 2001, von Butler knew "next to nothing" about the distant land in Central Asia. That changed abruptly when NATO announced that it would become involved in the war against terrorism after the attacks in the US. On October 7, 2001, US forces carried out the first air raids. On December 5, an international conference of leaders meeting in Bonn, Germany, decided to build a democratic state in Afghanistan, and the UN Security Council issued the mandate for an International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Kabul. The move amounted to marching orders for von Butler, who led the first brigade: "Everybody thought it would be a quick job. A maximum of one or two years. Then Afghanistan would be stabilized and possibly even democratized — and we get out and all is well." Clearly, the mission did not play out like that. "I think we were really very naive back then," von Butler admits, without mincing words. Afghan history and the years of violence, he says, were completely misunderstood. "We failed to realize that an Afghan central government would not be able to intervene in the provinces at all. We failed to recognize that the warlords had enormous authority in the provinces." By warlords, he mainly means the mujahideen leaders, who with major US help had fought against the Soviet occupation in the 1980s before turning on each other and the Afghan people. Now the American military has made many of them partners again — a heavy burden on a democracy that was to come about with international aid. "The mandate was simply set too high," emphasizes von Butler. In October 2003, the ISAF operational area was expanded to include the entire country. German soldiers died in suicide attacks and in combat — mainly in Kunduz province in northern Afghanistan. Likewise, many Afghan civilians were killed there, including once when a German colonel ordered an airstrike on the Taliban in September 2009. "I personally spoke of war from around 2007 onward," said von Butler, who has been retired since 2012. Back then, he says, everybody on the ground had to realize that "we are no longer on a mission where we can say, 'wave and smile' [at the population]. Rather, it is really getting serious here. It is war. We must fight to the death." The lesson learned? "Soldiers can never provide permanent stability," emphasizes von Butler. In his opinion, only a politically and economically stable state can do that. But there was no such thing. "The United Nations was also hopelessly overwhelmed," he says, referring to the UN's efforts in the country. He sees Afghanistan as "on a knife's edge." The NATO-led force has become a training mission for the Afghan army. The US has long stopped talking about nation-building. As has von Butler. "We have managed to ensure that Afghanistan no longer poses a threat to the international community, at least for the foreseeable future," he says. "It was a commitment for the peace of the international community, the modern world, with a great sacrifice. But to say that it was all in vain, or that it was a total disaster — I would clearly contradict that." As a soldier, Dunja Neukam carried out four tours in Afghanistan. Trained as a nurse, she served a total of 12 years with the troops before leaving the Bundeswehr. Dunja Neukam remembers her initial arrival in the capital, Kabul, very well. The Bundeswehr plane descended steeply towards the runway in order to offer as little attack surface as possible, a tactical landing that made her feel sick. That was in June 2002. "Outside we were hit with 50-degree heat and there was nothing colorful, it was all sand and gray." For the first time, she saw women in burqas. "That was a completely different world." But the reception was friendly: "The Afghans always waved and were happy, including the children." The German soldiers were part of the ISAF, the multinational force that was supposed to secure Kabul after the fall of the Taliban. Then 30 years old and a medical sergeant, Neukam worked in the intensive care unit in "Camp Warehouse," an ISAF military base. In addition to soldiers from different countries, she also treated Afghans, including the country's deposed last monarch, King Zahir Shah, who had returned from exile. She also got around in the war-torn city. "We always pointed to the German flag on our uniform jackets, and then [Afghan people's] thumbs went up: 'Good, good!' That was a nice feeling at the time." The soldiers drove through the city in unarmored vehicles, giving away sweets to the children. "When I was out for the first time, it was really very innocent." That changed suddenly in June 2003. A suicide bomber blew up a bus carrying German soldiers in Kabul. Four of them died and many more were injured. Neukam had only recently left Afghanistan and knew the troops well. "I saw them in Kabul, still healthy and happy. Then that changed everything." After the attack, the Bundeswehr tightened the security rules, and distrust of Afghans grew. "You drove in armored vehicles, heavily armed in the