Patrick Graichen, deputy minister under Germany's economy minister Robert Habeck, has resigned following accusations of cronyism. Graichen was previously criticised for recruiting his best man to the position of head of the state-owned German Energy Agency, and for approving government funding for a national climate protection project in which his sister was involved. Although Habeck had previously defended Graichen over the recruitment issue, he too was subject to accusations of nepotism. Opposition lawmakers from the CDU-CSU had called for Graichen's dismissal and threatened a parliamentary inquiry.
German Economy Minister Robert Habeck has been forced to fire a state secretary after he allowed government funds to be granted to an environmental organisation that was employing his sister. The sacking comes at a difficult time for Habeck's Green Party, which is already struggling to overcome a number of political scandals. A set of corruption allegations earlier this year is believed to have severely dented the party’s electability ratings.
Kemal Kilicdaroglu, presidential candidate of Turkey's six-party opposition alliance, has accused President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government of permitting 10 million "irregular" migrants into the country. The comment marks a shift in Kilicdaroglu's comments to an anti-migrant and nationalist stance ahead of a May 28 run-off vote. Erdogan's conservative AK Party and its nationalist allies won a comfortable majority in parliament but Erdogan fell just short of the 50% threshold needed to prevent a second-round presidential vote. The AK Party has caught almost 50,600 irregular migrants this year, according to the interior ministry.
Bear caught in Nepean will be released elsewhere, city says
CBC
23-05-17 15:43
A bear was safely removed from a yard in Ottawa after being "chemically immobilized" by the city's bylaw department. Police had earlier tweeted about the bear sighting in a residential neighbourhood and asked residents not to approach. The bear was to be released to a new location later that day by the Ministry of National Resources. The incident follows the shooting of a bear in Kanata three weeks ago after police were unable to relocate the animal. The bear had emerged from hibernation, which generally occurs in April according to Ontario's "bear wise" advice page.
The poor air quality caused by wildfires in British Columbia is due to worsen in the coming days, according to a special statement released jointly by Environment Canada and the province's Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. Several communities in the Interior region are expected to be affected, with the health index reaching high risk or very high risk levels in places such as Prince George, Quesnel, Williams Lake and Fort St John. While the south-east of the province has been affected thus far, Metro Vancouver Regional District withdrew its advisory about air quality on Tuesday.
Turkey protests as police search homes of 2 journalists in Germany
The Toronto Star
23-05-17 15:11
Two journalists from a Turkish newspaper have had their apartments searched by German police for allegedly compromising the distribution of personal data. Electronic storage was seized and whilst the men were later released, their names were not released by the police. The search drew criticism from the Turkish foreign ministry who accused German authorities of launching "an act of harassment and intimidation against the Turkish media." The men were allegedly targeted by a false denunciation linked to US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen.
Volunteers uncovered hundreds of unrecorded graves in the previously overgrown churchyard of St Mary's Old Town Churchyard in the Isles of Scilly after struggling to find a specific grave. The project began during a COVID-19 lockdown in 2021 and started with the aim of finding one specific grave, but quickly expanded, with other volunteers getting involved. Lindsay Sandford and her husband Brian began going to the church six mornings a week before the project gained further local support. By studying records of burial, marriage, and baptisms, Sandford has compiled three books detailing the lives of every headstone and plaque discovered.
China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the National Administration of Energy (NEA) have called for an urgent expansion of charging infrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs) in rural areas in order to support the country’s “rural revitalisation” plan and increase the popularity of EVs outside major cities. The NDRC urged local governments to give financial incentives for the construction of EV charging stations and called on EV makers to diversify their products. The take-up of new energy vehicles (NEVs) remains relatively low in rural China, with lots of potential for growth.
The UK is set to deport up to 200 Albanian criminals to serve the remaining parts of their sentences in Albanian jails, with the deal being paid for by the UK. Many of those set to be deported include murderers, gangsters and drug barons. The move is part of a wider drive in the UK to expel Albanians who have been convicted of crimes and imprisoned in the country. Those jailed for more than four years will eligible for the transfer, costing the UK a fraction of what it would to hold them in high-security facilities.
A Chinese comedy group has been fined £1.7m ($2.13m) by authorities after one of its performers joked about the military. Li Haoshi, known as House, entertained an audience with a routine in which he described seeing two dogs he had adopted chase a squirrel, which he said had reminded him of a slogan used by President Xi Jinping to praise the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in 2013. The Beijing arm of the country’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism Bureau accused Shanghai Xiaoguo Culture Media of “harming society” by letting Li perform the piece. Li’s tale went viral on Chinese social media. The cultural bureau stated that Xiaoguo Culture would be banned from staging future shows in the capital. The company blamed “major loopholes in management” and claimed to have terminated Li’s contract.
