After Beijing opens fifth base, experts warn it is gearing up for 2048 expiry of crucial treaty governing world’s southernmost continent. Perched on the bleak southern coast of Inexpressible Island, China’s new crucifix-shaped scientific research station in Antarctica has triggered alarm bells about Beijing’s ambitions in the world’s southernmost continent. The Qinling base, occupying 5,244 square metres near the deep bay of the Ross Sea, opened in February, and can operate through the brutal winter months while housing up to 80 people in summer. Qinling is expected to include a wharf for icebreaker ships and is well positioned to collect signals intelligence over Australia and New Zealand and telemetry data on rockets launched from Australia’s new Arnhem Space Centre, according to the US-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies. It will also help China “fill in a major gap” in its ability to access Antarctica. The station is China’s fifth, on a par with other major actors in Antarctica, including the UK, Russia, and the United States, which has the largest research presence, including the biggest facility in its McMurdo base. But the speed of China’s expanding footprint has raised fears that Beijing is aiming to extend its surveillance capabilities, gain strategic control over valuable resources and shipping routes, or even establish a future military presence there in the future. Beijing, “like all parties has ambitions for Antarctica beyond science,” Dr Elizabeth Buchanan, an expert associate of the ANU National Security College, told The Telegraph. “The problem, for the West, broadly, becomes that China is more capable and credible in terms of concerns it might one day look to exploit its footprint for economic, and strategic, advantage. Any base could be refashioned for military purposes,” she added. Scramble for influence forecast Seven countries – the UK, Australia, France, New Zealand, Norway, Argentina and Chile – maintain territorial claims in Antarctica, which are not recognised by most other nations. The US and Russia have a “basis of claim”. In practice, the continent is governed by parties to the 1959 Antarctic Treaty, which restricts activities to “peaceful purposes only”. Military personnel can conduct scientific research but are banned from setting up bases, carrying out manoeuvres, or testing weapons. Protocols banning mining are open for revision in 2048, which may trigger a scramble for influence over minerals, including gold, chromium, uranium and coal, resources and territory. Countries may fight in the future to “provide security towards those mineral resources which are going to be very valuable in 10, 20 more years,” said Dr Carlos Solar, a senior research fellow in Latin American security at the Royal United Services Institute. By creating a fifth base, Beijing is declaring its strong focus in Antarctica even as other countries are receding from other parts of the world to focus on resources, he said. “China’s interests are to be in the best position that they can be for 2048,” Dr Solar added. Beijing’s Antarctic interests are purposefully framed “in a long-term decadal strategic manner,” said Dr Buchanan. For example, the position of the new base in the continent’s Pacific vector could give China the ability to draw a line from the eastern entry point of the Arctic Ocean straight down to Qinling, she explained. “This creates an interesting capability and future potential buffer for curtailing US seapower,” she added. Beijing rejects espionage claims A 2022 Pentagon report supported the view that China’s new infrastructure was likely to be intended in part to strengthen future claims to natural resources, and improve the capabilities of the People’s Liberation Army. This could mean increased surveillance as Qinling’s equipment “can concurrently be used for intercepting other nations’ satellite communications,” suggested the US-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies in a study last April. China has rejected claims that its stations will be used for espionage. Last month, its foreign ministry stated the construction of Qinling was “fully in line with international rules and procedures concerning Antarctica”. Source: Telegraph

Spain's three most senior players, Alexia Putellas, Jennifer Hermoso and Irene Paredes may have worried that their chance of winning the World Cup would pass them by. The trio, the only female players to have won more than 100 caps for La Roja, endured challenging build-ups to the tournament with their participation in the competition in Australia and New Zealand touch-and-go up right until the final moment. Putellas' return from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury she suffered in July 2022, was understandably far from smooth, as she struggled to regain the form that won her back-to-back Ballon d'Ors. Meanwhile, defender Paredes, though not one of the 15 players to write an email to the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) calling for the conditions under head coach Jorge Vilda to improve, voiced her support for the players actions on social media and relinquished her international captaincy role in the process. And, with Hermoso having left Barcelona after falling out