In Hong Kong, China Tries to Drown Out Security Law’s Critics

PressNewsAgency
-
0
In Hong Kong, China Tries to Drown Out Security Law’s Critics

HONG KONG — Pro-China canvassers are pressing wary Hong Kong residents for signatures. The city’s business tycoons are declaring their faith in the Chinese government. Local officials, senior and junior alike, are stepping up to pledge their support, mimicking wooden displays of fealty that are a staple of Communist Party politics in the mainland.

The Chinese government has mounted an aggressive campaign to cast a more positive light on its treatment of Hong Kong, where residents have pushed back sharply against Beijing’s increasingly heavy hand. The new drive is intended to demonstrate a broad level of support among civil servants, business leaders and the city’s more than seven million residents for a new national security law that Beijing is forcing the former British colony to adopt.

“They are doing everything they can to drum up a welcoming vibe about this new law,” said Claudia Mo, a pro-democracy lawmaker. “It’s simply sickening. Who are you trying to fool?”

The campaign represents a brazen attempt by China’s leader, Xi Jinping, to drown out critics at a time when China is facing a global outcry over its plan for Hong Kong. With the United States threatening economic punishment in retaliation, Chinese officials are promoting the idea that they are responding to the will of the Hong Kong people and that their authoritarian policies enjoy broad public support.

The law has not yet been drafted, though China’s top legislative body on Thursday approved the plan to enact one, perhaps by September. The plan reflects Beijing’s frustration with pro-democracy protests that have roiled Hong Kong since last year. Critics worry that any law would undermine the territory’s liberties, including its tradition of free speech and an independent judiciary, allowing Beijing to stamp out dissent.

On Friday, China’s Ministry of Public Security, the national police and border control, promised in a statement on its website to apply “all of our efforts to direct and support the Hong Kong police to stop violence and restore order.” Hong Kong has its own police force, and the ministry does not currently have any legal enforcement authority in the territory.

Polling data on the new law is limited, but recent events suggest it will not be well received. Officials have avoided pushing such legislation since 2003 because it was seen as deeply unpopular. Pro-democracy candidates won 57 percent of the vote in district-level elections in November, trouncing their pro-Beijing rivals.

To counter that narrative, Mr. Xi, China’s most powerful leader in decades, is deploying the same political playbook in Hong Kong that he has used to consolidate his power in the mainland, using public displays of loyalty to project confidence at vulnerable moments.

Chinese officials use such shows of allegiance — known as biao tai, or expressing one’s position — to uphold Mr. Xi’s decisions to sideline political opponents and to tighten control of the media.

“They want this kind of well-orchestrated drama to present the picture that they have the people behind them, when clearly the majority of Hong Kong people are against the new law,” said Willy Lam, a political analyst at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. “The message to the opposition is: ‘We have already garnered the support of so many people, so it is futile to oppose it.’ ”

More than a dozen Hong Kong officials, including the leaders of the police, fire and immigration departments, have offered strikingly similar endorsements of a new law.

They have denounced the antigovernment protesters as rioters. They have warned about the threat posed by terrorism and argued that stricter laws are necessary for long-term prosperity.

The statements are a jarring display of conformity in a city known for impassioned debate, and they reflect Beijing’s growing influence in the territory, experts say.

“The civil service used to be more politically neutral,” said Mr. Lam, the analyst. “Hong Kong is increasingly following the Communist Party’s customs.”

Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s chief executive, has helped lead the charge. She has said the law has drawn a “positive response” from citizens and that foreign investors are eager for a safe environment. On Thursday, she stood alongside residents of a pro-Beijing neighborhood and signed a petition in support.

Mr. Xi recently dispatched a top deputy to meet members of the city’s business elite who had traveled to Beijing for the annual meeting of China’s legislature. The deputy, Han Zheng, who oversees Hong Kong policy, praised them for their diligence and reminded them of their duties as party members to publicly support the law.

Then came the talking points. Growing unrest forced Beijing to push through legislation, Mr. Han said, according to a video of the meeting released by the Chinese government. Social stability was important for Hong Kong’s economy, he said.

Hong Kong’s business community once served as a buffer to Beijing’s hard-line policies. But the party has brought many business leaders to its side in recent years, turning to them for support during crucial moments of political instability.

Hong Kong’s tycoons and business elite control about one third of the seats of the Legislative Council, the city’s lawmaking body. Their support is rewarded by lucrative deals on the mainland.

“They fall into line when they need to because they hold the balance of power in the chief executive elections and in return their business is looked after on the mainland and here,” said David Webb, a longtime Hong Kong investor.

Beijing’s campaign has prompted even moderate members of the establishment to change their tone.

