Friday, May 03, 2024

UK announces sanctions against illegal Israeli settlers for attacks in West Bank

ALL SETTLERS ARE ILLEGAL

Measures follow extraordinary rise in illegal settler violence in West Bank over last year, with UN recording 800 incidents since October

Mehmet Solmaz |03.05.2024 -

BIRMINGHAM, England

The British government announced that it has imposed new sanctions on “extremist groups and individuals for inciting and perpetrating settler violence in the West Bank.”

In a statement on Friday, the government said the fresh measures follow an unprecedented rise in settler violence over the last year and come after a previous UK sanctions package in February. The sanctions impose financial restrictions on entities and individuals, and travel restrictions on individuals.

The measures follow an extraordinary rise in illegal settler violence in the West Bank over the last year, with the UN recording almost 800 incidents since October.

Foreign Secretary David Cameron said the sanction package includes two groups known to have supported, incited and promoted violence against Palestinian communities in the West Bank, as well as four individuals responsible for perpetrating human rights abuses against these communities.

“Extremist settlers are undermining security and stability and threatening prospects for peace. The Israeli authorities must clamp down on those responsible. The UK will not hesitate to take further action if needed, including through further sanctions,” Cameron said.

The British government has shared details about the four individuals “sanctioned for egregious human rights abuses” against Palestinian communities.

Noam Federman: A radical settler activist and former leader and spokesperson of the now-defunct Kach party that espoused overtly racist and violent policies. He has trained settler groups to commit acts of violence against Palestinians and how to avoid repercussions from the Israeli state.

Neria Ben Pazi: An Israeli who is responsible for illegally constructing three illegal outposts between 2015 and 2023 and has supported and participated in acts of violence and displacement of Bedouin and Palestinian communities in the West Bank.

Eden Levi: An activist who has been documented on multiple occasions as taking part in assaults and intimidation of Palestinians, as part of a wider intimidation campaign aiming to drive their population out of the area. As recently as Oct. 12, 2023, he was involved in an incident during which Palestinian villagers were beaten and sexually assaulted.

Elisha Yered: An unofficial spokesperson for the Hilltop Youth extremist group. He has a history of making inflammatory statements inciting religious hatred and violence, including justifying the killing of Palestinians on religious grounds and calling for the takeover of Palestinian land and the expulsion of Palestinians from the West Bank.

Israeli settler attack on aid convoys highlights struggle to help Gazans

Vandalism, border closures and inadequate alternatives pose challenges to efforts to tackle humanitarian crisis

The UN has called for Israel to allow more aid lorries to enter Gaza, where people face famine and a lack of critical supplies. AFP

Thomas Helm
May 03, 2024
Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza

Two aid convoys from Jordan trundle along a road in the occupied West Bank, carrying food, flour and humanitarian supplies to Gaza.

Suddenly, close to the illegal Israeli settlement of Ma’ale Adumim, people wearing masks emerge, block the road and vandalise the lorries. Despite the damage, the vehicles make it to Gaza, although they lose some of their goods.

The incident happened on Wednesday amid continuing tension between Israel and donor countries, among them some of Israel’s closest allies, who are rushing to send resources to address Gaza’s humanitarian crisis.

“People since October 7 don’t understand why and don’t think that Israel needs to be supplying what they see as the enemy,” says Israeli commentator Anshel Pfeffer.

“It’s a large popular feeling among Israelis who disagree with Israel being expected to supply an enemy population.”

Israel recently reopened the Erez border crossing in northern Gaza, a vital step in allowing more supplies to enter the besieged enclave, where people face critical shortages of aid.

Israel says hundreds of lorries now enter Gaza every day. The UN warns that less than half the number of lorries needed, about 500, are crossing into enclave.

Palestinians fear West Bank becoming 'new Gaza' after brutal Israeli raid

Some Israelis who have been enraged by aid efforts have for months blocked access to the Karam Abu Salem crossing and vandalised lorries. Those people are a diverse group: young men, dual citizens who speak perfect English in media interviews, even mothers carrying babies.

Order 9, the group responsible for Wednesday’s attack in the West Bank, is a perfect example. “Order 9 is just a group of people who organise on Facebook. It didn’t exist before the war. It’s all very ad hoc,” Mr Pfeffer says.

