EIB signs €100 million (DKK 745 million) loan with Novozymes A/S to further support its research, development and innovation activities regarding biological solutions
The research focuses on biological solutions that can have a positive climate impact, such as in industrial, household and agrifood applications
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a €100 million (DKK 745 million) loan with Novozymes, the Danish-based world leader in biological solutions. The financing will support the company’s R&D investment plans for the coming years, and will mainly benefit R&D activities for discovering and producing enzymes that can be used in both industrial and home activities, reducing the need for traditional chemical products.
Demand for biological solutions is growing due to their potential for replacing less environmentally-friendly chemicals or more energy-intensive processes. They can, for example, be used to wash clothing at lower temperatures, thus saving energy, or reduce CO2 emissions in agriculture by adding enzymes to animal feed.
EIB Vice-President Christian Kettel Thomsen stated: “The EIB and Novozymes go back a long way, and we’re glad to continue our support. By bringing down the climate impact of everyday things, the enzymes that Novozymes researches can open the door to new, more climate friendly ways of going about our lives, something that the EIB – as the EU’s climate bank – supports wholeheartedly. Denmark can be proud of having such a world-leading company, and safeguarding this kind of in-house EU-knowledge is very important for us.”
The research, development and innovation activities supported under this financing will be carried out at Novozymes’ R&D facilities in Bagsværd and Lyngby in Denmark. Since 2004, the European Investment Bank has made available €740 million to support Novozymes’ research and development activities and the previous loan was signed in early 2019.
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Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman has fulminated against the European Parliament for failing to adopt resolutions in condemnation of Washington’s economic sanctions against Iran and Europe’s breach of commitments under the Iran nuclear deal.
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<!-- content -->Saeed Khatibzadeh said European lawmakers do not care about human rights violations.
“We believe the European Parliament should have shown earlier that it really cares about human rights. I don’t remember any of the resolutions ever adopted by the European Parliament has condemned the impudent and foul-mouthed US regime for violating the basic principles of human rights, adopting the ‘maximum pressure’ policy against Iranian people and waging an economic war [against Iran.],” he said.
“I don’t remember the European Parliament has ever adopted a resolution which has urged the European governments not to violate the JCPOA under the US pressure and not to get on board with the Trump and not to contribute to efforts that block the path of transfer of medicines and raw materials to Iran,” the spokesman noted.
He said many patients in Iran are suffering due to the United States’ sanctions. “I don’t remember the European Parliament ever adopted a resolution to condemn the US move to prevent the transfer of drugs made by major pharmaceutical companies of Sweden and other countries and needed by ‘butterfly’ patients (those suffering from epidermolysis bullosa (EB)) and cancer patients in Iran,” he explained.
The spokesman urged European legislators to correct their approach and stop being hypocritical. “Unfortunately, the European sides, especially the European Parliament, have a very dark record. I ask them to set aside hypocrisy and see for themselves which of their responsibilities they have fulfilled,” he noted.
“Adoption of selective resolutions, support for intelligence campaigns against Iran and, accordingly, the adoption of such resolutions are not only not acceptable, but strongly condemned,” he said.
COMMENT |Many years ago, I spoke to Baru Bian, then of PKR, about the role of his religion, Christianity, in his “perjuangan” (mission). I recalled him saying that the Bible taught that its followers should stand up for justice in society, and that is why he decided to help fight court cases where lands of Sarawak natives were being grabbed by powerful politicians and business tycoons (including “Christian” ones from Sibu).
That later naturally led him to politics. After all, if the laws drawn up by those in power favour the strong over the weak, then perhaps we should try to change those laws. However, I remember him telling me back then that his own church was not very comfortable with such advocacy.
There are different views about if, and how much, Christians should be involved in politics. Should they vote? Obviously, yes. How about speaking up for a better country and standing for elections? Some believe that Christians should detach from this world and just focus on “spiritual” matters, such as prayer and preaching, especially since politics is seen as “dirty”. But does that mean that politics should be surrendered to the bad apples?
Baru Bian’s betrayal of the voters’ mandate during the Sheraton Move has, for me, sullied his reputation, though he salvaged matters with a dramatic, last-minute U-turn. However, there were several other “Christian” politicians who had no qualms about being political frogs.
