German court to rule on ‘extremist’ label for AfD

A sticker with the lettering 'AfD (Alternative for Germany party) ? - No thanks!' is seen party on a garbage can in Dortmund, western Germany on March 11, 2024. (AFP)
A sticker with the lettering 'AfD (Alternative for Germany party) ? - No thanks!' is seen party on a garbage can in Dortmund, western Germany on March 11, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 12 March 2024
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German court to rule on ‘extremist’ label for AfD

German court to rule on ‘extremist’ label for AfD
  • A finding that it is suspected extremist could hurt the party in western Germany, where it is less well established and voters are traditionally more cautious about parties that are labelled extremist

MUENSTER, Germany: A German court is due to rule this week on whether security services can treat the far-right Alternative for Germany and its youth wing as suspected extremist organizations, a decision that could cost the party dearly in upcoming European elections.
If the higher administrative court in Muenster confirms a lower court finding, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), tasked with scrutinizing threats to Germany’s constitutional order, will retain the power to deploy the full range of intelligence tools against the party.
They could be anything from tapping phones to recruiting informants inside a party whose leaders have dismissed citizens of foreign ethnic backgrounds as “passport Germans” or complained about “fecund Africans” flooding Germany.
The party, which has 78 of the 736 seats in the Bundestag, the German federal parliament, maintains that it is a democratic, non-extremist formation. Regional branches of the party have already been formally declared extremist threats.
The case’s title “AfD versus Federal Republic of Germany” hints at its significance for a country that has built its post-war reputation building a model democracy with strong safeguards against extremism now seeing a far-right party polling as much of a third of the vote in some regions.
A finding that it is suspected extremist could hurt the party in western Germany, where it is less well established and voters are traditionally more cautious about parties that are labelled extremist.
It could also complicate dealmaking on a European level: potential partners, including France’s Marine Le Pen, have warned that overt racism could make it hard for her National Rally party to work with them.
The BfV first began treating the party as a possible extremist organization in 2021. A lower court rejected the AfD’s appeal against this the following year.
The court in Muenster, in whose jurisdiction the BfV’s headquarters in Cologne lies, is expected to issue a definitive ruling on the facts on Tuesday after two days of hearings.
The party is now polling in first place in several of the poorer, post-industrial eastern states where its anti-establishment, anti-immigration message is particularly resonant.
But the party has also faced mounting pressure, especially after the revelation that senior figures had attended a meeting where the “remigration” of “unintegrated” German citizens was discussed — widely seen as code for the expulsion of people of non-ethnic-German descent.
That triggered weeks of street protests and even statements of concern from titans of German corporate life, normally exceptionally reticent on matters of daily politics.
The party has slipped in the polls slightly, though it remains second on around 19 percent, behind the opposition conservatives but well ahead of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats on 15 percent. 

 


Russia says Zelensky trip to US was ‘complete failure’

Russia says Zelensky trip to US was ‘complete failure’
Updated 9 sec ago
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Russia says Zelensky trip to US was ‘complete failure’

Russia says Zelensky trip to US was ‘complete failure’
Zelensky’s visit to Washington on Feb. 28 is a complete political failure, Zakharova said

MOSCOW: Russia said Saturday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s trip to the United States had been a complete “failure,” after US President Donald Trump berated him in a stunning televised confrontation.
“The visit of the head of the neo-Nazi regime, V. Zelensky, to Washington on February 28 is a complete political and diplomatic failure of the Kyiv regime,” Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement.

Turkiye to repeat offer to host Ukraine-Russia peace talks at London summit, source says

Turkiye to repeat offer to host Ukraine-Russia peace talks at London summit, source says
Updated 9 min 35 sec ago
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Turkiye to repeat offer to host Ukraine-Russia peace talks at London summit, source says

Turkiye to repeat offer to host Ukraine-Russia peace talks at London summit, source says
  • Ankara has welcomed the US initiative to end the war
  • On Sunday, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will brief European leaders on Turkiye’s efforts to find a “fair and lasting peace” to the war

