How can Germany realistically replace gas?

Without Russian natural gas, Germany will be facing an energy crisis. Coal, nuclear, fracking or renewable energy — what are the most realistic and climate-friendly options?

The end of Russian gas supply to Germany could be in sight

As Germany scrambles to find a way to lower its reliance on Russian natural gas, the country has announced  a move to the second phase — "alarm" level — of its three-stage emergency gas plan, possibly leading to higher prices for consumers. The third phase could involve gas rationing.

And the energy crisis could have even more severe consequences for industry and consumers come the fall months. 

Possible solutions include purchasing from other sources, including liquefied gas; more frugal consumption and utilizing coal to a greater degree. At the same time, the neoliberal Free Democrats — the smallest party in Germany's ruling coalition government — are calling for German nuclear power plants to run longer and for the ban on natural gas extraction through the process known as fracking to be lifted. 

But which of these measures will actually help prevent an impending energy crisis — and what would the consequences be for the climate and the environment?

Should German nuclear power plants run longer?

Currently, only three nuclear power plants are still connected to the grid in Germany. As things stand, they will be shut down by the end of 2022 as part of the country's complete withdrawal from the controversial energy source.

"Germany has been working toward the phaseout for a long time, and accordingly the nuclear power plant operators have reduced their staff and also stopped ordering new fuel rods," explained Bruno Burger of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems in Freiburg, Germany.

The Nuclear Energy Industry Association considers the procurement of new fuel rods to be feasible — but not until fall 2023 at the earliest.

"Over the coming winter, the nuclear power plants could just about run, in other words with a limited output," according to association spokesman Nicolas Wendler.

Germany only has three nuclear power plants still in operation

But there is a further problem: Burger pointed out that Germany obtains 20% of its uranium from Russia, and another 20% from Kazakhstan, which is also in Russia's sphere of influence. That means alternative sources would need to be found. Additionally, it would take decades to build new nuclear power plants. 

What's more, the existing power plants generated a total of some 34.5 terawatt hours (TWh) — or 34.5 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) — of electricity in 2021. By comparison, wind power generated 113 TWh, three times as much.

Though no CO2 is released when using nuclear power, uranium mining leads to radioactive waste. So far, Germany has no long-term storage facility for this dangerous waste.

And as the climate crisis makes Germany hotter, nuclear power plants increasingly have to be closed down for days or even weeks. This is because higher temperatures mean river water is too warm to be used for cooling purposes.

Could Germany start fracking?

Around 5% of Germany's natural gas requirements are produced domestically by drilling in sandstone deposits. According to the German Federal Association of Natural Gas, Petroleum and Geoenergy (BVEG), there are currently still secured reserves of 32 billion cubic meters, the equivalent of about 320 TWh of energy.

The German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources estimates that about 450 billion cubic meters (4500 TWh) of natural gas are held in coal seams and another 2,300 billion cubic meters (23,000 TWh) in shale rock. Extraction would only be possible through fracking.

But the process is banned in Germany on the basis that the chemicals used in fracking pollute the environment and groundwater. And even if the ban were lifted, German fracked gas would still not be available this winter — or even next.

"Even if we were to open up to the use of fracking technology now, it would probably take up to four or five years before production could begin," said Ludwig Möhring, BVEG's chief executive. Because of the opposition in both political and civil society, the BVEG does not see much room for maneuver. Ultimately, the strategic decision lies solely with the German government, Möhring added. 

And there is also another major environmental concern.

"During production, between 3% and 5% of gas can be lost and end up in the atmosphere. That's devastating, because methane is even more damaging to the climate than CO2," said energy scientist Burger. Natural gas is mainly composed of methane.

Are wind and solar a short-term solution?

In April, the German government introduced an ambitious package of new rules for the expansion of renewable energies — but they are not yet formally in place.

Currently, wind energy projects totaling about 10,000 megawatts are in the approval process, according to Frank Grüneisen of the German Wind Energy Association. But on average, the procedures take six years per wind turbine. So there will be nowhere near enough new wind turbines by the fall.

Can wind energy be a solution to Germany's energy crisis?

The situation is similar for solar energy. Although photovoltaic and solar thermal systems can be produced and put into operation relatively quickly, Carsten Körnig, managing firector of the German Solar Industry Association, said the industry is still suffering from interrupted supply chains as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

He said a more rapid expansion hinges on having fewer bureaucratic hurdles and greater financial incentives and planning security.

