TikTok challenges potential US ban in court

Washington (AFP) – TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance filed a legal challenge against the United States on Tuesday, taking aim at a law that would force the app to be sold or face a US ban.


Issued on: 07/05/2024 -

ByteDance has said it has no plans to sell TikTok, leaving the lawsuit as its only option to avoid a ban 

© Antonin UTZ / AFP

This comes around two weeks after President Joe Biden signed a bill giving TikTok 270 days to find a non-Chinese buyer or face a ban in the country.

The video-sharing platform argues that this was unconstitutional.

"For the first time in history, Congress has enacted a law that subjects a single, named speech platform to a permanent, nationwide ban, and bars every American from participating in a unique online community with more than one billion people worldwide," said the suit by TikTok and ByteDance.

The suit, filed at a federal court in Washington, argued that the move violates the First Amendment, charging that "Congress has made a law curtailing massive amounts of protected speech."

It also said the divestiture demanded in order for TikTok to keep running in the United States is "simply not possible" -- and not on the timeline required.

The White House can extend the 270-day deadline once, by 90 days. During this period, the app would continue to operate for its roughly 170 million US users.
'Shutdown TikTok'

ByteDance has said it has no plans to sell TikTok, leaving the lawsuit, which will likely go to the US Supreme Court, as its only option to avoid a ban.

"There is no question: the Act will force a shutdown of TikTok by January 19, 2025," the lawsuit said, "silencing (those) who use the platform to communicate in ways that cannot be replicated elsewhere."

TikTok first found itself in the crosshairs of former president Donald Trump's administration, which tried unsuccessfully to ban it.

That effort got bogged down in the courts when a federal judge temporarily blocked Trump's attempt, saying the reasons for banning the app were likely overstated and that free speech rights were in jeopardy.

The new effort signed by Biden was designed to overcome the same legal headaches and some experts believe the US Supreme Court could be open to allowing national security considerations to outweigh free speech protection.

"TikTok has prevailed in its previous First Amendment challenges, but the bipartisan nature of this federal law may make judges more likely to defer" to Congress and arguments over national security, said Gautam Hans, professor of law at Cornell University.

"Without public discussion of what exactly the risks are, however, it’s difficult to determine why the courts should validate such an unprecedented law," Hans added.

The United States has strict limits on foreign ownership of broadcast media, but authorities have until now left internet platforms largely untouched.

TikTok had taken a series of measures to assuage concerns that the data of US users was unprotected, but the lawsuit said those efforts were ignored by the government.

There are serious doubts that any buyer could emerge to purchase TikTok even if ByteDance would agree to the request.

Big tech's usual suspects, such as Meta or YouTube’s Google, will likely be barred from snapping up TikTok over antitrust concerns, and others could not afford one of the world's most successful apps for a key demographic.

There are also doubts that the company would ever give up the secrets of its algorithm that saw TikTok become a cultural juggernaut, rivaling YouTube and Instagram for the attention of young people.

© 2024 AFP

US, allies sanction LockBit leader over ransomware attacks

Washington (AFP) – The United States, Britain and Australia unveiled sanctions Tuesday against the leader of the Russian ransomware outfit LockBit, which they accuse of extorting billions of dollars from thousands of victims.


Issued on: 07/05/2024 - 

The US Treasury Department unveiled sanctions in conjunction with the United Kingdom and Australia 

© CHIP SOMODEVILLA / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP

The measures announced Tuesday are the latest in a long-running legal and technological battle against LockBit by law enforcement agencies around the world aimed at disrupting its activities.

The US Treasury Department said it was designating Dmitry Khoroshev for developing and distributing the software, which has been used against a number of American targets -- including a hospital in Chicago.

"Today's action sends a clear message that the United States and its partners around the world are committed to dismantling the ransomware ecosystem," Brian Nelson, the Treasury's under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in a statement.

Alongside the Treasury, the US State Department announced rewards of up to $15 million for information about the company.

The UK government also said it had also sanctioned Khoroshev, in conjunction with the United States and Australia.

The group was responsible for a quarter of all ransomware attacks worldwide last year, and has extorted "over $1 billion from thousands of victims globally," the UK government said in a statement.

"LockBit orchestrated a malicious online campaign, illegally stealing and using sensitive data to extract billions of dollars from business and individuals," it said, adding that more than 200 British businesses had been targeted.

- DOJ charges Khoroshev -

Concurrently, the US Department of Justice unsealed charges Tuesday against Khoroshev, 31, for his role running LockBit.

Khoroshev, a Russian national, was indicted on 26 counts by a grand jury in New Jersey, the DOJ said in a statement.

"Earlier this year, the Justice Department and our UK law enforcement partners disrupted LockBit," US Attorney

ArcelorMittal hit by Olympic flame greenwashing accusations

Paris (AFP) – Environmental groups accused ArcelorMittal of greenwashing a day ahead of the arrival in France Wednesday of the Olympic flame in a torch forged with low-carbon steel from the world's second-largest steelmaker.


