Mexico: Marijuana legalization on the horizon?

Political power struggles have so far prevented the legalization of marijuana in Mexico. But a Supreme Court ruling could provide fresh momentum.



An activist smokes marijuana outside the national Senate in Mexico City


Progressives and conservatives are waging a protracted battle over whether or not to legalize marijuana in Mexico. On Monday, Mexico's Supreme Court ruled eight to three that a ban on recreational marijuana use is unconstitutional. It has called on Congress to translate the ruling into law.
Legal gray zone

Liza Sanchez, who heads the Mexico United Against Crime (MUCD) group, welcomed the court's decision. "Not even in Germany or Britain do supreme courts make it so clear that the consumption of marijuana is a matter of personal choice," she told DW.

But she also expressed frustration over Mexican lawmakers, accusing them of "incompetence." She told DW that "politicians have not understood the issue at hand, and do not want to understand it, and many taboos still exist."

In spring, business and military lobbyists succeeded in blocking Congress from adopting a bill to legalize marijuana. Mexico's government, meanwhile, has lacked a clear position on the matter. Following Monday's court ruling, individuals may now apply for a marijuana permit from the Federal Commission for Protection against Health Risks (Cofepris) — something that was not necessarily possible previously. Even so, Mexican law still prohibits growing, trading and owning more than five grams of marijuana. The drug, therefore, remains in a legal gray zone

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Protesting for marijuana legalization on Mexican public transport

A nation divided

"Parts of the political elite, including the president, are conservative," Zara Snapp of the Drug Policy and Peace Research Institute (RIA) told DW. "They are concerned about legalizing [marijuana], and they do not believe in its benefits," the RIA co-founder said. "All of us who voted for [Mexico's left-wing] Morena [party] were hoping for a more progressive agenda and are a bit disappointed." The governing Morena party, after all, has commanded a clear parliamentary majority for the past three years.

Mexican public opinion, too, is divided over legalization. A poll by Mexico's El Financiero newspaper, published in April, found that a slim majority of Mexicans support the step. The annual survey has, however, shown Mexicans to be rather fickle on the issue.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has not taken a clear position on marijuana legalization

Activists calling for decriminalization of the drug have taken legal action to further their cause. Since 2015, several court rulings in their favor have forced lawmakers to act. According to court orders, a legalization bill should have been ready by April. Due to high-stakes Mexican regional and parliamentary election in June, however, parties postponed dealing with the issue. "President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador publicly admitted that his cabinet is divided over the issue and has therefore put the bill on hold," Liza Sanchez told DW.
Concerns remain

"The Senate draft was strongly reworded in the lower chamber after several ministries intervened," Zara Snapp said. Adding that the original draft displayed a far stronger social focus in that it envisioned issuing licenses to indigenous and rural communities, and for personal consumption. Changes by the lower house, she said, made the bill much more business-friendly.

Mexico's security forces, who have gained political influence under Lopez Obrador, are keen to block legalization. "They instrumentalize the punishable offence of drug possession to conduct preventive crime checks," Sanchez told DW. Police officers plant the substance on suspected criminals, or individuals believed to be planning a criminal act, to lock them up, Sanchez said. That would no longer be possible if marijuana were made legal.

Paradigm shift possible?

After the supreme court ruling, the burden is on Congress to act once more. This is "a major chance" for Mexico to finally push for a paradigm shift in its drug policy, Snapp said. The Mexican state could, she said, bring to an end the bloodshed [connected to the drug war]. In 2006, Mexico launched its war on drugs. Since then, over 275,000 Mexicans have died a violent death.

Mexican security forces watch as 134 tons of marijuana go up in flames

The US government should play a bigger role in pushing for legalization in Mexico, Snapp said. While 19 US states have legalized the drug, no action has been taken to support decriminalization across the border, not even under US President Biden, she added.

Watch video02:30
"Legalizing cannabis is no magic wand" to solve all problems, the expert admitted. But, she said, it could make the lives of poor people who are being criminalized for cultivating and possessing the drug. This could reduce social tensions in Mexico.

Mexico: Top court strikes down ban on recreational marijuana use

Mexicans will soon be able to apply for permits to use marijuana recreationally. The move could help create one of the largest legal markets for cannabis



Mexicans have frequently demonstrated to demand the legalization of marijuana

Mexico's Supreme Court ruled on Monday that a ban on recreational marijuana use is unconstitutional, nullifying parts of the country's general health law.

