Sunday, October 09, 2022

Thirteen killed, dozens hurt in Zaporizhzhia city missile attack, Ukraine officials say
Reuters


Shelling levels five residential buildings overnight

Nine-storey building partially destroyed

People trapped under rubble, rescue operations underway

Zelenskiy calls strikes 'merciless'


KYIV, Oct 9 (Reuters) - A Russian missile attack early on Sunday struck an apartment block and other residential buildings in Ukraine’s southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, killing at least 13 people and injuring 87 others, including 10 children, Ukrainian officials said.

The pre-dawn fusillade was the second of its kind against the city in three days. It came a day after a blast hit Russia’s road-and-rail bridge to Crimea, the key supply line for Russian forces battling to hold territory around the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson.

Russian aircraft launched at least 12 missiles into Zaporizhzhia in the latest strike, partially destroying a nine-storey apartment block, leveling five other residential buildings and damaging many more, said Oleksandr Starukh, governor of the Zaporizhzhia region.

"Twelve missiles came, all from planes," he said on state-run television.

At least 13 people died and 87 others were wounded, 60 of whom were hospitalized, regional officials said. The wounded included 10 children.

The rescue operation at the nine-storey apartment building was complicated by a fire that broke out in the rubble, Starukh said.

"We pulled people out quickly and saved eight people already, but when the fire starts then people (under the rubble) have practically no chance of surviving as there is no oxygen," he added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned the attack as "absolute evil" by people he called "savages and terrorists", vowing those responsible would be brought to justice.



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A local woman from a residential building heavily damaged by a Russian missile strike looks at the rescue work, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, looks at a work of rescuers in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine October 9, 2022. REUTERS/Stringer

Zaporizhzhia city, about 52 km (30 miles) from a Russian-held nuclear power plant, has been under frequent shelling in recent weeks, with 19 people killed on Thursday.

“Zaporizhzhia again. Merciless strikes on peaceful people again. On residential buildings, just in the middle of the night," Zelenskiy said on the Telegram messaging app.

Emergency workers and firefighters cordoned off the nine-storey building and dug for survivors and casualties in the smouldering rubble of a massive central section that had collapsed.

The blast wrecked cars and left torn metal window frames, balconies and air conditioners dangling from the building’s shrapnel-pitted facade.

Rescue workers carried the bodies of residents who died out through a window and laid them out on the ground under blankets and in body bags.

Most of the Zaporizhzhia region, including the nuclear plant, have been under Russian control since the early days of Russia's invasion. The capital of the region, Zaporizhzhia city, remains under Ukrainian control.

Ukraine, the United States, the European Union, and human rights organizations have accused Russia of committing war crimes since its full-scale invasion began in February, saying attacks on civilian infrastructure, including schools and hospitals, have killed and wounded thousands of people.

Moscow denies deliberately attacking civilians during what it calls a “special military operation” to demilitarize its neighbour.


'Residents have been left shocked by the strikes in Zaporizhzhia'



Russia missile strikes in Zaporizhzhia kill 13



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Rescuers and local residents remove debris at a site of a residential area heavily damaged by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine October 9, 2022.
 REUTERS/Stringer


Summary

Russian missile attacks in southeastern Ukraine kill 13

Russia says rail traffic across bridge running on schedule

Bridge across Kerch Strait vital to supply Russian troops

Imposing structure is a symbol of Russia's annexation of Crimea



KYIV, Oct 9 (Reuters) - A Russian missile attack early on Sunday struck an apartment block and other residential buildings in Ukraine's southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, killing at least 13 people and wounding 87 others, including 10 children, Ukrainian officials said.

Rail services and partial road traffic meanwhile resumed a day after a powerful blast damaged a bridge linking Russia to Crimea that is a key supply route to Moscow's forces battling in southern Ukraine and an imposing symbol of its annexation of the peninsula.

Saturday's explosion on the bridge over the Kerch Strait prompted gleeful messages from Ukrainian officials but no claim of responsibility. Russia did not immediately assign blame for the blast, which images showed blew away half of a section of the bridge's roadway, with the other half still attached.

The pre-dawn fusillade in Zaporizhzhia on Sunday was the second of its kind against the city in three days.

Russian aircraft launched at least 12 missiles, partially destroying a nine-storey apartment block, levelling five other residential buildings and damaging many more, Oleksandr Starukh, governor of the Zaporizhzhia region, said on state-run television.

At least 13 people died and 87 others were wounded, 60 of whom were hospitalized, regional officials said. The wounded included 10 children.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned the attack as "absolute evil" by people he called "savages and terrorists", vowing those responsible would be brought to justice.

Zaporizhzhia city, about 52 km (30 miles) from a Russian-held nuclear power plant, has been under frequent shelling in recent weeks, with 19 people killed on Thursday.

Emergency workers and firefighters cordoned off the nine-storey building and dug for survivors and casualties in the smouldering rubble of a massive central section that had collapsed.

The blast wrecked cars and left torn metal window frames, balconies and air conditioners dangling from the building's shrapnel-pitted facade.

Most of the Zaporizhzhia region, including the nuclear plant, have been under Russian control since the early days of Russia's invasion in February. The capital of the region, Zaporizhzhia city, remains under Ukrainian control.


KERCH STRAIT


Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin said divers would start work on Sunday examining damage to the Crimea Bridge, with a more detailed survey above the waterline expected to be complete by day's end, domestic news agencies reported.

