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Brazil: Illegal salvage from Nazi ships poses oil threat

Alice de Souza | Astrid Prange de Oliveira

DW

There are more than 500 WWII wrecks off the coast of Brazil, some containing valuable metals. Researchers warn that the hunt for these resources could cause massive oil spills.

The Esso Hamburg was scuttled in 1941 while carrying a large cargo of oilImage: www.aukevisser.nl via Sixtant-Website

Brazilian marine biologists have solved a mystery that has long perplexed researchers across the world: Where do the heavy chunks of rubber that have often been washed up on beaches in northeastern Brazil over the past several years come from?

According to research by the Institute of Marine Sciences (Labomar) at the Federal University of Ceara (UFC) and the Autonomous University of Barcelona, the rubber bales, weighing up to 200 kg (441 lb), come from the German cargo ship MS Weserland, among others. It sank on January 3, 1944, and lies at a depth of more than 5,000 meters (16,404 feet) in the South Atlantic.

Clumps of rubber like this have long been washing up on Brazilian beaches

Image: Labomar UFC

Resource for the war

During the First and Second World Wars, rubber was an important material for the manufacture of cars, planes and uniforms. During the Second World War, Germans traveled to Southeast Asia, including Singapore, Malaysia and what was then Indochina — now Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia — to procure bales of latex.

They also loaded cargoes of metals such as cobalt, zinc and the mixed mineral wolframite. Brazilian marine researchers have calculated that the cargo carried by the MS Weserland could be worth $17-68 million (€15-61 million), taking the zinc price of May 2021 as a basis.

"This ship had loaded wolframite, a substance that experienced a boom on the stock markets during the pandemic especially, because it is used to manufacture mobile telephones, tablets and computers," says Luis Ernesto Arruda Bezerra from the Institute of Marine Sciences at the UFC.

The wreck of the MS Weserland is believed to be the source of the rubber balesImage: Sixtant-Website

'Ticking timebombs'

A study that is soon to be published by the scientific journal Ocean and Coastal Research (OCR) and that DW has already seen proves that the loss of the rubber bales from the wreck has coincided with the rising price for the metal cargo. The journal is published by the Oceanographic Institute at the University of Sao Paulo.

According to the foreword of the study, this supports the hypothesis that unauthorized deep-sea salvage operations are taking place in international waters.

It is estimated that there are 3 million sunken and abandoned ships cross the world's oceans. Among them are 8,500 "potentially polluting wrecks," according to statistics from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Mass Allied submarine sinkings

Researchers at the Federal Universities of Alagoas (Ufal) and Ceara (UFC) have used mathematical simulations and the analysis of currents between Brazil and Africa to determine that the rubber was in two former German Nazi ships that were sunk during the Second World War in the South Atlantic.

The website Sixtant records information about ships that have been sunk in the South Atlantic. The UFC researchers used this information while looking for the provenance on the rubber bales. The website shows 25 German submarines and an Italian submarine that were sunk during the Second World War in a joint action by the US, Brazilian and British navies.

The website has listed altogether 548 ships that were sunk in the South Atlantic between 1939 and 1945. Fifty-six of them were German.

Sixtant has records of hundreds of shipwrecksImage: Sixtant-Website

There were also ships that transported more than 7,000 tons of heating oil and 1,200 tons of diesel oil, like the Esso Hamburg, which was scuttled in June 1941. According to the Sixtant website, at least four ships were transporting heating oil, and five rubber.

The first rubber bales, which were washed up in 2018 and 2019 in Brazil, came from the MS Rio Grande. This German ship was sunk by the US in 1944 as it tried to break through the sea blockade imposed by the US.
Lack of monitoring in international waters

The UFC researchers believe that the clumps of rubber are released from the ships for two reasons: because of the natural deterioration of the shipwrecks, and because pirates and illegal operations are hunting for raw materials.

They say that the monitoring of shipwrecks in international waters off the Brazilian coast is not enough to indentify potential polluters. This monitoring has been carried out up to now by the US.

The UFC intends to try to map the shipwrecks in an effort to classify the risks they pose to the Brazilian coast.

"But that is not a simple endeavor, as most of these ships are lying at a depth of more than 4,000 meters," says Marcelo Soares from the UFC's Institute of Marine Sciences.