Sudanese security forces have arrested three pro-democracy activists while they were discussing how to provide internal aid to displaced persons. The men were openly distributing food and aid to those arriving in the city of Madani after fleeing conflict in the capital Khartoum. Members of resistance committees and other figures from the pro-democracy movement have increasingly been targeted in a bid by the Sudanese army and other forces to control the provision of aid in the conflict.
Brazil's government establishes committee for sustainable sovereign bond issuance
Reuters
23-05-17 19:50
Brazil is setting up an inter-ministerial committee, chaired by the Treasury Secretary, to develop a framework for issuing sustainable sovereign bonds. The bonds will be backed by budget allocations for sustainable development in environmental and social themes. The framework is expected to be completed ahead of the bond launch later in 2021. The move has been seen as an opportunity for Brazil to exhibit its sustainability credentials and to establish criteria for monitoring fund allocations and evaluating social and environmental impact. Brazil's government believes it will lay down guidelines for issuing sustainable bonds and position Brazil as a leading player in the environmental agenda.
Japan's export growth in April hit its weakest pace in over two years, rising 2.6% from the previous year, due to a slump in shipments to China. Meanwhile, imports fell by 2.3%, much larger than the predicted 0.3% drop, signifying the first annual decline in 27 months, on the back of falling crude oil and other commodities prices. Japan's economy benefited from an increase in consumer spending and tourism as COVID-19 restrictions ended in Q1, but the weakening export activity could slow down the economy's recovery.
China has not yet released marriage and death data for the last quarter of 2021, leading to speculation that it still does not have a full understanding of the extent of the COVID-19 wave that hit the country in December. The Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs usually releases figures for marriage, divorce and cremation rates every three months.
Micron Technology will receive about $1.48bn in government financial incentive funding to help develop its advanced memory chip-making capabilities in Japan. The funding is expected to be announced when Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida meets with chipmaker executives on Thursday. Micron will use the funding to add advanced chip-making equipment, from ASML, to its Hiroshima facility so it can fabricate DRAM memory chips. The funding is part of Japan's wider strategy to counter China's strong position in advanced technology development. Micron has not commented on the reports.
B.C. Lions move training indoors due to smoky skies — and so should you, says an air quality expert
CBC
23-05-18 00:10
British Columbia is experiencing worsening smoke over the summer, with air quality alerts being issued across the NE to Kamloops. An air-quality expert, Michael Mehta, warned of the serious health hazards posed by the smoke exposure, even at low concentrations, such as an increased risk of strokes and other respiratory problems. The traditional clear skies of Kamloops and other BC cities would seem to be at risk as wildfires become more frequent, and Mehta worries that residents, especially those who were planning to retire in the state, will have to rethink their plans if the situation deteriorates further.
Japan's exports increased by 2.6% in April, lower than the expected 3.0% rise predicted by economists, according to recent Ministry of Finance data. In contrast, imports dropped by 2.3% in the year to April, which was worse than the median expectation of a 0.3% decline.
China's special envoy for Eurasian Affairs, Li Hui, has urged all parties to create conditions for peace talks relating to the Russia-Ukraine conflict during a visit to Kyiv. Hui exchanged views with President Zelenskiy and the Ukrainian foreign minister in an effort to end the conflict through a political settlement. China is willing to promote the international community to resolve the Ukrainian crisis, making its own efforts to stop the fighting and (establish a) ceasefire and restore peace as soon as possible.
Police in Dalian, China have arrested a woman for posting "inappropriate" comments about the military on social media after she defended a comedian's joke about a military slogan used by the country's President, Xi Jinping. Comedian Li Haoshi was suspended and the company that represents him, Shanghai Xiaoguo Culture Media, was fined $1.9m for an inappropriate joke on his talk show that included an obscene adaptation of a well-known military slogan. China issued a law in 2021 criminalising insults against its military, resulting in a hard line for attacks on the People's Liberation Army (PLA). The backlash has also had an impact on China's performance industry: at least two comedy club operators have cancelled some shows.
B.C. expands access to in-school child-care program
CBC
23-05-18 03:24
The Seamless Day Kindergarten pilot program, launched by the British Columbia government in 2019 to provide before- and after-school care for kindergarten students, will expand to 20 additional schools in the province after a successful trial in four locations. Certified early childhood educators supervise children in kindergarten classrooms, offering uninterrupted care throughout the day, while working parents benefit from saved time and peace of mind. The one-off cost is between C$275 and C$500, with a C$350 per month fee for in-school care, and participating schools can apply for provincial funding to help lower costs.
