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CNN —A German citizen has been sentenced to death in Belarus after being charged with terrorism and mercenary activities, according to a Belarusian human rights group. The group Human Rights Center “Viasna” said the German national is a 29-year-old German Red Cross employee named Rico Krieger. According to his LinkedIn profile, he worked as an emergency medical technician for the German Red Cross and as an armed security officer for the US Embassy in Berlin. The German Red Cross (DRK) told CNN’s German affiliate N-TV that while “the man in question,” without naming Krieger, had previously worked for them, his stay abroad was not related to his work with the DRK. CNN has also reached out to the German Red Cross for comment.

Persons: ”, Rico Krieger, Krieger, Viasna, “, Anatoly Glaz, Germany “, Lukashenko’s, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya Organizations: CNN, Human Rights, Red Cross, US, Minsk Regional Court, Federal Foreign Office, Embassy, German Foreign Office, Foreign, CNN’s Locations: Belarus, Belarusian, Berlin, Minsk, Germany, ”, German

☆ Germany defends support for Israel in international court against accusations of ‘facilitating genocide’ in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Nadine Schmidt | Niamh Kennedy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Berlin CNN —Germany has hit back at allegations by Nicaragua that it has been “facilitating genocide” in Gaza, telling an international court on Tuesday that history undergirds German support for Israel. But Germany argued Tuesday that because the “bedrock” of Nicaragua’s case was aimed at Israel and its “alleged violations of international law by Israel,” the ICJ did not have jurisdiction. British lawyer Samuel Wordsworth, who advocated on behalf of Berlin, said the case against Germany is “entirely dependent” upon a “prior finding of breach” of international law by Israel in Gaza. The ICJ is hearing a separate case brought against Israel by South Africa, but has not ruled on whether Israel has breached international law in Gaza. The international court will now consider whether to order the emergency measures requested by Nicaragua.

Persons: Germany’s, Tania von Uslar, Gleichen, Berlin “, “, ’, Von Uslar, ”, ” von Uslar, Netherlands Carlos Jose Arguello Gomez, Alain, Samuel Wordsworth, Israel, Israel –, Christian Tams Organizations: Berlin CNN —, Israel, International Court of Justice, UN, German, Office, ICJ, Nicaraguan, UNRWA Locations: Berlin CNN — Germany, Nicaragua, Gaza, The Hague, Germany, Israel, Nazi, Netherlands, French, Berlin, South Africa

☆ Bahrain seeks to balance anger over Gaza with ties to Israel, US
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Alexander Cornwell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The deal to normalise ties with Israel, signed in 2020 by Bahrain when Donald Trump was president, brought few business benefits to Bahrain, unlike those it offered United Arab Emirates, a regional commercial hub which signed at the same time. Six sources familiar with the matter told Reuters Bahrain would not abandon its ties with Israel, even though parliament - a body that remains subservient to the monarchy - has made a strident statement suggesting Israel relations were in the freezer. Bahrain is trying to preserve the relationship with Israel while also managing public opinion, one of the sources said. "They can't abandon normalisation with Israel without endangering this whole strategic framework," said Kristin Smith Diwan, a researcher at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. The sources said the public confusion over relations with Israel appeared to have eased pressure on the government in its efforts to balance domestic outrage and ties with Israel.

Persons: Hamad I Mohammed, Donald Trump, Kristin Smith Diwan, Abraham, Israel, Mamdooh Al Saleh, Smith, Tobias Lindner, Alexander Cornwell, Maha El, Ari Rabinovitch, Dan Williams, Michael Georgy, William Maclean Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, Rare, U.S . Navy Fifth Fleet, United, Reuters, Gulf States Institute, Bahraini, Abraham, Islamic, Abraham Accords, Thomson Locations: Israel, Palestinian, Muharraq, Bahrain, MANAMA, Gaza, Gulf, United States, Iran, Manama, United Arab Emirates, Reuters Bahrain, Washington, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahraini, Jerusalem, Bahrainis, Tehran, Islamic Republic, East, U.S, Kingdom of Bahrain, Maha El Dahan, Dubai

☆ Poland Election Turns Germany Into Punchbag, Straining Western Alliance
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +7 min

In another dispute, Warsaw resisted a German offer to station Patriot missile air defence units in Poland before eventually agreeing to it. Among the sticking points, one German source said Poland was asking for too much money for the repair works. Another source, a German diplomat, said the talks failed partly because German companies were reluctant to share technical information. SOURING RELATIONSWhile ties between Poland and Germany have been frosty since PiS first came to power in 2015, Poles now see them worsening. Just 47% think relations are good, according to a German Polish barometer poll this year, down from 72% in 2020.

