Follow Voice of America - Europe, filter it, and define how you want to receive the news (via Email, RSS, Telegram, WhatsApp etc.) https://follow.it/voanews3 Fri, 17 Sep 2021 12:34:00 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/C5RRkMc0CtX8guZopsuTf-zdsCmHakzH Taiwan's government called on the European Union to quickly begin trade talks after the bloc pledged to seek a trade deal with the tech-heavyweight island, something Taipei has long angled for. The EU included Taiwan on its list of trade partners for a potential bilateral investment agreement in 2015, the year before President Tsai Ing-wen first became Taiwan's president but has not held talks with Taiwan on the issue since then. Responding to the EU's newly announced strategy to boost its presence in the Indo-Pacific, including seeking a trade deal with Taiwan, Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said on Friday talks should start soon. The European Parliament has already given its backing to an EU trade deal with Taiwan. "We call on the European Union to initiate the pre-negotiation work of impact assessment, public consultation and scope definition for a Bilateral Investment Agreement with Taiwan as soon as possible in accordance with the resolutions of the European Parliament," it said. "As a like-minded partner of the EU's with core values such as democracy, freedom, human rights and the rule of law, Taiwan will continue to strengthen cooperation in the supply chain reorganization of semiconductors and other related strategic industries, digital economy, green energy, and post-epidemic economic recovery." EU member states and the EU itself have no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan due to objections from China, which considers the island one of its provinces with no right to the trappings of statehood, so any investment deal could be tricky politically for the EU. But the EU's relations with China have worsened. In May, the European Parliament halted ratification of a new investment pact with China until Beijing lifts sanctions on EU politicians, deepening a dispute in Sino-European relations and denying EU companies greater access to the world's second-largest economy. The EU has also been looking to boost cooperation with Taiwan on semiconductors, as a chip shortage roils supply chains and shuts some auto production lines, including in Europe.   ]]> Fri, 17 Sep 2021 07:11:01 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/C5RRkMc0CtX8guZopsuTf-zdsCmHakzH https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/C5RRkMc0CtX8guZopsuTf6CY3L745TL_ Ukraine and the United States will start joint military exercises in western Ukraine next week, the Ukrainian General Staff said on Thursday, days after Belarus and Russia staged large-scale drills that raised neighboring countries' concerns. The "Zapad-2021" war games ran on Russia's and Belarus' western flanks, including sites close to the European Union's borders, and alarmed Ukraine and some NATO countries.  Ukraine said the "Rapid Trident 2021" exercises would involve 6,000 troops from 15 countries — Ukraine, the United States and other NATO members — and would last until Oct. 1. "The main goal is to prepare for joint actions as part of a multinational force during coalition operations," it said in a statement. Ukraine views the military exercises with Western partners as an important step on the path to NATO, believing that membership in the alliance would strengthen the country's resistance to Russian aggression. Kyiv's relations with Moscow deteriorated in 2014 after Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine and backed pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine's Donbass region. The seven-year war with separatists killed more than 13,000 people. Ukraine's relations with Belarus also have worsened since Kyiv called the 2020 presidential election in Belarus neither free nor fair and condemned violence against protesters. ]]> Fri, 17 Sep 2021 03:49:59 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/C5RRkMc0CtX8guZopsuTf6CY3L745TL_ https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/C5RRkMc0CtX8guZopsuTf-T5HJgy6HUf Russians in the Far East began voting in a three-day parliamentary election in which vocal Kremlin critics have been barred from running following a historic crackdown on the opposition. Parliamentary and local polls in the world's largest country spread over 11 time zones began at 8 a.m. Friday. So as Muscovites prepared to go to bed, residents of the Far Eastern Chukotka and Kamchatka regions were gearing up to cast their ballots. "Let's go!" Ella Pamfilova, the head of the Central Election Commission, said in a live broadcast. "We are so excited!" The run-up to the parliamentary polls has been marred by an unprecedented crackdown on Kremlin critics and independent media, with President Vladimir Putin's top foe Alexey Navalny jailed in January and his organizations subsequently outlawed. With many voters frustrated by falling incomes and not planning to cast their ballots, Putin urged Russians to elect a "strong" parliament. "I'm counting on your responsible, balanced and patriotic civic position," Putin said in a video address. The 68-year-old Russian leader is currently isolating after the Kremlin announced this week an outbreak of coronavirus cases among his inner circle. He said Thursday that "dozens" had tested positive. In a message from prison, Navalny called on Russians to cast aside apathy and vote pro-Kremlin candidates out of power. "Are you not interested in trying?" he said in a message posted on Instagram, adding that even in prison he remained optimistic and urged Russians to do the same. "I really do not think that I cannot change anything," said the 45-year-old, who barely survived a nerve agent poisoning he has blamed on the Kremlin. The opposition politician's allies have been barred from running, and his team has promoted Navalny's tactical voting project app, urging supporters to back candidates best positioned to beat Putin's United Russia candidates. A majority of the 225 alternative parliament candidates named by Navalny's allies are running on the Communist Party's list. The media regulator has blocked dozens of websites linked to Navalny, including the tactical voting website, and has also piled pressure on Google and Apple to remove Navalny's app from their stores. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has claimed that developers of Navalny's app have ties to the Pentagon, and last week Moscow summoned U.S. Ambassador John Sullivan over interference of U.S. tech giants in the polls. Recent surveys by state-run pollster VTsIOM showed fewer than 30% of Russians planning to vote for the ruling party, down from 40% to 45% in the weeks ahead of the last parliamentary election in 2016. But United Russia is expected to retain its two-thirds majority in the Duma, enough to change the constitution as it did last year with reforms allowing Putin to extend his rule to 2036. The vote is being held both online and in person, in a move officials said is aimed at limiting voters' potential exposure to the coronavirus. The opposition says that voting over several days gives officials greater opportunities to fix elections. