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Was für ein himmlisches Comeback in der Supermodel-Welt. Nach 19 Jahren Abstinenz heftet sich Tyra Banks wieder ihre Engelsflügel an. Denn sie kehrt als Angel zurück auf den Laufsteg, der ihre Weltkarriere startete – dem der «Victoria’s Secret»-Fashion-Show.

Ein Besuch des früheren US-Präsidenten Donald Trump auf dem Nationalfriedhof in Arlington hat eine neue Kontroverse über dessen Respekt gegenüber Veteranen ausgelöst.

Winzige Plastikteilchen gelangen über die Wurzeln bis die Blätter und Nadeln von Bäumen und stören die Fotosynthese. Das zeigten Forschende der ETH Zürich in einem Experiment.

Die Anzahl Wolfsrisse ist in den Kantonen Wallis und Graubünden per Ende August 2024 zurückgegangen. Dies, obwohl der Wolfsbestand noch immer leicht zunimmt, wie mehrere Umweltverbände am Freitag mitteilten.

By CIVICUS
Aug 29 2024 (IPS)

 
CIVICUS discusses recent leadership changes in Vietnam with David Tran, coordinator of the Alliance for Vietnam’s Democracy, a civil society platform that promotes democracy in Vietnam and the region through international cooperation and the strengthening of local civil society.

On 3 August, President Tô Lâm was confirmed as General Secretary of the Communist Party, Vietnam’s top position, following the death of long-serving General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng. Lâm, who has been president since May, is known for leading an aggressive anti-corruption campaign that has seen many officials jailed and others forced to resign. He will continue as president while assuming the duties of general secretary, potentially enabling him to consolidate power ahead of the 2026 party congress, which will choose Vietnam’s top leaders for the next five years. Civil society fears the regime could become even more autocratic and repressive if Lâm retains both positions.

David Tran

What’s Vietnam’s political system like, and what’s the likely impact of the recent leadership change?

Vietnam is an authoritarian one-party state led by the Vietnamese Communist Party (VCP). There are four key positions of authority: the president, who is the ceremonial head of state, the prime minister, who heads the government, the chair of the National Assembly, the unicameral legislature, and the most powerful, the general secretary of the VCP.

Although the president is elected by the National Assembly, this body is overwhelmingly made up of VCP members, who usually approve all incumbents unopposed. On 3 August, following the death of the last VCP general secretary, Nguyễn Phú Trọng, Tô Lâm was confirmed as the new VCP leader.

This appointment is particularly significant because it puts a lot of power in the hands of one person. His dual role gives Tô Lâm considerable influence over the state and party, as well as greater control over the public security apparatus. While he appears set to continue the policies of his predecessor, there are several cracks beneath the surface. His power is likely to be challenged by several VCP members who’ve been forced into retirement by his ‘anticorruption’ campaign, effectively an initiative to eliminate competing factions. We can expect this infighting to continue and intensify.

What does Tô Lâm’s rise mean from a human rights perspective?

Tô Lâm has had a long career, including stints as minister of public security and a member of the politburo. The key role he played in the previous general secretary’s ‘anticorruption’ campaign saw him elected president in May, after his investigations into several high-profile politicians and businesspeople led to the resignation of his predecessor and other top officials.

The accumulation of power in the hands of the architect of a purge is unlikely to lead to improvements in civic space or human rights. Tô Lâm has been closely associated with the worsening human rights situation, as the Formosa and the Trinh Xuan Thanh cases clearly illustrate.

In April 2016, the Formosa company caused an environmental disaster when it discharged heavily polluted waste off Vietnam’s central coast. This caused widespread damage in at least four provinces and sparked protests. Instead of prosecuting Formosa, Tô Lâm, then minister of public security and in charge of the environmental police, suppressed peaceful protests and had 220 people sentenced to a total of 133 years in prison, not including probation after release. He said he was protecting Formosa from what he called ‘hostile forces’ – essentially anyone who criticised the company.

The second case involves Trinh Xuan Thanh, a former vice chair of Hau Giang Province, who fled to Germany in 2016 after being accused of ‘deliberately violating state regulations, causing serious consequences’. He was abducted on German soil by the Vietnamese secret service, which is under the Ministry of Public Security, and returned to Vietnam. Tô Lâm was directly involved in this operation, which Germany condemned as a ‘scandalous violation’ of its sovereignty and a ‘gross breach of international law’.

Given Tô Lâm’s track record, we expect human rights conditions to worsen under his leadership as Vietnam descends into a police state where human rights and the rule of law are ignored. The already limited space for civil society in Vietnam has shrunk under his watch, and we expect this trend to continue.

What are the challenges facing civil society in Vietnam?

