Big decline reported in U.S. teen tobacco use in 2021, government says

Tobacco use among adolescents and teens in the United States continues to decline, but remains high based on new data. Photo by 1503849/Pixabay

March 10 (UPI) -- Some 2.55 million middle-school and high school students in the United States used tobacco products in 2021, according to figures released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the 2020, the agency estimated 4.5 million tobacco users among middle school and high school students nationally, down from 6.2 million in 2019.

Although the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration "remain confident in our study results," the fact the survey was conducted online, with many respondents at home due to pandemic-related school closures means the results cannot be compared with those from previous years.

However, both the 2019 and 2020 surveys were conducted primarily on school campuses, the agencies said.

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Still, if the year-to-year numbers are accurate, tobacco use among teens nationally declined by more than 40% from 2020 to 2021.

Among tobacco-using middle and high school students, about one in three reported a preference for at least one type of product, while 30% indicated they switched between two or more, the data showed.

Electronic, or e-cigarettes, were the most popular tobacco product among middle school and high school students in 2021, with an estimated 2 million users, the report found.

RELATED CDC, FDA data find 2 million current teen e-cigarette users

An estimated 400,000 of students in that age range smoked traditional cigarettes, while approximately 380,000 used cigars. Roughly 240,000 used smokeless tobacco, while 220,000 used hookahs and 200,000 tried nicotine pouches, according to the report.

"Youth use of tobacco products is unsafe in any form, combustible, smokeless or electronic," Dr. Karen Hacker, director of CDC's National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, said in a press release.

"This report provides critical insights needed to combat this serious public health concern and help protect our nation's youth from the harmful effects of tobacco," she said.

RELATED Study: Youth vaping down, but 1 in 5 U.S. teens still using e-cigarettes

The estimates are based on responses from middle school and high school students across the country to the 2021 National Youth Tobacco Survey.

The survey, an annual assessment of smoking prevalence among adolescents and teens that was conducted online this time due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is an ongoing project overseen by the CDC and FDA.

In 2021, current use of any tobacco product was higher among middle school and high school students who identified as lesbian, gay, or bisexual, at 14%, compared to those who considered themselves to be heterosexual, at 8%, and those who described themselves as "not sure" about their sexual identity, at 6%, the data showed.

Tobacco use also was higher among students who identified as transgender, at 19%, compared to those who are not transgender, at 8%. In addition, current use of any tobacco product was higher among students who had "psychological distress," up to 14%, as opposed to those who did not, at 6%, the report said.

About eight in 10, or 1.95 million, of student tobacco users nationally reported using flavored tobacco products in the past 30 days, with 76% indicating they were exposed to marketing messages for these products in newspapers or magazines, the data showed.

Approximately 74% of student respondents who used social media indicated that had seen e-cigarette-related posts or content at some point, the agencies said.

Nearly two-thirds of respondents said they were seriously thinking about quitting all tobacco products and just over 60% had tried to do so in 2021, the report found.

"It's revealing that about two-thirds of current youth users expressed a desire to quit tobacco products," Mitch Zeller, director of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products, said in a press release.

"But the 2021 use data are still concerning and will be valuable for policymakers and educators committed to protecting the next generation from tobacco-related disease and death," he said.

Victims reach tentative $83M settlement over Florida condo collapse


A residential building partially collapsed in Surfside, Florida, north of Miami Beach, on June 24, 2021. 

File Photo By Gary I Rothstein/UPI | License Photo


March 10 (UPI) -- Lawyers for unit owners who survived the Surfside condo collapse in South Florida last June have reached a tentative $83 million settlement.

The partial collapse of the 12-story Champlain Towers South condo building on June 24, 2021, in Surfside, Fla., near Miami Beach, killed 98 people, destroyed 55 condominium units, and the remainder of the 136-unit building had to be demolished.

A class action ensued against defendants including developers, engineers, inspectors and consultants, by victims whose family members died in the collapse and victims who suffered economic harm, according to court documents obtained by Local10.com, and ABC News.

A dispute broke out between the victims of property loss and the families of non-owners who lost their lives in the collapse with some of the families of those who died believing that they should receive full compensation before other people are compensated for property claims.

Circuit Judge Michael Hanzman's order grants preliminary approval to the settlement agreement between property claims and wrongful death or personal injury claims.

The agreement creates an $83 million Common Fund to compensate unit owners for the loss of their condominium units and contents, in exchange for relieving them from any liability in the injury and wrongful death claims, according to the document.

"Unit owners will receive $55 million of the first $100 million recovered from all sources," the judge wrote. "The remaining $33 million will be paid out of the first dollars recovered over $100 million. All other funds will inure solely for the benefit of wrongful death claimants."