Persons: Marek Strzelecki, Sabine Siebold, Anna Koper, Donald Tusk, PiS, Mateusz Morawiecki, Tusk, Angela Merkel, Olaf Scholz, General Ben Hodges, Krauss, Maffei, Sebastian Chwalek, Thomas Kleine, Berlin, mushroomed, Camp David, ” Hodges, Joe, Biden, Andrzej, Duda, Chancellor Scholz, Justyna Pawlak, Anna Wlodarczak, Alan Charlish, Sarah Marsh, Andreas Rinke, Matthias Williams, Mark Heinrich Organizations: Anna, Anna Koper WARSAW, NATO, Justice, Nazi Wehrmacht, Patriot, Law, Justice Party, U.S, Army, Reuters, Rheinmetall, Polska, Patriots, Foreign, German Marshall Fund Locations: BERLIN, Germany, Berlin, Ukraine, Polish, Nazi, EU, Slovakia, Poland, Warsaw, U.S, Europe, German, PiS, Japan, South Korea

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Andrzej Duda, Thibault Camus, Donald Tusk, PiS, Mateusz Morawiecki, Tusk, Angela Merkel, General Ben Hodges, Krauss, Maffei, Sebastian Chwalek, Thomas Kleine, Berlin, mushroomed, Camp David, ” Hodges, Joe, Biden, Andrzej, Duda, Chancellor Scholz, Justyna Pawlak, Marek Strzelecki, Anna Koper, Anna Wlodarczak, Alan Charlish, Sarah Marsh, Sabine Siebold, Andreas Rinke, Matthias Williams, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Russia, goading, NATO, Justice, Nazi Wehrmacht, Patriot, Law, Justice Party, U.S, Army, Reuters, Rheinmetall, Polska, Patriots, Foreign, German Marshall Fund, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Berlin, Germany, Russia Berlin, goading Warsaw, WARSAW, BERLIN, Polish, Nazi, EU, Slovakia, Poland, Warsaw, U.S, Europe, German, PiS, Japan, South Korea

☆ Germany hits back at Elon Musk after he wades in on migrant debate
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Sophie Tanno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Germany has hit back at Elon Musk after the billionaire businessman waded into the country’s debate on migration. Musk reshared a post on the platform X, formerly Twitter, that criticized German NGO operations in the Mediterranean for “unloading illegal immigrants” in Italy. The post also called for a victory for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in the next elections. “There are currently 8 German NGO ships in the Mediterranean Sea collecting illegal immigrants to be unloaded in Italy. Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty ImagesMusk’s comments come with Berlin locked in a spat with Italy over NGO sea operations.

Persons: Elon Musk, waded, Musk, “, ” Musk, Odd Andersen, Giorgia Meloni, Meloni, Olaf Scholz, ”, ” Meloni Organizations: CNN, Elon, Radio Genoa ”, Foreign, Immigration Authority, Getty, Italian, ”, European Union Locations: Germany, Italy, Eisenhuttenstadt, Berlin, France, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Malta, Croatia, Slovenia, Valletta

☆ China protests 'vile' Taiwan visit by German minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has ramped up military, political and economic pressure to assert those claims. The politically sensitive visit is taking place as Berlin is reviewing its previously close ties with China. In January, a visit to Taiwan by a delegation of high-ranking lawmakers from the liberal Free Democrats (FDP), the smallest party in Chancellor Olaf Scholz's three-way coalition, also led to protests from Beijing. "It is a great pleasure and honour for me to be the first minister heading a specialist government department to visit Taiwan in 26 years," she added. Given the sensitivity of the trip, Stark-Watzinger is not scheduled to meet Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen.

☆ Elon Musk restores Twitter accounts of journalists but concerns persist
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Sheila Dang | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Dec 17 (Reuters) - Elon Musk reinstated the Twitter accounts of several journalists that were suspended for a day over a controversy on publishing public data about the billionaire's plane. A Twitter poll that Musk conducted later also showed that a majority of the respondents wanted the accounts restored immediately. Accounts who doxxed my location will have their suspension lifted now," Musk said in a tweet on Saturday. A Reuters check showed the suspended accounts, which included journalists from the New York Times, CNN and the Washington Post, have been reinstated. Musk accused the journalists of posting his real-time location, saying it amounted to providing "basically assassination coordinates" for his family.

