Greece seeks EU advice on railway safety after train crash — premier

Greece seeks EU advice on railway safety after train crash — premier
Destroyed carriages are seen on the site of a crash, where two trains collided, near the city of Larissa, Greece, on Mar. 3, 2023. (Reuters)
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Updated 10 March 2023

Greece seeks EU advice on railway safety after train crash — premier

Greece seeks EU advice on railway safety after train crash — premier
  • "I won't hesitate to use any European help available," Mitsotakis said
  • He has also discussed the use of EU funds with EU officials

ATHENS: Greece has asked the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) to advise it on ways to improve train safety after a crash on Feb. 28 killed 57 people, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Friday.
A train with 350 people on board, most of them university students, collided with a cargo train in central Greece.
The crash has stirred public protests against the conservative government and a political system that has repeatedly ignored calls by railway unions to improve safety systems and hire more staff.
Mitsotakis told Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou on Friday that he could not “turn back time,” but could ensure that the investigation into the collision would be transparent and thorough.
“I won’t hesitate to use any European help available,” Mitsotakis said, adding that he had asked ERA to draw up a report with suggestions that would be published.
He has also discussed the use of EU funds with EU officials.
The government, which had been planning to call an election soon, since its term ends in July, has blamed the crash mainly on human error but has acknowledged deficiencies in the railway due to underinvestment and neglect — a legacy of Greece’s debt crisis.
The first opinion poll since the crash occurred, conducted by the Marc polling agency and published on Thursday, showed the conservatives dropping by about 3 percentage points but still ahead of the main leftist opposition.
Hours after the crash, a minister and railway officials resigned. So far, three station masters and one railway inspector have been arrested and charged over the case.
The state-owned Hellenic Railways Organization (OSE) is responsible for managing and maintaining rail infrastructure, while Italy’s Hellenic Train oversees passenger and freight services.
Panagiotis Terezakis, an experienced railway engineer and former management consultant to OSE, was named as OSE’s interim president and chief executive on Friday.


China: Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas to visit next week

China: Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas to visit next week
Updated 12 sec ago

China: Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas to visit next week

China: Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas to visit next week
  • China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang in April told his Israeli and Palestinian counterparts that his country was willing to aid peace negotiations
BEIJING: Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas will make a state visit to China next week, Beijing said Friday, after China said it was ready to help facilitate Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
“At the invitation of President Xi Jinping, President of the state of Palestine Mahmud Abbas will pay a state visit to China from June 13 to 16,” foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said.
China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang in April told his Israeli and Palestinian counterparts that his country was willing to aid peace negotiations.
The separate phone calls between Qin and the Israeli and Palestinian top diplomats came as Beijing positions itself as a regional mediator.
Qin encouraged “steps to resume peace talks” and said that “China is ready to provide convenience for this,” in a phone call with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, Xinhua reported.
And Qin told Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki that Beijing supports the resumption of talks as soon as possible, according to the state news agency.
In both calls Qin emphasised China’s push for peace talks on the basis of implementing a “two-state solution.”
“President Abbas is an old and good friend of the Chinese people,” foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a regular briefing later on Friday.
“He is the first Arab head of state received by China this year, fully embodying the high level of China-Palestine good relations, which have traditionally been friendly,” he added.
“The Palestinian issue is the core of the Middle East issue. It bears on peace and stability in the Middle East and on international fairness and justice.”
China has been on a recent diplomatic offensive, brokering the restoration of ties in March between Iran and Saudi Arabia — rivals in a region where the United States for decades has been the main powerbroker.
Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations have been stalled since 2014.

Vatican: Pope Francis doing well after surgery, has another good night

Vatican: Pope Francis doing well after surgery, has another good night
Updated 15 min 11 sec ago

Vatican: Pope Francis doing well after surgery, has another good night

Vatican: Pope Francis doing well after surgery, has another good night
  • The Vatican has said Francis’ condition is stable and his post-operative recovery deemed normal

ROME: Pope Francis had a second good night in the hospital recovering from surgery to remove intestinal scar tissue and repair a hernia in his abdominal wall, the Vatican said.
The Holy See press office said early Friday that further medical updates were expected later in the day. The Vatican has said Francis’ condition is stable and his post-operative recovery deemed normal.
The 86-year-old Francis was admitted to the Gemelli hospital on Wednesday for his second major abdominal operation in two years, following a 2021 procedure to remove part of his colon. During the procedure, doctors removed adhesions, or internal scarring, on the intestine that had caused a partial blockage. They also repaired a hernia that had formed over a previous scar, placing a prosthetic mesh in the abdominal wall.
Francis is expected to remain at Gemelli for several days.