"Put simply, upon acceptance of their proportionate share of the $83 million Common Fund, surviving unit owners will leave this case with no further liability, except to any tenant or guest who may have occupied their particular unit at the time of the collapse," the judge added. "The same is true for the families of deceased unit owners who accept their proportionate share of the $83 million Common Fund. Their wrongful death claims, however, are unaffected by the agreement."

The judge referred to the agreement negotiated by counsel for the property claims and counsel for the injury and wrongful death claims with the assistance of a mediator as "a reasonable compromise of competing claims."

"Absent some defect being brought to the court's attention, it is highly likely to secure final approval," the judge wrote.

The final approval hearing is slated for 2 p.m. on March 30 at the Miami Dade County Children's Courthouse. Any objections must be submitted in writing no later than March 23.

Report: Supply chain challenges boosted cost of solar energy in 2021

Keith Plume of PayneCrest Electric Company checks that solar panels are lined up correctly at the Ameren O'Fallon Renewable Energy Center in O'Fallon, Missouri. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo

March 10 (UPI) -- The cost of solar energy increased over the past year because of "unprecedented supply chain challenges," a report released Thursday found.

Solar prices increased up to 18% "due to unprecedented supply chain challenges, trade actions and legislative uncertainty," according to the U.S. Solar Market Insight 2021 Year in Review report, which Solar Energy Industries Association and Wood Mackenzie released Thursday.

A third of all utility-scale solar capacity slated for completion in the fourth quarter of 2021 was delayed by at least a quarter and 13% of capacity slated for completion in 2022 was delayed by a year or more due to these issues, the report found.

The supply chain problem in 2021 reversed solar price declines in previous years that had driven solar adoption and led to prices rising for the first year across all three markets, residential, commercial and utility scale, which Wood Mackenzie has tracked since 2014.

SEIA has previously said in a statement that lawmakers could help by passing the Build Back Better Act, which includes a 10-year extension of the solar Investment Tax Credit.

The SEIA noted that if the bill were to become law it would triple the amount of solar capacity currently installed in the United States, double the size of the solar workforce, and offset an additional 400 million metric tons of carbon by 2030 to combat climate change.

Recently, amid analysts noting that the Russia-Ukraine war has driven up natural gas prices worldwide, solar energy has been touted as way to reduce dependence on "hostile nations."

"In the face of global supply uncertainty, we must ramp up clean energy production and eliminate our reliance on hostile nations for our energy needs," SEIA CEO and President Abigail Ross Hopper said in a statement Thursday. "Policymakers have the answer right in front of them: if we pass a long-term extension of the solar Investment Tax Credit and invest in U.S. manufacturing, solar installations will increase by 66% over the next decade, and our nation will be safer because of it. America's energy independence relies on our ability to deploy solar, and the opportunity before us has never been more obvious or urgent."

TRUMP CENSUS FUCK UP
US Census Bureau: Black, Latino, Indigenous populations undercounted in 2020


The Census Bureau on Thursday said that data calculated following the 2020 census showed that the Black, Latino and Indigenous populations in the United States were undercounted. 

File Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI | License Photo


March 10 (UPI) -- The 2020 census undercounted the Black, Latino and Indigenous populations in the United States, the Census Bureau said Thursday.

While the total census count did not show a significant overcount or undercount amid complications due to the COVID-19 pandemic and challenges to a plan to include a citizenship question, the tallies of Black, Latino and Indigenous populations were underrepresented by a greater margin than the previous census in 2010.

"Today's results show statistical evidence that the quality of the 2020 Census total population count is consistent with that of recent censuses. This is notable, given the unprecedented challenges of 2020," Census Bureau Director Robert L. Santos said.

"But the results also include some limitations -- the 2020 Census undercounted many of the same population groups we have historically undercounted, and it overcounted others," Santos said.

Following both a Post-Enumeration Survey and Demographic Analysis, the Latino population saw an undercount rate of 4.99%, up from 1.54% in 2010, while the Indigenous population was undercounted at a rate of 5.64% in 2020 compared to 4.88% in the previous census and the Black population was undercounted by 3.3% up from 2.06% in 2010.

Children aged 0-17 were also undercounted, the Census Bureau said.

In contrast, non-Hispanic Whites were overcounted 1.64%, nearly twice the 2010 rate of 0.83% in 2020, while the Asian population was overcounted by a rate of 2.62% after it was neither overcounted or undercounted in 2010.

The national total showed neither an undercount nor an overcount with an estimated net coverage error of -0.24% -- about 782,000 -- with a standard error of 0.25%.

"Taking today's findings as a whole, we believe the 2020 Census data are fit for many uses in decision-making as well as for painting a vivid portrait of our nation's people," said Santos. "We'll be exploring the under- and overcounts further. That is part of our due diligence, our pursuit of excellence and our service to the country."