☆ Germany heavily criticizes Elon Musk's Twitter for suspending journalists, saying the free press 'must not be switched on and off at will'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The German Foreign Office has warned Twitter about suspending journalists' accounts. Multiple journalists who reported on Elon Musk have been unable to post on the platform. On Thursday, Twitter suspended the accounts of multiple journalists that reported on the platform's new owner, Elon Musk. Wolfgang Buechner, the country's deputy government spokesperson, said in a separate tweet: "Arbitrary locking of journalists' accounts is unacceptable. On Friday, a top European Union official warned Elon Musk about possible Twitter sanctions, following what it described as the platform's "arbitrary suspension of journalists."

REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File PhotoBERLIN, Dec 16 (Reuters) - The German Foreign Office tweeted screenshots on Friday of the accounts of journalists suspended by Twitter, warning the platform that the ministry had a problem with moves that jeapordised press freedom. Twitter suspended the accounts of several prominent journalists who had posted about its new owner Elon Musk, prompting protests from their media organisations. German regulators are already pushing government institutions to stop posting announcements exclusively to privately-held platforms, touting alternatives like the fledgling decentralised social media network Mastodon. Twitter also suspended the Mastodon network's account and attempts to link to Mastodon accounts in tweets frequently triggered error messages on Friday. But with some 8.5 million registered users, Mastodon is still a minnow compared to Twitter with half a billion users.

☆ A top European official seemed to threaten Elon Musk with sanctions over his 'arbitrary suspension' of journalists amid the jet-tracking saga
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Věra Jourová, a European Union vice president, criticized Elon Musk's "arbitrary" bans on journalists. She said that Twitter could face sanctions, citing the union's laws on free speech. After Musk's laid off thousands of staff, Twitter closed its Brussels office responsible for complying with EU laws. Věra Jourová, the EU vice president for values and transparency, tweeted on Friday morning: "News about arbitrary suspension of journalists on Twitter is worrying." Musk was also condemned by the German foreign office for suspending the journalists, while a senior government official threatened to leave the platform.

☆ Elon Musk's Twitter suspension of journalists draws global backlash
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Sheila Dang | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

loadingRoland Lescure, the French Minister of Industry, tweeted on Friday that following Musk's suspension of journalists, he would suspend his own activity on Twitter. loadingThe German Foreign Office warned Twitter that the ministry had a problem with moves that jeopardized press freedom. The suspensions stemmed from a disagreement over a Twitter account called ElonJet, which tracked Musk's private plane using publicly available information. On Wednesday, Twitter suspended the account and others that tracked private jets, despite Musk's previous tweet saying he would not suspend ElonJet in the name of free speech. Then on Thursday evening, several journalists including from the New York Times, CNN and the Washington Post were suspended from Twitter with no notice.

☆ German aid worker freed after kidnapping four years ago in Niger, says employer
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DAKAR, Dec 10 (Reuters) - A 63-year-old German aid worker, Joerg Lange, has been freed more than four years after he was kidnapped in western Niger near the Malian border, his employer, humanitarian organisation Help, said in a statement on Saturday. "We are very relieved and grateful that our colleague Joerg Lange can return to his family after more than four and a half years," Help Managing Director Bianca Kaltschmitt said. She thanked the German Foreign Office and other German authorities, as well as "authorities and friends in Mali, Niger and neighbouring countries". An engineer by training, Lange had worked in the humanitarian sector for more than thirty years before he was kidnapped. Reporting by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Peter Graff and Jan HarveyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 143 countries voted to condemn Russia's illegal Ukraine annexations in key UN vote. Here are the 5 that didn't.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The UN General Assembly on Wednesday overwhelmingly voted to condemn Russia's annexations in Ukraine. Of the 193-member body, 143 countries supported Ukraine, while 35 abstained from the vote. The vote was sparked by Russia's recent annexation of partially-occupied territories in Ukraine, including the Kherson, Luhansk, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions. The 193-member body issued its most staunch support for Ukraine yet during Wednesday's vote, which saw 143 nations condemn Russia's actions and 35 countries abstain from voting. Only five countries voted against the resolution, one of which was Russia itself.

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