On the other hand, I have utmost respect for DAP leader Hannah Yeoh, in stating clearly that “God wants to reclaim politics and public service in Malaysia” and that Christians can, indeed should, make a positive contribution in this country.
There are some who moan that they have “lost hope” in the country and no longer “feel like voting”. My answer is always, “Sure, not everyone in Pakatan Harapan is good, but have you lost hope in sincere politicians like…
WEIBERN, Austria: As Katharina and Reinhard Bauer show off cosseted turkey chicks they highlight standards that they – and the Austrian government – would like the rest of the EU to adopt as well.
“On our farm the birds have lots of space,” Katharina explains on the organic farm the pair run together in Weibern, northern Austria.
They stress how delicate the business of raising turkey chicks is given their fragile state immediately after hatching.
According to Reinhard they’re “very sensitive, curious and affectionate”.
The couple says the birds, brought to Europe from the Americas by Spanish colonists in the 16th century, must be raised in an environment as close to nature as possible to be fit for Christmas tables.
It’s a view shared by the Austrian government, which is aiming to get EU partners on board in raising standards for turkey farming across the bloc.
Agriculture Minister Elisabeth Koestinger recently boasted that “the ‘World Animal Protection’ organisation has put Austria in first place in its animal welfare rankings, in comparison with 50 countries worldwide”.
In November Green Austrian MEP Sarah Wiener launched a petition, backed by the government, calling for sector regulations at the European level in line with Austrian practices.
Turkey breeder Reinhard Bauer describes the chicks as “very sensitive, curious and affectionate”. (Photo: AFP/JOE KLAMAR)
After chickens and pigs, turkeys are the third most commonly reared animal in the EU, with around 190 million slaughtered annually.
But while the 27-member bloc has set rules and minimum standards for raising chickens and pigs, there is no such set of requirements for turkeys.
Austria’s roughly 120 turkey farms are by and large organised on a more human scale than larger operations found in Germany, Poland or Hungary.
Mostly family-run, Austria’s farms are subject to regular inspections and usually contain no more than 6,000 birds.
With an average of two adult males per square metre, the density they are raised in is the lowest in Europe.
Even on farms with comparatively lower standards, chicks can move freely in daylight and enjoy beds of straw or wood shavings.
Those on farms on the next higher rung have winter gardens, and on organic farms they are raised in the open air.
Better conditions come at a price, however.
An average package of Austrian turkey costs €14 (US$17), as opposed to €8 for imported equivalents.
As a result, domestic turkey only represents 40 per cent of total sales in Austria.
“I would be in favour of all of Europe seeing to it that animals have good conditions,” Katharina says as she gazes at her chirruping chicks.
And the push for higher standards has been taken on by some distributors too.
A few months ago, a major supermarket chain said it would only sell meat raised and slaughtered within Austria.
It set a flat price of €10 per turkey breast, without cutting what it paid farmers.
Austrian turkey breeders and government officials would like their standards adopted across the European Union. (Photo: AFP/JOE KLAMAR)
<p><strong>A FAIR PRICE</strong>
Whether or not the petition pushing for stricter EU regulations succeeds, the conservative-green Austrian coalition government has plans to increase the number of organic turkey producers by subsidising up to 35 per cent of the required investments.
Increasing standards “is the absolute priority for our farmers,” says Georg Strasser from Austria’s Chamber of Agriculture, stressing that animal welfare is a public health concern.
The use of antibiotics on Austrian turkey farms has fallen by 55 per cent between 2011 and 2017, and animal welfare association Vier Pfoten is encouraged by the efforts being made.
“Guaranteeing a fair price for farmers who respect the animals is the key to achieving change,” director Eva Rosenberg says.
The Bauers would not doubt heartily agree – having just upgraded their facilities to provide their flock with supplemental creature comforts.
Josh Packard, executive director of Springtide. Courtesy photo
(RNS) — More than half of teens and young adults who say they are affiliated with an organized religion also say they have little or no trust in organized religion. In other words, they are involved in religious institutions on paper but are disengaged at some level because they don’t trust religious institutions — even the ones they belong to.
And that’s just the roughly 6 in 10 who are still affiliated.
