Pussy Riot on tour following band co-founder's escape from Russia

One of the band's leaders, Maria Alyokhina, managed to escape house arrest disguised as a food courier. DW met Pussy Riot as they start their European tour.


Pussy Riot at a concert in Utrecht in 2019

The artists' collective Pussy Riot wants to provoke and protest — against Russia's "political system that uses its power against basic human rights." Their trademark: colorful balaclavas. Their opponent: Vladimir Putin.

"There is no perspective for Russia with Putin, that crazy man who could start a nuclear war by pressing a button," said Pussy Riot co-founder Maria Alyokhina. Putin should be arrested immediately and put on trial, the activist told DW. She added that Putin needs a permanent war, the regime doesn't want peace but wants people to be in constant "survival mode." Putin's state "built everything on that, and can't live without it."

As threats started to multiply, Alyokhina decided it was time to leave the country. She has now managed to flee Russia. She described the adventurous circumstances of her escape to The New York Times. Placed under house arrest by Russian authorities, she escaped with the help of a trick: She was disguised as a food delivery service employee.

A friend then took her to the EU border in Belarus. But she didn't get to leave the country at first since her passport was confiscated and she was on a Russian "wanted" list.

She is not afraid of the Russian leadership. "How could I be afraid of them? They are puffed up like a big demon, but on the inside, they are very disorganized, very corrupt and very stupid," she said. It took them five days to notice she was gone, Alyokhina added.

The Putin critic said she doesn't believe statistics that claim 80% of Russians support the war. She is convinced people won't tell the truth because Russia "has an article in the criminal code forbidding us to call the war a war."

Maria Alyochina sings at a concert in Madrid in 2019

Tour starts in Berlin

Thanks to a friend — Icelandic performance artist Ragnar Kjartansson — she was able to obtain European documents, allowing her to enter Lithuania.

In the capital, more and more Pussy Riot members (there are a dozen or so in all) gathered and began rehearsing for their European tour, which begins on May 12 in Berlin.

Pussy Riot is in different places, in Russia and abroad, said Alyokhina, adding she has no idea how many members there are since it is not a closed club. "Anyone who acts like Pussy Riot, is a part of Pussy Riot. If you feel like doing something as Pussy Riot, go ahead!"

Solidarity for Ukraine

On tour, the band will also be demonstrating solidarity for Ukraine.

This February, the band auctioned NFTs for a picture of Ukraine's blue-yellow flag. In the first 24 hours, the auction brought in $3 million (€2.84 million), which Pussy Riot gave away to the non-profit organization Come Back Alive. The NGO helps equip Ukrainian soldiers with technical devices like night vision glasses and infrared cameras.

Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova sitting in a courtroom in 2012

Proceeds from the ongoing concerts will also be sent to Ukraine. "I have a lot of friends in Ukraine," Pussy Riot member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova told Rolling Stone. "I think Ukrainians are extremely brave, beautiful, fierce and inspirational."

She added that Ukrainians understood that not all Russians support Putin. "And that distinction is really important to me because a lot of Russians are protesting and going to the streets to restore their freedoms and lives."

Tolokonnikova knows that it is dangerous to protest against Putin, but that doesn't mean she will stop criticizing him. At a New York City concert held a few days after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the singer-activist repeated how much she hates Putin. "I hope he dies soon," she told fans.
How it began

Founded in 2011, Pussy Riot's early acts included guerrilla punk rock appearances in the Moscow subway or in front of the Kremlin. The singers demanded more rights for women and LGBTQ groups and brought attention to different kinds of repression.

Pussy Riot performing 'Punk Prayer'

In early 2012, the band sang "Punk Prayer" in Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Savior, admonishing the Russian head of state's close relations with the Russian Orthodox Church.

Their choice of words was not modest. An example: "Virgin Mary, Mother of God, banish Putin / Banish Putin, Banish Putin! / Congregations genuflect / Black robes brag, golden epaulets / Freedom's phantom's gone to heaven / Gay Pride's chained and in detention / The head of the KGB, their chief saint / Leads protesters to prison under escort / Don't upset His Saintship, ladies / Stick to making love and babies."

The Kremlin was quick to react: Frontwomen Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, the known faces of the group, were punished with two years at the penal camp in Siberia for "hooliganism," despite international protests.
The fight goes on

But the band was not one to be silenced. They went on hunger strikes in prison to protest abuse and harassment and described in letters the inhuman conditions at the camp.

Soon after their release, owing to a pardon at the end of 2013, they declared they would stand up for the rights of prisoners in their country. They called for solidarity with prisoners who were arrested because of their resistance to Putin's regime and founded the initiative Zona Prava (Zone of Law) which organizes legal help for detainees.

Outside Russia, their actions gained a lot of attention. The band held concerts in London, Madrid, Berlin and New York and even in the European Parliament in 2014, where Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina demanded sanctions against Moscow.

