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Anfang Januar hat sich aus der Felswand oberhalb von Brienz eine grössere Menge Felsmaterial gelöst und ist auf die bereits instabile Schutthalde gestürzt. Dadurch kam es dort zu einer Geschwindigkeitszunahme der Rutschung.

Der rumänische Energieminister warnte vor nationalen Sicherheitsrisiken im Zusammenhang mit dem möglichen Verkauf des lokalen Energieversorgers E.ON an das ungarische Unternehmen MVM gewarnt. Dem Unternehmen wird eine Nähe zum Kreml vorgeworfen.

Aujourd'hui dans l'Expresso : en direct du Groenland : les influenceurs pro-Trump envahissent la capitale, la Roumanie dénonce un risque pour la sécurité nationale lié à la vente d'une entreprise énergétique à la Hongrie, les leaders séparatistes catalans font pression sur Pedro Sánchez.

A selection of the week's best photos from across the African continent and beyond.

A selection of the week's best photos from across the African continent and beyond.

Après le FC Barcelone mercredi soir, c'est au tour du Real Madrid de répondre présent lors des 8es de finale de la Coupe du Roi. Les Madrilènes n'ont pas eu la tâche facile. Toutefois, ils ont eu à laver la honte du dimanche dernier lors de la finale de la Supercoupe d'Espagne (5-2).

Jeudi soir, le Real Madrid affrontait le Celta dans le cadre des 8es de finale de la Coupe du Roi. Devant grâce à un nouveau but de Kylian Mbappé à la suite d'un long rush (37e) et Vinicius Junior (48e), la Maison Blanche a été reprise sur des réalisations de Bamba (83e) et Marcos Alonso (90e+1 sp). Il a fallu attendre la prolongation pour voir le Real Madrid s'envoler grâce à Endrick, avec notamment une talonnade astucieuse sur son second but (108e, 119e), et Valverde (112e), auteur d'un nouveau coup de canon dans la lucarne.

Score 5-2, les Madrilènes signent leur première victoire de l'année au Santiago Bernabéu et passent en quarts de finale de la Coupe du Roi.

J.S

La police républicaine a appréhendé ce jeudi 16 janvier 2025, un Pakistanais après l'incendie d'un magasin au quartier Ayélawadjè à Akpakpa, dans le 3e arrondissement de Cotonou. Le mis en cause serait le propriétaire des produits chimiques ayant occasionné le drame.

L'enquête ouverte après l'incendie à Akpakpa a permis d'interpeller un Pakistanais ce jeudi 16 janvier 2025. L'homme, selon nos sources, est identifié comme le propriétaire présumé des produits chimiques ayant provoqué l'incendie du samedi 11 janvier 2025. Un communiqué du ministre de l'intérieur et de la sécurité publique faisait état de produits « dangereux », le sulfate d'aluminium notamment.
Depuis que le drame est survenu, le propriétaire de l'immeuble et le locataire du magasin où les produits étaient entreposés sont restés introuvables. Mais grâce aux enquêtes de la police, le locataire du magasin, un ressortissant Pakistanais, a été interpellé dans un hôtel de la place. Son audition serait en cours dans un commissariat.

F. A. A.

Marine life photographed on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) survey of deep-sea habitats. Credit: NOAA

By Nancy Karigithu and Pascal Lamy
DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 17 2025 (IPS)

Deep-sea mining may not be on the official agenda next week at the World Economic Forum in Davos (January 20-24), but restoring public trust in international cooperation is.

Perhaps the most significant commitment African and European leaders can make here to restore trust in their ability to solve complicated problems, and one that safeguards our planet’s health and interconnected ocean, is to call for a pause on deep-sea mining in international waters.

As co-chairs of the Africa-Europe Strategy Group on Ocean Governance, an initiative of the European Commission, in partnership with the African Union Commission, and facilitated by the Africa-Europe Foundation, we have already begun discussing how both continents could benefit from greater collaboration in fisheries management, marine pollution, and habitat protection, especially in the face of climate change.

Now, with Global North mining corporations pushing the International Seabed Authority (ISA) to approve commercial deep-sea mining in 2025 with no agreed regulations and no environmental safeguards, we must urgently turn our attention and global influence to the ocean floor.