Data from the census is used to determine levels of federal funding for public services, as well as how many congressional seats each state receives for the corresponding decade.

Census data released in August showed 204.3 million people identified as White, down from 223.6 million in 2010, an 8.6% decrease, while the Hispanic or Latino population became the most prevalent ethnic group in California for the first time.

In April, the Census Bureau asked for a 120-day delay for 2020 census deadlines in order to aid workers in abiding by social distancing guidelines to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

In late December 2020, it said it did not expect to meet its deadline to produce population counts used to allocate seats in Congress.

Ahead of the count, the bureau also faced a legal battle that ultimately reached the Supreme Court over whether the government could add a citizenship question to the 2020 census.

The Supreme Court moved to block the question days before federal officials were to begin printing materials.

Workers find mummified human body behind wall at old Oakland convention hall

The human remains were found behind a wall at the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center, pictured here around 1917, in Oakland, Calif. Officials say they'd likely been there for a long time. File Photo

March 10 (UPI) -- Construction workers in Northern California stumbled upon a grisly find when they were performing renovations recently on a convention facility in Oakland, officials said.

Crews have been performing the renovations at the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center, the Alameda County Sheriff's Office said.

Inside, one of the workers came upon a frightening find behind the drywall between two concrete pillars near the venue's concert hall -- mummified human remains.

The convention center has been closed since 2005 and had been undergoing remodeling for the past few years.

"The cavity where the individual was found was approximately 15 inches in width and 12 inches in height," Oakland Police Lt. Frederick Shavies said, according to KNTV-TV.

Shavies said the remains belonged to a man who probably died a long time ago, given their condition.

Investigators said they hope DNA and dental records will identify the body. If the hands on the body were preserved well enough, they might also be able to take fingerprints.

The convention center, which first opened in 1914, was being renovated as a multi-use space for artists and offices. While the city of Oakland still owns the facility, the city council reached a deal with Orton Development in 2015 for the redevelopment.

Century-old makeup case found at Arizona's Petrified Forest National Park

A rusted metal container found at Arizona's Petrified Forest National Park was found to contain "some very dried-out cosmetics" that might date from more than 100 years ago. Photo courtesy of Petrified Forest National Park/Facebook

March 10 (UPI) -- National Parks Service officials said a rusted metal case found buried at Petrified Forest National Park turned out to contain makeup dating back more than 100 years.

Petrified Forest National Park officials said in a Facebook post that the "small metal case" was found at the site of a homestead that was "owned by the Howell family around 1900."

"At first the case was rusted shut and we were uncertain of its contents," the post said.

Officials were eventually able to open the case, revealing "some very dried-up cosmetics."

"This cosmetics case likely belonged to one of the women of the Howell ranch or the Olson family who bought the property in the 1930s," the post said.

The National Parks Service said the makeup case and other "personal items help tell the story of the generations of women who have called the Petrified Forest landscape home."

New England fishermen reel in 12,000-year-old woolly mammoth tooth

A group of New Hampshire-based fishermen called the New England Fishmongers pulled up a woolly mammoth tooth while fishing for scallops off the coast of Massachusetts. Photo courtesy of newenglandfishmongers/eBay

March 10 (UPI) -- The crew of a New Hampshire fishing boat was dredging for scallops when they pulled up something unexpected: a 12,000-year-old woolly mammoth tooth.

The Portsmouth-based crew, known as the New England Fishmongers, said the 11-inch-long tooth was found off the coast of Newburyport, Mass.

Tim Rider, captain and co-owner of the New England Fishmongers, took the 7-pound item to the University of New Hampshire, where experts identified it.

"I always love thinking about the landscape in New England," UNH Geology Professor Will Clyde told NBC Boston. "With mammoths and mastodons walking around, and in terms of geological times, that wasn't that long ago."

Rider said he has decided to auction the tooth on eBay and donate the proceeds to World Central Kitchen, a charity working to provide hot meals to refugees from the violence in Ukraine.

"I'm a fisherman, but anytime you see families and children struggling in that type of situation, you really try to be thankful for what you have and do what you can to help," Rider told Seacoastonline.

Saudi blogger Raif Badawi freed after 10 years in prison

The family of Raif Badawi, one of Saudi Arabia's most prominent political prisoners, has said the blogger is free after a decade in prison. Badawi had been lashed for allegedly "insulting Islam" on his online forum.

Badawi's wife Ensaf Haidar announced the blogger's release on social media

Blogger Raif Badawi has been released after spending 10 years in a Saudi prison, his wife Ensaf Haidar said on Friday.



Badawi, now 38, is a founder of a Free Saudi Liberals website, a forum aimed at fostering debate about his native Saudi Arabia and discuss the separation of religion and the state. He was detained in 2012, and eventually sentenced to 10 years in prison for "insulting Islam," cybercrime and disobeying his father, which is a crime in the conservative kingdom.

