ACLU sues Medford, Ore.; accuses police of 'spying' on activists

Aug. 21, 2024 

The American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon has sued the city of Medford, claiming the police department "illegally collected information on individuals and groups engaged in racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive justice, housing justice, harm reduction, decriminalization, government transparency and environmental advocacy, when no crime had been committed." Photo courtesy of medfordoregon.gov

Aug. 21 (UPI) -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon has sued the city of Medford, accusing the Police Department of "illegally spying" on "progressive political activists."

The ACLU filed the lawsuit Tuesday. It claims the department "illegally collected information on individuals and groups engaged in racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive justice, housing justice, harm reduction, decriminalization, government transparency and environmental advocacy, when no crime had been committed."

"Police surveillance of protected political activities is not only unlawful; it is incompatible with life in a free society," the lawsuit states.

The complaint, filed on behalf of Rogue Valley Pepper Shakers, Stabbin Wagon and Melissa Jones, claims police collected intelligence from social media accounts on progressive groups and events, including a Juneteenth drive-in movie at the YMCA and in 2022 before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and federal abortion rights.

"The Medford police are monitoring people like me because of what we care about, not for anything related to crime," said Toren McKnight, co-founder of the Rogue Valley Pepper Shakers.

"Other activists, advocates and organizations who support Black, brown and queer lives see abortion as a healthcare right, care for the unhoused, the environment and practice harm reduction, could be subject to this illegal invasion of privacy, too."

Oregon state law bans police from "collecting or maintaining information about the political, religious, or social views and associations or activities of people who are not reasonably suspected of criminal activity."

The ACLU of Oregon noted in a statement that "This law is an important protection against police abuses, yet the MPD has publicly declared that they intend to continue their monitoring practices -- leaving Oregonians engaged in protected First Amendment activities wrongly subject to surveillance."

Medford responded to the lawsuit, telling The Hill that police reviews of social media are meant to "address legitimate public safety concerns" about traffic, protests and to prepare for public rallies, "not to analyze or judge individuals' political, religious or social views."

Germany's Left Party on the brink of oblivion

Ben Knight

DW

August 20, 2024

Germany's Left Party, a key socialist force in the country's politics, is fighting for survival as it undergoes another leadership change. The party's future remains uncertain amid declining influence.

Germany's socialist Left Party is set to make yet another attempt to reset itself in the autumn after its two co-leaders Janine Wissler and Martin Schirdewan announced they would not be running for re-election at a party conference in October.

Wissler and Schirdewan, who have been in office since 2021 and 2022 respectively, admitted at the weekend that they had failed to revive the party's fortunes after a devastating party split last year, when 10 MPs and over one hundred state parliament representatives left the party to join a splinter group led by the Left's most famous figure, Sahra Wagenknecht.

Despite being only eight months old, the 'Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance' (Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht — BSW) is currently polling at around 9% nationally, while the Left Party is at 3%.

Schirdewan acknowledged the party leadership's failure to gain enough public attention on core issues — the cost of living, energy prices, and peace. "As the Left Party, we have not managed to pressure the government enough … I have to say that, very self-critically," he told the public broadcaster ARD on Sunday. "We have spent too long turning in on ourselves as a party, and that has to do with the fact that there were public arguments — we had a split not too long ago, and of course that has left its mark, especially in the public perception."

January 2024, Sahra Wagenknecht (m) led 10 MPs to join her new party

Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Facing destruction

The party itself has now admitted that it essentially has a year to save itself before the next national election in the autumn of 2025. "The Left Party is without doubt in a dangerous situation that threatens its very existence," the party leadership said in its leading motion for the upcoming party conference. "Many of those who have placed their trust in us for a long time and voted for us have the impression: You're preoccupied with yourselves and aren't there for us. We accept this criticism."

But Constantin Wurthmann, a political scientist at the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, thinks the party will have to do more than simply change its leadership: It will need to find ways to appeal to its core working-class voters once again.

"The Left Party itself hasn't yet really made clear where it sees its place in the current party landscape," he told DW. "Recently it has tried to overtake the Greens on ecological issues, but has successively neglected a significant part of its core voters, who don't just live in urban centers."

Should the Left Party fail to get representation in parliament in next year's national election, it would effectively become little more than a regional party with a few strongholds in eastern Germany. But even there its support is dwindling fast: In the states of Thuringia, Saxony, and Brandenburg, which will all elect new parliaments in the coming weeks, the Left Party is currently polling at roughly half of its vote share in the 2019 state elections.

That is particularly humiliating, given that the party originally grew out of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) that governed East Germany and still commanded much loyalty among the population even after the fall of the communist regime's one-party system. Only in Thuringia is there still substantial Left Party support, thanks mainly to the personal popularity of their State Premier Bodo Ramelow.

