SOUTH AFRIKA

Boesak declares 2024 ‘a year of evil’ and calls for justice and renewal


01 January 2025 - 

By PHILANI NOMBEMBE

Chairperson of the Walter & Albertina Sisulu Foundation for Social Justice Dr Allan Boesak declares 2024 ‘a year of evil’ and calls for justice and renewal
Image: Fredlin Adriaan


Reverend Allan Boesak, chairperson of the Walter and Albertina Sisulu Foundation for Social Justice, has described 2024 as a year dominated by the reign of evil.

The struggle stalwart also laid into governments — dismissing them as hypocritical and “heartless”. He said there were also reports of civil war in Zimbabwe in his “New Year’s Blessing” message.

“It is by God's grace only that we may enter this New Year that lies ahead, knowing that so much evil reigned in 2024,” the message reads.

“This year will certainly see ongoing genocide in Gaza and Palestine, continued war in Lebanon, yet unseen misery in Syria, Sudan, Somalia, and the DRC. I am grateful that so many of us, despite the hypocrisy and heartlessness of those who rule us, have remained so faithful in our solidarity, especially with the Palestinian people.

“It is certain that the carnage has not stopped and that the unimaginable evil is still breathing hell and destruction over God's children there. We will not stop until that evil is no more. That is certain. It is also certain that Southern Africa is a target, with civil war in Mozambique, and rumours of war in Zimbabwe. Our work for peace everywhere on earth must continue.”

The message is peppered with parallels from the bible.

“Again it is certain that the empire is crumbling, even, as the Book of Revelation tells us that as the beast, conquered, falls to the earth, dying, its tail sweeps away a third of the stars, doing as much damage as it can while going down. But this is certain: it is going to perdition. We shall walk among its ruins and know that the judgments of the Lord are altogether just.”

Boesak said SA is set to see “new levels of inequalities and renewed efforts to deepen and cover up the corruption that is such a canker in our body politics”.

“They cannot survive without it. Not for one day. So we shall continue to demand transparency, accountability as well as judgment — on Marikana, Sealed CR17 documents, Phala Phala and Procurement of IPPs, and on everything else that brings us so much shame in our country.”

A recap of the biggest news of 2024

The government of national unity (GNU) was not spared.

“It is certain that under this GNU, the chasms that divide us will widen, and the hatred for the poor and vulnerable will grow deeper because the very nature and policies of this government, and the rapaciousness of the capitalist class who own it, make it inevitable as some are busy managing poverty, while others managing wealth,” Boesak said in the message.

“Of course, it is certain that violence in all its forms, from gender-based violence, political gender-based violence to cycles of impoverishment, and to the deprivation of opportunities for our children will rise, because the law and the constitution serve the interests of the rich and powerful, protecting corruption on the politically connected cults, greed, and unaccountability, instead of preserving justice by protecting the truthful, the compassionate and the powerless.

“Hypocrisy is walking hand in hand with mediocrity and misery and suffering for our people remain a bitter guarantee.”

Boesak warned that “new struggles lie ahead”.

But this is true: it is as certain that we are a people in whose veins flows the blood of generations who knew how to respond when there was something noble to fight for, when we understood what, and how much, was at stake,” the message reads.

“The uncertainties of 2024 brought on by the unexpected of 2024 are no longer uncertain. The enemy is no longer unknown. We know there is much to fight for, and we know what it is. We also know that we are not alone. Something extraordinary is happening in Africa.

“Our continent is waking up, and the eyes that are opening are young, filled with the youthful fire of belief and determination. In West Africa, young leaders are turning the unfulfilled dreams of a previous generation into serious and exciting political realities, and are we hearing new sounds from younger lips in Kenya, Botswana, Senegal, and even Ghana, Ivory Coast and Gabon?”

TimesLIVE

Swiss ‘Burqa Ban’: Why Face Covering Is Prohibited In Switzerland Beginning January 1

The ban came about after a referendum held in 2021, in which Swiss citizens narrowly voted in favor of prohibiting face coverings in public, including the burqa and niqab worn by some Muslim women. The final tally was 51.2 percent in favor versus 48.8 percent opposed.

Outlook Web Desk
Updated on: 1 January 2025

Representative image

In Switzerland, the law prohibiting facial coverings has officially come into effect beginning January 1, 2025. The law known as the “burqa ban,” restricts face covering in public – including wearing the burqa or niqab which is commonly worn by Muslim women. Those who violate this law will be charged with fines of up to 1,000 Swiss francs (Rs 94,651.06).

What is exactly banned under this new law?

The new law specifically bans the covering of the nose, mouth, and eyes in both public spaces and private buildings accessible to the public. However, there are some exceptions – the ban does not apply to facial coverings worn for health reasons, such as medical masks or during cold weather; and coverings are permitted in places of worship, for artistic performances, or in advertising.

The ban also makes room for personal protection in cases where face covering is necessary for freedom of expression or assembly, as long as public order is maintained, and the responsible authorities approve such instances.

The facial coverings, notably, are still allowed on planes and in diplomatic or consular premises, as well as in certain sacred sites.

ALSO READ| The Shadow of Burqas

Why did Switzerland ban face coverings?

