Space and defence: protecting Europe and strengthening our capacity to act

20/02/2022 – HR/VP Blog – The current geopolitical context shows how important it is to strengthen EU’s defence policy. More generally, what we classically understand by “defence” is evolving to encompass more and more other domains, such as cyber and outer space. Last week, the European Commission adopted two important “packages” on defence and space policies. They contribute to the on-going work on the Strategic Compass.



Space has become a strategic domain and an essential enabler for most of our daily activities, whether the Internet, telecommunications, or the movement of people, ships, aircraft or vehicles. In addition, it plays a central role in security and defence; for example, the United States created in 2019 a US Space Force. Therefore, we need to guarantee our ability to operate securely and constantly the infrastructures essential to our societies, including against threats in outer space. Last November, Russia deliberately destroyed one of its satellites, an irresponsible act that generated dangerous debris.

“We need to guarantee our ability to operate securely and constantly the infrastructures essential to our societies, including against threats in outer space.”

But space is also an important area of interest for me on a more personal level. From background, I am an aeronautical engineer. One of my first ministerial posts in Spain, as Minister for Telecommunications, led me to launch the first Hispasat satellite in 1992. Since then, I have never ceased to follow closely this sector, which has become essential for our societies.



Europe is a significant space power: its space sector had a turnover of €74 billion in 2019, which represents between 15 and 20 % of the world market, with 48,000 employees working directly in this sector. The EU is increasingly involved, with the best known EU success stories: Galileo for positioning, navigation and timing and Copernicus(link is external), the largest Earth observation system. Under the steering of my colleague Commissioner Breton, the Space Programme has been allocated 13,2 bln EUR in the new Multiannual Financial Framework – the largest ever space budget at EU level. However, we need to do more in the future to keep up the pace, remain a leading space power and enhance our strategic autonomy in that field,.
Space is becoming increasingly congested

We face also a growing problem: space is becoming increasingly congested due to a huge increase in satellites and space debris. Just to give some figures: since the beginning of the space era, in the 1960s, humanity has put in orbit 11,800 satellites of which 4,550 are currently operational. More than 20 000 new satellites are expected to be launched in the next 10 years – and this is just a conservative estimate. On top of that, there are over 128 million pieces of debris smaller than 1 centimetre orbiting Earth, and almost one million between 1 and 10 centimetres. The majority of debris is found at altitudes below 2,000 km, reflecting the space activity that takes place mainly in low earth orbit (Earth observation satellites, telecommunications satellite constellations, most military satellites…). This space debris has an average speed of 7-8 km/s, or 25-29,000 km/h. At these speeds, even if the debris is small, in case of collision, the impact is very destructive because the kinetic energy is the product of the mass of the debris and the square of its speed: a one-centimetre debris has about the same kinetic energy as a car travelling at 130 kilometres per hour…

“Debris threatens our space services. It risks affecting our daily life, our economies and societies, as well as our security and defence.”

This threatens our space infrastructure and space services. It risks affecting our daily life, our economies and societies, as well as our security and defence. Indeed, space is also a strategic enabler for defence capabilities. There is therefore a real need for the EU to contribute to address this global challenge. That is what we have proposed to do, with our Joint communication on Space Traffic Management (STM).




We intend to enhance EU capabilities to detect and catalogue more space objects and avoid collisions. We propose to foster EU-led standards and guidelines, to encourage safe conduct by operators, and to work toward a possible legislative proposal on STM rules. What is particularly important for me is the international dimension: space is a global common good that the international community has to protect and manage. Therefore, we aim for a multilateral STM framework at UN level and we will discuss this issue with the US and other key partners. STM is a civilian effort, yet it will also apply to military satellites. The European Defence Agency will help consolidate military needs in that domain.

A new strategic EU space infrastructure

As part of this week’s space package, the Commission has also proposed to launch a new strategic EU space infrastructure in addition to Galileo and Copernicus. This is a major initiative to equip the EU with a European space-based secure connectivity. In concrete terms, it will provide two services: a governmental highly secured communication service, which will ensure ultra-secured –quantum encrypted – communication with multiple defence and civilian users and a high-speed broadband access service, to provide internet access to all, and reduce the digital divide. The main features of the proposal comprise its security-by-design, which is a precondition for high-end security, and defence use.

“The satellites will have a north/south orbit. So, by design, it can offer Africa high-speed internet, everywhere. This infrastructure could be the first major “Global Gateway” initiative.”

The satellites will have a north/south orbit, which means they will cover all of Africa as well as the Artic. So, by design, they can offer Africa high-speed internet, everywhere. This infrastructure could be the first major “Global Gateway” initiative. Overall, the cost of this programme would be around €6 billion, to which the Union would contribute €2,4 billion. The rest of the financing would have to come from member states and from a public-private partnership scheme.