convoy, you didn't let anyone near the vehicle." That, says Neukam in retrospect, was just a year after the warm welcome. "I was then also very cautious about the Afghans. This being naive and always friendly, I didn't have that anymore," she recalls. "Behind every Afghan, you saw an enemy — that's just how it was." Nevertheless, she continued to believe in the success of the mission: "I was firmly convinced that economic help, good work and education could help the country get back on its feet." But this trust also crumbled when the Bundeswehr repeatedly got into heavy fighting with the Taliban in the north of the country. The year 2010, half of which Neukam spent in Kunduz, was rife with losses. She served her comrades as a medical sergeant specializing in mental health support. She heard them express doubts about the operation: "'What am I actually doing here?' That was another question that I was asked. 'Tell me what I am actually doing here!'" She has also taken stock of her four missions and is grateful for the experiences, both good and bad. "Ultimately, when I see where Afghanistan is now, it wasn't worth it," says the trained nurse, who now works with severely disabled people. Too many comrades lost their lives for this, and were wounded in body or spirit, she says. And for what? "With blood and sweat, we fought for places that are now back in the hands of the Taliban. I think that's really bad." Sönke Neitzel is the Chair and Professor of Military History at the University of Potsdam — the only such position in Germany. In his new book "Deutsche Krieger" ("German Warriors"), Neitzel also sheds light on the deployment of the Bundeswehr in Afghanistan. "The Germans never had a strategic vision for Afghanistan," says the military historian. "It was always about NATO and Germany's weight in foreign policy." In order to show alliance solidarity after the 9/11 attacks, then-Chancellor Gerhard Schröder sent the troops to Afghanistan — with the intention of withdrawing them six months later. "At best, the Afghans were of secondary importance." But nothing came of the planned short deployment. The Taliban and other insurgents later attacked the German contingent in northern Afghanistan directly — a phase that escalated in April 2009. For the first time since its founding after World War II, the Bundeswehr had to carry out combat operations. The commanders and combat troops in Kunduz were ready for this, emphasizes the military historian, who has evaluated soldiers' diaries and operational reports — but Germany's government was not. "Chancellor [Angela] Merkel did not want that, the defense minister did not want that and neither did the Bundeswehr inspector general." When the soldiers demanded heavy weapons and more forces, they fell on deaf ears in Berlin. "We keep out of it, that's the Afghans' business," they said. This created a dilemma for the soldiers because they could not stay out of the increasing hostilities — on the one hand, because of the attacks by the Taliban, and on the other, because of the pressure from ISAF headquarters to crack down on the insurgents. The German soldiers, Neitzel concludes, were "sitting between two chairs." A full troop withdrawal was out of the question for the Merkel government. "For political reasons, they wanted to continue being the third-largest provider of troops in Afghanistan. Doing so meant Germany had weight in the EU, the United Nations and above all in NATO." The allies reacted with confusion to this contradictory behavior of the Germans and sometimes found the Bundeswehr soldiers to be cowards. "Anyone who tried to make an objective judgment knew that the German soldiers can and want to fight, but they are not allowed to," says Neitzel. The reasons, he says, stem from Germany's history: "The events of the Third Reich and the Second World War still have a massive impact on German political culture. But that is also used as an excuse." The result: Citing foreign policy reasons, Germany is always "a little involved" in multinational operations, but does not really want to fight, says the military expert. "Of course, that annoys everyone in NATO enormously." This "strategic failure of the federal government," as Neitzel calls it, has weakened soldiers' loyalty to the state. He is therefore not surprised that the far-right populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) "is so popular among soldiers." Many who were previously loyal voters of Merkel's ruling conservative Christian Democrats would probably vote for the far-right party today. Some 19 years on, the Afghanistan mission raises the question of why Germany spent €45 billion ($53.4 billion) per year to retain its fighting forces, including combat troops, special forces and expensive weapons systems. But the German government consistently evades this question, Neitzel says. "At the strategic level, we have learned nothing from the Afghanistan mission." Editorial note: This article has been updated  after it was first published on September 11, 2020.