Michael Tien, a pro-Beijing lawmaker who had called for compromise during last year’s protests, said stricter laws were necessary. After attending legislative meetings over the last week in Beijing, he said he had become convinced that China intended to use the law to go after a “small majority of people in Hong Kong who are instigating conflict.”

“The radicals are coming back,” Mr. Tien said of the protests. “It has gone beyond my tolerance and patience.”

The party has also activated its network of supporters in Hong Kong.

A group affiliated with the pro-Beijing establishment has set up booths with red, white and blue banners to gather signatures in support of the law. The group, known as the United Front Supporting National Security Legislation, has collected more than 1.8 million signatures, according to Chinese state media.

The group’s advisers include Starry Lee and Regina Ip, two pro-Beijing politicians. During her time as Hong Kong’s top security official two decades ago, Ms. Ip tried and failed to pass a law against subversion and treason known as Article 23.

Ms. Ip said the petition drives were organized by “dyed-in-the-wool patriots.” She said that while she was an adviser, she had not been taking part in the street activities because of “scheduling conflicts.”

“In principle of course we support it but I haven’t seen the details,” Ms. Ip said of the security law. But, she added, “it needs to be consistent with common-law principles so that our judges and police can enforce it.”

At lunchtime on Thursday, several volunteers for the group held clipboards on a crowded walkway in Hong Kong’s bustling Causeway Bay neighborhood.

While the group’s website required people to provide names, the last four digits of their government identification numbers and their phone numbers, passers-by in Causeway Bay were asked to sign without providing any other personal information. Signatures ranged from full names and English first names to illegible scribbles.

Peggy Lau, 40, offered her signature. She said the protests have “made the environment really bad and unsettling.”

“Marches that express people’s demands are fine, but not violence,” said Ms. Lau, who works in finance. “It affects our livelihoods so much.”

In mainland China, the state-run news media has provided heavy coverage of statements of support from Hong Kong officials, business leaders and workers. China Central Television, the state broadcaster, said the petition drive showed that “all walks of life in Hong Kong fully support Hong Kong to defend the national security law.”

Ms. Mo, the lawmaker, said the campaign showed that the party viewed Hong Kong as a regular Chinese city and that it would demand the same ideological conformity that it imposes in the mainland.

“When I was young I was taught you do not get harmony if everyone sings the same note,” she said. “That pluralism, that diversity, is supposed to be good. Now there’s no such thing.”

Javier C. Hernández reported from Taipei, Taiwan, and Alexandra Stevenson from Hong Kong. Elaine Yu contributed reporting from Hong Kong. Cao Li and Albee Zhang contributed research.

Source link

Police arrest CNN reporter on live TV in Minneapolis riots

PressNewsAgency
-
0
Police arrest CNN reporter on live TV in Minneapolis riots

A CNN reporter has been arrested live on television in Minneapolis while reporting on widespread looting and riots throughout the city.

Reporter Omar Jimenez was live on air speaking about the situation when police in riot gear arrested Mr Jimenez, placing him in handcuffs.

The police then led him to a waiting patrol car.

The reason for his arrest is unclear. Prior to the arrest police could be overheard asking Mr Jimenez and his television crew to step backwards.

Jimenez could be seen holding his CNN badge while reporting, identifying himself as a reporter, and telling the officers the crew would move wherever officers needed them to.

An officer gripped his arm as Jimenez talked, then put him in handcuffs.

CNN Reporter Omar Jimenez is led away in handcuffs. (CNN)

“We can move back to where you like. We are live on the air here. … Put us back where you want us. We are getting out of your way — wherever you want us (we’ll) get out of your way,” Jimenez said before he was led away.

“We were just getting out of your way when you were advancing through the intersection,” Jimenez said.

Jimenez and the crew had been reporting from the site — near a city police department precinct that protesters had burned and officers had abandoned overnight.

A CNN producer is led away in handcuffs soon after Mr Jimenez’s arrest. (CNN)

About a block away, a fire was burning at a different, four-story building that had contained restaurants.

Over 100 state police officers in body armor and riot gear had arrived and lined up near the area where the CNN crew was, near the precinct building on East Lake Street.

After the photographer was arrested, his camera was set on the ground and continued to transmit live images.

A spokesperson for CNN demanded that the three employees of the network be released immediately.

Police seized the CNN camera – which was still recording live on air – and placed it on the ground. (CNN)

“A CNN reporter and his production team were arrested this morning in Minneapolis for doing their jobs, despite identifying themselves – a clear violation of their First Amendment rights,” CNN said in a statement.

“The authorities in Minnesota, including the Governor, must release the 3 CNN employees immediately.”