But back in Russia, they were barely acknowledged in public life, although Putin's agents always had their eyes on them. Even in 2014, when they were awarded the Hannah Arendt Prize, they told DW about permanently being surveilled by men who monitored them and behaved suspiciously.

Maria Alyochina making a 'V' sign at the press in March, 2021

Russia tightens its grip

Repression against free expression became more and more extreme, while Russian state broadcasters close to the regime either silenced Pussy Riot or reported about band members getting arrest for minor stunts.

On October 7, 2020, Putin's birthday, the band tied rainbow flags to government buildings in Moscow.

In summer 2021, shortly before the Duma elections, many members of the collective fled to Georgia following increasing repression by Moscow. Those who stayed back were placed under house arrest, underwent physical punishment or had to pay penalties, and were declared state agents.

Impressive performance: 'Riot Days'

Despite Russia's increasing repression, the band wants to continue protesting against Putin's Russia. The project "Riot Days," with which the band is going on tour, is based on a book of the same name by band member Maria Alyokhina.

In this book, she relates her experiences as a performer with Pussy Riot, life in the penal colony and the perpetual struggle against repression. Electric sounds, rhythmic talking and live music narrate an impressive story of rebellion, repression and revolution in a merging of concert, demonstration and theater. One thing is clear: Pussy Riot love their country, but in the eyes of many Russians, they are traitors.

RIOT DAYS: PUSSY RIOT'S ACTS OF DEFIANCE
Starting a riot
All-girl Russian punk protest band Pussy Riot created an international storm in 2012 with a guerrilla performance in Moscow's main cathedral that called for the Virgin Mary to protect Russia against Vladimir Putin, who was elected to a new term as Russia's president a few days later. The protest attracted worldwide attention, and three members of the group were arrested.
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This article was originally written in German.

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Pussy Riot World Cup pitch invaders re-arrested after leaving prison in Moscow

Four members of the Russian activist group Pussy Riot who disrupted the World Cup final in Moscow say they have been detained again, just as they walked free from prison after serving a 15-day sentence.

'Peace, love and Russian Roll': Austrian band parties on


Russkaja defines its music as 'Russian Turbo Polka Metal' with a slug of Soviet nostalgia 

(AFP/Alex HALADA)


Denise HRUBY
Wed, May 11, 2022, 11:52 PM·3 min read

Fans still sing and dance away to Russkaja's Soviet nostalgia beats, but the Austrian ska-punk band say their mission to bring "fun and love" has become tricky since Russia invaded Ukraine.

"We were concerned. To what extent can you represent something Russian?" Moscow-born lead singer Georgij Makazaria tells AFP in a joint interview with Ukrainian bassist Dimitrij Miller.

"Singing 'The Russians are here' gets stuck in my throat."

The group -- one of whose tag lines is "peace, love and Russian roll" -- started in Vienna 17 years ago, after a chance encounter between the two men.

They shot to fame as the house band of one of Austria's most popular late night shows, electrifying young, western Europeans with their blend of "Russian Turbo Polka Metal".

They have now released six albums -- many with left-leaning political messages, like the most recent "No one is Illegal" about a young refugee -- and regularly tour Europe.

But since Moscow invaded Ukraine in late February, the seven-piece band have found themselves in a bind and has even considered changing their name, which stands for "Russia", "ska" and "yes".

They have also rewritten some of their lyrics, which generally mix Russian and English. For example, their plea to Moscow "let's tear down all these walls" has morphed into "Hello, Moskva, let's stop this fucking war".

Miller concedes that since the invasion, bringing fun and partying to their fans has been "extremely hard".

"To be happy on stage when my best friends are fighting there, in war, that's inconceivable," says the 41-year-old, whose cousin headed to the frontline last month to defend his country against Russian troops.

- 'Music connects' -

But still the party goes on.

In March, the band toured the United States for the first time, as the supporting act for Celtic punk band Flogging Molly. It has some 20 concerts lined up this summer in Austria and neighbouring Germany, France, Hungary and the Czech Republic.

"Look, for us it's about the music," explains Makazaria, 48, on the sidelines of a concert in the small town of Kapfenberg, about 150 kilometres (90 miles) south west of Vienna.

For this gig in late April, the band performs its infectious, high-energy numbers in front of a Ukrainian flag embellished with a peace symbol.

"Dimitrij here is from Ukraine," Makazaria tells the crowd after the song "Russkij Style". He puts his arm around Miller to loud applause.

"And I am from Russia... What's happening now is an extreme catastrophe for us, for everyone, and we condemn this insane war!" he yells.

Social media posts about their shows have sparked some critical responses, with commentators asking why a band glorifying Russian culture and music is still allowed to play in Europe.

"Music connects but it can also separate. There are people who feel that way and that's something we have to accept," says Makazaria.