of love with football there were doubts from the player that it would be a feeling that would ever return, let alone allow her to be in the mental space to play the sport at the highest level on the global stage. Despite all the hurdles the three players had to overcome, they sit on top of the world with World Cup winners medals — a thought that seemed impossible just a few months ago. "We tried for so many days to imagine what it is like to be world champions but we couldn't," Hermoso said after the final whistle. "It is difficult to describe. it is a huge joy. I am so proud of this team. We showed that can fight as well and suffer." Putellas' struggles cannot take shine off victory  As a woman of few words who trapses through mixed zones offering nothing more than a brief smile to journalists, Putellas far preferred to have her efforts on the pitch do her talking. Although many felt the team's chances leading into the World Cup hinged on their taliswoman's return and skill, with fans believed Putellas' return to the team was far more important than the rest of the 15 players who were out in the cold. "Alexia and I have played together for so long," Hermoso told DW about her former Barcelona teammate. "To be living in this moment with one another, it is so special." The 29-year-old proved to only make a minimal impact and spending so little time on the field during the World Cup was a difficult pill to swallow for a player that is obsessively strict with her own exceptionally high standards. Putellas made no effort to hide her frustrations during the tournament from the sidelines, throwing a water bottle centimeters away from the bench, after being substituted in the 46th minutes against Zambia. Prior to her injury, the dynamic midfielder played like the ball was glued to her boots, but the technically gifted individual, having had to re-learn how to walk, run and control the ball, spent most of the tournament struggling to keep up with the pace of the game and unable to provide the pinpoint accuracy so accustomed to her, to release Hermoso or Paralluelo. But, the leader within her saw her constantly corral and encourage her team, something all the players craved, according to Hermoso. "We know how special Alexia is, how special she is for the team and how special this win is for her," she explained. Hermoso's journey back to falling in love with football For Hermoso, playing at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand seemed impossible just 12 months ago. Despite, being Barcelona's all-time leading goalscorer, having netted 181 times in 224 appearances, she found herself searching for a way out from the team she has supported since childhood. At the end of the 2021-22 season, following a tumultuous season off the pitch with the Barcelona fans directing much vitriol towards her, the forward moved to Mexican club Pachuca on a free transfer. "The road to this point was really hard," Hermoso told DW through tears. "I had to go to Mexico just feel like a player again. To bring back my love and passion for football." "So many people in Spain were talking and still talk about me, who I am, how I play. I've demonstrated to those people that even though I am 33 years old, I am still capable of being a good player." Head coach Vilda kept his faith in Hermoso to be adaptable between leading the line for La Roja and dropping into midfield to accommodate teenager Salma Paralluelo, who was name Young Player of the Tournament. "Jenni had a lot of responsibility on her shoulders," Vilda said. "I have known Jenni for more than 15 years, she came here as the best version of her, she has given everything she can at 33 years of age, and I am so proud of her." Vilda's decision paid off as Hermoso, who is also Spain's all-time leading goalscorer with 51 goals, scored three times during the tournament and set-up Paralluelo's winning goal against 2019 finalists Holland in their tightly-fought 2-1 extra time win. "Life is composed of moments," Hermoso reflected. "There was a moment where I had to leave the best team in the whole world. This moment now, it is the one I have been waiting for, for so long." At 32, Paredes also knew to lift a trophy with Spain time was not in her favor, and she faced a difficult decision when the RFEF came out in support of Vilda as opposed to the players who had expressed concerns. Despite the Barcelona captain not being one those to send an email, her inclusion in the side was unclear, having made herself unavailable for selection until April 2023. For Vilda, the experienced center-back's reintroduction into the team was one that required little thought. When asked about Paredes return after Spain's friendly against China in April, he told DW: "She is a great player and has been for a long time, of course I am very happy to have her with us. We do not think about the past." Paredes was the only outfield player to play every minute of the World Cup, and it was her calm head, decisiveness in the air and robustness against striker's that helped her marshal Spain's back line. "It is a dream," Paredes told DW. "It’s been very hard but we knew it was possible. These moments are historic for Spanish football. It's difficult to put it into words but it means everything."