The ban came about after a referendum held in 2021, in which Swiss citizens narrowly voted in favor of prohibiting face coverings in public, including the burqa and niqab worn by some Muslim women. The final tally was 51.2 percent in favor versus 48.8 percent opposed.

The proposal was proposed by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP), which campaigned with slogans such as “Stop extremism.” Although the proposal did not explicitly target Islam, it has been widely perceived as a response to Islamic face coverings.

The Swiss government itself opposed the ban, arguing that it was not the role of the state to dictate what individuals, especially women, wear.

The ban's primary objective is to address what proponents argue is a symbol of extremism and a potential security risk.

Controversy over the ban proposal

Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have sharply criticized the measure. Amnesty called the ban “a dangerous policy that violates women’s rights, including their right to freedom of expression and religion.” Critics argue that the ban disproportionately affects Muslim women, many of whom choose to wear the niqab or burqa as an expression of faith or personal conviction.

ALSO READ| If You Want To Ban Burqa Then 'Ghunghat' Should Go Too: Javed Akhtar

Research from the University of Lucerne revealed that the actual number of women in Switzerland who wear the burqa is negligible, with around 30 women reported to wear the niqab. Muslims make up about 5 percent of Switzerland’s population of 8.6 million, with the majority of Muslim residents hailing from countries like Turkey, Bosnia, and Kosovo.

Despite the relatively low number of people directly affected, the law's passage has ignited a broader debate about religious freedom, the rights of women, and cultural integration in the country.

DJ Diplo admits to ‘tripping’ on LSD during CNN's New Year's Eve live, leaves Andy Cohen, Anderson Cooper shocked

By Arya Vaishnavi

HINDUSTAN TIMES
Jan 01, 2025 


Diplo admitted to being high on LSD while appearing on CNN's New Year's Eve special live broadcast

Diplo made a shocking confession during his appearance on CNN's New Year's Eve special live broadcast. While on-air with hosts Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper, the DJ admitted to being high on LSD “right now.” The 46-year-old's revelation left both anchors in disbelief as he assured them he was “tripping” at the moment.

Diplo admitted to being high on LSD while appearing on CNN's New Year's Eve special live broadcast(X)

The music producer, whose real name is Thomas Wesley Pentz, appeared as one of the guests on the network's New Year’s Eve Live With Andy Cohen & Anderson Cooper Tuesday. When asked by the 56-year-old talk show host, “What’s the most conventional place that you’ve done LSD?” Diplo laughed and said, “Right now. I did some on the helicopter on the way here.”

As the reporters were left stunned, Diplo assured them that it was the truth. “I'm not even lying,” he said as Cooper instantly broke down laughing. Meanwhile, Cohen, while still in disbelief, asked the DJ, “You're tripping right now?” To which the music mogul casually said, “Yeah.”

Diplo pointed out that it was more of a “light trip” as he was “microdosing,” adding that he “might have macrodosed earlier” in the day. Following the hilariously shocking interview, the 57-year-old broadcaster expressed his admiration for the DJ.

“I wish I was Diplo, I’ve got to say. I just think he has a fun, cool lifestyle. Can you imagine his lifestyle? ‘I’m Diplo. I do things,'” Cooper said. Cohen then asked his co-host if he follows the DJ on Instagram. The broadcaster said while he did not, he would definitely start to.

“I'm absolutely going to start,” Cooper said of following Diplo on Instagram. “I mean… I feel bad about my own boring life compared to Diplo's,” he continued, adding, “He's got helicopters, and he's like doing things. He did like four shots while we were talking.”

Marble Extractivism and “Art-Washing”: Building Alliances in Massa-Carrara, Italy

By Athamanta, Academy of Democratic Modernity 

January 1, 2025

Source: Academy of Democratic Modernity



The marble extraction basin of the Province of Massa-Carrara in Italy is known for being a symbol of history, art and culture. It is the place from which Michelangelo obtained the raw material for his statues, in the sixteenth century. But, it is also a place of environmental devastation. The Apuan Alps, where the mining is happening, are hiding one of the longest lived and least discussed stories of extractivism in Italy. The marble industry has had devastating consequences on the unique richness of the Apuan Alps where marble has been mined non-stop since the first century BC. Throughout this entire period the mountains have hosted the most important water basin in Tuscany and an incredible degree of biodiversity. Massa-Carrara is emblematic of how exploitation by human beings is linked to the subordination and subjugation of nature through the ruthless appropriation and exploitation of its resources.

But Massa-Carrara is also a place of historic resistance, of workers and partisan struggles, and today, of ecological struggles against this destruction of nature. In this interview, members of the ecological movement “Athamanta” explain the background of their struggle, the historic roots of marble extraction and how patriarchal myths shaped its identity. They also highlight the importance of bringing together ecological and workers’ movements, and how the perspective of Democratic Confederalism inspires them to strengthen women’s organization, and to fight for a democratic and ecological society.

Can you introduce your collective “Athamanta”?