"The situation is manageable - it's unpleasant, but not fatal," Crimea's Russian governor, Sergei Aksyonov, told reporters. "Of course, emotions have been triggered and there is a healthy desire to seek revenge."

Russia's transport ministry said freight trains and long-distance passenger trains across the bridge were running according to schedule on Sunday. Limited road traffic resumed on Saturday around 10 hours after the blast.

"Only passenger cars will use the road section of the Crimean bridge until a special order is issued. The railway line will operate as normal. Buses of all types and heavy vehicles will be transported by ferry," Aksyonov wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

It was not yet clear if Saturday's blast was a deliberate attack, but the damage to such a high-profile structure came amid battlefield defeats for Russia, and could further cloud Kremlin reassurances that the conflict is going to plan.

Aksyonov has said the peninsula had a month's worth of fuel and more than two months' worth of food. Russia's defence ministry said on Saturday its forces in southern Ukraine could be "fully supplied" through existing land and sea routes.

Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and the 19-km (12-mile) bridge linking the region to its transport network was opened with great fanfare four years later by President Vladimir Putin.

Kyiv demands that Russian forces leave the Black Sea peninsula, as well as Ukrainian territory they have seized in the invasion Putin launched in February.

The bridge is a major artery for Russian forces in southern Ukraine and for the port of Sevastopol, where the Russian Black Sea fleet is based.

Russian officials said three people were killed in the blast early on Saturday morning. On the bridge's upper level, seven fuel tanker wagons of a 59-wagon train heading for the peninsula also caught fire.

Russia's federal anti-terrorism agency said on Saturday that a freight truck blew up on the bridge's roadway. It said two spans of road bridge had partially collapsed, but that the arch spanning the channel through which ships travel between the Black Sea and Azov Sea was not damaged.


Russian rockets kill 17 in Zaporizhzhia as bloggers rip Putin after Crimea bridge blast

By Adam Schrader

Ukrainian rescuers inspect debris of a missile at the site of shelling in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, on Sunday. At least 17 persons were killed and 49 injured. Photo by Ukraine National Police/EPA-EFE

Oct. 9 (UPI) -- Russian forces blitzed the city of Zaporizhzhia overnight, firing a barrage of missiles that killed at least 17 people, Ukrainian officials said.

Anatolii Kurtiev, the acting mayor of Zaporizhzhia, said on Telegram that at least 40 other people were injured. Five homes were destroyed and dozens of buildings were damaged, including four educational institutions.

"At this time, 17 people are known to have died. Sincere condolences to the relatives," Kurtiev said.

Kurtiev said that 35 of the 40 people injured by the rocket strikes are in moderate condition and are being treated in city hospitals.

He added that two children are also being treated and are in "light condition" while Oleksandr Starukh, the governor of the Zaporizhzhia province, said that at least six children were hospitalized after the rocket strikes.

A video shared to Twitter by the citizen media organization Ukraine Front Lines shows dozens of emergency officials and volunteers sifting through the debris and looking for survivors.

Starukh said preliminary information showed that Russia had fired at least 12 missiles on Zaporizhzhia which partially destroyed a nine-floor apartment building, sharing images of the destruction on Telegram.

"There may be people under the rubble. A rescue operation is underway at the scene. Eight people have already been rescued. The victims are provided with the necessary assistance," Starukh said.

Russia has apparently been ramping up its targeting of civilians as Moscow fights to keep a hold on the four Ukrainian provinces it illegally annexed, including Zaporizhzhia - which is home to the largest nuclear power plant in Europe.

The rocket strikes also came a day after a blast damaged the Kerch Strait Bridge, the sole bridge linking Russia to Crimea -- the Ukrainian territory previously illegally annexed by Russia in 2014 as relations between the two countries deteriorated.

It was not immediately clear if the rocket strikes on Zaporizhzhia were linked to the destruction of the bridge, but Russian war bloggers criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for not publicly commenting on the damage to the bridge and calling for revenge.

"The Russian Federation is simply hit on the cheek and spit into an obediently open mouth," one Russian blogger wrote on Telegram.

"There are no such public responses for the results of activities, because the Russian Federation is run by traitors and degenerates. Degenerates and traitors."

Another Russian war blogger wrote on Telegram that "150 million people are eager to know if the time has come for the stubborn Ukrainian boss to understand what will be the retaliatory target" after the destruction of the bridge.

"If, after today's terrorist attack on the Crimean bridge, organized by Ukrainian terrorists personally by the President of Russia, no measures and decisive responses are taken, then this will be taken as weakness of the President himself," another Russian blogger wrote on Telegram.

"The Crimean bridge is a symbol of the Putin era. The attempt on the Crimean bridge is an attempt on Putin himself. In response to this terrorist attack, not a single bridge should remain in Ukraine."

Russia's Transport Ministry told the Moscow-controlled news agency TASS that passenger and freight traffic has since resumed across the bridge to Crimea.

"Currently, the railway traffic of long-distance passenger and freight trains across the Crimean Bridge proceeds under the statutory schedule," the statement from Russia's Transport Ministry reads.

Russian officials said that the blast had killed three people and caused two lanes to collapse but a lane remains intact.

"This is a future without occupiers. Throughout our territory, in particular in Crimea," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address Saturday.

"If the occupiers flee while they have a chance, this will be the best option for them. If they are forced to stay, any occupier can find a way to surrender to Ukrainian captivity."

