Turkey’s runoff election: Nationalism, fake news, xenophobia


Elmas Topcu
DW
May 24,2023

Ahead of the runoff election for Turkey's next president, opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu has adopted nationalistic, anti-refugee rhetoric, while Erdogan’s supporters are relying on fake news to get votes.

The tone of the ongoing campaigns in Turkey is heating up ahead of the upcoming runoff vote between incumbent Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu.

While the government camp seems to be using all means necessary to defame the opposition and portray its presidential candidate as a traitor, Kilicdaroglu too is going on the offensive.

"Erdogan, you're the one who negotiated with terrorists behind closed doors," he said recently at a campaign event. "Who are you, and what gives you the right to question my patriotism?"
Manipulated campaign posters

Erdogan's supporters have chosen fake news to boost the campaign of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). There are countless fake posters regarding the Republican People's Party (CHP), Turkey's largest opposition party, circulating online. One features the CHP's logo and reads: "To us, the YPG is not a terrorist organization. Decide now!"

The People's Protection Units — the YPG — is a Kurdish militia in Syria that's closely associated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey and other countries, including the US.

The fact-checking organization Teyit.org analyzed the authenticity of this poster, along with others, and confirmed they are not at all part of the CHP's official election campaign.

Prior to the first round of elections on May 14, fake news about the Turkish oppositionwas already widespread, but according to observers, the misinformation has become more extensive and systematic in the lead-up to the runoff.

Opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu has embraced a harsher tone in the lead-up to the runoff election

Image: Murad Sezer/REUTERS

Kilicdaroglu hopes to weaponize hostility against refugees

The opposition has also changed its strategy since the first round of elections. It seems that the party's internal strategists have assessed Kilicdaroglu's insistence on a conciliatory tone despite Erdogan's aggression as a sign of weakness. They've decided to try a new approach.

The opposition not only wants to win over voters with patriotism now but also with hostility towards refugees. The aim is to convince the biggest portion of the electorate: nationalists who are critical of the government.

Kilicdaroglu has been confronting his opponent directly, claiming that Erdogan has already brought 10 million refugees to Turkey and if he stays in power the same number will come into the country again. He has also warned that Turkish cities will be taken over by refugees, mafiosi and drug barons.

Should he win, he has announced repeatedly, he will send all refugees back. According to the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees (UNHCR), there are approximately 4 million refugees currently living in Turkey.

Kemal Kilicdaroglu was more conciliatory ahead of the first round — this heart sign was his symbol

 Murad Sezer/REUTERS

Kemal Bozay, an expert from the Center for Radicalization Research and Prevention at the International University of Applied Sciences in Cologne, Germany, considers Kilicdaroglu's change in strategy "radical." Bozay said that until now the motto of the 74-year-old had essentially been "everything will be alright" but the tone of his campaign had become noticeably more aggressive. But he explained that the plan to appeal to the supporters of the ultra-right, nationalist candidate Sinan Ogan, who came third in the first round, was risky.

"Kilicdaroglu shouldn't forget that he was elected in big cities and metropolitan areas and in Kurdish strongholds by Kurdish people, leftists and progressive leaning voters," Bozay added. He said that these voters might not support Kilicdaroglu's hostile rhetoric and approach regarding refugees. They might even feel so frustrated that they may even abstain from voting as a result.

Sinan Ogan, who received a surprising 5.2% of the votes on May 14, has now endorsed incumbent President Erdogan, but whether or not his voters will follow his lead remains to be seen. Shortly before he announced his endorsement, the far-right Ata Alliance party for which he had run was dissolved.

Erdogan seems relaxed

While the opposition scrambles for new strategies, Erdogan seems content to count on stability and confidence. "My esteemed companions and comrades, we've now experienced the most critical election in our history. ... I trust you," the 69-year-old wrote on Twitter.

After more than 20 years, the opposition had hoped they would finally put an end to Erdogan's rule on May 14. Kilicdaroglu was ahead in the majority of the polls. That's why the disappointment has been so widespread among opposition supporters.

None of the candidates received an absolute majority of the votes in the first round. Kilicdaroglu received almost 45% of the votes, and his Nation Alliance received 35%. It now has 213 seats in parliament, far fewer than expected.

Erdogan fell just short of a majority in the presidential election

 ADEM ALTAN/AFP
President Erdogan received 49.5% of the votes, just shy of a majority. His alliance received 322 of the 600 seats in parliament, securing a majority for the next five years. So, the incumbent is in a strong position going into the runoff election.