The decision was approved by eight of the court's 11 judges. Court president Arturo Zaldivar said it "is a historic day for liberties."
What does the ruling mean?

Mexicans who want to smoke marijuana recreationally or grow a number of pot plants for private use will now be able to apply for a permit from the government.

Marijuana users must be adults and are not allowed to undertake any risky activities, such as driving, while under the influence. Marijuana use in front of children is also prohibited.

Watch video 04:36 The race to legalize marijuana

The sale of marijuana will continue to be illegal. Possession of more than 5 grams of marijuana (about 3/16 of an ounce) is also still punishable by law.

Medical marijuana has been legal in Mexico since 2017. Marijuana permits have been granted for Mexicans who file court injunctions since 2015, but now they will be available for the general public.
Cannabis legalization bill stalled in parliament

The decision comes as a wide-ranging bill to legalize marijuana remains stalled in Mexico's bicameral Parliament. The Supreme Court previously gave the Congress of the Union until April 30 of this year to pass the bill.

The legislation was passed by Mexico's lower house, the Chamber of Deputies, in March. Yet the Senate has not passed the legislation, and it may push back its final decision on the law to September.

Watch video 01:46 Mexico moves closer to legalizing recreational marijuana

The court called on the Congress to move forward with the legislation in Monday's ruling.

The legislation would create a system of permits not only for buying and selling marijuana, but also for the cultivation, transportation and export of the drug.

Supporters believe the law would reduce drug-related violence. Opponents believe it would mostly benefit large multinational corporations.

Some Mexicans are also against legalization for religious reasons, as Mexico's Catholic Church is opposed to the idea.

If Mexico were to pass the bill, the country would become the third-largest nationwide marijuana market in the world, behind Uruguay and Canada.

wd/rt (AP, AFP, dpa)

NGO accuses Libyan coast guard of shooting at migrant boat

A German NGO has said it has footage of a Libyan coast guard vessel firing at a migrant boat trying to cross to Europe. More than 800 people have died this year making the dangerous Mediterranean Sea crossing.



An overcrowded migrant boat tries to escape the Libyan coast guard, according to footage released by the German NGO Sea-Watch


A non-profit sea rescue group on Thursday hit out at Libya's coast guard after it released footage that it said showed authorities shooting at a migrant boat crossing the Mediterranean Sea to Europe.

German charity Sea-Watch said the video, filmed on Wednesday using a plane, also showed the Libyan coastguard trying to ram the migrants' vessel.

During the chase, which occurred in international waters under Malta's search and rescue responsibility, men in uniform on the Libyan vessel can be seen firing twice towards the boat.

The migrants eventually made it safely to the Italian island of Lampedusa.
Sea-Watch slams Libyan authorities

"Those who shoot at refugees and try to capsize their boats are not there to save them. The EU must immediately end cooperation with the so-called Libyan Coast Guard," Felix Weiss was quoted in a statement from the group released with the video.

Sea-Watch said it told the Libyan authorities via radio that the lives of the migrants were in danger.

The NGO said the Libyan coast guard replied that they were trying to save them.

Libyan authorities have not commented on the charity's claims.

More than 800 people have died in the Mediterranean trying to reach Europe this year, according to UN figures.

As many as 20,000 have perished making that crossing since 2014.

EU trains Libyan coast guard

The Libyan coast guard is trained, equipped and supported by the European Union as part of the bloc's strategy to stem the flow of migrants and refugees to Europe's shores.

Some 15,000 men, women and children have been picked up by Libya's coast guard and returned to the North African country from the start of the year up to June 26, a record number.

But critics have condemned their return to the war-torn country, where many are placed in detention centers where there have been multiple reports of abuse and torture.

A UN report in 2018 said migrants making the crossing faced "unspeakable horrors."

It published stories of migrants and refugees being treated as commodities and subjected to torture and gang rape.

The report was based on 1,300 first-hand eyewitness accounts.

jf/aw (AFP, AP)

AMLO NEOLIBERAL TYRANT

Groups condemn Mexican president for targeting press

In a weekly "Lie of the Week" segment, Mexican President Lopez Obrador selects unflattering news articles he thinks are unfair and decries them as "fake news." Various bodies have condemned his behavior.