The Commission has also presented this week a communication outlining its contribution to European defence. This is the result of President von der Leyen’s push towards a stronger EU defence, and teamwork with my colleagues Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager and Commissioner Thierry Breton.

It proposes to step up investments in defence research and the development of capabilities, notably through the European Defence Fund (EDF), to facilitate synergies between civilian and defence domains, and to incentivise EU joint procurement of defence capabilities, notably through a value added tax (VAT) waiver and new financing solutions. It also proposes to look further into security and defence aspects of space, in line with the Strategic Compass. Lastly, it outlines the Commission contribution to counter hybrid threats and strengthen the EU’s engagement on cybersecurity and cyber defence.

A new roadmap on critical technologies

This communication is associated with a new Roadmap on critical technologies for security and defense, which aims to boost them through European research, development and innovation in close cooperation with member states and like-minded partners, especially the US and NATO. It also aims at reducing strategic dependencies in critical technologies for security and defence. This initiative links up with the work being carried out by the European Defence Agency (EDA) in defence innovation, including through the proposed EDA Defence Innovation Hub. The agenda developed in this defence package builds up on existing work strands and contributes to further strengthening the Strategic Compass, currently being finalised.

With these two packages and with the Strategic Compass, the European Union – EU institutions and its member states - has a unique opportunity to join efforts to advance on these decisive issues. The geostrategic context in which we live in requires nothing less. The ‘proof of the pudding’, as usual, will be in implementation. After the adoption of the Strategic Compass in one month, it will be time for all of us to walk the talk.

Space and defence: protecting Europe and strengthening our capacity to act - European External Action Service (europa.eu)

China has important ties with both Ukraine and Russia, but how long can it stay silent on crisis?

By Dong Xing

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin have declared there are "no limits" to their partnership in standing up to the West.

 (AP: Dmitri Lovetsky/Pool)

As the world anxiously watches the Russia-Ukraine crisis unfold, China remains wedged in an awkward position.

Key points:

Beijing is yet to express whether its support lies with Russia or Ukraine

China worries the crisis will affect its policies on Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang

Ukraine has helped China modernise its military and is a major trading partner

Beijing has declared that its partnership with Moscow has "no limits" while still maintaining strong ties with Kyiv.

Under the premiership of Xi Jinping, China has furthered its deep strategic and business partnerships with both countries, leaving it hesitant to pick a side openly.

Not only is China Ukraine's largest trading partner, but Kyiv has also helped Beijing build up its military assets.

Jiang Yuan, a China-Russia relations expert at the Queensland Technology University, said China had no intention to openly express sympathy for Ukraine, while it hasn't fully supported Russia either.

"China cannot directly oppose Russia due to its quasi-alliance with Russia and common pressure from the US," he told the ABC.

There's a third consideration at play too, as experts say China doesn't want to push the EU away by supporting Russia.

As many other countries urge their citizens and embassy staff to leave — some being evacuated even — China has only advised its citizens to remain vigilant.

It has slammed the West for creating an air of tension, yet there is still no strong indication of whether it's Russia or Ukraine that China favours.

So how much is the silence as much about domestic politics as international relations?

And can Beijing continue to have it both ways with two countries in heightened states of military awareness?

Ukraine crisis may shake China's stance on Taiwan, Xinjiang and Tibet

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has criticised China for remaining "chillingly silent" on the crisis, suggesting that Beijing had given Moscow tacit approval for an invasion.

But it is not the first time China has kept quiet on Ukraine's disputes.

In China, self-determination and foreign interference on sovereignty are political taboos, with there being strong opposition to separatism in Tibet and Uyghur-dominated Xinjiang, and Taiwan's increasingly independent self-identity.

In 2014, 97 per cent of voters in Crimea backed a move to leave Ukraine and join Russia.

Western countries tried to scuttle the outcome at the UN, but it was unsuccessful.

Tellingly, while Russia rejected the resolution pushed by the West, China abstained.

Jiang Yuan says the crisis is far too politically sensitive for Beijing to openly support Russia.(Supplied)

According to Mr Jiang, this has more to do with internal politics than external relationships.

"It is simply impossible for China to shore up the recognition of reincorporation of Crimea in the Russian narrative or the recent Ukraine tensions," he said.

Basically, supporting succession abroad might come back to harm the Chinese Communist Party, Mr Jiang explained.

"Crimea is Ukraine's sovereign territory. If it can simply have a referendum to join Russia or become independent, this means Xinjiang, Tibet, and Taiwan can simply do so as well," Mr Jiang said.

"This is impossible for China to accept because these are core interests of the Chinese government and also concern legitimacy of the Communist Party."
Ukraine is China's military technology provider

As a former Soviet Union state, Ukraine inherited much of the military technology and equipment China desired.