Körnig estimates that more than a thousand plants installed on commercial sites are currently not allowed to feed electricity into the grid because the conditions for doing so were changed two years ago. 

"That's several million kilowatt hours that aren't going into the grid," he said.

Andrea Horbelt, spokesperson for the German Biogas Association, said biogas plants could quickly ramp up their production from 95 TWh to 120 TWh per year. But such a move is currently prevented by the old Renewable Energy Sources Act, under which output is throttled at 95%. Under the right conditions, it would be possible to reach more than 230 TWh annually by 2030. "That corresponds to 42% of current natural gas supplies from Russia," said Horbelt.

More coal power and less energy consumption in the short term?

According to the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), Russian energy supplies can be replaced in the short term through the use of more coal. This would require the lignite and hard coal-fired power plants currently in operation to generate more electricity.

In addition, power plants that have been shut down but are still held in reserve for the grid would have to be restarted. The German Economic Affairs and Climate Action Ministry has already called on power plant operators to be prepared to make their plants operational as soon as possible.

Germany's plan to stop domestic coal extraction could be scuppered

Depending on how much energy can be saved, the DIW calculates that 41 to 73 TWh of coal-fired power will be needed in 2023. Nevertheless, Germany could stick to both the coal phaseout planned for 2030 and the nuclear phaseout, the DIW said. But this will only work if renewable energies are actually expanded as broadly as planned by the federal government. In that case, coal-fired power generation could drop significantly again as early as 2024.

According to Bruno Burger of the Fraunhofer Institute ISE, the combustion of coal releases on average twice as much CO2 as that of natural gas, and for lignite the figure is two and a half times as much. However, due to the loss of methane during extraction and transport, natural gas is not a climate-friendly option either.

One more solution: Reduce consumption

Whatever path Germany takes, the DIW, the scientific research center Forschungszentrum Jülich and the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW) all agree that a loss of Russian natural gas cannot be entirely replaced by other energy sources. They say less energy must be consumed overall.

For example, BDEW sees "short-term savings potential" in space heating more than anything. Here, the trade, commerce and services sector could save up to 10% on previous consumption, while private households could save up to 15%.

In order to reduce energy demand, "energy-saving campaigns are needed as quickly as possible," wrote the DIW. In addition, measures must be implemented very quickly to increase energy efficiency and facilitate the switch to renewable heat, in conjunction with heat pumps.

This article was originally published in German.

Russia's blockade on Ukrainian grain 'is a disaster'

US historian Timothy Snyder has compared Russia's blockade of grain supplies from Ukraine with Stalin's terror of hunger. At the Global Media Forum, he called for more independent reporting from on the ground in Ukraine.

"This is a disaster," said US historian Timothy Snyder of the situation in Ukraine. Speaking at DW's Global Media Forum, the contemporary historian and expert on Eastern Europe referred to Russia's grain blockade in the Black Sea as a policy resembling the Soviet period of Stalinism in the early 1930s.

He drew parallels to Stalin's terror of starvation in Ukraine, which claimed millions of lives. But at that time, Snyder said, there were no journalists drawing international attention to the famine. Russia's war of aggression will now lead to a new famine that will last for two years, Snyder warned.

Looking back in history

At the time, Stalin's terror regime also had an impact on Germany's Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, who invaded Soviet Ukraine during World War II.

"The famine in 1933 and 1932 was also an inspiration to Adolf Hitler, whose main goal was to control the fertile agricultural territory of Ukraine," Snyder said at the conference.

Alternative export hub are sought for Ukrainian grain, as this corn on a ship

 in the Black Sea port of Constanta, Romania

Timothy Snyder's book "Bloodlands: Europe between Stalin and Hitler" is the first comprehensive contemporary historical analysis of the people in eastern Europe who suffered most at the hands of Germany and Russia during World War II. In Belarus and Ukraine alone, 14 million people fell victim first to the German campaign of extermination in the east, and then to Stalinism until the dictator died in 1953.

Knowledge of the basic facts in Ukrainian history, said historian Snyder, will make the current situation much easier to understand.

African journalists reporting from Kyiv

Snyder gave his keynote address at the closing event of the media conference, calling on western nations to engage more with the war-torn country and naming independent media reporting as a vital factor.

DW's Global Media Forum takes place in Bonn, Germany

"Rather than letting Moscow tell the story, it is very important to make sure that everyone has a voice," Snyder said. He urged reporters from Africa to go to Kyiv to report on the situation, as their countries would be affected by the worldwide famine caused by this war.