Lopez Obrador's supporters have previously launched social media campaigns against the journalists he has criticized

The Inter American Press Association, a North America-based press advocacy group, along with the Inter American Human Rights Commission, said on Friday that they "rejected" a segment organized by Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, aka AMLO, in his morning conference.

In the weekly segment, translated as "Lie of the Week," Lopez Obrador presents a few critical or unflattering news articles which he thinks are unfair and "fake news." In the segment, he also makes accusations against journalists, singling them out for their reporting.

The president's supporters have previously launched social-media campaigns against reporters criticized by the presidency.

President Lopez Obrador is seen as more resistent to criticism from the press as compared to his predecessors.

Jorge Canahuati, the president of the IAPA, said Lopez Obrador's campaign against the press was "nothing new."

"He reminds us of the dangerous campaigns by government officials who from the public forum discredit, and censor the independent press," said Canahuati.

The IAPA further said that in a country like Mexico, where exercising journalism poses the "highest risk," directly 

insulting journalists and the media is a form of aggression that "usually ends up in acts of violence."

Lopez Obrador spokesperson Jesus Ramirez said the president's program "seeks to reduce the damage caused by disinformation and lies. It is not to discredit or journalists or news outlets, it only stigmatizes lies."

"This allows the public to form their own opinion about national problems, and strengthens democracy,'' added Ramirez

Watch video12:36 Mortal danger for Mexico's reporters

Resistance to criticism

The weekly segment targeting journalism follows a statement from Lopez Obrador earlier this week that he was resistant to criticism and refused to acknowledge errors. He had claimed to be a target of a smear campaign by "conservatives," who pay reporters or news outlets to target him.

Mexico is considered one of the world's most dangerous countries for journalists. In 2020, the nation occupied the sixth spot on the Global Impunity Index of the Committee to Protect Journalists — just below war-ravaged countries like Syria.

Nine journalists were killed in Mexico in 2020, the highest of any country not at war, according to press associations. Two journalists have been killed in Mexico so far in 2021, and two other reporters have disappeared.

 POSTMODERN SLAVERY

Caregivers face difficult labor conditions in Germany

Switzerland and Austria have increased regulation of their national in-home nursing sectors. In Germany, however, caregivers are rarely afforded regular breaks and are often expected to work unpaid overtime.

    

With Germany's aging population, demand for in-home caregivers is high

"Polish nurses are desperate to leave Germany for Switzerland," the caregiver Izabela Marcinek told DW. She herself spent years working as a caregiver after arriving in Germany and has since found work in Switzerland. "The differences are immense," said Marcinek, who is 58, "especially when it comes to regulated working hours."

In the German domestic-nursing sector, she added, overextended caregivers are rarely afforded regular breaks, and are often expected to work unpaid overtime. Fortunately for her, Marcinek now tends to a 93-year-old Swiss woman, working the agreed 42 hours a week — no more, no less.

For the past 10 years, caregivers in Switzerland have fought hard for better working conditions. It has paid off. In 2015, Swiss-based Polish nurse Agata J. went to court over outstanding pay for overtime and on-call shifts. She won, with the court forcing her employer to pay her 13,000 Swiss francs (€11,900/$14,000). "It was a groundbreaking verdict," Elvira Wiegers, of the Swiss Union of Public Service Personnel (VPoD), told DW after assisting Agata J. in her court case.

A similarly groundbreaking court ruling was delivered on June 24, when Germany's Federal Labour Court ruled that caregivers — most of whom are female and hail from Central and Eastern Europe — must receive the minimum wage when on call. As most nurses are in-home caregivers, who are available around the clock, this could mean getting paid for up to 24 hours a day. Up to 300,000 German families who employ caregivers now face the prospect of significantly higher labor costs. Developments in Switzerland could shed some light on what employers in Germany might now expect, but German caregivers have a long way to go to secure the conditions their counterparts have in neighboring countries.

Polish caregiver Agata J. took to court and won

Improving caregiver conditions

After the 2015 court ruling, Switzerland's government devised a standardized caregiver labor contract, which stipulates that nurses must work no more than 44 hours a week, are entitled to one and a half days off per week and should earn 25%-50% of their hourly wage when on nighttime stand-by — depending on how often they are summoned each night.

