It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Thursday, November 28, 2024
By AFP
November 27, 2024
Bangui is linked to the sea via a long road to Cameroon's key Atlantic port of Douala - Copyright AFP GREG BAKER
Annela Niamolo
Soaring prices have left a bitter taste in shoppers’ mouths at a market in Bangui, as a strike by Cameroonian truckers accusing Russia’s infamous Wagner mercenaries of a recent murder cuts off the Central African Republic (CAR).
Among the poorest countries in the world, landlocked CAR is heavily dependent on imports, more than 40 percent of which came from neighbouring Cameroon in 2022, according to the International Trade Centre.
But Cameroonian hauliers have refused to continue supplying the CAR after what they claim was the “assassination” of a driver by Russia’s Wagner paramilitary group, active in the conflict-wracked country since 2018.
Taking place last week on the road to Bangui some 166 kilometres northeast of the capital, that shooting has left truckers fearing for their lives — and ordinary Centrafricans paying the price at the till.
“In the space of 24 hours, certain goods like sugar and oil, which we often buy for breakfast have risen far too fast,” Grace-a-Dieu Ndomoyando, 30, told AFP, before giving up on her shopping at Bangui’s Boy-Rab market.
Justifying her prices, shopkeeper Magloire Guerematchi said that since the Cameroonian truckers went on strike, “it is difficult or even impossible to find food”.
“If by chance we shopkeepers can find some it will be at a very exorbitant cost,” the 27-year-old said — and the price rises are not just affecting food.
A bar of soap that would have cost 5,500 CFA francs ($8.8) a few days ago can now fetch up to 6,350 CFA francs ($10.2).
“To make a profit, we have to reduce quantities and increase prices because we too must be able to support our families,” he said.
– ‘Fear for their safety’ –
Bangui is linked to the sea via a long road to Cameroon’s key Atlantic port of Douala.
But since the shooting was announced, drivers have parked their trucks at the Cameroonian border town of Garoua-Boulai, around 725 kilometres west of Bangui, refusing to go any further.
“The trucks are loaded but they are stopped,” Hamadou Djika, speaking for the alliance of Cameroonian hauliers’ unions, told AFP over the phone.
“They will not continue the journey into the Central African Republic because they fear for their safety,” Djika added.
After filing a strike notice last Friday, the truckers are calling for an investigation into the shooting in Bogoin on the Bangui-Douala axis, along with an agreement from the Cameroonian and Centrafrican states to guarantee their protection.
Centrafrican driver Maxime Molako, who regularly makes the trip between Bangui and Garoua-Boulai, said he “sympathises” with his striking Cameroonian counterparts.
“It is essential to find a balance that ensures the safety of all and allows for the smooth flow of good,” the trucker told AFP on the phone from Garoua-Boulai.
On Wednesday, the CAR’s foreign minister said the Centrafrican authorities were planning to “continue discussions” with their Cameroonian counterparts on the issue.
Speaking to the press, Sylvie Baipo-Temon assured an investigation was underway into the trucker’s death — but declined to comment on whether Russian mercenaries were involved.
Back behind his shop’s counter in Bangui, Guerematchi said the merchants “hope that this strike will not escalate”.
“Otherwise there will be several products that we can no longer offer, such as rice and oil,” the shopkeeper warned.
– Wagner at work –
The truckers’ strike is far from the first to hit the instability-plagued CAR, which has suffered a series of civil wars and coups since its independence from France in 1960.
In 2015, Centrafrican and Cameroonian hauliers stopped working in protest against attacks by armed groups in the CAR, with the country also experiencing shortages and price rises in response.
In 2021, a blockade imposed by rebel groups left several hundred trucks blocked at the Cameroonian border by 50 days. Although that did not cause severe shortages in Bangui, the price of basic commodities soared.
These increases bite especially hard in a country where 71 percent of its more than six million people live below the poverty line, according to the World Bank.
The CAR has been locked in its latest civil war since a Muslim-dominated armed coalition ousted former president Francois Bozize in 2013.
French intervention and the deployment of UN peacekeepers paved the way for elections in 2016, won by President Faustin-Archange Touadera.
Two years later, with rebel groups threatening to destabilise the country again, Touadera brought in hundreds of Wagner mercenaries from Russia to help train his armed forces.
Wagner has since helped the CAR army push a rebel alliance led by Bozize away from the capital, forcing the fighters back into their strongholds.
But the West had criticised Russia’s military involvement across Africa, with Wagner and its successor Africa Corps accused of human rights abuses.
The intensity of conflict has declined, but pockets of violence remain, with armed groups deploying small units to carry out raids on roads and mining sites.
PESTILENCE
Pandrug-resistant bacteria from the war in Ukraine are extremely pathogenic
Lund University in Sweden has previously reported on Kristian Riesbeck, professor of clinical bacteriology at Lund University and senior consultant, who was contacted by the Ukrainian microbiologist Oleksandr Nazarchuk for assistance in examining the degree of antibiotic resistance in bacteria from severely war-wounded and infected patients being treated in hospital.