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said in August that it would not be sending observers to Russia for the parliamentary election because of a limit on the number of observers imposed by Moscow. Campaigning was lackluster, and critics said the vote was little more than a rubber-stamping of Putin's allies. Andrei Kolesnikov, an analyst at the Carnegie Moscow Center, said that the Kremlin needed a pliant legislature ahead of 2024 when Putin's current term ends. Widespread claims of voter fraud during parliamentary elections in 2011 sparked major demonstrations, but political observers were not expecting protests this time. "Once the Duma elections are over, protests are unlikely, since the opposition and civil society are demoralized," Kolesnikov wrote. "The regime crackdown will intensify." Besides United Russia, 13 more parties are running in the elections. A total of 225 of the State Duma's 450 members are elected through party lists, while the rest are selected in single-member districts. More than 108 million voters are eligible to cast their ballots in Russia, and another 2 million Russians can vote abroad. Russian passport holders from Ukraine's two breakaway regions can take part in the vote. Russians are also voting in local polls in dozens of regions, including regional assembly and gubernatorial elections.]]> Fri, 17 Sep 2021 03:01:50 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/C5RRkMc0CtX8guZopsuTf-T5HJgy6HUf https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/C5RRkMc0CtX8guZopsuTfyejEQ2Mq9rY Sir Clive Sinclair, the British inventor who pioneered the pocket calculator and affordable home computers, died Thursday at age 81. He died at his home in London a decade after being diagnosed with cancer, U.K. media said, prompting tributes from many who fondly recalled their first experience of computing in the early 1980s. He was still working on inventions last week "because that was what he loved doing," his daughter Belinda Sinclair told the BBC. "He was inventive and imaginative, and for him, it was exciting and an adventure. It was his passion." Sinclair's groundbreaking products included the first portable electronic calculator in 1972. The Sinclair ZX80, which was launched in 1980 and sold for less than £100 at the time, brought home computing to the masses in Britain and beyond. Other early home computers such as the Apple II cost far more, and Sinclair's company was the first in the world to sell more than a million machines. Follow-up models included the ZX Spectrum in 1982, which boasted superior power and a more user-friendly interface, turbocharging the revolution in gaming and programming at home. British movie director Edgar Wright, whose latest film, Last Night in Soho, premiered in Venice this month, paid tribute to Sinclair on Twitter. "For someone whose first glimpses of a brave new world were the terrifying graphics of 3D Monster Maze on the ZX81, I'd like to salute tech pioneer Sir Clive Sinclair," he said. "He made 21st century dreams feel possible. Will bash away on the rubber keys of a Spectrum in your honour. RIP." Tom Watson, former deputy leader of Britain's opposition Labor Party, tweeted: "This man changed the course of my life. "And arguably, the digital age for us in the UK started with the Sinclair ZX80, when thousands of kids learnt to code using 1k of RAM. For us, the Spectrum was like a Rolls-Royce with 48k." However, not all of Sinclair's inventions were a runaway success. The Sinclair C5, a battery-powered tricycle touted as the future of eco-friendly transport, became an expensive flop after it was launched in 1985. But in retrospect, it was ahead of its time, given today's attention on climate change and the vogue for electric vehicles. "You cannot exaggerate Sir Clive Sinclair's influence on the world," gaming journalist and presenter Dominik Diamond tweeted. "And if we'd all stopped laughing long enough to buy a C5, he'd probably have saved the environment." Born in 1940, Sinclair left school at 17, becoming a technical writer creating specialist manuals. At 22, he formed his first company, making mail-order radio kits, including what was then the world's smallest transistor radio. Other ventures included digital watches and an early version of a flat-screen television. He was knighted in 1983. Ironically, in a 2013 interview with the BBC, Sinclair revealed that he did not use computers. "I don't like distraction," he explained. "If I had a computer, I'd start thinking I could change this, I could change that, and I don't want to. My wife very kindly looks after that for me." ]]> Fri, 17 Sep 2021 02:34:27 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/C5RRkMc0CtX8guZopsuTfyejEQ2Mq9rY https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/C5RRkMc0CtV699zH3G0pBF1cWWor9YPv The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned five al-Qaida supporters for allegedly helping the militant group with financial assistance. The department said the operatives supporting al-Qaida were working out of Turkey.  "We will continue working with our foreign partners, including Turkey, to expose and disrupt al-Qaida's financial support networks," Treasury Department official Andrea Gacki said in a statement.  Five individuals named The department said Egyptian lawyer Majdi Salim, whom it described as the main facilitator, was sanctioned, along with Muhammad Nasr al-Din al-Ghazlani, an Egyptian financial courier, and Turkish citizens Nurettin Muslihan, Cebrail Guzel and Soner Gurleyen. "As a result of today's action, all property and interests in property of these individuals named above, and of any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by them, individually, or with other blocked persons, that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons must be blocked and reported to OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control)," the department said in a statement.  "Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC or otherwise exempt, OFAC's regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within the United States (including transactions transiting the United States) that involve any property or interests in property of blocked or designated or otherwise blocked persons," the statement added.  Some information for this report came from Reuters.]]> Thu, 16 Sep 2021 22:41:39 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/C5RRkMc0CtV699zH3G0pBF1cWWor9YPv https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/C5RRkMc0CtW7rZglfvWzKOzdsCmHakzH As Germany prepares to elect a new leader, climate change is high on the agenda. Floods blamed on global warming killed hundreds in July. But as Henry Ridgwell reports from Germany, the country is also Europe’s biggest emitter of carbon dioxide and is struggling to wean itself off fossil fuels]]> Thu, 16 Sep 2021 22:10:00 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/C5RRkMc0CtW7rZglfvWzKOzdsCmHakzH https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/C5RRkMc0CtW7rZglfvWzKKCY3L745TL_ A European Union official said Thursday that the union is designating $35 billion to a new Health and Emergency Response Authority (HERA) designed to prevent and rapidly respond to health emergencies, after being caught off guard in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.    