So it started buying what it wanted from Ukraine, the most significant of which was China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning.

The unfinished aircraft carrier became China's in 1998 and helped modernise its military infrastructure.

"The Chinese Navy was thereby able to leapfrog an estimated 15 years of research and development to achieve aircraft carrier capabilities in 2013 when the Liaoning entered active service," Mr Jiang said.

Ukraine has helped Beijing build up its military assets and reach capabilities on par with US equipment and technologies. (Reuters)

Since then, several of China's large warships, including the country's second aircraft carrier, the Shandong, have used propulsion systems with redeveloped Ukrainian gas turbines.

Ukrainian engineering has also helped boost China's fighter jet fleets.

Ukraine was responsible for aiding in the development of China's J-11 jets, which are considered an equivalent of America's F-15 fighters.

'China doesn't want to push the EU towards the US'

Experts say China doesn't want to push the EU or Germany further towards the US.

(AP: Olivier Hoslet)

The full scale of the arms trade between China and Ukraine is unknown, but since 2020 China has been the eastern European country's top trading partner.

Putin celebrates new partnership to build nuclear reactors for China

Joining Xi Jinping to launch the construction of Russian-designed reactors at Chinese nuclear power plants, Vladimir Putin says the relationship between their nations has reached a new high.

Read more

China also sees Ukraine as a key entry point for its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) objectives, its ambitious global infrastructure development strategy.

China's Ministry of Commerce has said Ukraine could be used to explore investment opportunities in the EU as it has a free trade agreement with the EU while being a participant in the BRI.

Experts have also pointed to China's need to maintain a workable relationship with the EU, especially Germany, during increasingly intense US-China competition.

"China doesn't want to push the EU or Germany towards the US further," Mr Jiang said.

Dr Guan says China will eventually need to weigh Ukraine and Russia.(Supplied)

Dr Jade Guan, a lecturer in strategy studies at Deakin University, said China was seeking to further its negotiations with the EU over the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI).

The CAI, designed to open China's domestic market, will give enormous advantages to European companies.

Under the agreement, China promises to no longer force foreign companies to share sensitive know-how.

However, the deal was suspended after the EU and China both imposed sanctions on each other's officials and institutions over claims of Uyghur "genocide".

"Germany and France are leading the negotiation of the CAI with China, and France will have its election soon," Dr Guan said.

While "it would be wise for Beijing not to support Russia openly," Dr Guan added that eventually China will need to weigh Ukraine and Russia.

"Both countries are strategic partners for China, but which one is more important in terms of economy, energy and diplomacy?"

ISRAEL

Minimum wage to rise 700 shekels 

(USD $219.27)- over 5 years

(USD $43.80 PER YEAR)

Meretz, Labor vote against proposal that sees minimum wage erode in real terms. "With a booming economy, there is no excuse."

Israel National News
20.02.22
Tamar ZandbergNoam Revkin Fenton/Flash90


On Sunday, the government approved amendments to legislation related to business and wage levels, according to which the minimum wage will rise from its current rate of NIS 5,300 per month to NIS 6,000 per month, but only over a period of five years. During the current year, the minimum wage will rise by just 100 shekels and will only reach the target of NIS 6,000 in December, 2025.

Channel 13 reported that the government also agreed that employees who have worked up to five years in their place of employment will be granted an additional vacation day per year. Another amendment concerns the Working Hours and Rest Act, adjusting the calculation of overtime in order to create more flexible conditions for employers and a better work-vacation balance for employees.

Commenting on the amendments, Environmental Protection Minister Tamar Zandberg (Meretz) said, "This 'increase' of the minimum wage is actually an erosion [given that it is not adjusted to compensate for inflation]. A better offer must be made, because those who earn minimum wage need every single shekel."

Labor party leader and Transportation Minister Merav Michaeli, voiced similar sentiments. "The policies of this government, headed by Prime Minister Bennett and Finance Minister Liberman, have brought us many financial achievements. Despite the coronavirus, we have succeeded in building a mighty economy along with growth and assistance programs that no other government has ever achieved. And precisely because of this, the government cannot permit itself to harm the minimum wage of so many employees in the weaker strata of society, as this current plan would do."

Last November, Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman, together with Prof. Amir Yaron, head of the Bank of Israel, along with Histadrut head Arnon Bar-David, presented an economic plan at a press conference which included gradually raising the minimum wage to NIS 6,000.

SYRIA

Sweida: Intellectuals support rally demanding better living conditions, democracy

Activists and intellectuals from Sweida issued a statement in support of the new peaceful popular rally taking place in the southern Syrian city for three weeks to demand better living conditions and democracy.