Athamanta is a floral plant of the Apiaceae family. It is one of the many endemic species that live in these unique alpine territories, set between the sea and the mountains. This flower is the inspiration of our group’s name as we forge a collective path of struggle against the systemic hoarding of the earth’s wealth by large private interests, national or foreign, at the expense of local communities and their territory, that in the province of Massa-Carrara historically takes the form of the extractivism of its famous white marble. Athamanta defines itself as a path of self-training and action that deals with the issue of extractivism in the Apuan territory. Between 2019 and 2020, a renewed ecological consciousness has prompted us to reopen the debate around, what seemed to us, the most obvious contradiction that crosses our territory; the mining practice that has defined the identity of the area for more than 2000 years. At the beginning of 2020, we discovered a huge drawing of Michelangelo’s David painted on the walls of the quarry. This was a blatant instance of art-washing by the quarrying company as they attempted to both valorise the quarry in terms of image and evade the costs of securing the quarry wall, claiming that they did not want to risk damaging the “artwork”. The emerging movement against extractivism then wrote an open letter to the citizens to denounce the great social problems arising from the marble industry and took an action sanctioning David with a banner that says “Devastation is not art”. So Athamanta was born.

What was your main demand when you started your movement, and how did you connect it to other social struggles?

“Stop the devastation in the Apuan Alps and everywhere” was the slogan with which we started the first phase of the movement that corresponded to the need to “deprovincialize” the struggle in the Apuan Alps and get out of the strictly local context. After a few years the process of organization has produced new slogans such as “The mountains do not grow back, we stop extractivism in Apuane and everywhere”. Using the term “extractivism” as a key word has represented a great theoretical and political advance, for the fact of having spread through the struggle a new understanding of reality in the society of Carrara: that extractivism and extractive activity are not the same thing, that extractivism is a capitalist system of devastation of nature and communities based on the principles of industrialism and that the problem is not the mining activity itself, but the capitalist system based on profit.

What is the social impact of industrialism on the community and on the territory?

The first attack is on the level of mentality and imagination. Common phrases such as “Carrara the capital of marble”, “Carrara is marble”, “the heroic craft of the quarry”, “Michelangelo’s quarries” are based mainly on two ideas: that all local jobs depend on the extraction of marble and that the extraction of marble is used for art. As for the first question, although there is a deep conviction that the marble system gives work to the whole city, in reality jobs are decreasing, with less than a thousand jobs upstream and less than three thousand on the floor, compared to a 30% increase in excavation. As for the second argument, the idea of production for art is also a false myth. 80% of the marble extracted everyday ends up in the highly profitable calcium carbonate market, managed by a few large multinational companies such as OMYA.

How do you evaluate the role played by the state in the implementation of the marble industry?

Since Carrara is the epicenter of the marble system, the municipal governments that have followed each other over the years have always focused their policy on quarries under the pressure from industrialists. These policies have led to a progressive emptying of the city: today marble is the most important industrial sector, at the expense of all other productive spheres. At the same time, Carrara is integrated into a globalized industrial market and the percentage of matter that is treated on site is minimal. The extracted blocks go directly to the port and are then processed outside of Italy and the EU where labour is cheaper. The municipal governments do not want to invest in anything else, because in the past it has accumulated debts to build auxiliary infrastructure for the transport of marble, such as large tunnels. This has turned Carrara into one of the poorest municipalities in Italy, despite its great natural wealth. This is a very common pattern in Italy: the procurement system for building infrastructure is one of the sectors with the most important mafia-like alliances between state and capital. In the end, it is the industrialists who created the Marble Foundation who invest industrial profits into essential public works, such as roads and hospitals, that public administrations cannot guarantee, but on an arbitrary basis and not on the basis of the need of the society. This is a real blackmail of the community. With employment levels so low due to relocations, the centre of Carrara is desertifying. New forms of extraction through the tourist industry are emerging as industrialists attempt to enlarge profits, such as sightseeing tours in the mountains to see the caves and associated luxury hotels and restaurants.

Since the marble system, instead of generating wealth for society, produces only profits for industrialists and unemployment for citizens, how are you trying to bring together the ecological struggle and the workers movement?

The central point of this struggle is to avoid potential clashes between environmentalists and workers. This potential conflict is often used as a divisive tool by industrialists to break down social bonds between these groups for their own benefit. Bosses and industrialists often exploit and blackmail workers to shield themselves from the criticisms of environmentalists. We know that we must not fall into this error because the movement against extractivism is developing a new paradigm that sees the only real contradiction as the one between ecology and industrialism. In reference to this, the perspective of Democratic Confederalism was a great inspiration as a model to to build territorial defense movements and democratic social forms that have ecology as a fundamental pillar. Therefore, we started from a strategic alliance that binds the ecological authorities with those of the workers, who are part of the society that lives in Carrara and therefore suffer all the harmful effects of the system for which they work, such as high water bills to compensate for the cost of the purification of rivers. In fact, the processing of marble puts at risk the karst formation of the Apuan Alps, causing interruptions in the aquifers that contribute to feed the large water reserves that these mountains offer us. Byproducts of the quarrying process such as cutting dust and waste oils pollute the already compromised waterways that supply the villages. It is important therefore to understand that workers are not detached from society, are not a class separated from the rest of society, and must assume that the ecological struggles of society are also struggles of the workers. On the other hand, disputes may arise, such as the demand for a reduction in working hours on equal pay, which open up opportunities for solidarity outside the world of work, which can be a key to winning specific union struggles such as turning the workweek of workers into two days of work in the quarry and three days of work to arrange and care for the mountainsides. It is a question of developing a dialectic dynamic of transformation in a more ecological and social sense.