Their actions, however disorganised, have serious consequences for people in Gaza, where humanitarian organisations and the UN warn of a mounting civilian catastrophe fuelled by famine and a lack of vital supplies at hospitals.

To compensate, several countries have dropped pallets of aid from military planes.

The US is constructing a floating pier to help improve the flow of aid into Gaza. Photo: US Central Command

It is an inadequate response. One aircraft is capable of carrying about one lorry’s worth of aid. Gazans, including children, have been injured by the pallets or drowned while trying to retrieve supplies that and off the coast. There are concerns that such a chaotic way of distributing aid benefits criminal gangs who aim to sell the supplies at an inflated price.

More humanitarian supplies may soon enter the enclave from the sea, with the US making progress on a floating pier that will allow ships to offload aid. The project has the capacity to bring a lot more supplies in than air drops, but questions remain about its practicality.

No plans have been made public about who will inspect, distribute and secure the aid once it has been taken from the pier.

“Who will control the area around the pier? Will it be Hamas, a different Palestinian entity, an international force, or Israel? I think it will create a lot of unintended implications that could have some interesting influence on future developments,” Mr Pfeffer says.

“Something built by the Americans will have a standing unlike any other structure in Gaza. Israel won’t be able to carry out attacks nearby. You can see a situation in which Hamas rushes forces into the area or pushes civilians into the area.”

Sri Lanka's government bodies facilitate land-grabs in Mullaitivu says former NPC member

03 May 2024

File photograph: Ravikaran joined protesters to block the illegal installation of a Buddha statue at Kurunthurmalai, Mullaitivu, in June 2022.

Sri Lanka's government bodies, primarily its forestry, wildlife and archaeology departments, are appropriating Tamil owned land for the the settlement of Sinhala people in Mullaitivu, former Northern Provincial Council member Thurairasa Ravikaran told Virakesari last week.

Speaking to reporters, Ravikaran stated that in the Mullaitivu district, 74.24% of the total land area of nearly 590,000 acres is under the responsibility of Sri Lanka's Forestry Department.

During the armed conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the Sri Lankan authorities were kept out of many areas. Only 37% percent of the land that was densely forested was under their control.

Following the end of the armed conflict in May 2009, the Sri Lankan government appropriated large tracts of fertile land belonging to the Tamil people under the guise of various governmental departments.

Sinhalese settlements in some parts of the confiscated lands, such as Manal Aru (Sinhalised to Weli Oya), stretch to 28,500 acres, forming a separate divisional secretariat. The Sinhalese settler population there is being grown to such an extent that it has become an existential threat to the Tamil people.

"The government should serve the people only when the people can do their agricultural activities through those lands and help the country by enriching their livelihood. Instead of that, in order to oppress the Tamil people, if entire acres of land in Mullaitivu district are confiscated and carried away, where will the people go?" Ravikaran questioned.

According to the district secretariat around 69,000 acres of land is associated with the water bodies Chundikkulam, Naayaaru and Nanthikkadal. Sri Lanka’s Department for Wildlife has appropriated 29,400 acres of land. The cases filed by the wildlife department against 130 landowners was adjourned to 2 May.

Over six hundred acres of this land belongs to Tamil farmers in places like Iranapalai, Semmangunnu, Ambalavan Pokkani, Mathalan, Valairamadam, Mullivaikkal. The Wildlife Department has already seized their land and wants to annex these into a bird sanctuary.

Sri Lanka's military and police aid the various government departments to acquire and alter the demography of the Tamil homeland to build a unitary Sinhala Buddhist state.

IRAQI KURDISTAN

Plans underway to have the Peshmerga killed as a last resort to postpone the elections Bashur

In order to postpone the elections in Bashur (Southern Kurdistan), the ruling KDP is planning to have some of its own forces killed by driving them to the battlefield and postpone the elections by saying "we are at war".

ARARAT ARAM
NEWS DESK
Thursday, 2 May 2024,

While Ankara, Baghdad and Hewlêr (Erbil) have been preparing for a new war against the Kurdistan Freedom Movement for months, the first signals of the invasion operation were launched in the Metîna region of the Medya Defence Zones. The military deployments of the Turkish Republic and KDP to the region for the operations to be carried out in stages continue.