Voting in foreign countries has begun

More than 3.4 million Turks living outside the country have the right to vote, and voting in the runoff has already begun for them.

According to the polls, Erdogan is doing better among this group of voters than at home: 57.5% of Turks living abroad voted for him in the first round and he has appealed to them once again to "defend Turkey's leadership."

"Turks living in other countries could play a major role in an Erdogan victory," said Bozay. "He definitely needs their votes during the runoff election."

This article was translated from German.

'Time is not on our side' — Pacific Islands urge climate action

Kieran Burke | Leonie von Hammerstein

DW
May 24,2023

Tuvalu, a small island state in the Pacific, is facing disaster due to rising sea levels. The island nation's special envoy told DW there could be "total inundation" of the island within the century.

The low-lying Pacific island nation of Tuvalu is among the world's most vulnerable countries when it comes to the impacts of climate change, especially rising sea levels.

A senior delegation headed by special envoy Samuelu Laloniu is visiting Geneva, Copenhagen, Paris and Berlin, to meet with senior government officials, UN representatives and civil society, and discuss the urgent need for climate action.

The top envoy said his home is facing the threat of completely disappearing.

"We are grappling with the questions of statelessness, sovereignty, the risk of losing our way of life, our rights. I think there's a need for people to understand the human aspects, the human face of the climate crisis," Laloniu told DW's Leonie von Hammerstein.

Tuvalu – living with the reality of climate change

14:27  Fears of inundation within the century

Pacific islands face some of the starkest and most immediate risks related to climate change. According to the US Geological Survey, many Pacific islands have a maximum elevation of 3-5 meters.

A 2012 US National Climate Assessment gave global sea level rise scenarios which ranged from 0.2 meters to 2.0 meters by 2100, putting islands like Tuvalu firmly at risk.

"As atoll nations, time is not on our side — Total inundation within the century. And if we are serious about sea level rise, we have to address the problem at the source," Laloniu said, stressing, "fossil fuel is the greatest source of the climate crisis and sea level rise."

Laloniu said one of the immediate consequences of the threats facing islanders was that people were ultimately making the decision to leave.

"People are migrating. It's a private decision, it's not a policy of the government to even consider relocation. But clearly there are people migrating for various reasons — looking for education for their children. But certainly there are people migrating because they lost land due to coastal erosion. And in general, the uncertainty because of the impacts of climate change."

The government of Tuvalu was helping people improve their skills so that they could seek opportunities elsewhere.

Reclaiming land 'only viable option'

Land reclamation is one of the strategies the island nation is using to deal with rising sea levels.

"Our priority now is to build resilience and enhance our capacity to adapt," Laloniu said. He also highlighted the work being done to reclaim the coastal area as part of a Green Climate Fund Project.

"That project will add about 10% of the existing habitable land area," Laloniu said adding that in his opinion it was the only "viable option" remain on the island.

Climate change – Fiji is running out of time  01:58

"There are some other options we are taking in terms of resilience, but the most important now is where we can to raise the land and reclaim it," Laloniu said.

The envoy said the international community needed to know that islands Tuvalu face the very real possibility of losing territory, and highlighted the role Germany plays in climate talks.

"You have to talk to people who can make a difference. And Germany is certainly an important partner in this. And with the assistance we can get from Germany... it would be something for others to follow," Laloniu said.

Another key issue that the delegation is seeking to address is securing an agreement on permanent maritime borders regardless of whether there were changes to sea level.

"We have made our case clear, not only Tuvalu, but as a region, where we would rather have permanent baselines, maritime baselines, regardless of sea level rise. So those are discussions in the international legal forums, including the UN. We have asked our development partners, our friends, like Germany, to help us in the discussion."

Laloniu said a concrete demand the island is making is that countries keep to the 1.5 target according to the Paris Agreement which seeks to limit Earth's warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Edited by: Rebecca Staudenmaier

Target pulls some gay pride items, citing threats to employees

Issued on: 24/05/2023



Target pulled some products commemorating Gay Pride following an uproar by conservatives 

© JOE RAEDLE / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File


New York (AFP) – Big-box retailer Target said Wednesday it removed products to commemorate gay pride month, citing threats to employees in the wake of criticism by social conservatives.

The giant US chain, a smaller rival to Walmart, noted it has showcased rainbow-colored items and other fare celebrating Pride for more than a decade.