Snyder made a strong plea for active intervention in Ukraine. After the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, he said, the big mistake was believing that liberal democracies would prevail.

In response to a question from a participant in Africa about how he could even get to Ukraine to report on the situation there, Snyder responded: "I am pleading for someone to organize it."

He added that it must be made clear who is responsible for a worldwide famine: the Russian Black Sea Fleet and its blockade.

Remembering killed journalists

At a panel discussion earlier on Wednesday, Paul Ronzheimer, deputy editor-in-chief of the German tabloid Bild, spoke of his reporting assignment in eastern Ukraine where the Ukrainian army is under fierce Russian artillery attacks. Ronzheimer remembered the journalists who lost their lives while covering this war. He recalled having a conversation with US cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski just before he went on an assignment with TV producer Oleksandra Kuvshynova, during which both were killed in a Russian attack north of Kyiv earlier this year.

Pierre Zakrzewski, a cameraman for Fox News, was killed while working in Ukraine

 

He stressed that international journalists are still in a privileged position, as they are able to leave the war zone at their own free will — unlike the many Ukrainian employees of major news organizations. Ronzheimer called for local staff to be given special protection.

At the same panel discussion, Dmitri Dubov, the editor-in-chief of Russian-language Channel 9 in Israel, said that the safety of employees and critical examination of news sources must always take precedence over speed and exclusivity. Dubrov said he expects his reporters in conflict areas to focus on individuals and tell emotional stories, while editors in the newsroom back home focus on the necessary fact-checking.

"This also helps combat disinformation because we are reporting on the fate of individual people who are experiencing the conflict at that very moment," he explained.

Dmytro Khilchenko, representing the public broadcaster UA:PBC in Ukraine, noted how important it is to check sources on both sides of any conflict, especially in Russia's war against Ukraine.

"This war is happening online: On the messenger services Whatsapp and Telegram," he said. "There, videos are uploaded directly from the frontlines — dead soldiers, destroyed war equipment. You can follow everything almost live."

He questioned making sense despite many sources: "How do we understand who we can trust or not? " This, he said, requires intensive work in the newsrooms. But sometimes mistakes are made there, too.

Fighting stereotypes and prejudice

While the war in Ukraine was the overarching topic of this year's Global Media Forum, diversity issues took center stage, too. In the panel discussion "The Power of Stereotypes," participants spoke out against the extent to which Western media coverage of poverty and hunger determines the way the African continent is perceived in the world.

Constructive approaches to reporting on life in Africa have to take a back seat when coverage focuses on the displacement of people as a possible consequence of the food crisis in the wake of Russia's attack on Ukraine.

Journalists should focus on constructive approaches and showing daily life in Africa

According to Nigerian TV presenter Moky Makura, journalists reporting on Africa should always seek to tell stories that are "completely different." Makura, who has lived in London and Johannesburg and runs the online news portal Africa No Filter, said it is important to show real life in African countries. She believes in constructive reporting as a principle for news organizations working around the world. It is also her way to combat racism and prejudice in the West.

This article was originally written in German.

Explained: Why is Kaliningrad so important to Russia?

Russia and Lithuania have become embroiled in a row after the EU state barred transport of some Kaliningrad-bound goods through its territory. But where is Kaliningrad, why is it part of Russia and what makes it so key?

Kaliningrad city is along the Baltic Sea coast

Lithuania on Monday began blocking goods banned under EU anti-Russia sanctions from being transported through its territory to Russian's Kaliningrad exclave. Prohibited items include coal, metals and construction materials. Over the weekend, video footage showed some panic buying at construction supply stores.

Russia's foreign ministry blasted the ban as "openly hostile" and demanded that transit through the region be restored immediately. Russian TASS news agency reporting that the transport of food has also been blocked. Moscow warned that Lithuania may face measures of "serious negative impact" in response. Lithuania, however, said it was merely fulfilling its responsibilities as an EU member by implementing sanctions imposed on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine.

What is Kaliningrad?

Kaliningrad is Russia's westernmost region, or oblast. It is an exclave, meaning it shares no borders with mainland Russia. Kaliningrad has a strip of Baltic Sea coast in its west, while bordering on Lithuania in the north and east, and Poland in the south. It spans an area of 15,000 square kilometers (5,830 square miles, about the size of East Timor), and has a population of roughly a million. Its capital is the eponymous city of Kaliningrad, where about half of that population lives.

Why does Kaliningrad belong to Russia?