Twitter locks Kanye West's account for antisemitic tweet following warm Elon Musk welcome

Taylor Hatmaker
Sun, October 9, 2022



Elon Musk's troubling, nascent vision for Twitter was on full display this weekend after the SpaceX and Tesla CEO strode into the center of a content moderation controversy created by Kanye West, who now goes by Ye.

West popped up on Twitter Friday night for the first time since November 2020, tweeting "Look at this Mark, How you gone kick me off instagram" with a blurry photo of himself and Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg singing karaoke. The company confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that Instagram indeed removed content from West's account and placed restrictions on it following repeated policy violations. While West's account was still visible on Sunday, it's likely frozen from posting new content temporarily.

West's recent Instagram posts are all screenshots of texts, and the post that broke Instagram's rules appears to have been a conversation with Sean "Diddy" Combs in which he invoked antisemitic tropes, accusing the other musician of being controlled by "the Jewish people."

Future Twitter owner Elon Musk quickly swept in to welcome West back to the platform, in spite of the troubled artist's very recent expressions of antisemitism.

West appears to have interpreted Musk's warm welcome as a green light, elaborating on his antisemitic conspiracies in a tweet only 12 hours later. "I'm a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I'm going death [sic] con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE," West tweeted on Saturday night. " … You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda."



In spite of Musk's stamp of approval, Twitter removed the tweet, which invoked anti-Jewish stereotypes often espoused by white supremacists and locked West's account "due to a violation of Twitter’s policies," a Twitter spokesperson confirmed to TechCrunch.

Just before sowing chaos on Instagram and Twitter, West stirred up controversy at Paris fashion week, debuting a new line in a pop-up warehouse show that included a shirt with the phrase "White Lives Matter." The incident immediately pitted West again much of the fashion industry, which spoke out against him and defended Vogue Editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, who West attacked for criticizing his stunt as "deeply offensive, violent and dangerous."

If Elon Musk gets his way, Twitter will lose years of progress

Instagram and Twitter Restrict Kanye West’s Accounts for Antisemitic Comments


Bryan Kress
Sun, October 9, 2022 

In this article:


The post Instagram and Twitter Restrict Kanye West’s Accounts for Antisemitic Comments appeared first on Consequence.

Kanye West’s Twitter and Instagram accounts have both been restricted after the controversial artist made antisemitic comments on the platforms over the weekend.

According to Rolling Stone, sources confirmed that certain content from West’s Instagram was restricted or deleted by Meta on Friday (October 7th). The action came after the rapper posted screenshots of a text exchange with Diddy in which Ye made several antisemitic innuendos. The post was subsequently deleted and condemned by groups like the American Jewish Committee via Instagram.

West then jumped to Twitter for the first time since 2020 on Saturday, where he posted a photo of him and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg along with the caption, “Look at this Mark – How you gone kick me off instagram.” Despite a warm welcome from would-be Twitter CEO Elon Musk, West was also booted from the platform within 24 hours after responding to antisemitic outcries with an unrepentantly racist post that read: “I’m a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I’m going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE The funny thing is I actually can’t be Anti Semitic because black people are actually Jew also You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda.” The post was removed and West’s Twitter account was locked out by Sunday morning due to “violations of Twitter’s policies.”

The social media lockout caps a week of troubling public appearances by West, who debuted a “White Lives Matter” shirt at a Yeezy show and doubled down on his decision while directing further ire at Vogue editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, Gigi Hadid, Black Lives Matter, and Jared Kushner during an interview on Fox News’ Tucker Carlson Tonight.

West’s most recent rants are sadly no surprise in this era of the once-admired artist’s embattled career. His complicated history was summarized best by Consequence’s 15th anniversary coverage in which West earned spots in retrospectives like, “How Music Has Evolved Over the Last 15 Years” and more importantly, “How Do We Reckon with Great Music by Terrible People?”

Kanye West slams Zuckerberg for Instagram restriction, earns praise from Elon Musk

By Adam Schrader

American rapper and entrepreneur Kanye West, wearing a bulletproof vest, addresses supporters during his first campaign event in the 2020 presidential election. File Photo by Richard Ellis/UPI | License Photo

Oct. 9 (UPI) -- Musician Kanye West has slammed Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg after Instagram, which is owned by the social media company, restricted his account over rants on the platform that have been viewed as anti-Semitic.

"Look at this Mark. How you gone kick me off Instagram. You used to be my [expletive]," West, 45, tweeted Saturday. Hours later, he added in another tweet: "Who you think created cancel culture?"

West's Instagram account was restricted Friday night after he posted a screenshot of text messages with Sean Combs, also known as P. Diddy, stemming from his controversial "White Lives Matter" shirt at Paris Fashion Week last Monday and a feud with Tremaine Emory over comments about the late Virgil Abloh.

A Twitter spokesperson confirmed to UPI on Sunday that West has now also been locked out of his account on that platform as well.

In the since-deleted messages with Combs, Diddy asked West to "stop playing these internet games" to which West responded that he would use Combs as "an example to show the Jewish people that told you to call me that no one can threaten or influence me."

West, in a now-deleted tweet, also said after the restriction he "can't be anti-Semitic" because "Black people are actually Jew also."

"You guys have toyed with me and tried to blackball anyone whoever opposes your agenda," West said.

West, who seemingly most recently tweeted in November 2020, returned to the platform Friday after he was restricted on Instagram.

"Welcome back to Twitter, my friend!" Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla who is seeking to acquire the platform, tweeted at the rapper.

Facebook has not restricted West.

