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Elections in Bangladesh, Massive arrests of opposition activists

By
Willy Fautre
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0
Mamun Ismail, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

The government led by the Awami League is claiming to commit to free and fair general elections due to take place on 7 January 2024 while simultaneously the state authorities are filling prisons with members of the political opposition and are responsible for using excessive force, enforced disappearances, torture and extra-judicial killings.

The country’s main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its allies have decided to boycott the election saying it will be rigged by the ruling Awami League (AL).

The opposition demands that the government resigns and transfers power to a neutral caretaker administration to oversee the polls, but it has been strongly rejected by the Awami League.

Massive repression during the election campaign

Since the mass political rally organized by the BNP on 28 October against the ruling government, led by Prime minister Sheikh Hasina, at least 10,000 opposition activists have been arrested. Many others have fled their homes to avoid arrest and have gone into hiding. There is no more room left in the prisons, according to Human Rights Watch, which says that at least 16 people have been killed and over 5,500 people have been injured.

At the end of November, Nahid Hasan, a reporter for the news website Jagonews24.com was attacked in the capital Dakha while he was reporting on a clash involving students of the ruling Awami League. The aggressors were Tamzeed Rahman, a local leader of the Awami League’s Youth Wing with about 20-25 men. They grabbed him by the collar, slapped and beat him until he fell to the ground where they continued to kick and stomp on him. This was the latest episode so far of a series of attacks on media people by supporters of the 14-party alliance led by Awadi League.

Attacks, surveillance, intimidation and judicial harassment of the press over the past several years have led to widespread self-censorship in the media.

Over 5,600 cases related to freedom of expression, including those of prominent journalists and editors, are still pending under the much-criticised draconian Digital Services Act, according to the United Nations.

UN concerns about mass arrests

On 13 November, the UN Human Rights Council completed its periodic review of the human rights situation in Bangladesh during which dozens of NGOs complained about the egregious violations of human rights by the Awami-led government.

On the next day, 14 November, Ms. Irene Khan, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; Mr.Clément Nyaletsossi Voule; Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; and Ms. Mary Lawlor, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, denounced the severe crackdown against workers demanding fair wages and political activists calling for free and fair elections. They also condemned judicial harassment of journalists, human rights defenders and civil society leaders, as well as the failure to reform laws suppressing freedom of expression.

The statement of the UN Special Rapporteurs was in line with another UN declaration on 4 August 2023 denouncing pre-election violence, calling for police “to refrain from excessive use of force amid recurring violence and mass arrests ahead of general elections.” According to a UN spokesperson, “Police, alongside men in plain clothes, have been seen using hammers, sticks, bats and iron rods, among other objects, to beat protestors.”

Concerns of the United States

In September 2023, the United States began imposing visa restrictions on Bangladeshi officials found responsible for “undermining the democratic election process in Bangladesh.” The US could also consider additional sanctions against those with command responsibility for the abuses being carried out now. The principal target of these sanctions is the ruling Awadi League party, the law enforcement forces, the judiciary and security services.

With this measure, the Biden administration remains consistent with its policy towards the Awami-led ruling government. In 2021 and 2023, it left Bangladesh out of the two “Summit for Democracy” events, although it had invited Pakistan (ranking lower than Bangladesh on various democracy indexes, including Freedom House’s Freedom in the World Index and the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index). 

On 31 October, US Ambassador Peter Haas declared “Any action that undermines the democratic elections process – including violence, preventing people from exercising their right to peaceful assembly, and internet access – calls into question the ability to conduct free and fair elections.”

In early November, Awami League leaders repeatedly threatened to beat or kill Haas.

Concerns of the European Union about the elections

On 13 September, Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira, delivered a speech on behalf of High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell about the human rights situation in Bangladesh stressing that “the EU remains concerned over the reports on extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances in Bangladesh.”

She stressed that the EU joins the United Nations’s calls for an independent mechanism to investigate enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings. Bangladesh should also allow a visit by the United Nations Working Group on Enforced Disappearances. 

On 21 September, the European Union decided not to send a full team of observers during Bangladesh’s upcoming national elections citing budgetary constraints.

On 19 October, the EU officially informed the Election Commission (EC) of Bangladesh that it will send a four-member team to observe the upcoming national election, according to The Business Standard. According to the letter sent through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the team will visit Bangladesh from 21 November 2023 to 21 January 2024 to observe the polls.