"Since introducing this year's collection, we've experienced threats impacting our team members' sense of safety and well-being while at work," Target said in a statement.

"Given these volatile circumstances, we are making adjustments to our plans, including removing items that have been at the center of the most significant confrontational behavior.

"Our focus now is on moving forward with our continuing commitment to the LGBTQIA+ community and standing with them as we celebrate Pride Month and throughout the year."

Conservative activists have filmed themselves at stores expressing outrage at "tuck friendly" swimsuits designed for transgender consumers.

They have blasted the company over Pride-labelled products made by British brand Abprallen, which unveiled a "We Belong Everywhere" messenger bag earlier this month designed for the chain.

Abprallen viewed the Target collaboration as an "opportunity to create something huge," the brand said on Instagram on May 9. "I wanted to ensure that any young people who saw Abprallen in Target would know that who they are is beautiful, purposeful, and worth expressing."

But Abprallen became criticized as "Satanic" on right-wing media after its designer posted a picture of a horned devil-like figure with the inscription, "Satan respects pronouns."

On Wednesday, no Abprallen products were available on Target's website.

California Governor Gavin Newsom slammed Target on Twitter for "selling out the LGBTQ+ community to extremists."

"There is a systematic attack on the gay community happening across the country," Newsom added.

Conservative talk-show host Matt Walsh called for a boycott of the brand, saying he was speaking for millions of Americans "who don't want the rainbow stuff vomited on them the moment they go into a store."

Walsh had also been a leading critic of Anheuser-Busch brand Bud Light, which came under fire from conservatives after it produced a personalized can for trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney.

Florida school curbs access to poem read at Biden inauguration

Issued on: 24/05/2023 

Poet Amanda Gorman speaks during the inauguration of President Joe Biden on January 20, 2021 -- her poem has been moved out of one library section for young children

 © ALEX WONG / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP

Miami (AFP) – A Florida school has restricted access for students to the poem "The Hill We Climb," read at President Joe Biden's inauguration before a live audience of nearly 34 million people, the poet says.

Amanda Gorman, just 22 when she read her work to widespread acclaim from the Capitol steps on January 21, 2021, said in a statement late Tuesday that she was "gutted" by the move to curb her work.

"Because of one parent's complaint, my inaugural poem, 'The Hill We Climb,' has been banned from an elementary school in Miami-Dade County, Florida," she posted on Twitter.

"Robbing children of the chance to find their voices in literature is a violation of their right to free thought and free speech," she said.

Governor Ron DeSantis, a right-wing hardliner who launched his bid for the Republican presidential nomination on Wednesday, has made a name by attacking what he calls "woke" culture. Measures include laws passed to curtail instruction on sex education and gender identity in schools and to eradicate diversity programs in state-funded universities.

Scores of books have been removed from the state's school library shelves in recent months, deemed inappropriate for children by conservative parents and school boards.

Gorman's poem was targeted by the school, the Bob Graham Education Center, after the mother of two students complained. The institution banned the poem in its elementary school, moving it to the library for children over 11.

The poem was a call for unity and hope in divided America, and Gorman's reading during the live television event, watched by an estimated 33.8 million people, made her a literary star -- all the more so because she is Black and was speaking in the wake of Donald Trump's polarizing presidency.

A copy of what Gorman said was the parent's complaint showed the parent objecting because the poem is "not educational and have indirectly hate messages."

Answering a question on the official form if the complainant was aware of professional reviews, the parent wrote, "I don't need it." She also said the aim of the poem, in her view, was to "cause confusion and indoctrinate students."

Asked about the incident, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden "was very proud to have her (Gorman) at his inauguration. Banning books is censorship -- period."

Gorman was the youngest poet ever to perform at a US presidential inauguration and also the first person to be named National Youth Poet Laureate.

News of the library restriction came a week after publisher Penguin Random House and writers' group PEN America filed a lawsuit against a Florida school district over the removal of books from public school libraries that address race and LGBTQ issues.

Pre-Hispanic aquaducts irrigate modern Peruvian crops

Carlos MANDUJANO
Wed, May 24, 2023 

The aqueduct system provides water for some 900 subsistence farming families

Built some 1,700 years ago by the pre-Hispanic Nazca people of Peru, an ingenious aqueduct system of wood and stone still provides farmers with water to this day.

The complex labyrinth of channels and pits up to 15 meters (49 feet) deep brings critical drinking and irrigation water from faraway mountains and rivers to about 900 subsistence farming families in the Nazca desert in southern Peru.