Switzerland's individual cantons are tasked with implementing labor standards. But not all are going along with the changes. "More progressive cantons have adopted the rules," Wiegers said. "Others have not." She added that further court cases have drawn greater public attention to the fraught situation. Nurses have also joined together to form alliances, she said. Even so, the problem of unpaid overtime persists. Gradually, however, there is a growing awareness that on-call services must be remunerated, she said.

The regulations mean that families who wish to hire caregivers need deep pockets. Recruitment agencies connecting nurses and Swiss families now charge 4,200-7,400 francs, depending on region and the nature of the care. Families can save such fees by hiring caregivers themselves. In Switzerland, nurses make 2,300-2,700 francs per month after tax, somewhat more than they would earn in Germany, where the cost of living is lower.

Izabela Marcinek is glad to be working in Switzerland

Marcinek was hired directly by her client's family. "The first two months, I snapped pictures of my timesheets, sending them to authorities for monitoring purposes," she said. If her client is in need, she will tend to her. If the unexpected visits become a regular occurrence, Marcinek has the recourse to ask her Swiss employers to adapt her contract accordingly.

'Off the books'

Most of Austria's 60,000 caregivers are self-employed. Technically, they could push for better working conditions. But only "recruiting agencies can really leverage that kind of power," Csilla, from neighboring Slovakia, told DW. She asked not to use her surname. Csilla has worked in Austria for 20 years — initially, without a contract. She has been technically self-employed since Austria introduced a law to better regulate the in-home nursing sector in 2007. "Things are better now, though half of my hours remain off the books," she said.

Self-employed caregivers are now fully registered and entitled to insurance, yet can claim neither overtime nor on-call availability pay. Nursing jobs are allocated through special agencies, who decide how much caregivers are paid per day. Daily rates range from €50 to €80 before taxes. Low-income pensioners are entitled to state subsidies.

Germans are looking to Austria as an example of how to better regulate the nursing sector. "Traditional labor contracts do not do justice to in-home carework," Daniel Schlor, the chair of the VHBP, Germany's association for in-home care, told DW. "Our legal system does not currently capture live-in work models," said Schlor, who represents recruiting agencies. He said Germany needed rules similar to those in place in Austria.

But Wolfgang Mazal, a professor of labor and social law at Vienna University, told DW that Germany should not emulate Austria. In-home caregivers who are "bound by instructions" should be regarded as conventional employees, rather than self-employed agents, Mazal said. He cited a 2011 ruling by Austria's Supreme Court of Justice that had arrived at this very conclusion. "It is scandalous that such a verdict is being ignored," he said. Legal complaints by Austrian caregivers are not being taken seriously, he added.

Mazal cautions against bogus self-employment

Legal action has significantly improved conditions for Swiss caregivers. "When we learned about exploitative labor practices, we used to wait until a contract was up before going to court," Wiegers said. Now, labor activists are educating caregivers, informing them which rights they hold and how they can enforce them.

Alas, with a significant pay gap persisting across Europe, may employers will continue recruiting nurses from poorer countries — and asking them to tend to clients around the clock. Csilla said this was certainly the case in Austria. "First, agencies recruited women from the Czech Republic and Slovakia, then they recruited Romanians and Bulgarians, and now they are seeking women from Moldova and Ukraine," she said.

#NOTOKYOOLYMPICS
Olympics chiefs relax protest rules for Tokyo Games

The International Olympic Committee will allow athletes to make gestures of protest at the Tokyo Games. But they cannot target people, countries or organizations.



Tokyo Games are set to kick off in three weeks

Olympics chiefs on Friday eased some of its rules to allow athletes at the Tokyo Games to "express their views" both before and after events.

The decision came amid calls to relax rule 50.2 of the Olympic Charter, which states: "No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas."

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had promised to review the rule after the Black Lives Matter movement gained global support.

The US Olympic and Paralympic Committee had already vowed not to sanction American athletes for "respectful" protests supporting racial and social justice at the Tokyo Games.

IOC said it consulted with some 3,500 athletes ahead of the Tokyo Games, which open in three weeks.

Watch video12:31Sports Life - The rocky road to the Tokyo Olympics - part 2

What are the new guidelines?

For the first time, athletes can express themselves before starting a competition or after, but not during a game. In that limited period, athletes can take a knee or raise a fist.