NATO may base troops in Sweden before Stockholm joins, government says

NATO may base troops in Sweden before Stockholm joins, government says
Updated 39 min 48 sec ago

NATO may base troops in Sweden before Stockholm joins, government says

NATO may base troops in Sweden before Stockholm joins, government says
  • Sweden applied last year to join NATO as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
  • Objections from Turkiye and Hungary have delayed the Nordic country’s bid

STOCKHOLM: Sweden will allow NATO to base troops on its territory even before it formally joins the defense alliance, the prime minister and defense minister said on Friday.
Sweden applied last year to join NATO as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Objections from Turkiye and Hungary have delayed the bid and Sweden now hopes to join by a NATO summit in Lithuania next month.
“The government has decided that the Swedish Armed Forces may undertake preparations with NATO and NATO countries to enable future joint operations,” Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Defense Minister Pal Jonson said.
“The preparations may consist of temporary basing of foreign equipment and personnel on Swedish territory. The decision sends a clear signal to Russia and strengthens Sweden’s defense,” they said in an opinion piece in daily Dagens Nyheter.
Russia would for the foreseeable future remain a threat against neighboring countries, they said, and they were uncertain of the extent of President Vladimir Putin’s territorial ambitions.
Fellow Nordic country Finland, which has a long border with Russia, joined NATO in April.


Indonesia’s Anak Krakatoa volcano erupts, spews huge ash column

Indonesia’s Anak Krakatoa volcano erupts, spews huge ash column
Updated 09 June 2023

Indonesia’s Anak Krakatoa volcano erupts, spews huge ash column

Indonesia’s Anak Krakatoa volcano erupts, spews huge ash column
  • There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties after the eruption
  • The country has nearly 130 active volcanoes

JAKARTA: Indonesia’s Anak Krakatoa volcano erupted on Friday, belching a column of ash more than three kilometers into the sky, officials said.
The volcanic island emerged from the sea at the beginning of the last century from the crater formed after the 1883 eruption of Mount Krakatoa — one of the deadliest and most destructive in history.
Anak Krakatoa, which means “Child of Krakatoa”, spewed thick ash over the strait that separates the islands of Java and Sumatra.
There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties after the eruption at 08:46 am (0146 GMT).
“The height of the eruption column was observed to be 3,000 meters (nearly 10,000 feet) above the summit,” Deny Mardiono, an official from the Krakatoa monitoring station, said in a press release.
“The ash column was observed to be grey to black with thick intensity to the southwest.”
He warned the public not to carry out activities within a five-kilometer (three-mile) radius of the volcano’s crater.
Anak Krakatoa’s status was at the second-highest warning level after authorities raised it in 2022 following a sharp rise in volcanic activity.
Its crater partly collapsed in 2018 when a major eruption sent huge chunks sliding into the ocean, triggering a tsunami that killed more than 400 people and injured thousands.
Indonesia, a Southeast Asian archipelago nation, sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where the meeting of continental plates causes high volcanic and seismic activity.
The country has nearly 130 active volcanoes.


‘UN Security Council must prioritize Arab and global crises, not only Ukraine’ says league secretary general

‘UN Security Council must prioritize Arab and global crises, not only Ukraine’ says league secretary general
Updated 09 June 2023

‘UN Security Council must prioritize Arab and global crises, not only Ukraine’ says league secretary general

‘UN Security Council must prioritize Arab and global crises, not only Ukraine’ says league secretary general
  • Nuclear war a real threat, says Arab League’s SG Aboul Gheit
  • Lack of aid to ‘suffering millions’ discussed at UAE-organized event

NEW YORK: The League of Arab States on Thursday called on the UN Security Council not to let the Ukraine war take priority over other global conflicts and their ensuing humanitarian crises, especially in the Arab region including Yemen, Syria, Somalia and Sudan.

The league’s Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit told council members that the world was at a “very critical juncture,” which has seen heightened tensions and the polarization of major powers. This has pushed the world “to the precipice of a nuclear confrontation,” with the mitigating effects of collective action increasingly unlikely.

Aboul Gheit said this has resulted in an inadequate response to modern challenges including counterterrorism, climate change, disruptions caused by technological advances, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Aboul Gheit’s remarks came at a council meeting organized by the UAE, the Security Council’s president for the month of June, to discuss ways to enhance joint action by the UN and Arab League on various issues including regional security and humanitarian challenges.

The UAE’s concept note for the meeting emphasized that such challenges, including ongoing conflicts in Libya, Syria, Sudan and Yemen — and the Israeli-Palestinian situation — “have led to unimaginable suffering for millions of people.

