GERMANY

COALITION GOVERNMENT

Petrolhead, novelist, trampolinist for post-Merkel cabinet
 

The co-leaders of The Greens party Robert Habeck and Annalena Baerbock are expected to take top jobs in the new German government (AFP/Ina Fassbender)More

Christian Lindner
German politician (FDP)
German politician, federal minister of finance and vice chancellor of Germany

Deborah COLE
Wed, November 24, 2021, 3:20 AM·4 min read

Olaf Scholz, who is on the brink of succeeding Angela Merkel after 16 years as German chancellor, has assembled a team of strange bedfellows to share power at the helm of his centre-left government.

The coalition of Scholz's Social Democrats with the ecologist Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) will place often ideologically opposed leaders of the smaller parties in pivotal jobs.

Here's a look who the top ministers are likely to be and what can be expected of them.

- Car-lover steering economy -

FDP leader Christian Lindner looks set to claim the coveted finance portfolio in the incoming government.

Lindner is known for sharp suits and a firm grip on the wheel of his party, which he has steered back into power after eight years in the wilderness.

The fast-talking 42-year-old would be handed the keys to the job he has been gunning for for years at a crucial moment for the German economy.

The vintage car lover, who used to list his interests outside politics on his website as "anything that can be filled with petrol", would have to oversee a massive green investment programme agreed by the new coalition.

Lindner's enthusiasm for strict fiscal discipline and his desire to see business, not government, take the lead on renewable energy do not make him a natural ally for the Social Democrats (SPD) and the Greens.

Against the backdrop of surging inflation, his party's tight embrace of balanced budgets could put Lindner, recently engaged to be married, on a collision course with the more left-leaning members of the government.

- 'Super' minister for climate -

Robert Habeck, who is expected to lead a new super-ministry for climate in the incoming government, is the urbane Greens co-leader who helped turn the party into a major electoral force.

The 52-year-old philosopher who has published several novels co-authored with his wife has harnessed his soft-spoken charm as a powerful draw for the ecologist outfit.

Habeck was long seen as a possible finance minister but he appeared to have lost a tug-of-war to Lindner.

Now nearly two months of wrangling has seen Habeck likely to clinch an attractive consolation prize -- a new power centre combining authority for the economy, climate protection and energy policy.

"We are talking here about a moment to change the course of history," Habeck insisted on the campaign train in the run-up to September's general election in which the Greens placed third.

He made headlines in April when, as the higher-profile member of the Greens' leadership duo, he stepped aside in favour of his younger female partner in power, Annalena Baerbock, as the party's first candidate for chancellor.

When her bid for the top job ran into trouble over a plagiarism scandal and dubious bonus payments, Habeck put on a show of loyalty even as pundits asked whether he wouldn't have been the better standard-bearer.

But the father of four let his ambition shine through during the post-election haggling, grabbing the Greens' most high-profile ministry in the cabinet.

- First woman top diplomat -

As a former medal-winning trampolinist, Annalena Baerbock is used to aiming high.

Although the 40-year-old failed in her bid to snatch Merkel's crown and become Germany's first Green chancellor, the expert in international law is poised to become the country's first woman foreign minister.

She has pledged to put human rights at the centre of German diplomacy, promising a tougher ride for Russia and China after the commerce-driven pragmatism of the Merkel years.

Almost from the start of her rocky campaign for the election, Baerbock disappointed lofty expectations with a series of missteps.

But polished television debate performances followed by a record score of 15 percent for the Greens on polling day left Baerbock well-placed to stake a claim to a high-profile post.

The mother-of-two and trained lawyer is described as quick on her feet and determined, with a meticulous attention to policy details.

"She keeps asking questions until she has really understood an issue," a party source told the Handelsblatt daily. "She won't be fobbed off."

Raised on a farm near Hanover, Baerbock had an early taste of politics when her parents took her to anti-nuclear demonstrations in the 1980s, a movement that spurred the creation of the Green party.