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife, Sophie Gregoire, decided to separate after 18 years of marriage. In an announcement on Instagram on Wednesday, they said the decision was taken after "many meaningful and difficult conversations." A statement from the prime minister's office said they have signed "a legal separation agreement." The couple got married in 2005 and have three children together, 15-year-old Xavier, 14-year-old Ella-Grace and 9-year-old Hadrien. "They remain a close family, and Sophie and the prime minister are focused on raising their kids in a safe, loving and collaborative environment," the statement from Trudeau's office said.  High-profile marriage Trudeau's late father, Pierre Trudeau, was the last Canadian prime minister to split from his wife, Margaret Trudeau, and eventually divorced in 1984 during his final months in office. Justin Trudeau and Sophie Gregoire first met when they were children. She was classmates with Trudeau's youngest brother, Michel. They later crossed paths while co-hosting a charity gala in 2003 before getting married in 2005. She had previously worked as a television and radio host. The two brought star power to the prime minister's office and often appeared together. But she has been notably absent from major public events of late. However, the two of them did travel to London in May for the coronation of King Charles and were together when US President Joe Biden visited in late March. The family requested privacy ahead of a family vacation next week. 

Acknowledging the progress made by Indian Americans in the United States, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (local time) said that they have played a significant role in further strengthening the inclusive society and economy of the US. During his speech at the State Dinner held at the White House,, PM Modi said, "Indian Americans have come a long way in the US and have always found a respectful place in America's Melting Pot. Indian Americans have played a significant role in further strengthening the inclusive society and economy of the US." He also thanked US President Joe Biden for hosting a wonderful dinner and making the visit successful. "I want to thank US President Joe Biden for this wonderful dinner today. I would also like to thank First Lady Jill Biden for taking care of my visit to make it successful. Yesterday evening you opened the doors of your house for me," PM Modi said. PM Modi also said that the State dinner evening has become quite special by the presence of the people of the two countries, as he called them "most precious assets." "This evening is made special by the presence of the people of our two countries, they are our most precious assets. When we met in Japan, for the Quad Summit, you mentioned a problem that you were facing, I am sure that you must have resolved that problem. I hope you were able to fit in everyone who wanted to come for the dinner tonight," PM Modi added. Further Prime Minister Narendra Modi requested President Biden to join him for a toast as the two leaders addressed the State dinner event at the White House. PM Modi said, "There is one more thing left to do tonight- please join me in raising a toast. A toast to our wonderful hosts, President Biden and Jill Biden."  toast to good health, prosperity and the pursuit of happiness, liberty, equality and to the ever-lasting bonds of friendship between India and the United States, he said. Previously, US President Joe Biden expressed his delight in hosting Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the official State dinner at the White House and emphasized that the occasion celebrates great bonds of friendship between India and the United States. In a special address during the State Dinner at the White House, Biden said, "Jill and I have had a wonderful time with the Prime Minster today, during your truly productive visit. Tonight we celebrate the great bonds of friendship between India and the United States." The two leaders also raised a toast to the successful meeting that happened between them as they attended the official State dinner today (local time).