Political statements during events, victory ceremonies, and at the Olympic Village are still not allowed, the IOC said.

IOC also stressed that protests must not be "targeted, directly or indirectly, against people, countries, organizations and/or their dignity," and they cannot be "disruptive" to other competitors.

Athletes who violate the revised guidelines face sanctions, including disqualification and being stripped of medals.

WHEN SPORT AND POLITICS MEET

Mesut Özil offers support for Uighurs in China

Arsenal's German World Cup winner Mesut Özil has become an increasingly political figure in recent years. After a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan eventually led to the end of his national team career, the midfielder has now drawn criticism in China for a social media post speaking out against what he sees as the persecution of the Uighur population in China. PHOTOS 1234567891011

Do the new rules apply to other Olympic events?

The IOC's Friday decision is limited to the Tokyo Olympics and does not refer to the controversial 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics in February.

China has come under scrutiny and boycott calls over the treatment of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang and the clampdown on freedoms in Hong Kong.

UNFORGETTABLE HIGHLIGHTS FROM OLYMPIC OPENING CEREMONIES

1896: The first modern Olympic Games

The Olympic Games were held in Ancient Greece from c. 776 BC-393 AD, until they were banned by Emperor Theodosius as a "pagan cult." French academic Pierre de Coubertin initiated their revival in Athens from April 6-15, 1896. Those Games were opened by Greece's King George. The Olympic Hymn, composed by Spyridon Samaras with lyrics by Greek poet Kostis Palamas, was performed for the first time. PHOTOS 123456789101112

 

Fact check: Does climate protection stifle economic growth?

A popularly held belief maintains that climate protection measures are costly and damage the economy. On the other hand, economic loss caused by climate change runs into billions of dollars. DW looks at the facts.

    

"It's the economy, stupid." That phrase was coined by James Carville, a political strategist for former US President Bill Clinton in the successful presidential campaign against George Bush Sr.

These days, any political adviser worth their mettle would make sure their candidates spout off "It's the environment, stupid" as an election slogan at every opportunity.

The question is whether the two are mutually exclusive — or whether economic growth and climate protection are two sides of the same coin.

The first major environmental protection rules hark back to the 1970s. Since then, a debate has raged about their potentially damaging impact on economic growth and competitiveness. One train of thought says countries that adhere less stringently to environmental policies have a production and trade advantage over those nations that are taking climate action measures to reduce emissions. The concern in those countries is that their own emission-heavy industries will be put at a competitive disadvantage.

This so-called pollution haven hypothesis predicts that if competing companies diverge only regarding the severity of environmental regulations they face, then those that are bound by relatively stricter measures will lose competitiveness.

On the other hand, the so-called Porter hypothesis concludes that more stringent climate rules should encourage investment in developing new pollution-saving technologies. If these technologies lead to energy savings, they may help in turn to offset some of the climate protection costs. Then, there is also the issue of how much it might cost if we fail to mitigate climate impacts.

Is GDP the only valid indicator?

At first glance, using GDP as a measurement tool is an obvious choice to provide a cost-benefit analysis. The question is to what extent it provides an adequate measure of growth and prosperity.

"It is the most developed indicator. I wouldn't say that we should move away from that, but many of these damages that are associated with climate change are not internalized. This means that we as a global society will probably have costs due to lost biodiversity, for example, which are not directly reflected in the GDP," Wilfried Rickels, director of the Global Commons and Climate Research Center at the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, told DW.

In a National Bureau of Economic Research paper, the authors' analysis showed that without countermeasures, an average global temperature increase of 0.04°C per year could reduce global GDP by 7.22% by 2100. If, however, countries abide by the Paris Agreement to limit the temperature increase to 0.01°C per annum, GDP loss is reduced to 1.07%. 

"That's why at some point in the Paris climate agreement they said: 'We are setting a fixed limit.' Picture yourself running towards a slope that might be covered in fog; at some point, you have to say, 'I'm not going any further,'" said Rickels.

According to the Coalition for Climate Resilient Investment, a consortium of companies, governments and multilateral organizations, financial losses could be as high as $69 trillion (€58 trillion) by 2100 if nothing is done to mitigate the impact of climate change.

Can economic growth and climate protection go hand in hand?

