Retired Gen. Petr Pavel wins Czech presidential election

Presidential candidate Petr Pavel, former Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Army, and his wife Eva arrive for a press conference in Prague, Czech Republic on January 28, 2023, after Pavel became the fourth president of the Czech Republic according to official results. (AFP)
Presidential candidate Petr Pavel, former Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Army, and his wife Eva arrive for a press conference in Prague, Czech Republic on January 28, 2023, after Pavel became the fourth president of the Czech Republic according to official results. (AFP)
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Updated 29 January 2023
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Retired Gen. Petr Pavel wins Czech presidential election

Retired Gen. Petr Pavel wins Czech presidential election
  • Turnout in the EU and NATO member country of 10.5 million people was unusually high at 70 percent following an acrimonious campaign marked by controversy

PRAGUE: Retired NATO general Petr Pavel beat a billionaire former prime minister in an election runoff to become the fourth president of the Czech Republic, official results showed.
Pavel, a former paratrooper, won 58 percent of votes while Andrej Babis scored 42 percent, with 99 percent of the vote counted, according to the Czech Statistical Office.
“I would like to thank those who voted for me and also those who did not but came to the polls, because they made it clear they honored democracy and cared about this country,” Pavel said after the results showed his victory.
“I can see that values such as truth, dignity, respect and humility have won in this election,” he added.
The 61-year-old Pavel will in March replace President Milos Zeman, an outspoken and divisive politician who fostered close ties with Moscow before making a U-turn when Russia invaded Ukraine last year.

I can see that values such as truth, dignity, respect and humility have won in this election.

Gen. Petr Pavel

Turnout in the EU and NATO member country of 10.5 million people was unusually high at 70 percent following an acrimonious campaign marked by controversy.
Babis and his family have been targeted by death threats, while Pavel was the victim of a hoax claiming he was dead as disinformation plagued the final campaign.
“Our community is somewhat hurt by the presidential campaign, by the multiple crises we have faced and are facing, but also by the political style that has recently prevailed here,” said Pavel.
“This has to change, and you have helped me to take the first step on the path towards this change.”
While the role is largely ceremonial, the Czech president names the government, picks the central bank governor and constitutional judges, and serves as commander of the armed forces.
Voting for Pavel in the small town of Dobrichovice southwest of Prague, Irena Cihelkova said that the new president should “be forthcoming and friendly, an asset for the country, and not make problems abroad like some other Czech statesmen.”
Pavel will be the fourth Czech president since the country’s independence following its peaceful split with Slovakia in 1993, four years after former Czechoslovakia shed four decades of totalitarian communist rule.
His predecessors were Vaclav Havel, an anti-communist dissident playwright who led the country from 1993-2003, economist Vaclav Klaus and Zeman.
A graduate of a military university, Pavel was decorated as a hero in the Serbo-Croatian war when he helped free French troops from a war zone.
He rose to chief of the Czech general staff and chair of NATO’s military committee.
Like Babis, Pavel was a member of the Communist Party in the 1980s.
But the man with a carefully trimmed beard and white hair, who has a passion for powerful motorbikes, has since become a strong advocate of EU and NATO membership.
“We have no better alternative. We should use all opportunities offered by membership and try to change that which we don’t like,” he said on his campaign website.
“Czechia is a sovereign state and a full member, therefore we can’t just sit quietly, nod and then slam the result. We have to be more active and, at the same time, constructive.”
Pavel has vowed to be an independent president unaffected by party politics and to continue to support aid to war-torn Ukraine as well as its bid to become an EU member.
“Naturally, Ukraine first has to meet all conditions to become a member, such as progress in battling corruption. But I believe it is entitled to get the same chance we got in the past,” he said.

 


Zelensky says US delays in Ukraine aid fulfill Putin’s ‘dreams’

Zelensky says US delays in Ukraine aid fulfill Putin’s ‘dreams’
Updated 32 sec ago
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Zelensky says US delays in Ukraine aid fulfill Putin’s ‘dreams’

Zelensky says US delays in Ukraine aid fulfill Putin’s ‘dreams’
  • Republican senators last week blocked a White House request for $106 billion in emergency aid primarily for Ukraine and Israel

