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But EU countries still need to rubber stamp the decision before it can take effect. EU countries' ambassadors on Friday cancelled the vote that had been planned for March 7, the spokesperson for Sweden said. Italy, which has previously said it will vote against the EU cars law, on Friday welcomed the postponement of the vote. Such an outcome, along with some resistance from Italy and some eastern European countries, could throw the whole EU ban into question. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will attend a German cabinet meeting at the Schloss Meseberg palace on Sunday, where the topic is likely to be discussed.

☆ German synthetic fuels row threatens planned EU combustion engine ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Feb 28 (Reuters) - German Transport Minister Volker Wissing on Tuesday called into question a bid by the European Union to ban new cars with internal combustion engines from 2035, saying the use of synthetic fuels should remain possible after the deadline. The Environment Ministry, led by the Greens, was surprised by Wissing's announcement, with a spokesperson saying that Germany's approval of the combustion engine ban was "coordinated with the other ministries". The FDP has long advocated for climate-neutral synthetic fuels, also known as e-fuels, arguing their use would enable the continued use of combustion engines. The European Parliament, the Commission and EU member states agreed last year to phase out combustion engines for passenger cars from 2035. If Germany's coalition cannot agree a position, it would have to abstain which, along with some resistance from Italy and some eastern European countries, could throw the whole EU ban into question.

During the session, which opens on Monday and runs until April 4, many states will seek to extend the mandate of a U.N investigation body set up to probe atrocities in Ukraine. Kyiv and its allies are disgruntled by the participation of Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, who will address the council on Thursday. Filipenko said Ukraine did not welcome Russia's presence and would "act accordingly," without giving details. The Geneva-based U.N. human rights council is the only body made up of governments to protect human rights worldwide. Countries also will closely watch how Volker Turk, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights since October, refers to China after his predecessor Michelle Bachelet was accused by some rights groups of being too soft on Beijing.

☆ Italy approves clampdown on migrant rescue ships
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Angelo Amante | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The new set of rules is part of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's efforts to crack down on the rescue vessels, which her government says encourage people to make the perilous trip across the Mediterranean from northern Africa. Charities deny this, saying migrants set to sea regardless of whether rescue boats are in the vicinity. Under the new law, ships have to request access to a port and sail to it "without delay" after a rescue, rather than remain at sea looking for other migrant boats in distress, and disclose detailed information about their rescue activities. The Roman Catholic Church in Italy last month said the new measures violated international law and should be scrapped. Government data shows 12,667 people have reached Italy so far this year, more than double the same period of 2022.

"One year ago, the world was bracing for the fall of Kyiv," Biden said at the Warsaw Royal Castle Gardens as the crowd waved Polish flags. "Well I've just come from a visit to Kyiv and I can report Kyiv stands strong, Kyiv stands proud, it stands tall and most important, it stands free." "One year into this war, Putin no longer doubts the strength of our coalition, but he still doubts our conviction. U.S. President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meet in Kyiv, Ukraine on February 20, 2023. "Tonight I speak once more again to the people of Russia: The United States and the people of Europe do not seek to control or destroy Russia," Biden said.

☆ Israeli reforms would undermine judiciary, U.N. rights chief says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

GENEVA, Feb 21 (Reuters) - The United Nations' human rights chief on Tuesday voiced concern that a proposed overhaul of Israel's judicial system would "drastically undermine" the ability of the judiciary to uphold human rights and the rule of law. "Breaking from decades of settled practice, such a law would drastically undermine the ability of the judiciary to vindicate individual rights and to uphold the rule of law as an effective institutional check on executive and legislative power," said U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk. Israel's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Meirav Eilon Shahar, has said a previous statement from Turk showed prejudice. Austria's Turk, who became High Commissioner in October, earlier this month called on Israel to ensure respect of international rights law after his office documented a record 151 killings of Palestinians by security forces last year. Reporting by Emma Farge; additional reporting by James Mackenzie in Jerusalem Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Twitter's team focused on ethics rushed to publish research papers before Elon Musk's takeover fearing he would lay them off, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Twitter's AI ethics team hurriedly published studies in the weeks before Elon Musk's takeover, Wired reported. The team feared "the runway would shut down when the Elon jumbo jet landed," one ex-staffer told Wired. In Musk's first week owning Twitter, he laid-off most of the team, known internally as META. "We were rightfully worried about what this leadership change would entail," Rumman Chowdhury, who was engineering director on the team, told Wired. Employees told Wired that several more papers on misinformation and algorithms were quickly published too around the time of the takeover.