That depends on the perspective. Twenty years ago, the consensus was that it was crazy to invest in solar energy, for example, due to the enormous costs. However, down the line, that investment has paid dividends — not least because the development of new and innovative technology has led to creation of new jobs and has helped to cut energy costs, which in turn benefits the economy.

"Now it has become a technology that is applied even in countries that don't necessarily use climate policies because it's the cheapest energy source," Karsten Neuhoff, who leads the Climate Policy Department at the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin), told DW.

The same thinking could be applied to the energy efficiency side of the equation. "I think everyone wants to live in a well-insulated building nowadays, whereas, two decades ago, everyone said that's crazy to have. So, again, it is a change that requires effort but ultimately has economic benefits," said Neuhoff.

Investing in energy-efficient resources is not only sustainable but can boost economic growth

Detractors point out that while that may apply to rich, industrialized countries, it's a very different story for poorer nations, which are perceived to often have to choose between climate protection or economic growth.

"Countries that are still very poor, i.e., have very low per capita income, are not thinking so far ahead. They still have a primary incentive to grow now and are less interested in long-term climate policy measures," said Rickels.

Environmental protection itself contributes to economic growth

As modern economies move toward a so-called resource-efficient and circular economy (RE-CE), there are concerns that — in the short term, at least — jobs will be lost across various sectors of the economy and that job creation will be minimal. However, an OECD report notes that it is important to distinguish between different sectors.

Most jobs over the next two decades are projected to be created within the construction industry, and renewable power generation and services; while manufacturing sectors, agriculture, food production and fossil-fuel based power are expected to record job losses. 

The overriding question is how to balance economic growth with cutting carbon emissions, and ultimately, achieving climate neutrality. At this year's World Economic Forum in Davos, Johan Rockström, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, pointed to that contradiction. "It's difficult to see if the current GDP-based model of economic growth can go hand in hand with rapid cutting of emissions," he said.

The concept of climate neutrality (that is, reducing CO2 emissions to a minimum and offsetting remaining emissions with climate protection measures) has become more concrete as the acceptance and understanding grows that getting into power generation without fossil fuels is increasingly desirable. Currently, there are five carbon-intensive sectors — transport, heating, mining, agriculture and industry — where shifting to climate neutrality would make economic and environmental sense. 

"So, then you think, OK, what technologies are acceptable? Wind, solar? And what are their costs? And it becomes clear that it requires a lot of effort to make the change. It requires an acceptance of wind turbines or solar panels. All of this is an effort for a society, but ultimately it doesn't have big economic costs if it is done well," said Neuhoff.

A key indicator of how effectively a country's environmental policies are performing is the Environmental Performance Index (EPI), a data-driven tool used to assess the state of sustainability.  The 2020 results show that a positive showing is closely linked with economic wealth (GDP per capita). Economically prosperous countries like Norway, the United Kingdom or Switzerland can invest in climate protection policies, which lead to a win-win situation for both the economy and the environment.

Taking action on climate change will ultimately boost economic growth, particularly as new technologies come into play that open up new job possibilities. The data currently available suggests that countries need not sacrifice sustainability for economic security or vice versa.

This article is part of a series in which DW is debunking myths surrounding climate change.

Read also:

Part 1 — Is global warming merely a natural cycle?

Part 2 — Is half a degree of warming really such a big deal?

Part 3 — Is China the main climate change culprit?

Part 4 — Climate protection: Can I make a difference?

#ECOCIDE

Deadly blast reported at Romania's largest oil refinery

Thick, black smoke from the fire was reported to be blowing away from the Romanian coast into the Black Sea. The authorities said local citizens were safe but advised them to close their windows.

The blaze was eventually 'stabilized', officials said

A powerful blast at Romania′s biggest oil refinery on Friday has killed one person and left at least four other workers injured.

Around 50 firefighters were deployed to the scene after the explosion rocked the Navodari Petromidia refinery on the Black Sea coast.

The refinery's operations "have been stopped as a security measure," said the Kazakh KazMunayGas (KMG) group that owns the oil processing site.
What do we know so far?

Video footage taken by a tourist showed thick black smoke billowing from the refinery, which is located 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the Mamaia, Romania′s top tourism resort.

Operator Romeptrol Rafinare said that "technological processes in the refinery were safely stopped" and the blaze was later ″isolated and stabilized.″

"Internal and external teams are making efforts to put it out in the shortest time,'' the company reported on social media.