Using samples from 141 war-wounded (133 adults wounded in the war and eight new-born babies with pneumonia) it could be shown that several bacteria types were resistant to broad-spectrum antibiotics and that six per cent of all samples were resistant to all the antibiotics that the researchers tested on them.
Now, the researchers have published an article in Journal of Infection, in which the researchers have gone on to examine whether Klebsiella pneumoniae* has the ability to cause disease in a wider context. Klebsiella can cause urinary tract infections, pneumonia, skin infections in wounds, and sepsis. The researchers used samples from 37 of the patients who had been previously shown to have resistant bacteria. The entire genome of the bacteria was sequenced to examine whether there were genes that can cause resistance.
“All the bacteria were shown to carry the genes that we know are associated with resistance. We saw that one quarter of them were resistant to all the available antimicrobial drugs on the market, these bacteria are said to have total resistance (pandrug-resistant). Infections caused by these bacteria become very difficult, or in some cases impossible, to treat with the medicines we have today,” says professor Riesbeck.
Pandrug-resistant bacteria are an extreme form of antibiotic resistance and a growing concern within healthcare.
The researchers were interested in finding out whether infection could be spread further via the bacteria taken from patients in Ukraine. To examine this, experiments were carried out in mice and insect larvae.
“It was shown that the bacteria types most resistant to antibiotics were also the ones that survived best in mice in connection with pneumonia. Similarly, these bacteria types were so aggressive that they killed the insect larvae considerably faster than the bacteria that were less resistant to antibiotics.”
Genetic sequencing showed that all Klebsiella bacteria with total resistance examined by the researchers carried the genes that make them more virulent.
“In many cases, bacteria lose their ability to infect and cause disease because all their energy is spent on being resistant to antibiotics. But we have perhaps underestimated bacteria: we saw that many of these bacteria types from Ukraine are equipped with genes that make them both resistant and virulent,” says Kristian Riesbeck.
According to professor Riesbeck, this means the bacteria that spread among the wounded in Ukraine will most likely continue to survive and cause problems.
“This is something that will not disappear over time. As long as the patients cannot be isolated and treated properly, the spread of infection will continue.”
Kristian Riesbeck considers the results are frightening, but not unexpected. This is what happens when the infrastructure of a healthcare system collapses. And it applies to Ukraine and other war-torn areas around the world.
“Even though these pandrug-resistant bacteria are fighting to survive our antibiotic treatments, they still have a complete set of genes that make them capable of causing disease. This is surprising for us all and unfortunately a worrying sign for the future.”
*Klebsiella pneumoniae is one of the leading bacterial causes of mortality globally. It is estimated that Klebsiella pneumoniae is responsible for about 20 per cent of all deaths attributable to antimicrobial resistance.
Fact: The article in Journal of Infection was led by Lund University and is a collaboration with colleagues from Ukraine, the EUCAST Laboratory in Växjö and Karolinska Institutet.
The research has been conducted with support from, among others, the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, Swedish Research Council, Swedish Heart Lung Foundation and ALF funding from Region Skåne.
Journal
Journal of Infection
Article Title
Pandrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from Ukrainian war victims are hypervirulent
Russia cements rule in occupied Ukrainian
regions through propaganda and violence
Issued on: 27/11/2024 -
Russia currently occupies about 18 percent of Ukraine's territory. Yet reliable information about what life is like there is hard to come by, since there is no longer any access for Ukrainian media. Nevertheless, various Ukrainian initiatives aim to shed light on what is happening in the occupied territories. The picture they paint is one of violent repression, propaganda and forced Russification. FRANCE 24’s correspondent Gulliver Cragg reports.
Almost a fifth of Ukraine's territory is occupied by Russia. Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have fled those areas and continue to do so, although the Russian authorities often try to prevent them, and the journey is a long and expensive one. Many residents remain, some acquiescent to Russian rule, others unwilling or unable to leave for a whole range of reasons. Not least because if they do, they are likely to lose their homes forever, as Russian soldiers or workers move in.
Reliable information about what life is like in the occupied territories is limited, as there is no access for Ukrainian media. In September, the last Ukrainian journalist to attempt to report from the occupied areas – Viktoria Roshchyna – died in Russian custody. Nevertheless, various Ukrainian initiatives aim to shed light on what is happening there, using sources on the ground (often via encrypted messaging services) and the testimonies of those who got out. The picture they paint is one of violent repression and forced Russification. Part of that has been the intensive development of new propaganda media in those areas.
As hopes of a swift military victory for Ukraine fade, and fears mount that the country could lose yet more territory, there is increasing speculation that Kyiv may leave Moscow in de facto control of the land it now occupies, in exchange for a ceasefire. A horrific prospect for many Ukrainians.
Danylo Mokryk’s film, which is featured in this report, was produced by The Kyiv Independent.
It is available to watch on Youtube with English or French subtitles.
By: Gulliver CRAGG
US President-elect Donald Trump named retired general Keith Kellogg as Ukraine and Russia envoy. Trump, pledging a swift resolution to the war, aims to mediate a ceasefire between Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky and Russia's Vladimir Putin.