The 2019 oil spill off Brazil is still not fully explainedImage: ANTONELLO VENERI/AFP via Getty Images

Environmental disaster as a 'side-effect'

"An operation dismantles a ship to extract the metal, and rubber and oil can be released as a side-effect, which reach the coast because they are driven by the currents. So the question is not whether the oil will spill, but when it will spill," says Arrruda Bezerra.

Between 2020 and July 2024, the Brazilian navy reported a monthly average of 14 oil leakages of various origins off the Brazilian coast, which amounts to 758 such incidents in all. This year so far, 87 cases involving 153,700 liters (40, 603 gallons) of spilled oil have been reported.

Arruda Bezerra fears that the leakage of oil from the wrecks could cause an environmental tragedy like the one in 2019. In that year, Brazil saw the biggest oil spill ever recorded in tropical waters, with around 5,000 tons of oil washed onto shore in altogether 11 states.

The cause remains uncertain.

This article was translated from German.

How Europe's far right is changing EU asylum policy

Ella Joyner in Brussels

DW

The EU has been hardening its migration policy for years, but the ascendant fortunes of the far right have member states skittish about their freshly agreed asylum reform package.

Far-right parties and governments are trying to exert influence on the EU's asylum policyImage: Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto/picture alliance

Less than six months ago, the European Union signed off a reform package designed to address glaring flaws in its common asylum system laid bare during the crisis years of 2015 and 2016, when the arrival of more than 1 million people overwhelmed ill-prepared national authorities.

The EU migration and asylum pact was the culmination of almost 10 years of fraught negotiations. It saw the 27 countries agree on measures to more evenly distribute the costs of taking in asylum seekers across the bloc, but also beef up external border protection to stop people reaching the EU in the first place.

Now, as far-right politicians exert ever more influence on the levers of powers in European capitals, both directly in government posts and indirectly in opposition, the deal looks more fragile than ever.

Netherlands plans ‘toughest migration policy ever'

In recent weeks, a string of countries that had previously been instrumental in getting the reform package, due to come into force in 2026, over the line have announced a hardening of their individual national asylum policies.

France's new right-wing government, tacitly dependent on the backing of the far-right National Rally, announced plans to tighten borders. Under pressure from recent electoral successes by the far-right Alternative for Germany party, the center-left coalition government in Berlin announced it would ramp up checks on EU internal borders to control migration.

From The Hague to Budapest, more and more EU capitals are governed wholly or in part by far right politiciansImage: Vivien Cher Benko/Handout Prime Minister Office Hungary/EPA

Last week, the Dutch minister in charge of asylum, Marjolein Faber of the far-right PVV, announced plans for the "toughest migration policy ever". But most controversially for the Netherlands' EU neighbors, Faber told the European Commission said she would seek an opt-out from the legally binding package.

Within days, Budapest announced similar ambitions, prompting short-lived fears of a domino effect.

EU rhetoric vs. reality

In the end, it quickly emerged that The Hague's demand would only come into play if and when the EU treaties were next renegotiated, something that is not on the cards any time soon.

Exemptions from EU law on certain policies are possible to obtain in theory (Denmark has one for migration policy), but getting one requires the agreement of the other states to be written into the EU's basic laws.

Critics of the EU migration pact say it undermines the right to seek asylumImage: Johanna Geron/REUTERS

As Alberto-Horst Neidhardt of the European Policy Center think tank explained, one should be careful to distinguish between rhetoric and the reality.

"We hear more and more political statements trying to send a message to the national electorate," Neidhardt said. "I would separate between the political declarations by governments in the past weeks, and the technical work on the pact, which is in full swing."

Camille Le Coz, an expert from the Migration Policy Institute think tank in Paris, agrees. "There's a gap between what you say and do." At the same time, "what you're saying publicly can have ramifications for the other countries." Greece, for example, was incensed by Germany's recent announcements about increased border checks, she pointed out.

Around the continent, governments are increasingly keen to be seen as being "tough" on migration. Many politicians fear being accused by the public of accepting EU laws that mean taking in more asylum seekers. The member states are closely watching each other, and accusations of free-riding or hypocrisy are quick to fly.

Slim chances for refugee relocations

In the next two years, each country will need to write the changes into national law. Under the new rules, asylum seekers and refugees are to be more thoroughly screened within seven days of arrival in the EU. They also allow certain applicants to be held at external borders and assessed in a fast-track procedure to allow for swifter deportation if unsuccessful.