In an otherwise arid landscape, they grow potatoes, cotton, vegetables and fruit trees.

"It helps us to irrigate," said farmer Nicolas Quispe, 39, who waters his potatoes from the Nazca aqueduct system "thanks to the ancient farmers who had this advanced technology."

Families like his pay a yearly fee equivalent to about $32 for the supply.

Often hailed as a marvel of ancient hydraulic engineering, the aqueducts have been submitted by Peru to UNESCO for listing as a cultural heritage.

According to the UN body, until the aqueducts were built, the shortage of water in the Peruvian desert hindered human settlement in an area where rivers are dry for most of the year.

"The inhabitants of the Nasca culture managed to use the water from the underground water table through a technological innovation, formed by underground aqueducts that operated through a system of filtering galleries," the UNESCO website explains.

"It is a simple system apparently, but at the same time it is sophisticated."

The system can transport some of 18 to 20 liters of water per second, according to Peruvian authorities.

The aqueducts, 42 in total, are believed to have been built by the same people responsible for Peru's famous Nazca lines -- a series of geometric and animal figures carved into the desert which can only be appreciated from the sky.

The function or meaning of the lines -- a World Heritage Site since 1994 -- remain unclear. Some believe they were for astronomical observation, others that they were part of a calendar.

As for the aqueducts, "we estimate that 29 are still in operation and thanks to this hydraulic system, as you can see, the entire valley is green," government archaeologist Abdul Yalli told AFP.

"This is a work of art, of architecture and of engineering," said Jorge Lopez-Doriga, a spokesman for the AJE Group multinational supporting local authorities in the upkeep of the aqueducts.

"These stone channels, which had required the removal of millions of tons of sand to build, continue to function," he added.

cm/ljc/pb/ltl/mlr/dw

Deal with 'shadow side' of sports, UN rights chief says after Vinicius abuse

AFP
Wed, May 24, 2023

Vinicius Junior was racially abused during Real Madrid's match against Valencia at the weekend

The United Nations rights chief decried Wednesday the racist attacks on Brazilian footballer Vinicius Junior during a match in Spain, urging concerted efforts to root racism out of sports.

"We are calling on all those organised sport events everywhere in the world to counter and combat and prevent racism," Volker Turk told reporters in Geneva.

His comments came after 22-year-old Real Madrid forward Vinicius was targeted with shouts of "monkey" from the stands during a match in Valencia on Sunday -- the latest in a series of racist attacks against him.

Turk said it was "a stark reminder of the prevalence of racism in sport".

He hailed the "very strong reaction from the authorities", pointing out that "they started arresting people very quickly afterwards".

"An investigation has to happen. It's clear that it's an affair that will preoccupy the judiciary."

He stressed, though, that "those who organise sports events take that issue very seriously".

Turk highlighted the many positive aspects of sports, for instance in building communities.

But, he said, "we need to deal with the shadow side as well."

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said he had asked his office to prepare a policy brief looking into the issue of racism in sports.

"We need to have a hard look at human rights and sports from a wide range of perspectives," he said.

"We want to put forward a number of clear ideas of human rights standards in sport events," he said, pointing to issues around participation, inclusion and "fighting stigmatisation, racism".

"We have seen discrimination on a wide range of issues, including gender discrimination and discrimination against LGBTI people as well who participate in sports events," Turk said.

It must be made absolutely clear, he said, that "racism is totally unacceptable".

He said everyone in society should think about how they act.

"Do I have bias?... How do I react when I see someone else making a racist slur?... Do I deal with it, do I respond to it?"

"We need to find ways and means to eradicate it entirely in the 21st century. It requires everyone to be onboard."

nl/rjm/bsp

Madrid supports Vinicius after racist abuse, global outrage continues

Issued on: 24/05/2023 - 

Madrid (AFP) – Vinicius Junior's Real Madrid team-mates showed him support after he was racially abused by wearing his number 20 shirt before their La Liga match against Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday.

The 22-year-old Brazilian winger was present at the Santiago Bernabeu although not part of the squad for the game because of a knee problem, and his colleagues applauded him as he watched from the side of the pitch.

Vinicius faced off with a supporter at Valencia's Mestalla stadium on Sunday after being abused during the match, and was later sent off for hitting Hugo Duro.

However the Spanish football federation's Competition Committee revoked his red card late Tuesday because some images from the VAR video were not shown to the referee who sent him off.