As a teenager Baerbock took part in trampoline competitions, winning three bronze medals in German championships. The sport taught her to "be brave", she has said.

bur-dlc/hmn/bp

Solomon Islands capital under curfew after protesters target parliament


Solomon Islands (AFP/STAFF)

Wed, November 24, 2021

The Solomon Islands capital Honiara was placed under curfew Wednesday after protesters attempted to storm the Pacific island nation's parliament, police said.

Police fired tear gas at the protesters, who had set alight buildings, partly burning down a police station and a hut near the parliament building, a police spokesman said.

He was unable to confirm witness accounts that the protest was a failed attempt to topple Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare.

"A crowd formed in front of the parliament, I don't know the exact numbers but it was a huge crowd," he told AFP.

"They intended to make the prime minister resign, that's the public speculation, but we're still investigating the motives.

"The important thing is police now have control of the situation and no one is out on the streets."

He said police were unaware of any injuries.

Video footage shot by onlookers showed police and protestors facing off along a street and columns of smoke rising from torched buildings.

Images on social media also showed crowds looting food from local stores.

Honiara resident Jeremy Gwao said people in the capital were fearful after the dramatic events.

"Many didn’t know there would be a protest and were shocked," he said.

"There were hundreds and hundreds on the street... and their main aim was to get the PM to step down.

"It was a scary situation and it's still tense. People at the moment don't know what's going to happen and police are trying to keep everything calm."

- 'Devastating consequences' -

Canberra's official Smart Traveller advice service warned Australian nationals in the Solomons capital to be vigilant.

"The situation is evolving in Honiara with civil unrest. Please exercise care, remain where you are if it is safe to do so and avoid crowds," it said.

The violence reportedly involved a group of protesters who travelled to Honiara this week from the neighbouring island of Malaita.

Their grievances are believed to involve perceived neglect by the central government and lingering dissatisfaction at the Solomons' decision to switch diplomatic allegiances from Taiwan to China in 2019.

Many communities in Malaita had forged deep ties with Taipei and the island's local government has repeatedly complained about embracing China.

Such inter-island tensions spurred unrest that led to the deployment of an Australian-led peacekeeping force from 2003 to 2017.

There was rioting following general elections in 2006, with much of Honiara's Chinatown razed amid rumours businesses with links to Beijing had rigged the vote.

Honiara-based lawmakers from Malaita issued a statement this week calling for protesters from their home island to refrain from violence.

"The devastating consequences that such actions will have on our people and future will take this country back 20 years," it said.

Sogavare's office has been approached for comment.

str-ns/je

SPACE WARS

Airbus, Thales Launch French Reconnaissance Space System

France's CERES space system satellites. Photo: Thales

 JOE SABALLA

NOVEMBER 23, 2021

European aerospace firms Airbus and Thales have launched three signals intelligence satellites to bolster the French military’s surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.

Known by the French acronym CERES, the system lifted off on an Arianespace Vega rocket from the country’s spaceport in French Guiana. It will reportedly be positioned at an altitude of 700 kilometers (434 miles) in low-Earth orbit.

The CERES was developed to detect and geo-locate electromagnetic signals emitted by radio communication systems and radars that surface sensors cannot reach. They are designed to allow the military to adapt more quickly and effectively to all operational scenarios.

The system features three identical satellites that carry signals intelligence (SIGINT) payloads and user and ground control segments. It provides in-depth information even in adverse weather conditions.

Airbus integrated the global system and space segments into the CERES, while Thales was responsible for full mission chain, system performance, and supplying the satellite platforms.

CERES satellites. Photo: Airbus

‘Completing Intelligence Capability’

According to the developers, the CERES satellites are based on experience gained from the ESSAIM (communications intelligence) and ELISA (electronic intelligence) micro-satellite demonstrators launched more than a decade ago.

They explained that the technical and o

Airbus, Thales Launch French Reconnaissance Space Systemperational lessons they acquired from these systems were “key” to enabling the CERES’ high performance in electromagnetic detection and compatibility.