In Kapfenberg, black-clad fans, a few sporting Russian fur hats, are keen to enjoy the music and ask for autographs.

"To me, this war is senseless and music connects, whether you're from Ukraine or you're from Russia," says 38-year-old tattoo artist Daniel Mayerhofer.

Markus Heil, a 28-year-old designer, thinks it would be "absolutely wrong" to boycott the group now.

"Of course, I really don't like what some people in Russia are doing. But Russia itself has an interesting culture and you can't forget that in this situation."

deh/jza/gil

Sri Lanka court bars ex-prime minister from leaving country

Mahinda Rajapaksa, who stepped down as prime minister this week, has been blocked from leaving Sri Lanka. The court has ordered an investigation into attacks against anti-government protesters.

Mahinda Rajapaksa has been holed up at a naval facility since stepping down as prime minister

A court in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo on Thursday imposed a ban on former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and several of his key allies from leaving the country.

Rajapaksa stepped down as prime minister on Monday following weeks of intense anti-government protests amid an ongoing financial and economic crisis.

The court order targeted the ex-prime minister and his son Namal — also a lawmaker — along with 15 other allies. Additionally, police were ordered to launch an investigation into attacks against anti-government protesters.

The attack triggered a wave of violence and destruction across the country. At least nine people lost their lives since the unrest started.

Why are people protesting in Sri Lanka?

Rajapaksa, who has also previously served as president, is the elder brother of the current president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

The monthlong protests have consistently called for the Rajapaksas to leave power. A recent cabinet shift, seen as an offer of compromise, removed a few family members from ministerial positions in the cabinet, including Mahinda's son Namal.

The prime minister only stepped down on Monday after a mob of loyalist supporters came out of his compound to confront the peaceful protesters camped out in front of it with clubs and sticks.

The violence left at least 225 people hospitalized. After resigning, the 76-year-old Rajapaksa was whisked off by heavily armed soldiers to a naval base on the east of the island.

What is the state of Sri Lanka's economy?

Sri Lanka is currently suffering its worst economic crisis since gaining independence from the British Empire in 1948.

Low foreign currency reserves, soaring inflation and rising prices have led to severe shortages of key imports such as fuel, medicine and other essential goods.

Blackouts across the island country have become a regular occurrence.

Colombo is in talks with the IMF after defaulting on its foreign debt, in part accrued thanks to a series of largescale, financially unsustainable projects taken on during the previous two decades that have been dominated by the Rajapaksa family.

Leaders of various political parties are set to meet later on Thursday to discuss the worsening situation. The opposition has repeatedly refused to join a unity government until President Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigns.

ab/dj (AFP, Reuters)

Sri Lanka president set to name new PM

Amal JAYASINGHE
Wed, 11 May 2022


A protester in Colombo watches an address to the nation by Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapaksa near the president's office

 (AFP/Ishara S. KODIKARA)

Beleaguered President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was set to name a new prime minister Thursday to try to steer Sri Lanka out of its dire economic crisis after days of violence, officials said.

Respected five-time former premier Ranil Wickremesinghe was the frontrunner to head a "unity government" with cross-party support in the 225-member parliament and replace Rajapaksa's elder brother Mahinda who stepped down on Monday.

"A swearing-in is likely today unless there is a last-minute hiccup," a senior official close to the president told AFP.

In a televised address to the nation on Wednesday night, Rajapaksa stopped short of yielding to weeks of nationwide protests calling for him to resign.

The country of 22 million people is in its worst economic crisis since independence with severe shortages of food, fuel and medicines and long power cuts.

But in a bid to win over the opposition who wanted Rajapaksa to quit, the 72-year-old pledged to give up most of his executive powers and set up a new cabinet this week.

"I will name a prime minister who will command a majority in parliament and the confidence of the people," Rajapaksa said in the televised speech.

Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned as prime minister on Monday after his supporters attacked anti-government supporters and ran riot in Colombo.

This unleashed several days of violence that killed at least nine people and injured more than 200, with dozens of Rajapaksa loyalist homes set on fire.

Security forces patrolling in armoured personnel carriers with orders to shoot on sight anyone engaged in looting or violence have since cracked down on public disorder.

A curfew was lifted Thursday morning only to be reimposed after a six-hour break allowing people to stock up on essentials.

The main opposition SJB party was initially invited to lead a new government, but its leader Sajith Premadasa insisted that the president first step down.

However, about a dozen MPs from the SJB pledged support to Wickremesinghe, 73, who has been prime minister five times since 1993 and is seen as a pro-West free-market reformist.

Wickremesinghe is the only legislator from his United National Party (UNP) which was routed at the August 2020 election that gave Rajapaksa a two-thirds majority.

With the economic crisis, the Rajapaksa government began to unravel with mass defections to the opposition, but since April no group in the 225-member assembly enjoys an absolute majority.