The Governor of Minnesota has apologised to CNN and said the crew and reporter will be released.

RIOTS EXPLODE AFTER GEORGE FLOYD DEATH

The arrest comes after days of looting following the death of George Floyd.

The 46-year-old was handcuffed and unarmed.

George Floyd, 46, died in the city he moved to for a better life, his last moments caught on video. (Courtesy Ben Crump Law Firm)

Protests continue to escalate

A state of emergency was earlier called as the city of Minneapolis boils over into total mayhem and more rioting over the death of Mr Floyd.

9News reporter Tim Arvier was on the scene as police vehicles were attacked by rocks and projectiles were aimed at officers amid chaotic and alarming scenes.

One man appeared to be stabbed, with his alleged attacker arrested by heavily protected police and the victim rushed away for treatment.

Protestors demonstrate outside of a burning Minneapolis 3rd Police Precinct in Minneapolis. (AP)
Young men stand atop a burning car in the Target parking lot E. Lake St. during a third night of unrest following the death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody. (Edward Washington,cq/Star Tribune via AP)

As the chaos unfolded, Minnesota prosecutor Michael Freeman told reporters while the video showing Mr Floyd’s death was “terrible”, there was other evidence that “does not support a criminal charge”.

He later withdrew that statement and said he misspoke about “other evidence”.

9News reporter Tim Arvier in Minneapolis at violent clashes erupted between protesters and police.
9News reporter Tim Arvier in Minneapolis at violent clashes erupted between protesters and police. (9News)

US President responds to Minneapolis riots

Livestream video showed the protesters entering the building, where fire alarms blared and sprinklers ran as blazes were set.

Nine News US correspondent Tim Arvier shot video of a group of men attempting to break into a Minneapolis bank during the mayhem.

Arvier says everywhere he and the camera crew drove, they passed flaming wrecks of burnt-out cars and shells of buildings that have burnt to the ground.

(Supplied)

In Columbus, Ohio a crowd of at least 300 outraged people were hit with pepper spary after refusing to move on from blocking the street.

No arrests have been confirmed in Ohio, however there are reports protestors have used smoke bombs against police and at least one officer was allegedly punched during the violence.

A building burns after another night of violence in the US city. (Nine)
People gather at a police precinct during a protest for George Floyd in Minneapolis on Tuesday, May 26, 2020. (AP/AAP)

As riots raged, President Donald Trump called the protesters “thugs” and insinuated that looters would be shot in a series of tweets.

In the tweets, President Trump threatened to bring in the National Guard to “get the job done right”.

“When the looting starts, the shooting starts,” he said.

The tweets have since been hidden by Twitter with a notice that they incite violence and go against Twitter’s rules about violence.

For breaking news alerts and livestreams straight to your smartphone sign up to the 9News app and set notifications to on at the App Store or Google Play.

Source by [author_name]

Nordics want to open borders but Sweden may be frozen out

PressNewsAgency
-
0
Nordics want to open borders but Sweden may be frozen out

STOCKHOLM — Sweden doesn’t want to be left out in the cold when its neighbors lift travel restrictions, even though its rising coronavirus death rate continues to cause concern in the region.

“I think it is absolutely vital that we try to open up the borders in a coordinated way,” Anna Hallberg, Sweden’s minister for trade and Nordic affairs, told POLITICO in an interview on Tuesday. “We are conducting intense discussions with our Nordic colleagues about this.”

When coronavirus first hit the Nordics in March, Norway, Denmark and Finland quickly imposed stringent lockdowns, closing their borders and shutting schools and most businesses.

Sweden’s approach was more light-touch: its borders remained open, its businesses kept trading and its children went to class as normal.

Since March, Sweden’s death rate from COVID-19 has spiked to as much as eight times that of its neighbors (taking into account population size).

“If it is not justifiable on health grounds to open the border with Sweden, then the Swedes can stay where they are and the Germans can come up” — Jakob Ellemann-Jensen, leader of Denmark’s largest opposition party

Now, as lawmakers in Denmark, Finland and Norway mull whether to extend or relax regional travel restrictions, there have been mutterings that perhaps Sweden shouldn’t be included.

Finland’s Interior Minister Maria Ohisalo raised the issue at a recent press conference, calling the Swedish situation “a concern.”

Ohisalo declined a request for interview for this piece, but her special adviser Jarno Lappalainen told POLITICO that Finland would make a decision about border restrictions with Sweden before June 15 and would take into account the “epidemiological situation” as well as economic and social factors and recommendations from the European Commission.

Meanwhile in Denmark, opposition lawmakers are pushing the government to consider continuing to shut out Swedes while letting in other nationalities. The Danish government has said it will announce a decision by June 1.