Historically, have there been other resistance movements against the marble system?

Between the late nineteenth and early twentieth century there were 20,000 miners in the quarry who were organised in large struggles characterized by libertarian and anarchist syndicalism. Carrara boasts of being the first place in Europe where workers successfully won the right to a 6-hour workday with travel time included. These great social achievements happened via a well organised large mass labour movement. This phase of the early twentieth century has marked the identity of the quarry and the territory of Carrara as the cradle of Italian anarchism. There is a historical and political link with a very radical ideology of struggle, but today the anarchist identity of the quarrymen is affected by the ideology of industrialism, which is grafted on the historical patriarchal representation of the quarry, and feeds a working ideology among the quarrymen who want to keep their privileges as “working class bourgeoisie” and protect a profitable job from the progressive automation of production, received by a long chain of transmission of the craft from father to son.

Where does this patriarchal image of the quarrymen come from and what is its relationship with the idea of the domination of nature that the quarry activity brings with it?

Marble excavation has been done here for more than two thousand years, since the times of the Romans who first began to dig and bring marble out of the peninsula by sea, through the port of Luni. Over two millennia the work of the quarry has certainly changed, but not so radically as in the last hundred years. The historical imagination views the quarryman as a heroic profession: it is a deeply rooted myth of a man who fights against the mountain, which persists to the present day. In fact, until fifty years ago the extraction and transport of marble downstream was based on methods that were physically exhausting for the workers. It was a very long and dangerous job requiring large amounts of manual labour. It was hard, miserable work with very frequent accidents fuelling the myth of the quarryman as a heroic figure fighting against the mountain for his own survival. Living conditions were also poor with workers often not even returning home during their workweek merely sleeping in shelters near the mining site.

So what role do women play in the struggle?

Marble is a historically male theme: the quarryman is traditionally a man, the hero who sacrifices his life to bring bread home. He is a patriarchal figure, so the woman in this picture does not find her space. As a movement against extractivism we come from a variety of organisational backgrounds, but the perspective of Democratic Confederalism allows us to develop the principle of women’s autonomy. We tried to bring the theme of women’s liberation into the struggle, but in the quarries women are not there and we saw it during the strikes when the relationship between militant women and workers is often complex. Nevertheless, thanks to the autonomous organization in the movement, women are many, aware and proud to embody a strong and self-determined model of womanhood. In fact, the story of the figure of the woman in Apuane should be more investigated because it is a more complex figure than the stereotype of the classical woman. In the common understand women are not viewed as merely submissive figures as there have been important episodes in history in which women have had a vanguard role; such as the revolt of Piazza delle Erbe in Carrara, whose protagonists were exclusively women. It is July 7, 1944, near Carrara passes the Gothic line, the Germans are close to retreating, the tension is very high and the Nazis order the evacuation of the city to prevent it from being liberated by partisans. The women of Carrara gathered under the pretext of the market are secretly organizing themselves: in the market square, on July 7, they spilled their baskets on the ground triggering a riot and starting the city revolt. They were neither runners nor partisans, but women of society tired of the roundups and the Nazi-Fascist presence. This makes it clear that the partisan story is very heartfelt even if it has always been told from the point of view of the male partisan, but the women were much more present, not only as runners or as companions who followed their boyfriends in the mountains, but as guerrillas who took up the rifle and climbed the mountains.

Can you tell us about some other resistance struggle in the Apuan Alps?

Yes, we said that during the Second World War the partisan struggle was very strong because the Gothic line passed through the Apuan Alps. This territory had undergone eight months of raids in retaliation against the large partisan presence that was hampering the retreat of the Nazi-Fascist forces. This story finds parallels with the resistance of the Ligurian-Apuan tribes that faced the Roman advance Northwards towards modern-day France. Repulsed after the first attempts of incursion into the territory, after two hundred years of struggling to defeat the local populations in the mountains the Romans managed to achieve their victory only by clearing a large marshland and the large-scale construction of new infrastructure. Many tribes of the Apuan peoples were deported to the area of Marche and Abruzzo where there are still similarities between the Apuan dialect and the Marche dialect. As you can see, the history of this territory is rich in stories and myths to be rediscovered in opposition to those of capitalist modernity to rediscover an identity of struggle necessary for the construction of an opposition to extractivism for a more ecological, fair and democratic society.

GENDER APARTHEID

UN condemns Taliban ban on Afghan women working at NGOs ‘deeply discriminatory decree’

An Afghan ministry warned NGOs operating in the region they would lose their licenses if they continued to employ women

The New Arab Staff & Agencies
01 January, 2025

The Taliban have banned Afghan women from working at NGO's [Getty]

UN human rights chief Volker Turk on Tuesday said Afghanistan's governing Taliban authorities must reverse their ban on Afghan women working for NGOs.