2Conflicts

The charge most often leveled against the Bundesliga is that it's boring. It's difficult to argue against that when considering the potential outcome of the title, with Bayern Munich heavy favorites to add to their ten-in-a-row in the coming campaign. At about this time of year, hopes usually start to rise that Borussia Dortmund will finally mount a serious and sustained challenge, before fading as the season draws on. BVB moved early in the transfer window to snap up two of the league's best central defensive talents in Niklas Süle (free from Bayern) and Nico Schlotterbeck (€18 million from Freiburg), although the former is already injured. It looks like an improvement in the backline, but we've been here before. Another German international, promising young striker Karim Adeyemi, also arrived early from Red Bull Salzburg, while Sebastien Haller was purchased to replace Erling Haaland's goals after his departure to Manchester City. However, Haller has had devastating news that a testicular tumor is malignant and is to undergo chemotherapy. Though such health concerns put any title talk into perspective, Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke admitted that Bayern "are the top contenders again" and the rest are feeding off scraps. "Leipzig, Leverkusen, we, of course, would all like it if Bayern don't become champions," Watzke added, while accepting the unlikelihood of breaking the stranglehold.  There is a similar feeling of preseason resignation at RB Leipzig. The Red Bull-backed side won the German Cup last term after the appointment of Domenico Tedesco saw an upturn in their fortunes, but the former Schalke coach has set his sights a little lower.  "We are ambitious and want to achieve the best possible result and qualify for the Champions League again," he said, after his team recovered from a poor start to give Bayern a second-half scare in the Super Cup. "But it would be presumptuous to talk about the title or even declare it our goal," he said. Whether you can find fun away from the title race (the battle for Europe is as open as ever, with seven different German clubs having qualified for the Champions League in recent years, and at least one big name likely to get dragged into the relegation dogfight), the Bundesliga will be very different this term, thanks to Qatar. The emirate with sponsorship links to Bayern will host the World Cup in the European winter, meaning the Bundesliga will start earlier, pause earlier and stay away for much longer than usual. The opener is this Friday, a couple of weeks before the usual starting point, while the last round of fixtures before a 10-week break is slated for the weekend of November 12 (matchday 12). Similar dates will apply to the second division, which began its season on July 15, only about seven weeks after the last one ended. More domestic midweek games will be required. "From a sporting point of view, this World Cup is a disaster for the clubs," said Bayer Leverkusen's newly-promoted sporting director Simon Rolfes to German media group RND, echoing the thoughts of many across Europe's top leagues. "Clubs that play internationally and release players for the World Cup will have an extremely heavy load." As well as the difficulty for clubs of coping with such a drawn-out season, there are serious concerns about player welfare, particularly given the impact of COVID-19 on the previous three seasons. Such a tightly-packed calendar also leaves little wiggle room should the virus impact the league again. Last season's battle for the Bundesliga's Torjägerkanone (the top-scorer's "cannon") was fought out between Robert Lewandowski and Erling Haaland, but this season the league has lost its two top strikers.  Nevertheless, Dortmund's Watzke remains convinced that the league can withstand the blow, especially given Bayern's recruitment of Mane and Matthijs de Ligt, the return of Mario Götze to the Bundesliga with Eintracht Frankfurt, plus his own club's summer signings. "We don't have to gloss over the situation: it's a challenge that the league has to face," he said regarding the loss of Lewandowski and Haaland. "But the Bundesliga existed well when neither of them were there, and it will continue to do well." For some, including certain club executives, the departures of superstars like Lewandowski and Haaland to La Liga and the Premier League respectively is further proof that German clubs cannot compete financially with their Spanish and English counterparts abroad, while Bayern's tenth Bundesliga title last season suggested a lack of competition domestically, too. Both, critics argue, are arguments that the infamous 50+1 rule is holding German football back. "If we want to remain a top destination in European competition, I believe that a serious and less emotional discussion about the 50+1 rule is absolutely necessary," said Bayern Munich CEO recently. "We at FC Bayern have always been of the opinion that every club should decide for itself whether and how far it wants to open itself up to investors." For others, however, including many fans and even other club officials, the attractivity of the Bundesliga has plenty to do with keeping 50+1, the rule that stipulates that members must retain a majority voting stake in their club. Lewandowski and Haaland may have joined Barcelona and Manchester City respectively, but no Bundesliga club has the financial problems that the Catalonians currently have, while you would struggle to find a German football fan who would want their club to be owned by a nation-state such as Abu Dhabi. "Nobody has yet been able to prove to me that 50+1-run clubs cannot be just as successful," said Watzke. Indeed, Eintracht Frankfurt knocked both Barcelona and Premier League West Ham out of the Europa League last season, en route to winning the competition. "It's a question of conviction," he said. "Democratic participation has been a key element of members' associations for hundreds of years in Germany. It's deeply rooted in our society." It seems clear that the debate, which strikes at the heart of what makes German football what it is, will rumble on. Edited by: Matt Ford. To play this audio please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 audio

9Sports

A judge in Honduras on Wednesday authorized the extradition of the country’s former President Juan Orlando Hernandez to the United States, where he faces drug-trafficking and firearms charges. A judge "decided to accept the request for extradition presented by the Court of the Southern District of New York against ex-president of the republic Juan Orlando Hernandez Alvarado," the court said. According to the court spokesperson Melvin Duarte, Hernandez addressed the court earlier in the day: "In general terms, he argued about the motives that have led to this extradition process against him, which he and his wife have said publicly." Hernandez left office in January after completing his second term. He was arrested mid-February on a extradition request from the United States.  To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video According to US authorities, the right-wing former leader allegedly participated in a drug-trafficking scheme between 2004 and 2022. He also faces accusations of taking millions of dollars in bribes to provide protection to drug traffickers from investigation and prosecution; as well as carrying, using, and aiding and abetting the use of weapons. Denying any ties to drug trafficking, Hernandez maintains that drug traffickers, extradited by his government, have made statements against him to seek revenge.  Hernandez has three days to appeal the judge's decision. see/kb (AP, AFP, Reuters)