“If it is not justifiable on health grounds to open the border with Sweden, then the Swedes can stay where they are and the Germans can come up,” the leader of Denmark’s largest opposition party, Jakob Ellemann-Jensen of the Liberals, said during a recent parliamentary debate.

The EU’s latest guidance is for places with similar rates of coronavirus infection to open borders with each other in a first phase before a wider reopening of Europe’s free-travel Schengen zone is carried out.

The situation in the Nordics reflects the kind of problems European states are likely to face as they negotiate that first phase.

The three Baltic states have opened their borders with each other, but elsewhere things have been trickier: Spain and Greece are keen to allow travelers in to support their tourism industries, but some of the most popular countries for such tourists, including the U.K., are still seeing high rates of coronavirus infection.

Sweden is keen to see a Nordic-wide relaxation of rules for economic and social reasons, Hallberg said.

“There is a lot of frustration on both sides of the borders, in the business community, but also among private citizens,” she said. “They are so used to being able to visit friends and family and go to work and go shopping over the border.”

On a recent weekday at the ferry terminal in Stockholm, where boats normally depart for destinations around the Baltic Sea and beyond, the effect of the border closures was obvious.

“It is clear that what happens will depend on the situation with the virus in Sweden” — Jan Hanses, chief executive of Viking Line

Shipping operator Viking Line’s modern departure center was closed and signs stuck to the door said it would open for around an hour each morning and each evening to cater for the limited traffic. There wasn’t a single vehicle in its large parking lot.

Chief Executive Jan Hanses told POLITICO that passenger numbers were down to about 10 percent of normal and the company was relying mostly on its freight business to survive.

He said the company was waiting for the June 15 announcement from the Finnish government in the hope that there would be a relaxation of the rules on passenger movement to Sweden, which now only allow business travel and not tourism.

“It is clear that what happens will depend on the situation with the virus in Sweden,” Hanses said.

At a press conference on Thursday, Sweden’s Public Health Agency said that 4,266 people have now died of COVID-19 in the country, but the agency’s view is that falling death rates and falling rates of admission to intensive care units show the situation is improving.

In Finland, 313 people have died with the virus.

Swedish minister Hallberg said she was in regular contact with Nordic counterparts ahead of the summer and was “optimistic” that the Nordic states’ traditionally tight working relationship could help them agree on a coordinated and “simultaneous” relaxation of border controls.

“In the coming days and weeks, we will try and find a common solution,” she said.



Source by [author_name]

Mahathir vows to challenge expulsion from his own party

PressNewsAgency
-
0
Mahathir vows to challenge expulsion from his own party

Malaysia’s former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and four other former members have promised to challenge their removal from the Bersatu party.

Mahathir, 94, along with his son and three other senior members, were expelled from the Bersatu party on Thursday in the latest twist in a power struggle with his successor.

More:

“The unilateral action by Bersatu’s president to sack us without valid reason is due to his own fears in facing party elections as well as his unsafe position as the most unstable prime minister in the history of the country’s administration,” a joint statement by Mahathir and the four others said.

The party has been split into two camps since intense political wrangling led Mahathir to resign as prime minister in February and the king to appoint fellow party member Muhyiddin Yassin as his replacement despite Mahathir’s objections.

Mahathir’s son, Mukhriz Mahathir, has since challenged Muhyiddin as party president in a vote that has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Mahathir co-founded Bersatu with Muhyiddin in 2016, and the party joined an alliance that claimed a stunning victory in the 2018 polls, leading to the first change of government since independence.

The ruling alliance collapsed after Muhyiddin pulled Bersatu out to work with the former government, which has been accused of massive corruption. Mahathir, a two-time prime minister, resigned in protest.

Mahathir said he still has the majority support of legislators and has called for a no-confidence vote against Muhyiddin.

In their statement, Mahathir and the other expelled members said they may take legal action to challenge their termination and ensure Bersatu is not used as a vehicle for those crazy for power.

Party letters sent to the five said their membership had ceased as they sat with the opposition bloc during a half-day parliament sitting on May 18. But the letter was signed by a lower official who Mahathir’s group and others said had no power to remove them.

Muhyiddin had earlier unsuccessfully tried to reconcile with Mahathir. 

The current government includes the party of ex-Prime Minister Najib Razak, who is on trial on charges related to an enormous financial scandal.

Source link

Covid infections among health workers increasing in Eastern Cape – The Mail & Guardian

PressNewsAgency
-
0
Covid infections among health workers increasing in Eastern Cape – The Mail & Guardian

As the Eastern Cape recorded the death of a second health worker from Covid-19 in less than seven days, healthcare workers in the province are lamenting a critical shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) and the slow pace of contact tracing once frontline workers test positive.