Issued on: 28/11/2024
By: NEWS WIRES
US President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday named staunch loyalist and retired general Keith Kellogg as his Ukraine envoy, charged with ending the two-and-a-half-year Russian invasion.
Trump campaigned on a platform of ushering a swift end to the Ukraine war, boasting that he would quickly mediate a ceasefire deal between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
But his critics have warned that the incoming Republican will likely leverage US military aid to pressure Kyiv into an agreement that left it ceding occupied territory permanently or agreeing not to join NATO.
"I am very pleased to nominate General Keith Kellogg to serve as Assistant to the President and Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia," Trump said in a statement on social media.
"Keith has led a distinguished Military and Business career, including serving in highly sensitive National Security roles in my first Administration."
A fixture on the cable news circuit, the 80-year-old national security veteran co-authored a paper earlier this year calling for Washington to leverage military aid as a means of pushing for peace talks.
Ukraine has received almost $60 billion from Washington for its armed forces since Russia launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022, but with the more isolationist Trump taking over the White House, supporters fear the spigot will run dry.
"The United States would continue to arm Ukraine and strengthen its defenses to ensure Russia will make no further advances and will not attack again after a cease-fire or peace agreement," Kellogg's research paper for the Trumpist America First Policy Institute think tank said.
"Future American military aid, however, will require Ukraine to participate in peace talks with Russia."
Kellogg served in several positions during Trump's first term, including as chief of staff on the White House national security council and national security advisor to then-vice president Mike Pence.
Troop shortages
Kellogg told Voice of America at the Republican convention in July that Ukraine's options were "quite clear."
"If Ukraine doesn't want to negotiate, fine, but then accept the fact that you can have enormous losses in your cities and accept the fact that you will have your children killed, accept the fact that you don't have 130,000 dead, you will have 230,000-250,000," he said.
Trump's announcement came as the outgoing administration of Democrat Joe Biden was hosting a news conference to urge Ukraine to enlist more recruits by reducing the minimum age of conscription to 18 -- in line with the US benchmark.
Facing a much larger enemy with more advanced weapons and with stocks of volunteers dwindling, Ukraine is facing an "existential" recruitment crunch, a senior administration official told reporters.
"The simple truth is that Ukraine is not currently mobilising or training enough soldiers to replace their battlefield losses while keeping pace with Russia's growing military," said the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
He added that an additional 160,000 troops would be "on the low end" to fill out Ukraine's ranks -- but "a good start."
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby later clarified that the White House would not make the huge flow of US military aid to Kyiv dependent on a conscription age change.
"We're absolutely going to keep sending Ukraine weapons and equipment. We know that's vital. But so, too, is manpower at this point," he told reporters.
The former Soviet republic's population has fallen by more than a quarter since its mid-1990s peak of 52 million, and authorities are desperate to shield the younger generation -- but a US congressional report in June estimated the average Ukrainian soldier is 40.
Zelensky signed a decree in April lowering the draft age from 27 to 25 but the move did not alleviate the chronic troop shortages, according to US officials.
(AFP)
More half of the French want the current government to fall, a survey showed on Thursday. The reason for the anger is Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s budget proposal, which entails both steep tax hikes and painful spending cuts.
Issued on: 28/11/2024 -
By: NEWS WIRES
Some 53% of French people want Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s government to fall due to anger over his proposed budget, according to an Ifop-Fiducial poll for Sud Radio published on Thursday.
The poll indicated that 67% opposed Barnier’s budget, which aims to cut France’s spiralling public deficit through 60 billion euros ($63 billion) in tax hikes and spending cuts, while 33% backed it.
Barnier’s government could fall before Christmas, and perhaps even by next week, if far-right and leftist foes force a no-confidence motion that he is likely to lose, according to a dozen sources from across the political spectrum.
The findings in the Ifop-Fiducial poll were based on a survey of 1,006 people carried out on Nov. 26 and Nov. 27.
In an Elabe poll for BFM TV on Wednesday, 63% of those surveyed said President Emmanuel Macron should resign if Barnier’s government fell.
(Reuters)
France says Netanyahu has 'immunity' from ICC arrest warrants
France's foreign ministry has said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu enjoys "immunity" from prosecution before the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC last week issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in relation to Israel's war in Gaza.
Issued on: 27/11/2024
By: NEWS WIRES\
Provisions for immunity from prosecution at the International Criminal Court apply to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the French foreign ministry said Wednesday.
It said the Israeli leader was covered by immunity rules that apply to states which are not a party to the ICC. Israel is not an ICC member.
"A state cannot be held to act in a way that is incompatible with its obligations in terms of international law with regards to immunities granted to states which are not party to the ICC," the French statement said.
"Such immunities apply to Prime Minister Netanyahu and other ministers in question, and must be taken into consideration should the ICC ask us to arrest them and hand them over," it said.
Earlier Wednesday, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot had already said that France considered that some leaders could enjoy immunity from ICC prosecution.
Asked if France would arrest Netanyahu if he stepped on French territory, Jean-Noel Barrot did not give a specific answer in an interview with Franceinfo radio.
He said France "is very committed to international justice and will apply international law based on its obligations to cooperate with the ICC."