“In addition, countries such as Lebanon and Somalia are facing deep economic crises, high unemployment and spiraling inflation, thereby exacerbating fragilities and humanitarian needs.”

The note said that the earthquakes that hit Syria and Turkiye earlier this year have compounded the suffering in the region, resulting in widespread destruction of homes and infrastructure, a high death toll and the displacement of millions.

“While the humanitarian response was substantial, it faced considerable
obstacles, in particular in coordinating assistance from various donors.”

Aboul Gheit said “the prevailing tension at the pinnacle of the international order diminishes any opportunities to address regional conflicts. It also comes at the expense of the global attention that should be paid to humanitarian and relief aid.”

Sudan has for two months been witnessing an “unprecedented situation in its contemporary history with Khartoum turning into a battlefield,” where death, displacement, looting and dismantling of state institutions continue, said Aboul Gheit.

“The League of Arab States senses the seriousness of this situation both on Sudan and its neighboring countries and (it) is actively working in coordination with other regional organizations, especially the African Union, towards achieving a total cessation of hostilities (and) creating an environment conducive to the resumption of political action.”

He urged member states to help keep “a unified Sudan as our aim without any threats to its territorial integrity and without weakening its national institutions.”

Palestinians also continue to suffer from persisting occupation, and “heightened oppression and violence on the part of the Israeli government” whose practices and “extreme ideologies reflect an unprecedented turn to the right.

“This is a government that chooses annexation and settlement instead of peace,” Aboul Gheit told world ambassadors.

“This government, every single day, applies policies and practices that are totally divorced from international law, undermining any future prospect for the two-state solution.

“What is most concerning today is the feeling of despondency and despair currently felt by the Palestinian people as they have lost all hope in giving impetus to the political settlement process.”

He called on the council to renew its commitment to a two-state solution, one of the “mainstays” of the Arab League, as the “only path, and I do repeat the only path for sustainable peace.”

Syria’s return to the Arab League should serve as a step toward tackling its decade-long crisis, said Aboul Gheit.

“Maybe this step would also compel us all to actively work towards a political settlement in Syria according to Security Council Resolution 2254.”

He expressed hope that Arab countries hosting Syrian refugees would be able to “reach a solution for the voluntary and dignified return of Syrian refugees by creating the environment conducive for this return.”

In Yemen, notwithstanding the Houthis’ breaches, the truce has contributed considerably to de-escalating tensions, said Aboul Gheit.

Despite the ongoing “catastrophic” humanitarian crisis in the country, a political solution remains possible, “especially if enough efforts were made on the part of the Houthis,” said Aboul Gheit. He added that the rapprochement agreement last March between Saudi Arabia and Iran “opens new prospects that should be optimized to achieve de-escalation and maybe even settlement in Yemen.”

He voiced the Arab League’s support for UN efforts in Libya and reiterated that elections there are the only path toward a sustainable solution for the protracted crisis in the country.

Rosemary DiCarlo, the UN’s under-secretary-general for political and peacebuilding affairs, said that in recent years “multilateralism has come under great strain. Trust in institutions and processes has been sorely tested. Defiance of international law and the norms that bind us is making international and regional cooperation to maintain peace and security ever more difficult.”

But she added that “in such a fraught context, it is heartening that the relationship between the United Nations and the League of Arab States remains robust.”

DiCarlo said that the role of Arab countries would be “key” to end the conflict in Sudan, as she commended for their peace efforts the Arab league, the AU, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, and other partners.

The UN official said that the Jeddah Agreement, brokered by Saudi Arabia and the US on May 20, “gave rise to much hope (but) unfortunately, the parties have failed to implement (it).

“Furthermore, the Sudanese Armed Forces announced the suspension of their participation in the talks, citing the Rapid Support Forces’ violations of the ceasefire.

“It is critical that the parties remain committed to the ceasefire agreement. But this will not be enough. We need a permanent cessation of hostilities and, eventually, a resumption of the political process.”

DiCarlo also echoed Aboul Gheit’s call for a renewed commitment to a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and also commended the Arab League’s efforts in trying to reach a solution for the Libyan crisis.

Turning to Syria, DiCarlo noted the Arab meetings in Amman and Jeddah, and the resolution adopted at the Jeddah Summit, “which reflected the importance of Security Council Resolution 2254 (2015), the only internationally agreed roadmap to resolve the Syrian conflict.”

She said that “if the renewed regional attention on Syria is translated into action, we could see momentum build toward a negotiated political settlement of the conflict,” adding that “addressing the fate of the detained, the disappeared and the missing is essential to move closer towards sustainable peace.”

She called on all parties to “take meaningful steps to this end,” and urged member states to support the establishment of a body dedicated to clarifying the fate of the missing.