West went on a rant during an interview with right-wing commentator Tucker Carlson on his Fox News program on Thursday in which he doubled down on his "White Lives Matter" shirt, called the promotion of obesity "genocide of the Black race" and criticized his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian.
UN’s Guterres calls for international troops to intervene in Haiti

Issued on: 10/10/2022 -


















Gang violence has crippled transport and hampered efforts to combat Haiti’s first outbreak of cholera since 2019. Pictured, a cholera clinic run by Doctors Without Borders in Cité Soleil, a densely populated commune of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, October 7, 2022. 

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has proposed that one or several countries send “a rapid action force” to help Haiti’s police remove a threat posed by armed gangs, according to a letter to the U.N. Security Council, seen by Reuters on Sunday.

Guterres is not suggesting that the force be deployed by the United Nations. He said the 15-member Security Council should simply welcome such a force and notes that he may boost U.N. capacity to support a ceasefire or humanitarian arrangements and ensure coordination of efforts with an international force.

Haiti last week said it would ask for a “specialized armed force” to help combat crisis caused by a blockade of its main fuel port by a coalition of gangs that has crippled transport and forced businesses and hospitals to halt operations.

The blockade has also led to a shortage of bottled water, just as the country confirmed a new outbreak of cholera, the spread of which is controlled through hygiene and clean water.

The United States said on Saturday it was reviewing Haiti’s request.

Guterres said a rapid action force “would, in particular, support the HNP (Haitian National Police) primarily in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area in securing the free movement of water, fuel, food and medical supplies from main ports and airports to communities and health care facilities.”

“To this end, the force would support the HNP’s efforts to remove the threat posed by armed gangs and provide immediate protection to critical infrastructure and services,” he wrote.

Guterres said one country would need to lead the rapid action force and that the force “would be gradually phased out as the HNP regained state control of critical infrastructure targeted by gangs and began to restore general security and freedom of movement.”

At that point Guterres said the deployment of a multi-national police task force or multi-national special force could be considered to help Haiti in the medium term. He was not suggesting that such a force would be a U.N. deployment.



Protests and looting have rocked already unstable Haiti since early September 2022, when the government announced a fuel price hike Richard Pierrin AFP/File

The Security Council had asked Guterres in July to consult with Haiti, relevant countries and regional groups on “possible options for enhanced security support” for HNP efforts to combat high levels of gang violence” and report back by Oct. 15.

The council has also threatened targeted sanctions against criminal gangs and human rights abusers in Haiti and called on countries to stop a flow of guns to the country.

A U.N. political mission in Haiti works with the government to strengthen political stability and good governance, rights protection and justice reform and to help with the holding of free and fair elections.

U.N. peacekeepers were deployed to Haiti in 2004 after a rebellion led to the ouster and exile of then-President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Peacekeeping troops left in 2017 and were replacing by U.N. police, who left in 2019.

(REUTERS)

Lviv Book Forum hosts international stars

In the middle of a war, Ukraine's largest literature festival welcomes some of the world's most famous authors, including Margaret Atwood and Neil Gaiman.



Canadian writer Margaret Atwood is well-known for her dystopian novel 'The Handmaid's Tale'

In spite of the ongoing war, the Lviv Book Forum will take place in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv from October 6 to 9. It is the 29th edition of Ukraine's largest literary festival.

Countless world-famous authors will be in attendance, either digitally or in person: Margaret Atwood will be talking to Ukrainian literary critic and translator Yurii Prokhasko.

British author Neil Gaiman shares a panel with Sevgil Musayeva, editor-in-chief of the online newspaper Ukrayinska Pravda and Israeli historian Yuval Noah Harari, best known for his "Brief History of Humankind."


The 2021 winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, Tanzanian-born British novelist Abdulrazak Gurnah, will be discussing decolonization with Ukrainian author Alim Aliev.

Yurri Prokhasko works at the Ukrainian National Academy of Sciences in Lviv
A history of famous guests


It is not the first time that the Lviv Book Forum hosts world-renowned international guests. As part of the Ukrainian "Publishers' Forum Lviv," the annual festival has been welcoming international authors since 2001.

Singer Patti Smith, bestselling Brazilian author Paulo Coelho and Nobel Prize winner Olga Tokarczuk have previously appeared in Lviv.

Originally, this year's festival was to be held under the motto "Future Reimagined." However, after the outbreak of war, the festival's curators decided to focus instead on the role of art in times of war, the right way to remember the past, gender equality, loss, corruption, imperialism and hope.

Liuba Tsybulska from the Ukraine Crisis Media Center will talk to international colleagues about Russian war propaganda

Giving a voice to the people of Ukraine


As a sign of international solidarity, this year's events will be livestreamed in English for a global audience in cooperation with the British Hay Festival, one of the most renowned literary festivals in the English-speaking world.

"To have a voice in the middle of war is critical and crucial," Julie Finch, managing director of the Hay Festival, told DW.

"It is about recognizing that arts and culture are crucial to Ukrainian identity and the character and DNA of the country," Finch adds. "Self-expression is extremely important to the people of Ukraine."

Yaroslav Hrytsak is a Ukrainian historian and director of the Institute for Historical Research at Lviv's Ivan Franko University


The fact that the festival is taking place at all this year is an "act of defiance" against the war, says Finch, visibly impressed by her colleagues at the Lviv Book Forum. "Part of it is about giving people hope for the future, and writing is playing a part in that."

For Sofia Cheliak, translator and curator of this year's edition of the Lviv Book Forum, the festival aims to "tell our story to the world," she said in a statement.