But he added that the court's statute "deals with questions of immunity for certain leaders".
"It is ultimately up to the judicial authorities to decide," he added.
The ICC this month issued warrants for Netanyahu, former Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif. Netanyahu has slammed the move.
The EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has said the arrest warrants are "binding" and should be implemented.
However unlike some European states, France has so far taken a more cautious stance on the warrants.
Barrot's comments marked the first time a top French official has evoked a possible immunity.
'Deeply problematic'
Unconfirmed media reports have said that Netanyahu angrily raised the issue in telephone talks with President Emmanuel Macron and urged Paris not to enforce the decision.
France has been instrumental in efforts to end fighting in the Middle East and, with the United States, helped broker a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon that came into force Wednesday.
Read moreExplainer: What we know about the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire deal
Article 27 of the Rome Statute – the foundation of the ICC – states that immunity "shall not bar the Court from exercising its jurisdiction over such a person."
But article 98 says a state cannot "act inconsistently with its obligations under international law with respect to the... diplomatic immunity of a person."
France's stance on potential immunity for Netanyahu prompted some strong reactions Wednesday, both at home and abroad.
Amnesty International called the French stance "deeply problematic", saying it ran counter to the government's obligations as an ICC member.
"Rather than inferring that ICC indictees may enjoy immunity, France should expressly confirm its acceptance of the unequivocal legal duty under the Rome Statute to carry out arrest warrants," said Anne Savinel Barras, president of Amnesty International France.
French Green party boss Marine Tondelier, calling the government's stance "shameful", said it was probably the result of an agreement between the French and Israeli leaders.
"Surely that was the deal, that France would get a mention in the official statement announcing the ceasefire in Lebanon that was published by France and the United States yesterday," she said on X.
"Again, France is bending over backwards to meet Benjamin Netanyahu's demand to pick him over international justice," she said.
Barrot meanwhile hailed the ceasefire as a major success for France and expressed hope it would result in the "reform" of Lebanon after years of crisis.
The ceasefire provides "that the Israeli army withdraws from southern Lebanon... and that it is replaced by a massive deployment of the Lebanese armed forces".
"In this context, France will play its full part," Barrot said.
(AFP)
EU EV TARIFFS
Workers at French cognac maker Hennessy protested Thursday against the brand's plans to export the drink in vats rather than bottles to get around Chinese tariffs. While management announced Monday they were suspending the plan to export cognac in bulk, workers are still worried that Hennessy could one day move its bottling production lines overseas.
Issued on: 28/11/2024 -
By: NEWS WIRES
There is still concern despite the suspension of the move. © Thibaud Moritz, AFP
Hundreds of employees of French cognac maker Hennessy on Thursday staged a protest over potential measures to circumvent Chinese tariffs imposed in a spat with the European Union.
Staff in the town of Cognac in southwestern France, from which the iconic brandy takes its name, earlier this month went on strike to protest a plan to export the drink in vats, rather than bottles.
Bottles will be subject to additional taxes estimated at 35 percent from China, Cognac's second-largest export market after the United States.
Hennessy management announced Monday that they would put the plan on ice and the strike had come to an end.
But concern remains strong that Hennessy, part of the LVMH luxury group, and other leading brands will bow to pressure and export their brandies in bulk for bottling in China.
"This idea of relocating bottling is opening a Pandora's box that could be disastrous," said Tommy Dupuis, who has worked in the Hennessy factory for 13 years.
The protesters are demanding in particular an extension of France's controlled designation of origin (AOC) labelling system – which aims to protect locally produced products – to include rules protecting local bottling, along the lines of the fizzy drink champagne.
"Today, the AOC does not protect local bottling, this needs to change," said Matthieu Devers of the CGT union, urging support from the BNIC association of cognac producers.
"If the BNIC makes this decision, we will be able to protect our AOC from A to Z," said Dupuis.
"Cognac is here and it must stay here," said Gladys Decou, an employee on the bottling line.
Others fear disastrous economic consequences for the region. "If the production lines are moved, I will lose my job, the others too, and Cognac will become a ghost town. We must not let this happen," said Alex Barbin, a driver at Hennessy for 15 years.
Since October 11, China has required importers of European brandies – of which cognac represents 95 percent of the total – to submit a deposit or a bank guarantee letter with Chinese customs authorities.
The measure is part of what Beijing describes as an anti-dumping investigation. But the move is widely seen as retaliation for the EU imposition of tariffs on electric cars imported from China.
Under the plan, materials including glassware, labels, corks and boxes would be shipped to China, where brandy would then be bottled.
Hennessy had said it was "suspending" – but not cancelling – the plan to follow the "evolution of the political and diplomatic situation", with Prime Minister Michel Barnier announcing plans to visit China.
The cognac industry, which is heavily dependent on exports, also fears it will be targeted in the United States, its biggest market, following the election of Donald Trump, who plans to step up customs duties across the board.
(AFP)
Romania's constitutional court on Thursday ordered a recount of votes cast in the first round of the presidential election after far-right candidate Calin Georgescu massively out-performed his pre-vote polling. Romania's media watchdog on Wednesday requested the European Commission formally investigate TikTok’s role in the election, alleging the social media platform had boosted Georgescu's support.