The area of present-day Kaliningrad used to be part of the Kingdom of Prussia, and had a mixed Polish, Lithuanian and German-speaking population. After the defeat of Nazi Germany at the end of World War II, the territory was ceded to Soviet Russia. Its main city, known in German times as Königsberg, was renamed Kaliningrad — the same name given to the entire area.

After the collapse and disintegration of the Soviet Union, Kaliningrad became part of Russia.

Why is Kaliningrad important to Russia?

Kaliningrad's geographic location is strategically and militarily advantageous to Russia. It is Russia's only port on the Baltic Sea that is ice-free year-round, and the Russian Baltic Sea Fleet is based there.

Russia also holds nuclear missiles in Kaliningrad, placing them within close striking range of major European capitals. Neighboring countries Lithuania and Poland are EU and NATO states.

What else in Kaliningrad known for?

Philosopher Immanuel Kant was born in Königsberg, today's city of Kaliningrad, in 1724. He spent most of his life in the Prussian city and lies buried there. Kant is famous for trying to synthesize scientific and moral progress.

Fossilised tree resin, commonly known as amber, is highly sought after for use in jewelry

Kaliningrad also happens to be the center of the world's amber trade. Some 90 percent of the world's amber reserves are found there.

Edited by: Sonya Diehn

Why Did Ukraine Give Up Its Nukes? 

(Short Animated Documentary)

  

History Matters

In 1991, Ukraine had the third largest nuclear arsenal in the world and by 1996, it had completely disarmed. Given the clout that comes with nuclear weapons, why did Ukraine decide to scrap them? To find out watch this short and simple animated history documentary.

Will Germany return to nuclear power?

As Germany moves to wean itself off Russian energy, politicians are debating a pause to the country's planned nuclear phaseout. Experts warn, however, that it may not be so easy.

Germany still has three nuclear power plants in operation, including one near Landshut in Bavaria

Germany is heading into an energy crisis as Russia cuts gas supplies in retaliation for sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine.

Finance Minister Christian Lindner warned this week that the country was on the brink of a "very serious economic crisis," and the government needed to explore all avenues to plug the gaps in the nation's energy supply.

To that end, Linder's business-focused Free Democrats (FDP), the smallest party in Berlin's governing coalition alongside the Green Party and the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), have called to postpone Germany's nuclear energy phaseout. After several shutdowns in 2021, Germany currently still has three nuclear power stations running to provide 11% of the country's electricity. They are all set to be switched off by the end of the year.

Anti-nuclear protesters celebrated their victory in December when the Grohnde plant was shut down

Germany's opposition to nuclear power

The use of nuclear energy as a "green" alternative to fossil fuels is controversial in Germany. The Green Party has argued for decades that the environmental hazards of disposing of nuclear waste vastly outnumbered the benefits.

When they came to power in a coalition government under SPD Chancellor Gerhard Schröder in 1998, they pushed successfully for the phaseout of nuclear energy. The subsequent conservative government under the center-right Christian Democrat Chancellor Angela Merkel first rolled back the timeline, but the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan turned the tide again and Merkel pushed her party toward the phaseout after all.

The CDU is now Germany's largest opposition party, and has been demanding that the nuclear phaseout be called off. "It is technically and legally possible" for the three remaining reactors to keep on operating beyond the end of this year, said CDU chairman Friedrich Merz on Tuesday.

He was contradicting Chancellor Olaf Scholz of the SPD, who had argued it would be too hard to source the necessary nuclear fuel rods in time. Scholz said that "no one has provided me with a feasible plan" to quickly increase the output of Germany's three remaining nuclear plants — which as of now provide only 11% of the country's electricity.

The Branchenverband Kernenergie, an umbrella organization for nuclear energy businesses in Germany, told the Müncher Merkur newspaper that an extension was indeed possible, but called for quick decision-making. "The power plants are in the process of shutting down. The longer you wait, the more difficult it will be to start them up again," it said.

According to Christian von Hirschhausen, an expert in energy and infrastructure at the German Institute for Economic Research, Scholz has the most scientifically sound grasp of the situation.

Bringing nuclear energy back online was technically and legally "impossible," von Hirschhausen told DW. There was no way to revert the decommissioning process over the next 18 months, he said, due to the time it takes to order, deliver and install equipment as well as enriched uranium.

"They would also need to implement a new set of safety standards and checks," von Hirschhausen added, to replace those that have not been carried out in years due to the phaseout, and new laws to govern the power plants' use.