In her state of the union speech Thursday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen first mentioned the need to create a new biomedical authority to avoid the mistakes made during the pandemic and better respond to similar crises in the future.   Von der Leyen said the goal is to “make sure that no virus will ever turn a local epidemic again in a global pandemic.” Funding for HERA   EU leaders laid out the plan for HERA in Brussels on Thursday, saying it will be set up to anticipate threats and potential health crises through intelligence-gathering and by building the necessary medical and research response capabilities.    In a statement, the EU said an initial $7 billion for HERA would come out of the current 2022-27 budget framework, but EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides told reporters that amount will increase to almost $35 billion once investments in health, security preparedness and response are made through other EU programs. Access to information needed   The EU plan for HERA calls for development, production and distribution of medicines, vaccines and other medical countermeasures such as gloves and masks that often were lacking during the first phase of the coronavirus response.   European Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton said this will require more rapid access to information and "a more structured and firm dialogue with the industrial community, and in particular, the pharmaceutical industry.”   He said during the early days of the pandemic, EU leaders lacked crucial information about what was available and what was needed.   The EU said the first steps toward the creation of HERA were taken earlier this year, and they hope it will be fully operational by early 2022.    Some information for this report came from The Associated Press.]]> Thu, 16 Sep 2021 21:47:58 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/C5RRkMc0CtW7rZglfvWzKKCY3L745TL_ https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/C5RRkMc0CtW7rZglfvWzKOT5HJgy6HUf On a warm September afternoon, the River Ahr winds gently through steep terraced vineyards and wooded valleys in a prosperous corner of western Germany. It’s difficult to believe the river, now running barely a foot deep across the scoured gravel, could swell into such a destructive force.   Eight weeks ago, as a storm system tracked eastward across Europe in mid-July, the Ahr valley was hit by unprecedented rainfall. In just a few hours, the water level rose by more than nine meters, inundating entire villages.    One hundred and thirty-four people were killed as the floodwaters tore down the narrow valley. More than 500 houses were swept away entirely, and thousands more severely damaged. Seventy-seven bridges were washed away, along with roads and railroads. While the Ahr has flooded several times in the past, scientists have blamed the intensity and volume of rainfall on climate change.    For the survivors, it has been a grueling two months: a daily effort to rebuild lives and livelihoods amid the choking dust and mud, while attempting to process the grief, the shock, and the realization that life in these communities will never be the same again.    Vera Zicken is a long-time resident of Altenahr whose home and nearby vineyards were damaged by the floods. “If you just look at our town, at how many houses are damaged beyond repair, how many houses have been torn down – all that remains are pieces of this town. And there are lots of houses that won’t be rebuilt,” she told VOA. “The fundamental problem is that with climate change, with this heavy rain that has impacted Germany, we have to take a different approach. We have to work towards taking preventative measures, so when this kind of rain happens again, the water can’t hit communities as hard as it did and cause this kind of damage.”    Will the climate crisis persuade German voters to take a new approach? Germany’s Green party is currently third in the polls, but their support has fallen in recent weeks. Paula Piechotta, a Green Party candidate from Leipzig, says a generational divide is holding Germany back.    “If something can be felt, people tend to change their attitude toward it. And climate change can be felt here. We had summers of drought, we had extreme rain, we had a lot of problems in our forests. So, we feel that climate change is actually real and it’s happening. However, we see a clear divide between younger and older people. Younger people under the age of 40 tend to prioritize environmental issues, climate issues in their voting decisions. Older people don’t,” Piechotta told VOA.    There also is a geographical divide. In the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt lie some of Europe’s largest lignite mines, commonly known as “brown coal.” It is among the most polluting and least efficient sources of energy – and Germany is the world’s largest producer.    The government plans to close all its brown coal mines by 2038. Many Germans want them shut down much sooner. But there are two big questions: what would replace the tens of thousands of jobs that would be lost in an economically depressed area of Germany? And what would replace the brown coal that provides some 20 per cent of Germany’s electricity?   With Germany also phasing out nuclear power by the end of 2022, local officials say their lignite remains vital to Germany’s prosperity.   “Brown coal is still the number one energy source in our state,” said Rüdiger Erben, a member of the Social Democratic Party in the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament. “Wind and solar are great, but when the sun doesn’t shine or we have a day without wind, the basic energy supply for the industrial sector still has to be there. There is definitely a contradiction in what gets said internationally. Outside of Germany, you see a lot of pictures of our wind farms or massive solar parks, and at the same time, Germany is one of the biggest investors in brown coal worldwide.”   “There is this East German saying: ‘I am a miner, who can do more than me?’ This basically says that as a miner, you are the foundation of the economy,” Erben told VOA.    Back in the Ahr valley, many residents say they are too busy rebuilding to bother with politics. But there is also frustration that the authorities didn’t take preventative action.    “Of course, climate change was definitely part of the cause, but it was not the cause alone. They all kind of failed here. [Chancellor Angela] Merkel and her people, they failed, but I also believe the state politicians, they failed, too,” said 63-year-old Altenahr resident Hans-Jakob Zmudczynski.    