Issued on: 28/11/2024 -
By: NEWS WIRES
A man draped in the Romanian flag protests in Bucharest on November 27, 2024, against far-right pro-Russia candidate Calin Georgescu, the independent candidate who took a surprising lead in the first round of elections. © Vadim Ghirda, AP
Romania's presidential election was thrown into chaos Thursday as a court ordered a recount of first-round results and security officials alleged that interference via TikTok had boosted a little-known far-right candidate.
The moves came as the country braces for legislative polls plus a run-off vote between a far-right admirer of Russian President Vladimir Putin and a pro-European centrist contender.
The Romanian presidency said security officials had detected "cyberattacks" intended to influence the outcome of Sunday's vote, which saw far-right candidate Calin Georgescu secure an unexpected first-round win.
Recount order, TikTok claims throw Romania election into chaos06:31
Another far-right candidate meanwhile went after Lasconi, securing an order from the constitutional court on Thursday for the first-round votes to be recounted.
The unsuccessful far-right candidate, EU parliament member Cristian Terhes, accused Lasconi's Union Save Romania (USR) party of continuing to campaign online after the legal deadline.
In response, the constitutional court unanimously ordered a "re-verification and recount of all ballots" from Sunday's vote, it said in a statement.
The court meanwhile rejected a separate request by another presidential candidate to annul the first round of the vote, ruling that the demand came too late.
The constitutional court is due to reconvene on Friday at 2:00 pm (1200 GMT).
TikTok election boost
Barely known outside Romania, Georgescu's popularity was allegedly boosted by viral TikTok campaigns calling for an end to aid for neighbouring Ukraine in its war with Russia and sounding a sceptical note on NATO.
On Thursday, a top Romanian security body said Georgescu was granted "preferential treatment" by social media platform TikTok that it said led to his "massive exposure".
In the statement, the Supreme Council of National Defence demanded authorities "urgently take the necessary steps" to shed light on the matter.
Georgescu rejected the claim, insisting in a statement that opponents "are trying... to eliminate the Romanian people's ability to think and choose according to their own moral, Christian and democratic principles".
He added: "Attempts are being made to attribute a real election result to any institution, including TikTok, but none of the media and current politicians attribute real credibility to the Romanian people."
The defence council also said officials had detected "cyberattacks aimed at influencing the correctness of the electoral process" in Sunday's vote.
It reported "a growing interest" on the part of Russia "to influence the public agenda in Romanian society".
On Wednesday, the European Commission said it had received a request from Romania's media regulator to open "a formal investigation into TikTok's role in the Romanian elections" under the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA).
"If the Commission suspects a breach... it can open proceedings to look into TikTok's compliance with the DSA obligations," the Commission said in a statement.
'Unprecedented'
Under Romanian law, an election can be annulled if "fraud of such a nature as to alter the allocation of the mandate or... the order of the candidates eligible to participate in the second round of voting" is discovered.
"It's an unprecedented situation" since the fall of communism and the transition to democracy in 1989, former constitutional court judge Augustin Zegrean told Romanian channel Digi24.
"Things can take... a very bad and unfavourable direction," he said, as the electoral timetable is very tight.
The country holds parliamentary elections on Sunday, with the presidential runoff to follow a week later, amid fears they could herald a shift in its foreign policy.
Lasconi, who entered the runoff by a narrow margin of some 2,700 votes, denounced the recount announcement.
"The Constitutional Court is playing with national security," she said in a statement, adding that what it was "now trying to do is absolutely appalling for a democratic country".
"Extremism is fought through voting, not backroom games," she added.
(AFP)
By AFP
November 28, 2024
TikTok image: — © AFP/File Antonin UTZ
Fulya OZERKAN, with Paula CABESCU in Vienna
Barely known a year ago, far-right candidate Calin Georgescu successfully dominated social network TikTok to emerge the shock winner of Romania’s first-round presidential election — an online campaign that has raised suspicions.
Georgescu, an admirer of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has surged to more than 450,000 followers on TikTok, racking up millions of views and five million likes in the country of 19 million people.
Romanian news site G4 Media, which conducted an analysis of Georgescu’s social media use, found the far-right politician mounted a “propaganda machine” using thousands of supposed “volunteers” to spread his anti-EU, anti-NATO messages.
It found his online allies received pre-made materials on messaging app Telegram, ready for posting as comments on TikTok and other platforms, where Georgescu produced a wave of viral content around issues such as his call for an end to aid for neighbouring Ukraine.
Georgescu, 62, finished as the surprise winner of Sunday’s first-round election, knocking out incumbent Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu to reach a runoff against pro-European centrist Elena Lasconi on December 8.
Social media played an outsize role in his shock surge, especially on TikTok, where he became ubiquitous.
“I have seen football TikToks with comments (saying), ‘Vote for Calin Georgescu,'” said 21-year-old voter Catalin Olaru.