Thales executive vice president Philippe Duhamel expressed his belief that the newly-launched system will complete the strategic and tactical defense intelligence capabilities of the French military.

“DGA (French Armament General Directorate) trusts Thales to be in charge of the CERES end-to-end mission performance, for which we rely on our experience of more than 20 years in space-based SIGINT, our unique know-how in satellite payloads, and our wide knowledge in SIGINT and electronic warfare in all environments,” Duhamel said, as quoted by Australian Defence Magazine.

Are Ukrainian Weapons Fueling State Repression in Myanmar?


A Ukrainian BTR-3 armored personnel carrier in Myanmar's largest city of Yangon, February 2021. Photo: Sai Aung Main/AFP

 GUILLAUME PTAK 

 NOVEMBER 23, 2021

After Myanmar’s armed forces seized control of the country in February, the Southeast Asian nation was thrown into chaos. At least 1,000 civilians were killed in demonstrations, and thousands of others fled to neighboring India and Thailand.

Ukraine has been outspoken in condemning the violence. During a UN meeting on Myanmar, Ukrainian Permanent Representative Sergiy Kyslytsya called on the Tatmadaw (Myanmar’s armed forces) to “stop the repression immediately, including the use of lethal force, intimidation, and harassment against peaceful demonstrators.” In June, Kyiv voted in favor of a UN resolution to stop the flow of arms to Myanmar.

However, Ukrainian BTR-3 armored personnel carriers were spotted on the streets of Yangon amid the riots that followed the coup, drawing activists’ attention to the lesser-known but well-established ties between Ukraine’s and Myanmar’s defense industries.

Ukrainian Equipment in Myanmar

Since 2004, a thousand Ukrainian BTR-3 combat vehicles have reportedly been delivered to Myanmar. When asked about the matter by Radio Svoboda in February, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleh Nikolenko declared that his government couldn’t be held responsible “for the use of military equipment purchased by another country more than 15 years ago.”

A misleading statement, according to Yadanar Maung, a representative of the NGO Justice For Myanmar. Early in September, the NGO reported that Ukrainian state-owned companies had been shipping aircraft, ship, and tank parts to the country despite the February takeover by the military junta.

While most of the military-technical agreements had been signed under previous governments, activist Maung claims that arms exports and technology transfers have continued — despite the military’s overthrow of the ruling party.

“Continuing to equip the Myanmar military shows a blatant disregard for the lives of the people of Myanmar,” Maung declared to The Defense Post.

Notably, state-owned arms manufacturer Ukroboronservice is claimed to have shipped over 164 kilos of aircraft parts to the Southeast Asian country in May. Meanwhile, Ukrainian engineering company Motor Sich has allegedly exported engines and engine parts to Myanmar on two occasions since the military coup.

A blockaded road to Myanmar’s parliament in Naypyitaw in February after the military detained the country’s leaders. Photo: STR/AFP

Motor Sich’s most recent shipment, including turbojet engine parts, is supposed to have taken place in late May 2021, well after the military takeover.

At the time, Reuters reported that the Myanmar Air Force had been carrying out airstrikes against “anti-junta militias” in the country’s east, displacing thousands. The company did not reply to a request for comments from The Defense Post.
Joint Ventures

In addition to the recent shipments, several joint ventures between Ukrainian state-owned companies and Myanmar’s defense industry reportedly continue, despite the coup.

Chief among them is a joint project between Myanmar’s Directorate of Defence industry and Ukrainian arms conglomerates Ukroboronprom and Ukrspetsexport. The venture involves creating an industrial plant able to manufacture BTR-4 armored personnel carriers, MMT-40 light tanks, and 2SIU self-propelled Howitzers, as well as repair parts.

In October 2020, Ukrspetsexport claimed in a Facebook post that it had signed a contract with the ministry of defense of an unspecified “Southeast Asian country,” now believed to be Myanmar.