It has been a while now since India released a list of upcoming G-20 meetings, it will host as this year’s president of the group of top economies. The list states a tourism working group meeting in Srinagar, the summer capital of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, in May. The meeting will mark the first major international event in the region since August 2019. The purpose of hosting the meetings at various locations across India suggests the country aims to showcase its geographical diversity and cultural richness to the world. It also provides an opportunity for different regions to showcase their development and investment potential to attract foreign investment and boost their local economies. It held G-20 tourism meetings in the states of Gujarat and West Bengal earlier this year and has scheduled another in the state of Goa in June. A similar historical event in Jammu and Kashmir also suggests that New Delhi wants to give a clear-cut message that the region is stable, peaceful and ready to engage globally after the revocation of its statehood in 2019. The move is also aimed at improving the image of the region and encouraging tourism and investment in the area. While India’s understanding and narrative of the situation, on its face value is backed by the recent developments suggesting a return to normalcy in Kashmir. The militant violence has subsided to an extent, despite the targeted killings of Hindus. Tourism figures for the region broke records last year, although tourism is mostly domestic and experts relate the rise to the post-Covid phenomenon. Investors are coming, too. In March, an Emirati property company also announced a $60 million project to build a shopping mall and offices in Srinagar. However, on the other front, things changed drastically with improvement in the overall situation in the region. India, by taking Pro-people initiatives, and plans to overhaul the fanatics of narratives spurred before abrogation is on its deathbed. As the situation in Jammu and Kashmir remains complex, and there are ongoing challenges in promoting peaceful dialogue and reconciliation in the region. After taking suitable steps the enemy engaged in Kashmir got a foul. Now the security and safety of the citizens improved resulting in new opportunities of possibilities. All this made people of the region happy and more happiness is expected to come in the shape of G-20. This has immensely reopened the paradise to the world. Further to it, the region is very happy under the governor’s rule, as it has served the best form of governance as was not expected. It comes in bad times with good results. It had left no criticism because it had conducted three tire elections first time in the region to ensure democracy at the gross root level to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The upcoming G-20 meeting to be held in the region is to be seen as an extension of India’s efforts to display its influence on global economies and suggest that the world stands by its side. Purposefully or otherwise, a loud and clear message will be delivered across the border, tremors of which can be felt within recent communications of the country. While Pakistan has failed to gather an audience for its concerns, India remains unchallenged and straightforward with regard to its policy on Jammu and Kashmir. The clear-cut foreign policy of keeping the country’s interests first, accompanied by economic manoeuvring. India has successfully held their viewpoint on Kashmir before the world platform. Holding such meetings make India stronger politically, economically and strategically in the realm of the international forum of leadership. Domestically the rhetoric of attracting foreign investments in the region following the G-20 meeting has picked up the pace. While the meeting has other purposes on the table, India truly aspires to attract foreign investments in the region from the major economies of the world. Taking a positive approach by conducting G-20 meeting in the vale will make the global community acquainted with the peace, and stability in the region claimed by India to the world community so far. This will also be helping India in isolating Pakistan at the international corium with regard to Jammu and Kashmir. So far, so good, people of the region are engaged in welcoming the event of G-20 meetings and are hopeful of a positive outcome for a long time. Source: greaterkashmir.com