– ‘Tactical win’ –
Andrei Curararu, co-founder of the Moldova-based think tank Watchdog.md, said Georgescu managed his first-round success by drawing protest votes driven by economic grievances, framing himself as a “father figure” offering quick solutions that resonated deeply.
TikTok played “a decisive role”, Curararu said: Georgescu’s campaign videos reached more than 52 million views in just four days, mobilising younger voters.
“It is clear he would not have this tactical win without the influence he gained on TikTok,” Curararu told AFP — though he added that the platform also amplifies counter-narratives, showing how it can deepen societal divisions.
Curararu said several influencers who boosted Georgescu’s campaign on TikTok had publicly admitted to being paid for their involvement.
“This directly contradicts Georgescu’s claim that he spent ‘zero’ on his campaign,” he said.
Several major accounts that supported Georgescu or had names similar to his official account have recently deleted videos, sometimes going so far as to completely empty their history, AFP Factcheck found.
The European Commission said it would hold a roundtable Friday with the Romanian authorities and TikTok.
“This is a common practice that we tend to do under the Digital Services Act because free and fair elections are at the core of our democracies,” said Commission spokesman Thomas Regnier.
A top Romanian security body, the Supreme Council of National Defence, said Thursday that TikTok had given Georgescu “preferential treatment” leading to his “massive exposure”, without mentioning the far-right candidate by name.
TikTok rejected accusations of helping Georgescu.
“It is categorically false to claim that his account was treated differently from those of other candidates,” a spokesperson told AFP.
He “was subject to exactly the same rules and restrictions” as all the other candidates, the company said.
– ‘Propaganda machine’ –
Curararu said Georgescu’s campaign recalled the use of organised Telegram groups in Moldova’s recent presidential election, where pro-European incumbent Maia Sandu was reelected after a tense vote overshadowed by allegations of Russian meddling.
“In Moldova, we saw a blatant vote-buying operation with over 138,000 accounts set up in a Russian bank, complete with territorial organisations, Telegram authentication, call centres for legal support and even ‘quality control’ calls from Moscow to ensure the operation ran smoothly,” he said.
“It was a machine built to undermine democracy. Georgescu’s campaign mirrors this playbook.”
Curararu said Georgescu’s campaign had used a series of copy-paste narratives, such as “neutrality”, “sovereignty”, and slashing support for Ukraine.
“Let’s be honest — this is nothing more than pro-Russian messaging dressed up as patriotism,” he said.
In Bucharest, some voters insisted they were not influenced by social media.
“In no way was I influenced by TikTok. I voted for Georgescu because he is a family guy,” said Carmen Ioan, 46, who works at a flower shop.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said Thursday that Tbilisi will be postponing EU accession talks until 2028 amid allegations by the opposition and European Parliament that his ruling party Georgian Dream had committed electoral fraud during October's legislative elections.
Issued on: 28/11/2024 -
By: NEWS WIRES
Georgian opposition supporters have protested against the results of last month's parliamentary elections. © Giorgi Arjevanide, AFP
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said Thursday that while Tbilisi remains committed to its goal of European Union membership, it will not pursue accession until 2028, accusing Brussels of "blackmail".
The announcement came hours after the European Parliament adopted a non-binding resolution rejecting the results of Georgia's October 26 parliamentary elections, alleging "significant irregularities".
The resolution called for new elections to be held within a year under international supervision and for sanctions to be imposed on top Georgian officials, including Kobakhidze.
Accusing the European Parliament and "some European politicians" of "blackmail," Kobakhidze said: "We have decided not to bring up the issue of joining the European Union on the agenda until the end of 2028."
But he pledged to continue implementing the necessary reforms, asserting that "by 2028, Georgia will be more prepared than any other candidate country to open accession talks with Brussels and become a member state in 2030".
Watch moreEU enlargement put to the test: Georgia, Moldova votes shake Brussels
The former Soviet country officially gained EU candidate status in December 2023.
But Brussels has effectively frozen Georgia's accession process until Tbilisi takes concrete steps to address what it calls democratic backsliding.
Opposition lawmakers are boycotting the country's new parliament, alleging fraud in the October elections, in which the ruling Georgian Dream party held on to its majority.
Pro-Western President Salome Zurabishvili – at loggerheads with Georgian Dream – has declared the ballot "unconstitutional" and is seeking to annul the election results through the Constitutional Court.
Following Kobakhidze's statement, street protests erupted outside the parliament building and the Georgian Dream headquarters in Tbilisi, as well as in several major cities across Georgia.
In the western city of Kutaisi, police detained several demonstrators, the independent Pirveli TV station reported.
Zurabishvili held an "emergency meeting" with foreign diplomats, her office said.
"Today, the illegitimate government declared war on its own people," she said at a news conference alongside opposition leaders.
"I am the sole legitimate institution, the sole legitimate representative of this country," she added.
'Existential crisis'
On Thursday, Georgian Dream MPs voted unanimously for Kobakhidze to continue as prime minister.
But constitutional law experts have said that any decisions made by the new parliament are invalid, because it approved its own credentials in violation of a legal requirement to await a court ruling on Zurabishvili's bid to annul the election results.