WASHINGTON: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made an impassioned plea for continued US military support Monday in a Washington speech, warning that failure to help his country defeat Russian invasion is fulfilling the Kremlin’s “dreams” of wrecking democracy in Europe.
Addressing an audience of US officers at the National Defense University, Zelensky said Ukraine is fighting not just for its own existence but in defense of the freedoms that opened up across Europe in the wake of the Soviet collapse.
In a rebuke to Republicans in Congress who have turned against US funding for the Ukrainian war effort, Zelensky said politicians should not “betray the soldier” — and he said the drying up of US aid was being cheered by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“If there’s one inspired by unresolved issues on Capitol Hill its just Putin and his sick clique,” he said. “They see their dreams come true when they see delays.”
“You can count on Ukraine and we hope just as much to be able to count on you,” Zelensky said. “Putin must lose.”
The Ukrainian leader, who wore his trademark army style green sweatshirt, emblazoned with the words “I’m Ukrainian,” flew into Washington after a round of diplomacy this weekend in Argentina.
He was due to meet Tuesday with President Joe Biden and congressional leaders from both parties, including Republican House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the visit came at “a critical time” and that Biden would make it clear he was “standing firm” on his bid to get Ukraine the aid it needs to resupply its troops and expand efforts to drive back Russian forces.
Zelensky was also meeting the heads of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank as he seeks to shore up his embattled nation’s economy in the midst of the all-out war. The IMF announced the release of a new $900 million tranche in an ongoing longterm loan.


Throughout the bloody conflict, which has seen swaths of Ukraine destroyed and millions driven from their homes, Ukrainian forces have depended heavily on a US-led coalition of countries delivering tens of billions of dollars in ammunition, weaponry, and economic and social aid.
Now the flow of US aid — described by Biden as part of an existential fight between the democratic world and Putin’s aggressive autocracy — is on the verge of drying up.
Republican senators last week blocked a White House request for $106 billion in emergency aid primarily for Ukraine and Israel.
Conservatives said they would refuse the package for the close foreign allies if Democrats and the White House did not also agree to far-ranging immigration reforms targeting security on the politically sensitive US-Mexican border.
More broadly, the Republican right-wing, led by 2024 presidential candidate Donald Trump, has dramatically soured against Ukraine’s cause.
“What’s in America’s best interest is to accept Ukraine is going to have to cede some territory to the Russians and we need to bring the war to a close,” Senator JD Vance, a close Trump ally, said Sunday.
He dismissed as “preposterous” White House warnings that allowing Russia to win in Ukraine would put other eastern European countries, including NATO members, at risk.
There should be no “blank check” for Ukraine, Vance said. “You need to articulate what the ambition is. What is $61 billion going to accomplish that $100 billion hasn’t?“


Donald Tusk becomes Poland’s prime minister with the mission of improving European Union ties

Donald Tusk speaks after he was nominated to be new prime minister in the Polish Parliament, Warsaw on December 11, 2023. (AFP)
Donald Tusk speaks after he was nominated to be new prime minister in the Polish Parliament, Warsaw on December 11, 2023. (AFP)
Updated 5 min 56 sec ago
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Donald Tusk becomes Poland’s prime minister with the mission of improving European Union ties

Donald Tusk speaks after he was nominated to be new prime minister in the Polish Parliament, Warsaw on December 11, 2023. (AFP)