Thuringia's State Premier Bodo Ramelow is one of the Left Party's most popular and successful politicians

Staatskanzlei Thüringen/dpa/picture alliance

National demise

At the national level, the party's declining support goes back much further than the Wagenknecht splintering of 2023. At the 2021 Bundestag election, the party lost nearly half its vote share and took only 4.9% of the vote, only scraping into parliament by virtue of its three directly won seats. When 10 of its MPs left to form the BSW last year, the Left Party "faction" was downgraded to a "group," meaning it lost some parliamentary rights, such as committee participation and longer speaking times during debates.

The main point of difference with the new BSW remains migration — Wagenknecht's party wants more deportations of failed asylum-seekers, more border controls, and more restrictions on immigration. That is diametrically opposite to the Left Party's position, which pointedly chose ecologist and activist Carola Rackete, who once captained migrant rescue ships in the Mediterranean, as its main candidate for the 2024 European Parliament election in June. Though Rackete was elected to the European Parliament, the party took only 2.7% of the German vote — by far its worst-ever European election result.

Ecologist and activist Carola Rackete (l) became the Left Party's main candidate for the 2024 European Parliament election

 Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/dpa/picture alliance

On other issues, the Left Party remains fairly close to the BSW: Like Wagenknecht's party, the Left has called for more diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine, "instead of fueling escalation and a war of attrition," as Schirdewan put it last year — though it has always taken care to precede those criticisms with condemnation of Vladimir Putin and the Russian invasion.

Struggling to get noticed

Wagenknecht's departure left the Left with a more immediate problem than subtle arguments about policy positions — getting noticed. Wagenknecht was by far the party's most prominent figure; she is a fixture on German TV talk shows who knows how to formulate a rambunctious anti-establishment soundbite. Though she caused the party plenty of internal strife in the last few years of her Left Party membership, she consistently got the party a hearing in the media.

Without her, the party has struggled. Wissler was considered a good, media-savvy speaker, but she has failed to fill Wagenknecht's shoes. Her hopes of providing a new start for the party were hampered earlier this year when she was implicated in a scandal: Allegations of sexual misconduct were made against her former partner in the Hesse branch of the party during the time that she led it. She strenuously denied any accusation that she may have tried to protect him.

Now the Left Party faces a battle to save itself and has until October to find leaders who can find provide a new start. There is some hope: Even with its popularity tanking, the Left Party remains comparatively large, with over 50,000 members (around the same number as the far-right Alternative for Germany, AfD).

And in some ways, the Left Party simply faces the same problem as all the other major parties in Germany. As Wurthmann put it: "We have also seen that even the CDU hasn't managed to profit from the poor poll ratings of the coalition government, while the BSW and the AfD have done so," he said. "Clearly they haven't found the right answers yet."

Edited by Rina Goldenberg

Thailand visa scheme opens door to digital nomads

Tommy Walker in Bangkok

DW

TODAY

Thai officials recently launched a visa program that allows foreign remote workers to stay in the country legally for longer, and hopefully contribute more to economic growth.

Thailand has long been a popular destination for digital nomads

 Grant Squibb/Image Source/picture alliance

Thailand started a new visa scheme last month that allows people who would usually come in as tourists to stay and work in the country.

Launched on July 15, the Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) is aimed at luring remote workers, freelancers and so-called digital nomads to live, work and travel in the country for up to 180 days per entry. The document is valid for 5 years.

Naruchai Ninnad, deputy director-general of Thailand's consular affairs, told DW around 1,200 DTV visas have already been officially approved from 47 embassies and consulates.

He added that there are still more than 40 embassies and consulates that haven't provided the number of DTV visas yet because their applicants are not recorded via the e-Visa system.

How does the visa application work?

To apply for the DTV visa as a remote worker, freelancer or digital nomad, an applicant must be at least 20 years old and be from one of the 93 eligible countries.

Required documents include passport or travel document, the applicant's current location, evidence of financial stability, a proof of salary slip in the last 6 months, a foreign employment contract, employers business licence and a professional portfolio.

Applicants can also obtain the visa if they join Thailand's "soft power" activities including Muay Thai boxing, cooking and short-term education courses.

Applicants must show proof of funding and a foreign employment contract

: Grant Squibb/Image Source/picture alliance

The fee for the DTV visa is 10,000 Thai baht ($291, €260). Applicants must be able to show proof of funds equating to approximately 500,000 baht ($14,500).
Thailand a popular destination for remote work

Thailand has long been a desirable destination for long-stay tourists, but the country has had a problem with visitors not having a legal visa or work permit.

In recent years, more tourists have illegally worked remotely in the country, having to do visa-runs or visa extensions so they can continue their temporary stay.

With the announcement of DTV, some applicants have expressed concern about their history of overstaying their visas, as some consulate websites say this could affects their eligibility for the digital nomads program.

