Cross posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/17750855

Archived version

Chinese authorities wrongfully detained more than 20 Tibetans and severely tortured a Tibetan village head named Gonpo Namgyal to death with the repeated use of electric equipment in detention for several months in Ponkor township, Darlag County in Golog in the traditional Tibetan province of Amdo now incorporated into Qinghai, Sichuan and Gansu provinces.

As per information received, in May 2024, due to the extensive “Pure Mother Tongue” campaign [...] Chinese authorities arrested over 20 Tibetans including Khenpo Tenpa Dhargye and village head Gonpo Namgyal. They were forcibly taken to Golog Prefecture headquarters.

Gonpo Namgyal tragically passed away on 18 December 2024 after suffering severe torture and inhuman treatment by the Chinese police for over seven months while in detention. As reported by the source, Gonpo Namgyal was released from detention after becoming ill, but within three days of his release he passed away. During the preparation of his body for cremation at the Traling Monastery’s crematory, many of his internal organs were discovered to have been burned as a result of electric torture.

[...]

The Tibetan people inside Tibet’s efforts to preserve their Tibetan identity, especially the Tibetan language, despite huge threats of persecution and imprisonment from the Chinese government, are of paramount importance with the Communist government’s so-called “Chinese national unity consciousness” framework or policy, which basically meant making Chinese the dominant language by degrading Tibetan from all walks of life.

Until the Communist regime is challenged and Tibetans within Tibet are denied basic human rights as guaranteed by the Chinese Constitution and international human rights law, Tibetan identity will have a dwindling future.

Hong Kong police have offered rewards of HK$1m (£103,000; $129,000) for information leading to the arrests of six pro-democracy activists living in the UK and Canada.

Among them is Tony Chung, the former leader of a pro-independence group who fled to the UK last year.

The group - which includes a former district councillor, an actor, and a YouTuber - have been lobbying for more democracy in the territory.

[...]

Also on the wanted list is former district councillor Carmen Lau and activist Chloe Cheung. Both are based in the UK and lobby on behalf of two NGOs calling for more democracy in Hong Kong.

[...]

Ms Lau posted on [social media] that the warrant would not stop her advocacy work. She called on the UK, US and EU governments to impose sanctions on "Hong Kong human rights perpetrators".

She also asked the British Labour government to "seriously reconsider its strategies for tackling transnational repression targeting Hong Kongers" and to look at blocking plans for a new Chinese embassy in Tower Hill.

As millions of Ukrainians celebrate Christmas Day, Russia has launched a major missile and drone attack on the country's energy infrastructure

President Zelensky says Russia made a "conscious choice" to launch attacks at Christmas

Ukraine's air force says it detected 184 missiles and drones - many were shot down or missed their target

Russia confirms what it calls the "massive" attack, saying the "goal was achieved"

In Kyiv, people sheltered in metro stations - "It's scary to stay at home," one woman says

There are power cuts and planned outages across the country, including in parts of Kyiv

In bitterly cold Ukraine, attacks on power sites are now a regular occurrence.

Archived version

After President-elect Donald Trump posted on Truth Social calling "the ownership and control of Greenland" an "absolute necessity," Greenland's prime minister let him know in no uncertain terms that it wouldn't be happening.

[...]

Trump posted on his platform 'Social Truth' that "the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity."

[...]

Not long afterward, Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede said the following in a written comment that rebuked Trump's suggestion:

"Greenland is ours. We are not for sale and will never be for sale. We must not lose our long struggle for freedom."

Trump was harshly criticized.

[...]

Greenland is an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, alongside the Faroe Islands, the only other autonomous territory within the Kingdom. Citizens of both Greenland and the Faroe Islands are full citizens of Denmark. As one of the Overseas Countries and Territories of the European Union, Greenland’s citizens are also recognized as EU citizens.

[...]

The United States has long recognized Greenland's strategic importance. In 1946, the U.S. even proposed purchasing Greenland from Denmark, offering $100 million in gold as part of the deal. Of course, that never panned out and the U.S. has no claim to Greenland in any way, shape, or form—regardless of what Trump might think.

Brazilian authorities have halted the construction of a factory for Chinese electric vehicle (EV) giant BYD, saying workers lived in conditions comparable to "slavery". More than 160 workers have been rescued in Brazil's northeastern state of Bahia, according to a statement from the Public Labour Prosecutor's Office (MPT).

[...]

The workers, hired by Jinjiang Construction Brazil, lived in four facilities in Camaçari city.