Metina under intense attack since last night

While the information and developments regarding the operation are being kept secret in order to prevent any public reaction, it is reported that the Turkish army has been carrying out intense attacks on many parts of Metîna since last night. It is also said that some preparations were made for the KDP to take a more active role in the operations.

A new war scenario

While it is stated that new plans are set to be put into action under the leadership of the KDP within the framework of the operations whose preparations continue in many areas, the Turkish army will reportedly head towards the HPG points in Metîna by bringing in some forces affiliated to the KDP in the coming days.

Peshmerga will be killed!

It is reported that the attacks will be organised in this way and, at the current stage, an attempt will be made to create a picture of “Peshmerga being attacked" out of the force that will be hit by the HPG's response. While it is reported that the infrastructure for such a provocation is being prepared, it is also stated that the main purpose is the KDP's attempt to cover up its problems with war.

To cancel the elections

If the plan is realised, Nechirvan Barzani will appear in front of the cameras and say: "We are in a state of war. Elections cannot be held under these conditions. We are postponing the elections due to this extraordinary situation".

It is reported that the KDP, which has given all its weight to this plan, has accelerated the preparations for this provocation in order to create justifications for war, while the Turkish state has mobilised all its power for this plan to come to life.

The last resort...

On the other hand, the KDP left no stone unturned to find a way out of the political crisis in Southern Kurdistan, which is led by the elections. Having failed to get results in its negotiations with the USA, the Sudanese government, the Shiite forces in Iraq and most recently Iran, the KDP is planning to create an extraordinary situation in Southern Kurdistan through such a provocation and to put into effect a different way to postpone the elections. While the KDP is preparing to have the Peshmerga loyal to it killed in order to save its power, both the Turkish Republic and the KDP intend to take advantage of this situation if the plan is realised.

Iran executes Kurdish prisoner of conscience after 14 years in jail

Anvar Khezri was one of seven Kurdish prisoners of conscience who had been sentenced to death in a joint case. Four of his co-defendants have been executed in recent months.

ANF
NEWS DESK
Thursday, 2 May 2024,

Kurdish prisoner of conscience Anvar Khezri was executed this morning in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, Alborz Province, after 14 years in prison, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has reported.

Khezri was one of seven Kurdish prisoners of conscience who had been sentenced to death in a joint case on charges of “spreading corruption on earth” (efsad-e fel arz).

Four of Khezri’s co-defendants, Ghassem Abasteh, Ayoub Karimi, Davoud Abdollahi and Farhad Salimi, have been executed in recent months.

On 30 April, Khezri was transferred to solitary confinement and denied a final meeting with his family, KHRN has learned.

Khezri was arrested on 21 January 2010 after he was summoned to the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office in Mahabad, West Azerbaijan Province, and then taken to the Ministry of Intelligence’s detention centre in Orumiyeh, West Azerbaijan Province.

In February 2019, Khezri stated in a letter that he had attempted suicide during interrogation at the Ministry of Intelligence detention centre in Orumiyeh in protest at the physical and psychological torture he had been subjected to.

Iran Executed 63 Prisoners in Just Two Weeks

MAY 3, 2024

The Islamic Republic's judiciary executed at least 63 prisoners over the past fortnight, a human rights organization reported

The Islamic Republic's judiciary executed at least 63 prisoners over the past fortnight, a human rights organization reported.

In a report released on Thursday, Iran Human Rights Organization disclosed that the Islamic Republic executed one person approximately every five hours during the past two weeks.

According to the organization's findings, 63 prisoners were executed in Iranian prisons.

The report also reveals that from the beginning of this year until the end of April, 171 individuals were executed across various prisons in Iran.

Mahmoud Amiri-Moghadam, director of the Iran Human Rights Organization, emphasized the alarming frequency of executions, stating, "In the last two weeks, the Islamic Republic executed one person every five hours without incurring any cost."

Amiri-Moghadam underscored the concerning lack of international response, warning that the absence of reaction could embolden further executions.

He said, "Nations committed to human rights, with diplomatic ties to the Islamic Republic, must speak out against this surge in executions in Iran."