The statement pointed out that the peaceful movement has restored the Syrian revolution to its first course of demanding a democratic state, the state of citizenship and law, and demanding the implementation of UN resolutions, especially Resolution 2254, and turning the page on the regime of corruption and tyranny.

“The UNSC Resolution 2254 was unanimously adopted on 18 December 2015. It was described as the roadmap for Syria's political transition.”

More than 300 protesters took to the streets of Sweida early February to demand better living conditions and democracy in a rare protest inside regime-held areas, a war monitor said.

The protest came after authorities cut off 600,000 families from its subsidies program, staging their biggest rally yet.

The rally went ahead despite a heavy deployment of security forces, who sealed off main roads.

Activists loyal to the Syrian regime launched a media campaign accusing the peaceful Sweida movement of being associated with Israel. This campaign coincided with security forces in Sweden and a large movement of Iranian militias towards the borders of the southern province.

The statement called for an international trial of the Assad regime with all its symbols and tools as a genocide regime that committed crimes against humanity, documented by many international organizations when using chemical weapons against civilian neighborhoods, and the systematic killing under torture of tens of thousands of detainees.

The statement, a copy of which Zaman al-Wasl received, added that the Assad regime committed crimes of high treason against the homeland and its citizens because of its betrayal of the national trust and betrayal of the oath and the country’s constitution by directing the Syrian army’s weapons to the civilians of Syria.

The statement concluded by stressing that the pain of the sons of the great Syria, from its north to its south and from its west to its east, is one and their destiny is one, calling on the Arab brothers and the countries of the free world with its leaders and peoples to help the free Syrians implement the relevant international resolutions, foremost of which is Resolution 2254, and market war criminals from the regime. Assad and his clique to international courts and the application of justice.

Earlier this month, the government excluded a large number of people from its subsidies program, in a country where 90 percent of the population is poor.

Those who were cut off lost access to lower-priced food and oil, a move that triggered rare protests and criticism from within government-held areas of Syria.

Smaller protests over similar issues were held in Sweida in 2020.

But the Druze, who made up less than three percent of Syria’s pre-war population, largely kept out of the country’s conflict.

Sweida has been mostly spared by the fighting in the decade-old war, and only faced sporadic jihadist attacks which were repelled.

Syria has grappled with an economic crisis compounded by Western sanctions, the Covid-19 pandemic and a rapid devaluation of the local currency.

Syria’s conflict began in March 2011 and has killed nearly half a million people and displaced half the country’s pre-war population of 23 million.  (With AFP)

Bill to help veterans suffering from toxic burn pit exposure takes key step forward in Congress

By Clare Foran and Ali Zaslav, CNN
Sun February 20, 2022

A soldier in the Afghan National Army walks past a burn pit
at a command outpost recently handed over to the ANA
from the United States Army in March 2013 in
Kandahar Province, Afghanistan.

(CNN)The Senate took a significant step in recent days to help former military service members suffering from toxic burn pit exposure by passing a bill to expand access to health care for post-9/11 combat veterans.

It's not yet clear though when burn pit legislation might get to the President's desk to be signed into law, and advocates say more still needs to be done for veterans to address the issue of toxic exposure.

Burn pits were used to incinerate and burn waste, hazardous material, and chemical compounds at military sites throughout Iraq and Afghanistan. A 2020 member survey by the advocacy organization Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America found that 86 percent of respondents were exposed to burn pits or other toxins.

The bill passed by the Senate on Wednesday would expand the window of eligibility for health care for post-9/11 combat veterans from five to 10 years after discharge from military service, and provide a one-year open enrollment period for any post-9/11 combat veterans who are outside that ten-year window.

Among other provisions, the bill would also require the Department of Veterans Affairs to implement clinical screenings for veterans to look for potential exposure to toxic substances and symptoms commonly associated with exposure.

The Senate bill had bipartisan backing and was introduced by Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester, a Montana Democrat, and the top Republican on the panel, Jerry Moran of Kansas.

The bill is the first part of a three-step, bipartisan approach the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee is undertaking in an effort to address the issue of toxic exposure for veterans. The committee is currently working on the second phase of the effort with a goal of having it ready for Senate floor action in the coming months.

On the other side of the Capitol, Rep. Mark Takano, a California Democrat who chairs the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, has introduced a bill with bipartisan support called the Honoring our PACT Act that aims to improve health care and benefits for veterans exposed to toxic substances.

Surviving combat only to die at home: Retired Staff Sgt. Wesley Black is picking out his coffin at 35 years old

Among a range of provisions, the House bill would put in place "a presumption of service connection for 23 respiratory illnesses and cancers related to burn pits and airborne hazards exposure," according to a fact sheet from the House Veterans' Affairs Committee.

