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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.

“There’s discrimination everywhere you go,” replied Adams, who was born in Wappingers Falls, New York. “One thing that I’ve learned, especially from living abroad in the past years and having to fit in in different cultures and kind of assimilate into different cultures, is that in the US, we’re continuing to make progress every single day. “So, I had a little bit of different cultures, and I was very easily able to assimilate in different cultures. A now-deleted graphic of the Group B standings posted on Saturday displayed the Iranian flag only bearing its green, white and red colors. A US soccer federation screenshot displaying Iran's national flag on social media without the emblem of the Islamic Republic.

☆ Iran rejects U.N. investigation into protests - spokesperson
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Elwely Elwelly | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DUBAI, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Iran will reject a newly-appointed independent U.N. investigation into the country's repression of anti-government protests, the foreign ministry said on Monday, as demonstrations showed no sign of abating. "Iran will have no cooperation with the political committee formed by the U.N. Rights Council," ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said. The U.N. Rights Council voted on Thursday to appoint a probe into Iran's deadly crackdown on protests. Iran has proof that Western nations were involved in protests that have swept the country, Kanaani said on Monday. He did not say whether that figure also included deaths among other security forces such as the Revolutionary Guards.

CNN —Iran state media has called for the US to be kicked out of the 2022 World Cup after the United States Soccer Federation changed Iran’s flag on its social media platforms to show support for protesters in Iran. A now-deleted graphic of the Group B standings posted on Saturday displayed the Iranian flag only bearing its green, white and red colors. “We have the main flag on our website and other places.” The emblem is currently back on the flag on US Soccer’s social media channels. A US soccer federation screenshot displaying Iran's national flag on social media without the emblem of the Islamic Republic. “No matter how much I can respect what you did inside the pitch, those remarks about Iran Culture, Iran National Team and my Players are a disgrace to Football.

☆ Iran beats 10-man Wales to keep World Cup qualification hopes alive
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Aimee Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Two late goals secured Iran a sensational 2-0 win against Wales to maintain its hopes of qualifying for the World Cup knockout stages. Clive Brunskill/Getty ImagesAfter the heavy 6-2 defeat by England, Iran played much better in its second match. Elsewhere, World Cup host Qatar is on the brink of exiting the tournament after a second successive loss, losing 3-1 to Senegal. Qatar was much improved from its opening day loss to Ecuador, but it was overpowered by a Senegal team that finally arrived at the World Cup. The game ended in sombre fashion for the host team as thousands of Qataris headed towards to the exits after the third Senegal goal, their hopes of a fairy tale World Cup all but vanished.

☆ UN rights boss says Russian strikes plunge millions into hardship
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

GENEVA, Nov 25 (Reuters) - The U.N. human rights chief said on Thursday that Russian strikes on critical infrastructure in Ukraine since October had killed at least 77 civilians and were plunging millions of people into extreme hardship. Much of the country remained without heat or power after the most devastating Russian air strikes on its energy grid so far. Since early October, Russia has launched missiles roughly once a week in a bid to destroy the Ukrainian power grid. "Millions are being plunged into extreme hardship and appalling conditions of life by these strikes," said Volker Turk in a statement. The U.N.'s monitoring team has said that both Russia and Ukraine have tortured prisoners of war.

☆ U.N. condemns Iran's crackdown on protests, establishes probe into alleged abuses
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

The U.N. Human Rights Council voted Thursday to condemn the bloody crackdown on peaceful protests in Iran and create an independent fact-finding mission to investigate alleged abuses, particularly those committed against women and children. Thursday’s session in Geneva is the latest international effort to put pressure on Iran over its crackdown, which has already drawn international sanctions and other measures. “The only answer we received was more violence, more death.”Protesters wave Iranian pre-Islamic revolution flags in front of the United Nations headquarters in Geneva on Thursday. The U.N. human rights chief, Volker Türk, expressed concerns that Iran’s government has not been listening to the world community. The council will now set up a “fact-finding mission” to investigate rights violations “especially with respect to women and children” linked to the protests that erupted on Sept. 16.