But for far-right politicians like Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the most contentious part of the law is a mechanism that obliges all EU states to take in approved refugees from other member states to spread new arrivals more evenly. Under EU rules, asylum applications are generally supposed to be made in the country of arrival, a system few would assert is fair to southern border states like Italy and Greece.

Dutch asylum center Ter Apel is synomonous with the EU's dysfunctional asylum systemImage: Ramon van Flymen/ANP/picture alliance

If other member states refuse relocations, with thousands set to take place each year, they must pay a financial contribution of €600 million ($668 million) a year or offer logistical support instead.

The Netherlands, for example, is likely to opt for financial or logistical contributions rather than accepting relocations, migration expert Neidhardt said. This wouldn't be the same as an actual opt-out, which would take years to negotiate. "The Netherlands remains bound to the rules just agreed."

How close is EU asylum policy to collapsing, really?

The migration and asylum pact was a compromise that satisfied no one totally — be they anti-immigration hardliners like the Hungarian government, states on EU external borders like Greece or common end destination countries like Germany.

Perhaps least impressed were those advocating for the rights of asylum seekers and migrants, who pointed out the deal would not stop thousands of people dying while crossing the Mediterranean every year and would likely undermine the right to claim asylum.

In Neidhardt's opinion, despite what EU governments say in public, privately they know that the deal is "too big too fail."

"Should the pact fail, that would mean the end of the common European asylum system," he said. "And that's not in the interest of any of the member states, whether we're talking about Germany, the Netherlands — whatever."

What do Germany's new border checks mean for Europe?  02:04

In fact, the toughening of EU asylum policy predates the pact, or even recent gains in influence for the far right in capitals from Stockholm to Rome. For years, the EU has been spending more on border protection and channeling funds to common countries of origin to try and stop people seeking a new life in the EU in the first place.
The EU's long road to reform

For Camille Le Coz of the Migration Policy Institute, the pact thrashed out earlier years remains the best way for member states deal with many migration management issues. The European Commission's priority must now be ensuring member states have the necessary "political buy-in" to keep things advancing, she warned.

"The whole reason why we have this common European asylum system is connected with the Schengen area and freedom of movement," she recalled.

For Le Coz, it remains to be seen if this very "fragile" deal can hold. The first milestones are already looming. By the end of the year, all the member states are supposed to have finalized their implementation plans. "I think that's going to be very interesting to see."

Edited by: Andreas Illmer

Mpox in Africa: Vaccine efforts ramp up

Isaac Kaledzi

DW

September 27, 2024

An alarming surge in mpox cases has hit Africa, with more than 32,000 suspected infections recorded. The continent faces a critical challenge in mobilizing enough vaccine doses to curb the spread.

Mpox can spread through close contact. Usually mild, it is fatal in rare cases. It causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions on the body.Image: WHO/Aton Chile/IMAGO

Global efforts are continuing to fight the current mpox outbreak in Africa, where suspected cases have reached over 32,000 — with more than 28,000 of these in the Central Africa region, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

Officials from the organization told a news briefing on Thursday that the Central Africa region accounts for over 28,000 suspected mpox cases.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been at the mpox epicenter where the death toll from the outbreak has now reached at least 840 since the beginning of the year, Africa CDC officials said.

"We are clearly saying that there is an increase of cases across all affected regions in Africa," Africa CDC head Dr. Jean Kaseya said.

Mpox cases in Congo are particularly deadly due to being caused by the clade 1b variantImage: Moses Sawasawa/AP Photo/picture alliance

Vaccination challenges

Kaseya said many countries are recording suspected cases, but the lack of testing means makes it difficult to include those figures in the latest updates on cases.

More than $800 million (€718 million) has been pledged for mpox response, Africa CDC said.

But vaccination programs against the infectious disease in countries badly hit have been restricted due to a lack of access to doses of vaccines.

The Africa CDC said it has so far secured some 4.3 million doses of vaccines but added that it needs over 10 million to contain the outbreak.

Danish biotech firm Bavarian Nordic on Thursday announced it has signed an agreement with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) for 1 million doses of its mpox vaccine, Jynneos, for affected countries in Africa.