Since the House bill is not identical to the legislation passed by Senate, it is not yet clear what lawmakers will do to get a measure to the President's desk and the bills may need to be reconciled at some point in the future.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi highlighted the House bill as an "important initiative" in a letter to House Democrats in January detailing the upcoming legislative agenda for the chamber.

After the Senate passed its bill this week, some advocates were quick to say more needs to be done.

Jeremy Butler, CEO of the group Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, told CNN's Brianna Keilar this week, "The bill that just passed through the Senate basically does about a third of what we were asking for and unfortunately, that's because health care is expensive, benefits are expensive. But when you are sick and dying from rare cancers, that's what you need."

"This is a small first step," he said. "It moves the ball legislatively down the line, but it doesn't get to where we need as veteran's groups."

Tester and Moran celebrated the Senate bill's passage this week as one step closer to ensuring veterans get the benefits they need and deserve.

"This is a big bill, an important bill and it does right by our veterans in this country," said Tester ahead of the bill's passage on the Senate floor.

Jon Stewart says Congress is abandoning veterans who inhaled toxic burn pit fumes

Moran added that he's heard from numerous veterans in his state and across the country who are sick or dying from the effects of toxic exposure caused by burn pits.

"Addressing the needs of veterans exposed to burn pits cannot wait. This legislation can be life-saving for those exposed or suffering," he said in a speech on the Senate floor.
"When our men and women in uniform go into harm's way on our behalf, we owe it to them to take care of them when they come home for whatever injuries are incurred during their service," he said.

Comedian and political commentator Jon Stewart, who has been a longtime advocate for 9/11 first responders and victims, has been a high-profile figure in the effort to get help for veterans who have been exposed to burn pits.

"The bottom line is our country exposed our own veterans to poison for years, and we knew about it, and we did not act with urgency and appropriateness," said Stewart last month at a virtual roundtable with the House Veterans' Affairs Committee. "And therefore, we've lost men and women who served this country. They've died out of our inaction."

CNN's Paul LeBlanc and Allen Kim contributed to this report.

Mystery of flight MH370: New theory leads to 'horrifying' conclusion

20 Feb, 2022
By Benedict Brook


A noted aviation expert has said he has found the likely location of the doomed aeroplane MH370.

If he's right it would solve the eight-year-old mystery of the whereabouts of the aircraft and its 239 passengers and crew, all of whom are presumed to have perished.

The findings have also reinforced a "horrifying" theory — said the senior officer in charge of the initial search — of the missing plane's final hours.

But the authorities are yet to be persuaded to tackle a new search mission.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 disappeared on March 8, 2014, several hours after leaving Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's capital, bound for Beijing, China.

The plane headed northeast towards China but not long after takeoff it abruptly changed direction in the Gulf of Thailand and headed back across the Malaysian peninsula. It then plotted a course southwest into the remote depths of the Indian Ocean.

It's thought to have crashed 2000km off the coast of Western Australia.

The search for MH370 covered 120,000 square kilometres. But to no avail.

A Royal Australian Air Force AP-3C Orion drops stores to HMAS Toowoomba, during a search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. 

Photo / LSIS James Whittle, File

British aerospace engineer Richard Godfrey has conducted a painstaking examination of the anomalies in radio signals from that fateful night. He has said that's enabled him to zero in on a new crash zone.

"In my view, there's no reason why we shouldn't be planning for a new search," Godfrey told Australia's Channel 9 on Sunday.

The breakthrough discovery claim came after an analysis using Weak Signal Propagation Reporter (WSPR) technology – this is effectively an invisible radio wave similar to trip-wires that record anything disturbing or passing through the waves.

However, experts have expressed serious doubts as to whether historical WSPR data can be used to track MH370

Godfrey told the 60 Minutes programme that 160 signals were disturbed over the Indian Ocean that night, disturbances likely caused by an aeroplane.

Zaharie Ahmad Shah, pilot of Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, passing through airport security at Kuala Lumpur airport. Photo / Supplied, File

Only one other aircraft was anywhere near MH370 over the ocean and Godfrey said that plane was at least an hour away.

That meant the disturbances were most likely caused by the Malaysian jet allowing its flight to be tracked as well as its probable final resting place.

He has said he can narrow a search area down to just 300sq km, which could be looked at in just a few weeks. That includes some areas already searched and others that were never looked at during the initial rescue effort.

"With this very difficult terrain it is possible to miss wreckage," he said.

"When you're going through 120,000 square kilometres you get one chance, one pass of each point. With 300 square kilometres, you can have several passes and from different angles, so it's possible."

Godfrey told 60 Minutes that his research has uncovered another aspect of the flight and its captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah.

Far from heading in a straight line into the Indian Ocean, Godfrey has claimed MH370 did a number of 360-degree turns over the sea – almost like holding patterns before an aircraft lands at a busy airport. That would mean the "ghost flight" theory – that the plane was on autopilot and the passengers and crew were incapacitated – may not be accurate.