☆ U.N. rights council votes to probe Iran's ongoing crackdown
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERSGENEVA/DUBAI, Nov 24 (Reuters) - The U.N. Rights Council voted on Thursday to appoint an independent investigation into Iran's deadly repression of protests, passing the motion to cheers of activists amid an intensifying crackdown in Kurdish areas over recent days. Tehran's representative at the Geneva meeting Khadijeh Karimi earlier accused Western states of using the council to target Iran, a move she called "appalling and disgraceful". CRACKDOWNThe crackdown has been particularly intense in Kurdish areas, located in western Iran, with the U.N. rights monitor this week noting reports of 40 deaths there over the past week. Iranian authorities have arrested a number of soccer players for expressing their support for protests. Asked on Thursday about the unrest at home Iran national team striker Mehdi Taremi said they were in Qatar to play soccer.

☆ UN rights chief: full-fledged crisis underway in Iran
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

GENEVA, Nov 24 (Reuters) - The U.N. human rights chief on Thursday made a strong appeal to Iranian authorities to stop their "unnecessary and disproportionate" use of force against protesters in Iran in a speech to the Human Rights Council on the ongoing crisis. The meeting is seen as a key test of the West's clout within the council following a thwarted attempt to create greater scrutiny of China's human rights record last month. Newly appointed United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk gives a statement during a news conference at Palais Wilson in Geneva, Switzerland November 2, 2022. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse"We are now in a full-fledged human rights crisis," High Commissioner of Human Rights Volker Turk said in his first address to the council since starting last month. Reporting by Emma Farge; Editing by Maria Sheahan and Miranda MurrayOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Iran official says 50 police killed in protests
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

DUBAI, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Around 50 police have been killed in the protests shaking Iran since September, the deputy foreign minister said on Thursday, giving a first official death toll amid an intensified crackdown on Kurdish areas in recent days. U.N. rights chief Volker Turk said on Thursday Iran faced a "full fledged human rights crisis" with 14,000 people arrested so far, including children. "Around 50 police officers were killed during the protests and hundreds were injured," said Iran's deputy foreign minister Ali Bagheri Kani, who is also Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, in an interview on Indian television. He gave no figure for the number of protesters killed but said the Interior Ministry had formed a panel to investigate the deaths. Iranian state media reported last month that 46 security forces had been killed but without citing officials.

☆ Iran expands uranium enrichment at underground nuclear site amid violent crackdown on protesters
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Dan De Luce | Dan De Luce Is A Reporter For The Nbc News Investigative Unit. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Iran has started expanding uranium enrichment to 60 percent purity at an underground site in Fordow days after foreign governments accused Tehran of failing to cooperate with a U.N. investigation into its past nuclear work. Iran last year already embarked on enrichment up to 60 percent elsewhere at an above ground site in Natanz. The 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, was designed to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. It imposed limits on Iran’s nuclear program in return for an easing of U.S. and international sanctions on Iran. As Iran defied the provisions of the 2015 nuclear deal, it faced renewed international criticism over its response to a wave of anti-regime protests that erupted in September.

☆ Iran situation 'critical' with more than 300 killed -UN rights chief
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Emma Farge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

GENEVA, Nov 22 (Reuters) - The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Tuesday that the situation in Iran was "critical", describing a hardening of the authorities' response to protests that have resulted in more than 300 deaths in the past two months. "The rising number of deaths from protests in Iran, including those of two children at the weekend, and the hardening of the response by security forces, underline the critical situation in the country," said a spokesperson for U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk at a Geneva news briefing. Later this week, the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva will hold a debate on the protests expected to be attended by diplomats as well as witnesses and victims. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said that more than 300 people had been killed so far, including more than 40 children. Iranian state media said last month that more than 46 security forces, including police, had been killed in the protests.