3Crime

Women's rights advocates in the Philippines fear that the overturning of Roe v. Wade in the United States could also reverse precarious gains in reproductive and sexual health rights in the Southeast Asian country. The US ruling, which was made in 1973 and overturned in June, guaranteed the constitutional right to an abortion. Many believe that the United States' approach to reproductive health care could set the stage for the Philippines.  Abortion policies in the predominantly Catholic Philippines are among the most restrictive in the world, originally derived from the penal code under Spanish colonial rule. There are no clear exceptions even in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the pregnant person. Meanwhile, having an abortion is punishable with imprisonment — for both the pregnant person and the medical provider.  "There is nothing worse than our abortion policies. Those opposed to decriminalizing abortion will be emboldened to use the overturning of Roe v. Wade to sway public opinion," Marevic Parcon, executive director for Women's Global Network for Reproductive Rights (WGNRR), told DW.  WGNRR, together with the Philippine Safe Abortion Advocacy Network (PINSAN), a coalition of non-government organizations, has been advocating for the decriminalization of abortion as well as an end to fines and imprisonment for pregnant people who seek abortions, and the medical providers who perform the procedure.  A news report on the government website quoted Bishop Crispin Varquez, head of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) as welcoming the overturning of the US ruling as a "piece of good news and one that is enlightened by the Holy Spirit." Shebana Alqaseer, co-founder of the Young Feminist Collective, recalled the horror she felt when the US Supreme Court announced its decision to reverse the 1973 ruling, which granted a constitutional right to an abortion across the United States. "If a country as free as the US continues to revert to archaic laws, what hope is left for us? Banning abortions won't stop them from happening. What it does is make abortion unsafe, putting people's lives at risk just for attempting to access the care they need," Alqaseer told DW. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Data compiled by the Center for Reproductive Rights (CRC) shows that illegal and unsafe abortions in the Philippines increased from 560,000 in 2008 to up to 610,000 in 2012. Meanwhile, PINSAN estimates that three pregnant people die every day from complications related to unsafe abortions, often performed in unsanitary conditions and using outdated techniques.  Limited access to birth control and reproductive health care put poor women, young women and those in rural areas at a higher risk of unintended pregnancy and unsafe abortions.  Several domestic laws and policies allow women the right to receive health care for complications related to unsafe abortion. However, the abortion ban has stigmatized the procedure. According to the CRC, pregnant people who seek post-abortion care are denied care or harassed and intimidated by health care workers who threaten to report them to the police. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), under proper health care guidelines and when performed by a skilled healthworker, abortion is "a simple and extremely safe procedure." "Being able to obtain a safe abortion is a crucial part of health care," Craig Lissner, the WHO's acting director for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research, said in a statement. An estimated 25 million unsafe abortions occur globally each year. April, a 48-year-old woman from Manila, is against abortion but would not pass judgment against women who need access to it. "I understand why women may need an abortion, but as someone who actually attempted abortion when I was younger, I'm glad my attempt failed," she told DW. April, who asked that only her first name be used for privacy reasons, said that instead of abortion, reproductive health care services and birth control should be made more available to women. "For example, I asked my doctor to perform a tubal ligation on me, but she refused because of religious reasons." A tubal ligation prevents women from getting pregnant by closing a woman's fallopian tubes.  Rom Dongeto, the executive director of the Philippine Legislators' Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD) told DW that with the US poised to review other legislation related to birth control and same-sex marriage, gender rights advocates need to plan counter strategies.  Dongeto's committee is also aiming to liberalize teen access to birth control through a Teen Pregnancy Prevention Bill. Under current laws, minors are unable to access contraceptives in government clinics without parental consent, even as teen pregnancies surge. "It will be a more difficult battle from here on. We need to brace ourselves," he added.  Edited by: Leah Carter