Sri Lanka is in talks with the International Monetary Fund and others about a bailout package after a shortage of foreign currency forced it to default on its foreign debts last month.

The island nation's central bank chief warned Wednesday that the economy will "collapse" unless a new government was urgently appointed.

aj/stu/ssy

Almost $US1 billion tentative settlement for families of victims in deadly Florida condo collapse

Remnants of the Champlain Towers building after its partial collapse in 2021.(AP: Mark Humphrey)

Survivors and families of victims of last June's condominium collapse in Surfside, Florida, reach a tentative, nearly $US1 billion settlement in their class-action lawsuit, an attorney says.

Key points:The settlement was agreed with developers of an adjacent building, insurance companies and other defendants, and is pending court approval
Champlain Towers South, a 12-storey condominium, partially collapsed on June 24, 2021, killing 98 people and destroying dozens of units

Lawsuits from victims, families and condo owners were triggered by the building's collapse in Surfside, north of Miami Beach, and prompted state and federal investigations

Attorney Harley S Tropin announced the $997 million ($1.4 billion) settlement during a hearing before Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Michael Hanzman.

Still pending final approval, the settlement was agreed with developers of an adjacent building, insurance companies and other defendants.

"Our clients are a victim of a tragedy. If you lost a loved one, no amount of money [is enough]," Ms Tropin said. "But the clients are pleased with this recovery. Really pleased."

Earlier this year, Judge Hanzman approved an $83 million settlement to compensate people who suffered economic losses, such as condominium units and personal property.

A key question from the beginning has been how to allocate money from the property's sale, insurance proceeds and damages from lawsuits among wrongful death cases and property claims.

The 12-story Champlain Towers South condominium partially collapsed in the early morning hours of June 24, almost instantly destroying dozens of individual condo units and burying victims under tonnes of rubble.

Rescuers spent weeks carefully digging through mountains of rubble to find survivors and recover the remains of those who died.(AP: Miami Herald/Matias J Ocner)

Rescuers spent weeks carefully digging through mountains of concrete, first to find survivors and, later, to recover the remains of those who died.

Some 10 days after the initial collapse, demolition crews used explosives to bring down the remaining portion of the building, to give searchers access to additional areas where survivors might have been located.

A total of 98 people were killed.

The tragedy — in the town of Surfside, just north of Miami Beach — triggered lawsuits from victims, families and condo owners, and prompted state and federal investigations.

In October, a coalition of engineers and architects said the Florida should consider requiring high-rise buildings near the coast to undergo safety inspections every 20 years.

Surfside's Wall of Hope and temporary memorial honouring those who lost their lives.

(AP: Miami Herald/Al Diaz)

And, in December, a Florida grand jury issued a lengthy list of recommendations aimed at preventing another condominium collapse, including earlier and more frequent inspections and better waterproofing.

At the time of the collapse, Miami-Dade and Broward were the only two of the state's 67 counties that had condominium recertification programs.

The main lawsuit — filed on behalf of Champlain Towers South victims, survivors and family members — contends that work on the adjacent Eighty Seven Park tower damaged and destabilised the Champlain Towers building, which was in need of major structural repair.

The condo was built in 1981 and was in the midst of its 40-year structural review when it partially crumbled to the ground.

(AP: Mark Humphrey)
Investigators find evidence of extensive corrosion and other issues

Champlain Towers was in the midst of its 40-year structural review when it partially crumbled to the ground.

Florida's condo catastrophe

Theories are emerging about how a Florida apartment building collapsed.

Video released by a team of federal investigators showed evidence of extensive corrosion and overcrowded concrete reinforcement in the building.

Seven months after the collapse, temporary structural supports were added to areas in the underground garage of Champlain Towers South's sister tower, Champlain Towers North, in what the building's condo board called "an abundance of caution".

That condo was built in 1981 and has a nearly identical design as the Champlain Towers South.

The little-known enclave of Surfside comprises a mix of older homes and condos similar to the collapsed tower, built decades ago for the middle-class, and recently erected luxury condos drawing the wealthy.

They include former first daughter, Ivanka Trump, and her husband, Jared Kushner, who live about a block north of the collapsed condo.

Residents of Champlain Towers South were an international mix: South American immigrants, Orthodox Jews and foreign retirees.

AP/Reuters

New Cuban penal code 'turning the screw' on dissent, critics say


New Cuban penal code 'turning the screw' on dissent, critics sayLast July, thousands of Cubans spontaneously spilled into the streets of numerous cities and towns, demanding "freedom" and denouncing their plight as the country reeled from its worst economic crisis in nearly three decades (AFP/Yamil LAGE)More

Carlos BATISTA
Wed, May 11, 2022,

Ten months after unprecedented anti-government protests rocked Cuba, the government is pushing through a penal reform opponents say is designed to pre-emptively quell any future displays of growing public discontent.