☆ German industry calls for more support to diversify beyond China
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, Nov 21 (Reuters) - One of Germany's main industry lobby groups called on Monday for more support for industry to diversify trade beyond China, as the government prepares new policies aimed at reducing the German economy's dependence on Beijing. Planned measures such as stress tests and greater scrutiny on investments in China, outlined in a draft document seen by Reuters, would be an administrative burden for businesses, the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) said. "Everything we have heard so far about the German government's China strategy is extremely defensive," said Volker Treier, head of foreign trade at DIHK. "We need an active and resilient industrial policy and strategy in Europe with regards to raw materials, batteries or semiconductors." Reporting by Victoria Waldersee, Andreas Rinke, Ludwig Burger Editing by Rachel More and Peter GraffOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Our best photos from day one of the World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Jeremy Schultz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Flat soccer balls filled with sand and a total of 20,000 candles set up by artist Volker-Johannes Trieb are seen at stadium Struenkede Castle during the opening game of the 2022 FIFA World Cup to commemorate what the event organizers say are deaths...moreFlat soccer balls filled with sand and a total of 20,000 candles set up by artist Volker-Johannes Trieb are seen at stadium Struenkede Castle during the opening game of the 2022 FIFA World Cup to commemorate what the event organizers say are deaths of thousands of workers who lost their lives to build the stadiums for the tournament in Qatar, a claim disputed by Qatar, in Herne, Germany. REUTERS/Thilo SchmuelgenClose

Few causes have united the country like this summer’s multistate effort to kill spotted lanternflies, the colorful invasive insects that have wreaked havoc in at least 14 states. Now, as adult lanternflies begin to perish during the winter, experts say those efforts might have curbed the species’ spread to some degree. Anne Johnson, a doctoral student studying the spotted lanternfly in Hoover’s lab at Penn State, believes the viral trends can make a difference. Spotted lanternflies are native to China, where they don’t often become a pest. “We’ll always have to deal with spotted lanternfly,” Johnson said.

☆ Dominican Republic steps up Haitian deportations, raising tensions
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 16 (Reuters) - The Dominican Republic is stepping up deportations of Haitians and is creating a police unit focused on foreigners, fueling tensions between the two Caribbean nations whose relations have for decades been marred by migration disputes. "Prime Minister Ariel Henry is very concerned about the mass deportations that are taking place in the Dominican Republic," said Jean-Junior Joseph, a spokesperson for the prime minister's office, in a statement on Wednesday. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk on Nov. 10 called on the Dominican Republic to halt deportations of Haitians, citing violence and systematic human rights violations in their home country. Abinader in comments broadcast by Dominican media described Turk's comments as "unacceptable and irresponsible," saying that the Dominican Republic did not have resources to help more Haitians and adding that authorities would boost deportations. Jean Bonheur Delva, head of the National Migration Office, told local media on Tuesday the figure was around 50,000 in the last three months.

☆ A reckless version of free speech is spreading across America, partly because of unchecked rhetoric by Elon Musk, Kayne West, and Kyrie Irving. We can't be complicit.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Marguerite Ward | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Elon Musk and Ye are among multiple notable figures embracing a misguided notion of free speech. And it's likely to get worse amid a growing, misguided movement for free speech. Twitter CEO Elon Musk, Ye (previously known as Kanye West), and the basketball star Kyrie Irving have become strange bedfellows in a growing fight for so-called free speech. Americans are on the precipice of accepting hate speech as free speech, and nobody is stepping up to say, "This is wrong." Speaking out on social media against unbound free speech, or withholding your business from a company, sends a message to executive board rooms.

[1/5] A demonstrator holds placards as he demands the release of Egyptian-British hunger striker Alaa Abd el-Fattah near the British Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon November 7, 2022. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk called for the immediate release of Abd el-Fattah who he said was "in great danger." Egyptian officials have not responded to Reuters requests for comment on Abd el-Fattah. Abd el-Fattah rose to prominence during Egypt's 2011 popular uprising which led to Egypt's first democratic presidential election. Abd el-Fattah, a software developer from an activist family, was detained in the subsequent crackdown on Islamists, leftists and liberals alike, and has been behind bars for most of the time since then.

☆ Top UN official writes open letter urging Elon Musk to ensure Twitter respects human rights, following criticism of layoffs
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The UN high commissioner for human rights has written an open letter to Elon Musk. He also described the firing of Twitter's human rights team as "not an encouraging start." In the letter, Türk wrote: "I urge you to ensure human rights are central to the management of Twitter under your leadership." The commissioner also criticized Musk's decision to lay off Twitter's human rights staff and most of its ethical AI team, describing it as not "an encouraging start." Türk's open letter laid out six points – most of which concerned free speech – which he described as "fundamental" to maintaining human rights.