After a pause in festivities during the coronavirus pandemic, Bethlehem — revered as the birthplace of Jesus — is ready again for its long Christmas season. A steady flow of people proceed through the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, with smartphones in hand to capture every moment. Christmas is the busiest time of the year for the West Bank town. And, while most of the world celebrates Christmas once, here in Bethlehem — revered as the birthplace of Jesus — people celebrate the holiday three times. "We have the Armenians, the Latins, the Greek Orthodox. Everybody has their own calendar, so this makes the date of Christmas different," Franciscan Father Rami Asakrieh, the Catholic parish priest at the Church of the Nativity, told DW, referring to the three major denominations that share the church. "We happily celebrate Christmas for a very long period. We talk about two months of celebration." And this year, Rami said, it will be more joyful as visitors are back. "This feast is special. Because of the coronavirus, there were no pilgrims, Christmas was without people, it was only spiritual, without the festivities, without the joy and happiness that we feel in this holy city." Now, local and foreign visitors are back. Many take selfies in front of the tall, sparkly Christmas tree and the Nativity scene on Manger Square, just outside the church. Food stalls selling corn and cotton candy wait for customers on this mild and sunny December day. "We came from Michigan in the US, we are Iraqis. It's a very nice feeling to be here, it's a very nice atmosphere, this is a place where Jesus was born, and it's important that everybody can come to see and to visit," said Nawal, visiting as part of a group. Naimeh Ghassan, a young Palestinian, traveled from the center of the occupied West Bank to take pictures of the Christmas atmosphere. "The preparations in Bethlehem for Christmas are very nice, its just beautiful to be here," Ghassan told DW. Catholics kick off Christmas celebrations First in line for the celebrations are the Roman Catholics, also known as the Latins, together with the Protestant churches, who mark Christmas on December 24 and 25. They reference the Gregorian calendar that was created by Pope Gregory in the 16th century. On December 24, it is tradition that the Palestinian Scout troops' marching band accompanies the Latin patriarch from Jerusalem to the Church of the Nativity, followed by a midnight Mass. Next up is the Greek Orthodox Church alongside the smaller Syriac Orthodox and Coptic churches on January 6 and 7. The Eastern Orthodox churches still use the Julian calendar, which was created during the reign of Julius Caesar in 45 B.C. Father Issa Thaljieh, the Greek Orthodox parish priest at the Church of the Nativity, said that during Christmas festivities, every congregation maintains its prayer times and rituals according to a strict "status quo." This set of rules determines the rights and duties of all denominations sharing the church — including procession times and cleaning rituals.  It's not always without tensions, but "when you live in Bethlehem, you have to live together. We live in Bethlehem as Christians and Muslims, and we live in the church as different Christian denominations," said the Bethlehem-born priest. What extends Christmas season the longest in Bethlehem is the fact that the Armenian community celebrates its Christmas on January 18 and 19. "We are the last ones to celebrate Christmas," said Superior Asbed Balian of the Armenian Apostolic Church, adding that the Armenians share altars with the smaller churches for the Christmas festivities.   But apart from the rituals and traditions, Father Asbed said that "we also have to remind ourselves what is the meaning of Christmas. That Christmas is also the time of thinking of others and sharing things together." Difficult year for Israeli-Palestinian conflict Many residents in town join the festivities, no matter their background. "For us it is kind of normal, I think we are just lucky to have so many Christmases," said Mirna Bannoura, who plays the drums with the Arab Orthodox Union Club Scout Group in Beit Sahour. As a young Orthodox Christian, her Christmas feast isn't until January. But she will join her Catholic friends to celebrate on December 24. "Without the Scouts, there is no Christmas. When people hear us, it just brings a smile to their faces," she said. This Christmas season wraps up a difficult year for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. According to the United Nations, 2022 is set to be the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank since the UN started tracking fatalities in 2005, with at least 140 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank killed. Meanwhile, Israel's Internal Security Agency says 31 Israelis were killed. When a Palestinian youth from a refugee camp in Bethlehem was recently killed during a raid by the Israeli army, the town's Christmas tree remained dark for one evening; restaurants and shops went on a general strike. "The situation here affects you, it can scar you," said Bannoura. "I feel that the Palestinian people are always looking for the one, small, happy dot to see a light in this whole black life we are sometimes living." And Christmas is one such happy occasion. For some families, it means the possibility for those who live in the West Bank to reunite with relatives and friends in Gaza's small Christian community. And for those in Gaza, Christmas represents their hope to be granted Israeli permits to allow visits to family in the West Bank, to which passage is usually restricted. This year, Israeli authorities issued about such 640 permits. However, 200 applications were rejected for "security