Inside Thailand, some critics say the visas are too easy to obtain and could attract too many foreign workers, which may in turn lead to rising rent prices and "overtourism."

Ninnad from Thailand's consular affairs insists that obtaining the new visa is similar to existing procedures.

"It's not easy, the visa requirements are there. The embassies and consulates are strict in their approvals. We have no target for DTV holders. It's just like other visas," he said.

Thailand: Managing Maya Bay's tourists and sharks  02:21

Working from paradise

Thailand's implementation of the DTV comes with the rise of digital nomadism worldwide that has been driven by technology allowing for remote work.

Five years ago, no country had a digital nomad visa scheme, until Estonia became the first country to do so in 2020. The COVID pandemic ushered in an increase in professionals switching to remote work on a permanent basis.

Gary Bowerman, a tourism analyst based in Kuala Lumpur, says Thailand's DTV visa is aimed at improving Thailand's economy.

"These measures are designed to attract more visitors who will stay longer, travel more widely and spend more in different locations," he told DW.

Thailand also recently relaxed visa requirements for visitors from the 93 countries, including Germany, to enter the country for 60 days. Previously, nationals of dozens of countries were given a 30-day stay, and some had to apply for a visa prior to arrival.

"It's more about diversifying the nation's appeal and making Thailand more accessible to longer stay, high-yield visitors, while maintaining an appeal for the broader mass market," Bowerman added.

Keeping up with Thailand's neighbors

Thailand is currently in an economic slump, and its officials are hoping to boost tourism with more overseas arrivals.

Tourism accounted for 11.5% of the country's overall GDP in 2019 with a record-breaking 39 million visitors.

Thailand has already seen 21 million visitors arrive in the country in 2024 and forecasts a total of 36 million arrivals by year's end.

"[The DTV visa] will extend tourists length of stay in Thailand and of course it will affect more spending for tourists that join activities," Nithee Seeprae, deputy governor of marketing communications at Thailand's tourism bureau, told DW.

Thailand is under pressure to remain competitive with its neighbors as other countries in East and Southeast Asia have recently launched their own digital nomad schemes. This includes Indonesia, Malaysia and Japan, with the Philippines also looking at announcing a similar visa program.

WWIII

How South China Sea tensions threaten global trade

Nik Martin

DW

TODAY

Maritime trade faces growing threats, including ongoing Houthi attacks in the Red Sea. Now, rising tensions in the South China Sea are adding to global security concerns over this crucial trade route.

High-seas confrontations are common in the South China Sea, where 30% of world trade is transported

Aaron Favila/AP/picture alliance

The post-COVID era has been punishing for global trade. Lockdowns and factory closures sparked supply chain delays worldwide and helped fuel decades-high inflation.

The Suez Canal was closed for a week in 2021 after a container ship got stuck. Attacks on shipping by Yemen-based Houthis and Iran over the past 10 months have forced a rerouting of container vessels from the Red Sea via Africa

And now China's military standoffs in the South China Sea could also impact the smooth flow of trade.

How important is the South China Sea for world trade?

Making up part of the western Pacific Ocean, the South China Sea sits between southern China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia and Malaysia.

About a third of global maritime trade passes through the 3.5 million square kilometer (1.4 million square mile) seaway annually, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

Around 40% of petroleum products traded globally are delivered via the sea every year.

In 2016, an estimated $3.6 trillion (€3.29 trillion) worth of goods and commodities traveled the seaway, according to the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Another estimate put the figure as high as $5.3 trillion.

Researchers at Duke University in North Carolina calculated that total trade through both the South China Sea and the East China Sea — which lies between China, the two Koreas and Japan — is worth $7.4 trillion per year.

Tens of thousands of cargo vessels move through the South China Sea every year, carrying around 40% of China's, a third of India's and 20% of Japan's trade with the rest of the world, according to CSIS data.

Out of all of Asia, the three countries' economic security is most closely tied to the smooth running of the waterway. The South China Sea is a vital crossroads for both intra-Asian trade as well as for commerce with the rest of the world, especially Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

What makes the South China Sea such a controversial issue?

Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea as its own, angering its neighbors who say China's territorial ambitions cut into their exclusive economic zones. China ignored a 2016 ruling by an international arbitration court in The Hague, Netherlands, that Beijing has no legal or historical basis for its expansive claims under international law.

The Chinese military has staged increasingly aggressive actions in the seaway recently, including clashes with Filipino ships, fueling fears of a full-scale conflict. The United States has repeatedly warned that it is obligated to defend the Philippines if the Filipino military were to be attacked, including in the South China Sea.

Germany, Philippines agree on military cooperation  01:20

Vietnam filed a claim last month with the United Nations for an extended continental shelf beyond the current 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) in the seaway. The Philippines made a similar move in June.