Valencia had the south stand of Mestalla shut for five matches as punishment for the racist abuse, which they said they will appeal against.

A banner in one stand read "We are all Vinicius, enough already!" while players held up another message reading "Racists, out of football", as part of a joint campaign from the federation and La Liga.

After 20 minutes supporters around the stadium chanted "Vini, Vini" and applauded, with Vinicius standing up and applauding them back, returning their support with a thumbs up.

The Brazilian winger watched the game from Madrid's presidential box, alongside chief Florentino Perez.

Vinicius may return to action for Madrid on Saturday when Los Blancos visit Europa League finalists Sevilla.

Condemnation

Sports personalities and government figures across the world continued to show their support to Vinicius.

The United States condemned the racists chants made against Vinicius, labelling them "horrific".

"I saw the chants directed at Vinicius Junior. They were obviously horrific," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.

"I know that Spanish authorities, I believe, have taken action against them," he said.

"We condemn racism around the world wherever it takes place, including in sports, and applaud any efforts to ferret it out and fight against it."

Three youths were arrested over the episode in Valencia and four men were arrested in Madrid both on Tuesday after an effigy of Vinicius was hung from a bridge in January.

Earlier on the United Nations rights chief criticised the attacks on the Brazilian star.

"We are calling on all those organised sport events everywhere in the world to counter and combat and prevent racism," Volker Turk told reporters in Geneva.

England national team manager Gareth Southgate said he thought the incident might finally force change.

"It's a disgusting situation, I think it's so bad that actually it is going to force change," the coach told a news conference.

"It has taken a central story, not only in Europe but around the world, and it will force change.

"It is another example of what we are dealing with and another example of people burying their heads in the

Over one million people displaced in four months in Somalia: UN

Hillary ORINDE
Wed, May 24, 2023 

Somalia and its neighbours in the Horn of Africa including Ethiopia and Kenya have been suffering the worst drought in four decades

More than a million Somalis have been displaced within their own country in just over four months through a "toxic" mix of drought, conflict and floods, humanitarian agencies said Wednesday.

Around 433,000 people were forced from their homes between January 1 and May 10 as a grinding Islamist insurgency raged and clashes broke out in the breakaway Somaliland region, the UN refugee agency UNHCR and Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said.

in addition, "over 408,000 people were displaced by floods sweeping across their villages and another 312,000 people were displaced by ravaging drought," they said in a joint statement.

Somalia and its neighbours in the Horn of Africa including Ethiopia and Kenya have been suffering the worst drought in four decades after five failed rainy seasons that have left millions of people in need and decimated crops and livestock.

UN chief Antonio Guterres and world governments are meeting in New York on Wednesday at a conference to seek funding of $7 billion to help those in need across the region.

Over 408,000 people have been displaced by floods in Somalia since the start of the year, the UNHCR and NRC say © Hassan Ali ELMI / AFP

At least 43.3 million people require lifesaving and life-sustaining assistance in the Horn of Africa, the UN humanitarian agency OCHA said last week.

The number of people displaced within Somalia's borders now stands at 3.8 million, with 6.7 million people struggling to find food, according to the UNHCR and NRC.

More than half a million children are severely malnourished, they added.

"These are alarming figures of some of the most vulnerable people forced to abandon the little that they had to head for the unknown," said Mohamed Abdi, the NRC's country director in Somalia.

"We can only fear the worst in the coming months as all the ingredients of this catastrophe are boiling in Somalia."

Most of the families have fled the Hiraan region in central Somalia and Gedo in the south of the country of 17 million people and are arriving in overcrowded urban areas, putting a strain on already stretched resources.

- 'Human tragedy' -

The agencies called for urgent and greater investment to combat the crises "otherwise we will never see the end of this unfolding human tragedy," said Magatte Guisse, UNHCR's representative in Somalia.

Currently, aid agencies have received only 22 percent of funding to meet their needs for Somalia this year.

Al-Qaeda linked Al-Shabaab jihadists have been fighting the fragile central government since 2007 and control parts of the countryside from where they have carried out numerous attacks both in Somalia and in neighbouring countries.

Meanwhile flash flooding has hit central Somalia since May after heavy rainfall sent water gushing into homes in Beledweyne town in Hiraan, submerging roads and buildings and killed 22 people.

The Horn of Africa has been scarred by protracted armed conflicts and climate disasters with the World Food Programme (WFP) warning on Wednesday that crises were far from over.