Issued on: 07/05/2024 - 

Activists turned up the heat on ArcelorMittal over burnishing its climate credentials by highlighting its role in providing low carbon steel for the Olympic torch 

© Angelos Tzortzinis / AFP/File

They said the firm, which alone emits as much carbon as a country the size of Belgium, is using the Paris Games to burnish its image even though it has been backsliding on its green commitments.

A new report by advocacy group SteelWatch found ArcelorMittal has spent just one third of the $1.5 billion it had promised to invest in decarbonisation in the past three years.

Activists said the firm was returning $22 to shareholders for every dollar it puts into decarbonisation.

"While ArcelorMittal prioritises shareholder returns and fossil fuel-based steel production over climate action, it consistently presents itself as a green champion, notably as an official sponsor of this year's Olympic Games in France, where it has provided 'low carbon' steel for the Olympic torch," said the activist groups, which also include Fair Steel Coalition.

ArcelorMittal has publicised extensively its role in providing low carbon recycled steel for the torch and the Olympic rings that are to adorn the Eiffel Tower during the Paris Games in July and August.

Activists have recently accused ArcelorMittal of pursuing a two-speed decarbonisation with green steel projects in Canada and Europe while continuing to build and use coal-fired furnaces in India and elsewhere.

Steelmaking alone accounts for around seven percent of global CO2 emissions.

An ArcelorMittal spokeswoman told AFP that the group plans to cut its emissions across the world by a quarter by 2030 and reach carbon neutrality in 2050.

She said the firm has launched a plan to reduce the carbon intensity of its emissions in India by recycling more steel and industrial gases, plus shifting to natural gas and hydrogen to fuel its blast furnaces.

The spokeswoman did not provide a timeline.

Japan says Biden's 'xenophobia' comment is regrettable

DW

May 7, 2024

US President Joe Biden's unflattering remarks about "xenophobia" hindering the economic growth of Japan and some other countries prompted Tokyo to express regret.

Last month, Joe Biden held a trilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (right) and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos (left)

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Japan on Tuesday lamented a "regrettable" recent comment by US President Joe Biden that "xenophobia" was hampering economic growth in the Asian country.

"We lodged representations to the United States that the comment was not based on the correct understanding of Japan's policy and regrettable," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters.

But Hayashi added that Japan's relationship with its security ally was stronger than ever, and Tokyo would work to strengthen it further.

What exactly did Biden say?

Last week, at a fundraiser for his 2024 re-election campaign in Washington, Biden said, "One of the reasons why our economy's growing is because of you and many others. Why? Because we welcome immigrants."

"Why is China stalling so badly economically, why is Japan having trouble, why is Russia, why is India, because they're xenophobic. They don't want immigrants. Immigrants are what makes us strong," he added.

Biden's comments have caused some consternation in Japan, which is a largely homogenous country with a relatively low level of immigration.

But a declining birth rate and a rapidly aging population point to an acute labor shortage in the coming decades.

Biden affirms defense commitment with Japan and Philippines  00:28

Longtime partners and allies

The US and Japan are close partners and, along with Germany, Italy, France, the UK and Canada, are members of the G7, the group of leading Western industrialized nations.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited Washington in April for a summit with Biden. The leaders unveiled plans for military cooperation and projects ranging from missiles to moon landings to strengthen ties to counter China and Russia.

Asked in a Newsweek interview whether he would encourage immigration to reverse the population decline, Kishida said Japan must consider inviting skilled workers. But he ruled out a broader immigration program.

dh/ab (Reuters, dpa)

Is Japan 'xenophobic' like US President Biden claims?

Julian Ryall in Tokyo

DW

May 6, 2024

US President Joe Biden's recent remarks about foreign labor have provoked pushback from Japan's government. Many Japanese residents echoed that sentiment, though their immigration track record may suggest otherwise.

Japan's attitude toward foreign nationals living and working in the country has been criticized

The Japanese government has expressed "disappointment" with recent remarks made by US President Joe Biden, in which he described Japan as "xenophobic" when it came to immigration policy.

At a campaign fundraiser on the evening of May 1, Biden deemed Japan, along with India, China and Russia, as "xenophobic" as he tried to contrast the nations' economic circumstances to those in the US as a nation of immigrants.

Through diplomatic channels, Tokyo informed the White House that the president's remarks were not based on an "accurate understanding" of Japanese policies, Kyodo News quoted a government official as saying. Many Japanese and foreign residents have also expressed their disagreement with Biden's choice of words.

They cited Japan granting entry to more refugees than ever before last year, tourists consistently receiving a warm welcome and many foreign nationals integrating into Japanese society.

For others in the country, the comment prompted some soul-searching regarding Japan's policies toward asylum-seekers, low refugee numbers and potentially discriminatory checks on foreign nationals.

What did Joe Biden say?

The diplomatic storm was triggered when Biden spoke at an event at a hotel in Washington attended by Asian American voters. "One of the reasons why our economy is growing is because of you and many others," Biden reportedly said. "Why? Because we welcome immigrants."

He added, "Look, think about it. Why is China stalling so badly economically? Why is Japan having trouble? Why is Russia? Why is India? Because they are xenophobic. They don't want immigrants."