8Society

Afghanistan's Education Ministry is stepping back from a decision released in a memo that would apparently have banned girls older than 12 from singing in public. The singing ban quickly drew outrage on social media, with activists accusing officials of introducing Islamic fundamentalist values into the education system. The ministry has announced in new a statement this week that its regional Kabul branch had issued the ban without consultation, adding that the purpose of banning singing in public was to prevent the spread of the coronavirus by keeping both girls and boys from singing in groups. "The directive that was issued by the Kabul education branch chief does not represent the official position and policy of the Ministry of Education," according to the statement, which added that the ministry would launch an investigation into the Kabul branch. "The leadership of the Education Ministry is committed to supporting the right of education, and the choice of all girls and boys to take part in cultural, artistic and sports activities," according to the statement. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The Education Ministry's attempt to distance itself from the controversy comes after women's rights activists launched a social media campaign to denounce fundamentalism in Afghanistan. Under the hashtag #IAmMySong, Afghan women and social rights activists shared video clips of girls singing hymns and songs, along with musical performances by Afghan women. "The main reason for our protest is that songs and hymns are the voice of women. To silence the voice of women is to eradicate women from the public sphere. This directive is exactly like those rules that the Taliban issued during their supremacy," Afghan women's rights activist Vida Saghari told DW. Saghari said the singing ban wasn't the first time that the Education Ministry had issued "Taliban-style" directives. Near the end of 2020, the ministry announced that it would support Islamic madrassas that only teach the Quran. Saghari said the ministry also supported a plan to only allow girls from first to third grade to attend classes in mosques. The Education Ministry also tried to walk back those decisions by claiming that learning in madrassas and mosques was meant as a solution for remote districts with no access to modern schools. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video For decades, Afghan women have struggled to be recognized as equals in a country often beset by fundamentalism. Saghari said Afghanistan had a long tragic, history when it comes to women's rights. In the 1980s during the Islamist Mujahideen era, female singers were often silenced and then killed. Fundamentalist positions are also embodied by the Taliban, although the militant group claims that its stance on women's rights has softened somewhat. Samira Hamidi, a South Asia campaigner with Amnesty International, rejects the idea the Taliban has changed. "The position of the Taliban has not changed regarding women, the right of free expression, media and girls' education," Hamidi told DW. "They allow women to seek education, but only according to Islam and Sharia — and they have never explained what they mean by that," she said. Hamidi said the Taliban felt more emboldened than in previous years because the US peace deal has given it more say in shaping Afghanistan's future. "The Taliban are coming from a position of power, and they have continuously said that they have won this war against the US and that they don't recognize the Afghan government," Hamidi said, adding that pro-democracy and equal rights campaigners are being targeted by militants. The Afghan rights activist Robina Shahabi told DW that the Taliban would reintroduce traditionalist and fundamentalist structures into Afghanistan. Shahabi interpreted the singing ban on young girls as a first step in this direction. "Ordinary people are saying the Taliban has a green light. This is happening at a time when the participation of the Taliban within the system is being discussed and a council of Islamic jurisprudence is being formed," Shahabi said DW. The council of Islamic jurisprudence is envisioned as a quasi-legislative body that promotes fundamentalist values. How the body is composed and what it will do will be discussed over several rounds of intra-Afghan negotiations. Many ordinary Afghans fear the comeback of the Taliban. "My personal view and that of my friends who I discuss with, is that this [girls' singing ban] is part of conformity with the Taliban and their views," Shahabi said. Additional reporting by Shakeela Ebrahimkhail.

8Society

The Geneva-based UNHCR said "violence and insecurity" plaguing the Central African Republic's December 27 election had prompted thousands of refugees to seek haven in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo.  The more than 24,000 new arrivals had "placed a massive strain on resources," especially in the village of Ndu — usually home to just 3,500 inhabitants, the UN refugee agency said. Another 8,000 refugees had arrived mainly in border regions of Cameroon, Chad and the Republic of Congo, said the UNHCR, adding that it was concerned about reported "human rights violations taking place inside CAR." That's the acronym for the Central African Republic. The former French colony is ranked among the world's poorest nations — roiled since the 2013 overthrow of then-president Francois Bozize, who was barred from running in December's poll. The government and the UN have accused him of inciting rebel groups in the leadup to the election — a charge he denies. A UNCHR spokesman said Friday a further 185,000 people were internally displaced after fleeing "at least 25 localities ... mostly as a preventative measure" since December 15. Despite a 2019 UN-African Union-backed peace deal, large parts of the country remain in the control of armed groups. On Monday, CAR's electoral authority ANE declared incumbent President Faustin Archange Touadera winner of the December polls, with almost 54% of the vote. But on Tuesday, 10 of the 17 candidates in a joint statement said voting for president and parliament had been "littered with numerous irregularities." They called for a "straightforward annulment," asserting that only 695,000 of the 1.8 million registered voters had actually been able to cast their ballots.  The ANE put turnout at 76.31%, but the 10 objectors said it was around 37%.  CAR's constitutional court has until January 19 to rule on the result. The elections had been seen as a key test of stability for the landlocked nation, wracked by conflict since 2013 and overseen by a 12,800-strong UN peacekeeping mission, MINUSCA — alongside Russian and Rwandan units under bilateral pacts. International bodies, including the EU and African Union, had provided funding to help organize the elections.  Russia, a strong ally of Touadera, said on Tuesday it hoped that the elections would "contribute to normalization in the country." But Thierry Vircoulon of the French Institute of International Relations, a think tank, described December's ballot as "a giant step backward" compared with 2016, the previous election that was won by Touadera. Although impoverished, CAR is rich in diamonds, uranium, timber and gold — resources coveted by warring groups. At 623,000 square kilometers (240,530 square miles), CAR is nearly twice the size of Germany and is comparable in area with Ukraine.  Of the former French colony's 4.7-million population, the UNHCR says a quarter has long been internally displaced or has fled abroad, seeking to escape violence. ipj/nm (AFP, KNA, epd)