At one such facility, workers were made to sleep on beds without mattresses, according to prosecutors.

Each bathroom was also shared among 31 workers, forcing them to get up extremely early in order to be ready for work.

"The conditions found in the lodgings revealed an alarming picture of precariousness and degradation," the MPT said.

"Slavery-like conditions", as defined by Brazilian law, include debt bondage and work that violates human dignity.

[...]

BYD, short for Build Your Dreams, is one of the world's largest EV makers.

[...]

EV sales in China have been boosted by government subsidies. which encourage consumers to trade their petrol-powered cars for EVs or hybrids. But there is a growing backlash abroad against what some see as the Chinese government's unfair support for domestic car makers. Major markets like the US and EU have placed tariffs on EVs from China, with more tariffs expected during the incoming administration of US president-elect Donald Trump.

Archived

This is an opinionated article by Prof. (Emeritus) Yoel Elizur, The Seymour Fox School of Education, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Chairperson of the Council of Psychologists (2010-13). As a mental health officer in reserve, he was the chief supervisor of the IDF's RRC, the Israeli Defense Force's Rear Rehabilitation Centers .

The article was published in Haaretz, an Israeli newspaper commonly known as criticial of Netanyahu's government.

[...]

Moral injury occurs when soldiers act against their moral values and beliefs or participate as bystanders. Those injured in this way experience guilt and shame, and are prone to depression, anxiety and suicidal impulses. The IDF provides month-long intensive treatment to traumatized soldiers, some of whom have been morally injured, in Rear Rehabilitation Centers (RRCs). Subsequently, half of these soldiers are discharged as unfit for military duty.

[...]

The discussion of atrocities evokes emotional resistance even though it is intellectually understood that crimes exist in every civilized society and that war crimes have been committed by soldiers in every army. Developmental psychologists have identified callous traits in young children while social psychologists have demonstrated that authoritative directives and social pressure lead ordinary people to harmful behavior.

Still, it is difficult to face the violence of callous soldiers and the brutalization of ordinary soldiers. Therefore, I am not reassured when my grandson says: "Don't worry, Grandpa, I will refuse an illegal order."

I want to protect him and all others who are risking their body and mind when they serve in the IDF. I want them to know how difficult it is to stand up to a callous commander and to resist peer pressure encouraging brutality. I want them to know about the slippery slope of brutalization and get educated about the moral dilemmas they will face during wartime. This motivated me to write this essay both as a grandfather and as a psychologist who has researched soldiers' experience with brutalization.

[...]

We [fellow researcher Nuphar Ishay-Krien and the author] identified five groups of soldiers based on personality traits.

[...]

1. A small Callous group was composed of ruthless soldiers, some of whom confessed to violence before the draft. These soldiers committed most of the severe atrocities. The power they received in the army was intoxicating:

"It's like a drug ... you feel like you are the law, you make the rules. As if from the moment you leave the place called Israel and enter the Gaza Strip, you are God."

They viewed brutality as an expression of strength and masculinity.

"I have no problem with women. One threw a slipper at me, so I gave her a kick here (pointing to the groin), broke all this here. She can't have children today."

"X shot an Arab four times in the back and got away with a self-defense claim. Four bullets in the back from a distance of ten meters ... cold-blooded murder. We did things like that every day."

[...]

2. A small, ideologically violent group supported the brutality without taking part. They believed in Jewish supremacy and were derogatory toward Arabs. Moral injuries were not reported in this group.

[...]

3. A small incorruptible group opposed the influence of the callous and ideological groups on the company's culture. Initially intimidated by brutal commanders, they later* took a moral stand and went on to report the atrocities* to the division commander. Following discharge, most of them viewed their service as meaningful and strengthening. However, one whistle blower [...] was traumatized, depressed and left the country following discharge.

[...]

4. A large group of followers consisted of soldiers with no prior inclination to violence. Their behavior was most influenced by junior officers' modeling and the company's norms. Some followers who committed atrocities reported moral injuries:

"I felt like, like, like a Nazi ... it looked exactly like we were actually the Nazis and they were the Jews."

[...]

5. The restrained was a large group of inner-directed soldiers who maintained military standards and did not commit atrocities. They responded to Palestinian violence and life-threatening situations in balanced and legally justified ways.

[...]

In each of the companies, an internal culture developed that was largely shaped by junior commanders and charismatic soldiers. Initially, the norms instigated atrocities.