The new code, set to be approved at an extraordinary session of parliament Saturday, will criminalize "propaganda" spreading and foreign funding for activities that threaten the "security of the state."

Also punishable by up to two years in prison will be demonstrations by one or more people "in breach of provisions."

Why?

To "protect the political and state socialist system from all actions and activities that are committed against the constitutional order and with the purpose of creating a climate of social instability and a state of ungovernability," states the draft published on the website of the public prosecutor's office.

The penal code reform is part of a slew of laws that need to be passed to give execution to Cuba's new constitution, approved in 2019.

But unlike other draft laws -- including a new family code that will legalize same-sex marriage and surrogacy -- there was no public consultation, and there will be no referendum.

"It is striking that... this new body of legislation was drafted in secret," Rene Gomez Manzano, a 77-year-old lawyer, former political prisoner and dissident activist, told AFP.

With the code, "the regime is turning the screw, intensifying the repression of citizens," said Gomez, who heads a body of dissident Cuban lawyers.

- Communications offenses -

The code creates 37 brand new offenses related to the use of "telecommunications, information and communication technologies."

This is an apparent response to the arrival of the mobile internet on the island in 2018, which has revolutionized the way people express discontent and organize themselves in a one-party state known for its dislike of dissent.

Last July, thousands of Cubans spontaneously spilled into the streets of numerous cities and towns, demanding "freedom" and denouncing their plight as the country reeled from its worst economic crisis in nearly three decades.

Such a mass public outpouring of dissent had never been seen in the 60 years since Fidel Castro's revolution.

The response by security forces left one person dead, dozens injured and more than 1,300 people detained.

Hundreds have since been sentenced, some to jail terms of as much as 30 years for crimes such as public disorder and sedition -- both of which remain on the statute book.

- 'Propaganda' -

The draft penal code foresees a prohibition on foreign funding of activities perceived as being targeted "against the security of the state"

This means independent or opposition media, activists and dissident groups will become punishable as "mercenaries" for receiving money from agencies and NGOs abroad.

They will risk prison sentences ranging from four to 10 years.

"In a country where private media is illegal and journalists have no possibility of obtaining local funding, prohibiting foreign funding is a death sentence to independent journalism," said the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

The existing crime of "enemy propaganda" will be changed to "propaganda against the constitutional order," and the "dissemination of false news or malicious predictions with the aim of causing alarm, discontent or disinformation" will also become punishable.

The code's "hardening of penalties... is designed to have a notable impact on Cuban political activism," said jurist Harold Bertot, a Cuban law professor now in Madrid for research.

He pointed out that it comes "in a time of political and social tension in Cuba" and was clearly "designed to have a notable impact on Cuban political activism".

Bertot said the draft text foresees "a significant number of crimes punishable by the death penalty" -- a punishment not meted out in almost 20 years.

Cuba has maintained a de facto moratorium on capital punishment -- previously carried out by shooting -- since 2000, broken only in 2003 with the execution of three Cubans who had hijacked a passenger boat to escape the island.

cb/ka/mlr/caw

Colombia's Gulf Clan sows terror ahead of presidential vote

Juan Sebastian SERRANO
Wed, 11 May 2022, 



'Gulf Clan' boss 'Otoniel' faces drug trafficking charges in the United States 

(AFP/-)

With dozens of villages under siege and as many as two dozen people killed in a week, Colombia's largest drug cartel is sowing terror among civilians, flexing its muscle with days to go to presidential elections.

The Gulf Clan, which moves 30 to 60 percent -- some 700 tons -- of all the cocaine exported from Colombia, is exacting revenge for the extradition of its boss, known as "Otoniel," to the United States last week for trial.

In a show of force, it called a so-called "armed strike" that has forced shops and schools to close and brought transport to a standstill in 141 of Colombia's 1,100 municipalities, according to official data.

Dozens of roads were blockaded despite the best efforts of some 52,000 soldiers and police deployed to restore order.

The government says the clan has killed eight people, including five security forces personnel, in a week.

But according to the JEP, a special entity set up under Colombia's 2016 peace deal with the leftist rebel group FARC, the toll is even higher.

It reports 24 dead, 178 municipalities affected in 10 departments out of 36, as well as 22 attacks on uniformed personnel. Nearly 200 vehicles including trucks have been burnt.

When "Otoniel" was arrested last October, President Ivan Duque rejoiced: "It is a blow that marks the end of the Gulf Clan" -- the biggest cartel in the world's largest cocaine exporting country.

Seven months later, the group still operates with a large degree of impunity under replacement leaders "Siopas" and "Chiquito Malo."

- Situation 'very serious' -

"The State no longer knows what to do," analyst Kyle Johnson of the Conflict Response Foundation, a Colombian think-tank, told AFP.