☆ Venezuela should release arbitrary detainees, end torture, UN rights chief says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

CARACAS — Venezuela should release arbitrarily detained individuals and end torture, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said on Saturday at the end of a trip to the country. Turk arrived in Venezuela on Thursday and met with President Nicolás Maduro on Friday, in addition to Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, senior government officials, opposition figures and victims of human rights violations. “In my meetings with the president and ministers, I called for all people who have been arbitrarily detained to be released,” Turk said on Saturday in a statement. Turk extended his call to governments around the world to release, pardon or grant amnesty to “all those arbitrarily detained for exercising their fundamental human rights.”During his trip, Turk said he met with people who were arbitrarily detained and tortured. “I was given commitments that torture complaints would be addressed decisively, fully investigated and those responsible brought to justice,” Turk said.

☆ UN rights chief asks Venezuela to release arbitrary detainees, end torture
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Volker Turk looks on next to Human Rights Reporting Officer Helene Devaux, and Jose M. Aranaz during a news conference in Caracas, Venezuela January 28, 2023. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez ViloriaCARACAS, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Venezuela should release arbitrarily detained individuals and end torture, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said on Saturday at the end of a trip to the country. Turk arrived in Venezuela on Thursday and met with President Nicolas Maduro on Friday, in addition to Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, senior government officials, opposition figures and victims of human rights violations. Turk extended his call to governments around the world to release, pardon or grant amnesty to "all those arbitrarily detained for exercising their fundamental human rights." During his trip, Turk said he met with people who were arbitrarily detained and tortured.

☆ Colombia must strengthen rule of law, state presence in areas hit by violence -UN
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Volker Turk speaks before he signs the subscription to the headquarters agreement in Bogota, Colombia January 25, 2023. REUTERS/Luisa GonzalezBOGOTA, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Colombia must strengthen the rule of law and the state's presence to tackle violence in areas affected by the country's internal armed conflict, Volker Turk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said on Wednesday. Colombia's human rights ombudsman on Monday reported that a record 215 human rights activists and social leaders - a term referring to community, land, and environmental leaders, among others - were killed in 2022. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has verified 112 killings of human rights defenders from last year, Turk said. "It's clear that in such a difficult situation as we currently have in Peru, we call on de-escalation, we call on respect for human rights," he said.

☆ Iran executions are 'state sanctioned killing' - UN rights chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Emma Farge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Summary Warns that more executions are imminentMeeting between Turk, Iranian authorities plannedUN-appointed body to probe Iran's crackdownGENEVA, Jan 10 (Reuters) - The U.N. human rights chief said that the death penalty was being weaponised by Iran's government to strike fear into the population and stamp out dissent, saying the executions amounted to "state sanctioned killing". "The weaponization of criminal procedures to punish people for exercising their basic rights – such as those participating in or organizing demonstrations - amounts to state sanctioned killing," U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said, adding the executions violated international human rights law. The U.N. Human Rights office has received information that two further executions are imminent, the statement said, while up to 100 face charges for capital crimes. The Geneva-based Human Rights Council voted in November to set up a three-member independent fact-finding mission into Iran's crackdown on protests. The start of executions, which have been condemned by a growing number of countries, has coincided with a slowdown in the protests.

BERLIN, Jan 10 (Reuters) - German carmakers, Tesla, chip producers and battery maker Northvolt met the German chancellor and cabinet ministers on Tuesday to discuss topics from European law on vehicle emissions to energy prices, according to two participants. The annual summit was formerly only for carmakers but was this time dubbed a "mobility" summit, with the broader focus signalled by Northvolt's presence on the guestlist for the first time. Tesla (TSLA.O), was not on the first draft of the guest list shared with participants but was present, according to a participant, alongside German carmakers Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE), BMW (BMWG.DE), Mercedes-Benz (MBGn.DE) and Opel. Associations, including cyclist club ADFC and rail association "Allianz pro Schiene", criticised the summit as still too car-focused. German chancellor Olaf Scholz, Economy Minister Robert Habeck, Transport Minister Volker Wissing and Labour Minister Hubertus Heil were among those present from the government, the other participant said.