The EU did not send any observers in the last two national elections in 2014 and 2018 won by the Awadi League. In 2014, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, the largest opposition party, boycotted and will do it again in January 2024.

The EU had sent a full-fledged mission in the 2008 elections when it deployed the largest international observation mission in Bangladesh with 150 observers from 25 EU Member States, plus Norway and Switzerland.

Several foreign governments have repeatedly called for free and fair elections in Bangladesh.

Trade relations between the EU and Bangladesh as a tool of possible soft power

Due to the commercial privileges granted to Bangladesh, the EU has the capacity, beyond its formal hopes and wishes, to urge its government to guarantee free and fair elections.

The EU works closely with Bangladesh in the framework of the EU-Bangladesh Cooperation Agreement, concluded in 2001. This agreement provides broad scope for cooperation, including human rights.

The EU is Bangladesh’s main trading partner, accounting for around 19.5% of the country’s total trade in 2020.

The EU imports from Bangladesh are dominated by clothing, accounting for over 90% of the EU’s total imports from the country.

The EU exports to Bangladesh are dominated by machinery and transport equipment.

Between 2017 and 2020, EU-28 imports from Bangladesh reached on average €14.8 billion per year, which represents half of Bangladesh’s total exports.

As a Least Developed Country (LDC), Bangladesh benefits from the most favourable regime available under the EU’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP), namely the Everything But Arms (EBA) arrangement. EBA grants the 46 LDCs – including Bangladesh – duty-free, quota-free access to the EU for exports of all products, except arms and ammunition. Human Rights Without Frontiers urges the EU to energetically use its soft power to put in balance Bangladesh’s respect of human rights ahead of the elections and its commercial privileges.

US vetoes resolution on Gaza which called for ‘immediate humanitarian ceasefire’

By
EuropeanTimes
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0
Screenshot from UN video

The United States on Friday once again vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

On Friday 8 December, for the second time, the United States vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” in Gaza, “as civilian casualties mount in Israel’s military campaign against Hamas”.

Thirteen of the fifteen members of the Security Council voted in favour of the resolution, with the United Kingdom abstaining. The draft resolution had been co-sponsored by 97 UN member states.

Robert Wood, the US deputy ambassador to the UN, said after the vote: “We do not support a resolution that calls for an unsustainable ceasefire that will simply sow the seeds of the next war”, he explained, also denouncing the “moral failure” represented by the absence in the text of any condemnation of the Hamas

UN Secretary-General António Guterres thanked ambassadors for their response to his invocation of Article 99 following his urgent letter – one of the most powerful tools at his disposal – saying he had written because “we are at breaking point” in the war between Israel and Hamas.

Article 99, contained in Chapter XV of the Charter: says that the UN chief “may bring to attention of the Security Council any matter which in his opinion, may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security.”

It was the first time ever that Mr. Guterres had used the rarely invoked clause.

“Facing a severe risk of collapse of the humanitarian system in Gaza, I urge the Council to help avert a humanitarian catastrophe & appeal for a humanitarian ceasefire to be declared,” Mr. Guterres wrote on X, formerly Twitter, after dispatching the letter.

He urging the body to help end carnage in the war-battered enclave through a lasting humanitarian ceasefire.

“I fear the consequences could be devastating for the security of the entire region”, he said, adding that the Occupied West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen, had already been drawn in to the conflict to varying degrees.

There is clearly, in my view, a serious risk of aggravating existing threats to the maintenance of international peace and security”.

The Secretary-General also reiterated his “unreservedly condemnation” of Hamas’ brutal attacks on Israel on 7 October, stressing that he is “appalled” by the reports of sexual violence.

“There is no possible justification for deliberately killing some 1,200 people, including 33 children, injuring thousands more, and taking hundreds of hostages,” he said, adding “at the same time, the brutality perpetrated by Hamas can never justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.”

“While indiscriminate rocket fire by Hamas into Israel, and the use of civilians as human shields, are in contravention of the laws of war, such conduct does not absolve Israel of its own violations,” Mr. Guterres said.

“This is a sad day in the history of the Security Council”, but “we will not give up”, lamented the Palestinian ambassador to the UN, Riyad Mansour.