She equally hopes that the presence of international guests will give hope to people in the country: "We want to show our Ukrainian audience that artists from all over the world are on our side."

The Lviv Book Forum takes place from Friday 6 to Sunday 9 October in Lviv, Ukraine. All events will be broadcast in English by Hay Festival at www.hayfestival.com.


This article was originally written in German.

UN experts condemn Egypt's human rights record ahead of COP27

Egypt's mistreatment of activists may cast a shadow over the upcoming international climate change conference. A group of UN experts has said future hosts must meet strict human rights criteria.

Arrests and detentions have created a climate of fear for Egyptian civil society group, UN experts said

A group of five UN experts has expressed concern over the treatment of human rights and civil society activists by Egyptian authorities in the run-up to the COP27 summit to be held in Sharm el-Sheikh in November.

A statement released by the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights on behalf of the group on Friday said a new wave of repression was undermining the right to participate in public affairs.

"Arrests and detention, NGO asset freezes and dissolutions and travel restrictions against human rights defenders have created a climate of fear for Egyptian civil society organizations to engage visibly at the COP27," the group of UN special rapporteurs said.

What is Egypt doing to hinder activists?

The statement pointed to Egypt's record of crackdowns on civil society, including the "harassment, intimidation and reprisals" some groups have experienced after working with the UN.

The UN experts said they were concerned about a series of tools they say are being used to try and minimize the amount of participation, and criticism, from activists at the COP27 summit.

The statement cited a "lack of information and transparent accreditation criteria for Egyptian NGOs, a coordinated increase in hotel room rates," and "undue restrictions to freedom of peaceful assembly outside the COP27 venue," as well as "unjustified delays in the provision of visas to those traveling from abroad were the main concerns for civil society activists."


CLIMATE CHANGE, CONFERENCES AND DESPAIR
Climate targets just smoke and mirrors?
At the last climate conference, the UN states agreed to increase their reduction targets: By 2030, CO2 emissions are to be reduced by 45% compared to 2010, thus limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees. At the moment, all indications are that this target will not be achieved.
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Egypt is in the same league as countries such as Turkey and China when it comes to arresting journalists. Human Rights Watch estimated that some 60,000 people were being detained as political prisoners in Egypt in 2019.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry denied allegations that it was thwarting participation, saying in a statement that the process for accreditation to the conference was governed by UN rules. Cairo has pledged to respect human rights and to include more opposition voices in a national dialogue.

But Amnesty International has spurned the measures as a "shiny coverup."

Human rights body calls for new host selection criteria

"Instead of further limiting their rights, civil society actors and human rights defenders, including those working on climate rights, must be given an opportunity to raise awareness about their views and protection needs," the UN experts wrote in their statement.

"We strongly believe that COP27, organized by the United Nations, should uphold the public's right to participate in the conduct of public affairs, as recognized by Egypt," they added.

Previous summits have seen large-scale protests as activists express their interest in taking concrete steps to avoid the most disastrous levels of warming and biodiversity destruction.

The UN High Commission on Human Rights called on the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which organizes the COP summits, to consider a country's human rights record when next deciding who will host future COPs.

The Associated Press material contributed to this report.

Edited by: Sean Sinico


Chile's Atacama desert in bloom

It's a magnificent natural spectacle. Every few years, the Atacama desert in Chile transforms into a sea of bright pink flowers. Now, the Chilean government has announced plans to make part of the region a national park.




Popular with photographers

The stunning blossoms attract large numbers of tourists to the barren region. Like this woman, they are keen to photograph the natural phenomenon. By creating a national park, the Chilean government is also hoping to promote tourism in the Atacama desert.

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When a billion dollars is way too much: What is 'economic limitarianism'?

When Elon Musk can offer over $40 billion for Twitter, bridges are dismantled to move megayachts and the rich keep getting richer, a group of philosophers says something is wrong. A look at economic limitarianism.

Yachts have become a symbol of wealth and political cronyism especially since Russian oligarchs have come into the spotlight

Some would say you can never be too rich. But rising economic inequality is leading more people to think that's wrong. Some of us are too rich.

There is a long list of economists, philosophers and leaders who have dealt with the redistribution of wealth over the centuries. Entire political systems have been built around the idea of equality and sharing.

What is limitarianism?

Economic limitarianism is a concept that explores the idea that no one should be excessively rich. It focuses on the harms and risks of having super-rich individuals. When discussing inequality, it doesn't look at the problems of poverty or raising the poor up out of poverty. Instead, it focuses on having too much.

Putting an upper limit on how much wealth a single person can accumulate is not meant as a punishment. The idea is to encourage positive change for the economic system and population in general through social improvements. Besides that, at some point "surplus money" no longer adds to well-being or a flourishing life. A few million dollars ought to suffice in most cases.

Limitarianism is not socialism or communism. It does not reject the accumulation of wealth, ownership of private property, or some level of social inequality. It simply says that having a lot is sometimes too much.  

Currently, the theory does not break "too much" into concrete numbers. So there is no single point where it would step in and call out excessive wealth, like at $10 million (€10.2 million), $150 million or even $2 billion.

Philosopher Ingrid Robeyns has a lot to say about being too rich

Where did the idea come from?

One academic in particular is behind economic limitarianism: Ingrid Robeyns, a Belgian theorist working at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. She researches and teaches in the philosophy department, focusing on ethics, political philosophy and social justice.