China also regards Taiwan, which split with the mainland at the end of a civil war 75 years ago, as a renegade province with which it must eventually be reunified. Concerns that Beijing may use military force to bring the democratic island under its control have further raised tensions in the South China Sea.

Why is the South China Sea contested?

The South China Sea is estimated to hold about 5.38 trillion cubic meters (190 trillion cubic feet) of proven and probable natural gas and 11 billion barrels of oil reserves, according to the US Energy Information Administration.

The disputed waters also contain large deposits of rare-earth minerals crucial to China’s technological ambitions, including electric vehicle batteries and advanced electronics.

Some estimates suggest the Pacific Ocean contains a thousand times more rare-earth minerals than the currently known land reserves, more than half of which are controlled by China and are needed for the transition to cleaner energy.

The Iran-backed Houthis have attacked dozens of ships in the Red Sea off Yemen

 Khaled Ziad/AFP/Getty Images

Could the China and Middle East tensions converge?

Since late last year, global trade has been hurt by attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the Red Sea off Yemen. The Houthis ordered drone and missile strikes on commercial shipping in response to Israel's offensive against Hamas militants in Gaza.

The big shipping firms have diverted their vessels from the Red Sea route, which includes the Suez Canal. Instead, cargo ships traverse the Cape of Good Hope in southern Africa, adding around 10 days to the average journey from Asia to Europe. The move has spiked shipping costs due to higher insurance and diesel prices, which caused delays at container ports in Europe and Asia.

As the Israel-Hamas war threatens to spill over into the wider Middle East region, with Iran reported to be planning a direct attack on Israel any day, there are fears that Tehran could close another major chokepoint for trade, the Strait of Hormuz. The narrow waterway sits at the mouth of the Persian/Arabian Gulf and handles almost a third of the world's oil trade.

Iran has regularly targeted commercial vessels in the strait in recent years, and the West would consider any further attacks a major escalation. If shipping firms choose to avoid Hormuz, maritime trade could face additional delays and even higher costs.

If tensions between China and its neighbors deteriorate further, it could open a third front in the global shipping crisis. Maritime firms may look to avoid sections of the South China Sea. Subsequent hold-ups and price hikes could cause shortages of goods and commodities and cut vital revenue to key Asian ports, including those in Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan.

China conducted military drills around Taiwan after vowing to retake the island by force, if necessary

 Chinese People's Liberation Army/Anadolu/picture alliance

Where is the biggest chokepoint in the South China Sea?

While the main current tensions are between China, the Philippines and Taiwan, the real threat to trade in the South China Sea could come in the Malacca Strait, which lies further south between Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.

Last year, 23.7 million barrels of oil and petroleum products were moved through the strait per day, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). The figure was 13% higher than through the Strait of Hormuz.

The Malacca Strait is just 64 kilometers wide at its narrowest point and is already vulnerable to congestion and collisions. Over the years, the waterway has seen many incidents of robbery and piracy.

Some geopolitical and military experts have predicted that if China were to invade Taiwan, for example, the US and its allies could blockade the Malacca Strait, limiting Chinese access to oil as well as exports from Asia's largest economy.

Edited by: Uwe Hessler

Uganda ponders lessons from deadly garbage landslide

Simone Schlindwein in Kampala, 

DW

A disaster at the Kiteezi landfill in Kampala unfolded following heavy rains that triggered a massive garbage landslide. The tragedy has highlighted the urgent need for better waste management solutions in Uganda.

The Kiteezi landfill is considered by some in Kampala to pose a major health risk for residents

Hajarah Nalwadda/Xinhua/IMAGO

At least 35 people are now known to have died in a massive garbage landslide following torrential rains that battered parts of Uganda, triggering extensive flooding and damage earlier this month.

The incident happened after a large chunk broke off a mountain of waste at the Kiteezi landfill on the outskirts of the Ugandan capital, Kampala. The massive pile of garbage slid down a slope into a residential area, burying several homes.

Kampala mayor Erias Lukwago, who had warned about the risks of overflowing waste from the site, described the landslide as a "national disaster."

Proscovia Nabafu wants the government to speed up finanancial support for stranded familiesImage: Simone Schlindwein/DW

Following the landslide, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni demanded to know who allowed people to live near such a "potentially hazardous and dangerous heap."

Museveni ordered payments to the victims' families of 5 million Ugandan shillings ($1,300; €1,169) for each fatality and 1 million shillings for each injured person.

Eight months ago, Lukwago, who is also ceremonial head of the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), described the situation at the landfill as a "national crisis."

Following the incident, however, many local residents said that they had long complained to authorities that the Kiteezi landfill was a danger and caused local pollution , but they had done little to help.

Proscovia Nabafu, a 44-year-old mother of four, was forced to pack up her and her children’s belongings and leave their home for safety. They have been staying with relatives, and authorities have put yellow cordon tape around the home they fled.