As of May 26, the number of active cases in both public and private hospitals stood at 170, with the Nelson Mandela Bay and Buffalo City metros showing a significant increase.

The province’s health department says the complaints about personal protective equipment are from “nurses who did not want to work”. 

The death of an administrative clerk at the Life St Mary’s Private Hospital in Mthatha — one of nine employees to contract the virus — has led to an outcry about management apathy at the hospital. 

Several health professionals, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the hospital provided personal protective equipment — masks, gloves, gowns and face shields — only to staff working with Covid-19 positive patients, while the rest had to make do with limited protection. For example, if a patient came in with, say, a broken foot, the person was not screened for Covid-19 and hospital staff, including non-medical employees, were exposed to the person.

The deceased, whose name is being withheld because the Mail & Guardian could not establish whether her family had been informed, worked as an admissions clerk in the hospital’s casualty area. 

She is one of nine workers, including three administrative staff, at the hospital to have tested positive for Covid-19.   

The professionals also spoke of poor contact tracing, the slow pace of getting test results and a limited supply of personal protective equipment as some of the problems at St Mary’s Private Hospital, adding that management was sitting on top of a ticking time bomb.

“She came in contact with a patient who had tested positive at casualty. She did not have PPE, because PPE is only given to people who work in wards where there are positive cases, but casualty is the first point of contact with people whose condition is unknown,” said one source. 

Another said: “In one ward at St Mary’s hospital, two nurses have had positive tests, and there are another five whose results are outstanding since the 18th of May. This group was informed on the 13th that they were in contact with a positive person and it took five days to test them.

“Some of these people are state nurses who moonlight at private hospitals and live with people at home, so you can imagine what is about to happen here,” she added. 

Another person, with direct knowledge of the nursing situation at St Mary’s said: “One of the nurses who was at St Mary’s tested positive, and while the procedure is for the department to visit their homes and assess their living environment [to see whether or not there is a need for quarantine], it’s been a week of her living with her husband and child.

Wednesday’s death of the administrative clerk is the second of a healthcare professional within a week. Matilda Maneli, a nurse at Victoria Hospital in Alice and the wife of the Amathole district municipality mayor, Khanyile Maneli, died in a Stutterheim hospital on Sunday.

An internal department of health report sent to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases noted with concern the rising number of healthcare workers getting infected in the province. 

Sizwe Kupelo, the spokesperson for the provincial department of health, said nurses’ complaints at public hospitals about the shortage of personal protective equipment was a smokescreen by “nurses who did not want to work. We have teams that have gone around the entire province and screened and tested over 30 000 residents, with a return of about 3 700 positive results, and not one of them has tested positive,” he said.

“How does that happen if they don’t have PPE? Our nurses must be honest and remember why they took the oath,” he added.

On the rising number of infections among healthcare workers, Kupelo said: “The increase in healthcare workers being infected is acknowledged and the first nine workers to test positive were directly linked to funerals. To date, there are still very limited chances of contracting the virus within health facilities due to usage of personal protective equipment — notwithstanding the disputed shortages.”

His sentiments on community infections manifesting themselves at healthcare centres was echoed by Life Healthcare Group’s general manager for emergency medicine, Dr Charl Van Loggerenberg, who said there wasn’t enough information to determine whether the Mthatha employee’s death was a result of exposure at the hospital or where she lived because she had been off work when she took ill. 

“Life Healthcare acknowledges and appreciates all frontline employees who are caring for patients during these unprecedented times. We can assure all employees and the community that the safety and health of our healthcare workers and patients remains top priority,” he said.

Van Loggerenberg confirmed that workers at the hospital had tested positive for Covid-19, saying all cases were reported to the department of health, and were treated in terms of the group’s policies on quarantine, isolation and sick leave. 

“All healthcare workers who are in self-isolation are routinely contacted telephonically by a hospital representative, as well as an occupational nurse within the hospital,” he said. “All employees, regardless of whether they are in administration or nursing personnel, are required to wear masks at all times and are provided with the appropriate PPEs as required.

“In addition to masks, social distancing and hand hygiene, protective shields have been installed at reception areas,” he added.

Meanwhile,  Andisile Pampila, the Chris Hani regional chairperson of the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa, said the union was in discussions with two state hospitals, Frontier and Cala, about making the working environment friendly for nurses.

“In Frontier Hospital we have two nurses in isolation that were confirmed positive. One of them has fully recovered but still at home. There was a shortage of gloves, which I think the district had to intervene.