According to the post, the deal involved the creation of an industrial plant able to produce a “wide range of spare parts for light armored vehicles” to supply “such spare parts to other military units” and to “perform work on the modernization of light armored vehicles.”



A project very similar to the one described in the post was listed by the 2019 UN Independent International fact-finding mission on Myanmar as a recommended target for arms export sanctions.

At the time, the fact-finding mission reported that Ukraine was “supporting the Tatmadaw’s military infrastructure and production capabilities.” It concluded that Kyiv failed to refrain from transferring weapons to Myanmar, although they “expected or ought to have expected” that those weapons would be used in acts violating international human rights law.

Whether the industrial complex construction is complete has neither been confirmed nor denied. When reached for comment by The Defense Post, Ukroboronprom representative Julia Marko stated that the conglomerate’s economic activities are “protected by commercial confidentiality” and as such couldn’t be disclosed without the consent of unnamed “third parties.”

“All enterprises of the State Concern operate within the framework of current legislation and international obligations of Ukraine,” she assured.

This answer skirts the fact that there is currently no formal embargo on selling weapons to Myanmar. According to activist Maung, whether or not to export weapons to Myanmar is not a legal but a moral question. “Ukraine should not have transferred arms to Myanmar, knowing that the military there is committing gross violations of human rights, including the crime of genocide,” he argued.
‘Embattled Democracy’

In June 2021, the UN General Assembly adopted a non-binding resolution calling for an arms embargo against the Southeast Asian nation. Ukraine was among the 119 countries to support the motion.

On a number of occasions, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has described Ukraine as an embattled democracy fighting off Russian authoritarianism, going so far as to declare that his country was “the security wall of this philosophy of existence, of European civilization, human rights, and freedoms.”

Zelensky’s sentiment was echoed at the UN meeting on Myanmar by representative Kyslytsya: “Ukraine knows how painful it is when a choice of people is stolen by a corrupt regime, hence we stay strong with the democratic forces of Myanmar, its people who are entitled to live according to their choice under the leadership they elect.”

In light of Ukraine being accused of supplying one of the world’s most repressive regimes with the means to silence those very same “democratic forces,” those words now seem to ring hollow.

Four Killed in Israel Strikes on Syria: War Monitor

Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Israel has routinely carried out air strikes inside Syria.

An Israeli F-35I fighter jet takes part in a multinational air defense exercise at the Ovda Air Force Base, north of the Israeli city of Eilat, on Nov. 11, 2019.

 Photo: Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images

 STAFF WRITER WITH AFP 

NOVEMBER 24, 2021

Two civilians were among four people killed by Israeli strikes on Wednesday that targeted a part of Syria where fighters loyal to Lebanon’s Hezbollah are based, a monitor said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based group that relies on sources on the ground, said the Israeli missiles struck an area near three villages in the west of Homs province.

The raid killed four people, including two civilians, said the war monitor, although it was unable to determine whether the other two deaths were civilians or soldiers.

The official Syrian news agency SANA, citing a military official, said two civilians had been killed and seven people wounded in the strikes that were conducted at dawn.

“The (Israeli) aggression resulted in the death of two civilians and injured six soldiers and one civilian,” the military official was quoted as saying.

The strikes targeted positions in the central part of the country, it said, without giving further details on the location.

Syria’s air defenses “repelled the aggression and shot down most” of the missiles, SANA said, quoting the same source.

The Israeli military, which rarely acknowledges individual strikes on Syria, declined to comment on “reports in the foreign media.”

Israel has said repeatedly it will not allow neighboring Syria to become a launchpad for its arch-foe Iran.

Since civil war broke out in Syria in 2011, Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes on Syrian territory, targeting government positions as well as allied Iran-backed forces and Hezbollah fighters.

Similar strikes on November 3 hit positions held by the Syrian government and its pro-Iranian allies near Damascus, said the Observatory.

On October 30, five pro-Iranian militiamen were killed in an Israeli strike that destroyed Hezbollah and Iranian weapons and ammunition near the Syrian capital, the monitor said.