Tô Lâm’s rise to power has been marked by his consistent efforts to stifle dissent. Under his leadership, the authorities, particularly the Ministry of Public Security, have increasingly tightened their grip on civil society organisations (CSOs). They have implemented new decrees that overregulate the registration and management of foreign CSOs and applied stricter rules to domestic organisations.

They have also weaponised tax laws and the criminal code to target civil society leaders, charging them with offences such as tax evasion and ‘abuse of democratic freedoms’. This has led to the imprisonment of prominent activists, including environmental and labour rights advocates.

Independent CSOs are subject to strict surveillance, with some being dismantled or forced to reorganise to conform to the authorities. This was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which the authorities used as a pretext to impose further restrictions on civil society under the guise of public health measures.

Despite this repressive environment, some social service CSOs and philanthropic groups continue to operate and strive to make a positive impact. But their independence is severely restricted as they and their activists are constantly targeted.

What international support does Vietnam’s civil society need?

Human rights organisations and international bodies have raised concerns about the shrinking space for civil society in Vietnam. They have called for respect for freedoms of assembly, association and expression and urged the authorities to ease restrictions. While these statements are important, they must be accompanied by trade sanctions and other enforcement mechanisms. Words alone are not enough.

Unfortunately, human rights in Vietnam are also falling victim to geopolitics. As tensions with China escalate, the USA is increasingly seeing Vietnam as a counterweight to China. In this context, human rights and civic space are often sidelined, if not ignored altogether. We believe that a democratic Vietnam would be the best partner and ally in promoting a peaceful, open and stable Indo-Pacific region.

Even if Tô Lâm has a long way to go before he reaches a position comparable to Xi Jinping’s in China, consolidation of power is a general trend we’re seeing among the region’s communist states. Oddly enough, given how these two leaders came to power, it could be a sign that pressure for human rights and civic space, both domestically and internationally, is working. If the authorities feel compelled to respond by consolidating power and positioning figures like Tô Lâm to counter these movements, there is still hope we are on the right track.

Civic space in Vietnam is rated ‘closed’ by the CIVICUS Monitor.

Get in touch with the Alliance for Vietnam’s Democracy through its webpage or Facebook page.

 

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Erfolgsmeldung aus dem fernen Peru: An der U20-Weltmeisterschaft der Leichtathletik gewinn Lucia Acklin die Silbermedaille im Siebenkampf.

Bő két héttel az olimpia zárása után ismét fellobbant a láng Párizsban, ezzel megkezdődött a XVII. paralimpia, a mozgássérült, látássérült és enyhe értelmi sérült sportolók legnagyobb sporteseménye, amely jövő vasárnapig tart.

Le fait, pour l’organisme humain, de développer une résistance aux médicaments est un grave danger pour les malades selon les spécialistes de la santé. Une récente étude de l’Université de Genève a révélé que le phénomène tue 30 % de nouveaux nés en Afrique de l’Ouest.

Le fait, pour l’organisme humain, de développer une résistance aux médicaments est un grave danger pour les malades selon les spécialistes de la santé. Une récente étude de l’Université de Genève a révélé que le phénomène tue 30 % de nouveaux nés en Afrique de l’Ouest.

Le fait, pour l’organisme humain, de développer une résistance aux médicaments est un grave danger pour les malades selon les spécialistes de la santé. Une récente étude de l’Université de Genève a révélé que le phénomène tue 30 % de nouveaux nés en Afrique de l’Ouest.

Schweizer Banken verzeichneten 2023 Rekordgewinne von 25,9 Milliarden Franken. Die Übernahme der Credit Suisse durch die UBS beeinflusste das Ergebnis massgeblich.

Magyarnemzet.hu: Az idegenbeli döntetlen után a szerdai visszavágón a Slovan Bratislava 3:2-re legyőzte a Midtjyllandot a labdarúgó Bajnokok Ligája selejtezőjének utolsó fordulójában, ezzel története során először főtáblára jutott a BL-ben.

Am 14. Tag im Dschungelcamp, der am Donnerstag im Live-TV ausgestrahlt wird, gibt es gleich zwei dramatische Abgänge zu verbuchen. Und Georgina Fleur zeigt mehr Herz, als man erwartet hätte.

In Maloja auf Gemeindegebiet Bregaglia hat sich am Dienstagabend ein tödlicher Bergunfall ereignet. Ein Mann stürzte am Pass da Casnil Sud ab und verstarb.

A völgyekben itt-ott köddel kezdődött a csütörtök (8. 29.) reggel. A Szlovák Hidrometeorológiai Intézet (SHMÚ) előrejelzése nagyon forró, napos időjárás várható. Napközben helyenként megnövekedhet a felhőzet, és elvétve záporok vagy zivatarok fordulhatnak elő.

Am morgigen Freitag läuft die Frist für die EU-Staaten zur Nominierung ihrer EU-Kommissare ab. Doch bereits jetzt wird deutlich, dass Ursula von der Leyen bei ihrer Zusammenstellung für ihr Brüsseler Team vor einem Problem stehen wird.