Since the Taliban's return to power in August 2021, women have been progressively erased from public spaces, prompting the United Nations to denounce the 'gender apartheid' the administration has established.

'I am deeply alarmed at the recent announcement by the de facto authorities in Afghanistan that non-governmental organisations' licences will be revoked if they continue to employ Afghan women. This is absolutely the wrong path being taken,' Turk said in a statement.

On Thursday, the Taliban's economy ministry wrote to ACBAR, the Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief and Development which brings together around 200 NGOs, telling them to comply with a decree issued two years ago which bars them from employing Afghan women.

'A follow-up circular has been issued to stop the work of female employees in domestic and foreign non-governmental institutions. In case of non-cooperation, all activities of the offending institution will be suspended and the operation licence they had received from this ministry will be cancelled,' it said.

On Sunday, ACBAR met with the ministry and said afterwards that female workers in health and education would be exempt and those working online could continue as normal.

'The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan remains dire, with more than half the population living in poverty. NGOs play a vital role in providing critical life-saving assistance - to Afghan women, men, girls and boys - and this measure will directly impact the ability of the population to receive humanitarian aid,' said Turk.

'I once again urge the de facto authorities in Afghanistan to revoke this deeply discriminatory decree, and all other measures which seek to eradicate women and girls' access to education, work and public services, including healthcare, and that restrict their freedom of movement.

'No country can progress - politically, economically or socially - while excluding half of its population from public life.

'For the future of Afghanistan, the de facto authorities must change course.'

Taliban authorities have banned post-primary education for girls and women, restricted employment and blocked access to parks and other public places.

A recent law prohibits women from singing or reciting poetry in public under the Taliban government's ultra-strict application of Islamic law. It also encourages them to 'veil' their voices and bodies outside the home.

Some local radio and television stations have also stopped broadcasting female voices.

The Taliban administration claims that Islamic law 'guarantees' the rights of Afghan men and women.

 

Xi Jinping's New Year address focuses on prosperity and unity

01 January 2025

HEKSINKI TIMES

On New Year’s Eve, Xi Jinping, President of China, delivered his annual New Year address from Beijing, reflecting on a transformative 2024 and outlining priorities for the year ahead. Speaking from his office, Xi described the past year as “extraordinary,” marked by significant progress in Chinese modernisation and social development.

Xi highlighted economic resilience and growth, with China’s GDP expected to exceed 130 trillion yuan.

Grain output surpassed 700 million tonnes, ensuring food security for the population. Advances in regional development and urban-rural integration were noted as key milestones.

Significant strides were made in technology, including breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, integrated circuits, and quantum communications. For the first time, over 10 million new energy vehicles were produced in a single year, reflecting the shift towards green development.

Addressing social welfare, Xi detailed measures implemented to improve living standards. Renovations of over 50,000 urban residential communities commenced in 2024, benefiting millions. A multi-billion-yuan consumer goods trade-in programme, combined with reduced mortgage rates, aided 50 million households. Nationwide per capita disposable income rose by 5.2% in the first three quarters, reaching 30,941 yuan.

The government allocated 300 million yuan to elderly meal assistance programmes, while 358,000 in-home care beds were installed to support the ageing population, which now comprises over 20% of citizens aged 60 and above. Pension increases and expanded cross-province medical settlement also eased burdens on families.

Xi reaffirmed that “ensuring a happy life for our people” remains a central priority. He emphasised addressing public concerns about jobs, healthcare, and education as vital goals.

On the international stage, Xi characterised China as a “responsible major country” promoting global governance reform and fostering cooperation within the Global South.

China’s diplomatic engagements expanded, with its major trading partners increasing from 140 to over 150 nations. The introduction of 240-hour transit visa exemptions for 54 countries further facilitated international exchanges.

At the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, China committed to ten partnership actions over three years to advance African modernisation. Relations with Latin America, the Pacific Islands, and Arab states were also strengthened through cooperative frameworks in innovation, finance, and energy.

China played an active role in peace-building efforts, contributing to a UN Security Council ceasefire resolution in Gaza and launching the “Friends for Peace” initiative to address the Ukraine crisis. Xi reiterated China’s dedication to dialogue and consensus as a means to resolve global conflicts.

2024 marked the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Reflecting on this milestone, Xipraised the progress achieved since its establishment. He described China’s modernisation as rooted in its 5,000-year civilisation, underscoring reforms introduced at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party.

China also celebrated its achievements in sports and defence. At the Paris Olympics, Chinese athletes delivered their best performance in overseas Games. The navy and air force marked their 75th anniversaries, showcasing enhanced capabilities and morale.

Xi outlined plans for the final year of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan. High-quality development will remain a top priority, with a focus on economic resilience and technological self-reliance. The government aims to address challenges posed by external uncertainties and domestic structural transformations.

Social undertakings will be expanded, with promises to enhance education, elderly care, and job opportunities. Xireiterated that fulfilling the people’s aspirations for a better life is the government’s fundamental mission.

The address also reaffirmed China’s commitment to the “One Country, Two Systems” principle, ensuring stability in Hong Kong and Macao. On Taiwan, Xi emphasised the inseparable bond among Chinese people and the inevitability of reunification.