Refinery's owners KMG and the Romanian government have been engaged in legal disputes over the plant

Authorities are still not sure what caused the blast.

How has it affected the nearby area?

The wind was taking the plume of smoke towards the Black Sea.

"The direction of the smoke is in the opposite direction to the beach and the city which is why the citizens are safe,'' the country′s Interior Ministry said in a statement. ″However, we ask the population to take protectionary measures by closing (their) windows.″

Head of Romania′s Environmental Guard, Octavian Berceanu, told the Associated Press news agency that ″proper data″ was still not available to find out its impact on the wildlife.

"The smoke is going offshore, and some is going to the beach but it's not populated there,'' said Octavian Berceanu, who lead the government′s environmental agency.

Previous refinery fires in Indonesiaand South Africa have prompted evacuation and injury.
Why was the refinery controversial?

The Petromidia refinery has been the subject of disputes since the start of the 2000s between owners KMG and the Romanian government.

Authorities started investigating the refinery on fraud, tax evasion and money laundering charges in 2006.

As part of this investigation, prosecutors seized the Petromidia plant in 2016, although the investigation was later dropped in 2019.

Romania as a whole has had a number of climate issues of late, with rising pollution being one of the main issues the East European country faces.

Watch video 26:06 The Expanding Desert - Climate Change in Romania

jc/dj (AP, AFP, Reuters)

Kashmir: Interfaith marriage exposes political fault lines

A Sikh girl in Srinagar recently tied the knot with a Muslim man after converting to Islam, triggering protests in the region against "forced marriages." But some locals say political groups are exploiting the issue.


A violent separatist insurgency has marred the Himalayan region since the early 1990s


Manmeet Kaur, a 19-year-old Sikh woman from Srinagar, reportedly eloped with Shahid Nazir Bhat, a 28-year-old Muslim man on June 21. The next day, the couple submitted their marriage certificate to a local court in India-administered Kashmir's Baramulla district.

According to Kaur, she converted to Islam last year of her own "free will."

Kaur's family didn't approve of the marriage and registered a police complaint, accusing Bhat of kidnapping and intimidating Kaur.

Kaur was later married off to a Sikh man by her family.

Kaur's marriage to a Muslim also triggered protests from Srinagar's minority Sikh community.

Some Hindu nationalist politicians accused Kashmiri Muslims of forcefully converting Sikh girls to Islam on a regular basis.
A politicized affair

Kaur's marriage put the spotlight on religious tensions in Muslim-majority Kashmir, with interfaith marriages often a source of acrimony between communities.

Watch video 02:43 Will Kashmir's young politicians bring hope to the region?

Experts say politics and religion often come into play in these marriages.

A violent separatist insurgency has marred the Himalayan region since the early 1990s. In August 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist government abrogated Kashmir's special status, which triggered condemnation and protests from the majority Muslims.

Some political parties in Kashmir also accuse Modi of attempting to change the region's demography.

Kaur's marriage to Bhat became more controversial after a New Delhi-based right-wing Sikh politician Manjinder Singh Sirsa accused Kashmiri Muslims of waging "love jihad," a term used by hard-line Hindus in India for Muslim men marrying non-Muslim women.

Sirsa demanded that anti-conversion laws be implemented in Kashmir to prevent Muslim men from marrying non-Muslim women.
Patriarchal tendencies

Some people in Kashmir are of the view that political groups are using religion to control women.

"Kaur was forced to remarry for the sake of honor. Sikh protesters exhibited bigotry, misogyny and regressive patriarchal attitudes in Kaur's case. They don't represent the whole community," Chanmeet Kaur, a Sikh woman who married a Muslim man a decade ago, told DW.

Watch video 27:21 Between India and Pakistan - The Sikh Dilemma

Many Muslims and Sikhs in Srinagar say the two communities have lived peacefully in the region for decades, and that some groups are politicizing these marriages to further their interests.

"There are no forced conversions here," Jagmohan Singh Raina, a local Sikh leader and chairman of the All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee (APSCC), told DW.

Singh said the Sikh community in Kashmir would not let anyone exploit the interfaith marriage issue for political gains.

Some Sikh leaders in Kashmir have urged their community to not politicize the issue of religious conversions and interfaith marriages.