Its actions to date, "have made little difference on the ground," he said.

According to the Foundation for Peace and Reconciliation, a monitoring group, the gang is now present in 241 municipalities -- 31 more than last year -- and has some 3,200 members, half of them armed.

For its "armed strike," the clan has targeted areas in Colombia's north that have been largely untouched by the violence that has long plagued the south in fighting over resources and territory between leftist guerrillas, drug gangs and other armed groups.

The situation in the north is now "very serious," said Johnson.

Hector Espinosa, governor of the Sucre region, hard hit by the clan's activities, said it was also waging a campaign of cyber terror -- scaring civilians with threats on WhatsApp and Facebook.

Despite the mass security deployment, people in these areas "don't want to go out because they receive messages on WhatsApp and Facebook telling them not to," said Espinosa.

In doing so, the clan portrays the state as weak and itself as being in charge.

A journalist in one of the affected regions told AFP he was forced to diffuse a clan pamphlet on the Facebook page of his outlet under threat of death.

With just days to go to the first round of presidential elections on May 29, the violence that has persisted in Colombia despite its historic 2016 peace accord, features prominently in the political campaign.

Leftist Gustavo Petro, ahead in the polls, has heavily criticized the "failure of the security option" of the outgoing government for addressing the matter.

He has, instead, mooted a "collective amnesty" for traffickers, with legal guarantees in exchange for abandoning the lucrative trade in a country battling growing poverty and unemployment.

His main rival on the right, Federico Gutierrez, is in favor of a strong-arm security response.

According to Johnson, an amnesty agreement can work only if the state manages to regain control of territories dominated by the clan.

This is something it failed to do with regions formerly under control of the disbanded FARC guerrilla group, now the scene of a territorial war.

jss/vel/mlr/dw

Saudi Aramco becomes world's most valuable stock as Apple drops

Ryan Vlastelica and Matt Turner, Bloomberg News

Saudi Aramco overtook Apple Inc. as the world’s most valuable company, stoked by a surge in oil prices that is buoying the crude producer while adding to an inflation surge that is throttling demand for technology stocks.

Aramco is near its highest level on record and with a market capitalization of about US$2.43 trillion, surpassed that of Apple for the first time since 2020. The iPhone maker fell 3.9 per cent in New York to US$148.50, giving it a valuation of US$2.41 trillion at 1:05 p.m. in New York   

Even if the move proves short-lived and Apple retakes the top spot again, the role reversal underscores the power of major forces coursing through the global economy. Soaring oil prices, while great for profits at Aramco, are exacerbating rising inflation that is forcing the Federal Reserve to rise interest rates at the fastest pace in decades. The higher rates go, the more investors discount the value of future revenue flows from tech companies and push down their stock prices.

Earlier this year, Apple boasted a market value of US$3 trillion, about US$1 trillion more than Aramco’s. Since then, however, Apple has fallen by 16 per cent while Aramco is up 27 per cent. 

With the Fed on pace to further raise rates by at least another 150 basis points this year and with no prospects yet of a resolution for the conflict in Ukraine, it may be a while until tech regains dominance, according to Tim Ghriskey, senior portfolio strategist at Ingalls & Snyder. 

“There’s panic selling in a lot of tech and other high-multiple names, and the money coming out of there seems headed in particular for energy, which for now has a favorable outlook, given commodity prices,” he said. “Companies like Aramco are benefitting significantly from this environment.”

The year’s weakness in technology shares has come amid concerns over inflation and a more aggressive policy stance from the Fed. Apple’s recent results also underlined the difficulties it is facing from supply constraints. However, the stock is still seen as a relative safety play within the sector, given its steady growth and balance-sheet strength -- factors that have limited its decline this year. The stock’s year-to-date drop is smaller than the 24.8 per cent decline of the Nasdaq 100 Index.

Apple remains the largest stock among U.S. companies. Microsoft Corp., in second place, has a market capitalization of US$1.96 trillion.

Meanwhile, the S&P 500 Energy sector has soared 39 per cent this year, supported by a rally in the price of Brent crude oil which has gone from about US$78 a barrel at the start of the year to US$108.

Five things to know about the Montreal minke whale and why saving it isn't easy


Concerns for whale in Montreal


Spotted: Minke whale in Montreal's Old Port

New video: Minke whale spotted in Montreal


Man spots whale near Montreal

Stephane Blais
The Canadian Press
Staff
Contact
Published May 11, 2022 

There appears to be little that humans can do to help the minke whale that has been spotted in the St. Lawrence River near Montreal find its way back home. Here are five things to help understand the situation:

THE WHALE'S ARRIVAL

Robert Michaud of the Reseau quebecois d'urgences pour les mammiferes marins said the whale was first seen on Sunday near the city's Parc Jean-Drapeau. The whale is about 450 kilometres upstream from its natural habitat, but Michaud said the plan is not to try to rescue it.