According to statistics compiled by the human rights organization, April witnessed 71 executions across 24 different prisons in Iran, with 63 occurring within the final two weeks of the month.

Among the 71 executed prisoners, 44 had been convicted on charges linked to drugs, 26 for "intentional murder," and one for "rape."

The victims included at least 16 Baluch citizens, six Afghan citizens, and three women.

According to a report by Amnesty International, Iran has reached its highest level of death sentence execution in the last eight years, with the judiciary of the Islamic Republic executing 853 people in 2023 alone.

The report indicates that 481 executions, more than half of the total, were related to drug crimes.

This marks an 89 percent rise in death penalties for drug-related offenses compared to 2022, when 255 people were executed.

The latest numbers also show a staggering 264 percent increase compared to 2021, when 132 individuals faced execution on similar charges.

KURDISH POLITICAL PRISONERS IN TURKIYE

Rozerîn Öcalan: It's the first time a radical boycott action of this level has developed in prisons

Rozerîn Öcalan from the PKK-PAJK Prison Committee talked about the prison resistance and the new level of radicalism in the fight against isolation. Mothers are also entering a new phase with their fight.

RESISTANCE IN PRISONS
ANF
BEHDINAN
Friday, 3 May 2024, 07:50

The protest carried out by political prisoners from the PKK and PAJK for the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan and a solution to the Kurdish question has reached a new level with the transformation of the hunger strike into a communication boycott.

Rozerîn Öcalan from the PKK-PAJK Prison Committee said in an interview with ANF that “the boycott of family visits, the rights to make phone calls and not appearing in court represent a revolutionary approach. This resistance requires a firm stance and a strong will.”

What impact did the campaign “Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan and a solution to the Kurdish question” have on the outstanding results at the local elections?

We can easily say that the work carried out with the campaign "Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan and a solution to the Kurdish question" has positively influenced and shaped the electoral process. This work took place with the active participation of hundreds of institutions, well-known personalities and friends around the world. The Ankara action of comrades Rojhat and Erdal and the revolutionary operations by the guerrillas created a great fighting morale in society. Hunger strike resistance and the vigils for justice initiated outside under the leadership of our mothers, the Freedom March in Northern Kurdistan, 8 March and the magnificent Newroz celebrations had a major impact on the outcome of this election.

The fact that Rêber Apo [Abdullah Öcalan] was put on the agenda also had a positive effect on the election campaign. The election campaign has once again shown that you cannot achieve results if you do not put Rêber Apo on the agenda. The fact that Rêber Apo in Northern Kurdistan was relied upon, albeit not sufficiently, has brought about some developments.

The walls of fear have been largely overcome, and despair has been replaced by the belief that the battle can be won. With the Serhildan of Van, all intimidation and desperate attempts were destroyed. Under the leadership of Kurdish young people and women, a strong spirit of resistance emerged again.

Our comrades in the prisons also joined the campaign by going on hunger strike from 27 November 2023. It was important that the prisons quickly organize themselves and take their place in the campaign, in keeping with our movement's tradition of resistance. Despite all the reprisals, difficult conditions and all kinds of attacks, they did not hesitate to resist the total isolation of Rêber Apo. With the hunger strike, prisoners made a significant contribution to the campaign and took on a vanguard role because they had such a great impact on the public. The prisoners also contributed to the success in the local elections.

The heroic resistance of the guerrillas in the mountains and the revolutionary operations carried out immediately after the announcement of the offensive completely thwarted the enemy's "plan of defeat." Now the Turkish army's will to fight has been broken, the moral and psychological superiority has completely passed to the guerrillas. The Turkish state, despite all its special war apparatus and media, was unable to prevent this, and the apoist spirit displayed by the guerrillas made society lively, moral and resistant again and significantly influenced the election results.

From 4 April, the hunger strike was transformed into a communications boycott. How do you evaluate this?

This is the second stage of the prisoners’ campaign. It is a higher level. It is of utmost importance that our friends in prison have, for the first time at this level, begun such a radical process under the slogan ‘I choose to live in the same conditions as Rêber Apo.’ Cutting off all connections to the outside world, giving up family visits, giving up the right to phone calls, not appearing in court, despite all repression and isolation, is a revolutionary approach that requires a firm stance and a strong will.