ANKARA: Turkiye’s foreign minister will reiterate at Sunday’s meeting of European leaders in London an offer from Ankara to host peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, a Turkish diplomatic source said on Saturday.
NATO-member Turkiye hosted initial talks between the sides months after Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, helping secure a deal for the safe passage of grain exports in the Black Sea. It has said any future peace talks must include both countries.
While repeatedly calling for a ceasefire since 2024, Ankara has welcomed the US initiative to end the war, which was derailed by a public argument between the presidents of Ukraine and the United States in Washington on Friday.
On Sunday, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will brief European leaders on Turkiye’s efforts to find a “fair and lasting peace” to the war, the source said, adding he will also affirm Ankara’s commitment to Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
Fidan is expected to “underline that Turkiye, which hosted direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in March 2022, is ready to take up this role in the coming period,” and emphasize that all parties must jointly focus on lasting regional security and stability, as well as economic prosperity, in negotiations, the person added.
A Black Sea littoral state like Ukraine and Russia, Turkiye has maintained good ties with both since the start of the war. It has provided Kyiv with military support, while refusing to participate in Western sanctions against Moscow.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Turkiye last month, on the same day US and Russian representatives met for talks — without Kyiv’s participation — in Riyadh aimed at ending the war.
On Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also held talks in Ankara. On Saturday, Fidan and Lavrov discussed the latest developments around the Ukraine-Russia war in a phone call, the source said, marking the third contact between them in the past two weeks.
On Thursday, delegations from the United States and Russia met in Istanbul for talks aimed at addressing bilateral issues regarding the operations of their respective embassies.
Zelensky said last week that he saw Turkiye as an important security guarantor for Ukraine.


Zelensky moves on after Oval Office blowout with Trump

Zelensky moves on after Oval Office blowout with Trump
Updated 21 min 48 sec ago
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Zelensky moves on after Oval Office blowout with Trump

Zelensky moves on after Oval Office blowout with Trump
  • Zelensky on Saturday arrived in London for a summit organized by British PM
  • “If anyone is gambling with World War III, his name is Vladimir Putin,” Macron said

LONDON: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the American people and leadership and voiced hope for “strong relations,” a day after an astonishing Oval Office blowout with US President Donald Trump that left many uncertain where the once staunch allies stood.
Zelensky on Saturday arrived in London for a summit organized by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer with other European leaders.
The summit on Sunday will also include leaders from France, Germany, Denmark, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Turkiye, Finland, Sweden, Czechia and Romania, as well as the NATO secretary-general and the presidents of the European Commission and European Council.
The shouting match that unfolded Friday in the final minutes of the highly anticipated meeting between Trump and Zelensky seemed to dash, at least for now, Ukrainian hopes that the United States could be locked in as a reliable partner in helping fend off, and conclude, Russia’s three-year onslaught.

Macron suggests that Putin, not Zelensky, is gambling with World War III
French President Emmanuel Macron said if someone is gambling with World War III, it is not Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky but more likely his Russian counterpart.
Macron reacted to Friday’s heated exchange between US President Donald Trump and Zelensky in the Oval Office, during which Trump accused Zelensky of “gambling with World War III.”
“If anyone is gambling with World War III, his name is Vladimir Putin,” Macron told Portugal’s RTP news channel during a visit to Lisbon ahead of Sunday’s Ukraine summit of European leaders in London.
Macron said he still hopes that the United States will remain committed to the defense of democracy.
“My hope is that the United States of America will continue to stand by its history and its principles,” he said. “Whenever we have had major conflicts, the United States of America has been on the right side of history and freedom.”

Turkish foreign minister discusses Ukraine with Lavrov
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Saturday spoke to his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov about the war in Ukraine, officials said.
The phone call came a day before Fidan is due to attend a London summit of European leaders to discuss bringing the three-year conflict to an end.
Turkiye, which has close ties to both Ukraine and Russia, has previously offered to mediate talks. It hosted unsuccessful peace talks in 2022.

Zelensky expresses his thanks to the US people
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky voiced thanks to the “American people” and leadership, and hope for “strong relations,” less than a day after an astonishing Oval Office blowout with Trump that left many uncertain where the once staunch allies stood.
Ukraine had walked into the meeting prepared to sign a mineral deal with the US, hoping it would be a step toward a just ceasefire, but left empty handed.
In a series of posts on X on Saturday, Zelensky said Ukrainians are “very grateful to the United States for all the support,” and specifically thanked Trump and Congress alongside the “American people.”
“Our relationship with the American President is more than just two leaders: It’s a historic and solid bond between our peoples. … American people helped save our people,” he said. “We want only strong relations with America and I really hope we will have them,” he added.
Zelensky arrives in the UK ahead of schedule to meet with Starmer
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer plans to meet Saturday afternoon with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky following the dramatic blowout with President Donald Trump at the White House.
Zelensky’s plane with the Ukrainian flag on its tail landed at London Stansted Airport the morning after the diplomatic spat on live TV.
Zelensky had been due to meet with Starmer on Sunday, hours before taking part in a London summit of European leaders to discuss how to ensure a peaceful end to the war and provide security across the continent.
But the timetable for their bilateral meeting was apparently sped up in the aftermath of the Washington visit.