His network, which works to protect marine mammals in the St. Lawrence River, only considers intervening in certain situations, such as when an endangered species is involved -- which is not the case with minke whales -- or when a whale is threatened by human activities, such as entanglement in fishing gear.

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'It's not supposed to be here': Wayward minke whale spotted near Montreal sparks worries

 

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT MINKE WHALES

The minke whale can reach almost eight metres in length as an adult. Michaud said the Montreal whale, which was spotted again on Tuesday, hasn't been observed long enough to assess its size, although it seems to be young.

"These animals usually live in salt water," Michaud said. "If they are exposed to fresh water for a long time, they can develop physiological problems. The less time it stays in Montreal, the better its chances of survival."

Michaud explained minke whales migrate during the spring and summer to the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park, which is home to hundreds of marine species. Minke whales usually stay in the area to feed before returning to the Atlantic Ocean in the fall.

PAST ENCOUNTERS

This is not the first time in Quebec a whale has strayed from its natural habitat. A humpback whale spent several days near Montreal's Old Port in 2020. Despite its apparent good health, that whale was later found dead, and a necropsy suggested the 10-metre-long animal may have been hit by a boat.

Michaud said his team receives about 700 calls a year for situations involving endangered or dead animals.

"In every species, there are animals that once in a while venture out," said Michaud, noting that in 2012 a beluga spent a few weeks in the water off Montreal's Old Port before leaving.

WHEN TO RESCUE LOST WHALES

Michaud said his team has decided to intervene in specific cases only. "For example, if a whale is caught in a fishing net," he said.

Interventions can also occur if the animal is becoming a threat to humans. Michaud referred to situations where seals wandered onto a highway, a schoolyard and an airstrip in Quebec.

HOW TO INTERVENE

Michaud said the techniques that could help get the whale back to its natural habitat all have risks. In some cases, sounds have been used to repel or attract an animal, but he said they have been very ineffective. He said one attempt to scare away a humpback whale with loud sounds caused the animal to start breaching before it beached itself.

Nets have been used for belugas, narwhals and dolphins but very rarely with large whales, and Michaud said all netting techniques carry risks.

"Do we want to play God and save all the animals that are in trouble to have a clear conscience?" the researcher asked. "There are animals that die every day; it's normal. It's sometimes hard for humans to accept, especially for urbanites."

-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published on May 11, 2022.

A whale is seen in the waters of the St. Lawrence River, near Montreal, Monday, May 9, 2022. A marine mammal group said a minke whale was first spotted near the city's Parc Jean-Drapeau on Sunday.

 THE CANADIAN PRESS/Morgan Lowrie

AT LEAST HALF ARE THANKS TO TRUMP

One million dead: Five things to know about America's pandemic

Wed, 11 May 2022, 

Registered Nurse Mariam Salaam administers the Pfizer booster shot at a Covid vaccination and testing site in Los Angeles on May 5, 2022 (AFP/Frederic J. BROWN) (Frederic J. BROWN)


One million dead from Covid-19: two years ago it would have been unimaginable, but now the United States is on the verge of surpassing this terrible milestone.

It will be the first country known to do so, although experts warn that the true death toll is likely to be far higher.

Here are five things to know about the US pandemic.

- By the numbers -

One million dead works out to around one in every 330 Americans -- one of the highest death rates in the developed world. Britain has seen around one in 380 people die of Covid, while in France it has been one in 456.

In all, more than 203,000 children in the United States have lost a parent or caregiver, according to a study that underscores the profound impact of the pandemic on American youth.

At the height of the Omicron wave, the United States recorded an average of more than 800,000 cases per day, pushing the total since the pandemic began to nearly 82 million cases.

But this again is probably an underestimate, especially given the lack of tests at the beginning of the pandemic and now the success of self-tests, which are not systematically reported to the authorities.

- New York shuts down -

The virus was first reported in the northwest United States -- but it swiftly reached New York, a global transportation hub, which briefly became the epicenter of the first wave.

The Big Apple went from being the city that never sleeps to a ghost town, with its dead piled into refrigerated trucks and its streets deserted.

Its most affluent inhabitants simply left, while the less privileged confined themselves in cramped quarantines.

The megalopolis has so far suffered more than 40,000 deaths from Covid-19, most of which occurred in the spring of 2020.

- Vaccine rush -

Donald Trump, president when the pandemic hit, was criticized for his slow response, how he played down the scale of the coming disaster, and his contribution to misinformation surrounding the pandemic in the weeks and months to come.

He also launched "Operation Warp Speed," pumping billions of dollars of public money into vaccine research, allowing pharmaceutical companies to conduct expensive clinical trials.

The result? The first vaccines in the US -- from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna -- were available in mid-December, less than a year after the first cases were reported in China.