Merkel’s successor faces daunting challenges: tackling the climate crisis while powering Europe’s largest economy; reconciling the climate-conscious youth with older generations; and continuing to balance Germany’s lingering economic and social divide between east and wes]]> Thu, 16 Sep 2021 17:16:19 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/C5RRkMc0CtW7rZglfvWzKOT5HJgy6HUf https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/C5RRkMc0CtXEP5VrmylSPJs0ohxaO6Yr The European Union's executive arm asked its member countries Thursday to better protect journalists amid a rise of physical attacks and online threats against media professionals. According to the European Commission, 908 journalists and media workers were attacked across the 27-nation bloc in 2020. A total of 23 journalists have been killed in the EU since 1992, with the majority of the killings taking place during the past six years. "No journalist should die or be harmed because of their job. We need to support and protect journalists; they are essential for democracy," said Vera Jourova, the commission vice president for values and transparency.   "The pandemic has shown more than ever the key role of journalists to inform us. And the urgent need for public authorities to do more to protect them." Murders of reporters remain rare in Europe, but the killings of journalists in Slovakia and Malta in recent years have raised concerns about reporters' safety in developed, democratic societies.   Earlier this year, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen expressed support to investigative journalism after the killing of Peter R. de Vries, a renowned Dutch journalist who reported on the violent underworld of the Netherlands. The commission's non-binding proposals include recommendations for EU countries to ensure fair and effective investigations and prosecutions, and to provide protection to those under threat, with a strong focus on female journalists.   According to the EU, 73% of female journalists have experienced online violence and the commission said EU countries should "support initiatives aimed at empowering women journalists and professionals belonging to minority groups and those reporting on equality issues." The bloc's executive arm also proposed the creation of support services, including helplines, legal advice, and psychological support. It insisted on the need to ensure reporters' safety during demonstrations, where most of the attacks take place.   "Member states should provide regular training for law enforcement authorities to ensure that journalists and other media professionals are able to work safely and without restrictions during such events," the commission said. Noting that digital and online safety has become a "major concern" because of online attacks but also the risks of illegal surveillance, the executive branch also encouraged EU countries to improve cooperation between media and cybersecurity bodies. "Relevant national cybersecurity bodies should, upon request, assist journalists who seek to determine whether their devices or online accounts have been compromised, in obtaining the services of cybersecurity forensic investigators," the commission said. The proposals were unveiled just months after the commission's annual report on adherence to the rule of law concluded that democratic standards were eroding in several member countries. That report notably singled out Slovenia, which currently holds the six-month rotating presidency of the European Council, for attacks against the Balkan nation's media.   "This is not only Slovenia. We see the very aggressive rhetoric in some other member states," Jourova said, adding that the EU will keep putting pressure on member countries where continuous issues are spotted.]]> Thu, 16 Sep 2021 15:12:43 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/C5RRkMc0CtXEP5VrmylSPJs0ohxaO6Yr https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/C5RRkMc0CtXEP5VrmylSPHn9ye8UNv30 The Speaker of the British House of Commons, Lindsay Hoyle, has banned China’s ambassador to Britain, Zheng Zeguang, from entering Parliament until Beijing lifts sanctions it imposed six months ago on five Conservative lawmakers and two peers.     The ban — the first ever imposed on a foreign envoy by a House of Commons Speaker — is the latest sign that British authorities are growing increasingly frustrated with what they see as Beijing’s aggressive diplomacy. Hoyle consulted with Downing Street and Britain’s Foreign Office before announcing the ban, according to local media reports.  His bar on Zeguang came just hours before British Prime Minister Boris Johnson appointed former trade minister Liz Truss as Britain’s new foreign secretary, part of a wider Cabinet reshuffle. Truss is seen as a China hawk and has lobbied for much tougher measures to be pursued against China’s Communist government for rights violations.   In a statement midweek Hoyle said: “I do not feel it's appropriate for the ambassador for China to meet on the Commons estate and in our place of work when his country has imposed sanctions against some of our members.” Last week Hoyle met with British lawmakers targeted by the Chinese sanctions. They urged him to impose a ban on the envoy. The Chinese embassy in London described the prohibition on Zeguang as “despicable and cowardly.” Zeguang, who was appointed as envoy in June, was scheduled to speak to a British parliamentary group on China, but the invitation was withdrawn. Souring relations   Relations between China and Britain have become fraught over Beijing's crackdown on the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong and repression of its Muslim minority in the western Chinese province of Xinjiang, where China's Communist government has interned more than a million Uyghurs in detention centers, according to rights groups.   The Chinese sanctions imposed in March on British lawmakers, one of whom is a former leader of the ruling of Britain’s ruling Conservatives, were in retaliation for Britain sanctioning Chinese officials and a state-run entity for alleged human rights violations in Xinjiang.  The Chinese sanctions imposed in March on British lawmakers, one of whom is a former leader of Britain’s ruling Conservatives, were in retaliation for Britain sanctioning Chinese officials and a state-run entity for alleged human rights violations in Xinjiang.    China has denied repeated claims that Uyghur Muslims are being held in detention centers. Beijing targeted 10 British organizations and individuals in its March sanctions. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said the British officials were being punished for spreading “lies and disinformation” about Xinjiang.   China’s Global Times newspaper, an English-language outlet of the Chinese Communist Party's flagship People's Daily newspaper, reacted with fury to the parliamentary ban on the Chinese envoy, saying in an angry editorial: “It is extremely rare, if not 'a global innovation,’ for the UK to ban a foreign envoy from Parliament, a public venue for political discussions in the country. It shows brutality, impulsiveness, and the breaking of the rules.” The editorial added: “London acts as if only it can sanction others, but not the other way around. Given that it simply does not have the strength to deal with China this way, the UK now behaves like a hooligan after having become a loser.” It suggested Beijing bar the British ambassador from entering the Great Hall of the People.     