An Israeli strike in mid-October killed nine pro-government fighters near the T4 airbase east of Palmyra in central Syria, according to the same source.

Bangladesh resumes moving Rohingya refugees to flood-prone island

Bangladesh has resumed moving Rohingya refugees to a remote and flood-prone island, authorities said Wednesday, despite criticism from aid groups and claims some are being relocated against their will.

© - Nearly 20,000 Rohingya refugees have already been sent to Bhashan Char and Bangladesh eventually wants to move about 100,000 to the remote and flood-prone island

© Tanbir Miraj About 850,000 Rohingya are packed into camps along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border

Nearly 20,000 members of the stateless minority, who fled neighbouring Myanmar in 2017 after a brutal military crackdown, have already been sent to Bhashan Char island.


Bangladesh eventually wants to rehouse 100,000 of its approximately one million Rohingya refugees to the island, moving them from cramped relief camps on the mainland.

But hundreds already sent there have since been arrested in coastal towns after fleeing the island, and dozens died in August after a fishing boat carrying escapees capsized.

Another 2,000 Rohingya will nonetheless be transferred this week, the country's deputy refugee commissioner Moozzem Hossain told AFP, more than six months after the last group was sent there.

"Navy ships will bring them to the island on Thursday," he added.

The UN refugee agency signed a deal with Bangladesh authorities to provide help and protection to refugees on the island last month.

Hossain told AFP that all relocations were completely voluntary, but several refugees said they were being forced to move there.

"We don't want to go to Bhashan Char," a Rohingya woman told AFP by phone, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

She said a Rohingya community leader in the camps had added her name to a list of people seeking to relocate without her consent.

"If I go to Bhashan Char, I will not be able to go back to Myanmar. I will not go," she added.

One Rohingya community leader, who also asked to remain anonymous, said Bangladeshi authorities had told him and his peers to each provide lists of at least five families to be relocated.

- Cyclone threat -

About 850,000 Rohingya are packed into camps along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border. Most fled a Myanmar military clampdown in 2017 that the UN says could be genocide.

Bangladesh has been praised for taking in the refugees who poured across the border but has had little success finding them permanent homes.

Bhashan Char is 60 kilometres (37 miles) from the Bangladesh mainland and lies at the heart of the Meghna estuary, an area prone to powerful cyclones that have killed around one million people in the last 50 years.

Human Rights Watch has urged Bangladesh to halt further relocations until it could guarantee freedom of movement for the refugees.

The watchdog said Tuesday that Rohingya leaders were being coerced into persuading camp residents to move to Bhashan Char, including by confiscating their identity documents.

"Bangladesh's October agreement with the UN doesn't provide a free ticket to forcibly relocate Rohingya refugees," said Bill Frelick, HRW's refugee and migrant rights director.

str-sa/gle/mtp

Video: Lessons from Bangladesh: Living with floods (Dailymotion)

Sydney nanny loses extradition appeal over Pinochet-era crimes


The Augusto Pinochet regime presided over thousands of murders, tortures and forced disappearances as Latin America was ravaged by Cold War-fuelled violence

 (AFP/MARTIN BERNETTI)


Wed, November 24, 2021, 

An Australia-based former nanny lost her second appeal against extradition to Chile on Wednesday where she allegedly served as a member of the feared secret police during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.

Adriana Elcira Rivas Gonzalez, now in her late 60s, faces seven charges of aggravated kidnapping carried out in the 1970s including the 1976 disappearance of senior Communist Party official Victor Manuel Diaz Lopez.

She has been fighting extradition since being arrested and detained by Australian authorities in February 2019 for her suspected involvement in kidnappings under the US-backed Pinochet regime, which toppled the democratically elected socialist government of President Salvador Allende.

The military junta presided over thousands of murders, tortures and forced disappearances as Latin America was ravaged by Cold War-fuelled violence.

In June this year, Rivas lost her first Federal Court appeal against a 2020 lower court's ruling that she was eligible to be extradited to Chile.