7Politics

Police in Indonesia's West Papua province on Tuesday said at least 19 people died as two rival gangs fought, sparking a fire. Officials said members of two ethnic groups attacked one another. Police said the clash in Sorong city did not involve locals from remote West Papua, where there is a long-running, low-level insurgency. Police said the fight was part of a prolonged dispute that had started on Saturday evening and had resulted from a misunderstanding.  "We tried to mediate between the groups, as we called their leaders before last night's clash," Sorong police chief Ary Nyoto Setiawan said in a statement. All the bodies in the "Double O" nightclub were found on the second floor of the building. One of the victims had been stabbed and the 18 other fatalities had died in the fire. Setiawan said a team was investigating the cause of the blaze, which gutted the building. A burnt-out vehicle lay on its side by the blackened entrance to the club in the aftermath.  As well as attacking one another with machetes and arrows, some of those involved in the fighting had used Molotov cocktails. Police said they had deployed forces in Sorong to prevent any further clashes. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The Papuan Melanesian population, which is mostly Christian, shares few connections with those living in the province from the rest of Indonesia who are mostly Muslim. Sorong, which is the largest city in West Papua province and home to a major port, is relatively quiet compared to other regions of West Papua. The other areas of the region have seen fighting amid an ongoing insurgency between separatists and Indonesian security forces. That fighting has recently escalated with attacks on road contractors, as well as schools and clinics that the insurgents say have links to the military. Authorities have deployed troops and police there in response. The mineral-rich province on the island of New Guinea, just north of Australia, shares a border with independent Papua New Guinea. A former Dutch colony, it declared independence in 1961 but was taken over by neighboring Indonesia two years later. Jakarta promised an independence referendum but the subsequent vote in favor of remaining part of Indonesia is widely considered to have been fixed. rc/rs (dpa, AFP, AP)

3Crime

EU health ministers reached a consensus over how to handle travelers from China, as the country is gripped by a surge of COVID-19 infections.  Following a meeting Tuesday in Brussels, the European Commission said that the "overwhelming majority" of the 27-member states of the EU want passengers arriving from China to receive systematic testing for COVID-19 prior to their arrival in the EU. A crisis meeting is now scheduled for Wednesday to coordinate a response across the bloc. It all comes in the wake of China lifting its "zero COVID" policy following mass protests opposing what was the world's most stringent lockdowns amid the global pandemic that originated in Wuhan, China. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video For nearly three years, the Chinese people faced lockdowns and border closures. A sudden influx of passengers from China coupled with Chinese government reticence to permit the World Health Organization (WHO) to test for new variants has sparked various levels of concern among EU officials regarding the emergence of new forms of the potentially legal virus. The lack of transparency and incomplete data on infections has led to an "overwhelming majority" of EU countries "in favor of pre-departure testing," a spokesperson for the European Commission said following Tuesday's meeting. Stella Kyriakides, the EU health commissioner, said officials also opted to recommend monitoring of wastewater on flights and at airports to detect traces of new variants along with increased surveillance measures. Kyriakides also emphasized "unity" ahead of Wednesday's meeting. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video France, Spain and Italy are among the EU nations that have already imposed new testing requirements on passengers arriving from China prior to a coordinated approach from the EU. While Italy, hard hit at the start of the pandemic, was first to introduce testing, France requires masks be worn on flights from China and has asked French citizens to curb nonessential travel to the Asian nation. France has also introduced PCR testing on arrival for flights from China. Spain has mandated that travellers from China be vaccinated, tested or recovered. However, in an impact study published Tuesday, the EU's European Center for Disease Prevention and Control said the situation in China did not present an immediate overall health threat to the bloc. "The variants circulating in China are already circulating in the EU, and as such are not challenging for the immune response," the agency said. Earlier Tuesday, the European Commission offered to provide expertise and vaccines to Beijing, offers thus far admonished by China's one-party state. Many EU countries are contending with stockpiles of the mRNA vaccine developed by BioNTech and Pfizer, widely considered more effective against the virus and its variants than vaccines developed by China. Beijing has expressed its displeasure over new measures imposed by the US, Japan and Australia. China insists the COVID-19 situation in the country is "under control." Government spokesperson Mao Ning insisted medical provisions are "in adequate supply." Mao added, "We are firmly opposed to attempts to manipulate the COVID measures for political purposes and will take countermeasures based on the principle of reciprocity." According to official Chinese government statistics, only 22 new deaths from COVID-19 have been recorded since restrictions were lifted last month. Official statistics provided by Beijing are widely regarded with suspicion as they are unlikely to reflect the reality of the virus' spread and reach within China, the world's most populous nation with a population of over one billion people. For over a week, the WHO has not provided new numbers on infections or deaths from China. The EU relies on statistics from the WHO to make its decisions. In a statement, Sweden, which currently holds the EU presidency as of the start of the new year, noted that "travelers from China need to be prepared for decisions being taken at short notice." ar/jcg (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)