The group of British lawmakers sanctioned by China, which includes former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith and MPs Tim Loughton and Nusrat Ghani, welcomed Hoyle’s decision, praising the Speaker for “standing up for freedom of speech in the mother of Parliaments by supporting those parliamentarians who have been sanctioned by China.” Liz Truss   The appointment of Liz Truss as foreign secretary is unlikely to please Beijing. She has been targeted for criticism by China’s Foreign Ministry and Communist Party-run media in the past for lobbying for tough measures against Beijing as international trade secretary. The 46-year-old is only the second woman to hold the post of foreign secretary and is seen as a vigorous champion of free trade and markets and a strong supporter of the transatlantic alliance with Washington.   She faults China for not pursuing fair trade and for engaging in “economic coercion” and warned in a speech last week against Britain becoming “strategically dependent” on China, criticizing Beijing for “unfair” trading practices.   Last December Truss fought a behind-the-scenes battle with Britain’s Foreign Office, her new ministry, over whether Parliament should legislate to allow British courts a role in determining whether the repression of Xinjiang amounts to genocide. The Foreign Office opposed giving British courts preliminary power to determine whether genocide is occurring in Xinjiang, or elsewhere, arguing the decision should rest with international courts.     Nigel Adams, a Foreign Office minister, told a parliamentary panel that there was “credible, troubling and growing evidence” of forced labour taking place on a significant scale in Xinjiang but he feared an “asset flight,” if ministers rushed into enacting measures, warning China could start withdrawing investments from Britain.   Truss backed the legislative proposal.     Commenting on Truss’s appointment, British newspaper The Times said she “is far more hawkish on China than the prime minister, aligning herself with the American shift towards confrontation with Beijing.”  Other British commentators said her pick to replace Dominic Rabb will help repair bridges with Washington following the U.S.-led NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan, which was criticized by senior British Conservative lawmakers.   “New UK Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss, is a proper China hawk,” tweeted Sophia Gaston, director of the British Foreign Policy Group, a London-based think tank. Gaston said Truss would be able at the Foreign Office to hold “China to account on values” while “playing a larger role in coordinating diplomatic efforts with our [foreign] partners.”]]> Thu, 16 Sep 2021 15:02:49 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/C5RRkMc0CtXEP5VrmylSPHn9ye8UNv30 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/C5RRkMc0CtXEP5VrmylSPJVjH6qdYdAk On September 26 Germans will go to the polls in a federal election to apportion seats in the Bundestag and decide who will succeed Angela Merkel as chancellor. Marking the end of the Merkel era, many view this electoral contest as Germany’s most important election in decades. But one wouldn’t be able to guess that from the campaign, which has been bland and cautious. All the main party leaders have played for safety, promising political continuity and competing over who has the right to be seen as the true ideological heir of Angela Merkel, who’s retiring from politics. “Is this the most boring election ever?” newspaper Die Welt asked recently. What excitement and fizz that’s been seen so far in the election has come just in the past few days. Armin Laschet, the leader of center-right Christian Democrats, or CDU, Merkel’s party, accused Sunday his Social Democrat opponent, Olaf Scholz, currently Germany’s finance minister, of mismanagement following recent raids by prosecutors on the finance ministry in a money-laundering probe. And Merkel has come out from the sidelines to join the fray with an uncharacteristically sharp attack on Olaf Scholz and a warning that a vote for his party could let in the far left. Voters had two options, she says: a government made up of the center-left and the Greens “which accepts the support of the left-wing party, or at least doesn't exclude it, or a moderate conservative-led government with Armin Laschet as chancellor.” Merkel’s reference to a “leftwing party” was to Die Linke, a party formed in 2007 after a merger between the remnants of the Communist ruling party of former East Germany and a far-left West German group. No clear majority Neither the Social Democrats, SPD, or the CDU will have sufficient votes to form a single-party government and will have to shape a coalition government after weeks and possibly months of horse-trading and wrangling. The new German government will be a coalition of likely three parties, say analysts. Merkel’s rare criticism of the SPD, the junior partner party in her governing coalition since 2013, is seen as testimony to the CDU’s parlous state in the polls. It is the first time in 15 years that the SPD has overtaken the CDU in opinion polling. Laschet’s CDU and its Bavarian affiliate, the Christian Social Union, CSU, have fallen six points behind the SPD and with less than two weeks remaining the story of this election has been the surprising rise of the Social Democrats, who are polling at 25%, a back from the dead revival. Earlier this year, the SPD was being written off but Scholz, a political pragmatist, has managed through his own high favorability ratings to pull the party up and now is being tipped by pollsters and political commentators to succeed Merkel. “With the German election campaign entering its final stretch, Scholz’ popularity…has finally morphed into support for his party,” according to Henning Hoff, editor of the Internationale Politik Quarterly, which is published by the German Council on Foreign Relations. “There is now much to suggest that Germany’s next government will be led by Olaf Scholz,” he added in his assessment of the direction of electoral travel. Scholz, he argues, has shown shrewdness in his campaigning and is managing to persuade many voters that he is a natural Merkel successor by projecting “professionalism and reliability almost to a fault.” “Perhaps most miraculously, the SPD has shown uncharacteristic discipline since the campaign started in earnest. There has been next to no sniping, even when Scholz deftly steers the SPD on a distinctly centrist course. The candidate has practically merged with his party. The SPD is Scholz, at least for now,” according to Henning. He has also been lucky, considering his opponents. Green Party leader Annalena Baerbock, a fresh face who was the darling of the media at the start of the year, has fallen by the wayside following a string of mishaps and missteps. And Laschet, state premier of North Rhine-Westphalian, has turned in a lackluster performance, the nadir of which, according to pollsters, came in July when he was caught on camera chuckling with aides in the background when accompanying German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on a tour of towns stricken by record