“We’ve got two nurses who tested positive in Cala Hospital as well. The two institutions have indicated they have PPEs and everything they need now. There is a PUI [people under investigation] side that has been closed in Cala Hospital. Those cases have been transferred to Mjanyana Hospital [in Ngcobo]. The department of health is conducting training with the institutions to properly equip staff on ways of applying safety measures,” said Pampila.

A nurse at Frontier Hospital in Komani, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, described working at the hospital.

“Since March, when our first Covid-19 patient came, having personal protective equipment  was our struggle. We fight with management everytime we run out of PPE. They gave us gowns that do not even cover the whole body” she said. “There is no separate entry point for Covid-19 patients here. The patients use the same entry as general patients, [and] in this whole process, three of our staff members also got exposed. Contamination is everywhere in the hospital.”

One source said the shortage of personal protective equipment was linked to supply chain departments around the country reading the treasury’s instruction note on disaster management procurement and saying they could only purchase the more expensive N95 respirator masks, yet there were cheaper masks of the same specification level available. 

But this was clarified by the treasury, which said “government institutions may buy any mask respirators that complies with the national department of health and World Health Organisation specifications”.

“We have not been made aware of  issues in securing PPE related items since the issuance of Instruction No 05 of 2020/2021,” treasury said. 

Competition Commission spokesperson Sipho Ngwema confirmed there was a complaint, from the Eastern Cape, regarding the wording of the instruction note. “National treasury and department of health have no obligation to consult with us when drafting Covid19 regulations,” he said.



Source link

Back off, Trump. Germany wants to Make Europe Strong Again

PressNewsAgency
-
0
Back off, Trump. Germany wants to Make Europe Strong Again

German Chancellor Angela Merkel | Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images

BERLIN — Forget Make America Great Again. Here comes Make Europe Strong Again.

The German government has settled on “Gemeinsam. Europa wieder stark machen” — which translates into English as “Together. Making Europe strong again” — as its slogan for the country’s upcoming presidency of the Council of the EU, which kicks off on July 1.

The official English motto is a less Trumpian “Together for Europe’s recovery,” however.

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said Friday that the motto — launched along with a Möbius strip logo and website — aims to illustrate the German presidency will have to “find compromises and solutions to tackle the challenges posed by the corona pandemic” across Europe.

The logo is meant to symbolize “joint action emerging from the EU’s diversity again and again,” he said.

Merkel said earlier this week that China would be one of the priorities of the German presidency.

Merkel said earlier this week that China would be one of the priorities of the German presidency. On Friday, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Berlin wants to develop “a robust EU strategy on China” during the coming six months, with a flagship summit of all EU leaders and Chinese President Xi Jinping scheduled for September 14.

“I believe that the best way to influence China is to make it clear that the European Union is very united … and that it will not be possible to break individual countries out of this unity,” Maas said.



Source by [author_name]

DHA Deputy Minister driven on hell-ride after hijacking in Midrand

PressNewsAgency
-
0
DHA Deputy Minister driven on hell-ride after hijacking in Midrand

Deputy Minister of the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) Njabulo Nzuza was the victim of a hijacking on Thursday 28 May when two men forced him on a hell-ride around Midrand, Gauteng, to withdraw money from various ATMs. 

Nzuza was leaving a shopping centre in the area at around 16:30 when he was pulled over by what he believed were police in vehicle with blue flashing lights, but quickly learnt that the men had sinister intentions. 

Nzuza was driven around ‘for a very long time’ 

The men who hijacked the deputy minister were armed with handguns and demanded that Nzuza withdraw cash from them at a series of ATMs, with the harrowing incident taking place “for a very long time” according to national police spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo. 

“At approximately 16:25 yesterday, 28 May 2020 the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Njabulo Nzuza was hijacked by at least two gunmen,” he said. 

“The Deputy Minister was departing from a shopping centre in Midrand when he was followed and stopped by occupants of blue VW Gti Golf with blue lights flashing.”

He said that Nzuza was forced not the back seat of his range rover and driven to various locations where an undisclosed amount of money was forced from his bank accounts. 

“Two men carrying handguns approached the Deputy Minister and forced him out of the driver’s seat and then onto the floor of the back seat,” he said. “They drove around with him withdrawing money from different automated teller machines (ATM).”

“Suspects drove with him for a very long time and dropped him in Mamelodi West. The suspects drove off with the Deputy Minister’s blue Range Rover Reg no HD75KHGP, two cellphones and a wallet.”

Police are now appealing to the public to come forward with information that may lead to the arrest of the sspects, who are currently on the run. 

Deputy Minister unharmed

The South African understand that Nzuza was unharmed in the attack, and have reached out to the DHA for comment. 

Nzuza recently made headlines when he released an apology to Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema having accused him of corruption during his time as leader of the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) in 2018. 