WARSAW, Poland: Donald Tusk, a leader of a centrist party, returned as Poland’s prime minister for the first time in nearly a decade after a vote in parliament on Monday, paving the way for a new pro-European Union government following eight years of stormy national conservative rule.
Tusk, a former EU leader who served as European Council president from 2014-2019 and has strong connections in Brussels, is expected to improve Warsaw’s standing in the bloc’s capital. He was Poland’s prime minister from 2007-2014.
Tusk’s ascension to power came nearly two months after an election which was won by a coalition of parties ranging from left-wing to moderate conservative. The parties ran on separate tickets, but promised to work together under Tusk’s leadership to restore democratic standards and improve ties with allies.
The change of power is felt as hugely consequential for the 38 million citizens of the Central European nation, where collective anger against the Law and Justice party produced a record-high turnout to replace a government many believed was eroding democratic norms.
Law and Justice, which took office in 2015, increased its power over courts and judicial bodies, drawing accusations from the EU and others that it was eroding judicial independence. It also turned taxpayer funded public media into a party mouthpiece.
The vote was 248-201 in support of Tusk in the 460-seat lower house of parliament, the Sejm, with no abstentions.
“Thank you Poland, this is truly a wonderful day,” Tusk said in a short speech. “Not only for me, but for all those who throughout these many years deeply believed ... that things would get better.”
Tusk is scheduled on Tuesday to give a more substantial speech to parliament, present his Cabinet and face a vote of confidence for his new government. He should then be sworn in by President Andrzej Duda, a step scheduled for Wednesday morning.
The election of Tusk comes after the former government of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki lost a confidence vote in parliament earlier in the day.
The votes marked the ended of eight tumultuous years in which Law and Justice ruled the country with the support of many Poles — but at bitter odds with liberal Poles as well as the 27-nation EU and other Western allies.
Tusk’s leadership of the EU’s fifth-largest member by population will boost centrist, pro-EU forces at a time when euroskeptics, such as Geert Wilders in the Netherlands, are gaining strength.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen could hardly contain her elation in congratulating Tusk.
“Your experience and strong commitment to our European values will be precious in forging a stronger Europe, for the benefit of the Polish people,” she tweeted. “I look forward to working with you, starting with this week’s important” summit, which begins Thursday.
The power transition, coming nearly two months after the election, was delayed for weeks by Duda, who kept his political allies in office as long as possible.
Voters who opted for change, including many young Poles, were eager for the transition to finally arrive, and the parliamentary proceedings have ignited widespread interest, leading to a spike in the number of people watching the parliament’s livestream online.
Szymon Holownia, a former reality television personality who leads a party allied with Tusk, became the speaker of parliament last month and has attracted interest as he has tried to encourage discipline in the sometimes raucous assembly.
A Warsaw cinema, which livestreamed Monday’s proceedings, drew spectators who munched on popcorn and erupted in laughter as the outgoing prime minister spoke.
“So many disturbing things took place in the past eight years that I’m not surprised by this joy that it’s over,” said Justyna Lemanska, a young advertising agency employee in the audience.
There is relief for many women who saw reproductive rights eroded and LGBTQ+ people who faced a government hate campaign that drove some to leave the country.
Law and Justice remains popular with many conservatives thanks to its adherence to traditional Roman Catholic values, and the popularity of social spending policies. The party lowered the retirement age and introduced cash payments to families with children while also increasing pension payments to older people.
The day marked a bitter turn for Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the conservative ruling party leader who has guided Poland for the past eight years but now, at 74, is seeing the huge power he wielded slip away.
Kaczynski has for years accused Tusk, who has good relations with Germany and other countries, of representing the interests of Berlin, though there is no evidence of that.
At the end of the parliamentary session, Kaczynski went up the lectern, turned to Tusk, and said with anger: “You are a German agent, simply a German agent.”
Tusk frowned, while Holownia expressed his disappointment that the day ended on a bitter note.
Former President Lech Walesa, who was hospitalized last week with COVID-19 and remains weak, traveled from his home in Gdansk to attend the parliamentary session.
The anti-communist freedom fighter had despaired at what he viewed as the unraveling of democracy under Kaczynski. He appeared in parliament wearing a shirt with the word “Constitution” — a slogan against Law and Justice. He watched the events from a balcony, and was given a standing ovation by Tusk and other political admirers.
Tusk’s government will have many challenges to face, including Russia’s war across the border in Ukraine.
Tusk plans to fly to Brussels for an EU summit later in the week for discussions critical to Ukraine’s future. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Russia’s closest ally in the EU, is demanding that Ukraine’s membership in the EU and billions of euros in funding meant for the war-torn country be taken off the agenda.
Poland’s outgoing government was initially one of Kyiv’s strongest allies after Russia invaded Ukraine nearly two years ago, but ties have worsened as economic competition from Ukrainian food producers and truckers has angered Poles who say their livelihoods are threatened.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted his congratulations to Tusk, saying: “When we stand together, both our nations’ freedom is unbeatable.”
 

 


5 countries in East and southern Africa have anthrax outbreaks, WHO says, with 20 deaths reported

Cattle roam in Samburu County, Kenya, on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022. (AP)
Cattle roam in Samburu County, Kenya, on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022. (AP)
Updated 13 min 45 sec ago
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5 countries in East and southern Africa have anthrax outbreaks, WHO says, with 20 deaths reported

Cattle roam in Samburu County, Kenya, on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022. (AP)
  • Anthrax is caused by spore-forming bacteria and is sometimes associated with the weaponized version used in the 2001 attacks in the US, when five people died and 17 others fell sick after being exposed to anthrax spores in letters sent through the mail

CAPE TOWN, South Africa: Five countries in East and southern Africa are in the middle of outbreaks of the anthrax disease, with more than 1,100 suspected cases and 20 deaths this year, the World Health Organization said Monday.
A total of 1,166 suspected cases had been reported in Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Thirty-seven cases had been confirmed by laboratory tests, WHO said. It said the five countries have seasonal outbreaks every year, but Zambia was experiencing its worst since 2011 and Malawi reported its first human case this year. Uganda had reported 13 deaths.
Anthrax usually affects livestock like cattle, sheep and goats, as well as wild herbivores. Humans can be infected if they are exposed to the animals or contaminated animal products. Anthrax isn’t generally considered to be contagious between humans, although there have been rare cases of person-to-person transmission, WHO says.
Anthrax is caused by spore-forming bacteria and is sometimes associated with the weaponized version used in the 2001 attacks in the United States, when five people died and 17 others fell sick after being exposed to anthrax spores in letters sent through the mail.
Anthrax bacteria also occurs naturally in soil.
In a separate assessment of the Zambia outbreak, which was the most concerning, WHO said that 684 suspected cases had been reported in the southern African nation as of Nov. 20, with four deaths. Human cases of anthrax had been reported in nine out of Zambia’s 10 provinces. In one instance, 26 people were suspected of contracting the disease from eating contaminated hippopotamus meat.
WHO said there was a high risk that the Zambian outbreak would spread to neighboring countries.
The outbreaks in all five countries were “likely being driven by multiple factors, including climatic shocks, food insecurity, low-risk perception and exposure to the disease through handling the meat of infected animals,” WHO said.
 