"All the people who live within the cordon have to clear their houses because it's dangerous," she said, adding that although the Ugandan government promised to compensate them, they desperately need a place to call home.

"They have ordered us to leave, and, as you can see, they prefer the garbage to their own people. They are not fair," Nabafu lamented.

Uganda's 'inefficient' waste management system

Around 2,500 tons of waste are produced daily in Kampala, of which about 1,200 tons are collected by garbage trucks. The rest is either incinerated or ends up in the city's drainage systems.

Uganda's lack of waste separation means that everything from banana peels to electronic waste ends up in the Kiteezi landfill, which has for decades served as Kampala's only waste dump.

The Kiteezi 36-acre (14-hectare) dump was created in 1996 as a hole between three hills, according to local media. Trucks would drive up one of the hills to dump waste, which would then end up sliding down the slope.

Uganda's shadow foreign affairs minister, Nkunyingi Muwada, the area's representative in parliament, criticized the government after the landslide incident.

"Instead of resettling people, the landfill needs effective management," he told news agency AFP. "It must be designed so that it does not endanger people."

He wants the government to launch a thorough investigation into the causes of this disaster. The lawmaker belongs to the National Unity Party (NUP), the opposition group of musician-turned-politician Bobi Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi.

Uganda: Death toll rises after landslide at rubbish dump  01:51

No mattresses and not enough to eat

After the tragedy, the Red Cross erected white tents in the nearby Kiteezi elementary school courtyard, where around 120 people, most of them children, took shelter.

"We have launched appeals for donations," said John Cliff Wamala from the Red Cross in Uganda. "There is a shortage of mattresses, hygiene products for women and diapers for children."

While salvage work continues, the garbage dump has been officially closed, and trucks are no longer allowed to dump waste there.

Authorities have redirected garbage trucks to a landfill 30 kilometers (around 19 miles) away in Entebbe. However, this dump is near Lake Victoria, prompting environmentalists and the Wildlife Protection Authority to warn that garbage water could contaminate the lake .

They have called for an urgent long-term solution.

This article was originally published in German and has been adapted for English by Isaac Mugabi.

WOMAN, LIFE, FREEDOM!

Iran's political prisoners refuse to be silenced

Shabnam von Hein

DW

August 21, 2024

Iran's female political prisoners are holding weekly protests against the death penalty, drawing a harsh crackdown from authorities. Their persistent activism continues despite increasing repression.

Jailed Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi has been denied proper medical care

Incarcerated Iranian human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi was brutally beaten by guards at Tehran's notorious Evin prison, according to Mohammadi's family and lawyer. Mohammadi and other female inmates had reportedly been staging a protest against the death penalty on Tuesday, August 6, when prison authorities violently dispersed the demonstration.

"All prisoners have the right to freedom of expression and peaceful protest, they must not be brutally beaten for this," Mohammadi's husband Taghi Rahmani, who confirmed the incident had occurred, told DW.

Several prisoners reportedly lost consciousness during the attack. Although some injured women were bandaged after being examined by the prison doctor, they were denied adequate medical care.

Mai Sato, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, has expressed concern about Mohammadi and her fellow inmates. Sato told DW she and other UN human rights experts have called for Mohammadi's immediate release. Sato also demands that Mohammadi and the other women receive proper medical care and has said she will continue to monitor the case. Iranian prison authorities, meanwhile, deny that prison guards physically abused female inmates.

Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi wins Nobel Peace Prize   02:38

No contact with her family

Mohammadi was handed a ten-year jail sentence for peacefully campaigning for human rights, including the abolition of the death penalty in Iran. The activist has a health condition, suffering from constricted heart vessels. This health problem is recorded in her medical records, says Mohammadi's husband, who lives in exile in Paris with their 18-year-old children Kiana and Ali Rahmani.

The twins left Iran in 2015 and have not seen their mother since. They have not heard their mother's voice in nine months, as Iranian prison authorities deny Mohammadi the right to make phone calls.

Fighting 'for the enlightenment of society'

"Narges and other courageous political prisoners in Iran are campaigning for the enlightenment of society," the honorary president of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Abdolkarim Lahiji, told DW. "They are a thorn in the side of the security apparatus; authorities are trying to break them," the head of the organization, which was founded in 1922, said.

Paris-based laywer Lahiji has spent more than five decades campaigning for human rights in Iran.

"Political prisoners and human rights activists in Iran need our solidarity," Lahiji told DW. "We call on independent organizations to investigate the incidents in Iranian prisons and hold those responsible to account."

70 women incarcerated at notorious prison

Lahiji and 42 other human rights activists and organizations published an open letter expressing solidarity with female political prisoners in Iran in several European newspapers, including French daily Liberation and German daily Tagesspiegel on Monday, August 19. It calls for an end to the repression and an international investigation.

Around 70 women of different faiths and generations are currently incarcerated as political prisoners in Tehran's Evin prison.