☆ U.N. urges Musk to safeguard human rights at Twitter
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Elon Musk photo and Twitter logo are seen through magnifier in this illustration taken November 4, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationGENEVA, Nov 5 (Reuters) - The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, on Saturday issued an open letter to Elon Musk, the new owner of Twitter Inc, urging him to "ensure human rights are central to the management of Twitter". "Twitter is part of a global revolution that has transformed how we communicate," Türk said in the letter. "Respect for our shared human rights should set the guardrails for the platform's use and evolution." "In short, I urge you to ensure human rights are central to the management of Twitter under your leadership," the High Commissioner said.

☆ Egypt faces criticism over crackdown on activists ahead of COP27 climate summit
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Egypt is facing a barrage of criticism over what rights groups say is a crackdown on protests and activists, as it prepares to host the COP27 climate summit starting Sunday. According to rights groups, security forces have been setting up checkpoints on Cairo streets, stopping people and searching their phones to find any content related to the planned protests. The Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms (ECRF), an NGO, said Wednesday that 93 people had been arrested in Egypt in recent days. Then there is a separate public venue where climate exhibitions and events take place throughout the two weeks of the summit. But rights groups said the government’s initiatives amounted to little change.

☆ Trio to lead energy-drinks giant Red Bull after co-founder's death
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

VIENNA, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Energy-drinks giant Red Bull will be headed by a board consisting of three current members of senior management following the death of co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz, his son Mark said in a statement issued by the company on Friday. He said the board would consist of Franz Watzlawick (CEO Beverage Business), Alexander Kirchmayr (CFO), and Oliver Mintzlaff (CEO Corporate Projects and Investments). He added that he had stepped down from his job at the company to focus on managing the 49% stake in Red Bull he inherited from his father. "I do not believe one should be both an employee and a shareholder of the same company. "Moreover, as managing directors of Distribution & Marketing GmbH, which I now own, and which holds 49% of the company shares of Red Bull GmbH, Walter and Volker will be supporting me personally," he added.

☆ UN human rights chief fears pushback on gender issues, cites Iran clampdown
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Cecile Mantovani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

GENEVA, Nov 2 (Reuters) - The new U.N. human rights chief said on Wednesday there was a worrying pushback against progress in easing rights abuses, above all on gender issues, pointing to Iran's violent clampdown on unrest touched off by a woman's death in police custody. Turk, whose predecessor Michelle Bachelet drew criticism in some quarters for appearing soft on some governments when they were backsliding on human rights, also promised to speak out "when we feel our voice can make a difference". He takes charge of the U.N. human rights office at a time of turbulence in Europe over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as well as some of the most widespread unrest in Iran since its 1979 Islamic Revolution. Turk pointed to what he called a pushback on human rights, especially with respect to gender issues, and highlighted to a "strongman mentality" and autocratic tendencies in a number of countries. "And unfortunately, human rights is thrown into the vortex of these dynamics and has become a battlefield which we cannot afford and human beings cannot afford," he said.

☆ Former US ambassador says Putin using a nuke would spell 'the end of the Russian military'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A former US ambassador said Russian use of nukes in Ukraine would "end" Putin's military. Putin recently said he wouldn't use nuclear weapons, following earlier hints that he would. US intelligence learned that senior Russian military leaders recently held discussions over using a tactical nuclear weapons, as The New York Times reported. Russia is estimated to have around 2,000 tactical nuclear weapons amid an even larger stockpile of bigger, strategic nukes. "They also know that there would be a devastating military response against Russian forces if they did it," he said.

The plan envisages a 14-fold increase in the number of charging stations, climbing to 1 million by 2030 from around 70,000 now. It also aims to have 15 million electric vehicles on German roads by 2030 from around 1.5 million now. Other measures in the government's plan include speeding up state approvals to build charging points. The electric vehicle push comes against a backdrop of surging electricity prices, resulting from an energy crisis fuelled by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The electric vehicle plan drew a mixed reaction from industry associations, which have long complained that the government has not kept pace with the rapid expansion of electric vehicles.

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