Closing his address, Xi called for solidarity across nations, urging cooperation to create a shared future for humanity. He emphasised the importance of overcoming estrangement and conflict in a rapidly changing world.

“Dreams and wishes may be far, but they can be fulfilled with dedicated pursuit,” Xi stated. He concluded with hopes for prosperity and harmony, extending New Year greetings to the people of China and the world.

 

HT

Poland takes helm of EU with pledge to counter Russian influence

Poland has pledged to make security a top priority during its six-month presidency of the European Union – focusing on ramping up defence, supporting Ukraine and strengthening sanctions against Russia.


RFI
Issued on: 01/01/2025 

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, right, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk reflect the stark divide in EU politics as Poland takes over the bloc's rotating presidency from Hungary. AP - Virginia Mayo

Warsaw, which took over the presidency from Hungary on 1 January, says it wants to "strengthen its position as one of the most important" EU states by addressing key issues like the economy, energy and food security.

Poland's tenure as president of the European Council is expected to bring a more conciliatory approach than its predecessor to a role that – although lacking in real power – is seen as a key driver of actions taken by the bloc.

The six-month role shifts leadership from Hungary – one of Moscow's closest EU allies – to one of its strongest critics.

Long bound together by strong cultural and diplomatic ties, Poland and Hungary have seen their European fortunes diverge dramatically in recent years.

Hungary’s controversial term

Under Hungary's ultra-nationalist prime minister, Viktor Orban, Budapest regularly found itself at loggerheads with Brussels.

Orban used the role to advance his own agenda, including a "peace mission" involving direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kyiv, and Beijing.

Although the EU likens the role of the presidency to "hosting a dinner" among the bloc's members, the job is not without punch.

The country in charge gets to chair meetings of the European Council, which comprises the governments of the 27 EU states, steer the agenda and steward negotiations.

Hungary managed most EU internal matters in conventional fashion, but it stalled the bloc's action on foreign policy – especially loans and military assistance for Ukraine.

While each EU country fights tooth-and-nail for its own interests, when they assume the EU presidency they are meant to take on a more neutral role.

Hungary's Orban clashes with EU leaders over Ukraine, migration policies

Poland’s priorities

During Poland's tenure, Prime Minister Donald Tusk is likely to oversee a return to the more traditional tasks of consensus building and compromise brokering.

The former EU chief has ended the fraught relationship between Brussels and Poland's previous nationalist government – boosting the country's already growing clout.

Since it joined the EU in 2004, Poland's economy has almost tripled, according to the Danish Institute for International Studies.

Russia threatens response as NATO partners send fighter jets to Ukraine

A staunch ally of Ukraine since Russia’s 2022 invasion, Poland has pledged to focus on defence and security during its term.

Warsaw currently spends over 4 percent of its GDP on defence – the highest in NATO – and plans to use its presidency to boost Europe’s defence industry, enhance sanctions on Russia and strengthen support for Ukraine.

Apart from security, no major decisions are expected over the next six months and a new European Commission – which plays a central role in preparing EU legislation – has only just been appointed.

The EU's security and foreign policy decisions require unanimity among all 27 states – and Hungary and Slovakia are unlikely to back stronger sanctions or increased military aid.

Despite its ambitions, Poland’s presidency may face domestic hurdles, with a presidential election scheduled for May.

There are concerns that internal politics could interfere with Poland's neutrality on the EU stage.

Blair was right to let in the Polish plumbers

by Denis MacShane| @denismacshane| @DenisMacShane


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There has been a nostalgic trip down the byways of the process that led to Brexit with the publication of Cabinet papers of 25 years ago. John Prescott and Jack Straw urged Tony Blair to impose a 7 year pause on freedom of movement after 2004, when Poland and other new member states joined Britain as full EU members. The Prime Minister disagreed and held his ground.

​I was Europe Minister at the time. There were indeed differences in Cabinet. Some of my fellow ministers were worried that the hate campaign in some of the press against the Poles, Romanians, Portuguese and others (who were working in Britain’s deregulated and unsupervised labour market) would produce a voters’ backlash.

​The Federation of Poles of Great Britain published a dossier of 100 hate headlines in the Daily Mail alone – “Polish killer”, “Rapist Pole”, “Polish swindler”. Long forgotten were the Polish Spitfire pilots, the heroes of Normandy, Monte Cassino and Arnhem. Instead, the paper drew a picture of unwanted and unwelcome Poles, just as it had for German-Jewish refugees in the 1930s.


​The argument was made, and has now resurfaced with the publication of Cabinet correspondence, indicating that Britain was alone in being willing to let Poles and other new EU citizens start work straight away.

​Nothing could be further from the truth. Germany in theory applied the 7 year transition period, but had been cute enough to adopt a new immigration law (Einwanderunggesetz) which permitted any German employers to hire workers from the new EU states if it was judged essential for the firm’s competitiveness and profits.

​France had always depended on immigrant workers for its heavy industries, agriculture and construction sectors. It hired new EU member state citizens as before.