The Israeli ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, thanked the United States “for standing firmly by our side”.

Human Rigths Day, Do not forget the thousands of Ukrainian children kidnapped and deported by Russia

By
Willy Fautre
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0
photo credit: PEXELS

On UN Human Rights Day, 10 December, thousands of Ukrainian children kidnapped and deported by Russia, whose parents are desperately searching for a way to get them home should not be forgotten by the international community, said the Brussels-based NGO, Human Rights Without Frontiers, in a press release issued today.

On 6 December, President Zelensky announced in his daily address that 6 children deported to Russia from Ukraine’s Occupied Territories had been released with the mediation of Qatar.

All in all, less than 400 Ukrainian minors have been rescued in various separate and individually designed special operations, according to The platform “Children of War” created on behalf of the Office of the President of Ukraine by various official Ukrainian institutions.

The same platform has posted the pictures, names and dates of birth with the place of disappearance of 19,546 deported children and their number continues to grow.

Statistics: 20,000? 300,000? 700,000?

It is impossible to establish the exact number of deported children given the ongoing full-scale aggression, difficult access to the temporarily occupied territories, and the failure of the Russian side to provide reliable information on this matter.

Daria Herasymchuk, Adviser to the President of Ukraine on Children’s Rights and Children’s Rehabilitation, notes that the aggressor country, Russia, could have illegally deported up to 300,000 children from Ukraine during the war.

As of June 2023, the Interdepartmental Coordination Headquarters of the Russian Federation for Humanitarian Response indicated in its statement that since 24 February 2022, 307,423 children have been taken from Ukraine to the territory of Russia.

Russia’s Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova said that the number of such Ukrainian children is more than 700,000.

Russia cynically calls the illegal transfer of Ukrainian children an “evacuation,” but the UN panel of inquiry concluded that none of the cases it examined was justified on safety or health grounds, nor did they meet the requirements of international humanitarian law.”

Russian authorities are creating obstacles to prevent Ukrainian children from being reunited with their families.

In its report on the issue, the OSCE notes that  the Russian authorities began working on the “transfer” of Ukrainian children for adoption or care by Russian families since 2014, after the occupation of Crimea.

According to the Russian program “Train of Hope“, anyone from any part of the country could adopt Ukrainian children from Crimea, who were then granted Russian citizenship.

At the end of September 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on the “accession” to the Russian Federation of the partially occupied regions of Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk and the occupied region of Luhansk in Ukraine. After that, children from these newly occupied regions also began to be enrolled as citizens of the Russian Federation and forcefully adopted.

On 17 March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population and unlawful transfer of population from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation, in prejudice of Ukrainian children.

Recommendations

Human Rights Without Frontiers supports the recommendations of the UN Secretary-General, who urges

  • Russia to ensure that no changes are made to the personal status of Ukrainian children, including their citizenship;
  • all parties to continue to ensure that the best interests of all children are respected, including by facilitating family tracing and reunification of unaccompanied and/or separated children who find themselves outside borders or control lines without their families or guardians;
  • parties to the conflict to grant child protection authorities access to these children to facilitate family reunification;
  • his Special Representative on “Children and Armed Conflicts’, together with United Nations agencies and partners, to consider ways to facilitate such processes.

Human Rights Without Frontiers, Avenue d’Auderghem 61/, B – 1040 Brussels

 Website: https://hrwf.eu – Email: international.secretariat.brussels@hrwf.org

Liège, a green city: parks and natural spaces to recharge your batteries in the great outdoors

By
NewsdeskTET
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0

Liège, a green city: parks and natural spaces to recharge your batteries in the great outdoors

Located in the heart of Belgium, Liège is a city full of parks and natural spaces, offering many opportunities to recharge your batteries in the great outdoors. Whether you are a lover of green spaces or simply looking for a quiet place to relax, Liège offers a variety of choices to satisfy all tastes.

One of the most emblematic parks in the city is undoubtedly the Parc de la Boverie. Located on the banks of the Meuse, this park offers a magnificent view of the river and the surrounding landscape. With its vast green spaces, walking trails and play areas, Boverie Park is an ideal place for a family walk or a picnic with friends. In addition, the park also houses the Liège Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, offering the possibility of combining a cultural visit with a walk in the great outdoors.