Many Japanese remain opposed to large numbers of foreign nationals settling in the country permanently

Image: ZUMA Press/IMAGO

White House officials later attempted to play down the issue, with spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre telling reporters that the president had been highlighting the US tradition of welcoming immigrants.

"Our allies and partners know very well how much this president respects them," she added.

In addition to the choice of words, many in Japan were upset at Biden lumping the nation together with China and Russia, two nations that have been accused of human rights abuses and that have historically had tense diplomatic relations with Japan.
Xenophobia is 'too strong'

Malcolm Adams, an African American who has lived in Japan for 48 years, said he "respectfully disagrees with the president's characterization of Japan as xenophobic."

"It is true that Japan has historically had strict immigration policies, but it is important to acknowledge the significant strides that country has made in recent years to welcome and accommodate foreign workers," he told DW.

Adams, 74, said Japan has recognized that it faces a demographic crisis of an aging society where too few babies are being born and it is opening up — admittedly gradually — to outside workers to meet the labor shortage. He added that he felt he has been "embraced by Japanese society."

"This country is evolving, and its efforts to address demographic challenges should be commended rather than criticized."

Ken Kato, a businessman from Tokyo, also disagreed with the US president's remarks. "That accusation is completely untrue and unfair," he said. "I would say that Japan is one of the most welcoming nations in the world, which is completely the opposite of what Biden said."

Kato pointed out that modern Japan has historically welcomed foreign ideas, having opened up to the outside world with the Meiji Restoration of 1868.
Japan's discriminatory policing

"To generalize that all of Japan is xenophobic or unwelcoming to foreign nationals is completely groundless," said Teppei Kasai, program officer at the Japan office of Human Rights Watch.

However, he admitted that "certain aspects" of society in Japan might be considered less accepting of foreigners.

There are reports that non-Japanese can find it difficult to rent properties as Japanese owners are reluctant to accept foreign tenants. There is also an ongoing legal case against the police over allegations of non-Japanese being stopped and questioned far more frequently than Japanese.

Japanese life as a Ukrainian refugee  02:56

The government and police authorities have strenuously denied they are actively picking out foreigners for questioning after a former inspector who was based in western Japan caused a storm by stating in an interview in April with the Mainichi newspaper that he was told to "target foreigners for questioning and check their foreign resident registration cards."

One month of the year was designated for "cracking down on foreigners," the unnamed former officer said, with police instructed to "put extra effort into checking cards, but also searching foreigners for drugs, knives or anything else illegal."

"It is important to distinguish the problematic policies of the Japanese government and what the general public thinks," said Kasai, pointing to a 2020 government survey which showed that 20% of respondents said they were open to accepting more refugees in a "proactive" manner. A further 57% said they were willing to accept greater numbers of refugees "carefully."

Changing attitudes toward immigration in Japan?

However, getting into Japan can prove challenging. The country granted a "record 303 asylum-seekers" refugee status out of 13,823 applicants in 2023, The Japan Times reported, citing figures from a recent Justice Ministry report. This was a jump from 202 people granted refugee status in 2022.

Japan also practices policies criticized by human rights groups, such as "indefinite" or prolonged detention for migrants requesting asylum and deportation.

The country remains opposed to large numbers of foreign nationals settling permanently. A poll conducted by The Asahi Shimbun newspaper in April indicated that 62% of people support the government policy of granting more visas for skilled workers, up significantly from just 44% in the previous poll conducted in 2018. However, some remain resistant to large-scale immigration.

Kato's own attitude seems indicative of Japan's general mood against "unrestricted immigration."

"We see on television that that policy has not gone well in other countries, and I am not convinced that Japan needs large numbers of foreign workers as within a decade or two, AI, robotics and other technologies will have advanced to such a degree that they will have solved the labor problems," the Tokyo businessman said.

"I don't see this as xenophobia; it's just a sensible policy."

Edited by: Kate Martyr

Can EU wean itself off essential drugs from China, India?

The COVID pandemic has shown that public health in Europe relies massively on Asian supplies, from masks to antibiotics. EU attempts to reshore production seem to be going nowhere, and do they make sense, after all?


Insa Wrede

DW

Europe's pharma giants have relinquished the market for off-patent medications completely to cheaper Asian producers

Jan Woitas/dpa-Zentralbild/picture alliance

Ulrike Holzgrabe believes China wouldn't need an atomic bomb to deal a fatal blow to Europe. Just stopping its supplies of antibiotics would also do the trick, the professor for pharmaceutical and medicinal chemistry at Würzburg University in southern Germany told DW.

Europe's huge shortage of medical masks during the coronavirus pandemic has laid bare the continent's vulnerability to ensuring a steady supply of basic medicinal products. In 2020, the European Parliament stated in a report that public health could be a "geopolitical weapon that can bring down an entire continent."

Big pharma, made in China  04:55

The European Union has since attempted to identify the types of medicines it can only source from outside the bloc, notably from China. Holzgrabe said this effort needs to be intensified with a database on which company produces what and who provides the precursor chemicals for drug production.