He was also sentenced to 1,000 lashes and fined 1 million Saudi riyals (€224,000/$266,000). He was publicly flogged in 2015, receiving 50 lashes, but further lashings were suspended following international outcry. The country eventually banned flogging as a punishment in 2020. Badawi's prison term expired in February.

The blogger's sister, Samar Badawi, was detained in July 2018 on suspicion of harming state interests. She was released in 2021.
Barred from leaving the country

Raif Badawi's fate became a symbol of oppression in Saudi Arabia. His wife Ensaf Haidar lead an international campaign for his release, with many activists and organizations across the world joining the effort. Haidar has been granted political asylum in Canada, where she now lives with their three children. The four are now Canadian citizens.

"Raif called me. He is free," his wife Haidar told the AFP news agency on Friday.

One of his daughters, Nawja Badawi, told the agency she can hardly believe the news.

"I jumped when I found out. I can't wait to see my dad, I'm so excited," the 18-year-old said.

It was not clear when and how the blogger would be reunited with his family, however, as Badawi will likely be banned from leaving the his native country for another decade

Badawi unaware of international support

Speaking to DW ahead of Badawi's release, she said that Saudi society was changing.

"Everything that Raif and I wished for the country [Saudi Arabia] is coming to fruition," she said. Saudi Arabia's royal rulers "are working for more openness," she added. "More freedom for women, access to non-religious studies for them, allowing them to drive and many other things."

She also said the blogger was not aware of the widespread support he enjoys across the world.

"He does not have internet access," she told DW. "He calls me when he can from the public phone booth of the prison. We have so little time, we talk about the children and about life."

The dissident has faced health problems and mental health crisis during his imprisonment, according to his wife.

Badawi has been awarded a number of international prizes during his imprisonment, including the European Union's Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in 2015 and the DW Freedom of Speech award the same year.

dj/msh (AP, AFP, dpa, KNA)

Opinion: Raif Badawi is free, but world must speak out for other jailed journalists

Blogger Raif Badawi has been released from Saudi prison after completing his sentence. But ongoing restrictions on his freedom and a crackdown on free press means the world can't afford to be silent, says Justin Shilad.



Governments around the world should raise their voices on behalf of all imprisoned journalists, says Justin Shilad

After nearly a decade behind bars, Saudi authorities have finally released Raif Badawi from prison. Badawi, a blogger who used his writings and online forums to advocate for secularism and liberal values, was arrested in June 2012 and sentenced a year later to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes. He endured 50 lashes as part of his sentence, but global pressure may have saved him from even more.

While Badawi was in prison, Saudi Arabia witnessed two seemingly contradictory trends. Under the de facto reign of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia has turned into one of the top jailers of journalists worldwide and an epicenter of surveillance and spyware technology. The crown prince himself has gained notoriety in 2018 for likely ordering the brutal murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post.

Yet at the same time, the crown prince escaped any direct penalty from the US government and the international community, and the world has accepted Saudi Arabia under Mohammed bin Salman as an increasingly important actor on the global stage.
Badawi reflected changing views on religion, liberalism

But Badawi's arrest and sentencing came years before bin Salman's ascent to power, and his writing is an example of how independent journalism continues in one of the world's most censored states.

Badawi started an online discussion forum in 2006 where Saudis could discuss politics and religion. By 2008, he had already been detained at least once, yet he continued to develop the forum until it became the Free Saudi Liberals network, with thousands of registered users. Over the next few years, he continued to help run the forum while publishing columns advocating secularism and liberalism in local and regional outlets.


Ensaf Haidar, Badawi's wife, has consistently called for her husband's release

Badawi's writing and work moderating the forums reflected Saudis' changing views on the role of religion and liberalism in Saudi society — a dynamic that Saudi authorities have alternately denied and attempted to take credit for.

A Saudi court responded to Badawi's writings by sentencing him to seven years in prison and 600 lashes — a sentence that was increased on appeal in May 2014 to 10 years in prison, 1,000 lashes, a fine of 1 million Saudi riyal ($267,000/€244,000) and a 10-year travel ban after his prison sentence. Saudi authorities publicly lashed Badawi 50 times in January 2015, but repeatedly postponed the remaining sessions, ostensibly out of concern for his health.

Saudi government sensitive to criticism

But the international outcry after the first round of lashes suggests Saudi authorities are indeed concerned about worldwide public opinion and their global standing. After Khashoggi's murder, the Saudi government responded with ferocity when Canada's Foreign Ministry criticized the arrest of Badawi's sister, Samar Badawi, in 2019.

If the Saudi government's expulsion of the Canadian ambassador in response was meant as a warning to other countries who would criticize the country's rights record, it should also indicate how sensitive they are to criticism.