If you’re looking for a wilder place, head to Citadelle Park. Perched on a hill, this ancient fortress not only offers breathtaking views of the city, but also vast wooded spaces ideal for relaxation and contemplation. The Citadel Park is also known for its terraced gardens, fountains and statues, providing a romantic and peaceful ambiance. Additionally, the park is also home to a zoo, where you can admire a wide variety of animals, from pandas to lions to giraffes.

If you are a sports and outdoor enthusiast, don’t miss the Sauvenière park. Located in the heart of the city, this park offers many sports activities such as tennis, football and basketball. Additionally, the park also has an artificial lake where you can go pedal boating or simply relax by the water. With its vast lawns and century-old trees, the Sauvenière park is also an ideal place for a leisurely walk or a family picnic.

Apart from parks, Liège also offers many natural spaces for hiking and nature lovers. Along the Meuse, you will find numerous hiking trails that will allow you to discover the beauty of the river landscapes. Additionally, the surrounding region of Liège is full of hills and valleys, offering plenty of opportunities for nature hikes. Whether you prefer a leisurely stroll along the rivers or a more intense hike in the mountains, you will surely find what you are looking for in Liège.

In conclusion, Liège is a green city which offers numerous parks and natural spaces to recharge your batteries in the great outdoors. Whether you are looking for a quiet place to relax or a sports field to exercise, Liège has everything you need. In addition, the proximity of the Meuse and the surrounding landscapes offers numerous opportunities for hiking and discoveries in the great outdoors. So, don’t hesitate any longer and come and enjoy nature in Liège!

Originally published at Almouwatin.com

“Women dress women”: Metropolitan Museum shows 80 outfits by 70 designers

By
Gaston de Persigny
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0

A symbol of the exhibition is a muslin dress decorated with silk roses and taffeta by designer Anne Lou (1898-1981), who pioneered fashion created by African-American women.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art – the largest institution in the United States for the presentation and study of all types of art – is dedicating an exhibition to fashion created by women for women, reported AFP.

The exhibition is entitled “Women dress women”. A symbol of the exhibition is a muslin dress decorated with silk roses and taffeta by designer Anne Lowe (1898-1981), who pioneered fashion created by African-American women. Lowe is often ignored as a designer, although the pattern for Jackie Kennedy’s wedding dress (1953) was her work.

Three decades earlier, a now forgotten French fashion house – “Premet” – launched the “La garconne” dress. The success of this model preceded by three years the similar fashion idea of Gabrielle Chanel.

The museum has collected 80 outfits by 70 designers from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day. Gabriela Hearst’s clothes are featured, using contemporary fashion to send environmental messages.

The history of women in fashion begins with sewing work in fashion ateliers. Most designers in France appeared at the beginning of the 20th century – Madeleine Bionne, Jean Lanvin, Gabrielle Chanel. Between the two world wars, women in fashion now outnumbered men.

To be able to present the designer creations of Elsa Schiaparelli, Nina Ricci or Vivienne Westwood, the Metropolitan Costume Institute searches among its collections containing 33,000 models from the entire history of seven centuries of clothing.

The exhibition was originally slated for 2020 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the suffragette movement in the United States. Its delay is a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Costume Institute’s next major exhibition will be in 2024 under the title Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.

Photo: Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of North Macedonia: VMRO-DPMNE inculcates Bulgarophobia, Europhobia and Albanophobia

By
Newsroom
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0

According to him, there is no other way to the EU than changes in the Constitution

VMRO-DPMNE instills Bulgarian, Europhobic and Albanian phobia and thereby scares the citizens of North Macedonia, said the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of North Macedonia Bujar Osmani in an interview with Channel 5.

He expressed hope that the changes to the constitution, which are a condition for the European path of the country, can be voted in this parliamentary composition, but even if this does not happen, it must be worked on until the last moment to be convinced the citizens of North Macedonia that there is no alternative to the European path for the country.

“You have an opposition (VMRO-DPMNE) that does not lead, but follows. Chairman (Hristijan Mickoski), who follows the polls every day and formulates his positions based on that, riding the wave of public opinion. He doesn’t have his strategic position,” Osmani said, recalling the words of US Assistant Secretary of State James O’Brien, who criticized the opposition’s behavior in an interview during his visit to North Macedonia.