It said the doses would be made available for supply before the end of this year.


Germany will donate 100,000 doses of mpox vaccine to Congo and other African nations to help contain the outbreak.

Berlin will also lend financial support to this effort, providing funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) as well as supporting partners in Africa through the Gavi Vaccine Alliance.

Government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said Berlin's aim is "to support in solidarity the international efforts to contain mpox on the African continent."

US President Joe Biden announced that 1 million mpox vaccine doses were being donated to Africa to support the fight.

The United States is also making at least $500 million of funding available to African countries to support their response efforts.

"We must now move quickly to face mpox," Biden said.

Japan has also pledged 3 million vaccine shots, the largest number pledged so far.
Vaccine distribution to affected countries

"This week we are sending vaccines to some countries [including] Rwanda, South Africa, Burundi, CAR and Cameroon," Kaseya said.

Rwanda has already started the vaccination campaign targeted at people in high-risk areas. It was the first country in Africa to do so.

"We congratulate Rwanda for starting the campaign," Kaseya told reporters.

Congo is expected to start its vaccination campaign next month, health officials in the country said.

Mpox in Africa: Symptoms, stopping its spread and treatment  02:51

Meanwhile, infections are soaring among children, according to Congolese officials.

Dr. Thierry Turano, chief physician of the Nyiragongo health zone in Goma, one of the worst affected areas in eastern Congo, told DW that containing the spread of the disease has become even more difficult due to the impact of the ongoing conflict in the region.

"The area now has more than 400,000 displaced people, and from there, there is also a disengagement of some partners, unfortunately during this period of the epidemic," Turano said, adding that governmental intervention is needed to counter the spread of the mpox outbreak.

South Kivu begins vaccination drive

Meanwhile in Congo's South Kivu province, officials said the first phase of a 10-day vaccination campaign will begin on October 2.

Justin Bengehya, head of operations in the response to Monkey Pox in South Kivu told DW, vaccines are still inadequate.

"Out of the 34 health zones in the province, 32 are affected. But the vaccine order was made while there were only three health zones that were 'hotspots'."

Meanwhile several local organizations are raising awareness among the population about accepting the vaccines.

Daniel Birindwa, a member of Les Amis de la Nature (Friends of Nature) in France told DW that the mobilization of volunteers to educate people about mpox is vital for the success of the vaccination campaign.

"There is never a lack of resistance. But we are trying hard and persevering in raising awareness," said Birindwa, who added that cases of mpox have been detected among hairdressers.

Virologist explains why WHO sounded alarm over mpox virus  04:26

The city of Bukavu is the epicenter of the mpox outbreak in South Kivu. Health officials there say they are set to help make the vaccination a success.

"Why did it drag on? I can't tell you. But I know that we were preparing everything so that these vaccines could be deployed," Dr Joseph Matundanya, coordinating doctor of the Expanded Vaccination Program (EPI) in South Kivu, told DW.

Mpox is an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus. It can enter the body through broken skin and through the respiratory system.

People can become infected by coming into close contact with people who have the virus — through skin-to-skin contact during kissing, hugging, sex and massages.

The infection causes a pus-filled skin rash lasting up to four weeks, which can be very painful.

Edited by: Keith Walker

India: Fire erupts at Tata iPhone parts plant in Tamil Nadu

Production at the plant was reportedly halted temporarily due to the blaze. Indian media outlets said nobody was harmed in the fire and the incident is now being investigated.

Wesley Dockery

Tata Electronics is part of the Tata Group of companies,which is headquarted in MumbaiImage: Dinodia Photo/IMAGO


A massive fire broke out at the Tata Electronics Private Limited (TEPL) plant in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu on Saturday.
What do we know so far?

Indian media outlets and Reuters news agency reported that the plant in the village of Uddanapalli manufactures accessories for the Apple iPhone.

A TEPL spokesperson confirmed that was an "unfortunate incident of fire at our plant in Hosur, Tamil Nadu."

"Our emergency protocols ensured that all our employees are safe," the spokesperson said. "The cause of the fire is under investigation, and we will take necessary actions to safeguard the interests of our employees and other stakeholders."

India outlet Business Today, however, said that three employees at the site were experiencing respiratory issues and were brought to the hospital. The three individuals are now in stable condition.