​Many countries had agreements between Works Councils and management to agree on new hires which allowed hiring specialist workers as required. Unlike Britain, which had seen the run-down of apprenticeships under Tory governments after 1980, Continental economies insisted on employer-financed apprentice schemes to train future workers. In consequence they did not need to import skilled workers on the scale of the UK, which had shortages due to disinvesting in workplace training.

​Britain, especially in the construction and IT sectors, depended heavily on foreign arrivals. When I was an MP 25 years ago, nearly everyone working in the many restaurants and bars in Parliament were from abroad. The Commons couldn’t function without its bars, cafeterias and they rarely hired Brits for the very unsocial hours when MPs need refuelling.

​There was a political point as well. Blair and his government wanted to reinsert the UK as a leading player and decision taker in Europe. Margaret Thatcher had been an EU dominatrice – in the political sense of the word. She was also the Passionara for the Single Market, based on the abolition of national rules and regulations to create a giant single economic free trade area like the United States.

​No-one was keener to see the European Court of Justice overrule national laws if they were used to limit free trade and the abolition of frontiers. Tony Blair picked up that torch from Mrs Thatcher. But Labour was still full of the arguments against the “Common Market” from Labour’s 1960s and 1970s veterans. These included Tony Benn, Jack Straw, Robin Cook, Margaret Beckett, John Prescott, Peter Shore and a majority of Labour MPs who had been brought up to believe being in Europe was bad for Britain.

​A new generation under Blair, John Smith, Gordon Brown and Peter Mandelson, as well ex-MEPs who knew how the EU worked to Britain’s advantage, like Joyce Quinn or Geoff Hoon, persuaded Labour to drop its primitive Europhobia which still lingers even today.

​Blair was positioning himself against Paris and Berlin as leader of a new EU grouping including Spain and Portugal, Poland, Hungary and the Nordic states, who wanted a Europe-wide labour market. He also wanted to see Europe drop the primitive anti-Americanism, which often seemed to infect French positions on EU policy.

​For Blair to follow the advice of Labour veterans of anti-European posturing in the 1970s and 1980s was unlikely. I represented the Foreign Office on a Cabinet Committee with David Blunkett and was surprised at how positive a man from his Sheffield industrial working-class background was on the need for a free trade Europe. For Blunkett, this meant freedom to hire the best workers irrespective of passports.

​Every study showed that the new EU workers made a substantial net contribution in terms of value added or tax paid to the UK. But the rolling waves of media (and, let us be honest, often xenophobic) hostility to Europeans working in the UK from UKIP, the BNP and both Tory and Labour MPs was undoubtedly a major factor in the Brexit vote.

​The 7 year limit on fully opening Britain’s labour markets ended long before the Brexit vote. In other EU member states the far Right has risen independently of Europe’s flexible, partly open labour market. Had Prescott and Straw succeeded in their wish to delay for the full seven years before a complete opening of the UK labour applied, it would have made no difference to the Brexit vote in 2016. Britain’s economy grew rapidly during the Blair era, in part thanks to the early opening of the labour market to workers from Poland and the other new EU member states. It was the right decision then, just as closing those markets with Brexit was the wrong one.

Denis MacShane was Labour MP for Rotherham for 18 years and Minister for Europe under Tony Blair.

Migrants crossing Channel to UK in 2024 soar by 25 percent

REFUGEES AND ASYLUM SEEKERS

By AFP
PublishedJanuary 1, 2025


Migrants make the dangerous journey across the Channel on flimsy boats - Copyright AFP Omar AL-QATTAA
Marie HEUCLIN

The number of irregular migrants arriving in Britain on small boats soared in 2024, data showed Wednesday, piling pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to stem the dangerous Channel crossings.

Immigration, both irregular and regular, was a major issue at July’s general election, which brought Labour to power but also saw a breakthrough for Nigel Farage’s hard-right Reform UK party.

Some 36,816 people were detected in the Channel last year, a 25 percent increase from the 29,437 who arrived in 2023, provisional figures from the interior ministry showed.

The 2024 total, however, was still well below the record 45,774 undocumented migrants who arrived on the UK’s shores in flimsy inflatable boats in 2022.

At least 76 deaths were recorded in about 20 accidents last year, making it the deadliest year for migrants who are taking ever greater risks to evade Britain’s border control.

According to French officials, at least 5,800 people were rescued at sea last year and authorities prevented more than 870 attempted crossings.

Starmer has pledged to crack down on the crossings after his election win returned Labour to government after 14 years in opposition.

Upon entering office, he scrapped the previous Conservative government’s controversial scheme to send irregular migrants to Rwanda, branding it a “gimmick”.

Instead, he has promised to “smash the gangs” of people traffickers running the crossings and has signed a number of agreements with foreign countries to co-operate on law enforcement.

He has described the smuggling networks as a “global security threat similar to terrorism”.

The latest figures mean last year had the second highest number of annual arrivals since data on the crossings began to be collected in 2018. More than 150,000 people have arrived by boat in the last seven years in total.

In the first nine months of last year, Afghan migrants accounted for the single largest group of arrivals, making up 17 percent of the total. People from Vietnam, Iran and Syria were the next largest groups.