5Health

According to information revealed by German public media broadcasters NDR and WDR and daily newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, last summer the EU Commission received a strictly confidential bid from pharmaceutical manufacturers Pfizer and BioNTech offering their vaccine for a price of €54.08 ($65.4) per dose, for a purchase of 500 million doses. In total, BioNTech-Pfizer wanted €27 billion to supply enough jabs to inoculate almost half of the EU's population.  But at €54.08 a dose, the BioNTech vaccine would have cost more than 20 times as much as doses of AstraZeneca, which was developed jointly with Oxford University. At the time, BioNTech-Pfizer said the price already included "the highest percentage discount" offered to any industrialized country in the world. "I think the price is dubious," said Wolf Dieter Ludwig, chairman of the Drug Commission of the German Medical Association. "I see in it a profit motive that is in no way justified in the current pandemic situation."  Only in November of 2020 did the EU reach an agreement with BioNTech-Pfizer. However, the final price has been kept secret until today. But according to information published by the media groups, it should be around €15.50 per dose. The news agency Reuters has also confirmed this price.  BioNTech-Pfizer had reportedly lowered its prices in their US offer after that country had signed a contract for 100 million doses at a cost of $1.95 billion, which works out to about €16 per dose. The high prices that BioNTech-Pfizer wanted from the EU are not the only surprising revelations in the reporting. The company also initially claimed that they had "completely financed" the development of the vaccine by themselves. Though this position may be true for Pfizer, it is not for the German company BioNTech, which received millions in state subsidies.   The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) informed the media groups that the ministry "provided significant support for the founding phase of BioNTech and provided financial and also structural support for the crucial first years of the spin-off. A BioNTech spokeswoman also said the company "received about €50 million in funding from the cluster initiative and EU programs during the first years after its founding." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video "The pharmaceutical industry always says that the high costs are due to research and development, but also because the benefits are so great," says Ludwig. However the benefits cannot now be assessed. "We are currently in a crisis situation, where the goal must be to vaccinate not only in the industrialized countries, but worldwide. Against that background, I think the interests of the shareholders are less important than the interests of the populations that want to be free from this pandemic." Though the company did not reply directly to news reports about its initial offer, it did defend the reported price as being "within a certain range for all higher-income countries." The company also claims it has not made a profit so far. BioNTech's CEO has said if it does, than the company plans to "reinvest them in the further development of this technology." A spokesperson for the EU Commission said that releasing information on pricing was not allowed for contractual reasons. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