"A new commander came to us. We went out with him on the first patrol at six in the morning. He stops. There's not a soul in the streets, just a little 4-year-old boy playing in the sand in his yard. The commander suddenly starts running, grabs the boy, and breaks his arm at the elbow and his leg here. Stepped on his stomach three times and left. We all stood there with our mouths open. Looking at him in shock ... I asked the commander: "What's your story?" He told me: These kids need to be killed from the day they are born. When a commander does that, it becomes legit."

[...]

There is much evidence of alleged war crimes in the current war and it is easily accessible. Lee Mordechai, an Israeli historian, has been collecting, categorizing, and regularly updating the data. The data include reports by reputable institutions such as the United Nations, reporting by mainstream media outlets, and images, and videos uploaded to social media.

[...]

As the corrupting influence of the Callous and Ideologically Violent soldiers increases, the Incorruptible are marginalized. Max Kresh, a reserve fighter, declared his opposition to participating in crimes against humanity like "flattening Gaza." The result was severe social ostracism: "They kicked me out of my team. They made it clear they didn't want me." He returned from reserve duty feeling "mentally crushed."

[...]

Sde Teiman, a detention facility [where Palestinians are detained], is like a microcosm of brutalization in the current war. It became notorious when an Incorruptible veteran physician reported signs of severe sexual abuse in a detainee. Nine IDF reserve soldiers were subsequently detained on suspicion of aggravated sodomy and other forms of abuse.

[...]

A Restrained student in the reserves described brutalization [in Sde Teiman] and its effect on the Followers.

"I saw sadistic people there. People who enjoy causing suffering to others. … What was most disturbing was to see how easily and quickly ordinary people can detach themselves and not see the reality right in front of their eyes when they are in a difficult and shocking human situation."

Similarly, a reservist doctor stated:

"There is total dehumanization here. You don't really treat them as if they are human beings ... in retrospect, the hardest thing for me is what I felt, or actually what I didn't feel when I was there. It bothers me that it didn't bother me. There is normalization of the process, and at some point, it just stops bothering."

A Restrained female reservist kept her standards by escaping the facility:

"The dehumanization scared me. The encounter with such dangerous attitudes, which has become more normal in our society, was traumatic for me ... I discharged myself from reserve duty with a psychiatrist's help."

[...]

The author Prof. (Emeritus) Yoel Elizur concludes:

In this context, our government's rhetoric of hatred and revenge, which has been reinforced by its determined undermining of the justice system, led to excessive retaliation and mass killing of civilians in Gaza. It provided a tailwind for atrocities by Callous and Ideologically Violent soldiers, increased their influence over the Followers, and sidelined the Incorruptible.

[...] the senior command is responsible for upholding the values listed in the IDF's code of ethics, including purity of arms and discipline, which dictate: "IDF soldiers will not use their weapon or power to harm uninvolved civilians and prisoners" and "The soldier will ensure they are only giving out legal orders, and do not follow illegal orders." By upholding these values, they can prevent brutalization against the innocent and protect the soul of our soldiers.

We, the citizens who send our children, spouses and grandchildren to military service, must find ways of resistance. We are obligated to speak clearly in order to keep limits on the cruelty of war, to uphold our moral code, and to protect soldiers from moral injury and its long-term consequences.

cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/17728055

The Czech Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee adopted a resolution last week condemning the Chinese government’s manipulation of a key United Nations resolution on Taiwan. Similar initiatives in the parliaments of Australia, The Netherlands, the European Union, Canada, and the United Kingdom over the previous months called out Beijing’s longstanding campaign to block Taiwan’s democratic government from participating in U.N. activities. Governments willing to tackle this challenge also should confront Beijing’s strikingly similar threat to the U.N. human rights system.

At a time of global backsliding on democracy and human rights, these efforts may seem niche or Quixotic. But democracies defending one another, particularly through their own domestic institutions and not only as a matter of foreign policy, demonstrates a principled commitment. Few issues matter more to Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping than retaking control of Taiwan, and his regime has lashed out at other governments taking milder positions on the issue. But these six democracies have recognized that Xi’s posture threatens them and the U.N., one of the key international institutions on which they rely, creating considerable diplomatic momentum for a position that was unimaginable at the beginning of 2024.

The parliamentary efforts are informed by groundbreaking report earlier this year by scholars Bonnie S. Glaser and Jacques deLisle for the German Marshall Fund of the United States, “Exposing the PRC’s Distortion of UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to Press its Claims Over Taiwan.” It details Beijing’s decades-long efforts to launder its claims of sovereignty through the United Nations.