Source link

Check out top industry-oriented courses offered by Swayam

PressNewsAgency
-
0
Check out top industry-oriented courses offered by Swayam

By: Education Desk | New Delhi |

Published: May 29, 2020 4:16:39 pm





Most of the courses o Swayam are free of cost (Source: Getty Images)

The Indian government’s online education portal Swayam has become one of the biggest e-learning platforms of the world, according to the Minister of Human Resource and Development (HRD). The platform offers thousands of courses from top faculty across the globe. The UGC has recommended that colleges use Swayam to start their classes for the next academic session and allow credit transfer or ensure that the performance of students using it is included while calculating results.

Have you wondered what kind of courses the platform offers and which ones are right for you? If yes, then we have got you covered. Swayam offers courses in almost every field, from engineering, management to soft skills, and agriculture. Here is a list of most unique courses offered by Swayam from across fields:

Digital Forensic: This 16-week course will begin from July 6 and deals with concepts of computers and digital forensics, deep diving into tools used to combat cybercrimes. The syllabus includes computer architecture, cybercrimes and its investigation, and is best suited for undergraduate students. It is a certified course and students will have to clear an exam by the end of the course. It is taught by Dr Navjot Kaur Kanwal from Department of Criminology and Forensic Science, Dr Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya, Sagar (Madhya Pradesh).

Design Thinking: Offered by IIT-Madras, the four-week course will begin from July 20. It is apt for management students but anyone can take the course. The course explains a systematic method of solving problems which is often referred to as design thinking. Students will have to solve assignments and those who score at least 25 per cent marks in their assignments and 75 per cent in the exam will be certified. Students will have to ideate and brainstorm a solution and create a prototype to solve the problem as part of the course.

Read| Emerging courses to pursue: Virology | Actuarial science |  Pharma Marketing | FinTech | Coronavirus | Robotics | Healthcare Engineering | Cyber Security | Data Science | Petroleum and Energy

Advanced Aircraft Maintenance: If aircraft and advanced flying objects are your thing, then there are several courses on Swayam for you. One of them is this course offered by IIT Kanpur which touches upon repair, inspection and modification of aircraft. It also teaches about propeller maintenance, fuel system, and other functioning of an aircraft. It is an eight-week course and will begin from August 17. It is apt for those pursuing aerospace engineering. The course is provided in collaboration with DRDO.

Predictive Analytics: It is a postgraduate-level six-week course and ideal for management students, offered by the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore. An advanced sub-category of big data analytics, predictive analysis course aims at teaching students through case-based practical problems using predictive analytics techniques to interpret model outputs. Students will learn about regression, logistic regression, and forecasting using software tools such as MS Excel, SPSS, hypothesis Testing, model diagnostics, analytics in decision-making. Those who score a minimum 40 per cent in weekly assessment and 40 per cent in the final exam will be certified.

Read| Online courses to upskill during quarantine: Unique short courses to pursue online | Courses to enhance professional communication | Online courses that offer foreign degree | Online courses by Harvard University | online courses with IIM certification | Women directors’ to forensic audit: List of short online courses by ICSI

Academic and Research Report Writing: An eight-week course offered by the National Institute of Technical Teachers Training and Research (NITTTR), Kolkata will begin from July 20. The course aims at teaching students the principles and techniques of report writing for effective dissemination of the academic and research finding. It is those who aim to become teachers, academicians, and researchers. Students will have to complete assignments and be given report work and mini-projects too. Those who score at least 10 out of 30 in internal and 30 out of 70 in the exam will get certified.

While these were courses for college-level students, Swayam also hosts concept-based lessons for students in schools. It also has a series of soft-skill courses and language courses on French, Arabic, Spanish among others. Keep watching this space as we bring to you the best courses from around the world to pursue online.

📣 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines

For all the latest Education News, download Indian Express App.

© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd

Source link

EU budget for recovery: An enhanced #InvestEU Programme and Strategic Investment Facility

PressNewsAgency
-
0
EU budget for recovery: An enhanced #InvestEU Programme and Strategic Investment Facility

As announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on 27 May 2020, the Commission is enhancing the proposal for the InvestEU Programme and creating a new Strategic Investment Facility within it to kick-start the EU economy.

The enhanced InvestEU programme, thanks to Next Generation EU, will provide crucial support to companies and ensure a strong focus of investors on the Union’s medium- and long-term policy priorities, such as the European Green Deal and the digitalization transition and greater resilience.

The financial envelope for the sustainable infrastructure window is doubled, and a fifth “policy window” is added. The strategic European investment window will cater for the future needs of the European economy and promote and secure EU strategic autonomy in key sectors.