"These women have been arrested and unjustly imprisoned for standing up for freedom and human rights in Iran," the letter states.
Weekly protests against the death penalty

Female inmates have been protesting against Iran's death penalty every Tuesday for several months now. Last year, 853 people were executed in Iran, according to human rights organization Amnesty International — the highest number since 2015. Capital punishments have continued this year, with at least 274 executions carried out in the first half of 2024, according to human rights organizations.

What's behind Iran's 'woman, life, freedom' protests?  15:47

One of the last known executions took place on August 6, the very day the women's protest was protest brutally suppressed at Evin prison. They had protested the execution of Reza Rasaei, a member of Iran's Kurdish minority, who was killed at Dizel Abad prison in Kermanshah province.

Rasaei was executed without warning

The 34-year-old had been arrested amid Iran's nationwide "Woman, Life, Freedom" protests. They had been triggered by the death of Jina Mahsa Amini on September 16, 2022. The young woman died in police custody after being arrested and beaten for not following Iran's mandatory hijab law.

Rasaei and ten other protesters were accused of involvement in the killing of a member of the Iranian security forces, an allegation Rasaei had consistently denied. Neither Rasaei, nor his family and legal counsel were informed of his looming execution, says Amnesty International.

This article was originally published in German.

FEMICIDE

India: Kolkata rape  & MURDER reawakens rage over threats to women

Midhat Fatimah in New Delhi

August 23, 2024

For many Indians, the rape of a female doctor in Kolkata has triggered memories of the "Nirbhaya" rape and murder that shocked India in 2012. Some women are asking if anything has changed since then.

The Kolkata rape and murder of a young doctor has prompted comparisons with a similar crime nearly 12 years ago

 Satyajit Shaw/DW

People across India have been protesting for weeks over the rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor, which has once again drawn focus to threats that women face in the world's most populous country.

The young doctor was killed while on duty at a Kolkata hospital earlier this month. Medical workers were first to stage protests, but other people soon started joining the marches as anger spread across the nation.

"I am outraged because I feel women in this country are not treated as human beings and that no one wants to understand what women face every day," said Meghna Bhatia (name changed), who works as a consultant at an multinational corporation in Bangalore.

Indian doctors stage strike over murder of trainee  02:25

The suspected attacker had worked as a civic volunteer with the local police. He has been arrested and is currently in jail.

India's Supreme Court has already taken notice of the case. The three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud, this week ordered the creation of a national task force to ensure the safety of doctors in the country.

It also directed the Health Ministry to set up an online portal so that stakeholders can submit their suggestions to the task force.

The judges warned that "the nation cannot wait for another rape and murder in order to bring in safety laws for medical professionals and doctors."
A moment of deja vu

The Kolkata case has reminded many of Jyoti Singh, now widely known as "Nirbhaya" (meaning: fearless) a physiotherapy student who was gang-raped and brutally beaten in a moving bus in India's capital city, New Delhi, in late 2012.

The 23-year-old lived long enough to identify her attackers but later died from her injuries.

Out of the six perpetrators, four were hanged, one was found dead in his cell, and the final one, who was a minor when the attack took place, was freed after spending three years in a reform home.

Death sentences in Delhi gang-rape case  01:45

The Nirbhaya case shook India to the core. Thousands of people from all walks of life gathered in Delhi demanding justice for Singh.

The prolonged protests, some of the biggest in India's history, were monumental in steering the discourse on sexual violence and women's safety in the country.

This year will mark the 12th anniversary of the Nirbhaya case. But many Indians see the recent rape and murder of the doctor in Kolkata as a harsh reminder that very little has changed since the Nirbhaya movement.

What did Nirbhaya movement achieve?

The New Delhi rape and murder pushed Indian officials to create a committee tasked with amending the laws concerning rape and sexual violence. The body came to be known as the Verma Committee, as it was headed by former Chief Justice J.S. Verma.

Under its recommendation, the definition of rape was expanded and stiffer sentences for rape were introduced. It also criminalized other offences like voyeurism, acid attacks and stalking.

Among other things, the amended laws mandated quicker trials in cases of rape.

The Verma Committee also recommended that police should be trained appropriately to deal with sexual offenses.

"Right from childhood years, children ought to be sensitized to respect women," a Supreme Court judge said in 2017, adding that gender equality "should be made a part of the school curriculum."

In 2013, the Indian government also created the Nirbhaya Fund, which can be used for providing infrastructure to ensure women's safety in public spaces, setting up helplines, and providing survivors of sexual violence with medical and legal aid. However, the fund remains underutilized.

Stricter sentencing backfires

Under current laws, repeat rapists and rapists who target girls under 12 face the death penalty in India.

Yet despite harsher sentences, recent years have also seen a rise in crimes against women, with government records showing a staggering 19% increase between 2020 and 2022.