But the political pathologies detailed — and the recommendations offered — could equally apply to Beijing’s efforts to undermine human rights at the world’s flagship body. The similarities cannot be an accident: “flawed legal assumptions” (as Glaser and deLisle put it), decades of pressure, diplomatic capitulations, and weak responses from democracies neatly summarize how Xi seeks to neutralize U.N. human rights initiatives.

[...]

cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/17727229

A growing number of Chinese are fleeing their home country, where rising authoritarianism under the rule of Xi Jinping and the difficulties of a faltering economy has prompted some people to look for a way out. The phenomenon has become so widely discussed online that it has its own nickname: runxue, or run philosophy, a coded term for emigration.

Some are relocating on student or business visas, joining growing diaspora communities in places like Japan or Thailand. But tens of thousands of others who don’t qualify or have the resources for such pathways are fleeing in other unconventional and often dangerous ways, known as zouxian, or walking the line.

Most head for the US, trekking from South America through the hostile jungle of the Darian Gap. In September the Guardian revealed a small but growing number were also flying into the Balkans to find smugglers to take them to Germany. Now, another emerging high-stakes escape route has been revealed, through the Indonesian archipelago to a smuggler’s boat destined for Australia.

[...]

Experts say the arrival of Chinese people on this route signals growing discontent at home.

Some Chinese migrants in the US and Europe have said tightening restrictions on political, religious and social freedoms during Xi’s rule led them to flee. Others cited stifling public health policies during the pandemic, and the economic downturn, housing crunch, and youth unemployment crisis that followed.

Meredith Oyen, an associate professor at the University of Maryland at Baltimore County, specialising in Chinese migration, says politics and economics are push factors.

“The zero-Covid policy ended up destroying a lot of small businesses and a lot of middle class people’s economic life … The combination of that and the draconian nature of some of those policies led to frustrations and more political dissatisfactions.

“Even if you’re not driven by political repression, the experience of bankruptcy in China is political, it has more blowback on your life compared to places like the US. So it feels like if you’re just going to be languishing in China and you don’t see hope for recovery in a way that makes you a welcome member of society, you might as well risk it.”

[...]

China does not release statistics on people leaving, but the UN’s refugee agency – which has registered around a third of all displaced people and refugees – recorded 137,143 asylum seekers from China in 2023, five times the number registered a decade earlier at the start of Xi’s rule. By July this year it had grown to 176,239.

[...]

Last week, a Chinese resident commented on a Douyin video about zouxian [a term used in mainland China usually for Chinese trying to escape to the U.S. via the -dangerous- Darien Gap in Latin America] to Australia. “I’m at the end of the road. I can’t survive any more. I want to go. I want to go very much,” he said.

[...]

Archived version

Sweden's foreign minister said Monday that China had denied a request for prosecutors to conduct an investigation on a Chinese ship linked to two severed Baltic Sea cables despite Beijing pledging "cooperation" with regional authorities.

Sections of two telecom cables were cut on November 17 and 18 in Swedish territorial waters. Suspicions have been directed at the Yi Peng 3, which according to ship tracking sites had sailed over the cables around the time they were cut.

[...]

"China is willing to maintain communication and cooperation with the countries involved to advance the follow-up handling of the incident," [spokeswoman Mao Ning] said.

Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard also noted Monday that Swedish prosecutors had not been allowed to conduct an investigation.

"Swedish police have been on board as observers in connection with the Chinese investigation... At the same time, I note that China has not heeded our request for the prosecutor to conduct an investigation on board," Stenergard said in a statement to AFP.

[...]

Sweden's prosecutor Henrik Soderman [said] that no measures had been taken on board the ship as part of the Swedish judicial probe, including questioning crew members or technical investigations.

[...]

"Our request that Swedish prosecutors, together with the police and others, be allowed to take certain investigative measures within the framework of the investigation on board remains. We have been clear with China on this," Stenergard said.

[...]

European officials have said they suspect sabotage linked to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

[...]

Early on November 17, the Arelion cable running from the Swedish island of Gotland to Lithuania was damaged.

The next day, the C-Lion 1 submarine cable connecting Helsinki and the German port of Rostock was cut south of Sweden's Oland island, around 700 kilometres (435 miles) from Helsinki.

Tensions have mounted around the Baltic Sea since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

[...]

In October 2023, an undersea gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia was shut down after it was damaged by the anchor of a Chinese cargo ship.

[...]

Archived version

Companies partially owned by billionaires closely tied to Vladimir Putin continue to export their products to Western markets without disruption.