Reuters reported, based on a source with knowledge of the fire, that the incident was "chemical-related." Production and operations were suspended at the facility due to the blaze.

Seven fire extinguishing vehicles reportedly put out the flames at the plant.

Why do fires happen at Indian factories?

Poor workplace safety protocols and building codes are sometimes reasons why fires occur at factories in India.

Last month, an explosion caused a fire at a pharmaceutical plant in southern India, leaving at least 18 people dead.

Fire safety expert Deepak Monga told Indian outlet c&en that the workers weren't wearing adequate safety equipment at the plant, disregarding the law. Monga said companies in charge of these plants often cut corners on the safety issue.

Edited by: Louis Oelofse

Macron and Trudeau rekindle diplomatic ‘bromance’ with Canada visit

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday arrived in Canada where he was greeted by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for a series of meetings mainly centred on French-language ties and the development of artificial intelligence. The two leaders, whose diplomatic “bromance” made world headlines when they met at a G7 summit in 2017, are both facing intense political pressure at home.


Issued on: 26/09/2024 - 

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (R) welcomes French President Emmanuel Macron to his official residence in Ottawa, Canada on September 25, 2024. © Ludovic Marin, AFP

French President Emmanuel Macron, fresh from his own political struggles back home, meets Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday in the wake of the Canadian leader's survival of a no-confidence vote.

Macron, who arrived late Wednesday from New York where he had spoken at the United Nations, was received by his host at the Rideau Cottage residence in Ottawa, the Canadian capital, for a working dinner.

Trudeau, who appeared without a tie and relaxed on the steps of his home, had just escaped censure in a motion filed by his main rival, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre.

The prime minister and his guest, who both embodied a new generation of young, optimistic leaders, are now experiencing similar political headwinds.

At the G7 summit in Italy, shortly after Macron's election in May 2017, their apparent chumminess -- dubbed a diplomatic "bromance" -- spurred many a headline.

But seven years later, Macron is in a weakened position, having lost legislative elections that he himself called, forcing him to share power with a right-wing prime minister.

The two beleaguered leaders decided to emphasize the strategic partnership between their two countries, focusing on their French-language ties and joint approaches to the development of artificial intelligence.

"Canada is an extremely close country, one of the closest outside the European Union," commented the French presidency ahead of the visit.
'Vive le Quebec'

Macron will discuss on Thursday morning the revival of the French language and culture in Canada, beyond Quebec, with stakeholders in this field, a week before a Francophonie Summit in France. Quebec is the only Canadian province with a French-speaking majority.

The goal is to "make the private sector contribute to strengthening our actions in the Francophonie, including education, the opening of new schools," the Elysee said, promising announcements on the matter.

Macron will then meet Trudeau for official talks in Ottawa, followed by a lunch on artificial intelligence, in which the prime minister will also participate, and a joint press conference in Montreal, which has a large French community of nearly 200,000 people.

The Canadian prime minister and French president have followed similar political paths and faced similar setbacks. © Ludovic Marin, AFP

Canada is a country at the forefront of AI, which is of particular interest to Paris, a few mon

Macron will also praise "the attractiveness of France" to Canadian investors, as he did on Tuesday in New York during discussions with big names in finance, the Elysee said.

Political instability and debates on tax increases in France are causing growing concern in the economic world, including internationally.

The French president will also meet with the premier of Quebec, Francois Legault. The meeting will take place in Montreal.

In 1967, it was from the balcony of Montreal City Hall that French leader Charles de Gaulle launched the slogan of Quebec separatists: "Long live a free Quebec!", angering Ottawa.

(AFP)

Residents of Spain’s Menorca say ‘enough’ to overtourism

Venice, Barcelona, Marseille... For several summers now, these European cities have been sounding the alarm about overtourism. In Spain, the second most-visited country in the world after France, this came to a head when thousands of people protested across the country this summer. ENTR went to Menorca, a small island in the Balearic archipelago, which is struggling to keep up with the overwhelming flow of visitors.