floods. Discontent with Laschet in the ranks of the CDU and the CSU has risen with each polling downgrade. Last week, the CSU secretary general, Markus Blume, said the center-right bloc would have fared better if Markus Söder, the President of Bavaria and CSU leader, had been chosen instead of Laschet as the candidate for chancellor. Some CDU lawmakers have publicly agreed. This week, the walker of the pro-business Free Democrats, Christian Lindner, said he was “surprised by the weakness of the CDU and by how fuzzy its policies are.” Last week, Laschet suffered another setback when a court ruled that a 2018 police eviction ordered by his North Rhine-Westphalia government against environmental protesters was illegal. An activist died during the police operation. Shifting support Laschet’s hopes of turning around the election rest with the large bloc of undecided voters and with the overall volatility of an election that has seen the lead change hands between the CDU, SPD and Greens several times since the start of the year. But Scholz and his Social Democrats have significant momentum just when it counts — in the home stretch, say pollsters. Many Germans have already voted with early mail-in ballots. If the SPD does top the poll later this month, Scholz will face the huge task of forming a coalition government and the negotiations likely will take months. His best hope will be to form a coalition with the Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats, but there’s much that divides all three parties. The Greens are polling around 17% and the Free Democrats around 11%. The divisions were emphasized Wednesday when Lindner, the Free Democrats’ leader, told Britain’s Financial Times that he will have strict conditions on participating in a Scholz-led coalition government. The conditions will include tax cuts and restrictions on any new borrowing. “The prerequisite for us joining any coalition is that we can’t have tax increases and we respect the constitutional debt brake,” he said. “Whoever wants to do something else will have to look for another partner,” he added.  Both Scholz and the Greens want higher taxes to boost public investment and redistribute wealth. If Scholz fails to reel in the Free Democrats, he might have to turn to Die Linke to form a government or to make an approach to the defeated CDU.It is still quite possible that despite coming in second, Laschet will have an opportunity, too, to form a coalition government. Lindner believes the CDU has more coalition options than Scholz. Some information for this article came from AFP.]]> Thu, 16 Sep 2021 13:33:52 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/C5RRkMc0CtXEP5VrmylSPJVjH6qdYdAk https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/C5RRkMc0CtW-VkqqWVLFtuzdsCmHakzH British Prime Minister Boris Johnson continued reshuffling his Cabinet Thursday with two junior ministers taking on new roles.      The prime minister moved Penny Mordaunt from paymaster general at the Cabinet Office to a ministerial role at the trade department.  Mordaunt is being replaced by Michael Ellis, who served as solicitor general.      The reassignments of Mordaunt and Ellis took place a day after Johnson demoted Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to justice secretary while naming him deputy prime minister as part of a Cabinet reshuffle seen by some as an attempt to refocus on rebuilding an economy still reeling from COVID-19 lockdowns.     Liz Truss was expected to take his position, leaving her position as secretary of state for international trade.     Several other Cabinet members left or have been reassigned.     Johnson also said Justice Secretary Robert Buckland, Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick and Education Secretary Gavin Williamson were no longer in their positions.      Johnson’s promise to tackle regional inequality swept him to power in 2019 with the biggest Conservative Party majority since Margaret Thatcher.      COVID-19 derailed that agenda.     "We know the public also wants us to deliver on their priorities, and that's why the prime minister wants to ensure we have the right team in place for that," Johnson's spokesman told reporters.     Many Conservative Party lawmakers said the moves were long overdue, with one anonymously telling Reuters the Cabinet was "appallingly encrusted with barnacles."     Raab recently faced heavy criticism for remaining on vacation in Greece as the Taliban took over Afghanistan. ]]> Thu, 16 Sep 2021 13:18:35 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/C5RRkMc0CtW-VkqqWVLFtuzdsCmHakzH https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/C5RRkMc0CtW-VkqqWVLFtsb1naedg1wr Australia has signed a new security partnership with the United States and Britain to share defense technologies in what analyst say is an effort to counter the potential threat from China.  British officials have stressed that the pact was not a response to one country, but analysts believe it is an unmistakable sign of concern about China’s military ambitions in the Indo-Pacific region. They have said it has highlighted the strategic importance of the region to both the United States and Britain.  The new pact was announced Wednesday during a virtual joint statement President Joe Biden made along with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.   President Biden praised the partnership.  "We need to be able to address both the current strategic environment in the region and how it may evolve. Because the future of each of our nations, and indeed the world, depends on a free and open Indo-Pacific enduring and flourishing in the decades ahead.”  In the joint statement, the leaders said there were several potential issues of concern, including territorial disputes, terrorism and organized crime.  Analysts said the deal was significant because it allows Australia to build nuclear-powered submarines for the first time. The government in Canberra has insisted the submarines would not carry nuclear weapons.  The alliance — known by its acronym, “AUKUS” — will also cover artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and cyber defenses. Johnson said the three nations were “natural allies.” Morrison said the pact would boost regional security.  “The future of the Indo-Pacific will impact all our futures. To meet these challenges, to help deliver the security and stability our region needs, we must now take our partnership to a new level. A partnership that seeks to engage, not to exclude, to contribute, not take, and to enable and empower, not to control or coerce. And, so, friends AUKUS is born,”  he said. However, Australia’s news reports suggest the scrapping of a multi-billion-dollar submarine defense deal with France will cause immense diplomatic tensions between the two nations. The deal, the Australian government says, will be scrapped because of Australia’s plans to build nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS security pact with the United States and Britain.  For decades, Australia has sought security with defense and intelligence pacts.   