It is known that since 2014, the AKP-MHP fascism has mobilized all its power and resources to liquidate the freedom movement. The prisons are one of the most important areas of this attack. This is where fascism is trying to institutionalize itself in every way and it is precisely here that our friends initiated the second stage of their resistance. This is the greatest answer to fascism. Therefore, we welcome this second step and we accept it as a revolutionary decision at the right time and in the right place.

Rêber Apo demonstrated his will and determination even under conditions of the most relentless torture in a place like Imrali. He spends every moment in the greatest battle against the hegemonic powers. Imrali is the center of ideological and actual resistance to both Turkish fascism and the system of capitalist modernity. Our leadership continues every aspect of our fight, even in isolation. Rêber Apo told the international hegemonic powers: ‘I will not make demands on you for myself. Do whatever you want, I will show the resistance of the will and the power of a free life even in the face of the most unbearable conditions, I will take a stand against the most merciless situation, against your coercion and counter it with my resolute stance. I will not show a moment of weakness. While you want to achieve your goal of bringing me into line with your torture system, I will resist based on the democratic-ecological, women's liberation paradigm and mentality.’

In this sense, it is very important that our friends in prison spend every moment and every day with such determination and develop an attitude of resistance in the spirit of the reality of Rêber Apo and his conditions. They aim to understand Rêber Apo even better, assume their responsibility in the current phase and play their leadership role.

This second phase should also be understood as a practical self-criticism. In prison conditions, where all kinds of oppression and torture are implemented, the willingness to live like Rêber Apo 24 hours a day is a very significant and worthy attitude. In this honorable attitude we must see the revolutionary spirit of comrades Mazlum Doğan, Hayri Durmuş, Kemal Pir and Sakine Cansız.

What were the effects of the justice vigils organized by the families? How will the resistance of relatives continue?

The vigils for justice initiated by the mothers were important in this process. The fact that they kept the resistance of Rêber Apo and our friends in prison on the agenda had a positive effect. The mothers' actions created a feeling of sociality and solidarity. People began to question themselves and become aware of their duties and responsibilities. The most important thing was that everyone openly supported Rêber Apo and demanded his freedom without fear. This had an impact not only on those involved, but on society as a whole. This determined stance and the mothers' activism played an important role both in the gradual growth of the offensive, in the mobilization in Northern Kurdistan, and in the election results and the defeat of AKP-MHP fascism.

The press has said that our mothers will take their vigils for justice to the next level. This is a very important and meaningful step. The first phase was about creating an agenda. We think they will now go into planning to further pressure fascism and get results. It appears that mothers will once again lead this process. And this will become more effective and massive, and will not take place in closed rooms, but on the streets and squares. Rêber Apo's demand for freedom will sound everywhere without fear. Of course, the most fundamental patriotic duty is that mothers are not left alone and that all our patriots and democratic forces stand on the side of mothers.

We know that the mothers, the young people of Kurdistan and the women have always stood fearlessly at the forefront of our struggle. From now on they will again be the main vanguard forces. It was always the mothers who carried on the line of the Kurdish freedom struggle. The tradition of resistance remains unbroken to this day and is constantly growing, also thanks to the determined attitude and attitude of our mothers. For this reason, our mothers have always been our source of pride, strength and morale. We will strive to be worthy of their proud patriotic attitude and to develop the struggle and bring it to a result.

Is there anything more you want to add?

The belief that AKP-MHP fascism will take a step back as a result of the resistance that began in Van and the great defeat it suffered has been strengthened in all areas. We can say that the pessimistic atmosphere created by the special war in our society has completely dissipated. This resistance has created an atmosphere of a fully democratic process in Turkey and Kurdistan. In this spirit, we call on everyone to unite around the campaign. Everyone should fulfill their duties and responsibilities to protect Rêber Apo and the resistance of our friends in prison and demonstrate this through actions.

In this process, Rêber Apo's defense writings should be read and discussed everywhere, efforts to understand them should be increased, and everyone should be able to participate based on their knowledge. This happens by living and keeping apoism alive, by knowing and implementing it. This is also an important task and responsibility in the context of the movement. We would like to once again express our conviction that all of our patriots will participate in this spirit, take responsibility and participate actively and with great willingness to sacrifice in the process.