One of the authors of Georgia's constitution, Vakhtang Khmaladze, said: "From the legal point of view, a head of government approved by an illegitimate parliament is equally illegitimate."
"With democratic state institutions no more, Georgia's statehood faces an existential crisis," he told AFP.
Georgian Dream, which has been accused of democratic backsliding and moving Tbilisi away from Europe and closer to Moscow, denies allegations of electoral fraud.
The party's nomination of Kobakhidze for prime minister in February had raised eyebrows in the West because of his claims that European countries and the United States were trying to drag Georgia into the Russia-Ukraine war.
Addressing lawmakers ahead of Thursday's vote, Kobakhidze presented his cabinet's new programme, entitled "With peace, dignity, prosperity, towards the European Union."
"Our goal is to achieve EU membership by 2030," he said. "It is also crucial for the EU to respect our national interests and traditional values."
'Large-scale fraud'
Kobakhidze, a 46-year-old lawyer and university professor, served as parliamentary speaker between 2016 and 2019 and as vice president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe rights watchdog from 2020 to 2022.
He is seen as a loyal ally of the powerful oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, who is Georgian Dream's honourary chairman.
Read more‘We need clarity more than ever’: Georgia’s murky elections and the West’s dilemma
Ivanishvili, Georgia's richest man, holds no official government position but is widely believed to pull the strings of power.
After the October vote, a group of Georgia's leading election monitors said they had evidence of a "complex scheme of large-scale electoral fraud" that swayed results in favour of Georgian Dream.
Tens of thousands have taken to the streets to protest the alleged fraud.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said last week that "the election will have to be investigated" and that Brussels was sending a delegation to Georgia.
Brussels had warned Tbilisi that the conduct of the election would be decisive for its prospects of joining the bloc.
The goal of EU membership is enshrined in Georgia's constitution and supported by 80 percent of the country's population, according to opinion polls.
(AFP)
Australia's Senate on Thursday passed a social media ban for children under 16 that will soon become the first law of its kind in the world. Platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram will be liable for fines of up to $33 million for failing to block those under 16 from holding accounts.
Issued on: 28/11/2024
By: NEWS WIRES
A social media ban for children under 16 passed the Australian Senate Thursday and will soon become a world-first law.
The law will make platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram liable for fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($33 million) for systemic failures to prevent children younger than 16 from holding accounts.
The Senate passed the bill 34 votes to 19. The House of Representatives on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved the legislation 102 votes to 13.
The House has yet to endorse opposition amendments made in the Senate. But that is a formality since the government has already agreed they will pass.
The platforms will have one year to work out how they could implement the ban before penalties are enforced.
The amendments bolster privacy protections. Platforms would not be allowed to compel users to provide government-issued identity documents including passports or driver’s licenses, nor could they demand digital identification through a government system.
The House is scheduled to pass the amendments on Friday. Critics of the legislation fear that banning young children from social media will impact the privacy of users who must establish they are older than 16.
While the major parties support the ban, many child welfare and mental health advocates are concerned about unintended consequences.
Sen. David Shoebridge, from the minority Greens party, said mental health experts agreed that the ban could dangerously isolate many children who used social media to find support.
“This policy will hurt vulnerable young people the most, especially in regional communities and especially the LGBTQI community, by cutting them off,” Shoebridge told the Senate.
Opposition Sen. Maria Kovacic said the bill was not radical but necessary.
“The core focus of this legislation is simple: It demands that social media companies take reasonable steps to identify and remove underage users from their platforms,” Kovacic told the Senate.
“This is a responsibility these companies should have been fulfilling long ago, but for too long they have shirked these responsibilities in favor of profit,” she added.
Online safety campaigner Sonya Ryan, whose 15-year-old daughter Carly was murdered by a 50-year-old pedophile who pretended to be a teenager online, described the Senate vote as a “monumental moment in protecting our children from horrendous harms online.”
“It’s too late for my daughter, Carly, and the many other children who have suffered terribly and those who have lost their lives in Australia, but let us stand together on their behalf and embrace this together,” she told the AP in an email.
Wayne Holdsworth, whose teenage son Mac took his own life after falling victim to an online sextortion scam, had advocated for the age restriction and took pride in its passage.
“I have always been a proud Australian, but for me subsequent to today’s Senate decision, I am bursting with pride,” Holdsworth told the AP in an email.
Christopher Stone, executive director of Suicide Prevention Australia, the governing body for the suicide prevention sector, said the legislation failed to consider positive aspects of social media in supporting young people’s mental health and sense of connection.
“The government is running blindfolded into a brick wall by rushing this legislation. Young Australians deserve evidence-based policies, not decisions made in haste,” Stone said in a statement.
The platforms had complained that the law would be unworkable, and had urged the Senate to delay the vote until at least June next year when a government-commissioned evaluation of age assurance technologies made its report on how young children could be excluded.
Critics argue the government is attempting to convince parents it is protecting their children ahead of a general election due by May. The government hopes that voters will reward it for responding to parents’ concerns about their children’s addiction to social media. Some argue the legislation could cause more harm than it prevents.