British aerospace engineer Richard Godfrey. Video screengrab / Sunrise, File

"This is strange to me. When you're in the remotest part of the Indian Ocean trying to lose an aircraft why would you enter a holding pattern for 20 minutes?

"(The captain) may have been communicating with the Malaysian government, he may have been checking whether he was being followed, he may have simply wanted time to make up his mind," said Godfrey.

If correct, the curious course of the Boeing 777 over the Indian Ocean gives credence to the theory that the captain deliberately flew the plane into oblivion.

Peter Foley was the Australian Transport Safety Bureau's (ATSB) director of operations for the MH370 search.

Asked on the programme by 60 Minutes' reporter Sarah Abo if the most likely scenario was that the captain was behind a mass murder incident, Foley said "Yes, by a wide margin. It's horrifying".

Nevertheless, Foley said some of Godfrey's conclusions needed more scrutiny.

"There's certainly merit in exploring new avenues.

"I think the jury is still out on Richard's work, but let's hope he is onto something."

The ATSB described Godfrey as "credible" but has not launched a new investigation.

"The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has not had a formal involvement in any search for the missing aircraft MH370 since the conclusion of the first underwater search in 2017, has not recommenced a search for the aircraft, and notes that any decision to conduct further searches would be a matter for the Government of Malaysia," ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said in a statement.

A fast response craft tows Able Seaman Clearance Diver Michael Arnold as he searches for debris of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight. Photo / Lieutenant Ryan Davis, File

"The ATSB is aware of the work of Mr Richard Godfrey and acknowledges that he is a credible expert on the subject of MH370, but the ATSB does not have the technical expertise to, and has not been requested to, review his 'MH370 Flight Path' paper and workings.

"As such the ATSB cannot offer an assessment of the validity of Mr Godfrey's work using WSPR data.

"The ATSB does acknowledge that Mr Godfrey's work recommends a search zone for MH370, a significant portion of which covers an area searched during the ATSB-led underwater search.

"When the ATSB was made aware that Mr Godfrey's zone incorporates an area of ocean surveyed during the ATSB-led search, out of due diligence the ATSB requested Geoscience Australia review the data it held from the search to re-validate that no items of interest were detected in that area."

"The ATSB expects that review to be finalised in coming weeks, the results from which will be made public on the ATSB's website.

"The ATSB acknowledges the importance of locating the aircraft to provide answers and closure to the families of those who lost loved ones.

"The ATSB remains an interested observer in all efforts to find the missing aircraft."

Mitchell reiterated that any decision to conduct further searches for MH370 would be a matter for the Government of Malaysia and that the ATSB was not aware of any requests to the Australian Government from Malaysia to support a new search for the missing aircraft.

Godfrey's insights have led a grieving wife who lost her husband in the MH370 crash to now believe the incident was murder, not a mechanical failure.

The remains of Danica Weeks' husband, New Zealander Paul Weeks, have never been found.

Former Christchurch man Paul Weeks, who was on Malaysian Airlines flight MH370.

 Photo / Supplied, File

Weeks told Sky News that after years of thinking the plane went down because of mechanical failure she now believes it was murder.

"I was so staunch about saying it wasn't the pilot," she said.

"But now I have to throw all of that out after nearly eight years [since the disappearance] and three years of searching [for the plane, by the authorities].

"I never believed it was the pilot. Unfortunately, Richard Godfrey has said that he believes with this point that the pilot was in control. And look, it makes sense that we've searched for a ghost plane, haven't found it. So maybe we have to step forward and … search on that basis now."

Godfrey said a new search would only take a few million dollars.

"I'm sure this mystery will be solved and hopefully it will be solved later this year."

Read More
Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 left 'false trails' ...
New technology could hold key to MH370 disappearance ...
MH370 mystery: Head of search calls for fresh attempt ...
Missing Flight MH370: Aviation experts think they have ...

  MY THEORY IS JUST AS HORRIFYING

WATERSPOUT

 

Pakistan president ratifies social media law; tough penalties for spreading ‘fake news’

President Arif Alvi addresses the joint session of parliament in Islamabad. File

Tariq Butt, Correspondent

President Dr Arif Alvi on Sunday promulgated an ordinance to amend the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) with Law Minister Barrister Farogh warning that no one would be exempt from indulging in fake news.

An amendment has been made in Section 20 of Peca, increasing the jail term for defaming any person or institution from three years to five years. The offence has been made non-bailable and the concerned court has been asked to decide such cases within six months.

The ordinance was widely denounced by the premier journalists’ body, the Pakistan Union of Journalists, and political leaders. They said the government has introduced the law to curb media freedom and punish its rivals.