"The last three years of drought has left more than 23 million people across parts of Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia facing severe hunger," the WFP said in a statement, adding that it would take years for the region to recover.

OCHA said last week that while famine "has been prevented" in the region, the humanitarian emergency was not over.

ho/txw/ri

UN conference pledges $2.4 bn to head off Horn of Africa famine

United Nations (United States) (AFP) – A UN-backed conference raised $2.4 billion Wednesday to prevent famine in the Horn of Africa, which is reeling from its worst drought in decades as global temperatures rise.

Issued on: 24/05/2023 -

 

 

Meteorologists and aid agencies have warned of an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe in the Horn of Africa 

© EDUARDO SOTERAS / AFP/File

The money will provide life-saving assistance for nearly 32 million people across Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, the world body's humanitarian agency OCHA said in a statement.

"Famine has been averted, thanks in part to the tremendous efforts of local communities, humanitarian organizations and authorities, as well as the support of donors," OCHA said.

But the sum is considerably less than the $7 billion the United Nations says is needed to provide help to people affected by drought and conflict in the region.

"The emergency is far from over, and additional resources are urgently required to prevent a return to the worst-case scenario," OCHA added.

Since late 2020, countries in the Horn of Africa -- Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan -- have been suffering the region's worst drought in 40 years.

Five failed rainy seasons have left millions of people in need, decimated crops and killed millions of livestock.

More than 23.5 million people are enduring high levels of acute food insecurity in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, according to OCHA.

In Somalia alone, which is also in the throes of an Islamist insurgency, the number of people displaced from their homes now stands at 3.8 million, with 6.7 million people struggling to find food, according to figures from the UN and the Norwegian Refugee Council.

More than half a million children are severely malnourished, they added.

Deaths from hunger are on the rise in Africa because of droughts worsened by climate change and conflict, UN officials and scientists say.

The devastating drought in the Horn of Africa could not have occurred without the effects of greenhouse gas emissions, the World Weather Attribution (WWA) group, an international team of climate scientists, said in a report released in April.

At the opening of the donor's conference, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed for "an immediate and major injection of funding" to stop people from dying.
'We owe them solidarity'

"We must act now to prevent crisis from turning into catastrophe," he added, recalling that last year donor countries delivered vital help to 20 million people in the region and helped avert a famine.

Guterres said people in the region were "paying an unconscionable price for a climate crisis they did nothing to cause."

"We owe them solidarity. We owe them assistance. And we owe them a measure of hope for the future. This means immediate action to secure their survival.

"And it means sustained action to help communities across the Horn adapt and build resilience to climate change," he added.

OCHA said the funds pledged Wednesday would allow humanitarian agencies to sustain aid pipelines of food, water, health care, nutrition and protection services.

Joyce Msuya, the UN's deputy emergency relief coordinator, welcomed the pledge but added: "We must persist in pushing for stepped-up investments, especially to bolster the resilience of people already bearing the brunt of climate change."

U.S. gives nearly $524 million in drought aid to Horn of Africa

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield on Wednesday announced nearly $524 million in U.S. humanitarian aid to the Horn of Africa to help people struggling to find food and water in a drought across Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia. 

File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

May 24 (UPI) -- U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield on Wednesday announced nearly $524 million in drought aid for the Horn of Africa.

"When I visited Mogadishu in January, I heard firsthand how the drought impacted the food supply and the increased potential for famine," Thomas-Greenfield said in a statement. "While there, I announced over $40 million in additional funding from the United States to Somalia to save lives and meet humanitarian needs."

She said more than 23.5 million people are facing acute food insecurity, and that's why the United States is continuing to support humanitarian aid to the region.

In April, a multi-national group of scientists found that human-induced climate change is worsening the Horn of Africa drought.

RELATED Study: Human-caused climate change worsened Horn of Africa drought

The U.S. aid includes nearly $108 million from the State Department's Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration and over $416 million from the U.S. Agency for International Development.

With Wednesday's announcement, total U.S. aid to the region in 2023 will be more than $1.4 billion. The money will be used for lifesaving support for people in the Horn of Africa who have been affected by the drought, food insecurity, and conflict.

"A storm of crises has pushed millions across the Horn of Africa to the brink," Thomas-Greenfield said in a statement. "A long, protracted drought has exacerbated acute food insecurity. Recent flash floods have wiped out entire homes and livelihoods. And conflict in neighboring countries has also had a devastating impact on vulnerable populations, including internally displaced persons and refugees."