“If someone tells you: I have a better offer (for the constitutional changes), but I won’t tell you what it is now, this is a person you wouldn’t buy a car from,” O’ said in an interview with “360 degrees” Brian, who in Skopje met with the chairman of the opposition VMRO-DPMNE Hristiyan Mickoski.

In his interview with Channel 5, Osmani pointed out that in the next six months a way must be found for the constitutional changes to be voted on, and the guarantees from the EU that the opposition talks about exist in the negotiation framework, which “is the filter through which the Bulgarian demands pass “.

“We did not work to convince Bulgaria, but to build a wall between Sofia and Brussels so that their demands could not break through in Brussels. (When the negotiations start) Bulgaria may not follow the rules of the game, but under the existing rules (Bulgaria) cannot block (North Macedonia) for something that is not on the road maps. The protocol is not part of the negotiating chapters. We got the guarantees through the negotiation framework, in which the Macedonian language became a European language for the first time, without any additions (remarks and clarifications). A guarantee is the way in which the negotiating chapters are opened, in which there are no bilateral issues except the action plan for minorities, i.e. human rights and constitutional amendments. The guarantee is the resolution of the German Bundestag, the guarantee is the statement of the Bulgarian government that there will be no new demands. So you can come up with the need for millions of other guarantees, but this is the way,” said Osmani, when asked if he had talked to Bulgaria about the guarantee that VMRO-DPMNE wants to get that North Macedonia will not receive a veto from Bulgaria in the negotiation period.

According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia, the action plan for minorities, which is part of the road map for the rule of law, “which does not apply to Bulgarians, but to all ethnic minorities under 20 percent, as there are Albanians” is already being developed at the level of experts and will be presented within the specified time limits.

“There has never been a more polarized society on the subject of the EU, and in the upcoming elections the “European front” and anti-European parties will clearly crystallize, and it is possible for the presidential elections that all political parties who believe that the European path of the country should be accelerated, unite around one candidate,” Osmani said.

And when asked if, after the parliamentary elections, the largest Albanian party DSI, of which he is the vice-chairman, could become a coalition partner of VMRO-DPMNE, which polls show has the greatest probability of winning, he replied that DSI ” is the custodian of the agreements from Ohrid, Prespa and with Bulgaria” and whoever disputes even one of them cannot be a partner of the party” with leader Ali Ahmeti.

Archaeologists in Turkey have discovered the oldest pieces of cloth

By
Newsroom
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0
Illustration: Map of Turkey noting the location of Çatalhöyük (underlying map © Google)

In the city of Çatal-Huyük, which was founded about 9 thousand years ago on the territory of modern Turkey, archaeologists have discovered fossilized pieces of cloth.

Before that, the experts believed that the inhabitants of the country used wool or flax for the production of cloth. The study shows that the material has a very different structure, writes Phys.org.

Excavations in the ancient city ended in 2017. Archaeologists then discovered a few more pieces of ancient material. As a result, the scientists found that their age is approximately 8500-8700 years.

The research on the fabrics was commissioned by Lisa Bender Jorgensen, who works at the University of Norway, and Antoinette Rac Eicher of the University of Bern. To create clothes for themselves almost 9 thousand years ago, representatives of the Neolithic used a special fiber. This is the result shown by the analysis of the material performed by experts.

These samples, found at the site of the excavations, were made from the fiber of the oak. It is believed to indicate that this fabric is the oldest in the world that has survived to this day.

The fiber is found in trees such as oak, willow and linden between the wood and the bark. The wood was used to build houses, and the fibers were used to make clothes, which were quite strong and reliable.

The researchers also add that the natives did not grow flax and did not bring linen materials from other cities. They used only those resources that were at hand.

Selon l’Oxford Dictionary : Quel est le mot de l’année pour 2023 ?

By
Gaston de Persigny
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0

A term used by Generation Z is word of the year

Traditionally, the publisher of the Oxford English Dictionary designates a word or expression that has had an impact on the past year, has the potential to acquire lasting cultural significance, or is a snapshot of the development of societies.

And this year the word is… rizz.

It is widely used online to describe style, charisma, attractiveness, and someone’s ability to attract or seduce another person.

“The word is short for ‘charisma’. It is an interesting example of how language is formed, modified and shared in communities before it becomes widely popular. And how younger generations create spaces – online or live – where they own and define the language they use,” said an announcement at Oxford University Press.