reasons," according to an Israeli security official. Palestinians from Bethlehem and other West Bank cities are also waiting for Israeli permits to visit family, friends and holy sites in nearby Jerusalem — which is separated from Bethlehem by a controversial concrete separation barrier. Social activities to support the community Others people enjoy the many social activities around town this time of year, like games of bingo. At the Latin Church in Beit Jala, near Bethlehem, the bingo evening is both a social event and an opportunity to raise funds for charities and to support less fortunate people in the community. "We play bingo because it is fun during these days, it's a change of routine. But it is also about support, for the Scouts, for the orphans, for charities," said Hiyam Yacoub, who came with friends and family. Instead of winning fancy prizes, people here go home with household items that will help them make it through the difficult economic situation: washing powder, dishwashing liquid or packets of tissues. Bethlehem, a city that ordinarily lives from tourism, has been hit hard in recent years by the COVID-19 pandemic and by the ongoing conflict. At the Church of Nativity, Father Issa, the Greek Orthodox parish priest, smiles at the long line of visitors waiting to enter the church's grotto. There, a silver star marks the place where Jesus is believed to have been born. "We have people from all over the world again coming to this church to see where exactly Jesus was born, and to feel the spirit of Christmas," said Father Issa, whose name in Arabic means "Jesus." "They want to see the star, they want to touch the walls, to pray and praise the Lord — because in Bethlehem, it's all about Christmas."

Karambir Singh Kang lost his wife and two young children in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. A former general manager of the Taj Hotel in Mumbai, he was there when the Taj Hotel came under attack on 26 November 2008.   “People who planned, financed, and organized the attack remain free. While our company and staff received global accolades for their heroic deeds, we have spent 14 long and painful years trying to seek justice,” Kang said Thursday.  Kang was addressing the 1st United Nations Global Congress of Victims of Terrorism in New York, United States. The conference, aimed at providing a platform for victims of terrorism to share their experiences, challenges, and stories of resilience and to “advocate for the strengthening and upholding of their rights and effective fulfillment of their needs”, was held on 8 and 9 September.    The event saw both online and in-person participation by several people, including “survivors, diplomats, experts, and representatives from civil society, academia, and the private sector”.  According to the United Nations, the program consisted of six “overarching themes” reflecting the rights and needs ascribed to victims of terrorism. Kang, who has been awarded  ‘Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak’ award for bravery and ‘The Mother Teresa International Award’ in 2016, said that as an act of “defiance”,  the hotel reopened barely 21 days after it was “destroyed”.  Thirty-four lives were lost on the day of the attack, including those of his “brave colleagues who were armed only with courage” and who saved over “1,000 lives”, Kang told the gathering.     “Today I call upon the international community to work together to seek justice nationally and across borders,” Kang, who’s now Area Director–USA for Indian Hotels Company Ltd, said, adding: “States must join us in defiance and ensure that there is no safe harbor for terrorists so that their heinous crimes are not given space to take root”. In her keynote address, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed also underlined the need to stand with victims and survivors. She said: “Solidarity and support for victims of terrorism is a moral obligation and a humanitarian and human rights imperative”. Among those who spoke at the event was Nidhi Chaphekar, a survivor of the 2016 attack in Brussels, Belgium. The Islamic State claimed the attack.  Chaphekar, then a cabin manager of a Jet Airways flight from Brussels to Newark, sustained more than “20 per cent burns, multiple fractures, crushed bones, ruptured eardrums, body pierced with metal shrapnel, and much more”.  She underwent over 20 surgeries after the attack.  “It is of the utmost importance to bring out the news to the public of terrorist attacks, including the sufferings, but we need to underline that the right to privacy comes before the right to information in any social or democratic society. And the media needs to look into it,” Chaphekar said in a session called ‘Breakout sessions: Protecting the Right to privacy of Victims of Terrorism’.  The session came under the broader theme of ‘Protecting the Rights of Victims of Terrorism’. Visibly emotional, Chaphekar recounted the aftermath of the attack, the constantly ringing doorbell, the incessant phone calls, and the photos that were clicked without permission.  “There should be some time limit given to the family by the interviewers after the attack,” she said, as she recounted how privacy, not only hers but also her family’s, was constantly violated in the aftermath of the attack. Chaphekar called for a check on graphic images posted online after such attacks because they “promote the goal towards the terrorism”. If a child’s image becomes viral,  his “right to grow”, “right to erase memory” and “right to forgive” are lost, she told the gathering.   Source: The Print