Gas crunch

As it was winding down its use of nuclear power over the past decade, Germany's reliance on Russian energy sources was ratcheted up. Almost all of the country's heavy industry is reliant on natural gas, as are about half of German homes for their source of heating.

Early this year, around 65% of natural gas in Germany came from Russia. Now, that has dropped to below 40%. In 2021, about 53% of Germany's coal needed for power and industrial production was imported from Russia, which is to be reduced to zero after an EU-wide ban takes effect in August.

In order to head off an energy crisis, Berlin is looking to fill up its gas reserves from the current 60% to at least 80% by October, and to total capacity before the winter.

This plan has left politicians scrambling to secure new import partners for oil and gas and speed up the expansion of solar and wind energy. They have also reluctantly extended the lifespan of the country's coal plants, despite promises to phase out coal entirely by 2030.

Finance Minister Christian Lindner (left) backs nuclear energy, while 

Economy Minister Robert Habeck of the Greens is opposed

Many worry, however, that all this may not be enough, and they have been looking even further afield for new sources of energy. FDP lawmaker Torsten Herbst and Bavaria's center-right state premier, Markus Söder, were among the first to suggest Berlin lift its ban on fracking, a method of extracting shale gas that is popular in the United States but highly controversial for the amount of methane it leaks into the groundwater.

Economy and Climate Minister Robert Habeck, of the Green Party, remains opposed to nuclear energy and fracking, and finds it hard to advocate for something as destructive to the climate as coal.

But increasing the use of coal, von Hirschhausen said, "is just a temporary measure. It makes sense if we want to build up reserves...so that there aren't major shortages in the energy supply."

In an interview with public broadcaster ZDF on Tuesday, Habeck vowed that the government's ambitious plan to completely exit coal in the next eight years was still on track.

The coalition is set to debate ways to avert a potentially disastrous lack of energy supply in the next two weeks, with an eye to presenting a new plan at the beginning of July.

Edited by: Rina Goldenber

FACT-CHECKING

Fact check: Did Greta Thunberg demand everyone drive electric cars?

A photo montage has been posted by German lawmaker Hans-Ulrich Rülke claiming climate activist Thunberg wants everyone driving electric cars. Did she really say this? DW investigates.

Greta Thunberg did not demand that everyone drive an electric car

Misattributed and fabricated quotes can be found online far too often. They're commonly disseminated to ridicule or discredit political adversaries. Recently, a photo montage has been circulating on social media showing Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg holding a speech with a superimposed text reading: "I demand everyone drive electric cars now!"

The lower half of the collage shows a child looking into the camera, arms and T-shirt caked in mud. In the background, people work in muddy water. Text superimposed over this part reads: "We're mining the cobalt for your batteries as fast as we can, Greta."

Over 70% of cobalt for batteries is mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Hans-Ulrich Rülke's Facebook post on 20 June 2022

This montage was posted by German lawmaker Hans-Ulrich Rülke on Monday to his Facebook page. Rülke heads the liberal democratic FDP parliamentary group in Germany's southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg.

Claim: Greta Thunberg held a speech in which she said: "I demand everyone drive electric cars now!"

DW Fact check: False. 

The image in the top half of the montage shows Greta Thunberg speaking at the 2019 UN Climate Change conference COP25 in Madrid, Spain. During her talk, Thunberg implored the world to drastically cut greenhouse emissions, yet at no point said "I demand everyone drive electric cars now," let alone mention electric cars. Her full speech is available on YouTube. The electric car quote has been fabricated and falsely attributed to the climate activist.

A reverse picture search using TinEye reveals the montage was already posted on the Reddit discussion forum on 23 November 2021. It was shared in the "r/cursedcomments" sub-forum, which invites users to post content that will leave readers "mystified" but also put a "smile on your face." The post has since been removed by moderators.

It is possible the content featuring Thunberg's fabricated quote was originally created and shared for entertainment, rather than disinformation purposes. It appears the montage was later, however, picked up and shared by others to discredit the climate activist.

A TinEye search reveals the lower half of the montage showing an African child along with miners working in the background was first published on 29 November, 2014, to Indonesian news platform www.liputan6.com 

Although Rülke's post has sparked considerable controversy, he has not removed it from his Facebook page. Speaking to German daily Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung, Rülke on Thursday defended sharing the montage, saying "I did not create the post, I merely shared it. Posts of this kind are always exaggerations. The aim was to draw greater attention to inhumane child labor in Congo." Asked why he had shared a fake and falsely attributed quote of Greta Thunberg, Rülke replied the climate activist had "rode electric cars in the US" which had attracted "great media attention."