Vietnamese migrants appeared to fuel the surge in crossings in 2024. They made up just five percent of arrivals in 2023, well below the January-September 2024 figure of 13 percent.

– Brexit –

“It’s often not possible to pin down a specific reason,” for why the numbers fluctuate, Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory at Oxford University told AFP.

“The reason that brought numbers a bit higher this year is partly there was some increase in the first half of the year, and then we’ve seen this kind of sustained increase from October, November, December, which is usually when the numbers start to settle down because the weather’s not as good”.

More than 3,200 arrived in December alone, including several hundred over Christmas.

Starmer has also set up a new Border Security Command and strengthened cooperation with European partners, including Europol.

Britain has signed joint action plans with Germany and Iraq aimed at tackling the smuggling gangs. They build on earlier agreements signed under the previous Conservative government, including with France and Albania.

Starmer’s government also points to an increase in the return of irregular migrants to their countries of origin.

Some 29,000 people were returned between January and early December, a quarter more than in 2023, and a level not seen since 2017, according to the Migration Observatory.

“In terms of what the current government is doing, it’s too early to tell you know whether their approach is having an impact on the numbers,” said Sumption.

Starmer is also under pressure to reduce legal migration as he tries to fend off growing support for arch-Eurosceptic Farage’s hard-right Reform UK, which won roughly four million votes during the July 4 poll — an unprecedented haul for a far-right party.

Net legal migration is running at historically high levels, and was estimated at 728,000 for the year to June 2024.

The surge has come despite Britons being told during the 2016 Brexit referendum that leaving the European Union would allow the country to “take back control” of its borders.

Elon Musk urges Britons to ‘vote Reform’ as he steps up support for Nigel Farage’s party

Close ally and ‘first buddy’ of Donald Trump says ex-Ukip leader’s party is the UK’s ‘only hope’ just days after he reignited his feud with Keir Starmer and Labour

Kate Devlin
Whitehall Editor
Wednesday 01 January 2025 
Independent 

Elon Musk has described Reform as the UK’s “only hope” as he stepped up his public support for Nigel Farage’s party and urged Britons to vote for it.

The tycoon and close ally of Donald Trump is at the centre of rumours he is preparing to give the party up to $100m.

Before Christmas he met Mr Farage at the President elect’s Florida country club Mar-a-Lago, where the ex-Ukip leader said they discussed political tactics.

But in a new tweet he extolled the party, saying: “Vote Reform. It’s the only hope”.


Before Christmas, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, right, met Mr Musk, centre, amid rumours of a possible donation to either Mr Farage or Reform 

(Stuart Mitchell/Reform UK/PA) (PA Media)

Mr Farage has in the past criticised American political figures for their attempts at involvement in British politics.

He said that the then-president Barack Obama had “behaved disgracefully” by suggesting the UK would be “at the back of the queue” for a US trade deal if it voted for Brexit.

Mr Musk’s comment was in response to a social media post about the sexual exploitation of young girls by gangs in Rotherham.

It came just days after he stepped up his feud with Keir Starmer, by claiming that “very few” businesses want to invest in Britain under Labour.

The prime minister hit back, pointing to billions of pounds that have come into the UK since he took office.

Sir Keir previously clashed with Mr Musk in August when the billionaire claimed in a post on the X platform he owns that “civil war” was "inevitable" in Britain.

Mr Musk also hit out at the prime minister, calling him #twotierkeir, using the language of a right-wing conspiracy theory, which claims different types of protesters are treated differently by the police.

Were he to donate $100m to Reform UK the money would be by far the largest donation in British electoral history.

According to The Sunday Times, leading businessmen and Conservative Party officials believe that Mr Musk could hand over the cash as a “f*** you Starmer” payment.

Elon Musk is 'not taking the presidency'- Trump

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk with Donald Trump (AP)

Asked by ITV about the reports, Mr Musk denied he was planning to give $100m, but his response did not rule out a significant sum.

Asked if he was planning to give the upstart party what would amount to £80m, Mr Musk – who has been appointed by Mr Trump to lead a new government efficiency commission in the US – replied “No”.

Mr Farage has previously described Mr Musk as “very supportive”.

“He thinks that if Reform do well in the UK, we can bring about the same kind of change that he intends to do with Donald Trump in America,” the party leader said.

After the Florida meeting Mr Farage described the hour-long chat as “great”.

He and his new party Treasurer Nick Candy said money had not been mentioned but they had “learned a great deal about the Trump ground game” and would have “ongoing discussions” with Mr Musk.

They added: “We only have one more chance left to save the West and we can do great things together. Our thanks also to president Trump for allowing us to use Mar-a-Lago for this historic meeting. The special relationship is alive and well.”

In a picture shared on X of the meeting, the three men posed in front of a 1989 painting of Mr Trump called The Visionary (or The Entrepreneur).

American journalist Mark Bowden previously described it as of a “wide-shouldered, thin-hipped Donald, his youthful face eclipsing the sun itself, his skin glowing like the top floors of Trump Tower at sunset, the colour of warm bullion”.

Mr Musk is reported to have spent more than $250m (£197m) in his campaign to re-elect Mr Trump.