Issued on: 26/09/2024 - 

ENTR visited Menorca, a small Balearic island that used to be less popular than its neighbours Ibiza and Mallorca, but is now suffering the full force of overtourism. © ENTR

By: Renée BERTINI|Elena POMPEIFollow|Malvina RAUD|Jade BRIEND-GUYFollow|ENTR|
Video by:ENTR|Elena POMPEIFollow|Malvina RAUD|Jade BRIEND-GUYFollow|Renée BERTINI

Picturesque white buildings and crystalline waters have earned Binibeca Vell the title of one of the most “Instagrammable” sites in Menorca. Sitting in front of the port of the small private community, José sees the number of tourists triple in the space of 15 minutes. Some, cameras-at-the-ready, do not hesitate to sit on people’s doorsteps to capture the perfect shot. “These people are on holiday, so they think they can do what they like,” he sighs.

“We get about 800,000 tourists every year. And for a town this small, that's a lot of people. The streets are very small. They're very narrow,” says the 35-year-old Spaniard, who sits on the Binibeca Vell community council. “So we decided we're closing the village from 10pm until 10am so that people at least can relax during the evening. And you don't get people visiting at night, waking up everybody around.”
Instagram vs. reality

Summer after summer, José has seen his family’s home undergo a metamorphosis. Since the rise of social media, the internet has been flooded with curated pictures and videos of the village. At lunchtime and sunset, its tiny streets and port are now swamped by hordes of tourists, who have come to make their own Instagram post of these little white houses.

“People just feel the need to share where they've been, to copy the posts that they saw from that influencer, or just to say, 'Hey, I've been here first',” laments José.
In the Balearic Islands, 18 million tourists and 1.2 million inhabitants

Many locals are faced with a growing paradox: tourism accounts for half of the Balearic archipelago's GDP and is therefore at the heart of their economic model. But they are finding that making a decent living from tourism is increasingly difficult. Last year, almost 18 million tourists visited the Balearic Islands, which only have a population of 1.2 million.


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“The tourists we receive today have a huge impact on our lives tomorrow,” says Víctor. Behind him, a ferry bound for Barcelona is struggling to make its way through Mahon Bay. For five years now, he and his partner have been attempting to buy a home for themselves and their two young children with little success. Originally from Es Castell, a small village on the outskirts of Mahon, Menorca's capital, Víctor dreams of buying property in the area where he has always lived. But the real estate market is increasingly inaccessible, and he's finding it hard to make offers that can compete with those of more affluent foreign customers.

“A large number of tourists are no longer content to come to Menorca on holiday and leave again. Many of them really want to come and live here and own a house on the island,” explains the 31-year-old Menorcan. “And a lot of people don't even use it for 11 months,” he adds.
“Menos turismo, más vida” (Less tourism, more life)

“I think that governments definitely have to take action and find ways to limit tourism to X number of people, or put a fee,” says José.

But while some cities, such as Venice, have introduced regulatory measures such as tourist taxes, these remain perilous to implement in most of the major tourist hotspots. What's more, for the moment, decisions are taken at the local or regional level, and struggle to be implemented at the national or European level. This is partly what sparked discontent all over Spain, from Barcelona to the Canary Islands.

For Víctor, the focus should lie on improving the quality of life of local residents. “It's not the amount of people, in my opinion,” he says. “Because if you have a better quality of life, you face things better.”

ENTR is a digital space for open discussion about what really matters, what holds us back and what connects us all.

ENTR exists in 10 languages: English, Bulgarian, Dutch, French, German, Hungarian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian and Slovak.

Palestinian leader calls for world to stop sending Israel weapons

United Nations (United States) (AFP) – Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas called Thursday on the international community to stop sending weapons to Israel in order to halt bloodshed in the West Bank and Gaza, singling out the United States.


Issued on: 26/09/2024 - 

Abbas said that Washington continued to provide diplomatic cover and weapons to Israel for its war in Gaza © Leonardo Munoz / AFP

Abbas said that Washington continued to provide diplomatic cover and weapons to Israel for its war in Gaza despite the mounting death toll there, now at 41,534 according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run strip.

"Stop this crime. Stop it now. Stop killing children and women. Stop the genocide. Stop sending weapons to Israel. This madness cannot continue. The entire world is responsible for what is happening to our people in Gaza and the West Bank," Abbas said in an address to the UN General Assembly.

The vast majority of the besieged Gaza Strip's 2.4 million people have been displaced at least once by the war, sparked by Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel, with many seeking shelter in school buildings.

"The US alone stood and said: 'No, the fighting is going to continue.' It did this by using the veto," he said, referring to the veto repeatedly wielded to thwart censure in the UN Security Council of Israel's campaign in Gaza.