An investigation by The Insider revealed that even individuals under sanctions are earning billions from deals with EU countries. They exploit a loophole that allows firms to operate freely in EU markets so long as sanctioned individuals hold less than 50% of the company’s shares. This loophole enables some of the most controversial oligarchs, including Gennady Timchenko, Alisher Usmanov, and Oleg Deripaska, to reap massive profits from trade with Europe.

Archived

As Russia approaches its annual New Year celebrations, a once-joyous occasion now seems more like a grim countdown to the country falling off an economic precipice.

With warning lights flashing, ordinary Russians are tightening their belts amid galloping inflation and a plunging ruble while the Kremlin raises the possibility of introducing food cards for the poor. All the while, the Central Bank is scrambling to stabilize the economy through interest rate hikes and foreign currency interventions.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has already confirmed that fireworks will be canceled again this year due to the ongoing war with Ukraine. Meanwhile, old friends of mine in Moscow are beginning to panic about affording the traditional New Year’s Eve feast, as inflation and a weakened ruble threaten to shrink the usual abundant spread of fine food and booze.

[...]

This year, as inflation takes its toll, the cost of Olivier [Olivier salad is described as are the centerpiece of any Russian holiday spread] has soared. Key ingredients like chicken and mayonnaise have risen by over 30%, while potatoes have spiked by a staggering 65%. According to RIA Novosti, citing Rosstat data, four servings of this holiday staple will now cost 553 rubles — an 8.5% jump in the Olivier Index.

[...]

Many Russian bankers and industrialists now worry that the economy could be heading into a tailspin like 2008, when a credit crisis led to waves of bankruptcies.

[...]

Surging borrowing costs are now pushing many companies into a debt spiral, with interest payments eating up one in every four rubles they earn.

[...]

Ralf Ringer, Russia’s largest shoe manufacturer, which was declared bankrupt on Dec. 7 after its accounts were blocked due to debts and fines of 1.5 billion rubles.

Real estate developer Samolet is now slashing jobs amid a slump in new apartment sales. By the end of 2024, around 2,000 employees are expected to be laid off, following 5,000 job cuts earlier this year, according to a Lifenews report on Dec. 8.

Even Kremlin loyalists like Sberbank CEO Herman Gref are publicly admitting that the economy is tanking.

[...]

Nearly two thousand Georgian businesses have signed a petition calling for new elections, and more are expected to join as the political crisis fueled by Georgian Dream’s foreign policy U-turn and police repression continues to disrupt the economy.

Over 1,800 companies, including leading supermarket chains such as SPAR, local branches of Big Four accounting firms such as EY, PwC, and KPMG, communications and transport giants such as MagtiCom, and other top brands, are registered on the Free Business online platform. The platform was launched in December as discontent over Georgian Dream’s foreign policy moves and repression peaked.

[...]

Some companies have taken a different route to show solidarity with the ongoing protests. Georgia’s two major commercial banks, TBC Bank and the Bank of Georgia, announced on December 19 that they had jointly allocated GEL 5 million (USD 1.8 million) to support citizens and small and micro-businesses affected by the ongoing events.

[...]

The moves come as nationwide protests enter their fourth week and businesses, artists, and other citizens face financial disruptions, including numerous cancellations of Christmas/New Year’s events as the year draws to a close. Various solidarity funds have been set up to help those who have incurred damages due to the crisis.

These include a fund set up by ex-Prime Minister Nika Gilauri to support those injured or fined during protests and civil servants dismissed for political reasons. The University of Georgia has also set up a fund to support civil servants who quit or were fired because of their political views, and there is a strike fund run by the Gildia, the trade union for cultural and media workers, to help gig workers. Other initiatives, such as the fund run by journalist Nanuka Zhorzholiani, have been operating since the spring protests against the Foreign Agents Law.

[...]

cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/17710409

Archived link

Hundreds of Tibetans protesting against a Chinese dam were rounded up in a harsh crackdown earlier this year, with some beaten and seriously injured, the BBC has learnt from sources and verified footage.

Such protests are extremely rare in Tibet, which China has tightly controlled since it annexed the region in the 1950s. That they still happened highlights China's controversial push to build dams in what has long been a sensitive area.

Claims of the arrests and beatings began trickling out shortly after the events in February. In the following days authorities further tightened restrictions, making it difficult for anyone to verify the story, especially journalists who cannot freely travel to Tibet.