COVID: Vaccination workers come under attack in Kashmir

Conspiracy theories and unverified information, coupled with a challenging terrain, are making life difficult for health care workers who are on the frontlines of carrying out COVID vaccinations.



The spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories makes their work even more challenging, say health workers


Zareena Bano, a health care worker from Srinagar city, has not been to her home for almost two months. She's currently on duty in India-administered Kashmir's northern Bandipora district, where she's carrying out a door-to-door COVID vaccination campaign.

Last week, Zareena and her co-workers visited Zaban village, located 8 kilometers (5 miles) away from Bandipora town.

In the village, Zareena reached out to two young women to inform them about the importance of the COVID-19 vaccination but, to her surprise, they turned violent.

"I first talk to people and tell them about the importance of the vaccination. It was a normal day when I tried to speak with two women who, in turn, started abusing and hurling rocks at us," the 26-year-old health worker told DW.

"I was a little scared at that time, but I understand that there is misinformation about vaccines and the impact of fake news on the rural population. My foot got hurt during the incident. But I am again doing my job normally because we need to keep fighting the pandemic," she said.

The video of the incident in which the health care workers, including Zareena, were attacked in the village went viral on social media, forcing authorities to take action against the attackers.

It also brought to light the challenges that health care workers in the region face during vaccination drives.

Watch video02:02Kashmiri strawberry sales suffer from pandemic roadblock

Walking hours to vaccinate people

In many rural areas of India-administered Kashmir, road connectivity and mobile internet remain poor, making online registrations for vaccination difficult for people.

To make vaccines available to people in far-off areas, authorities kicked off the door-to-door vaccination campaign in June.

Given the rough terrain of the Himalayan region, the health workers sometimes have to make long walks for hours to vaccinate people.

Bashir Ahmad, another health worker posted in the northern frontier area of Gurez, which shares borders with Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan, once walked six hours to reach the village of Neeru Nallah in Tulail to vaccinate people.

Sometimes, he said, he has had to walk through snowy terrain to get people vaccinated.

"I belong to this place, so I was able to walk, otherwise it was very tough. I am vaccinating people and also organizing vaccination camps," the 40-year-old said.

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Bashir was among the first health care workers to get vaccinated in the frontier area and since then he has been educating people about the benefits of vaccination.

"There are people who ask a lot of questions," Ahmad said, adding that it is his job to clarify to them the importance of taking the jab.

"I make them understand in our language, and I tell them it's like wearing a helmet while [riding] a bike. It can protect them in a great way even if they [have] an accident," Ahmad said.

Misinformation and conspiracies

While reaching remote areas has not been an easy job for the health workers, the spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories makes their work even more challenging.

A few weeks ago, a fake message claiming that French virologist and Nobel laureate Luc Montagnier had said that all those receiving COVID vaccinations would die within two years went viral on WhatsApp.

It is because of such unverified and inaccurate information circulating on social media that many people in the region, particularly young women, have misconceptions about the vaccines.

"Some women are reluctant to get the shots, saying if they get vaccinated it will cause infertility and they will not be able to bear children," said a health care worker from southern Kashmir who asked not to be named.

"Our job is to debunk these myths. People shout at us but we remain calm and do our job."

Watch video 02:07 Kashmir wedding industry falls victim to pandemic rules

Attempts to raise public awareness

Scientists and public health experts worldwide have repeatedly stressed that vaccination, along with adherence to hygiene and physical distancing rules, is the only way to bring an end to the COVID pandemic.

India-administered Kashmir has so far registered over 300,000 COVID cases and more than 4,200 related deaths.

Over 600,000 in the region have been fully inoculated so far while more than 4 million people have received at least one shot of the vaccine.

Mir Mushtaq, the spokesperson for the region's health department, told DW that while there have been "isolated incidents of attacks" on health care workers, the department "is making sure to reach every part of the region and inoculate people."

Vaccine hesitancy is a global problem, he pointed out, adding: "We are encouraging workers to counsel people. Some people blindly believe whatever they see on social media."

Overall, the department's vaccination outreach has proved to be beneficial, Mushtaq stressed.

"We are involving different groups of social and religious leaders to raise awareness among people. It's a new disease and there are apprehensions. This is also an evolving disease and people come to know more information day by day."