Already, permits have been granted to prospect for potato-sized polymetallic nodules that contain elements like cobalt and nickel. Unfortunately, the mining process amounts to dragging bulldozers across the seafloor thousands of meters below the surface and vacuuming the nodules back up to ships where they are cleaned with high-pressure hoses, leaving vast clouds of silt in their wakes.

Scientists have increasingly been sounding the alarm about the potential impacts of the operations on fragile marine habitats, with the likelihood that deep-sea mining could irreversibly destroy species and ecosystems.

Once thought to be nearly devoid of life, and contrary to the traditional knowledge of indigenous and coastal communities, new research has revealed an environment teeming with numerous species of fish, squid, and crustaceans (many only recently discovered) that play an essential role in the wider global ocean system, including African and European fisheries.

Other research suggests that disturbing seabed sediments could disrupt our planet’s largest carbon sink and potentially release carbon into the atmosphere and compound the climate crisis when we can least afford it.

Both continents depend on a healthy marine environment for fisheries, tourism and food security. Yet, even as they struggle to manage unprecedented pressures from over-exploitation, rapidly warming waters, pollution and acidification, deep-sea mining looms as a potentially catastrophic threat with far-reaching impacts that do not recognize national borders.

Proponents of the mining, possibly even some in Davos, argue that it is necessary to satisfy growing demand for batteries used in the burgeoning electric vehicle market. But with research suggesting that deep-sea metals are not needed to fuel the green transition, including the astronomical costs and growing liabilities with the industry, companies have already begun moving away from the industry to invest in alternatives, including innovative battery chemistries and recycled materials.

It is unlikely that deep-sea mining would ever be profitable without large government subsidies that could be better spent on improved refining and processing capacity, renewable technologies and energy efficiency.

Given these enormous risks (and questionable benefits), an Africa-Europe led pause on deep-sea mining is simply a prudent application of the precautionary approach that has guided marine conservation and international environmental treaties for decades. It would also align with key principles set out in the UN High Seas Treaty, such as conservation, sustainable use and benefit sharing.

Moreover, it would lay the groundwork for even greater collaboration, including ocean research initiatives, marine genetic resources found in the deep ocean, ocean planning, applied local community and indigenous knowledge, and the establishment of dedicated research institutions that draw on the immense talent and experience available in both continents.

Political momentum against deep-sea mining is building. Today, 32 countries have announced their support for a moratorium, a precautionary pause, or an outright ban, joined also by scores of indigenous and civil society groups, major companies, financial institutions, science and policy experts from around the world. .

If we have learned one lesson from working on global challenges over the past few decades it is how enormously difficult it is to bring about change once powerful interests become entrenched. This year, deep-sea mining corporations are pressuring the ISA to approve full-scale commercial operations.

Without immediate action from world leaders at Davos, deep-sea mining and its destruction, could become entrenched for decades. Africa and Europe have a unique opportunity to demonstrate the value of international cooperation by stopping this harmful practice before it starts.

Pascal Lamy, Co-chair of the Africa-Europe Strategy Group on Ocean Governance, Vice-President of the Paris Peace Forum, Former Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, and Former European Commissioner on Trade Commissioner; and Ambassador Nancy Karigithu, Co-chair of the Africa-Europe Strategy Group on Ocean Governance, Kenya’s Ambassador and Special Envoy & Advisor to the President on Maritime and Blue Economy and former Principal Secretary for Shipping and Maritime Affairs for the Government of Kenya.

IPS UN Bureau

 

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Une coalition d’organisations non gouvernementales environnementales tchèques a déposé une plainte auprès de la Commission européenne, accusant les autorités tchèques de ne pas appliquer la législation environnementale de l’Union européenne à la centrale électrique à charbon de Počerady.

Trotz aller Turbulenzen beim Konzernumbau ist die Migros im vergangenen Jahr weiter gewachsen. Der Umsatz stieg um 1,6 Prozent auf 32,5 Milliarden Franken. Das ist ein neuer Rekord.

Hasard du calendrier ? À quelques jours de l'investiture de Donald Trump, le Premier ministre albanais a accueilli le très influent rabbin Yosef Pinto, proche de la famille de son gendre Jared Kushner. L'occasion de promouvoir l'Albanie pour attirer les touristes juifs... Et de faire avancer de juteux contrats ?