Raif Badawi may be free, but Saudi authorities continue to impose a travel ban on him and others, subjecting him to another unbearable decade of separation from his family. Meanwhile, the Saudi government continues to enjoy the military support of the US and EU member states, even as other journalists languish in prison in deplorable circumstances. The international condemnation that followed the first round of Badawi's lashings has subsided, as Saudi authorities' violations against journalists multiplied.

Need for continued international pressure

The international community must keep the pressure on Saudi authorities to release all other detained journalists, stop imposing onerous restrictions on those who have been released from jail, end their regime of censorship and surveillance and meaningfully pursue justice for Khashoggi's murder. As horrifying as it was for Badawi to have to endure 50 lashes, there's reason to believe that international pressure kept him from a grimmer fate.

Badawi's release from prison should not signal a return to business as usual with the kingdom — instead, it should be a reminder of the stakes of silence, and the need for continued international pressure.

Over the past three years, the ongoing imprisonment of Saudi journalists and lack of accountability for Khashoggi's murder has drawn an uncomfortable silence from the international community. With Badawi out of jail, governments around the world should raise their voices once again on behalf of all other imprisoned journalists. If he wasn't afraid to speak out, then countries that claim to value free expression shouldn't be afraid to either.

Justin Shilad is a senior researcher on Middle East and North Africa at the Committee to Protect Journalists.

VIOLENCE AGAINST JOURNALISTS 'IN THE HEART OF EUROPE'

Amsterdam in shock

Tuesday evening in the middle of the Dutch capital, Amsterdam. Well-known crime reporter Peter R. de Vries leaves a television studio and is shot by unknown assailants. Various indications point to an organized crime syndicate being behind the attack. Two men were taken into custody several hours after the shooting.

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Saudi Arabia: Many activists remain in jail
Raif Badawi has been released after 10 years in prison. However, the well-known blogger was not the only activist behind bars for expressing dissenting views.

Raif Badawi's wife: 'I am fighting for my husband'
Ensaf Haidar has made the battle for the release of her husband from prison her life's work. The wife of Saudi blogger Raif Badawi is passionate about the challenge, even in the face of opposition from her own family.

Khashoggi report: US issues muted response against Saudi Arabia
Following the report about the killing of Saudi dissident and journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the US says it is focused on the "future conduct" of Saudi Arabia.
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Civil war to blame for surge in online sales of Ethiopian artifacts

Experts have noticed a surge in online sales of Ethiopian artifacts. They fear these relics could have been looted during the country's ongoing civil war.



Ethiopia is rich in centuries-old cultural and religious treasures


Many Ethiopians were shocked when the news spread that Ethiopian antiquities can be bought on the online marketplace eBay, as well as on other trading sites.

The items listed for sale included centuries-old scrolls and Christian Orthodox bibles, often offered at below-market prices.

One antique manuscript cost just €688 ($754).

Manuscript expert Hagos Abrha Abay, an Ethiopian academic based in Germany, was one of the first to draw attention to the eBay listings when he tweeted screenshots in February highlighting the range of Ethiopian antiquities on offer.



eBay has since removed from their listings a number of Ethiopian artifacts that lack evidence of provenance.

Real or fakes

It is impossible to ascertain from photographs accompanying online listings whether the items are real or fakes — experts have warned for years about the flood of fraudulent antiques posted to eBay and other online sites.

Ethiopia's government, however, believes the items are probably authentic and has sought help to trace them and get them back.

"Without question, the artifacts are Ethiopia's heritage," Ethiopia's Tourism State Minister, Sileshi Girma, told DW.

Many of the items appear to originate in areas designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites.

He said Ethiopian officials were in contact with UNESCO about the listed items: "We will keep working ... to bring back our heritage to Ethiopia. UNESCO will also retrieve the objects from the eBay marketplace."
War plunder?

There are strong suspicions that numerous Ethiopian antiquities being offered online have been looted during the country's ongoing civil war between government forces and Tigray fighters, now in its 15th month.

Experts have been warning for more than a year of the plundering of churches, monasteries, mosques and museums in Tigray and neighboring regions in Ethiopia's north.


Witness say fighters looted Ethiopia's al-Nejashi mosque, which dates back to the 7th century, during the Tigray conflict

While the international airport in the capital Addis Ababa has strict controls, it is a different situation at many of Ethiopia's border checkpoints, and "people could get away with various things," government official Sileshi admitted.

The conflict also makes it hard to keep track of religious and cultural artifacts.
Damage and losses unknown

Prominent Ethiopian heritage analyst Henok Seyoum told DW that he had personally witnessed damaged cultural sites in the nation's north.