But the BBC has spent months tracking down Tibetan sources whose family and friends were detained and beaten. BBC Verify has also examined satellite imagery and verified leaked videos which show mass protests and monks begging the authorities for mercy.

The sources live outside of China and are not associated with activist groups. But they did not wish to be named for safety reasons.

[...]

The protests, followed by the crackdown, took place in a territory home to Tibetans in Sichuan province. For years, Chinese authorities have been planning to build the massive Gangtuo dam and hydropower plant, also known as Kamtok in Tibetan, in the valley straddling the Dege (Derge) and Jiangda (Jomda) counties.

Once built, the dam's reservoir would submerge an area that is culturally and religiously significant to Tibetans, and home to several villages and ancient monasteries containing sacred relics.

One of them, the 700-year-old Wangdui (Wontoe) Monastery, has particular historical value as its walls feature rare Buddhist murals.

The Gangtuo dam would also displace thousands of Tibetans. The BBC has seen what appears to be a public tender document for the relocation of 4,287 residents to make way for the dam.

[...]

China is no stranger to controversy when it comes to dams.

When the government constructed the world's biggest dam in the 90s - the Three Gorges on the Yangtze River - it saw protests and criticism over its handling of relocation and compensation for thousands of villagers.

In more recent years, as China has accelerated its pivot from coal to clean energy sources, such moves have become especially sensitive in Tibetan territories.

Beijing has been eyeing the steep valleys and mighty rivers here, in the rural west, to build mega-dams and hydropower stations that can sustain China's electricity-hungry eastern metropolises. President Xi Jinping has personally pushed for this, a policy called "xidiandongsong", or "sending western electricity eastwards".

[...]

The Chinese government has long been accused of violating Tibetans' rights. Activists say the dams are the latest example of Beijing's exploitation of Tibetans and their land.

"What we are seeing is the accelerated destruction of Tibetan religious, cultural and linguistic heritage," said Tenzin Choekyi, a researcher with rights group Tibet Watch. "This is the 'high-quality development' and 'ecological civilisation' that the Chinese government is implementing in Tibet."

One key issue is China's relocation policy that evicts Tibetans from their homes to make way for development - it is what drove the protests by villagers and monks living near the Gangtuo dam. More than 930,000 rural Tibetans are estimated to have been relocated since 2000, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW).

[...]

Multiple Tibetan rights groups [...] argue that any large-scale development in Tibetan territory, including dams such as Gangtuo, should be halted.

They have staged protests overseas and called for an international moratorium, arguing that companies participating in such projects would be "allowing the Chinese government to profit from the occupation and oppression of Tibetans".

[...]

Archived link

Serbia has been engulfed in protests for over six weeks as students and citizens demand accountability following the fatal collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad, which claimed 15 lives on November 1. Demonstrators have accused President Aleksandar Vucic’s administration of corruption and negligence, particularly in its dealings with Chinese contractors under Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The tragedy has turned public attention toward the opaque contracts and alleged nepotism tied to infrastructure projects involving Chinese firms, further intensifying scrutiny of Serbia’s growing relationship with China. The incident is not only a domestic crisis but also a potential blemish on China’s ambitious BRI.

Fatal Canopy Collapse Sparks Nationwide Protests

The canopy collapse occurred during a renovation of the Novi Sad railway station, part of a Chinese-led project to modernize Serbia’s railway infrastructure. The project involved China Railway International Co. (CRIC) and China Communications Construction Co. (CCCC), both of which denied direct involvement in constructing the canopy. Despite these claims, footage on social media suggests the collapse was caused by recently installed heavy glass.

[...]

President Vucic dismissed the protests as being fueled by foreign intelligence agencies aiming to destabilize his government. However, under mounting pressure, he agreed to meet some of the protesters’ demands. Transparency Serbia, a watchdog organization, criticized the government’s response, highlighting gaps in the documentation released, including the absence of the 2018 contract signed with the Chinese firms.

[...]

The Novi Sad railway renovation forms part of a broader agreement between Serbia and China under the BRI. These BRI agreements often include confidentiality clauses, which critics argue shield corrupt practices. The contracts are rarely open to competitive bidding, enabling subcontracts to be awarded to firms linked to Serbia’s ruling party.

While CRIC and CCCC maintain they did not directly construct the canopy, legal experts argue that as umbrella contractors, they are responsible for the performance of their subcontractors. This raises broader concerns about the quality and safety of BRI projects, particularly those involving local subcontractors.

[...]