- Articles / Relations internationales, Courrier des Balkans, PS Albanie, USA Balkans, Albanie, Economie, Religions

Hasard du calendrier ? À quelques jours de l'investiture de Donald Trump, le Premier ministre albanais a accueilli le très influent rabbin Yosef Pinto, proche de la famille de son gendre Jared Kushner. L'occasion de promouvoir l'Albanie pour attirer les touristes juifs... Et de faire avancer de juteux contrats ?

- Le fil de l'Info / Une - Diaporama, Relations internationales, Courrier des Balkans, PS Albanie, USA Balkans, Albanie, Economie, Religions, Une - Diaporama - En premier

Hasard du calendrier ? À quelques jours de l'investiture de Donald Trump, le Premier ministre albanais a accueilli le très influent rabbin Yosef Pinto, proche de la famille de son gendre Jared Kushner. L'occasion de promouvoir l'Albanie pour attirer les touristes juifs... Et de faire avancer de juteux contrats ?

- Le fil de l'Info / Une - Diaporama, Relations internationales, Courrier des Balkans, PS Albanie, USA Balkans, Albanie, Economie, Religions

Alexander Zverev steht in den Achtelfinals, auch Carlos Alcaraz erreicht die zweite Turnierwoche. Während die beiden relativ problemlos weiterkommen, bekundet Aryna Sabalenka ein bisschen mehr Mühe.

Eine Koalition tschechischer Umweltorganisationen hat bei der EU-Kommission Beschwerde eingereicht. Sie wirft den tschechischen Behörden vor, die EU-Umweltgesetzgebung im Zusammenhang mit dem Kohlekraftwerk Počerady nicht durchzusetzen.

L'accord de cessez-le-feu dans la guerre de Gaza fait suite à 15 mois de combats entre Israël et le Hamas.

Après la récente tentative présumée des services spéciaux ukrainiens d’attaquer le gazoduc TurkStream en Russie, la Bulgarie a pris des mesures pour protéger Balkan Stream, le prolongement du même gazoduc qui fournit du gaz à des clients en Europe.

Wer einen Blick in die Zukunft Europas werfen möchte, muss dieser Tage nach Berlin schauen.  Im Konrad-Adenauer-Haus hat Friedrich Merz am Freitag die Spitzenpolitiker von Europas konservativer Parteienfamilie, der Europäischen Volkspartei (EVP), zur Klausurtagung geladen.   

Les dirigeants des deux principaux partis séparatistes catalans ont décidé de joindre leurs forces pour faire pression sur le Premier ministre espagnol, Pedro Sánchez, afin d'obtenir davantage de concessions politiques en faveur de la Catalogne.

Credit: Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)

By Thalif Deen
UNITED NATIONS, Jan 17 2025 (IPS)

The year 2024 has been one of the most devastating for journalists covering conflicts worldwide– with 361 behind bars, the second highest since the global record of 370 imprisoned back in 2023.

According to a new report released January 16, by the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), China, Israel, and Myanmar were the leading jailers of reporters, followed by Belarus and Russia.

The main drivers of journalist imprisonment in 2024 were ongoing authoritarian repression, war, and political or economic instability. Many countries, including China, Israel, Tunisia, and Azerbaijan, set new records for imprisonment.

“These numbers should be a wake-up call for us all,” said CPJ CEO Jodie Ginsberg. “A rise in attacks on journalists almost always precedes a rise in attacks on other freedoms – the freedom to give and receive information, the freedom to assemble and move freely, the freedom to protest.”

“These journalists are being arrested and punished for exposing political corruption, environmental degradation, financial wrongdoing – all issues that matter to our day-to-day lives.”

Asia remained the region with the highest number of journalists behind bars in 2024, accounting for more than 30% (111) of the global total.

In addition to the leading jailers – China, Myanmar, and Vietnam – journalists were also behind bars in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, and the Philippines.

A total of 108 journalists were imprisoned in the Middle East and North Africa, almost half of those detained by Israel.

Last year, U.N. legal experts determined that Israel violated international law in its detention of three Palestinian journalists. CPJ has previously called on Israel to investigate the cases of these and others held in Israeli custody for lengthy periods without charge, hold accountable those responsible for these rights violations, and provide compensation to journalists who have been arbitrarily detained.