Cut-throat competition and trade secrets

Establishing a precise pharmaceutical database is where the problem already begins, says Jasmina Kirchhoff from the German Economic Institute (IW) in Cologne, Germany. Information on the manufacturers of chemicals and other downstream ingredients are "well-kept trade secrets," the pharma business expert told DW.

It's critical for manufacturers to keep market advantages secret from competitors, especially in the generics sector. Generics are pharmaceutical drugs that contain the same chemical substance as a drug that was formerly protected by chemical patents.

India is known as the "pharmacy of the world" as its vast generics market supplies medicines to more than 200 countries

Manjunath Kiran/AFP/GettyImages

The success of generic drugmakers depends on low prices, which means that supply chains are often "very complex, and making it unclear how many companies in which countries are involved," Kirchhoff said.

Regarding antibiotics, the IW researcher noted that China recognized "as early as the 1980s" how important it is to have its own antibiotic production. "There was massive investment in those factories that could produce at the lowest costs — first for the domestic market, and then the surplus output was exported," Kirchhoff added.

In addition to China, which has also become the largest producer of chemical precursor products for the global pharmaceutical market, India has emerged as a major supplier of pharmaceutical products.

National Pharma Strategy: Germany's reshoring initiative

As part of efforts to boost the domestic pharmaceutical industry, the German government adopted a strategy paper in December 2023 identifying three key areas to be strengthened. The goals include, first of all, unbureaucratic approvals for clinical trials with medicinal products. Secondly, easier access to health data for research purposes. And finally, incentives for setting up more manufacturing sites in the country.

For vaccine maker BioNTech the action plan came too late. In January 2023, it decided to move its mRNA research to the UK

BioNTech SE 2020/dpa/picture alliance

Germany is still a major player in the global pharma market and home to leading companies such as Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim and Merck Group. However, they are strong in the market for innovative, patented medications but weak in the generics market, said Holzgrabe, adding that generics production in Europe is hardly profitable due to low profit margins.

But generics are crucial for public health care in general, as they cover about 80% of basic medication needs, including many antibiotics.

Bork Bretthauer criticizes the government's strategy to boost domestic investments with subsidies. The CEO of Pro Generika — a German nonprofit that regularly commissions scientific studies into health policy and the pharma sector — told DW that Germany needs "a different pricing system" for drugs.

"We don't need zombie factories in Europe that need to be permanently subsidized," he said, adding that Europeans must be willing to pay higher drug prices.
Big Pharma needs big incentives

In the summer of last year, the German parliament adopted legislation aimed at incentivizing the German pharma industry to reshore production or at least stop relocating abroad, with higher drug prices. The law was also a result of drug shortages and supply bottlenecks that had emerged during the global pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

German drugmaker Bayer is currently investing about €1 billion in its production facilities in Germany

Image: Bayer AG

It is a major healthcare policy change because Germany had sought to keep public health costs as low as possible until last year.

Previously, drugmakers were forced to offer statutory health insurance companies their medications at capped prices. So prices were fixed for about 80% of medications, including generic drugs, meaning that only the most cost-effective drug firms could make a profit.

Under the new legislation, insurance companies' drug tenders for specific active ingredients and off-patent medications must also award contracts to a European company.

Ulrike Holzgrabe believes the legislation is a step in the right direction, but fears it will come to nothing because there is "simply no European production left," especially in the generics sector. Jasmina Kirchhoff says the law has at least helped prevent more production from moving abroad.

China's unassailable dominance

Wolfgang Große Entrup, managing director of the Association of the German Chemical Industry (VCI), thinks higher drug prices are inevitable if Europe wants more security. But production in Europe will never be as cheap as in Asia, he said in April. The German pharma industry, in particular, would suffer from "excessive bureaucracy, skilled labor shortages, high energy costs, and crumbling infrastructure."

Holzgrabe shares this view, adding that Chinese drugmakers, by contrast, benefit from lower labor and energy costs and cost-free land allowances from the government when they establish production facilities. Moreover, they don't have to comply with environmental regulations as strict as those in Europe.

All of this, she said, would make it difficult to bring pharmaceutical production back to Europe so that "independence from China won't be achieved."

This article was originally written in German.

Germany: Study shows correlation between racism and poverty

Marcel Fürstenau

DW

Black, Muslim and Asian people in Germany are more at risk of poverty, according to a survey. Even a good education does not make a major difference.

Black, Muslim and Asian people are more at risk of poverty than Germans without a migration background

 Christoph Hardt/Geisler-Fotopress/picture alliance

Racism is widespread in Germany. But what does this really mean for the people affected? The German Center for Integration and Migration Research (DeZIM) in Berlin published a study entitled "Limits of Equality. Racism and the risk of poverty" which shows a correlation between racism and the risk of poverty.

Social scientists Zerrin Salikutluk and Klara Podkowik based their research on data from the National Discrimination and Racism Monitor (NaDiRa). Salikutluk is one of the researchers for this project, a recurring representative survey of everyday racist experiences, financed by the federal parliament, the Bundestag, since 2020.