Global Citizen NOW urges investment in Sub-Saharan Africa

Hugh Evans, CEO of Global Citizen, left, listens as Actor Danai Gurira, center, -
Copyright © africanewsCraig Ruttle/Copyright The AP 2024

By Rédaction Africanews

This year’s Global Citizen NOW conference placed a spotlight on the importance of long-term investments in Africa's burgeoning youth population and the necessity of supporting young changemakers globally.

The conference, which aimed to channel resources toward fighting poverty, emphasized the crucial role of political, business, and philanthropic leaders in backing education and healthcare in the least-developed nations.

Global Citizen CEO Hugh Evans stressed the significance of addressing these issues amidst the current turbulent international landscape. Major appeals during the conference included requests for up to $6 billion for economic development in Africa and $600 million for a United Nations-led initiative supporting education during emergencies.

Evans underscored the importance of providing clear, practical actions for citizens to effect positive change in the world, particularly amidst growing polarization and feelings of hopelessness. He The Associated Press during the conference in New York.

To further its objectives, the conference enlisted the support of prominent figures like Hugh Jackman, Michelle Yeoh, and Anitta. Additionally, Doug Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, made a surprise appearance to discuss the importance of men's involvement in combating sexism and advocating for reproductive rights.

Danai Gurira, known for her roles in "The Walking Dead" and "Black Panther," highlighted the need for African nations to pursue self-determination and control over their resources, challenging the notion of continued dependency on Western aid.

Osi Umenyiora, a former NFL player, emphasized Africa's athletic potential and discussed efforts to develop talent in the region through initiatives like the NFL academies.

The conference also announced plans for an economic summit in Ivory Coast, aiming to increase foreign aid to Sub-Saharan Africa to address infrastructure and energy access challenges.

Former Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven advocated for development assistance as a mutually beneficial investment, emphasizing the importance of leveraging global potential to address pressing issues.

Efforts to engage Generation Z were also highlighted, including initiatives to increase youth voter registration and online engagement with topics like environmental conservation.

Actor Jordan Fisher discussed the potential of gaming platforms to raise awareness and funds for social causes, emphasizing their authenticity and ability to reach diverse audiences.

Overall, the conference served as a call to action for global leaders to invest in Africa's youth and address pressing global challenges through collective action and engagement.

Denmark to liberalize its abortion law to allow the procedure until 18th week of pregnancy

BY JAN M. OLSEN
May 3, 2024

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Denmark’s government said Friday it is relaxing its restrictions on abortion for the first time in 50 years to make it legal for women to terminate pregnancies up to the 18th week from the previous 12th week.

Officials said the law will also be changed to allow girls between 15 and 17 years old to have an abortion without parental consent.

Marie Bjerre, the gender equality minister, said Denmark is strengthening women’s rights while they are being rolled back in other parts of the world.

“It is about the individual woman’s freedom, about the right to decide over her own body and her own life. It is a historic day for women’s equality,” she said.

Free abortion was introduced in Denmark in 1973. The limit was set at up to 12 weeks because “at that time all abortions were performed surgically, and at that time an abortion after the 12th week entailed a greater risk of complications,” the health ministry said.

“After 50 years, it is time for the abortion rules to keep up with the times,” Health Minister Sophie Løhde said.

She said neighboring Sweden, which set the legal limit at 18 weeks of gestation in 1996, has not experienced a significant increase in the number of abortions or when they are carried out.

The three-party center government agreed on the move with two left-leaning groups, the Socialist People’s Party and the Red-Green Alliance, and two center parties, the Social Liberals and the Alternative. The deal is to be sealed by a vote in parliament. No date for that was announced, but it is all but certain to pass because the government has a majority.

The change is expected to enter into force on June 1, 2025.

The health ministry said the legal age of consent in Denmark is 15, and a 15-year-old girl can make her own choices about her own body.

Bjerre said that she hoped that “young women can find support from their parents. But if there is disagreement, it must ultimately be the young woman’s own decision whether she wants to be a mother. It is her body and her life.”

Lawmaker Mette Thiesen, from a populist, anti-immigration party that was not part of the deal, called it ”a terrible day. It’s a terrible new law.”