The ordinance was promulgated a day after the federal cabinet gave approval to the amendments in the Peca, 2016.

According to the ordinance, a complainant has been defined as the aggrieved person, his authorised representative, his guardian in case he is a minor or "a member of the public in respect of a public figure or a holder of public office." Online public defamation has also been made a cognisable and a non-bailable offence.

The definition of a "person" has been expanded to include any company, association or body of persons whether incorporated or not, institution, organisation, authority or any other body established by the government under any law or otherwise.

The ordinance also stipulated the insertion of a new section in the act under which a timeline was given for the court to wrap up the case. "The trial shall be concluded expeditiously, but preferably not later than six months of taking cognizance of the case."

The ordinance also stated that the court would have to submit a monthly progress report of any pending trial to the high court concerned and give reasons for the inability of the court to expeditiously conclude the trial.

"In case the high court finds the reasons given by the court under sub-section (2) to be plausible ... it may accept the explanation of the court, and prescribe fresh timelines for the conclusion of a trial."

On the other hand, if the high court acknowledged "difficulties, hindrances, and obstacles for concluding a trial expeditiously, which are removable by the federal or provincial government or any of its officers [...] it shall call upon the federal or provincial government or any of its officers to remove such obstacles."

It stated that where the Ministry of Law and Justice secretary of the provincial secretaries of the same ministry were of the opinion that the delay in the disposal of the trial was attributable to a presiding officer or any of its functionaries, "it shall furnish such information to the high court concerned, proposing suitable action."

It added that the high court could order disciplinary action against the presiding officer or any of the court's functionaries if they were found to be responsible for the delay in the disposal of the trial.

"The chief justice of every high court shall also nominate a judge along with other officers from the court for acting under this section," it concluded.

Naseem called for rooting out the propagation of "fake news" and said that no one will be exempt from indulging in the menace under the amended laws.

He told reporters that spreading fake news would be treated as a cognisable offence after the amendments to the act took effect. "It will also be a non-bailable offence with up to six months imprisonment."

Naseem said that the amended law would help curb fake news. "Whatever happened in the past is gone, now we are moving in the right direction."

The minister explained that the law was primarily for a public figure or a public office holder, while a complaint about disinformation or false news could be filed by the public at large.

Giving an example, he said: "Suppose, fake news is spread about a veteran film actor named Nadeem. It's not necessary that Nadeem himself should turn up to lodge a complaint. Instead, anyone can approach a relevant authority with a complaint and the case has to be wrapped up within six months under the law."

The minister quoted a few recent instances wherein some dignitaries were targeted with false information. He said it was regrettable that filthy language was used against former chief justice Gulzar Ahmed a few weeks ago.

"Similarly, wrong information about the first lady made rounds that she had a bust-up [with her husband] leading her to leave her home... how can one spread such incorrect stories?" the minister wondered.

Asked whether the ruling party was introducing the new law as it could feel the end of its tenure approaching and to prevent rivals from targeting the party, Naseem said that he did not believe that the government's days were numbered.

"In case we are in the opposition, then this law will obviously not be favourable for us. Hence, the idea that the government will soon go home is not correct," he said.

GLASS HALF EMPTY

US Ambassador Nides: I'll meet settlers, but won't visit West Bank settlements

But when it comes to the settlements, "I'm trying not to do symbolic things that just make it worse," said US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides.

By TOVAH LAZAROFF
Published: FEBRUARY 20, 2022

A young man at the settlement of Evyatar looks out at a neighboring Palestinian village.
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)

US Ambassador Tom Nides said he would meet with settlers, but would not visit West Bank settlements because it is symbolically harmful.

“It is not right for me today to go in my motorcade and go hang out in a settlement,” Nides told a Jerusalem meeting of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations.

He explained that he intended to visit all of Israel, but when asked about the settlements, he confirmed that he had no plans to visit them.

“I am trying not to do things that aggravate people. I will meet with anyone who wants to meet with me. Any settler who lives in a settlement and wants to meet with me, come meet with me,” he said.
“I will meet with anyone who has a view about settlements. I will meet with anyone who is Right, Left... I don’t care,” Nides said.

But when it comes to the settlements, he said, “I’m trying not to do symbolic things that just makes it worse.”

Historically, US ambassadors to Israel have not crossed the pre-1967 lines as part of their formal duties and did not visit the settlements.

Former President Donald Trump changed that policy. Ambassador David Friedman, Trump’s appointee, was the first official in his post to formally visit Jerusalem’s Western Wall, which along with the Temple Mount, is Judaism’s holiest site.

Nides has reverted back to the prior policy, with one exception. Like Friedman, he too has visited the Western Wall. Nides noted that he has gone to the Western Wall scores of times since arriving in Israel last year and has visited with Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz who heads the Western Wall Heritage Foundation.