"There has been great destruction and looting in this war," Henok said. "It is still raging in the north and as a result, it is impossible to visit heritage sites even in Tigray."

Alebachew Desalegn, a London-based private collector of Ethiopian artifacts, is among those who find it plausible that the artifacts were plundered during the war.

"Heritage shows your roots. Heritage shows the history of the country. A campaign against heritage in Ethiopia is itself part of the war," Desalegn said. "This is unacceptable."

He accused the federal government of turning a blind eye to the destruction and theft of the country's priceless heritage throughout the conflict.

"The [Tourism] Ministry must examine all cultural sites that have been looted and report to the Ethiopian people," he said. "The government must ensure also the return of relics that were looted and taken abroad. It has shown no interest in this issue. It is very sad."

Tourism State Minister Sileshi Girma told DW that his office is looking into the extent of the destruction and looting and will make its findings public soon.

Ethiopia's artifacts have been looted for centuries: This 18th century bible, stolen by British soldiers in 1868, was returned to Ethiopia last year

Ethiopia's myriad artefacts

Compounding the difficulties of tracing such objects is the sheer volume of Ethiopia's historical objects. One estimate is that the libraries and archives of Ethiopia's monasteries containsome 200,000 ancient manuscripts.

On top of this, Ethiopia's artifacts have long been bought and sold, and as a result, are scattered throughout the globe.

"Ethiopia is an ancient state ... It was the first country with a port on the Red Sea that had a navy and control from the port of Sudan to the Indian Ocean. Ethiopia traded with Egypt, Persia, India and the Greco-Roman Empire," said Yohannes Zeleke, a member of the International Restitution Committee for Ethiopian Heritage, who is also a researcher at the Smithsonian Museum in the United States.

For Zeleke, having Ethiopian heritage in museums around the world is one thing. But dubious sales of the country's antiquities to private individuals is a different story.

"Having Ethiopia's heritage in the hands of individuals, it is worrying," he said.

The most important thing now, says Zeleke, is to find out whether the artifacts listed on eBay are real or duplicates.

Until that is known, "we shouldn't panic," he said.

Solomon Muchie Abebe in Addis Ababa contributed to this article.

Edited by: Kate Hairsine

Why is the UAE a hot spot for Russians dodging sanctions?

It's sunny and politically stable, there is little financial transparency and it's easy enough to invest in a business or property and get a residency visa in return.

In Dubai, a luxury villa comes with a residency visa

On its website, the Dubai-based lifestyle magazine Russian Emirates offers readers a selection of commonly asked questions. They include everyday queries about where to find Russian food in the United Arab Emirates, and whether there are Russian-speaking doctors there. But by far the most popular question on the Russian-language magazine is this one, with over 83,000 views: "Can I get UAE citizenship?"

Over the past two weeks — that is, since Russia invaded Ukraine and Western nations imposed sanctions as a result — the readership of the Russian Emirates website has almost doubled to nearly 300,000 views in a week.

That trend is likely to continue, experts say, as Russians look for ways to avoid sanctions and secure their wealth. Some are likely also trying to escape what they see as an increasingly perilous political situation at home.



One oil industry insider, who visited the emirate of Dubai this month, told DW about a palpable change in atmosphere there. "There's the feeling that this is an incredible game changer, in terms of the influx of capital to Dubai as a result of Russians exiting [their country] and looking for safe havens financially," the insider said.

Elsewhere, there have been reports of Russian oligarchs' private jets flying back and forth from Moscow to Dubai. A Ukrainian newspaper reported local intelligence agency suspicions that the oligarchs were ferrying private property to Dubai for safety.

Open source investigators, using maritime traffic websites, also spotted several superyachts moored in Dubai. Because the UAE hasn't imposed the same tough sanctions on Russia, the superyachts are safe there.
Invisible increases?

Despite its long-term security relationship with the US, the UAE has attempted to avoid taking a side in the Russia-Ukraine war and has not imposed sanctions.

As a result, Russian-speaking business consultants in Dubai have told international media there is a huge increase from inside Russia in requests for information.

"There is increasing concern that Dubai will indeed become an even greater hub for Russian oligarchs' money," Jodi Vittori, a professor at Georgetown University in Washington and expert on corruption, illicit finance and state fragility, confirmed.

Several EU governments have impounded superyachts belonging to Russian oligarchs

The flow of ill-gotten Russian gains has actually been washing through Dubai since the late 1990s, Vittori, who was previously assigned to NATO's counter-corruption task force, added.

But it's going to be hard for anybody to tell how much of an increase there might be now. "Because most of it won't be visible," Vittori explained.

This is because the UAE authorities don't actually collect the relevant information, Maira Martini, a researcher with Transparency International, pointed out.

Corruption investigators have mostly had to rely on leaked documents when it comes to working out who owns what in the UAE, Vittori explained.
Genuine improvements?