Scientists predict that more and more words from social media and the Internet will enter our everyday language.

The word became extremely popular in June after actor Tom Holland was asked in an interview about the secret of his rizz, to which he replied that he had no rizz.

Word of the year according to Oxford beat out Swiftie – a word used to describe fans of another celebrity – Taylor Swift. The other finalists were situationship, meaning an informal romantic or sexual relationship, and prompt, an instruction given to an artificial intelligence program.

The four words were chosen by public vote.

In 2022, the word of the year was goblin mode – an unusual pattern of behavior that rejects societal norms and expectations.

China is bringing home all the pandas – friendship ambassadors from the US

By
Petar Gramatikov
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0
panda bear on brown tree branch during daytime
Photo by shiyang xu on Unsplash

All the world’s pandas belong to China, but Beijing has been leasing animals to foreign countries since 1984.

Three giant pandas from the Washington Zoo will return to China as scheduled last December, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning told a briefing.

She was asked if the move was a reflection of the deteriorating relationship between the US and China under so-called panda diplomacy.

“Giant pandas are not only China’s national treasure, but they are also welcomed and loved by people all over the world, and can be said to be ambassadors and bridges of friendship.” <…> We are ready to continue working with partners, including the United States, to strengthen cooperation in the field of endangered species protection,” Mao Ning said.

Zoos in Atlanta, San Diego and Memphis have either already transferred their pandas back or will do so by the end of next year, according to Bloomberg. That way, all the pandas will leave the US.

In April, Beijing took Ya Ya the panda from the Memphis Zoo, which was sent to the United States as a friendship ambassador in 2003.

The zoo announced in December 2022 that it would return Ya Ya to China, ending 20 years of collaborative research.

In February, experts in China discovered that she had a skin disease that caused hair loss, but the panda’s general health was normal.

All the world’s pandas belong to China, but Beijing has been leasing animals to foreign countries since 1984.

This tool of public diplomacy used by China to improve relations with foreign countries is called panda diplomacy.

Among the non-political reasons for the pandas’ return is that the pandas are reaching the age at which they must return to China: the departure of some animals had to be postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, the agency noted.

In addition, in 2021, the Chinese authorities lowered the conservation status of pandas from “endangered” to “vulnerable”, as their population in the wild began to recover and reached 1.8 thousand individuals.

China is already creating its own network of national parks that may no longer require sending animals abroad for breeding and conservation, the article said.

A Bloomberg source familiar with US President Joe Biden’s administration’s findings on the matter said Washington plans to discuss the panda lease with Beijing before the animals from the Washington Zoo travel to China.

Liu Pengu, a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington, said the two countries were “discussing future cooperation in the field of giant panda conservation and research.”

Asked about the prospects for further negotiations, a State Department spokesman told the agency that the panda agreement was not between governments, but between the National Zoo and the China Wildlife Conservation Association.

He emphasized that the cooperation so far is a “gesture of goodwill on both sides”.

Pandas Mei Xiang and Tian Tian came to the Washington Zoo in 2000 as part of an agreement between the zoo and the China Wildlife Association.

The pair was supposed to stay for ten years for a research and breeding program, but the agreement with China was extended several times.

On August 21, 2020, the couple gave birth to a male cub named Xiao Qi Ji, and the same year the zoo announced that it had signed another three-year extension to keep all three pandas until the end of 2023.

Illustrative Photo by Diana Silaraja: https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-panda-and-cub-playing-1661535/

Iran sent a capsule with animals into space

By
Newsroom
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0

Iran says it has sent a capsule of animals into orbit as it prepares for manned missions in the coming years, the Associated Press reported, cited by BTA.

Telecommunications Minister Isa Zarepour announced that the capsule was launched at an altitude of 130 km. He did not specify what animals were in the capsule, but added that it weighed 500 kilograms.

It is also not clear whether there are life support systems on board and whether the device is planned to be landed back on Earth. This is not Iran’s first such “space news”.

In September, Tehran announced it had launched a data-gathering satellite into space. In 2013, Iran reported that it had sent a monkey into orbit and successfully brought it back.

There is no word on whether Tehran is actually developing a spacecraft for astronauts. According to Western experts, the tests, disguised as civilians, were tests of new ballistic missiles.

Photo: BTA/ AP / Ministry of Defense of Iran

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