Every high-profile case since 2012 has seen parts of the public call for the death penalty against the perpetrators, with the assumption that strict punishments will serve as a deterrent.

But some activists warn that harsh punishments don't always work as intended. Women's rights activist Kavita Krishnan told DW that legal changes have actually "led to low conviction rates."

"The amended law of enhanced sentences has backfired," she said.

The conviction rate for violence against women stands at just 27%, according to official data.

The evidence often falls short of the judiciary's standard, and this, combined with severe punishments prescribed by the law, has made judges hesitant to convict, Krishnan said.
Death penalty as a distraction

Some legal experts also argue that insisting on the death penalty for rapists can serve as a smoke screen for deeper problems in India's society.

"The only purpose death penalty serves is that it distracts the public from seeking answers and accountability from the state," Vrinda Grover, a senior Supreme Court lawyer said.

India: Rape and its punishment  01:52

Grover warns that "law by itself will not stop the crime," and notes that the police should be trained to investigate such crimes professionally while prosecutors should make sure to shed their bias and prejudice against women.
Is impunity culture making a comeback?

In the days following the Kolkata incident, reports of high-profile rape convicts like Asaram Bapu and Gurmeet Ram Raheem, both of whom are self-styled godmen, getting parole were also making the rounds on social media.

Last year, India saw protests by women wrestlers alleging sexual harassment by the chief of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Olympic medalist Sakshi Malik quit the sport and returned her medals after Singh's close aide was elected as the new chief of WFI.

In the western state of Gujarat, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party is in power, an early release was granted to 11 rape convicts who participated in the gang rape of Bilkis Bano during the 2002 communal riots in the state. The convicts were garlanded by members of right-wing groups upon their release, but the Supreme Court eventually ordered them to resume serving their life sentences.

"The political response to incidents of violence against women has got worse," Krishnan said.

"Back in 2012, the government at least felt pressured to take action. Now, government indifference has sort of become a norm," she added.

"There is a sense of political impunity that has set in."

Edited by: Darko Janjevic

Australia approves hub to export solar power to Singapore

Australia has given the go ahead for a massive solar and battery farm that would export energy to Singapore. The plan has been described as the "largest solar precinct in the world," by Canberra's environment minister.

Australia is hoping that energy production at the solar hub will begin in 2030

 Australian Renewable Energy Agency/Handout/epa/dpa/picture alliance

Australia on Wednesday gave the green light to a A$20 billion ($13.5 billion, €12.138 billion) solar project that plans to deliver energy from a giant solar farm in the country's north to Singapore through a 4,300 kilometer (2,672 miles) undersea cable.

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said the "largest solar precinct in the world" would generate enough energy to power three million homes. She added it would include panels, batteries and eventually a cable linking Australia with Singapore, making her county "the world leader in green energy."
Based in Northern Territory

The 12,000-hectare (29,650 acre) operation known as SunCable is in Australia's sun-soaked Northern Territory.

The project is supported by tech billionaire and environmental activist Mike Cannon-Brookes and is set to provide four gigawatts of energy per hour for domestic use, with two more gigawatts sent offshore to Singapore.

Driven by the sun – the World Solar Challenge  05:28

"SunCable will now focus its efforts on the next stage of planning to advance the project towards a final investment decision targeted by 2027," SunCable Australia Managing Director Cameron Garnsworthy said in a statement, though it did not detail its financing plans.

In 2022, renewables made up 32% of Australia's total electricity generation while coal's at 47%, according to the latest government data.

Telegram founder Pavel Durov arrested in France

Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov was arrested on a warrant for offenses related to his popular messaging app.

Pavel Durov was arrested at Le Bourget airport north of Paris

STEVE JENNINGS/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP

French police arrested Pavel Durov, the billionaire founder and CEO of the messaging app Telegram, at Le Bourget airport near Paris on Saturday.

Durov was arrested on a warrant for offenses related to the popular messaging app, the AFP news agency reported, citing unnamed officials.

According to French broadcaster TF1, Durov was traveling aboard his private jet from Azerbaijan and was arrested around 8 p.m. local time (1800 GMT).

He is due to appear in court on Sunday.

Why is Durov being investigated?

Durov is suspected of failing to take measures to curb the use of his platform for criminal purposes.

France's OFMIN, an agency tasked with preventing violence against minors, had issued an arrest warrant for Durov as part of a preliminary investigation into alleged offenses including fraud, drug trafficking, cyberbullying, organized crime and the promotion of terrorism, one of the sources close to the case said.

"Enough of Telegram's impunity," said one of the investigators. He added that they were surprised that Durov came to Paris, knowing that he was a wanted man.

What is Telegram?

Telegram is one of the most important social media platforms in the world after Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok and Wechat. It currently has the aim of reaching one billion active users by next year.