Now, a full bench of the federal court has confirmed that decision.

"In this appeal, much of Ms Rivas' submissions were directed to the assertion that she is not guilty of the offences which are the subject of the extradition request," said a ruling by three Federal Court judges, Debra Mortimer, Robert Bromwich and Stewart Anderson.

"Guilt or innocence forms no part of the international extradition process," they said, adding that this was a matter for the Chilean courts to decide.

"The appeal is dismissed," the judges concluded, finding Rivas was eligible for extradition and should also pay Chile's costs.

Chile formally requested her extradition in 2018 from Sydney, where she had been working as a nanny and a cleaner in the city's Bondi area.

Rivas has lived in Australia for three decades and was previously arrested while visiting Chile in 2007, but later fled to Australia while on bail.

In a 2013 interview with Australian broadcaster SBS, Rivas claimed she was innocent, but defended the use of torture in Chile at the time.

"They had to break the people -– it has happened all over the world, not only in Chile," she said.

bur-djw/arb/ssy

Ancient human relative walked like a human but climbed like an ape, new fossils suggest

Hannah Ryan
CNNDigital
 Tuesday, November 23, 2021 



Australopithecus sediba silhouette showing the newly-found vertebrae along with other skeletal remains from the species. (University of Witwatersrand/CNN)

An ancient human relative was able to walk the ground on two legs and use their upper limbs to climb and swing like apes, according to a new study of 2 million-year-old vertebrae fossils.

An international team of scientists from New York University, the University of the Witwatersrand and 15 other institutions studied lower back bones found in 2015 that belonged to a female Australopithecus sediba, a type of ancient hominid.

Together with previously discovered bones from the same individual -- nicknamed "Issa," which is Swahili for protector -- the fossilized remains form one of the most complete lower backs ever discovered in the early hominid record and give an indication as to how this human relative would have moved through the world.

The researchers said the newly studied lower back fossils were a missing link that proved early hominins used their upper limbs to climb like apes, and their lower limbs to walk like humans.

The fossils were first discovered in 2015 during excavations of a mining trackway running next to the site of Malapa in the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, near Johannesburg.

They were then virtually prepared -- to avoid the risk of damage -- and reunited with fossils recovered during earlier work at the site and found to articulate with the spine of the fossil skeleton, part of the original specimens of Australopithecus sediba first described in 2010.

The discovery also established that like humans, sediba had only five lumbar vertebrae.

"While Issa was already one of the most complete skeletons of an ancient hominin ever discovered, these vertebrae practically complete the lower back and make Issa's lumbar region a contender for not only the best-preserved hominin lower back ever discovered, but also probably the best preserved," said Professor Lee Berger, an author on the study and leader of the Malapa project.

The excellent preservation of Issa helped to show that curvature of sediba's spine was more extreme than any other Australopithecus yet discovered -- that kind of spine curvature is typically seen in modern humans and demonstrates strong adaptations to bipedalism.

"While the presence of lordosis (the inward curve of the lumbar spine) and other features of the spine represent clear adaptations to walking on two legs, there are other features, such as the large and upward oriented transverse processes, that suggest powerful trunk musculature, perhaps for arboreal behaviors," said Professor Gabrielle Russo of Stony Brook University, another author on the study.

Arboreal behaviors refer to climbing and living in trees.

"The spine ties this all together," added study author Professor Thomas Cody Prang of Texas A&M University, who studies how ancient hominins walked and climbed. "In what manner these combinations of traits persisted in our ancient ancestors, including potential adaptations to both walking on the ground on two legs and climbing trees effectively, is perhaps one of the major outstanding questions in human origins."


The study concluded that Australopithecus sediba was a transitional form of ancient human relative and its spine is clearly intermediate in shape between those of modern humans and great apes -- meaning that the species would have possessed both human and ape-like traits in its movements.

The study was published Tuesday in the journal e-Life.