RELATED U.N. warns of catastrophic water shortage

Humanitarian groups in the region have launched a collective Humanitarian Response Plan calling for a cumulative total of $7 billion in assistance.

"We must act now to prevent crisis from turning into catastrophe," U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement. "Let us act together now -- with greater urgency and far greater support."

Thomas-Greenfield said the global community must heed that call.

RELATED Response to Africa drought criticized

She also called for building more sustainable and resilient food systems around the world to adapt to the effects of climate change.

Climate activists take centre stage as French films warn of eco-catastrophe

The Cannes Film Festival has always showcased politically engaged films and this year is no different, with a particular focus on the climate crisis. Two French films have won plaudits for their exploration of the issue – “Acid”, portraying a world racked by toxic rain, and “The Animal Kingdom”, in which a mysterious epidemic transforms people into animals. Amid the film screenings and red carpets, activists have been carrying out direct action to denounce the use of private planes and mega-yachts during the festival.

Issued on: 24/05/2023 - 

The promotional poster for the French film "Acide". © Pathé

Text by: David RICH

Just when they were about to take off from Cannes-Mandelieu airport on Saturday, the passengers on board a private jet had a strange encounter. They were on the runway when a remote-controlled car blocked their path, releasing a cloud of green smoke to stop the plane taking off. The French branch of environmental activist group Extinction Rebellion said they were responsible, adding that they wanted to highlight the “absurdity” of the super-rich lifestyle.

“Is it really the moment to burn gallons of petrol just to go on the red carpet for a few seconds? Stop the private jets,” the group said on Twitter.

“At a time when we must collectively and individually reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, the Cannes Film Festival is an indecent spectacle in which stars turn up in private jets and then go for a drink on a yacht,” the group said in a statement. There is a double standard that means the “working and middle classes” are asked to reduce their carbon footprint while “stars and billionaires” are exempt, it continued.

According to estimates by French Twitter account, “Mega Yacht CO2 Tracker”, which monitors the activity of luxury boats on the Croisette, one hour of use generates two tonnes of CO2 emissions – equivalent to almost a quarter of the average French person’s annual carbon footprint.

During the festival, environmental activists have been naming and shaming big polluters. After the criticism of Tom Cruise’s visit last year – when he arrived in a helicopter before a flyby of French jets accompanied the “Top Gun: Maverick” premiere – Harrison Ford has been the main target of climate activists' wrath.

Ford made an impassioned plea to act on climate change on TV station France 2 on Sunday, saying: “If we don’t move our ass now, we’re going to lose this planet!” – pointing the finger at climate change deniers.

But while the Hollywood icon received a rapturous standing ovation for “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”, Ford has come under fire for what many see as hypocrisy: He is an avid pilot who owns several private planes, and once said: “I’m so passionate about flying I often fly up the coast for a cheeseburger."

‘Greenwashing’?

Activists are not just accusing Hollywood royalty of hypocrisy. In 2021, the festival’s secretary general Thierry Frémaux and former president Pierre Lescure announced 12 new ecological measures aimed at drastically reducing plastic waste, switching to electric vehicles and encouraging recycling – including recycling the famous red carpet.

The Cannes Film Festival has also started financing ecological projects. But its flagship scheme, designed to protect a forest in Zimbabwe, was roundly criticised in an article by investigative website Disclose, published a few days before the current festival got under way – accusing the organisers of “greenwashing”.

A special selection of films entitled “Cannes for the Climate” was set up in 2021 as a way of "embodying" the festival’s commitment to tackling climate change – including films about the extinction of species, a drought in Niger and young people’s commitment to the environment.

But over the last two years, climate issues have been less prominent at Cannes.

There are, however, two big exceptions at this year’s festival. Thomas Cailley’s “The Animal Kingdom” plunges characters played by Romain Duris and Adèle Exarchopoulos into a dystopian world where a mysterious epidemic causes animal mutations in humans, transforming some of them into other species. The film’s environmentally friendly production methods earned it on Sunday the Ecoprod Prize for the festival’s most ecologically responsible film.

“Acid”, meanwhile, is a disturbing sci-fi work that forcefully conveys – and magnifies – people's rising climate anxiety.