The “ANZUS,” another security treaty between the U.S., Australia and New Zealand, recently celebrated its 70th anniversary. Australia is also an active member of the Five Eyes alliance, which includes the U.S., Britain, Canada and New Zealand. The Five Eyes alliance was created to monitor the Soviet Union after the Second World War.  Australian officials have said the nuclear-powered submarines would be service in the mid to late 2030s.  Adam Bandt, leader of the Greens, a minor left-of-Center party, said on Twitter that the move was “dangerous” and would put “floating Chernobyls in the heart of Australia’s cities,” referring to a nuclear energy accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine in 1986. ]]> Thu, 16 Sep 2021 12:59:48 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/C5RRkMc0CtW-VkqqWVLFtsb1naedg1wr https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/C5RRkMc0CtWDsi4PzO-sOClmFkX7M1Jw Three British Afghan women are on a hunger strike near the British Parliament to protest the treatment of women in Afghanistan by the Taliban. Yalda Baktash reports]]> Thu, 16 Sep 2021 04:10:00 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/C5RRkMc0CtWDsi4PzO-sOClmFkX7M1Jw https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/C5RRkMc0CtWDsi4PzO-sOJVjH6qdYdAk The United States and Britain will help Australia develop a nuclear-powered submarine fleet, U.S. President Joe Biden said Wednesday, as leaders of the three countries announced a new trilateral security partnership focused on the Indo-Pacific region. "We need to be able to address both the current strategic environment in the region and how it may evolve," Biden said, "because the future of each of our nations, and indeed the world, depends on a free and open Indo-Pacific enduring and flourishing in the decades ahead." The trio will be known by the acronym AUKUS. Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson stressed that these nuclear-powered submarines would not carry nuclear weapons. Not seeking nuclear weapons "Let me be clear, Australia is not seeking to acquire nuclear weapons or establish a civil nuclear capability," Morrison said, speaking virtually to the White House, along with his American and British counterparts. "And we will continue to meet all our nuclear nonproliferation obligations." A senior Biden administration official who briefed reporters prior to the announcement set a timeline of 18 months for the three countries to work together to identify the optimal pathway for delivering the submarines. Johnson said his country would play an important role in sharing knowledge with Australia, a former British colony that remains in the Commonwealth, an organization led by Queen Elizabeth II. This agreement, he said, "will draw on the expertise that the U.K, has acquired over generations dating back to the launch of the Royal Navy's first nuclear submarine over 60 years ago." The new partnership will allow the three countries to share information and expertise more easily in key technological areas such as artificial intelligence, cybertechnology, quantum technologies, underwater systems and long-range strike capabilities. "This initiative is about making sure that each of us has a modern capability, the most modern capabilities we need to maneuver and defend against rapidly evolving threats," Biden said.   FILE - This photo taken Jan. 2, 2017, shows a Chinese navy formation during military drills in the South China Sea. Pushing back on China Although none of the three leaders mentioned China in their remarks on Wednesday, analysts see this as another move by Western allies to push back on Beijing's rise in the military and technology arenas. "It's already clear from the context that building for a high-intensity warfare environment — and that's what a submarine does — there is really only one clear potential adversary in that equation," said Euan Graham, senior fellow for Asia-Pacific security at the Singapore office of the International Institute for Strategic Studies. The deal, signed by countries that already share close ties, is a clear sign of Washington's intention to remain a dominant and stabilizing power in the region. "The U.S. effectively is willing to share almost everything it has," said Julian Ku, a Hofstra University professor who focuses on international disputes and law. "It takes what's already a very deep alliance to another level." The new fleet, which a Biden administration official described as having the characteristics of "stealth, speed, maneuverability, survivability," will have a broader range and can stay below the surface for long periods. "Tactically, this will give Canberra an operational means to sustain undersea combat power for much longer durations throughout the western Pacific when compared to Australia's current diesel submarine," said Eric Sayers, a nonresident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute who focuses on Asia-Pacific security policy. China's navy has a fleet of 60 submarines, which includes six nuclear-powered attack submarines. Talks with French company Until this announcement, Australia had been in talks with French company Naval Group to build as many as 12 French-designed nuclear submarines. That program was estimated to cost up to $70 billion. Biden noted that this would be a multilateral effort, and that the trio welcomed help from longtime allies. "The United States looks forward to working closely with France and other key countries as we go forward," he said.]]> Thu, 16 Sep 2021 02:56:47 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/C5RRkMc0CtWDsi4PzO-sOJVjH6qdYdAk https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/C5RRkMc0CtUQnwLWGfFIM5s0ohxaO6Yr Campaigning to elect a new German leader this month is being clouded by concerns that the country will face a new influx of refugees — this time those fleeing Taliban rule in Afghanistan.   In 2015, more than 1 million migrants, many of them Syrians escaping their country's civil war, traveled across the Mediterranean and Europe to reach Germany, according to German officials.  Angela Merkel is not standing in the September 26 election, so Germany will soon have a new chancellor tasked with formulating policy toward Afghanistan and the unfolding refugee crisis.  Armin Laschet is the candidate for Merkel's Christian Democratic Union party, which currently shares power with the Social Democrats. Speaking shortly after the Taliban seized power last month, he pledged there would be no repeat of the refugee influx.  "The European Union must be prepared that there will be refugees heading towards Europe. And this time we must provide humanitarian aid to the region, to the countries of origin in time. 2015 must not repeat itself. We need an orderly protection for those who are heading towards Europe," Laschet told reporters on August 16.   Laschet's rival — Olaf Scholz of the Social Democrats, who are leading in the polls — also maintains that Europe must share the burden of any imminent refugee influx.  "It isn't just Germany, but all of Europe has a responsibility, and we have to remember that almost all refugees, and there are millions in the world, have often found refuge in a neighboring country," Scholz told German broadcaster Deutsche Welle.  