"If you look at the official statistics or the federal government's poverty and wealth reports, data is mostly broken down by migration background and whether you have German citizenship," Salikutluk explained. "What we haven't been able to say so far is how people who are affected by racism in Germany are really faring," she told DW.

Everyday discrimination in Germany

The researchers found discrimination in the education system, the labor market, the housing market and the health sector. Previous studies showed that individuals with a migration background often face discrimination when looking for a job. This increases the risk of having to live below the poverty line.

In Germany, people are considered to be at risk of poverty if they have less than 60% of the statistical average income. In 2023, this was €1,310 ($1,410) per month. When asked about their monthly income, 5% of Germans without a migration background who had a full-time job said their income falls below the poverty line. However, that figure rose to 20% for Black, Muslim and Asian respondents.

The figures were similar for respondents with a high level of education or vocational accomplishments: People encountering racist discrimination were two to seven times more likely to experience economic hardship.

At 33%, Muslim men were the most at risk of poverty. Researcher Salikutluk puts this down to the high number of Muslim men among the refugees who came to Germany since 2013: Around 20% of the Muslim respondents to the discrimination survey came from Syria and Afghanistan, countries severely affected by war and poverty. "And we already know that refugees are more at risk of poverty due to their limited access to the labor market, for example," Salikutluk explained.

But even people with foreign roots who have lived in Germany for a very long time or were born in the country or hold German citizenship are discriminated against. Salikutluk points to experiments in which identical application documents were sent out with different names. The result: "People who have a Turkish-sounding name, for example, have a smaller chance of being invited to a job interview," she said.

Germany: Rich country, poor people  12:36

How the poverty rate could be reduced

Salikutluk believes that the findings of the survey underline the need to take targeted measures to combat poverty and promote equal opportunities for disadvantaged groups. The researchers argue that educational and professional qualifications acquired abroad should be recognized in Germany.

"This would accelerate the entry of refugees and other migrants into the German labor market and give skilled workers with foreign qualifications access to suitable professions," the researchers write in their study.

To speed up labor market integration, the team of researchers call for faster access to language and integration courses. They argue that the high poverty rate among refugees can only be reduced if it is ensured that they can earn their own living.

This article was originally written in German.

EU adopts first law tackling violence against women

The European Union has passed its first legislation to combat violence against women. The law requires all EU countries to criminalize female genital mutilation, forced marriage and online harassment.

EU member states have adopted the bloc's first ever law tackling violence against women

Image: Luca Bruno/AP Photo/picture alliance

European Union (EU) countries on Tuesday gave the green light to the bloc's first law devoted to combatting violence against women.

The sweeping new legislation aims to protect women in the EU from gender-based violence, forced marriages, female genital mutilation and cyber violence such as online stalking and the non-consensual sharing of intimate images.

It also makes it easier for victims of domestic abuse to report crimes, which, according to a new framework, will be punishable by jail sentences of up to five years.

Punishments for crimes against children, spouses, ex-spouses, politicians, journalists and human rights activists can be even more severe.

But a failure to reach a common definition of rape was a source of contention between several member states.

European politicians hail 'groundbreaking' law

"Violence against women and domestic violence is a persisting crime," said Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Paul Van Tigchelt. "This law will guarantee EU-wide that perpetrators will be strongly sanctioned and that its victims will receive all the support they need."

The European Parliament approved the new rules in April and the official adoption by member states on Tuesday was the final step before it becomes law. EU states now have three years to transpose the rules into national law.

"This is a groundbreaking moment in boosting women's rights," said Marie-Colline Leroy, Belgium's Secretary of State for Gender Equality.

"Real equality can only happen when women can live without fear of being harassed, violently attacked or physically harmed. This law is an important step to make this happen."

No common EU definition of rape

However, while agreement on the necessity of the legislation has been unanimous, the text of the directive failed to settle on a common definition of rape, which was a source of contention during negotiations.

While countries such as Italy and Greece were in favor of inserting such a definition, Germany and France argued that the EU did not have competence in the matter.

Ahead of a meeting in Brussels on Tuesday, the Spanish equality minister Ana Redondo said she would have preferred the legislation to be "a little more ambitious."

But she said the law was still a "good starting point."

mf/ab (AFP, KNA)

Iran intensifies violent crackdown on women

Omid Barin

DW

April 29, 2024

After a recent order from Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, "morality police" are increasing patrols, and women who refuse to wear headscarves are reporting more violent harassment and arrests.




Young women have been defying the Iranian regime's crackdown

Iranian authorities are stepping up street patrols in a renewed push towards suppressing women who refuse to follow strict Islamic dress codes.

Under a new campaign called "nour" or "light," endorsed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iranian "morality police" are out in force on so-called guidance patrols looking for women who refuse to wear the hijab, or headscarf.

One 25-year-old woman, who spoke to DW anonymously, said she was accosted on the streets of Tehran while on her way to university on April 20.

She said she was surrounded by dozens of police officers who demanded that she cover her hair, and when she resisted, they quickly resorted to violence, pulling out some of her hair and verbally harassing her as they dragged her into the van.