Criticisms include that the legislation was rushed through Parliament without adequate scrutiny, is ineffective, poses privacy risks for all users, and undermines the authority of parents to make decisions for their children.
Opponents also argue the ban would isolate children, deprive them of the positive aspects of social media, drive them to the dark web, discourage children too young for social media to report harm, and reduce incentives for platforms to improve online safety.
(AP)
By AFP
November 28, 2024
Students look at their phones in Australia, where the government has passed a law banning social media for those under 16 - Copyright AFP William WEST
Laura CHUNG
Social media giants on Friday hit out at a landmark Australian law banning them from signing up under-16s, describing it as a rush job littered with “many unanswered questions”.
The UN children’s charity UNICEF Australia joined the fray, warning that it was no “silver bullet” and could push kids into “covert and unregulated” spaces online.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the ban may not be implemented perfectly — much like existing alcohol restrictions — but it was “the right thing to do”.
The crackdown on sites like Facebook, Instagram and X, approved by parliament late Thursday, will lead to “better outcomes and less harm for young Australians”, he told reporters.
Platforms have a “social responsibility” to make children’s safety a priority, the prime minister said.
“We’ve got your back, is our message to Australian parents.”
Social media firms that fail to comply with the law face fines of up to Aus$50 million (US$32.5 million).
Meta — owner of Facebook and Instagram — and other companies said that despite the law’s perceived shortcomings, they were keen to engage with the government on shaping how it would be implemented in 12 months.
“We are concerned about the process, which rushed the legislation through while failing to properly consider the evidence, what industry already does to ensure age-appropriate experiences, and the voices of young people,” Meta said in a statement.
– ‘Unanswered questions’ –
The legislation offers almost no details on how the rules will be enforced — prompting concern among experts that it will simply be an unenforceable, symbolic piece of legislation.
Meta called for consultation on the rules to ensure a “technically feasible outcome that does not place an onerous burden on parents and teens”.
A Snapchat spokesperson said the company had raised “serious concerns” about the law and there remained “many unanswered questions” about how it would work.
But the company said it would engage closely with government to develop an approach balancing “privacy, safety and practicality”.
“As always, Snap will comply with any applicable laws and regulations in Australia,” it said.
UNICEF Australia policy chief Katie Maskiell cautioned that the ban was not a “silver bullet”.
Young people need to be protected online but they also need to be included in the digital world, Maskiell said.
“This ban risks pushing children into increasingly covert and unregulated online spaces as well as preventing them from accessing aspects of the online world essential to their wellbeing,” she said.
– Global attention –
One of the biggest issues will be privacy — what age-verification information is used, how it is collected and by whom.
Social media companies remain adamant that age-verification should be the job of app stores, but the government believes tech platforms should be responsible.
Exemptions will likely be granted to some companies, such as WhatsApp and YouTube, which teenagers may need to use for recreation, school work or other reasons.
The legislation will be closely monitored by other countries, with many weighing whether to implement similar bans.
Lawmakers from Spain to Florida have proposed social media bans for young teens, although none of the measures have been implemented yet.
China has restricted access for minors since 2021, with under-14s not allowed to spend more than 40 minutes a day on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok.
Online gaming time for children is also limited in China.
Cannabis, maybe, for attention problems
How the body’s own cannabinoids may influence the symptoms and treatment of ADHD
Thomas Jefferson University
Cannabis — whether marijuana itself or various products containing cannabinoids and/or THC, the main psychoactive compound in weed – have been touted as panaceas for everything from anxiety and sleep problems to epilepsy and cancer pain.
Nursing researcher Jennie Ryan, PhD, at Thomas Jefferson University, studies the effects of cannabis on symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Current medical guidelines for ADHD include medications such as Adderall and cognitive behavioral therapy. As with most treatments, the benefits can be accompanied by downsides. “Parents are interested in cannabidiol, which does not contain THC,” Dr. Ryan says. “But we don’t have the science yet to back recommendations.”
In a recent review paper, Dr. Ryan and her colleagues plumbed the scientific literature to compile evidence, which is generally suggestive of interactions between cannabis and ADHD. The researchers focused on how cannabis use affects ADHD symptoms. Furthermore, the human body produces its own cannabinoids – the endocannabinoid system – which led the researchers to wonder how might this endogenous system influence ADHD? They scrutinized clinical and preclinical findings, which together suggest that cannabis affects the endocannabinoid system in a variety of ways to affect attention, hyperactivity and anxiety.
“A relationship is there,” Dr. Ryan says. However, the picture is complicated by the sheer variety of cannabis products used, the many types of endocannabinoids and their biological pathways and the variability of ADHD presentation in people. Teasing all these factors apart, she says, “is super complicated.” In addition, cannabis researchers are hobbled by legal restrictions around marijuana.
Co-author Brooke Worster, MD, who specializes in pain management and palliative care, says she suspected the published evidence would be sparse. When that was indeed what they found, “I wasn’t super surprised,” she says. “Still, it is shocking how many holes there are. We have a lot of work ahead.”
Drs. Ryan and Worster plan to publish results from a second survey of cannabis use in adults with ADHD.
Journal
Developmental Psychobiology
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