There is a “very fine balance between the woman’s right to her own body, but also the right to life of the little life that lies in the mother’s womb,” she told Danish broadcaster DR. “In week 18, we are talking about a small person with fingers and toes, which you can feel inside the womb.”

Figures from the Danish Health Data Authority show that the total number of abortions in Denmark has been stable in recent years. In 2022 there were 14,700 medical abortions, compared to 14,500 in 2017. It peaked in 1975 when 27,900 abortions were performed.

While abortion is a deeply divisive issue in the United States, it is broadly legal across Europe.

France inscribed the guaranteed right to abortion in its constitution in a world first this year, sending a powerful message of support to women around the globe. Meanwhile, Poland’s parliament held a long-awaited debate on liberalizing the country’s restrictive law last month — although many women terminate pregnancies at home with pills mailed from abroad.

In Germany, which has a more restrictive approach than many other European countries, an independent commission reviewing abortion law recently recommended that the procedure be made legal during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Interview: High-tech collaboration a "flagship" of Sino-French relations, says Airbus China CFO

(Xinhua)

May 03, 2024

Celebrating the significant milestone of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, Olivier Malet, CFO of Airbus China, said that bilateral economic and trade cooperation, alongside cultural exchanges, is burgeoning between the two countries.

BEIJING, May 1 (Xinhua) -- Cooperation between China and Airbus serves as a "flagship" of the Sino-French relationship, said the chief financial officer (CFO) of Airbus China.

"(China and Airbus) have found good common ground together ... and this cooperation is really a flagship of the Sino-French relationship. We expect that the Chinese market will keep growing and believe in the huge potential in China," Olivier Malet, CFO of Airbus China, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

"As a partner of China for nearly 40 years, Airbus wants to stay and take part in this growth of aviation," said Malet.

Growth and evolution have defined Airbus's history in China since 1994, when the company first established an official presence in the country. Fourteen years later, in 2008, Airbus opened its first assembly line outside Europe in China's northern city of Tianjin.

Airbus is currently promoting the A320 series aircraft's second final assembly line project. "We recently launched the second assembly line in Tianjin," he said.

"This second assembly line is a sign of the strong relationship between France and China, and it demonstrates that we are quite satisfied with the ecosystem and setup we have established here," emphasized the CFO.

"We believe these aircraft will be very suitable for the Chinese market."

Noting that aerospace manufacturing demands stringent quality and reliability requirements, Malet said that "Airbus produced 'made in China' is the same as one made in Toulouse, in Hamburg, in Mobile of the United States ... And for me, that is very important."

Today, Airbus China has more than 200 local suppliers under an increasingly sophisticated supply chain ecosystem. The inclusion of Chinese elements in Airbus aircraft is growing. This deep cooperation benefits enterprises and contributes to the high-level development of the Chinese aviation industry.

Malet said that addressing climate change and achieving sustainable development are shared global challenges and common goals between China and France, adding that Airbus aims to pioneer sustainable aerospace.

"We want to work with China on flying greener," he said.

With China being Airbus's "largest single market," Malet believes that China's continuous advancement of high-level opening-up and ongoing improvement of the business environment will bring confidence and opportunities to global enterprises, including Airbus China.

Celebrating the significant milestone of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, he said that bilateral economic and trade cooperation, alongside cultural exchanges, is burgeoning between the two countries.

"In recent years, France and China have worked closely on topics like trade, aviation and culture," said Malet. "We feel very honored to be part of it and to contribute to this high-quality relationship."

(Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Liu Ning)

China's home appliance giant Haier inaugurates industrial park in Egypt

Source: Xinhua

Editor: huaxia

2024-05-03

Laborers work on an air-conditioner production line at a factory of the Haier Egypt Ecological Park in the 10th of Ramadan City, Sharqia Province, Egypt, on May 1, 2024. China's home appliance giant Haier inaugurated Thursday its first industrial park in Egypt in 10th of Ramadan, a city northeast of Cairo. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

CAIRO, May 2 (Xinhua) -- China's home appliance giant Haier inaugurated Thursday its first industrial park in Egypt in 10th of Ramadan, a city northeast of Cairo.

Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of the Haier Group, invests 135 million U.S. dollars to build the Haier Egypt Ecological Park.