She first presented the idea of limitarianism at a conference in 2012 but it took a few years for her first academic paper on the topic to appear. Since then she has been tirelessly talking about the issue, publishing papers and working on a book. The idea has generated different reactions across the globe.

"In Europe, my experience is that the public shares many of the arguments for limitarianism. But in the US, it is an idea that is very far from discussions that are taking place in the mainstream debate," Robeyns told DW. "Part of the traditional American culture is the idea of the 'American dream' — the belief that everyone would have a chance to become very rich, if only one is dedicated enough."

Every billionaire a policy failure?

The theory is also much more than simply looking at income inequality. Morality is at the core of limitarianism. When is it morally or ethically necessary to intervene in a free market economic system for the benefit of society as a whole?

Are wealthy individuals adding to society by investing in increased productivity or are they just speculating or bleeding businesses dry — or entire developing countries? Are 10 cars really that much better than two?

Are the rich leading the world toward disaster?

"Some now use the slogan 'every billionaire is a policy failure.' I think that is right, but that even a situation in which some super-rich people have much less than a billion is morally and politically problematic," Robeyns said. 

Overall, she argues that limitarianism is built on two main columns: protecting democracy and addressing urgent unmet needs or problems in society that require collective action, like climate change.

Looking at political inequality, limitarianism worries that inequality can undermine democracy. The rich can use their money to influence politicians, hire lobbyists and get their agendas set into law. If that doesn't work, they can also influence public opinion by owning media outlets outright or funding think tanks.

Great wealth can impair climate change action

Economic limitarianism also assumes that a more equal distribution of wealth would lead to a better overall quality of life in the world. It could help those living in extreme poverty to flourish.

"If you already have $10 million, it doesn't add much to your lifestyle if you get another 100,000 euros or dollars. But if you have no wealth at all, then any increase is significant" and means less hunger, fewer unheated houses and fewer children in poverty, according to Robeyns.

It is not just about money though. Proponents of economic limitarianism say that the rich are a danger to the environment since they create enormous CO2 footprints.

"The super-rich are disproportionately causing climate change because their material lifestyles are much more abundant and their investments ecologically harmful," Robeyns said. "One could therefore argue that it would be fair to use their excess money to address the climate crisis, rather than letting them get away to build luxury bunkers or villas on top of mountains to go and hide in, in case climate change gets out of hand and civil unrest breaks out."

Taking some of those riches could help with climate adaptation. Governments could invest in systems to protect citizens from extreme weather. At the same time, they could build renewable energy capacity or better technology.

Critique while the rich keep getting richer

Some critics think that economic limitarianism does not go far enough. Companies should also be subject to limitarianism guidelines, they say. Still, other philosophers and economists strongly disagree with the idea of limiting wealth. They see no moral limit to riches earned or inherited. In fact, it is the chance to become rich that propels entrepreneurs to take risks, invent things and bring about change.

Additionally, they argue that limiting wealth will not end political inequality. Measuring wealth or wellbeing is impossible and a better way to achieve more equality would be a progressive tax system.

Yet make no mistake — the rich are getting richer. The 2022 list of billionaires put out by Forbes counted 2,668 of them. Together they were worth $12.7 trillion. It is a bit less than the previous year since the many global crises have taken a toll. Nonetheless, they "found more than 1,000 billionaires who are richer than they were a year ago."

The cleft between those who have and have not is growing each year

Can limits realistically be put on wealth?

Robeyns sees the real-world problems with implementing her ideas. First, it is nearly impossible to come to a universal definition of how rich is too rich. Secondly, even if there were a defined amount, how would anyone go about actually collecting the surplus money? She finds consolation in the fact that philosophers are there to ask questions and not confiscate diamond necklaces or private jets.

"Ideas can change history. Some do, some don't," Robeyns concluded. Her ideas may be unpopular in some corners, but at least they make people think about inequalities.

"My role as a philosopher and scholar is to present those arguments, but it's up to citizens and leaders in the economic, political and religious domain to take the steps to realize such a world."

Edited by: Hardy Graupner

SEE (31) THe filthy lives of the ultra-rich - YouTube

Germany cybersecurity chief faces sacking over Russia ties — reports

The interior minister wants to fire the country's cybersecurity chief, according to German media. Reports allege Arne Schönbohm had contacts with individuals connected to Russia's spy agency.

German outlets report Arne Schönbohm may soon be replaced

German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser wants to fire the chief of the federal agency responsible for cybersecurity over his alleged contacts with agents of Russia's security services, according to German newspaper reports.

Media cited government sources in reporting that Faeser wants to replace Arne Schönbohm, the president of the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI).

A scheduled joint appearance of Faeser and Schönbohm on Thursday to present the BSI Situation Report 2022 has reportedly been called off.

What are German media outlets reporting?

The Bild daily tabloid quoted the Interior Ministry as saying, "It is being examined how a rapid change of president can be achieved." German authorities are reportedly hoping to assign Schönbohm a new role rather than remove him outright, as provisions of the civil service law place limitations on the firing of state employees.

Media outlets said Schönbohm's alleged contacts with Russian agents may have come through the Cyber Security Council of Germany. Schönbohm helped found the group, which has a mong its membership roster a German company that is subsidiary of a Russian firm founded by a former employee of the Soviet-era spy agency, the KGB.

Konstantin von Notz, the head of the oversight committee for the intelligence services in the Bundestag, or German parliament, said, "These accusations must be decisively investigated."

Why is the Cyber Security Council of Germany controversial?