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Croatia's truffle hunters seek habitat protection amid climate change







1 / 7

The delicate microclimate in the forests of Croatia's Istria peninsula has long been famed for producing some of the finest white truffles (AFP/Damir SENCAR)

Lajla VESELICA
Wed, November 24, 2021

The sound of paws scurrying along the forest floor echoes through Croatia's northwestern woods, where the hunt for truffles is being threatened by climate change and deforestation -- stirring fears that the country's gastronomic goldmine may be at risk.

The delicate microclimate in the picturesque Istria peninsula's forests has long been famed for producing some of the finest white truffles, which this year fetched up to 2,500 euros ($2,860) per kilo.

But the increase in temperatures and lower precipitation levels linked to climate change along with a shrinking water table and habitat loss could throw off the natural incubator that produces the luxurious ingredient.

"It's more difficult to find a truffle than to sell it," laments Darko Muzica, who oversees the Istra association of truffle hunters, an advocacy group campaigning to protect the peninsula's white truffle.

Along with climate change and diminishing water tables, Muzica says poor forest management has also threatened future harvests, with officials giving preferential treatment to the timber industry.

A 2014 study on Istria's truffles issued a similar warning, saying: "throughout the world the productivity of natural truffle habitats is shrinking which is often linked with climate change but also the ways the land is used".

Truffle enthusiasts say immediate action is needed to protect the area's habitat.

"The whole region would benefit from it," says Ivan Vukadinovic, who is also a member of the truffle hunter association.

- 'Top quality' -

Fears over the truffle's future in Istria comes on the heels of a decades-long love affair with the culinary delight in Croatia.

Istria has long been a tourist hotspot in the Balkan nation, famed for its pristine coastline as well as island getaways but has often been overshadowed on the truffle front by neighbouring Italy across the Adriatic.

With money to be made, truffle hunters, accompanied by teams of specially trained dogs, comb through Istria's dense, lowland forests near Motovun hoping to strike white gold.

"Search! Search!" shouts forest scientist Zeljko Zgrablic as his two dogs paw at the ground near a suspected bulb.

After digging away a layer of topsoil, Zgrablic carefully extracts a white truffle weighing some 20 grams -- which could net up to 130 euros ($145).

It is a typical scene during Istria's white truffle season that runs from September to late December, attracting a wide swath of afficionados ranging from weekend warriors to locals hoping to pocket extra cash.

Istria remains one of the few areas outside of Italy's famed Alba region able to produce high-end white truffles thanks to its humid climate and alkaline soil that imbues the edible fungi with a strong aroma and optimal density.

"They are heavy, have a good shape... which makes them a top quality product," says Zgrablic as he carefully writes down details of the truffle.

- 'Truffle land' -

The first written reference to truffles in Istria dates back to the late 1920s, when the peninsula was then part of Italy.

But the industry has gone into overdrive in the past two decades, with the sector netting millions of dollars annually -- spurring Istria to rebrand itself as "truffle land".

The truffle rush started after the discovery of a bulb weighing 1.31 kilogrammes (2.88 pounds) that was listed for a time in the Guinness Book of World Records.

"The event started a truffle avalanche," says Giancarlo Zigante, a former hunter and restaurateur, who now produces hundreds of locally sourced truffle products -- including oil, chocolate and chips that are exported to dozens of countries worldwide.

Hoping to protect the area's lucrative truffle trade, the local association of truffle hunters has begun campaigning for "protected designation of origin" within the European Union.

If granted, it says the certification would help provide better management of the region's forests by eliminating their "irrational devastation", while also guaranteeing the truffle's authenticity and helping raise awareness for preservation efforts.

But for many enthusiasts, preserving the area's habitat is about protecting the simple pleasures that come with truffle hunts.

"It's a lifestyle, it gets under your skin," Muzica says.

"The dog is happy whenever I'm happy. And I'm happy when my dog finds a truffle."

ljv/ds/kjm

RETURN OF THE METROSEXUAL

Man-icures: How and why men are embracing nail varnish

Gregor Tholl

 Nov 15, 2021

© picture alliance / dpa

If you see a man wearing nail polish, he might be sending all manner of message, from a socially conscious one to a statement about his own masculinity. It's a trend that's growing.