5Health

Mexico has banned the sale of vaping devices as authorities say they are concerned about the health effects of vaping. The move was announced by President Manuel Lopez Obrador on World No Tobacco Day and was accompanied by several other measures aimed at clamping down on smoking in public places. Mexico's Health Minister Hugo Lopez Gatell said on Tuesday that claims vaping is a healthy alternative to tobacco are a "big lie." "The vapors are also harmful to human health," said Lopez Obrador as he signed the bill into law, adding that vaping devices have been designed to appeal to young people. "Look at the color, the design," Lopez Obrador said, holding up a pink vaping device. Mexico had already banned imports of e-cigarettes, but companies had continued to sell what they already had in stock. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The new ban applies to marketing and selling those items. At the same time, Mexico City authorities said they would ban smoking of any kind in the capital's main square, the Zocalo, and nearby neighborhoods. Smoking bans have been in place for closed spaces, government offices, shops, bars, and restaurants in Mexico for more than a decade. Lawmakers are set to vote on whether smoking should also be banned on beaches, entertainment venues and stadiums. The government estimates that more than 5 million Mexicans have tried vaping at least once. There is little research into the long-term effects of vaping, but acute harms have been found in some studies. In early 2020, US health agency the Center for Disease Control and Prevention said that US states had reported 2,807 cases where patients had died or been hospitalized with lung injuries associated with vaping. The CDC said these cases, known as EVALI cases, were linked to vitamin E acetate, which is in some vaping devices. In the United States, restaurant vaping bans are in place in some states and municipalities. Others have banned the sale of flavored vaping liquids. India announced in 2019 that it was banning all e-cigarettes.  In Britain, meanwhile, the National Health Service has said it would investigate whether vaping products could be prescribed by doctors to help people quit smoking, as vaping is considered to be less harmful than smoking tobacco. er/sms (AFP, AP)

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European investors are increasingly playing a bigger role in the Thai economy, allowing the Southeast Asian country to diversify trade and business away from the United States and China, analysts say. In 2020, European Union investment accounted for 8.2% of all overseas investment in Thailand, compared with 3.8% for the US and 15.4% for China. The figure has increased each year from just 4.4% in 2016. The bloc is also Thailand's fourth-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade worth €29 billion ($35 billion) in 2020. "There are signs that things are picking up again between the two as both look for opportunities to increase trade and investment in an effort to diversify from over reliance on China as a market," said Trinh Nguyen, a senior economist for the Asia-Pacific region at Natixis Investment Managers. Paul Chambers from the Center of ASEAN Community Studies at Thailand's Naresuan University said EU commercial involvement releases Thailand "from the zero-sum game of choosing only Washington or Beijing." "As China becomes a larger economic partner with Thailand, potential dependency is offset by economic relations with the US, Japan and the EU," he told DW. According to the ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute's latest State of Southeast Asia report, around 47% of Thai respondents chose the EU as their preferred "third country" to hedge against the uncertainties of the US-China strategic rivalry. Chambers noted that the EU temporarily turned away from Thailand after a military coup in 2014 overthrew a democratically-elected government, which saw Brussels suspend Bangkok's trade privileges. However, relations were normalized in 2019 after the military junta held fresh elections, which its candidates won. The EU's total investment stock in Thailand was worth €19.6 billion by 2019, according to the European Commission. But the amount of investment coming from the bloc annually into Thailand has been dropping over the past few years, from about €1.08 billion in 2017 to around €760 million in 2020, data from the Board of Investment for Thailand shows. This could be part of the overall trend of declining foreign direct investment (FDI) in Thailand, which has fallen each year since 2017, said Bryan Tse, an analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit. Tse said EU-Thailand relations tended to lag. The US is Thailand's largest export market and China, among other things, is its largest source of inbound tourists. Japan had the largest source of FDI stock in 2019, while Singapore is an historic ally. "With the EU continuing to lag behind the aforementioned actors, it is unlikely that its economic footprint will play a major geopolitical role," said Tse. Tse said Thailand has had a longstanding pro-free trade policy as part of efforts to "expand multilateral economic ties in all directions and reduce reliance on any single actor." "This means the kingdom will be very reluctant to 'pick a side.' The EU's investment, including the ongoing negotiations on an free trade agreement, fit into the Thai government's foreign policy framework." Thai Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit introduced a new framework for signing free trade agreements on July 17, and said proposals for a Thai-EU trade pact are scheduled to go before the cabinet by late September. Talks began in March 2013 but stalled the following year after the military coup in Bangkok. But in 2020, both Brussels and Bangkok announced their intention to move forward with the talks. The EU has ratified free trade agreements with Singapore and Vietnam, while negotiations for a trade pact with Indonesia are ongoing. Auramon Supthaweethum, director-general of Thailand's Trade Negotiations Department, said she expects talks to begin with the EU this year and that they could be finalized within two or three years. She added that the EU is increasingly seen as a key economic partner by the Thai government. Tse said the EU remains an important economic partner for Thailand, "even though in recent years things appear to have moved at a relatively slow pace." "Should an FTA be concluded within the next few years — which we expect to happen — the EU could cement its place in the Thai economy," he added. While the Vietnamese and Singaporean governments were quick to rush through a trade pact with Brussels, Thailand's government was slow to react when the EU said in early 2020 that it was interested in restarting talks. "For the future, EU-Thai economic relations will continue to be close, if only because Thailand does not want to rely only either on China or the US," said Chambers. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

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