- The mask divide -

In the politically polarized United States, few social issues have been as divisive as masks or vaccines.

Between progressives defending physical distancing, masks and inoculations, and conservatives rejecting any intrusion into their individual freedoms, the battle raged all the way to the top, where Trump only reluctantly wore a mask while his successor Joe Biden scrupulously followed protocols and championed vaccinations.

From schools to airplanes to businesses, the mask issue has led to numerous clashes, sometimes even resulting in violence.

The latest development is that in April, a Trump-appointed judge in Louisiana lifted the requirement to wear masks on public transport, a decision that the federal government has appealed.

- No end in sight -

More than two years since the pandemic reached the United States, the rate of infection is rising yet again, due to sub-variants of the very contagious variant Omicron.

From a low of 25,000 daily cases in March, the country now has a seven-day daily average of some 78,000 cases, according to the main US health agency.

vgr/st/wd

Cardinal's arrest deepens alarm over Hong Kong crackdown

Jerome Taylor, Su Xinqi and Florian Mueller
Wed, May 11, 2022

The arrest of a 90-year-old Catholic cardinal under Hong Kong's national security law has triggered international outrage and deepened concerns over China's crackdown on freedoms in the financial hub.

Retired cardinal Joseph Zen, one of the most senior Catholic clerics in Asia, was among a group of veteran democracy advocates arrested Wednesday for "colluding with foreign forces".


Denise Ho
Canada - Hong Kong singer and social activist

Cantonese pop singer Denise Ho, veteran barrister Margaret Ng and prominent cultural studies scholar Hui Po-keung were also arrested, the latter as he attempted to fly to Europe to take up an academic post.

The four were detained for their involvement in a now-disbanded defence fund that helped pay legal and medical costs for those arrested during the huge and sometimes violent wave of democracy protests three years ago.

China responded with a broad campaign to crush the movement and transform the once-outspoken city into something more closely resembling the authoritarian mainland.

Zen and his colleagues, who were released on bail late Wednesday, join more than 180 Hong Kongers arrested to date under the national security law Beijing imposed to stop the protests.

Those charged are typically denied bail and can face up to life in prison if convicted.

- 'Deeply troubling' -

Criticism came from Western nations who have accused China of eviscerating the freedoms it once promised Hong Kong could maintain.

The United States, which has previously sanctioned key Chinese officials over the ongoing crackdown, called on Beijing to "cease targeting Hong Kong's advocates".

Canada said consular officials were trying to access Ho, a popular Hong Kong singer and LGTBQ campaigner who is also a Canadian national.

Foreign minister Melanie Joly called the arrests "deeply troubling".

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said he was following the arrests with "great concern", while Human Rights Watch called it a "shocking new low for Hong Kong".

"Even by Hong Kong's recent standards of worsening repression, these arrests represent a shocking escalation," added Amnesty International.

The Vatican said it was concerned by Zen's arrest and "following the development of the situation very closely".

- 'Damocles sword' -

Cardinal Zen fled Shanghai for Hong Kong after the communists took power in China in 1949 and rose to become bishop of the city.

A long-term advocate for Hong Kong's democracy movement, Zen has also been critical of the Vatican for reaching a compromise with China over the appointment of bishops on the mainland.

Hong Kong's Catholic hierarchy, including Zen's successors, has become far less outspoken about Beijing in recent years.

His arrest has sent shockwaves through the city's Catholic community who, unlike on the mainland, have been free to practice their faith without state control.

"The arrest of cardinal Zen is a blow for the entire church in Hong Kong, China and the world," Hong Kong-based Italian missionary Franco Mella, 73, told AFP.

"It has become obvious that there is a Damocles sword above Zen and other church people."

A church visitor on Thursday who gave her name as Laura said congregants feared mainland-style suppression of religion could be coming to Hong Kong.

"The space for religious freedom has apparently shrunk because even a Catholic cardinal is now under arrest," she said.

Those arrested Wednesday were suspected of endangering national security because they allegedly asked foreign nations or overseas organisations to impose sanctions on Hong Kong, police said.

Ta Kung Pao, a nationalist newspaper that answers to Beijing's Liaison Office in Hong Kong, published an article Thursday accusing the group of "six crimes".

They included funding lobbying trips and activist meetings with British lawmakers, providing financial aid to Hong Kong "rioters" who had fled to Canada and Taiwan, and accepting donations from overseas.

It also listed a HK$1.3 million (US$165,000) donation from Apple Daily, a popular pro-democracy tabloid that collapsed last year after its assets were frozen under the security law.

But most of the alleged actions cited by Ta Kung Pao took place before the enactment of the law, which is not supposed to be retroactive.

The fund disbanded last year after national security police demanded it hand over operational details including information about its donors and beneficiaries.

jta-su/qan