 


Activists calling for Gaza cease-fire protest in US Senate office building

Activists calling for Gaza cease-fire protest in US Senate office building
Updated 19 min 49 sec ago
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Activists calling for Gaza cease-fire protest in US Senate office building

Activists calling for Gaza cease-fire protest in US Senate office building
  • US Capitol Police said they arrested 51 people in total as a result of the demonstration

WASHINGTON: Several dozen activists calling for the United States to push for a permanent cease-fire between Israel and Hamas briefly protested in a US Senate office building on Monday before police ended the protest and took dozens into custody.
Groups, including the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights and Jewish Voice for Peace organized the protest, which called for the US government to divert funds to domestic priorities such as affordable housing and childcare instead of further arming Israel with US weapons.
One activist was arrested after he climbed up onto a 51-foot (15.5 m) high black steel sculpture by artist Alexander Calder. Others chanted “cease-fire now” and wore shirts with the slogan “invest in life” as they linked arms.

A pro-Palestinian activist sits atop a sculpture by Alexander Calder after hanging a Palestinian flag over the structure in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Dec. 11, 2023. (AP)

US Capitol Police said they arrested 51 people in total as a result of the demonstration. Reuters images show activists engaging in civil disobedience in Hart Senate Office Building, part of the US Capitol complex where many senators and committees have their offices.
“Funding more death and destruction of human life...makes no one secure, and instead fuels hatred and continued war,” Sandra Tamari, executive director of the Adalah Justice Project, one of the groups involved in the protest. “The Senate must heed our urgent demand to stop funding militarism and instead invest in life.”
The Gaza health ministry said 18,205 people had now been killed and 49,645 wounded in air strikes on Gaza since Israel attacked the territory in retaliation for Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, which led to the deaths of roughly 1,200 Israelis.

 


Pakistan rejects Indian Supreme Court decision to uphold revocation of Kashmir’s special status

Pakistan rejects Indian Supreme Court decision to uphold revocation of Kashmir’s special status
Updated 11 December 2023
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Pakistan rejects Indian Supreme Court decision to uphold revocation of Kashmir’s special status

Pakistan rejects Indian Supreme Court decision to uphold revocation of Kashmir’s special status
  • Authorities vow to petition heads of the UN and Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the EU Parliament, on the issue
  • India and Pakistan each rule parts of Kashmir but claim it in full; India in 2019 revoked the special status of the part it controls and split it into two federal territories

ISLAMABAD: Authorities in Pakistan rejected a unanimous ruling by the Indian Supreme Court on Monday to uphold the 2019 decision by the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to revoke the special status of Indian-controlled Kashmir, describing the judges’ decision as a “travesty of justice.”

In response to more than a dozen petitions challenging the government’s actions, five judges sitting on the court’s constitutional bench said the region’s special status had been a “temporary provision” and removing it was constitutionally valid.

Indian-controlled Kashmir, the only Muslim-majority region in the country, has been at the heart of more than 75 years of hostility with neighboring Pakistan since the partition of India in 1947, when British colonial rule ended. India and Pakistan each rule parts of Kashmir but claim it in full.

The UN Security Council adopted several resolutions in 1948 and the 1950s relating to the dispute, including one calling for a referendum to determine the future of the region.

“Pakistan categorically rejects the judgment announced by the Supreme Court of India,” Pakistani Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani said, noting that the area it relates to is an internationally recognized disputed territory that has remained on the agenda of the Security Council for more than seven decades.

“India has no right to make unilateral decisions on the status of this disputed territory against the will of the Kashmiri people and Pakistan … India cannot abdicate its international obligations on the pretext of domestic legislation and judicial verdict.”

The judicial endorsement of the “unilateral and illegal” actions by Indian authorities in August 2019 to revoke Kashmir’s special status is a “travesty of justice based on distorted historical and legal arguments,” he added.

Pakistani authorities will convene a meeting of all stakeholders and political leaders to decide how best to respond to the development, said Jilani.

“We will write to the United Nations secretary-general, the OIC (Organization of Islamic Cooperation) secretary-general, and the European Union Parliament to appraise them of the futility of this decision,” he added.

“We are in the process of interacting with all the stakeholders and we will consider all options after consulting with the relevant stakeholders.”

The dispute over Kashmir sparked two of three wars between India and Pakistan in the years after independence, the first in 1947-48 and the second in 1965. The third, in 1971, was largely related to Bangladesh’s attempts to gain independence from Pakistan.