"It furnished Israel with the deadly weapons that it used to kill thousands of innocent civilians, children and women.

"This further encouraged Israel to continuous aggression," he added, saying that Israel "does not deserve" to be in the UN.

Washington is Israel's closest ally and backer, supplying the nation with billions of dollars of aid and military material.
Attacks Israel's UN membership

The speech by Abbas comes months after the General Assembly voted that the State of Palestine merited full membership.

As world leaders opened their speeches Tuesday, Abbas was able to take his seat alongside the Palestinian delegation, seated in the General Assembly in alphabetical position.

In his address, Abbas said Israel's defiance of the United Nations, which it often calls biased, showed the country should not be part of the world body.

"Israel, which refuses to implement United Nations resolutions, does not deserve to be a member in this international organization," Abbas said.

Israel, whose right-wing government has sought to isolate the Palestinian Authority, swiftly attacked Abbas's speech and faulted him for not condemning Hamas.

"Only when he stands on the UN platform does he talk about a peaceful solution. There is no greater hypocrisy and lie than this," said Danny Danon, the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations.

"Abbas's legacy is one of chronic weakness in the face of terrorism and hatred."

The October 7 attack that triggered the war resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people on the Israeli side, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures, which includes hostages killed in captivity.

Out of 251 people taken hostage that day, 97 are still being held inside the Gaza Strip, including 33 who the Israeli military says are dead.

© 2024 AFP

‘American leadership is under question’ as MidEast conflict escalates

Issued on: 28/09/2024 - 

Video by:David SMITH

The US leadership is coming under question as the conflict in the Middle East escalated with Israel’s assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in a strike on Beirut Friday, The Guardian’s Washington bureau chief David Smith told FRANCE 24. With five weeks to go until November’s presidential election, US President Biden has become a “lame duck president” as he waits to see whether Vice President Kamala Harris or former president Donald Trump will succeed him, Smith said.  

Biden administration ‘lost control’ to Israel amid brewing MidEast crisis, expert says

Issued on: 28/09/2024 - 

There is no doubt that the “Biden administration has completely lost control” to Israel amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East, said Ali Vaez, director of the Iran research programme at International Crisis Group, pointing to the Israel’s targeted strike on Beirut after the US called for a diplomatic solution between Israel and Lebanon. “The junior partner is using the United States as its proxy and doing whatever it wants,” Vaez said, adding that “there is a window of opportunity” in the five weeks leading up to the US presidential election during which "there would be no constraints whatsoever” on Israel’s actions in the MidEast region.  

Death of Nasrallah: ‘Hezbollah must have been infiltrated'

Issued on: 28/09/2024 - Video by: Claire PACCALIN

The targeted Israeli strike on Beirut Friday that killed Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah showed that the group “must have been infiltrated to some extent”, FRANCE 24’s Claire Paccalin said, citing Israel’s strong intelligence on the militant group which it demonstrated previous assassinations of members of Hezbollah's top brass and the pager and walkie talkie attacks last week

Quito fires coming under control after choking capital

Quito (AFP) – Firefighters in Ecuador's capital were battling the remnants of major forest fires on Thursday that had sent massive plumes of smoke above Quito earlier this week, amid a record drought.


Issued on: 26/09/2024 - 

A helicopter sprays water over a bushfire on a hill in Quito on September 25, 2024 © Galo Paguay / AFP

Helicopters dumped water to extinguish the flames at two burning sites that remained from about 30 fires, which had devastated 140 hectares of forest on the outskirts of the Andean capital since Tuesday.

"Normality is beginning to be restored in the capital city," Mayor Pabel Munoz told local media, adding that he was confident the remaining fires would be extinguished by Friday morning.

However, he warned there was always the risk of the flames rekindling as hot summer winds in the capital can reach up to 60 kilometers (37 miles) per hour.

The blazes injured six people, including a baby and two firefighters. They also destroyed at least seven homes in the humble neighborhood Bolanos, whose residents scrambled to save their pigs, chickens and sheep.

Authorities said they believed the fires were started by arsonists, and on Wednesday a 19-year-old man was arrested for starting one of the fires after being found with a gallon of fuel.

After declaring a state of emergency in Quito, the mayor is seeking to negotiate loans of $500,000 for the reconstruction of affected properties and the recovery of flora.