Germany has evacuated more than 4,000 Afghans since August. The government says anyone directly employed by German forces in Afghanistan is entitled to asylum. The situation for contractors, however, is not clear.   Afghan brothers Ahmad and Ikram, who did not want to give their real names, arrived in Germany in 2015 as part of the wave of migrants seeking a new life in Europe. They are currently staging a protest outside the Foreign Ministry in Berlin, to demand that Germany speed up the asylum process for refugees.    Ikram says he worked with NATO forces in Afghanistan and recently showed VOA the documentation he hopes will secure him refugee status. After six years of trying, they have both been denied visas. The brothers were due to be deported to Afghanistan in August but were given a reprieve after the Taliban seized power. "Afghanistan is no longer safe. People cannot let themselves die there — they themselves, and their families. And so, they say it doesn't matter how dangerous the way is, people are saying we're leaving, because otherwise they will be killed," Ahmad told VOA.   So, could Germany face another migrant influx? The situation is very different, says Nora Brezger of the Berlin Refugee Council, a support group for migrants.   "At the moment now, there is actually no way to Europe where people can cross, like it was in 2015 or 2016. So, it's more that a lot of Afghan refugees are in the surrounding countries of Afghanistan, and in the Balkan route they are stuck in Bosnia, they are stuck in Serbia, they are stuck in Greece, they are stuck in Turkey," Brezger told VOA.   "So, it's not a question of how we should avoid people coming here. For us, it's more a question of how should we make people come here because they need a safe place," she said.  VOA recently spoke to several Afghan refugees currently stuck in the Turkish city of Erzurum. Among them was Yusuf, who said he was doing casual work to try to save money to reach Europe. Germany continues to exert a strong pull for those seeking a new life.   "We want to go to Germany, but the borders are closed at the moment. If you want to go to Germany via Bulgaria, you would be held in Bulgaria. The human smugglers say that the borders are open, you can go — but we know that they are closed. Once the borders are opened, God willing, we will go," Yusuf said.   It appears unlikely that Germany — or the rest of Europe — is prepared to reopen those borders anytime soon.  VOA's Memet Aksakal contributed to this report.  ]]> Wed, 15 Sep 2021 22:25:13 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/C5RRkMc0CtUQnwLWGfFIM5s0ohxaO6Yr https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/C5RRkMc0CtUQnwLWGfFIM-zdsCmHakzH Six years ago, more than a million migrants traveled across the Mediterranean and Europe to reach Germany — many of them Syrians escaping the civil war. So, could history repeat itself as refugees try to flee Taliban rule in Afghanistan? As Henry Ridgwell reports from Berlin, immigration is high on the agenda as Germany prepares for a general election later this month. Camera: Henry Ridgwell, Memet Aksakal Produced by: Henry Ridgwell, Mary Cieslak   ]]> Wed, 15 Sep 2021 22:01:00 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/C5RRkMc0CtUQnwLWGfFIM-zdsCmHakzH https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/C5RRkMc0CtUQnwLWGfFIM11cWWor9YPv Pope Francis said Wednesday that Catholic bishops should minister to politicians who support abortion rights, such as U.S. President Joe Biden, with “compassion and tenderness,” not condemnation. The pontiff, returning to Rome from Slovakia, warned that Catholic Church leaders should not let politics enter into questions about whether observant Catholics like Biden should be refused the right to receive Communion when they attend Mass. But Francis declined to give a direct “yes” or “no” answer to whether Biden should be denied Communion, as some U.S. Catholic bishops have demanded. Francis said he did not know the U.S. case well enough to give an answer. The pope reiterated church doctrine that abortions are “homicide.” But he said priests and bishops should act in a pastoral way and not in a political manner when discussing any issues that confront them. Francis said they must use "the style of God" to talk with the faithful with "closeness, compassion and tenderness." "And what should pastors do?” he asked rhetorically. “Be pastors, and not go condemning, condemning." U.S. bishops agreed in June that their conference doctrine committee would draft a statement on the meaning of Communion in the life of the church, and that it would then consider it as a group, possibly at a meeting in November. Aboard his flight back to the Vatican, Francis told reporters, "Communion is not a prize for the perfect," but rather "a gift, the presence of Jesus in his church and in the community. That is the theology." Some information for this report came from The Associated Press.]]> Wed, 15 Sep 2021 20:17:58 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/C5RRkMc0CtUQnwLWGfFIM11cWWor9YPv https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/C5RRkMc0CtUQnwLWGfFIM8b1naedg1wr Russia is preparing for parliamentary and local elections Sunday in what the opposition says is an atmosphere of repression in which a number of candidates not aligned with the ruling party have been excluded. Jon Spier narrates this report from Ricardo Marquina in Moscow. Camera: Ricardo Marquina Video editor: Henry Hernandez]]> Wed, 15 Sep 2021 20:00:00 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/C5RRkMc0CtUQnwLWGfFIM8b1naedg1wr https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/C5RRkMc0CtUQnwLWGfFIM3n9ye8UNv30 British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday demoted Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to justice secretary and deputy prime minister as part of a cabinet reshuffle seen by some as an attempt to refocus on rebuilding an economy still reeling from COVID-19 lockdowns.  Liz Truss was expected to take his position, leaving her position as secretary of state for international trade.  Several other cabinet members left or have been reassigned.  Johnson also said Justice Secretary Robert Buckland, Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick and Education Secretary Gavin Williamson were no longer in their positions.   Johnson's promise to tackle regional inequality swept him to power in 2019 with the biggest Conservative Party majority since Margaret Thatcher.   COVID-19 derailed that agenda.  "We know the public also want us to deliver on their priorities, and that's why the prime minister wants to ensure we have the right team in place for that," Johnson's spokesman told reporters.  Many Conservative Party lawmakers said the moves were long overdue, with one anonymously telling Reuters that the cabinet was "appallingly encrusted with barnacles."  Raab recently faced heavy criticism for remaining on vacation in Greece as the Taliban took over Afghanistan.  Some information in this report comes from The Associated Press and Reuters.   ]]> Wed, 15 Sep 2021 19:24:55 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/C5RRkMc0CtUQnwLWGfFIM3n9ye8UNv30