This is not the first time Thunberg has been targeted by disinformation campaigns.

WWW LINKS

https://tineye.com/

https://tineye.com/

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TWO DEFEATS
Johnson's Tories crushed in twin UK parliamentary by-elections

Author: AFP|24.06.2022 

Boris Johnson's Tories lost the Tiverton and Honiton seat to the centrist Liberal Democrats, whose candidate Richard Foord took more than 6,000 votes / © AFP

Beleaguered British Prime Minister Boris Johnson suffered two crushing parliamentary by-election defeats on Friday, including in a southwest English seat previously held by his ruling Conservatives for over a century.

The Tories lost the Tiverton and Honiton seat to the centrist Liberal Democrats while the main opposition Labour party regained the Wakefield constituency in northern England, in stunning twin results set to pile new pressure on Johnson.

The votes were held Thursday after the two areas' former Tory MPs both resigned in disgrace in recent months.

Tiverton and Honiton's ex-lawmaker Neil Parish quit after admitting watching pornography on his phone in the House of Commons, while Wakefield's Imran Ahmad Khan was jailed for sexually assaulting a teenage boy.

The by-elections also follow months of scandals and setbacks that have severely dented the popularity of Johnson and his party, and come just weeks after he narrowly survived an attempt by his own lawmakers to oust him as Tory leader and prime minister.

The Conservatives had been tipped to lose both by-elections and Johnson vowed Thursday -- while in Rwanda for a Commonwealth summit -- not to resign if that occurred.

But the manner of the defeats will undoubtedly renew calls for the embattled leader to stand down as the highly damaging "Partygate" scandal centred on lockdown-breaching gatherings in Downing Street continues to dog him.


- 'Wake-up call' -

In Wakefield near Leeds -- one of dozens of traditional Labour seats that Johnson took in 2019 -- the opposition party won by nearly 5,000 votes / © AFP

The Liberal Democrats overturned a Tory majority of more than 24,000 to win Tiverton and Honiton -- which had voted Conservative in every general election since the 1880s -- by more than 6,000 votes, according to officials at a count centre in nearby town Crediton.

Meanwhile, in Wakefield near Leeds -- one of dozens of traditional Labour seats that Johnson took in 2019 on a promise to "get Brexit done" and address glaring regional economic inequalities -- the opposition party won by nearly 5,000 votes.

In speeches hailing their victories, both newly-elected MPs said Britain had lost faith in Johnson and urged him to quit.

Labour leader Keir Starmer, who is eyeing replacing Johnson as prime minister after the next general election due by 2024, said his party's victory in one of its former heartland seats showed it could win back power for the first time in more than a decade.

"Wakefield has shown the country has lost confidence in the Tories," he said in a statement, following Labour's first by-election win since 2012.

"This result is a clear judgment on a Conservative Party that has run out of energy and ideas."

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said his party has made "political history with this stunning win" and it was a "wake-up call for all those Conservative MPs propping up Boris Johnson".

"The people of Tiverton and Honiton have spoken for the country," he added.

"The public is sick of Boris Johnson's lies and law-breaking and it's time for Conservative MPs to finally do the right thing and sack him."

- Sense of crisis -

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has spent months fighting for his survival after a series of controversies / © POOL/AFP

Johnson has spent months fighting for his survival after a series of controversies including the "Partygate" saga led many Tories to question whether he should remain as leader.

Various opinion polls have shown the public thinks he lied about Covid lockdown-breaking events at Downing Street and should resign.

Even before the controversy erupted last December, the 58-year-old Brexit architect saw the loss of two once-safe seats in by-elections last year.

He then scored dismally in May's local elections.

Weeks later, dozens of Conservative MPs triggered a no-confidence vote in Johnson which saw more than 40 percent of them desert their embattled leader, leaving him severely weakened and struggling to reset his turbulent tenure.

The polls come as Britain is gripped by 40-year highs in inflation and a cost-of-living crisis that has seen prices soar for everyday essentials such as energy, petrol and food.

Strikes this week by railway workers -- including on election day Thursday -- were some of the biggest seen in Britain in decades and have added to the sense of crisis.

Johnson, who travels to Germany and then Spain for G7 and NATO summits after his current visit to Rwanda, is not due back in Britain until late next week.