Among the members of the council is the Berlin-based cybersecurity company Protelion. Until the end of March, the firm did business as Infotecs GmbH.

According to the Policy Network Analytics research network, Protelion nee Infotecs was a subsidiary of the Russian firm O.A.O.Infotecs, operated by a former member of the KGB.

German media report Schönbohm was urged by the Interior Ministry to distance himself from the council, but his recent visit to mark the group's anniversary instead created widespread discontent within the ministry.

ar/nm (AFP, dpa, Reuters)

Who is supplying Russia with drones?

This week, Iranian suicide drones are said to have been used to attack the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. Tehran denies supplying Moscow. What do we know about drone imports?

The Ukrainian military identified this object as part of an Iranian-made drone

They are demoralizing and deadly — and Russia is using them in its war against Ukraine: drones, likely from abroad. They can fly at speeds of up to 200 kph (125 mph) and make so much noise doing so that they can be heard long before they strike.

Iranian suicide drones?

According to Ukraine, Russia this week, for the first time, used Iranian suicide drones to attack the capital Kyiv.

Writing on the messaging service Telegram, the region's governor, Oleksiy Kuleba, claimed that six explosions were registered as the drones impacted near the city late Tuesday night (4/10/2022). He said a total of 12 drones had been dispatched with the aim of destroying infrastructure.

According to the website Military Factory, suicide drones, or loitering munitions, are unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) loaded with explosives. The Ukrainian military claims that it shot down the first such Iranian UCAV in mid-September.

Arms show in Iran: Unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAV) were tested near Tehran on August 25

Since then, military spokeswoman Natalia Humeniuk told AFP news agency, roughly two dozen further Iranian UCAVs have been spotted in southern Ukraine. Half of them were shot down. Most suicide drone attacks she said, targeted the sea port of Odesa, in Ukraine's south, where they killed civilians.

Suspicions that Iran may be supplying Russia with drones were voiced months ago. In late August, the US government cited intelligence suggesting that Moscow was trying to acquire Iranian drones for its war in Ukraine — especially because Russia was no longer able to produce its own as a result of Western sanctions, which made the acquisition of key components extremely difficult.

According to AFP, Russia has now acquired Iranian Qods Mohajer-6 drones. The unmanned combat drone can carry a payload of up to 40 kilograms (88 pounds) at speeds up to 200 kph. Beyond that, smaller HESA Shahed 136 suicide drones with a range of up to 2,500 kilometers (1,554 miles) have also been purchased. Iran has officially denied deliveries.

How deadly are the drones?

Even though drone attacks have repeatedly resulted in deaths, experts say they are not very effective. Jeremy Binnie of the British defense analysis company Jane's Defence Weekly told AFP that they are not very reliable because they are not particularly well made. Moreover, their explosive payload is also "relatively meagre." In his estimation, the weapons will not have much of an effect on the course of the conflict.

What's fatal, however, is the fact that they are very difficult to detect with radar, as a Ukrainian officer told the US online news site Politico. She told the outlet that her unit in Kherson recently lost two fully manned tanks after they came under attack.

Military spokeswoman Natalia Humenuik said that they also put more "psychological pressure" on the civilian population. The sound of the drones, she said, often triggers fear among already agitated civilians.

Turkish drones made in Ukraine?

This summer, Moscow also signaled interest in acquiring Turkish combat drones. But manufacturer Bayraktar made it clear in August that it would not sell to the Kremlin.

"No matter how much money they offer, it is out of the question for us to give them drones in this situation. At the moment we are clearly and wholly supporting the Ukrainian side," Haluk Bayraktar, CEO of the Turkish arms manufacturer, told the BBC.

The Turkish Bayraktar TB2 is seen as an effective and inexpensive alternative to Western drones

Currently, the Ukrainian military is having success with the Bayraktar TB2. The TB2 has become extremely popular with the Ukrainians after helping them destroy numerous Russian artillery systems and armored vehicles.

Now it is reported that the Turkish company is planning to build drones at a factory in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the plan on September 9, after a meeting with CEO Bayraktar.

The TB2 is 6.5 meters (21 feet) long and has a wingspan of 12 meters. It can stay in the air for more than 24 hours and has a top speed of 220 kph. And, according to experts, it is also cheaper than similar models from Western manufacturers.

Israeli-made drones?

There has also been speculation about the use of Israeli-made drones since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. In mid-March, the online newspaper Times of Israel reported that photos purporting to document Russian drones shot down by Ukrainian forces were said to be Israeli made

The photos, whose authenticity have not been independently verified, showed the remnants of a Forpost-R drone, including a stamp bearing the name Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), an Israeli airplane and rocket manufacturer.

However, the Forpost-R is an intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR) drone produced by Russia. It is a copy of the Israeli IAI Searcher, which Russia was licensed to build several years ago. 

This article was translated from German by Jon Shelton.

Plans to 'deepen' Germany's Rhine river to combat low water levels hit resistance

Water levels on the river typically drop later in fall with knock-on effects for trade and industry. A government plan to deepen the crucial waterway to curb future disruptions is proving controversial.


Dry conditions this year left large sections of the Rhine's riverbed exposed, forcing cargo ships to lighten their loads

It's difficult to overstate just how important the Rhine river is for the countries it flows through.

This mighty waterway serves as an economic lifeline in western Europe, connecting industry in Germany, France and Switzerland with the port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

Each year, more than 300 million tons of cargo are shipped along its length, from chemicals to coal, grain to car parts. Major companies have riverside plants that rely on these shipments. And when navigation is disrupted by low water levels — as was the case during this year's drier-than-average summer — the costs can be huge.