Not every character has the same perspective. “It’s the end of the world every other day,” says Michael, played by Guillaume Canet, as he turns off the news. This sparks an argument with his daughter – who is far less sanguine about what is going to happen. But, at this stage, people’s different states of mind are of little importance, because the acid rain will spare no one


This article was translated from the original in French.

CANNES

Japan's Takeshi Kitano returns with 'queer' warlord epic
AFP
Wed, May 24, 2023

Kitano said he avoided Kurosawa's films so as not to be too influenced

Cult Japanese director Takeshi Kitano has returned after more than a decade, premiering his new film at Cannes -- a bloody quest for power punctuated by love between warriors.

"Kubi", showing out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival, is an epic account of feudal Japan reminiscent of Akira Kurosawa's classic "The Seven Samurai".

It has been 13 years since Kitano's last film, "Outrage", but the 76-year-old is never short of work. In Japan, he is best known as a comedian and TV host, and is also an accomplished writer and painter.

Abroad he is primarily known for his award-winning films as actor and director, starring in 2000's "Battle Royale".

He returned to the French Riviera this week with what could be his last feature film, set in the 16th century with a warlord seeking to unite Japan.

When one of his generals rebels against him, the other warlords embark on a manhunt in the hope of earning their stripes.

But there is also an unexpected focus on the love affairs between warriors.

"Japanese historical films rarely evoke the question of male homosexuality," whereas it "was common at that time", Kitano told AFP.

It's budget -- around $11 million -- is large by Japanese standards and Kitano's biggest to date.

From the first minutes, it sets the tone with an monumental battle full of beheadings and squirting blood -- not unfamiliar from a director known for violent films about the yakuza, or Japanese mafia, in film films like "Hana-bi", which won the Golden Lion in Venice in 1997.

Despite the codes of honour and internal power struggles, Kitano refuses to make a comparison with the yakuza.

"The word 'violent' can be used for these two eras but it has a totally different meaning," he said.

Kitano wrote a synopsis for "Kubi" 30 years ago at the very beginning of his directing career.

But the project only came together in 2019 when he published a novel of the same name.

Did he fear comparisons with Kurosawa -- one of Kitano's heroes.

"I tried not to watch the battle scenes in Kurosawa's films to avoid them influencing me," he admitted.

mch-etb/er/bp

WOMAN, LIFE, FREEDOM

Grave of Mahsa Amini vandalised in Iran: lawyer

Amini, 22, died in September after being arrested by Tehran's morality police for purportedly flouting the strict dress rules - John MACDOUGALL
Agence France-Presse

May 24, 2023 — Paris (AFP)

The grave of Mahsa Amini, the young Iranian Kurdish woman whose death sparked a protest movement that rattled Iran's clerical leadership, has been vandalised, according to activists and the family lawyer.

Amini, 22, died in September after being arrested by Tehran's morality police for purportedly flouting the strict dress rules for women in the Islamic republic.

The protests that began after her death challenged the Islamic system that has ruled Iran since the 1979 revolution. They have weakened in amplitude over the last months but actions still continue.

Amini, who had been visiting Tehran with her family, is buried in her hometown of Saqez in Iran's Kurdistan province with activists alleging the authorities are determined to prevent any public rallying around it.

The France-based Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) said that the grave, which features her Kurdish name Zhina in large Persian letters, had been attacked on the morning of May 21.

Images published on social media, said to be from the Instagram account of her brother Ashkan, showed that the glass protecting a portrait of Amini at the head of the tombstone had shattered.

"Sadly, on Sunday morning, people who are already known to us, and who have done the same things in the past, attacked the grave of Zhina Mahsa Amini," the family's lawyer Saleh Nikbakht said in a statement published by KHRN.

He did not specify who these individuals were, while adding the authorities had previously intervened to prevent the construction of a protective canopy over the grave.

"So the glass of your tombstone also bothers them? Let them break it a thousand times, we will make it again, let's see who gets tired," Ashkan Amini said in his social media post.

Amini's family and supporters maintain she was killed by a blow to the head while in police custody although the authorities have so far insisted her death was caused by a heart attack brought on by previous ill health.

Activists accuse the authorities of suppressing the protests with a crackdown that has left over 500 dead, according to Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights.

Iran has also hanged seven men in protest-related cases in what campaigners describe as a deliberate policy to create a climate of fear thorough capital punishment.

Amnesty International warned this week another seven men are at risk of being executed in connection with the protests.

Read more: https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2023/05/grave-mahsa-amini-vandalised-iran-lawyer#ixzz82fm5MPxr