☆ Germany tells Musk it expects Twitter to fight disinformation
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Germany's digital minister recently met Elon Musk to clarify what Berlin expects from Twitter, especially in fighting disinformation, since the Tesla founder took over the social media firm, the digital ministry said on Friday. Digital and Transport Minister Volker Wissing, who was in California at the start of 2023, told Musk that Germany expects Twitter to voluntarily comply with commitments to fight disinformation, a spokesperson for the ministry said. Wissing also told Musk he expects Twitter to adhere in future to the Digital Services Act, agreed by the European Union's 27 member states and lawmakers in April 2022, which requires online platforms to do more to police the internet for illegal content. "There was a very open and long talk," the spokesperson said in a statement, adding that Musk made reassurances to Wissing. The German government will continue to critically observe the situation at Twitter, added the spokesperson, who would not comment in detail about individual statements by Musk.

☆ 300,000-year-old markings hint at a rare example of Stone Age clothing: huge cave-bear skins
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

300,000-year-old cave markings in Germany suggest Stone Age humans were wearing clothes. Humans skinned huge cave bears to keep warm, per markings on bones analyzed by experts. This phalange, a bone from the paw of a cave bear, suggests that humans skinned cave bears and wore their pelts 300,000 years ago. The findings, published December 23 in the peer-reviewed Journal of Human Evolution, provided some of the earliest evidence of humans wearing clothing. Another sign is that all the cave bear bones and teeth found in the archeological site were from adults, which is "usually considered an indication of hunting," said Verheijen.

☆ German minister reignites coalition row with call to review nuclear exit
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Germany's transport minister called for an expert committee to examine whether the lifespan of the country's nuclear plants should be extended, reopening a row within Chancellor Olaf Scholz's coalition. But Free Democrat Transport Minister Volker Wissing reignited the argument, telling the Frankfurter Allgemeine that the environmental benefits of electric cars would be reduced unless they were charged using nuclear energy, which is emissions-free. Critics of the nuclear exit say it could force Germany to rely more than planned on coal, which is more polluting than gas, during the transition to renewable energy. The Greens strongly oppose revisiting Germany's nuclear exit, which was introduced in response to the 2011 disaster at Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant. Advocates of the policy say an extension would be costly and that more can be achieved by building out renewables.

☆ Elon Musk, 'Chief Twit'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Kenneth Li | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

He solicited the view of the public before restoring banned accounts belonging to former U.S. President Donald Trump and other prominent U.S. election deniers. Most declined to return and work under “hardcore” conditions that entailed sleeping at the office as one employee demonstrated on Twitter. He has floated ideas ranging from building a version of China’s WeChat, a super app that would include everything from shopping to banking to social media. It has always punched above its weight and remains the preferred social media megaphone for world and industry leaders, revolutionaries and the media. Look to Musk to stoke political outrage in 2023 as he backs Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for a 2024 U.S. presidential bid while enticing Trump to start tweeting again.

☆ 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.

☆ Iran's Raisi promises to pursue crackdown on protesters; cleric critical of execution
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Molavi Abdolhamid, a Sunni cleric in the Shi'ite-ruled Islamic Republic, criticized the death sentence, according to his website. Human rights groups said Shekari was tortured and forced to confess. In Geneva, U.N. Human Rights High Commissioner Volker Turk called the execution “very troubling and clearly designed to send a chilling effect to the rest of the protesters." Britain announced sanctions on Friday against 30 people worldwide, including officials from Russia, Iran and Myanmar it deems responsible for human rights abuses or corruption. Molavi Abdolhamid made his critical comments from Zahedan, the capital of restive Sistan-Baluchistan province, home to Iran's Baluch minority who have faced discrimination and repression for decades, according to human rights groups.

☆ Myanmar families plea for help after 7 students sentenced to death
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dec 6 (Reuters) - Relatives of some of the seven Myanmar students sentenced to death by a closed court in the military-ruled country called on Tuesday for global help, as critics slammed the ruling as a new bid by the junta to stamp out dissent. The students, all under 25 years old, were sentenced by a military court for their alleged involvement in a shooting in April that killed a former military officer. They are among more than 130 people put on death row since the military seized power in a coup last year, according to the United Nations. I want to request the world to help us," a sister of one of the students, who asked not to be named, said by telephone. Thein Shwe, the father of another condemned student, was in tears as he called the punishment "unfair".