Serbia’s strategic location as a bridge between Europe and Asia has made it a linchpin of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s flagship BRI. Chinese investments in Serbia have surged, with $6.4 billion in manufacturing foreign direct investments recorded in 2023 alone. In October, the two countries signed a free trade agreement, further cementing their economic ties.

However, Western critics have long decried BRI projects for their lack of transparency and accountability. The Novi Sad disaster could amplify these criticisms, undermining China’s efforts to promote its infrastructure projects in Europe.

[...]

The draft law replaces legislation from 1984 and targets internet users who have more than 100,000 followers on a single platform or 200,000 across several, the justice ministry said in a statement.

These outlets and the platforms that host them must have a mechanism to facilitate citizens' right to ask that false or inaccurate information that harms them be corrected publicly, the ministry said.

The correction request will no longer have to be addressed to the outlet's director because confirming their identity is difficult for many "pseudo media", justice minister Félix Bolaños told a press conference.

Manufacturers say that installing a couple of 300-watt panels will give a saving of up to 30% on a typical household’s electricity bill. With an outlay of €400-800 and with no installation cost, the panels could pay for themselves within six years.

In Spain, where two thirds of the population live in apartments and installing panels on the roof requires the consent of a majority of the building’s residents, this DIY technology has obvious advantages.

With solar balconies, no such consent is required unless the facade is listed as of historic interest or there is a specific prohibition from the residents’ association or the local authority. Furthermore, as long as the installation does not exceed 800 watts it doesn’t require certification, which can cost from €100 to €400, depending on the area.

As with all solar power systems, balcony power only works in daylight and a battery storage system can add at least €1,000 to the installation cost.

Vernetta says the vertical surface area of cities is far greater than that of the roofs and that, in Spain, balcony panels benefit more than roof panels from the low winter sun.

Cities such as Helsinki are already experimenting with buildings with solar panel cladding.

Of the more than 3,000 candidates who ran for seats for provincial governors, city leaders, and regents across the country, more than a dozen were influencers. Shu, 37, has more than 200,000 followers on TikTok and about 2.8 million on Instagram. She has been a member of the NasDem Party since 2018, often seen at campaign rallies for party leaders. Still, it is through her social media platforms that voters in Cilacap in Central Java know her best.

Shu did not win, but she is among dozens of influencers in Indonesia trying to parlay their social media success into a career in politics. More than 20 influencers were elected to the Indonesian parliament in the national election in February, the highest number so far. That shows that influencers are gaining the trust of voters, Pradipa Rasidi, a digital anthropologist, told Rest of World.

While Indonesian political parties have a long history of recruiting famous people to boost their chances in polls, the fact that this has now become routine underlines a larger issue of the parties having “failed to foster a new generation of politicians,” Titi Anggraini, an advisory board member at the advocacy group Association for Elections and Democracy, told Rest of World.

With few strong candidates, “they have to increasingly rely on influencers to win elections,” she said. Politicians tend to pick celebrities because of their fame and following rather than their leadership qualities because “people ultimately vote for familiar faces over politicians who they don’t know.”

Candidates who run for office don’t need to have a political background or other relevant experience. But what is worrying is that even after being elected, “most celebrities and influencers don’t spend enough time learning and understanding the party’s ideologies … so they focus more on appealing to people’s emotions and less about educating them, or themselves, about the programs and policies,” Titi said.

Since October 2023, Israeli authorities have deliberately obstructed Palestinians’ access to the adequate amount of water required for survival in the Gaza Strip, according to a report published by Human Rights Watch (HRW).

Because of the decimation of the healthcare system in Gaza since October 2023, including disease tracking, the true scale of those harmed or killed by Israeli authorities’ actions that have deprived Palestinians of adequate water is unknown and may likely never be fully understood. However, these policies have likely contributed to thousands of deaths. Doctors and nurses told Human Rights Watch that they had seen numerous infants, children, and adults die from a combination of malnutrition, dehydration, and disease.

[...]

Israeli authorities made clear their intention to deprive the population of Gaza of necessities after October 7, 2023. On October 9, then-Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant ordered “a complete siege” on Gaza, stating “[t]here will be no electricity, no food, no water, no fuel, everything is closed.” On October 11, 2023, then-Energy Minister and current Minister of Defense Israel Katz echoed the call for electricity, water, and fuel to be cut, and on October 12, 2023, he called for humanitarian aid to be cut as well.

[...]

In the days after the Hamas-led attacks by Palestinian armed groups in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, senior Israeli officials, including former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, and former Energy Minister and current Defense Minister Israel Katz made public statements expressing the government’s aim to deprive civilians in Gaza of water, HRW says, citing sources.