Thanks to increased scrutiny by organizations like the Financial Action Task Force, or FATF, a global money laundering watchdog, there have been some recent rule changes, Martini said.

Earlier this month, after a year of observation, the watchdog put the UAE on a so-called "gray list", which means "a jurisdiction under increased monitoring."

MEMBERS OF PUTIN'S INNER CIRCLE HIT BY WESTERN SANCTIONS

Roman Abramovich

Chelsea football club owner Roman Abramovich is one of the latest billionaires to be blacklisted. Last week, he put the club up for sale and promised to donate money from the proceeds to help war victims in Ukraine. But the UK government thwarted his plans by freezing his assets on March 10. In 2008, Abramovich's net worth peaked at $23.5 billion, making him Russia's richest man.

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The UAE had come up with a number of new rules to better control potentially illicit financing, even though Martini and Vittori agreed they haven't actually done much about enforcing those rules.

"Now, if you start a company in the UAE you are finally going to be asked who is really behind it," Martini told DW.

Despite more rules about company ownership, it would still be easy to hide wealth in the UAE, Martini continued. For example, the UAE has 39 different company registries across its seven emirates. "How can that be an effective system?" Martini argued. "It's a mess."

There are also more than 40 of what are known as "free zones" in the UAE, mostly in Dubai, where foreigners can locate (or relocate) companies.

After Indians, Russians form the second biggest group of tourists in Dubai

"And with real estate or investment funds, nobody is going to ask you any questions," Martini said.

Buying property in the UAE is comparatively frictionless and offers investors a residency visa, without needing local sponsorship. Paperwork to buy an apartment or start a business is minimal and cash is king, investigators have found.

Investing in real estate worth around $272,000 (€185,000) gets the buyer a three-year UAE visa. Investing about $1.36 million (€1.18 million) buys a five-year visa. Ordinary, upper middle class Russians, looking to avoid their business being appropriated by their own government or the economic meltdown back home, might well have the funds to set up a safe haven here too.

The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, a global network of investigative reporters, runs a database that includes foreign property Russian politicians have declared under Russian law. In the UAE, only 62 properties — including garages, apartments and residential buildings — are registered.
Why the UAE?

Of course, the UAE is not the only place that wealthy individuals fleeing sanctions could hide money. There are 23 countries on FATF's grey list , including Pakistan, South Sudan, the Cayman Islands, Yemen and Morocco, among others. But some of these nations are now supporting efforts to cut off Russia economically, and there are further reasons why UAE remains attractive.

"It's a unique location," Vittori explained. "It's not a transit point like the Cayman Islands, it's more of a one-stop shop for illicit finance."

Dubai also has a lot of what Vittori calls "clean money." Many multi-national businesses operating in the Middle East base themselves here and operate legally.

There are fears that Russians will use Dubai to escape sanctions

"Nobody invests in 'dirty money' locations because everybody knows it's dirty there. It's too obvious," Vittori explained. "So it's the combination of clean and dirty that makes Dubai so attractive."

Dubai has also long been a popular visa-free holiday destination for Russians, attracting around 730,000 Russian tourists in 2019, before the pandemic curtailed travel. Around 100,000 Russian-speakers are thought to be living in the UAE currently, with about 40,000 from Russia and the rest from post-Soviet states.

The political situation is also advantageous. Each of the UAE's emirates is run by a monarchy, based on tribal authority. Human rights activists describe the emirates as authoritarian, with no real political opposition, and where civil society, freedom of speech and a free press are muzzled.

Secrecy, stability, speed

This means less scrutiny from journalists or activists, Vittori said, while at the same time there is comparative political stability.

"They might not care about stability at home but when it comes to where they keep their money, the kleptocrats and the corrupt care about law and order," Transparency International's Martini added.

She believes there are two other main reasons why the UAE is a great hiding place for ill-gotten gains.

Firstly, the secrecy around financial transactions and then secondly, the fact that the UAE "doesn't cooperate too much with other countries on these issues," she said.

The FATF reported that Dubai received about 300 requests for assistance from abroad between 2013 and 2018 but only acted on 89 of them.

"[UAE authorities] are very slow and they're definitely not proactive," Martini concluded. "If, for example, an individual physically moves there, it would be very unlikely they would be extradited. All of these qualities makes it very, very attractive to those wanting to avoid sanctions or hide wealth."

More African migrants eye the Canary Islands

Thousands of migrants from West Africa are taking the risky journey to Europe via the Spanish Canary Islands. As a result, aid organizations have said that 2021 saw more fatalities in the Atlantic than ever before.


The number of migrants trying to reach the Canary Islands has increased dramatically

Madala Tounkara, of Mali, was still a minor when he boarded a small wooden fishing boat seven years ago and set off on a perilous sea voyage from the coast of Mauritania in West Africa.