"At that moment, I didn't fully understand what was happening; I just knew they were beating me. Later, I saw that several parts of my body were bruised," she said.

As she was being beaten and harassed by police, the woman said she thought of the "Women, Life Freedom" movement, which started in September 2022 when 22-year-old Jina Mahsa Amini died after being taken into custody by the morality police in Tehran for allegedly improperly wearing a hijab.

Iranian women defy laws limiting their freedom  03:22

Amini's death was followed by the highest level of public unrest Iran had seen in decades, with thousands of people taking to the streets of Iranian cities in support of women's rights. Authorities used force to suppress the protests. A UN fact-finding mission estimates that 551 protesters were killed.

"I remembered Jina Mahsa Amini and other women who sacrificed their lives during the women's uprising for life and freedom, and I told myself I had to be strong," the woman said.

"I shouted loudly that my dress code is my own business. As soon as I said this, their insults and violence began," she said. The female officers called her a prostitute and told her that as long as she lived in Iran, she "must respect the laws of the country derived from Islamic commands."

The woman said she was taken into police custody, where at least five other women were also detained for not wearing a headscarf. She was released after several hours but was forced to sign a letter committing to following Islamic dress codes, and may also face further legal action.

A renewed crackdown on women in Iran

In recent weeks, there have been many similar reports on excessive violence against women circulating on Iranian social media. Many women have shared their experiences of police violence, arrest and fines.

Iran's legislative bodies, the Islamic Consultative Assembly and the Guardian Council, which sign off on laws, have recently been negotiating bills aimed at legalizing a crackdown on women who oppose the "compulsory hijab."

The resurgence of violence against women began after Khamenei's speech on Eid al-Fitr, April 10, the holiday that ends the month of Ramadan.

Emphasizing the necessity of compulsory hijab, he ordered actions against "religious norm-breakers."

Following this speech, the morality police increased street patrols. The calls for a crackdown also coincided with the large-scale Iranian missile and drone strike on Israel, and a surge of international concern over a widening of the conflict in the Middle East.

Mahtab Mahboub, an Iranian women's rights activist residing in Germany, told DW that the timing of the increased crackdown on women's rights, along with the heightened tensions with Israel, is not a coincidence.

"The issue of security lies at the core of the Islamic Republic's policies — external security through attacking the 'enemy,' and internal security through controlling the bodies of women and all sexual and gender minorities," she said.

She added that women and protesters "are seen as potential agents of rebellion who can challenge the compulsory value system" of the Islamic Republic.

People around the world, like these protesters in Berlin, supported Iran's Women, Life, Freedom movement

Image: Ebrahim Noroozi/AP Photo/picture alliance

Osman Mozayan, a lawyer in Tehran, told DW that in recent days, many unlawful detentions have taken place.

"In some cases, women's bank accounts have been blocked, or their cars have been confiscated. Some students have been prevented from entering universities. Even some have been deprived of work. Their civil and civic lives are disrupted," he said.

"These individuals are mostly referred to the courts, and regardless of the verdict — conviction or acquittal — these punishments and restrictions imposed are irreparable," he added.

Iranians demand change

Many believe that the nationwide Women, Life, Freedom protests represent the most severe internal challenge since the Islamic Republic was formed in 1979.

However, the regime has never been willing to concede to the demands of the protesters, especially the removal of mandatory hijab obligations.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, who is currently in Tehran's Evin Prison, described the recent surge in violence against women and youth as a sign of "desperation" from the Islamic Republic.

Mohammadi said the new policy stems from the regime's "untreatable pain of illegitimacy."

'I will be living proof of the violent oppression in Iran'  03:45

A group of mothers who lost their children during the Women, Life, Freedom protests issued a statement recently condemning the "brutal and continuous repression by this misogynist regime."

"Women have no intention of returning to the past and do not allow themselves to be considered second-class citizens, letting the patriarchal government and society decide for them," the statement said.

Rojina, a journalist in Tehran who spoke to DW using a pseudonym, said despite the recent uptick in violence, she has not seen any change on the streets.

"Every day, many women can be seen in public with optional clothing. They have accepted that freedom requires a cost, and they are determined not to revert to life before the Women, Life, Freedom movement."

Feminist activist Mahboub is in contact with many women in Iran. She said the Women, Life, Freedom movement has "restored the lost self-confidence to women and reminded the entire society that the freedom of women and the most marginalized groups is the measure of society's freedom."

"Some women who still leave home without a hijab are courageously reclaiming their lost dignity. They insist that no one has the right to decide for our bodies," she said.

Why Burkina Faso is muzzling foreign media

Kate Hairsine

DW

April 29, 2024

Burkina Faso's military junta has suspended more international media, including DW. It's part of a pattern of press repression as the junta's counterterrorism operations take a high civilian toll.

A mural is seen in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, which says "stay vigilant and mobilize"

AP/picture alliance


Burkina Faso has suspended several more international news organizations for their coverage of a Human Rights Watch report that accuses the army of killing civilians in its battle against Islamist armed groups.

The latest media to be suspended include DW, TV5 Monde and Le Monde, both French media, as well as UK outlet The Guardian.