[...]

Israeli authorities have also significantly restricted humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, prevented aid deliveries to different areas within Gaza at various times, and have specifically blocked supplies related to water treatment and production, HRW says.

[...]

Israeli authorities have barred nearly all water-related humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, including water filtration systems, water tanks, and materials needed to repair water infrastructure.

[...]

Archived

The bloc’s diplomatic service, as well as some member states, are examining whether judicial decisions would be needed as a legal basis to seize the frozen assets, or if a damage calculation would be enough, said the people, who asked for anonymity to discuss the sensitive issue.

[...]

A decision to confiscate the money and hand it over to Ukraine would be a significant departure from the current approach. [...] Up to now, the EU and the Group of Seven nations have tapped the profits generated by some $300 billion in sanctioned Russian assets to provide aid to Ukraine. Under a G-7 plan, Kyiv’s allies approved a mechanism where the profits would be used to underpin a €50 billion ($52.5 billion) loan package for Kyiv.

[Confiscation of foreign assets, let alone of that size, would be unprecedented in history. While central bank reserves have been frozen many times -e.g., the United States are still holding the reserves of Iraq and Afghanistan, yet technically they remain the property of these countries. Central bank reserves of another country have never been confiscated before.]

[...]

Some EU member states are currently evaluating what effect such a move would have on the euro as a currency, the people said. They’re also assessing the potential impact of third countries deciding to withdraw assets from countries that proceed with seizures.

[...]

Kaja Kallas, the EU’s new foreign policy chief who runs its diplomatic service, said during her confirmation hearing last month that frozen assets should be tapped directly. “I will not use the word confiscation, because it’s really using the assets in a legal way,” she said.

[...]

Archived

Around 30,000 Russians of working age die annually from HIV, according to Vadim Pokrovsky, the head of Russia’s Federal Methodological Centre for HIV/AIDS Prevention.

This figure continues to rise alongside increasing treatment costs for the government and a lack of early HIV testing.

Speaking to TASS, Pokrovsky revealed that the Russian government spends RUB70bn ($670mn) per year on HIV treatment. The epidemic is exacerbated by the loss of economically active individuals, which Pokrovsky highlighted as a critical economic blow.

“If each year we lose 30,000 young, able-bodied people who could work for another 20-30 years, that is an additional loss [to the economy],” he said.

Russia’s HIV epidemic, which has resulted in 1.7mn infections and nearly 500,000 deaths to date, stems primarily from gaps in early diagnosis and inconsistent treatment availability. Reports indicate that shortages of antiretroviral drugs, including the vital medication Dolutegravir, have emerged due to disrupted supply chains and procurement issues, with some supply tenders being cancelled altogether.

While heterosexual transmission is now the most common means of spreading HIV in Russia, marginalised groups such as drug users, sex workers and gay men remain disproportionately vulnerable. Reduced funding for HIV testing – currently 30% below the recommended levels – has further undermined efforts at early detection, despite calls from medical experts for regular screenings to prevent immune system deterioration.

In a stark warning, Finnish Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen emphasized that Russia and its allies will continue to pose a threat to European security, even after the conflict in Ukraine ends. His remarks came during a press conference where he stressed that European nations cannot discount the possibility of military threats from Russia.

Finland made headlines on Thursday by releasing its inaugural defence policy review since joining the NATO military alliance last year. This strategic decision was largely motivated by Russia's aggressive invasion of Ukraine, compelling Finland to reevaluate its defense posture in the region.

Finland, like Ukraine, is a neighbour to Russia, sharing a more than 1,300-km (800-mile) border that is currently closed to all travellers as Helsinki accuses Moscow of funnelling illegal migration to Europe.

Hakkanen, presenting a review of the Nordic country's military, said he saw Russia's increased cooperation with North Korea, Iran and China as a long-term risk, according to Reuters.

The review underscores Finland's heightened security concerns amidst Russia's ongoing military activities and highlights the nation's commitment to bolstering its defenses against potential threats from its eastern neighbor and its allies.

(With inputs from agencies. Edit for clarity.)

Suspected of stabbing the president of the company where he was employed, Nathan Mahoney was arraigned on Wednesday morning, charged with assault with intent to murder and fleeing and eluding a police officer.

According to court documents, the 32-year-old man from Walker allegedly walked into a conference room during a morning meeting at Anderson Express on Tuesday and stabbed the company president with a "red-handled" knife.