New Zealand had started reopening its borders in February, and the final phase was completed on Monday. The education and tourism sector are expected to receive a boost. New Zealand fully opened its borders Monday, for the first time since March 2020 when they were closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The final phase of its borders reopening began at midnight local time (1300 GMT) Sunday with the maritime border and all overseas visitors allowed to submit visa applications. The country had started reopening in February, beginning with its own citizens. It’s been a staged and cautious process on our part since February as we, alongside the rest of the world continue to manage a very live global pandemic, while keeping our people safe, said Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern during a speech at the China Business Summit in Auckland on Monday. Borders were reopened the previous night to visitors who need visas, and those on student visas are now also allowed to return to New Zealand. Cruise ships and foreign recreational yachts will also be allowed to dock at its ports. Most visitors are still required to be vaccinated against COVID-19, and must take two tests after arriving. However, the quarantine requirements for those testing negative have been removed. In the Pacific, the federated states of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands also announced they would be opening their borders as of Monday. Education, tourism to get boost The education sector is hopeful that the reopening for international students will provide a boost to the industry. International students used to bring in around 5 billion New Zealand dollars (roughly $3.15 billion or euro 3.1 billion) per year, being one of the country’s top export earners. But that figure plummeted in 2021. Tourism Minister Stuart Nash said the reopening for cruise ships would also boost local industries. Most cruise visits are during the warmer months of October to April, and summer is our bumper tourism season overall. This means it will be full steam ahead for the industry, he said.

Although EU candidacy for Ukraine and Moldova has been hailed as historic, frustrations among other candidates years into their own membership bids should serve as a reminder that the path ahead won't be easy. Leaders from the European Union lined up to hail the symbolic value of the decision to grant both Ukraine and Moldova EU candidate status at a summit in Brussels this week, seen by many as bolstering Ukraine’s campaign to drive out Russian forces. The process has moved at record speed. Both countries only placed their bids for EU membership shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in late February. After the European Commission recommended that Ukraine be given candidate status on June 17, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took to Twitter to welcome 1st step on the EU membership path that’ll certainly bring our victory closer. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausedas summed up the prevailing EU view neatly on Friday, telling DW that Ukrainians were fighting not just for their own sovereignty but for our values and principles too. So they are fighting for Europe. The summit on Thursday produced smiles all round except in Georgia, which like Ukraine and Moldova requested membership in light of Russia’s attack but was only offered a European perspective. The prospect of candidacy was put on hold pending further reforms, including a cleanup of oligarch influence. Tbilisi made clear it still wants in, and earlier this week, residents poured onto the streets in the capital in a March for Europe to demonstrate their commitment to join the EU. Long road ahead But that is a process usually requiring intense and often painful economic and political reform, and can take years at times even more than a decade. Candidate status itself is no guarantee of entry. Five countries Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey are already EU candidates, with most in accession negotiations which are at a standstill. Candidacy status doesn’t carry any real legal heft either. It only allows intergovernmental conferences of EU officials and member states to discuss policy reform, experts from the Centre for European Policy Studies pointed out in a recent report. For Majda Ruge, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, granting candidacy to Ukraine and Moldova is mainly a geostrategic decision from the EU to send a message to Moscow. These are two countries where Russia has expressed its appetite territorially, she told DW. Moldova