It's a scenario the German government is keen to avoid.

As part of an action plan to protect shipping, it's boosting the number of vessels adapted to low water. More controversially, it also wants to deepen a section of the Middle Rhine Valley — a proposal that has been welcomed by businesses but viewed with skepticism by environmentalists and some locals.
What is the project about?

The focus is a 50-kilometer (31-mile) section of the World Heritage-listed Middle Rhine — where the river is flanked by craggy cliffs, hilltop castles and wine-producing villages.


The shipping channel in this part of the Rhine is shallower at certain bottlenecks. That means vessels coming from the North Sea, for example, need to carry less cargo during times of low water to be able to pass through safely on the way to Germany's industrial southwest.

"When in doubt, it has to load much less," said Sabine Kramer from the Rhine Waterways and Shipping Administration (WSA) and the area manager for the project.

The government's plan envisages deepening the navigation channel by 20 centimeters (about 8 inches) — from 1.9 meters at low water to 2.1 meters — to bring this potentially tricky stretch in line with areas further upstream and downstream.

It sounds like a small change, says Kai Kempmann, head of the Committee for Infrastructure and Environment at the Central Commission for the Navigation of the Rhine (CCNR). "But for inland navigation, that is a lot. You can transport a lot more with those 20 centimeters."

According to the WSA, each ship would be able to carry at least an extra 200 tons.

Adapting the river this way is a "gain for shipping, because they can load more cargo and there are expected to be fewer ships traveling as a result," said Kramer.
How will the river be deepened?

To raise the Rhine's level, engineers with the federal waterways authority have proposed installing hydraulic structures that run parallel to the bank, as well as groin-like constructions that extend into the river. These would divert flowing water toward the middle of the Rhine and hold back sediment. Shaving jutting rock from parts of the riverbed and dredging in gravelly areas are also part of the plan.



Engineers are working with a massive model of one of the Middle Rhine chokepoints

The project is scheduled to be completed by 2030 and has an initial estimated cost of €180 million ($173 million), 40% of which is for ecological measures.

That hasn't convinced the German Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND), though. The NGO fears channeling more water to the middle of the river will harm fish and mussels.

"It is a huge intervention," said Sabine Yacoub, BUND chairperson in the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate. "We fear this will significantly change the riverbanks and impact on fish populations because this is where the fish lay their eggs."

Yacoub is also worried that ecologically important shallow areas could dry out permanently as a result of the changes.

Kramer from WSA Rhine said the deepening measures would not be allowed to cause environmental deterioration. "An environmental impact assessment is underway, and fish stocks are also currently being taken into account," she said.

The Rhine was straightened in the 19th century, turning it into a fast-flowing channel that can efficiently transport cargo

The Rhine is 'our identity'


Philipp Rahn is also wary of the plans. He is the mayor of Bacharach, a town on the Rhine's banks that relies on tourism for over 90% of its budget. He says he fears any new structures in the river will negatively alter the picturesque landscape.

"These groins would have an enormous impact on our coast here," he said. "We have a rowing club. We have watersports association. We have a public beach ... And all of these would no longer be able to exist."

"The Rhine is part of our identity," he added. "And we would lose parts of the Rhine here, right in front of us."


Bacharach Mayor Philipp Rahn is worried the planned changes will ruin the riverbank

The project is still in its planning phase, so it is not yet certain which structures will be installed. Kramer says that although they would be visible when water levels are low, they are "less than many people imagine we are building, so it won't have quite as big an impact on the landscape as many fear at the moment."
Retooling fleets to cope

Periods of low water could become more frequent with climate change, threatening to undermine the Rhine's role as a provider of cheap and energy efficient water transport. At the same time, the alpine glaciers that feed the river are disappearing. According to Sabine Yacoub from BUND, that's what makes this project "short-sighted."

"By the time it is implemented, climate change may well have shifted the goalposts to such a degree that different measures are required and even those may not solve the problem."

In her view, "we should focus on adapting the ships to the Rhine and not vice versa."

Low water in August forced companies to lighten their loads, which led to delays in deliveries and soaring freight costs. It's too early to calculate the damage. But the drought in 2018, which halted traffic on the Rhine altogether, caused a loss of almost €5 billion for German industrial output in the second half of that year.


BASF, the world's largest chemical producer, is based on the banks of the Rhine in Ludwigshafen


Some companies, such as chemical giant BASF, have already started upgrading their fleets. BASF's complex in Ludwigshafen on the Rhine transports 40% of its raw materials via river transport. It backs deepening the river as part of a range of measures, including better water-level forecasting.

In a statement, the company said it was "increasingly chartering modern ships suitable for low water" and "increasingly relying on alternative modes of transport, in particular rail."

It's not yet clear when construction on the Middle Rhine could begin. The transport minister has called for the process to be sped up — the energy crisis resulting from the war in Ukraine has only made the transport of fossil fuels on the waterway more urgent. But with community needs, environmental concerns and business interests to weigh up, finalizing the project may take some time yet.


DROUGHT: GERMANY'S RIVERS DYING OF THIRST
A matter of draft
When fully loaded, the entire black part of a cargo ship's hull rests under the water. But this is currently not possible on many German rivers. Now, cargo ships may only be partially loaded. And if the load falls below a certain level, transport by ship is no longer worthwhile.
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Edited by: Sarah Steffen