Like many African migrants, his longed-for destination was the Canary Islands — a Spanish archipelago off Africa's northwest coast.

To reach Gran Canaria, the boat carrying Tounkara had to contend with the raging waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

"The last day was the worst. I didn't have any strength left [to hold on]," the young Malian told DW. "I was very scared the whole time. But then, when you're suddenly in such an extreme situation, the fear fades."

Tounkara survive the journey. He now earns his money from boxing and working in restaurant kitchens in Las Palmas, the capital of Gran Canaria, one of the eight islands that make up the archipelago.

Three-way route to Europe

While some migrants travel the western Mediterranean route via Niger, Mali and Algeria to Morocco and across the Mediterranean to Spain, others take the central Mediterranean route, which starts in Libya and leads to Malta or Italian islands like Lampedusa or Sicily.

But the West African Atlantic route to the Canary Islands, the one undertaken by Tounkara, is growing in popularity with migrants.

And as the numbers of migrants making the challenging crossing rises, so, too, does the number who lose their lives trying. The Spanish aid organization Caminando Fronteras recorded 4,000 deaths of people trying to reach the Canary Islands by boat in 2021.
Hundreds lost in the Atlantic

However, the number of victims documented by Caminando Fronteras is about three and a half times higher than that of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The latter speaks of 1,109 migrants who died in 2021. One reason for this discrepancy is that Caminando Fronteras, which is well networked in northwest Africa, has direct contact with the survivors of boats that have sunk and with migrants' families in Africa. Data is cross-checked with information from migrant communities and social agencies.

However, the IOM also believes migration along the West African Atlantic route is increasing.

"In recent years, more people have died or disappeared on this passage. In 2021, at least 73 boat accidents were recorded on this route, killing 1109 migrants," Alpha Seydi Ba, spokesperson of the IOM office in Dakar, told DW.

He said that more than three-quarters of these documented deaths were people missing and declared dead.

These migrants from Morocco were lucky to have made it to Gran Canaria

Sea-bound migrants 'know the risk'

However, Madala Tounkara, the young Malian in Las Palmas, believes that even more people have lost their lives during the crossing.

"Nobody knows how many are dead or floating around at sea. Often [the boats] simply run out of food or water, or gasoline. That's how most people die," Tounkara said. "They know the risk."

But the dangers don't deter the migrants.

According to the Spanish Interior Ministry, more than 22,300 people landed irregularly in the Canary Islands in 2021.

"This is a slight decrease compared to 2020, but still a dramatic increase compared to previous years," said IOM's Seydi Ba, adding that between 2010 and 2019, these numbers were in the hundreds, "not tens of thousands."

He said that [for most migrants], staying at home means resigning oneself to an uncertain life.

People also face social pressure to leave their families and strike out on their own, as children in Europe could offer their parents better living standards back home.

"So staying is shameful, not only for them but also for their parents, who often support or finance these trips," Seydi Ba said.

Migration 'a fundamental right'

According to the IOM, 25.4 million Africans migrated to another country in search of a better future in 2020, the most data available.

Interestingly, 80% of African migrants sought greener pastures within the continent, with Ivory Coast and South Africa the preferred destinations, according to the IOM.

African migration to Western countries accounts for just under 15% of the continent's migration. Of that, nearly 85% is legal.

The IOM said it's not against migration. "It is a fundamental right and beneficial not only for migrants but also for host communities," stressed Seydi Ba. "However, to harness the potential of migration for sustainable economic growth, it should be safe, orderly and regular."


Thousands of Africans risk their lives in tiny boats like these to reach European shores
Supporting those left behind

In Madala Tounkara's native Mali, relatives follow his every move in Spain.

Half of Malians live in poverty, exacerbated in recent years by the COVID-19 pandemic and political crises.

The school fees and food of the children in his extended family all come from the money Tounkara earns from his favorite sport, boxing, and his jobs in Spanish restaurant kitchens.

Tama Koita, Tounkara's uncle, told DW that the family depends on Tounkara for survival.

"He set out to free us from suffering. We know he works very hard to do that and doesn't have it easy where he is," Koita said.

Koita's house is close to one of Bamako's bus stations. Young Malians like Tounkara leave from here every day to seek their fortune in Europe.

Some even know him from earlier, when he lived in the neighborhood.

"Madala is one of us," one young man told DW. "We follow everything he does. One day we would like to be like him."

But Madala Tounkara isn't sure whether he wants to encourage others in his hometown to make the perilous journey. He knows that some of them might not survive.

Jan-Philipp Scholz in Spain and Ismail Dicko in Mali contributed to this article

This article was originally published in German

multitude - war and democracy in the age of empire