“I have gone to the Wall, the Kotel, four dozen times. I have a friend who is very sick with cancer. I go every day. I pray at the Wall. I don’t make a big fuss of it. I put a note in and I leave,” he said.

US AMBASSADOR Thomas Nides arrives at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem last month to present his credentials. 

(credit: OLIVIER FITOUSSI/FLASH90)

Rabinowitz has hosted him and they have appeared together in a few videos, Nides recalled. But Nides said that for political reasons he rejected an invitation to visit the excavation tunnels below.

The rabbi noted that Friedman had visited the tunnels, Nides recalled. He told him, “I know, that is great. But why do I need to do that? I love this place, but why do I need to go do something that will aggravate a bunch of people?”

In speaking of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Nides said that the Biden administration is focused on a “vision of peace” but can not desire it more than the Israelis and Palestinians.

The American role in this “is to make sure that people do not do stupid things,” Nides said.

“A one-state solution is not a solution. It’s not good for Israel. It’s not good for the Jews. It’s not good for anyone,” he said.

“It’s important for us to keep our eye on the prize, which is a strong democratic Jewish state,” Nides said.

Over 40 Thousand Refugees From Donbass Arrive in Russia


Families being evacuated from Donbass after NATO backed Ukrainian forces have been attacking Russian separatists. Feb. 20, 2022. | Photo: Twitter @AllenOlessia

Published 20 February 2022 

The Donetsk People’s Militia reported that as of 10:00 local time, Ukrainian government forces attacked 32 locations in the region by launching more than 1,120 projectiles, mines, and grenades.

Russia's interim Emergencies Minister Alexander Chupriyan reported that more than 40,000 refugees from the self-proclaimed people's republics of Donetsk (DPR) and Lugansk (LPR), in Ukraine, arrived in the Rostov region.

RELATED:
Update: Ukraine denies shelling in Donbass

He explained that the refugees have had hot meals and been provided with means of communication at the temporary reception places. He also said that more than 2,000 refugees from Donbass were sent by train to Russia’s Voronezh and Kursk regions, the TASS news agency reported.

According to DPR representatives at the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of the Ceasefire Regime, the Ukrainian army launched attacks on the towns of Staromikhailovka, Petrovskoye and Kommunarovka.

The Donetsk People’s Militia reported that as of 10:00 local time, Ukrainian government forces attacked 32 locations in the region by launching more than 1,120 projectiles, mines, and grenades.

As reported, the Minister of the Interior of Ukraine, Denis Monasturski, along with deputies of the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) and representatives of the foreign media were under fire this Saturday and had to be evacuated to a safe place.

The CNN reported later that its journalists and colleagues from the French agency AFP were with the minister at the time of the attack.

The European Union, for its part, condemned the use of heavy weapons and “indiscriminate” attacks in civilian areas, which it considered “a clear violation of the Minsk agreements and international humanitarian law.”

This Friday, the Donetsk and Lugansk headquarters urged the population to evacuate to Russia in the face of an upsurge in hostilities and a possible offensive by Kiev in the Donbass region.

WISHFUL THINKING

Without economic recovery, Erdoğan sure to suffer defeat in elections - economist

Feb 20 2022 
http://ahval.co/en-136952

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will suffer defeat in the next elections unless he is able to recover the country’s ailing economy in a notable and sustainable fashion, economist Atilla Yeşilada said on Sunday.

Evaluating the latest opinion polls, which show Turkey’s ruling alliance losing support, Yeşilada said that Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its far-right ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) were “misreading’’ the country and the next elections would pave the way for political change in the country.

Turkish citizens are struggling with the country’s highest inflation rate in almost two-decades as consumer prices rose by 48.69 percent annually, according to official data for January. Recent electricity and natural gas price hikes have led to protest throughout the country.

Meanwhile, the lira has fallen by 44 percent against dollar since 2021 as the central bank, under the influence of Erdoğan, made successive interest rate cuts, despite soaring inflation.

"I say in every platform that the only variable that will determine the chances of Erdoğan winning the elections is (the outlook of the population on the economy),’’ Artı Gerçek news site cited the economist as saying. "A significant portion of those participating in surveys find Erdoğan and/or the government responsible for the (country's) bad (economic) trajectory.’’

Erdoğan’s approval rating among voters has dropped from almost 56 percent at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to 38.6 percent at the end of 2021, according to a survey by research company MetroPoll.

Half of Turkey throws its support behind the country’s opposition bloc over Erdoğan’s ruling alliance, which has just over 42 percent support, according to survey published earlier this month by Metropoll.

Turkey’s next parliamentary and presidential elections are scheduled for June 2023.

"The next elections will not only pave the way for political change in Turkey. They will create an earthquake in the minds,’’ according to Yeşilada.