Dr Ramzy Baroud, an author, a syndicated columnist, editor of Palestine Chronicle & a Senior Research Fellow at Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA), told IPS while the report by the CPJ highlights the alarming state of global press freedom, it doesn’t fully capture the scale of the situation.

Israel’s treatment of Palestinian journalists is particularly egregious. Over 200 journalists have been killed, hundreds more injured, and many have been jailed and tortured. This makes Israel one of the leading violators of press freedom in the world, he pointed out.

“It’s important to recognize that the targeting of journalists is part of a broader pattern of repression against freedom of expression. These actions reflect a systemic denial of basic human and civil rights.”

What is especially disturbing in the case of Israel is the lack of accountability. Unlike other countries where press freedom is violated, Israel faces little scrutiny or consequence for the murders, detentions, and torture of journalists. Many Western political leaders continue to hold Israel up as a model of freedom and democracy, despite these serious violations, he argued.

Such reports must go beyond mere documentation and demand real accountability. Pressure must be placed on all relevant parties to hold those responsible for violating press freedom accountable, ensuring this issue isn’t confined to occasional press releases but leads to tangible action, declared Dr Baroud.

Dr James Jennings, President, Conscience International, told IPS dictators and tyrannical governments use disinformation as their stock in trade. They realize that controlling newspapers, television, and the Internet are vital to their survival.

“That makes it dangerous to be a journalist in such countries for simply telling the truth”.

He pointed out honest reporting can get you arrested in Russia, kicked out of Israel, and jailed in China, Egypt, Belarus, and many other countries. Telling the true story sometimes means that journalists are liable to be killed as has happened frequently in Gaza over the past 15 months.

“It’s a great time to be an autocrat. Savvy politicians realize that they can reach the hearts and minds of people directly through their hand-held communication devices. “Flooding the Zone” with lies is easy. Searching for and prying out the truth in a messy situation is much more difficult, but that’s exactly the job of reporters.

If, as is often said, journalism is the first draft of history, then every country will benefit by honoring and protecting journalists. Instead, today they may get lengthy punishments, said Dr Jennings.

According to CPJ, pervasive censorship in China, for years one of the world’s top jailers of journalists, makes it notoriously difficult to determine the exact number of journalists jailed there.

However, jailings are not limited to the mainland, traditionally considered highly repressive. Those jailed include British citizen and Hong Kong-based entrepreneur Jimmy Lai, founder of the pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper, who has been held in solitary confinement in Hong Kong since 2020 and is currently on trial on retaliatory charges of collusion with foreign forces.

Outside of Belarus (31) and Russia (30), Azerbaijan’s (13) continued crackdown on independent media made it one of the leading jailers of journalists in Europe and Central Asia in 2024. Turkey (11) is no longer among the top jailers of journalists but pressure on independent media remains high.

This is also the case in Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean, where the number of jailings is lower than in other regions but where threats against journalism persist. Mexico, for example, has no journalists in jail but is one of the most dangerous places to be a journalist outside a war zone.

In Nigeria, with four journalists behind bars on December 1, dozens of journalists were attacked and detained as they sought to cover protests and civil unrest. Senegal, which held one journalist in prison on the 2024 census date, also arrested and assaulted journalists covering political protests.

Globally, CPJ found that more than 60% – 228 – of the imprisoned journalists faced broad anti-state charges, including often-vague charges of terrorism or extremism in countries including Myanmar, Russia, Belarus, Tajikistan, Ethiopia, Egypt, Venezuela, Turkey, India, and Bahrain. These accusations were commonly leveled against reporters from marginalized ethnic groups whose work focused on their communities.

Tackling journalist imprisonment is a key focus for CPJ, which provides journalists with financial support to cover the cost of legal fees, as well as resources to help journalists and newsrooms better prepare for or mitigate threats of legal harassment and action. The organization also makes concerted efforts to advocate for the release of journalists whose cases could revert or stem the tide of criminalization.

Andreas Bummel, executive director, Democracy Without Borders, told IPS: “Freedom of the press is the only way to ensure effective public scrutiny of the government. Political persecution of journalists is absolutely unacceptable and must receive greater international attention, including at the United Nations, where the governments concerned meet.”

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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