Commonwealth meets in shadow of migrant, rights row

Author: AFP|24.06.2022

The Commonwealth represents about one-third of humanity / © AFP/File

A summit of Commonwealth leaders opens Friday in Rwanda as the host nation comes under scrutiny over its rights record and a migrant deal with Britain threatens to overshadow the meeting.

A bitter contest is also looming for the leadership of the 54-nation club of mainly former British colonies as it grapples with its changing identity and future relevance.

The Commonwealth represents one-third of humanity spanning parts of Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas but some of its most prominent leaders are skipping the summit, sending envoys in their place.

Prince Charles, representing Queen Elizabeth II as head of the Commonwealth, made the first visit of any British royal to Rwanda for the gathering, which culminates in two days of leadership meetings.

He will meet on the sidelines on Friday with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has been promoting his much-criticised deal to expel migrants to Rwanda since arriving in Kigali Thursday.

The scheme involves Britain deporting asylum-seekers thousands of miles away to Rwanda and has been fiercely opposed by the church, rights groups and -- reportedly -- Charles himself.

Johnson -- who discussed the plan with its other architect Paul Kagame at a meeting with the Rwandan president on Thursday -- said he would defend the proposal to Charles and other critics.

"What the critics of the policy need to understand, and I have seen loads and loads of criticism, is that Rwanda has undergone an absolute transformation in the last couple of decades," the British leader said.

- Rights scrutiny -

Johnson has vowed to press ahead with the deal, which has faced legal challenges in British and international courts, and loomed large ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

A first flight of asylum-seekers from the UK to Rwanda was due to take off last week but was halted following an intervention by the European Court of Human Rights.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has praised Rwanda's achievements under President Paul Kagame 

/ © POOL/AFP

Johnson also praised Kagame for the "leaps and bounds" achieved in Rwanda, despite widespread concerns over a lack of political freedom and civil liberties in the tiny African nation.

Rights groups have openly questioned the suitability of Rwanda hosting the Commonwealth, which has a charter that enshrines respect for democracy and human rights as core shared values.

More than 20 rights groups and civil society organisations have warned the Commonwealth risked credibility by staging the summit in Rwanda, where they said a "climate of fear" existed under long-ruling Kagame.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has also called on Britain to condemn Rwanda over its alleged "aggression" in the mineral-rich eastern Congo, where Kigali has been accused of stoking a rebellion.

- Leadership rumblings -

At least publicly these concerns have not been raised and a "ministerial action group" to scrutinise the behaviour of Commonwealth members released no statement after their meeting.

Britain's Prince Charles, pictured with Rwandan President Paul Kagame, has reportedly criticised the migrant deal / © AFP

Forums ahead of the summit have addressed everything from trade and investment to malaria, climate change, and mental health.

The leaders' meetings over the next two days behind closed doors will miss some heavyweights, including Narendra Modi of India, South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa and Australia's Anthony Albanese.

Republican movements are taking root in some Commonwealth nations and there has been renewed discussion about the future role of the royal family in the club, and its broader purpose in a post-colonial world.

At the same time, the west African states of Togo and Gabon are set to become the latest members of the Commonwealth despite having no historic ties to Britain -- like host Rwanda, which joined in 2009.

Friday will also bring to a head a tussle for the leadership of the Commonwealth that has turned ugly at times.

Kamina Johnson Smith is challenging Patricia Scotland for the post as secretary-general, despite Commonwealth convention dictating the incumbent should stand unopposed for a second term.

Smith, who is Jamaica's foreign minister, has the backing of the UK, which has publicly expressed dissatisfaction with Scotland's stewardship of the organisation.

Christian-born female rabbi shakes up Jewish Orthodoxy

Michael BLUM
Thu, June 23, 2022


A woman born in France to a Christian family was not an obvious candidate to become a trailblazing Orthodox rabbi in Israel, but 40-year-old former journalist Eliora Peretz has done just that.

After converting to Judaism and undertaking three intensive years of Jewish study, Peretz recently became one of the few women in Israel to receive an Orthodox rabbinical ordination.

Female rabbis have grown increasingly common in more liberal Jewish denominations, but among the Orthodox opportunities for high-level religious study and positions of religious authority are reserved for men.

Israel's Orthodox-controlled chief rabbinate has also refused to recognise Peretz's credentials, meaning she cannot officiate at a recognised synagogue.

Peretz told AFP that she does not see herself as an activist campaigning for rabbinical gender equality, but more of a "pioneer" -- and one comfortable highlighting injustices in Israel's rabbinical establishment.