US federal workers receive second email on justifying jobs: media

US federal workers receive second email on justifying jobs: media
Updated 01 March 2025
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US federal workers receive second email on justifying jobs: media

US federal workers receive second email on justifying jobs: media

WASHINGTON: A second email asking US federal workers to justify their jobs was sent on Friday, as part of President Donald Trump’s initiative to slash spending, media outlets reported.
It came a week after Elon Musk, the billionaire appointed by Trump to downsize the government, engineered a first mass email to the federal government’s two million employees, ordering them to justify their work or risk being fired.
The message, sent from the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the government’s HR department, had created confusion among an already anxious workforce, as multiple federal agencies told staff to ignore it.
Friday’s email once again asked staff to respond with around five bullet points describing what they accomplished in the past week and added that it would become a weekly task.
The second round of emails started going out late Friday, The New York Times, NPR and CBS News reported, stating that they had seen copies of the second message.
The email had the subject line, “What did you do last week? Part II” and went out to workers at various agencies, including the FBI, the Treasury Department and the Department of Homeland Security.
Musk, whom Trump put in charge of the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) advisory body, tasking him with slashing public spending and tackling alleged waste and corruption, has not commented on X about the new emails.
Unlike with the first email, the second message also asked workers to send their list of accomplishments by the end of Monday on a weekly basis going forward.
It also said workers whose activities are classified or sensitive could simply respond with “All of my activities are sensitive.”
CBS reported that this time the OPM had tasked individual agencies to send the email themselves, adding that each department could decide whether to do so.
Musk had previously said the original email “was basically a check to see if the employee had a pulse and was capable of replying to an email.”
Trump in a message on his social media platform Truth Social had praised Musk for “doing a great job,” but said “I would like to see him get more aggressive.”


UN refugee chief warns of hunger in Rohingya camps amid dramatic aid cuts

UN refugee chief warns of hunger in Rohingya camps amid dramatic aid cuts
Updated 01 March 2025
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UN refugee chief warns of hunger in Rohingya camps amid dramatic aid cuts

UN refugee chief warns of hunger in Rohingya camps amid dramatic aid cuts
  • Filippo Grandi is on a visit to Bangladesh, where he met with Rohingya refugees
  • Looming US aid cuts would give rise to human trafficking in refugee camps, expert says

DHAKA: UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi has warned of impending hunger and disease among the Rohingya community sheltering in southeastern Bangladesh, amid a shift in US foreign aid policy.

The US is the largest donor of humanitarian aid for the Rohingya refugees who fled violence in Myanmar. Last year, it contributed $301 million, or 55 percent of all foreign aid, for more than 1.3 million Rohingya living in camps in Cox’s Bazar district on the southeast coast of Bangladesh.

The aid is feared to stop soon, as the Donald Trump administration announced in late January that it was eliminating most of US assistance globally.

The UNHCR chief, who arrived in Bangladesh earlier this week, visited the Rohingya in Cox’s Bazar on Friday.

“If donor support decreases dramatically — which may happen — the huge work done by the Bangladesh government, aid agencies and refugees will be impacted, putting thousands at risk of hunger, disease and insecurity,” he said in an X post after the visit.

The Rohingya, a mostly Muslim ethnic minority, lived for centuries in Myanmar’s western Rakhine State but were stripped of their citizenship in the 1980s. Since then, many of them have fled to Bangladesh, with about 700,000 arriving in 2017 after a military crackdown that the UN has been referring to as a textbook case of ethnic cleansing by Myanmar.

Today, more than 1.3 million Rohingya are cramped inside 33 camps in Cox’s Bazar — the world’s largest refugee settlement.

Mizanur Rahman, the Bangladeshi government’s top refugee relief and repatriation official, told Arab News on Thursday that several hospitals in the camps had already scaled back their services and would be forced to close if there was no funding available by the end of March.

The health care crisis would be further exacerbated by limited access to food in the settlements, where the majority of refugees are already malnourished.

“Pregnant and lactating mothers, as well as newborn children, will be affected in the long term. The Rohingya refugees here in Bangladesh could face a massive rise in malnutrition, a high death-birth rate, and an increased rate of disability,” said Asif Munier, a rights and migration expert.

“Even if the funding cuts continue for a year, the impact will be long-lasting. The humanitarian losses could be irreparable, and it might take years to mitigate the effects.”

Among other basic services that will be affected is security.

“Human trafficking from the camps is expected to increase due to the desperation for income and the need for cash flow. This type of trafficking typically occurs during the dry season. Over the next two, three months, human trafficking trends may rise,” Munier told Arab News.

“I hope the US government will review and negotiate the areas of humanitarian aid. In the meantime, we should consider implementing a contingency plan ... If necessary, some services that are not of high priority could be reduced. Softer needs, such as education, can be postponed for a few months. This will help ensure the continuation of basic services.”