Once fully built, it will cover an area of 200,000 square meters with an annual planned production capacity of more than 1.5 million units of home appliances.

Song Yujun, a vice president at Haier Smart Home overseeing its ecosystem platform, said at the opening ceremony that the park, at its planned capacity, will not only meet Egypt's market demands but can be export-ready to neighboring markets.

Trial production is in the swing in the first phase of the industrial park with air-conditioners, televisions and washing machines rolling off the line, Haier Egypt General Manager Ahmed Mossad El Gendi told Xinhua during a media tour at the plant.

Gendi noted the park will create 3,000 local jobs and have 40-65 percent of its spare parts localized once the project's second phase is completed. ■

Laborers work at a factory of the Haier Egypt Ecological Park in the 10th of Ramadan City, Sharqia Province, Egypt, on May 1, 2024. China's home appliance giant Haier inaugurated Thursday its first industrial park in Egypt in 10th of Ramadan, a city northeast of Cairo. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

Unfinished air-conditioners are seen on a production line at a factory of the Haier Egypt Ecological Park in the 10th of Ramadan City, Sharqia Province, Egypt, on May 1, 2024. China's home appliance giant Haier inaugurated Thursday its first industrial park in Egypt in 10th of Ramadan, a city northeast of Cairo. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

WAR CRIME

Attack on ICRC convoy in Sudan's South Darfur kills two drivers, injures three

03 May 2024 - 11:10BY TALA RAMADAN AND ENAS ALASHRAY

More than a year of war between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has driven at least 8.5 million people from their homes. Fighting tore through the capital and has unleashed waves of ethnically-driven violence in the western region of Darfur.
Image: Thierry Gouegnon/REUTERS/ File photo

An attack by gunmen on a humanitarian convoy of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Sudan's South Darfur killed two drivers and injured three other staff on Thursday, the ICRC said in a statement.

The team was on its way back from Layba to assess the humanitarian situation of communities affected by armed violence in the region when the incident occurred, the ICRC said.

The ICRC did not say who was to blame for the deaths and called for the immediate protection of all civilians, including humanitarian workers and medical personnel.

“Reports today of the deaths of two ICRC staff members and the injury of three staff members in South Darfur is further evidence of this war's horrific cost. These dedicated employees became victims of the violence and suffering they were working to mitigate,” US Special Envoy for Sudan, Tom Perriello, said on X on Friday.

Reuters

SIGAR Report: Women in Afghanistan protest despite risks

By Amu TV
Lked

Women protesters. File photo.

A new report by the U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) details the severe repercussions faced by women who protest against the Taliban, including enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, and torture.

According to SIGAR, despite these significant risks, small groups of women still gathered to protest in Takhar and Balkh provinces on International Women’s Day in March.

The report also highlights that Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has defended the group’s harsh interpretation of Sharia law, which sanctions public floggings and stonings of women accused of adultery.

“Women and girls are subjected to verbal harassment, searches, interrogations, arrests, and detentions,” stated the report. It further cited a UN special rapporteur’s statement that the Taliban’s disregard for the fundamental rights of women and girls is unparalleled worldwide.

SIGAR’s interviews reveal a widespread belief among Afghans that conditions are worsening under Taliban rule. A former Afghan Army officer highlighted increasing poverty, corruption, and the resurgence of terrorist groups as pressing issues. “The more time we lose, the worse it will get,” he commented, also noting stolen natural resources and student indoctrination.

Moreover, many Afghans resettled in the United States mourn the fall of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, expressing a profound sense of betrayal and abandonment by both Afghan leadership and U.S. partners.

Despite Taliban assurances of amnesty, nearly all the Afghans interviewed by SIGAR were aware of reprisal killings targeting former officials and supporters of the previous government. The report also noted widespread fear of ongoing human rights abuses by the Taliban, with some victims providing evidence of atrocities against their families.

The report concluded that the U.S.-Taliban deal in Doha contributed to the rapid U.S. withdrawal and the subsequent collapse of the government, a belief shared by many Afghans who fled their country.

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment

Friday, May 03, 2024

Attack on ICRC convoy in Sudan's South Darfur kills two drivers, injures three

SIGAR Report: Women in Afghanistan protest despite risks

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