"There is nothing written in our religious texts that prevents a woman from marrying a couple, but it's forbidden in Israel," Peretz, a married mother of two, said in an interview at a synagogue in Jerusalem.

While current rules prevent her from formally leading a congregation, she said she could "be a spiritual guide, offer lessons, and answer questions from the faithful... just like any male rabbi".

Peretz, a dual French-Swiss national, received her ordination from Daniel Sperber, winner of the prestigious Israel Prize for his achievements in Talmudic study and a revered rabbi who has challenged the Orthodox establishment.

Sperber in particular attracted headlines in 2020 for being a rare member of the Orthodox community to speak out against "gay conversion therapy", a practice widely considered a human rights violation.

- 'I had no choice' -

In 2019, a group of Orthodox women went to Israel's supreme court seeking to overturn a ban that prevents them from taking the rabbinical exam reserved for men. There has not yet been a final ruling in the case.

Currently only one female Israeli citizen leads an Orthodox congregation. Shira Mirvis was named the "spiritual leader" of a community in the Efrat settlement in the occupied West Bank, but she too has not been recognised by Israel's rabbinate and also does not serve officially as a rabbi.

Peretz, born as Alexandra in Strasbourg, had other career paths available to her. She earned a PhD in a political communications and journalism before turning to religious studies.

Judaism, she said, had spoken to her since childhood and she pursued conversion after a "personal journey".

Her decision to become a rabbi was inspired by a thirst for more knowledge.

"I realised that what was offered to women, in terms of the depth of the subjects covered, was limited.

"So I had no choice but to become a rabbi if I wanted to study what fascinated me," she said.

mib/bs/hc

Swimming and surfing, Gazans savour a cleaner sea

Vu(m) AFP|Update: 24.06.202


Palestinian surfers ride a wave off Gaza City / © AFP

Palestinians in the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip are rediscovering the pleasures of the Mediterranean Sea, after authorities declared the end of a long period of hazardous marine pollution.

"It has been a year since I entered the water," said 22-year-old surfer Sabah Abu Ghanem.

"As soon as I enter the water and ride the waves, I feel free and happy; all the negative energy is replaced with positive energy," she told AFP.

Marine pollution has worsened in recent years in Gaza, where insufficient wastewater solutions have turned the Mediterranean into a dump.

The problem has been further exacerbated by the dilapidated infrastructure of the impoverished and overcrowded enclave.

The Gaza Strip is home to 2.3 million Palestinians who have been living under a strict land, sea and air blockade imposed by Israel since the Islamist movement Hamas seized power in 2007.

Only the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt is outside Israeli control and it too has remained largely closed.

Gaza's only power station, which supplies electricity to wastewater plants, has been repeatedly damaged by Israeli strikes.

But six months ago, a German-funded plant began operating in central Gaza, and now treats 60,000 cubic metres (more than 2 million cubic feet) of wastewater per day, which is half the enclave's sewage, according to Mohammed Masleh, an official at Gaza's environment ministry.

- 'I missed swimming' -

Palestinians in the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip are rediscovering the pleasures of the Mediterranean / © AFP

This is just the first phase of the project, and eventually, the plant could treat all wastewater in the territory.

The quality of marine water in Gaza has already improved significantly.

Now, according to samples collected by Gazan authorities, two-thirds of the enclave's beaches are suitable for swimming, said Masleh.

With the start of school holidays and hot summer temperatures, the beach offers a refreshing solace for the residents of Gaza, a narrow sliver of land wedged between the Mediterranean, Israel and Egypt.

It's a turning point for the enclave, where $300 million has gone into wastewater projects over the past decade, according to Maher Najjar, deputy director of the coastal waters authority.

The new treatment plant, located in Bureij, features generators and solar panels for electrical supply.

Najjar said it recovers 60 tonnes of solid waste each day, all of which would previously have ended up in the sea.

Palestinian surfers prepare to ride waves / © AFP

But although Sabah Abu Ghanem is back on her surfboard, she is still reluctant to bring along her children, who "have sensitive skin and could be infected."

Sitting on the beach in Gaza City with her children and grandchildren, Umm Ibrahim Sider was also cautious.

"I said no one is to go in the water but when the kids saw all the people, they went in and we couldn't stop them," said the 64-year-old Palestinian.

One of her grandchildren, Ibrahim, 13, insisted on staying in the water despite his eyes having turned red from the salt.

"I have missed swimming in the sea," he said.