The move follows the temporary suspension of the BBC and US broadcaster Voice of America last week.

"We are not really surprised about the latest escalation because it follows a pattern of repression and hostility against the media generally, and in particular foreign media," said Muheeb Saeed, manager of the freedom of expression program at the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA).

Since Burkina Faso's military leadership seized power in a coup in September 2022 — the second that year— it has suspended numerous media houses, including France 24, Radio France International and Jeune Afrique. It also expelled two French journalists in April, 2023 and no foreign journalists remain in the West African nation.

Local media has also been targeted. For instance, Radio Omega, one of the country's most popular radio stations, was ordered off air last year after it broadcast an interview deemed "insulting" to the new military leaders of neighboring Niger.

Analysts give several reasons for the junta's crackdown on press freedom. A major goal is to stifle criticism over its inability to curb terrorism, they say.

Burkina Faso top of terrorism index

Like several countries in the Sahel, the vast semi-arid region that stretches across Africa below the Sahara, Burkina Faso is struggling to contain terrorist groups linked to al-Qaida and the extremist " Islamic State" group.

Burkina Faso's president, Ibrahim Traore, a captain in the army, overthrew the previous military junta, saying it had failed to stem the violence. Vowing to stamp out the insurgency, he promoted greater cooperation with Russia and ended an agreement with the French military that saw French special forces leave Burkina Faso in early 2023.

French soldiers (seen here in 2019) were asked to leave in 2023 amid a surge in anti-French sentiment

Philippe De Poulpiquet/MAXPPP/dpa/picture alliance

But since Traore took power, Burkina Faso has climbed to first place on the Global Terrorism Index. Deaths due to terrorism soared by more than two-thirds in 2023 compared to the previous year, with almost 2,000 people killed, according to the index. The West African nation now accounts for nearly a quarter of all terrorist deaths globally.

"The war that is being waged against the insurgents in Burkina Faso is being carried out both on the battlefield and also on the ideological level," Saeed told DW. "At the ideological level, there's been a lot of propaganda that is aimed at whipping all the citizens into line, so any criticism of the administration has been met with some form of repression."
Army accused of rights abuses

The junta is also using media crackdowns to cover up human rights abuses committed by the army in its counterterrorism operations, says Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

"Most of the time, when they are trying to fight back the armed group terrorists, their regular army is also doing a lot of human rights violations and [the junta] don't want independent media to reveal these awful human rights violations," said Sadibou Marong, director of RSF's West Africa bureau.

Ibrahim Traore, now Burkina Faso's president, is welcomed by supporters holding a Russian flag shortly after coming to power in a coup

Image: Vincent Bado/REUTERS

The Human Rights Watch report that triggered the latest media suspensions accused Burkina Faso's army of carrying out mass killings of at least 223 villagers in February 2024.

Similar massacres have been documented by other rights and media organizations. Under the junta led by Traore, the killings of civilians by security forces jumped from 430 in 2022 to 735 in 2023 according to figures from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, a US-based non-profit.

Local media muzzled

The crackdown on international media will make it even harder for local outlets, say both Reporters Without Borders and the Media Foundation for West Africa.

"The international media organizations generally are more influential and have a certain level of diplomatic muscle," the MFWA's Saeed told DW. "And so if the international media themselves are being attacked, expelled and suspended, it clearly sends a chilling signal to the local media to fall in line or suffer a similar fate."

Local journalists have become extremely cautious and self-censorship is rampant, both Saeed and RSF's Marong say, with media outlets using the junta's official press statements as the basis for their reporting on the security crisis.

"Journalists prefer to wait for the official narrative, the official press statement, coming from the government," Marong said. "This is not independent journalism."

Last week, MFWA noted at least four local newspapers covering the same story "word for word," Saeed said.

"This feeds into the theory that the military regime dictates to the media what they are to write, and in fact the media doesn't even have a right to make any changes to whatever communique they receive from the military, not even a comma," he concluded.

Germany pays a visit to Burkina Faso's military junta 03:26

Edited by: Cathrin Schaer

Can hydropower hold its own against weather extremes?

Holly Young

DW

April 27, 2024

Recent droughts in Colombia and Ecuador have severely hampered energy supplied by hydropower. How viable is the low-carbon renewable in an increasingly hot and dry world?

Parts of a reservoir feeding a Colombia hydropower plant have run dry amid ongoing drought

Image: Jhojan Hilarion/AFP/Getty Images

Reliable, cheap and low carbon — since coming into use over a hundred years ago, hydropower has become a vital clean energy source, today providing more electricity than all other renewables combined.

But recent power shortages in Ecuador and Colombia have highlighted its vulnerability in the face of climate change.

A drought fueled by the El Nino weather phenomenon has reduced reservoir water levels in hydropower plants, which both countries rely on for most of their electricity. This has led Ecuador to declare a state of emergency and institute power cuts. In neighboring Colombia, water has been rationed in the capital and the country has halted electricity exports to Ecuador.

Climate change: an increasing concern for the industry

Hydropower functions by harnessing the movement of water flowing through a turbine, which generates electricity as it spins.