An Economy that Works for People Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis said: “The crisis has created an immense investment gap of at least €1.5 trillion for this year and next, with the private sector facing the largest shortfall. This reinforced InvestEU is uniquely placed to support this sector. It will channel vital funding to companies by crowding in private investors. As we learn the lessons of this crisis, we will also have a fresh focus on supporting strategic investments in key sectors – part of our commitment to bolster the EU’s economic autonomy and resilience. This will make our economy better able to withstand future shocks.”

Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni said: “The pandemic has dealt a terrible blow to investment in Europe – at a time when spending needs were already high in view of the green and digital transitions. We estimate that well over a trillion euros must be mobilized each year to lift our economies out of this crisis and make them fit for the future. The new InvestEU that we are proposing today is part of the answer to that challenge.”

Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton said: “Europe will come out stronger from this crisis if we increase our collective capacity to take care of ourselves and our interests – in short, if we become more resilient and sovereign. That is why, as part of our recovery plan, we are proposing a new instrument to mobilize €150 billion of investments in strategic industrial ecosystems and value chains across Europe. We will strengthen our SMEs and start-ups, protect our companies from predation by non-European players, support investments in key technologies and critical infrastructures and increase our production capacity in Europe.”

Commissioners Gentiloni and Breton gave a press conference on this topic on 29 May at 11h CET, which can be followed live on EbS.

More information

Memo: The proposed InvestEU Programme

Factsheet: An enhanced InvestEU Programme and Strategic Investment Facility

Website: EU long-term budget 2021-2027: Commission Proposal May 2020

Source by [author_name]

Renault to slash 14,600 jobs as coronavirus wreaks havoc on auto industry

PressNewsAgency
-
0
Renault to slash 14,600 jobs as coronavirus wreaks havoc on auto industry

The company announced Friday that it will cut fixed costs by more than €2 billion ($2.2 billion) over the next three years. It also plans to reduce the number of cars it makes each year from 4 million to 3.3 million by 2024, and will stop selling Renault-branded vehicles in China. The plan will cost about €1.2 billion ($1.3 billion) to implement, the company said.

Renault (RNLSY) is part of the world’s biggest carmaking alliance, alongside Nissan (NSANF) and Mitsubishi (MBFJF). Earlier this week, the companies announced they would make fewer models, share production facilities and focus on the existing geographic and technological strengths of each carmaker as they try to slash costs amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Renault said changes were needed because of the slowdown of the global automotive market, the scale of the economic fallout from the pandemic, as well as stricter emissions standards. The company was in trouble before coronavirus, reporting its worst financial performance in a decade last year, with net profit dropping 99% to just €19 million ($21 million).

“The Covid crisis has only aggravated an existing situation,” acting CEO Clotilde Delbos said on a call with analysts on Friday. “This adverse economic environment has shown the limits of our business model, which was betting on unprecedented market growth in emerging markets and therefore on record sales,” she added.

Shares in Renault are down nearly 50% for the year and the company is in discussions with the French government, which owns a 15% stake, over the terms of a €5 billion ($5.4 billion) loan. Under former CEO Carlos Ghosn, the carmaker pursued an aggressive expansion strategy, seeking to drive sales volumes through what Delbos described as a “diverse, complex and costly lineup.”

“We pay the price of this model today,” Delbos said. “Our ever increasing size and structural costs are set for growth that did not take place.”

Renault will cut costs across engineering, production, and sales and administration, she said. The company, which employs 180,000 people around the world, said it would consult with unions about restructuring some of its plants in France.

“The planned changes are fundamental to ensure the sustainability of the company and its development over the long term,” chairman Jean-Dominique Senard said in a statement.

Carmakers are in the midst of a painful decline globally, with sales falling in each of the past two years following a record 2017. The coronavirus pandemic has deepened the slump, upending an industry grappling with the huge challenge of switching from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles in order to tackle the climate crisis.
On Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced an $8.8 billion aid package for the country’s auto industry. Luca de Meo, who previously served as president of Volkswagen (VLKAF) brand SEAT, starts as Renault’s new chief executive on July 1.

The decision to pull the Renault brand out of China is part of the new alliance strategy, which will see each member take the lead in specific geographies while the others follow. Nissan will lead the way in North America, the Middle East and key markets in Asia including China and Japan. Renault will take first position in Europe and South America, while Mitsubishi has been assigned parts of southeast Asia and Oceania.

On Thursday, Nissan announced it is slashing production capacity by 20% and closing a plant in Spain as part of the overhaul.

— Charles Riley contributed to this report.

Source link

1...66,73466,73566,736...66,850Page 66,735 of 66,850