"We have lost many trees, a lot of vegetation," said Munoz.

From Ecuador to Brazil, many Latin American nations are gripped by their worst drought in decades, fueling a blistering fire season that has set residents and governments on edge.

The Ecuadoran government is considering a nationwide state of emergency due to its worst drought in six decades which has also devastated crop production.

Due to the dry spell, the country, which depends on hydroelectric power, is facing severe energy shortages and has implemented rolling blackouts.

"The phenomena of climate change are more aggressive and this is what we are experiencing at the moment," Environment Minister Inez Manzano told a local broadcaster.

© 2024 AFP

Austria Greens leave transport pass as legacy ahead of vote

Vienna (AFP) – Sunday's national vote in Austria is expected to punish the Greens, whose support has plunged since 2020 when they formed an unprecedented coalition with the conservatives.

Issued on: 28/09/2024 - 

Liselotte Zvacek uses the so-called 'Klimaticket' daily to commute 

© Joe Klamar / AFP
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But some of their popular initiatives will remain, including a pass that allows holders to take public transport throughout the country for 1,095 euros ($1,224) a year, or three euros per day.

"I just jump on the train and go, so that's really convenient," said Liselotte Zvacek, a 62-year-old consultant living near Vienna who uses the so-called "Klimaticket" to commute every day and to visit family.

Launched in 2021 with the objective of reaching 100,000 users, more than 300,000 people have the passes.

"That's more than I've ever dreamed of," outgoing environment minister Leonore Gewessler of the Greens told AFP, hailing "a real impact" to reduce CO2 emissions with Austrian trains running on renewable electricity.
EU frontrunner

Polls see the Greens getting just eight percent of votes in Sunday's poll, down from almost 14 percent during the last general elections in 2019.

Gewessler blames the "challenging times for government parties" with "really exceptional crises from the pandemic to the energy crisis to inflation" hitting Europe following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Environment minister Leonore Gewessler of the Greens hails the 'Klimaticket' transport pass © Joe Klamar / AFP

"Despite all of this, we've managed a lot in this country," she said, insisting "green policies work".

Greenhouse gas emissions linked to transport have fallen for two years in a row in a first in the Alpine nation of nine million people, where road traffic is a major source of pollution.

The Klimaticket initiative -- similar to the Swiss model -- made Austria "a frontrunner" in the EU because "everything is included," Gewessler said during the interview in her office at the ministry.

Neighbouring Germany followed suit last year, but high-speed trains are excluded, and the country's ageing and insufficient railway infrastructure is a far cry compared to that of Austria.

In a 2023 survey of 10,000 rail passengers, mobility organisation VCOe found 45 percent shifted rides from car to train, with the Klimaticket the second most important reason for these shifts.

In the same poll, 71 percent said they used rail services more often since they bought the pass.

Since July, those aged between 18 and 21 get one yearly pass for free.
'Special moment'

Besides the environment ministry, the Greens also held other important portfolios, including health and justice, where they pushed to strengthen the independence of the public prosecutor's office.

But the Greens have had to make some real concessions governing with the conservatives who drive a hard line on immigration and other issues.

One of Gewessler's regrets is not having succeeded in reducing Austria's extreme dependence on Russian gas, even as Moscow's invasion of Ukraine stretches through its third year.

"Ultimately, we have to be honest, we are fuelling Russia's war budget," she said.

The coalition also survived corruption allegations causing the conservative chancellor at the time, Sebastian Kurz, to resign in 2021, as well as numerous other disagreements.

In June, Gewessler voted in favour of a milestone EU bill aimed at restoring degraded ecosystems in the 27-nation bloc, helping it pass, despite Chancellor Karl Nehammer's strong opposition.

His People's Party filed a criminal complaint against Gewessler claiming "abuse of office", but it has been dismissed.

"It was a very special moment," the former environmental activist said, deeming the bill "too important to let this opportunity slip".

Sunday's election will be "very decisive" for Austria, she said, with the far-right Freedom Party currently slightly ahead of the conservatives in what would be a historic victory.

"The decision that's on the ballot is whether the extreme right is in government with a backward-looking policy of really dividing society with more Russia instead of more independence, with really denying that climate crisis is actually here," she said.

© 2024 AFP