too has a breakaway region, Transnistria on the border with western Ukraine, which is controlled by pro-Russian separatists. On the difficulty of EU accession, Nausedas, whose own country, Lithuania joined in 2004 after years of waiting, said that neither of the new candidates were naive. They understand that this is just the starting point of reforms, he said on the sidelines of the summit in Brussels on Friday. And of course, [for Ukraine] they have to win this war first of all. War heightens uncertainty around Ukraine’s bid. It’s an important caveat. It’s impossible to predict where Ukrain’s bid could be in five years, Ruge said. Out of experience, in every war, the result is the development of more gray zones. You’ll have smuggling networks and clandestine fighters, she said. The rule of law is certainly not going to flourish in Ukraine during the war. Even if it wins, Ukraine will have some pretty serious reconstruction work to do, both materially and politically. None of that foreshadows swift, easy accession. Balkan frustration over stalled bids The pitfalls of stalled membership bids were on full display this week. Western Balkan leaders threatened not to turn up at another summit where no progress was made on their bids to join the EU. In the end they came, but their frustration stood in marked contrast to the elation of Ukraine and Moldova. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama expressed his discontent in a tweet: Nice place, nice people, nice words, nice pictures, and just imagine how much nicer could be if nice promises were followed by nice delivery, he wrote. His country’s bid to formally start negotiations to join the EU is frozen because it is tied together with that of North Macedonia. EU member Bulgaria has been blocking both bids due to a bilateral dispute with the Albanian government for years, though a parliamentary vote in Sofia on Friday might finally allow a breakthrough. Before that, France and the Netherlands put up last-minute opposition. Accession vetoes a big problem enlargement, I think is going to be very difficult before the voting procedures are reformed from unanimity to qualified majority voting, Majda Ruge warned. As long as individual states can veto accession, processes can stall. It’s a long-standing problem that many feel has undermined EU credibility on accession. It also depends on the will of membership hopefuls, Ruge said, adding that EU candidacy doesn’t automatically turbocharge reform. She pointed to Serbia as a case in point, where there has been much democratic backsliding in recent years. Like Albania, Northern Macedonia and Montenegro, and Montenegro, Serbia’s membership has still not been validated and negotiations are ongoing. For Ukraine and Moldova, right now, it’s at the level of political signaling, Ruge said. Whether these bids can actually move forward or get stuck depends as much on the 27 EU capitals as it does on Kyiv and Chisinau.  

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader in the Senate Sherry Rehman has said that the country’s economy has been surrendered to international powers for the first time in Pakistan’s history, resulting in skyrocketing inflation, making living conditions miserable and forcing people to take to the street against the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan.   The PPP leader also warned that the final countdown had already started both in the parliament and in streets against the federal government of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Dawn newspaper reported. She claimed that the opposition parties were reuniting after a small break following the removal of “misunderstanding” among them. “Pakistan has run 23 different financial programmes with the IMF (International Monetary Fund) and they all came to a successful end. But it’s for the first time in the history of Pakistan that our economy has been surrendered and now it is under the control of world powers. Now the long march is not only for the sake of politics, but it is also for the survival of the economy and the common man, whose life has become unbearable. Therefore, we appeal to every Pakistani to support this march,” she said, as per Dawn. She came up with details of differences in the present and past prices of edible and household items and fast increasing rates of electricity and energy and said it was the main reason the PPP had to plan the long march. “Petrol, which was Rs80 per litre, has now reached Rs160 per litre,” she said. “The price of electricity has increased from Rs 8 per unit to Rs 21 per unit. The average domestic gas bill that amounted up to Rs 300 for 70 years has now gone up to Rs 4,800. Ghee was selling at Rs 170 per kg but it is now selling at over Rs 400 a kilo. Similarly, the sugar rate has risen from Rs55 per kg to Rs125 per kg.” She said that the US dollar rate was Rs105 but during the PTI government, the rate has increased to Rs 176. PPP Sindh general secretary Waqar Mehdi said that the long march will start from Mazar-i-Quaid on February 27 and will reach Islamabad after six days. Source: ANI