☆ Elon Musk says there wasn't a single 'breaking point' that made him buy Twitter, but that he feared a rise in online 'groupthink'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk said during a Twitter Space that there was no "breaking point" which made him buy the company. Instead, Musk said that general concerns about free speech online motivated him to purchase Twitter. Musk made his first offer to buy Twitter at $43 billion around three weeks later. "Basically, just, we are traveling the path more and more of suppression of free speech. Musk has previously called himself a "free speech absolutist," but has a track record of silencing his own critics.

☆ German exports fall more than expected as demand cools in Europe, U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"The German export engine is noticeably juddering," said German chambers of commerce and industry (DIHK) trade chief Volker Trier. "High inflation rates and a tight monetary policy in important sales markets are dampening international demand." DIHK said last month Germany's exports were likely to fall 2% next year due to a sluggish global economy, with nearly half of German companies that sell abroad expecting an economic downturn. Also last month, German industrial group Thyssenkrupp (TKAG.DE) warned its sales and profit would "nosedive" next year as high inflation and energy costs are compounded by an expected recession in Europe. A survey published on Thursday showed Germany's manufacturing sector reported continued weaker demand in November but the downturn slowed as signs of fewer material shortages fuelled hopes that cost pressures could also ease.

☆ Elon Musk’s Twitter risks opening floodgates of hate speech and extremism in India
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Yashraj Sharma | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

SRINAGAR, India — For five years, Alt News has fought India’s rise in disinformation tied to Hindu nationalism, with Twitter as one of the main battlefields. All that is now in jeopardy amid the chaos at Twitter since its takeover last month by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk. With 24 million users, India is Twitter’s third-largest market after the United States and Japan, as well as one of its greatest challenges. But more than 90% of Twitter’s 200-odd employees in India were reportedly among the thousands worldwide who have lost their jobs under Musk’s ownership. “Like all companies, Twitter needs to understand the harms associated with its platform and take steps to address them,” he wrote.

CNN —A man is reported to have been killed by security forces in northern Iran during public celebrations by anti-government protesters following the national football team’s defeat against the United States on Tuesday. Norway-based rights group Iran Human Rights (IHR) said Mehran Samak was shot in the head by security personnel when he was out celebrating in Bandar Anzali Tuesday night. Based on existing evidence, he had been shot by a hunting rifle,” Bandar Anzali police chief Colonel Jafar Javanmardi said according to Tasnim. Footage obtained by CNN from pro-reform news outlet IranWire shows Samak's funeral in Bandar Anzali. Several videos were posted on social media Tuesday night showing people in cities across Iran, including in the capital Tehran, celebrating inside their homes and residential buildings after the US defeated Iran 1-0 in the World Cup.

☆ UN Iran expert concerned about death sentences for protesters
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Emma Farge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

GENEVA, Nov 29 (Reuters) - A U.N.-appointed independent expert on Iran voiced concern on Tuesday that the repression of protesters was intensifying, with authorities launching a "campaign" of sentencing them to death. "I'm afraid that the Iranian regime will react violently to the Human Rights Council resolution and this may trigger more violence and repression on their part," Javaid Rehman told Reuters, referring to a UN Human Rights Council vote to establish a probe into the crackdown last week. "Now (authorities) have started a campaign of sentencing (protesters) to death," he added, saying he expected more to be sentenced. The U.N. human rights office confirmed in an email that one of those indicted for "corruption on earth for publication of lies on a large scale" was famous Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi, citing a judicial official. Its judiciary chief last month ordered judges to issue tough sentences for the "main elements of riots".

But a new U.S. law offering hefty subsidies to local manufacturers of green technology has given the company pause for thought. That is roughly four times what the German government is offering, he said, with cheaper energy prices in the United States on top. The act introduces tax credits related to investment in green technology, plus tax breaks for consumers buying an electric vehicle or other green product made in North America. German carmakers and suppliers, for which the United States is a main export market, are among its biggest victims. "If we don't do anything, a lot will emerge in the United States," said Siemens Energy (ENR1n.DE) Chief Executive Christian Bruch.

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