La peste porcine africaine sévit à Pèrèrè. Trois foyers ont été déjà détectés dans cette commune du département du Borgou et plus de 200 ports en sont morts.

« C'est vrai, il y a eu apparition de la peste porcine africaine à Pèrèrè », a confirmé le chef du service réglementation et contrôle de Direction départementale de l'agriculture de l'élevage et de la pêche (DDAEP) du Borgou.

Mama Amadou Moumouni ajoute que le premier cas confirmé a été détecté le 9 juillet 2024 à Soubadon, une localité très proche de Pèrèrè centre. Les dispositions ont été prises dès le lendemain pour maîtriser la situation. Mais d'autres cas ont été recensés.

« Il y a eu évolution négative parce qu'il y a eu apparition de deux autres foyers toujours à Pèrèrè. Il y a eu un foyer à Guinagourou et un autre foyer à Gninsy le 25 juillet », a précisé la même source.

« A la date d'aujourd'hui, on dénombre plus de 200 morts dans les élevages de porcs », a indiqué le DDAEP du Borgou sur Fraternitefm ce 28 août 2024.

La situation est sous-contrôle, a-t-il assuré. Toutefois, la consommation de la viande de porc est interdite jusqu'à nouvel ordre dans les localités touchées.

La peste porcine africaine (PPA) est une maladie animale due à un virus qui touche exclusivement les porcs domestiques et les sangliers. Elle occasionne de lourdes pertes au sein des populations de porcs et d'importantes perturbations économiques, selon l'Organisation mondiale de la santé animale (OMSA).
M. M.

Az izraeli hadsereg (IDF) legalább tíz palesztin fegyverest ölt meg egy szerda hajnali rajtaütés során Ciszjordánia északi részén. Az IDF szóvivője szerint a hadművelet célja a terrorizmus elleni küzdelem volt, amely Dzsenin és Túl-Karm térségére összpontosult. A támadások során öt fegyverest egy légicsapás végzett ki a Túl-Karm melletti Nur as-Samsz menekülttáborban, köztük Dzsabril Raszan Dzsabril, aki tavaly novemberben túszalku révén szabadult izraeli börtönéből.

Izrael a rajtaütéseket azzal indokolja, hogy ezzel próbálják felszámolni a Hamász és más terrorszervezetek ciszjordániai tevékenységét, és megelőzni az izraeliek elleni támadásokat. Israel Katz izraeli külügyminiszter egy bejegyzésében azt állította, hogy Irán keleti terrorista frontot próbál kiépíteni Izrael ellen Ciszjordániában.

Dzsenin kormányzója, Kamal Abu al-Rub, arról számolt be, hogy az izraeli erők lezárták a város kijáratait, ellenőrzik a kórházakba belépőket, és razziát tartottak az al-Farah menekülttáborban. Eközben Charles Michel, az Európai Tanács elnöke dohai látogatása során a nemzetközi jog tiszteletben tartására szólított fel Gázában és Ciszjordániában, kiemelve, hogy az EU támogatja a gázai tűzszünetet, és aktívan együttműködik a régió országaival annak érdekében.

The post Izraeli légicsapás: palesztin fegyveresek halála Ciszjordániában appeared first on Biztonságpiac.

Dank des sensationellen YB-Sieges gegen Galatasaray startet in der ersten Champions-League-Saison im neuen Modus auch eine Schweizer Mannschaft. Doch was ist neu in der Champions, Europa und Conference League? Wann wird gespielt? Und wie viel Geld gibt es zu verdienen?

Written by Sidonia Mazur.

Pilot projects and preparatory actions (PPs and PAs) are tools in the EU budget designed to test new policy initiatives or prepare the ground for the adoption of future programmes. PPs and PAs give Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) the possibility to initiate innovative policies and fund them before a legal act has been adopted. The financing of both new PPs and PAs and those continued from previous years must be included in the EU budget under the annual budgetary procedure.

What are PPs and PAs?

PPs and PAs are covered by Article 58(2) of the EU’s Financial Regulation, which states that ‘pilot projects of an experimental nature’ are meant to test ‘the feasibility of an action and its usefulness’. Preparatory actions, meanwhile, are designed to ‘prepare proposals with a view to the adoption of future actions’.

PPs and PAs are an exception to the rule that appropriations may be entered in the EU budget only if a legal act has been adopted authorising the expenditure in question: PPs and PAs cannot be used for expenditure for which a legal basis already exists. Therefore, PPs and PAs are an attractive way for MEPs to transform their political ideas into future EU policies and programmes without waiting for legal initiatives from the European Commission. The European Parliament is not the only institution that has the right to propose PPs and PAs. The Council and the Commission can also put forward PPs and PAs, but very rarely do so.