Berlin (dpa) - Gianni Versace made it clear years ago: The men wearing nail varnish are "nice and witty."

It was 1994 and Versace was explaining the business of fashion to a journalist after being asked who was walking around like 'that.' 'That' referred to male models on the Milan catwalk, clad in miniskirts over their trousers, embellished with bright red lips and sporting nail varnish.

Thirty years later, it's not every young man who is painting his nails. But some are. And they are often "nice and witty."

Designer Marc Jacobs said a few years ago that nail polish was the perfect finish for men who sought to achieve the perfect look.

Some may think it silly to cover their nails with chemicals - while others say it is super sexy. Take Portugal football star Cristiano Ronaldo, known for painting his toenails.

American rapper Lil Yachty has gone a step further, launching a nail polish line for men. However, the Negatives 001 man-icures collection is initially only available in shades of concrete grey, matte white and matte black.

"I always thought painted fingernails were beautiful," German actor Lars Eidinger told dpa. "It's the level of exaltation I allow myself, so to speak." He says putting on nail varnish is not a statement and does not indicate he wishes he was a woman.

When it comes to choosing a colour, Eidinger says he usually opts for blue or black, with a classic red occasionally to shake things up.

A look at the world of celebrities reveals further fans beyond Eidinger and Lil Yachty, from glam rocker Damiano David of the Italian band Maneskin, winner of the Eurovision Song Contest, to queer rapper Lil Nas X, British pop singer Harry Styles, US actor Ansel Elgort and Brooklyn Beckham, oldest son of the football star David.

Meanwhile Instagram offers thousands of posts under hashtags such as #guynails or #malepolishedtoes.

Of course, there have been male celebrities in the past who wore varnish - think of David Bowie, Kurt Cobain, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Johnny Depp and Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler. But their use was generally considered a quirk.

"Right now, we see that male influencers have become more enthusiastic about decorative cosmetics," says Birgit Huber, who works for a German consumer products association. More and more often, actors show up to red carpet events with their nails done, she says.

Nail polish has also brightened up the Polished Man Challenge, a social media campaign seeking to raise awareness about sexual violence against children. On average one in five minors is a victim of sexual violence. To heighten awareness, participants paint one of their five fingernails. Chris Hemsworth, his brother Liam, Zac Efron and Shawn Mendes have all joined in.

Surveys show people are noticing, says Huber. Men tell pollsters they see make-up and nail polish becoming increasingly trendy on Instagram. But that does not mean they will take to the nail polish themselves. Yes, they have seen it, but no, they would not feel confident using it, is a frequent response, she says.

But for young boys who like the look of nail polish and may feel like trying it, few receive a positive response and instead are bullied or told off. Occasionally, though, fathers put on some nail polish out of solidarity with their sons.

Overall, men wearing nail polish has its own distinct meaning, different to when women paint their nails, say observers.

"Nail polish is a way for men to signal flexibility and openness to social change without seriously challenging the standards of masculinity on the street," says male fashion expert Marco Nikolaj Rechenberg.

Nail polish for men comes from the mostly straight punk, rock, grunge and skater worlds, rather than drag queen culture, says Rechenberg.

"The motivation is not the suggestion of queerness or gender-bending, but, on the contrary, rather the emphasis of one's own heterosexuality or masculinity by breaking the rules, which is perceived as courageous," he says.

Wearing nail varnish is a good way to do this, as it is a relatively low risk product, he says.

Using nail varnish seems less feminine than other cosmetics, as it does not emphasize a feature in the way that lipstick and eye shadow do, says Rechenberg.

Historically, nail polish has been less about attractiveness and more about social status, with wearers showing off the fact that they do not have to work with their hands.

"Nail varnish is completely artificial," Rechenberg points out. "People have red lips by nature, but not shiny nails."