The Russian-born Durov, 39, reportedly holds French citizenship. He founded Telegram in 2013 with his brother Nikolai.

Durov left Russia in 2014 after refusing to comply with government demands to shut down opposition communities on his social media platform, VK, which he subsequently sold.

After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Telegram became the main source of unfiltered, sometimes graphic and misleading content from both sides about the war and the politics surrounding the conflict.

Telegram – the alternative to WhatsApp  01:19

How is Russia reacting to Durov's arrest?

Following reports of Pavel Durov's arrest in France, the Russian Embassy in France is taking "immediate steps" to clarify the situation, Russian state news agency TASS reported.

"Do you think ... they will appeal to Paris and demand Durov's release, or will keep their lips sealed?" Russian Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Telegram.

The messaging app is one of the most important online networks in Russia. It is used by many authorities and politicians for communication.

dh/ab (AFP, dpa, Reuters)

STOP HUNTING PREDATORS

Sweden opens brown bear hunting season amid criticism

Sweden has opened this year's brown bear hunting season, with a total of 486 animals nationwide permitted to be killed this summer. But animal welfare activists warn populations are dwindling.



https://p.dw.com/p/4jk3t

There are estimated to be in the region of 2,400 brown bears in Sweden

 Mikael Fritzon/TT/picture alliance

Sweden's annual brown bear hunting season began on Wednesday, with the country's environmental protection agency saying a total of 486 animals could be shot this year.

But animal welfare groups are warning that the quotas are too high and say that this year's hunting would result in a 20% drop in the brown bear population.

"If you want the population to remain stable at around the 2,400 animals we estimate today, you can only shoot about 250 bears annually," said ecologist Jonas Kindberg from a Swedish-Norwegian bear preservation project.

He said that killing nearer 500 animals "can quickly have major consequences that can become critical for the bear population."
Strict hunting quotas set each season

Sweden has strict regional controls on hunting large predators like wolves and bears, with local areas setting quotas for the number of animals that can be killed each season. The stated aim of the hunt is to regulate population numbers, and prevent harm to domestic animals and reindeer.

These quotas are often met very quickly as hunting enthusiasts rush to participate.

Heavily forested Sweden is one of relatively few parts of Europe to retain a true wilderness hospitable to predators like bears and wolves

Image: Anders Wiklund/Scanpix/dpa/picture-alliance

The Svenska Jakt hunting journal reported on Wednesday that more than 70 bears had been killed in the opening hours of the season.

One region, Varmland to the west of Stockholm, had already called off its hunt by roughly lunchtime after the three bears it allocated had been killed, the same journal reported.

Seventy percent of Sweden is covered in forests, well above average for Europe, and the wintery country retains populations of wild predators like wolves, wolverines, brown bears and lynx.
Quotas falling, but so is the estimated bear population

Brown bear hunting season in Sweden lasts either until October 15, or until the 486 permitted animals have been shot.

Last year's quota was a record high, at 649 animals, while it was 622 in 2022 and 501 in 2021.

The figures are calculated based on estimates of Sweden's total bear population.

The country's environmental protection agency estimated this population to be around 2,800 at the conclusion of 2022's hunting season. Provisional figures for the autumn of 2023 point to a decline to around 2,450, however.

It's also legal in Sweden to kill bears in self-defense, with these very rare cases not counted towards hunting totals.

Activists in Sweden say the country should be able to tolerate a much larger bear population, and point to the more densely populated Hokkaido, Japan as an example

Mikael Fritzon/TT/picture alliance

Activists say the permitted culls a 'pure trophy hunt'

The carnivore protection group Sweden's Big Five said in a press release ahead of the season starting that "100 years of brown bear conservation progress is right now being undone at an alarming speed. Mainly because of the high hunting quotas permitted by the Swedish government."

Magnus Orrebant, a member of Sweden's Big Five, told the Associated Press that bear hunting in Sweden was "very much about pure trophy hunt," saying it had more to do with killing the animals than preserving them or controlling their numbers.

The group argues that allowing limited bear hunting is not compatible with the EU designating brown bears as a "strictly protected species" and that Sweden's bear population is, in fact, fairly small and could be larger.

It cites Japan's northern island of Hokkaido as an example, saying its brown bear population is around five times larger than Sweden's, in an area that's around five times smaller than Sweden and three times more densely populated.

No hunting in Norway, similar rules in Finland

Neighboring Norway bans the hunting of brown bears, while Finland has a similar system to Sweden's that is only open to hunters who obtain a special license. The Finnish brown bear hunting season opened on Tuesday.

Females with cubs and cubs younger than one year are protected in both Finland and Sweden, but activists warn this can be more difficult in practice than in theory.

"Bears take three to four years to mature, they only have a few cubs at a time and only every two to three years. During the hunt it is very difficult to tell females from males, and the females are much more valuable to the population," Jonas Kindberg said.