How much money is available for PPs and PAs?

The total amount of appropriations in any budgetary year cannot exceed €40 million for pilot projects, and €100 million for preparatory actions. This means that the total maximum annual allocation for PPs and PAs combined is €140 million. However, the total amount of appropriations actually committed for new preparatory actions must not exceed €50 million. The EU can make a budgetary commitment for a pilot project for no more than 2 consecutive financial years. Budgets for a preparatory action, which often follows a pilot project, are limited to a maximum of 3 years.

Moreover, allocations for PPs and PAs must fit under the annual ceiling in commitments per heading set under the multiannual financial framework for each budgetary year. If a preparatory action is successful, a legal basis for that action could be prepared with a view to the new policy in future functioning under its own legal basis. Moreover, the lessons learnt from the implementation of a PP or a PA might result in the modification of an existing legal basis.

How are PPs and PAs adopted in the EU’s annual budgetary procedure?

The Parliament’s general budget rapporteur presents, in agreement with the other political groups’ shadow rapporteurs on the general budget, a compromise package of PPs and PAs, which the Committee on Budgets (BUDG) usually votes on as a block amendment. The compromise package is based on Parliament’s priorities, as set in Parliament’s general guidelines for the preparation of the budget for the following year. Under Rule 96 of Parliament’s Rules of Procedure (RoP), Parliament gives particular priority to PPs and PAs originating from its legislative initiative reports in accordance with Article 225 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU) and Rule 47 of the RoP. During the budgetary negotiations with the Council, individual PP and PA budgetary allocations can still change.

A parallel EPRS briefing on the EU’s annual budgetary procedure explains the steps, deadlines and actors involved in the annual budget-making exercise in the European Parliament.

Pre-assessment by the European Commission

In line with the Interinstitutional Agreement on budgetary discipline, cooperation in budgetary matters and sound financial management, MEPs and the Council must propose pilot projects and preparatory actions to the Commission for pre-assessment before the July interinstitutional negotiations (trilogues) between the Council, the Commission and the Parliament. Following the ‘Parliament 2024’ reform, the committee responsible for budgetary issues must send proposed PPs and PAs to the Commission only when those proposals have the support of a committee, a political group or Members reaching at least the low threshold (one 20th of Parliament’s component Members). The proposals are collected by the BUDG committee secretariat. Pre-assessments are mandatory under Rule 96 of the RoP. Pre-assessment participation is possible exclusively through a dedicated electronic form (downloadable from the BUDG eCommittee website) and limited to the Commission’s three working languages (English, French and German). According to Rule 96 of the RoP, PPs and PAs linked to Parliament’s legislative initiative reports in accordance with Article 225 TFEU and Rule 47 of the RoP are sent for information to the Commission and given priority during the vote.

The Commission evaluates the proposals using the following grading.

• Category A: PP/PA could be implemented as suggested by the European Parliament.
• Category B: PP/PA might under certain conditions be fully or partially implementable, but the project would need to be re-designed, or more information might be needed.
• Category C: PP/PA is fully covered by an existing legal base, or the ideas are otherwise being addressed.
• Category D: PP/PA cannot be implemented, or similar actions have already been carried out in the past.

Authors of PPs and PAs can use the feedback from the Commission to improve the design of their PP or PA proposal further and ask for re-assessment over the summer. Parliament’s budget rapporteur intends to include in the compromise package only those PPs or PAs that the Commission assessed as category A or B, as well as those PPs and PAs Parliament considered essential. All PP and PA proposals submitted for pre‑assessment, as well as those re-assessed, must also be tabled as budgetary amendments by the deadline set in the respective specialised committee or in BUDG.

Preliminary PP/PA adoption calendar in the EU’s annual budgetary procedure (2025 budget)19 March 2024Deadline for tabling PP/PA proposals for pre-assessment (first round)19 June 2024Publication of 2025 draft budget and European Commission Working document IV14 June 2024First round of PP/PA proposal pre-assessment completed by the Commission28 June 2024Deadline for contacting the Commission to seek re-assessment of first-round proposals25 July 2024 – 17.00Deadline for submitting PP/PA proposals for the second round of pre‑assessment (for newly elected MEPs)Early September 2024Second round of PP/PA proposal pre-assessment completed by the Commission5 September 2024 – 12 noonDeadline for tabling budgetary amendments (committees and MEPs)12 September 2024 – 12 noonDeadline for tabling budgetary amendments (political groups)7 October 2024 (Strasbourg)BUDG committee vote on budgetary amendmentsOctober II plenary (21‑24 October 2024)Adoption of Parliament’s readingNovember II plenary (25‑28 November 2024)Plenary vote and adoption of the budget

Read this ‘at a glance’ note on ‘Pilot projects and preparatory actions in the annual EU budgetary procedure‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.