"Hydropower is dependent on water so clearly if there is no water at all then hydropower cannot be used, disrupting energy production and stressing energy systems," said Matthew McCartney, expert on sustainable water infrastructure with the International Water Management Institute, based in Sri Lanka.

Both Colombia and Ecuador are heavily reliant on hydropower

Jhojan Hilarion/AFP/Getty Images

Droughts — and sudden floods which can also damage dams — made more frequent and severe by climate change, are therefore an "increasing concern" for hydropower, he added.

Hydropower plants are built to respond to changes in the weather — storing water in the rainy season to use when it becomes dry, explains Luz Adriana Cuartas, a hydrologist at the Brazilian Center for Monitoring and Early Warning of Natural Disaster.

But Colombia and Ecuador have seen surging temperatures and low rainfall last year, says Cuartas. "And this is why regulation [of hydropower] is becoming more challenging." The problem in the region has been exacerbated by a simultaneous increased demand for energy and water as people turn on air conditioners and taps, she adds.

2023 saw historic drop in hydropower

Ecuador and Colombia are not isolated cases. While hydropower remains the world's largest renewable source of electricity and had been increasing by 70% over the last two decades, in the first half of 2023 its global output saw a historic drop, according to Ember, a UK based energy think tank.

Their findings say drought — likely exacerbated by climate change — drove an 8.5% drop in hydroelectricity around the world during this period.

China, the world's largest hydroelectricity generator, accounted for three quarters of the global decline. In 2022 and 2023 droughts led to Chinese rivers and reservoirs running dry, causing power shortages and forcing the country to ration electricity.

Just over a quarter of all hydropower dams are in regions that are projected to have medium to extreme risk for water scarcity in 2050, according to one 2022 study.

How to solve our big dam problem?  11:25

Over-reliance increases climate vulnerability

Countries with a high dependence on hydropower are particularly vulnerable to climate impacts, says Giacomo Falchetta, researcher at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis.

In Africa, where his research has focused, hydropower accounts for over 80% of electricity generation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Uganda and Zambia — many of which are also struggling with severe droughts.

"On top of that [high dependence], they have limited installed capacity for alternative power generation and limited transmission infrastructure to import power," said Falchetta.

The solution for these countries is to diversify their power sources by incorporating other renewable technologies — such as wind and solar — into their energy mix, said Falchetta. He highlighted Ghana and Kenya as two countries that are successfully moving from high reliance on hydropower towards a more "robust portfolio of technologies".

Innovations around placing floating solar panels on the water's surface in hydropower plants — as countries such China and Brazil are exploring — have significant potential, says McCartney. "In some cases, you only need to cover like 15-20% of the reservoir and you can generate as much electricity alone as you do from the hydropower."

Countries like Colombia, Ecuador and others with high hydropower reliance need to work towards an optimum mix of renewables, says Lei Xie, energy policy manager at the International Hydropower Association (IHA). "We say that water, wind and sun get the job done."

Many argue hydropower still has an important role in decarbonizing the economy

Image: The Office of Prime Minister, Tanzania

The road to net-zero

Despite the climate-risks associated with the technology, it is still considered by many to have a continued role in decarbonizing the global economy.

"I would say that hydropower is a technology that will definitely still be expanded because it allows to provide cheap power at large scale," said Falchetta.

Building more medium scale plants, rather than the mega dams of the past, would help mitigate the climate-risks associated with overdependence on one big piece of infrastructure, he explains.

While the International Energy Agency predicts hydropower will eventually be overtaken by wind and solar, they state it will remain the world's largest source of renewable electricity generation into the 2030s. Yet the agency anticipates a significant slowdown in industry growth this decade could jeopardize net-zero ambitions.

Hydropower capacity needs to double by 2050 if the world is to stay on track for limiting global temperature increases to 1.5C, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. The IHA estimates this would require a significant increase in investment — approximately $130bn annually from now to 2050.

Hydropower's stabilizing role

While climate change is going to increase the risks for hydropower, better management of water within a basin and how plants are integrated with other renewables can improve resilience to drought, says McCartney.

Hydropower is also needed to stabilize electricity generation, providing power when wind and solar can't, he adds. "Hydropower can act as a very large battery, because you can switch it on and off very quickly," said McCartney. Hydropower plants are usually also able to ramp electricity generation up and down more quickly than coal, nuclear or natural gas.

"Pumped-storage hydropower, which pumps water uphill when electricity is cheap and releases it downhill when electricity is expensive can also help," said McCartney. "These schemes consume relatively little water because it is recycled. They are not totally immune to drought but are more so than traditional hydropower schemes."

Edited by: Sarah Steffen

Mini hydropower plants transform rural communities in Kenya  05:39

Sources:

Hydroelectricity, International Energy Agency: 

https://www.iea.org/energy-system/renewables/hydroelectricity

Insights from 2023, Ember: 

https://ember-climate.org/insights/research/global-electricity-mid-year-insights-2023/

Report on projected biodiversity and climate risks for hydropower:

 https://ember-climate.org/insights/research/global-electricity-mid-year-insights-2023/