That lack of trust among religiously affiliated teens and young adults is one of many surprises in the “State of Religion and Young People” study released by Springtide Research Institute, which was founded in August 2019. The study surveyed more than 10,000 Americans ages 13 to 25 — the so-called Gen Z generation — about their involvement in, and feelings about, religion.
“They’re checking the box that says they are Jewish or Catholic or whatever, but over half of them are saying, ‘even though I checked the box, I don’t trust organized religion,’” said Josh Packard, a sociologist of religion who is the executive director of Springtide. “This is sort of stunning and not what you would expect from somebody who checked the box.”
More than half of young people who are affiliated with a particular religion don’t trust religious institutions. Springtide Research Institute, 2020
He thinks the study’s findings should complicate, if not make obsolete, the notion that we can use “affiliated” as an easy shorthand for “religious” in America. Other findings in the study bear this out, including that about 1 in 5 Gen Z members who are affiliated with an organized religion also say they are not personally religious.
“The categories that used to be really effective indicators of their faith and spirituality are just not anymore,” Packard said. “You can’t rely on the old metrics like we might have once been able to.”
If the category of “affiliated” no longer lines up perfectly with “active believers,” the category of “unaffiliated” is complicated too.
For example, 60% of teens and young adults who are not involved with an organized religion described themselves as spiritual, and 19% said they attend religious gatherings at least once a month.
One surprising finding was that 60% of young people who are not affiliated with religion said they considered themselves spiritual. Springtide, 2020
In this study of Gen Z, however, the edge among the unaffiliated goes to girls and women, 40% of whom are not involved with an organized religion. This was true of 36% of those who identify as male.
Packard was reluctant to draw definitive conclusions without more data, but he pinpointed many religions’ historical lack of gender equality as a likely factor.
“I would be stunned as a sociologist if it isn’t connected to the greater push that we’ve seen over the last 5 to 10 years for more equality in all facets of life,” he said. And the push may rise over time, as those born in the 1990s and early 2000s have kids of their own and emphasize gender equality at an early age.
Springtide, 2020
For religious leaders and parents who are wringing their hands about how to get young people reengaged in organized religion, Packard worries they’re focusing on the wrong things. Religion has not disappeared; it’s just become more diffuse. What used to happen via programs at churches and synagogues has moved outward into the wider world.
“A declining trust in institutions means the work they used to do falls to others,” the Springtide report suggests. “If the work of meaning making or community building once fell to religious organizations, it is now the domain of groups like Nuns & Nones, The Dinner Party, boutique and garage gyms, or even the workplace. Related to this, with decreased trust in government, a renewed culture of protests, rallies, and petitions has emerged as civilians take social and political matters into their own hands.”
The challenge for religious organizations is to pivot with the times — to stop evaluating their success based on how many young people show up for a pizza party and start establishing small-scale mentoring relationships between committed religious adults and young people who want to have religious conversations.
And there are a lot of these young people, the research shows. They are interested in religious questions but express their beliefs in noninstitutional ways, including everyday moral matters like what they buy. “They’re asking, ‘How am I taking care of the planet with this purchase? Who am I buying it from? Does that company support fair wages? Do they support the causes that I care about?’” Packard said. “These are more than just social justice concerns. Young people talk about these questions in religious language.”
They also respond to “relational authority,” which means authority that is not based on hierarchy or titles so much as a genuine interest in young people as individuals. Four in 5 Gen Z members surveyed said they were likely to take guidance from adults who care about them. The report pinpoints five values that characterize this relational authority: listening, transparency, integrity, care and expertise. (Expertise comes last on the list intentionally, because 65% of young people say an adult’s expertise doesn’t matter unless the adult cares for them. Listening comes first in establishing a genuine, nontransactional relationship.)
Religion outside the box of programs and buildings is a fresh challenge for many religious leaders and teachers, Packard acknowledges. It’s also harder for sociologists to track. “The local chapter of your National Association for Loosely Affiliated People Interested in Vaguely Religious Questions doesn’t meet at Starbucks on a Wednesday,” he joked. But he stresses it’s important to resist the temptation to label teens and young adults.
“This is the most diverse and complex generation that has ever existed,” he said. “Their religious lives are no different.”
Deprived of its usual tourist influx by the pandemic, Bethlehem will celebrate a quiet Christmas this year that is less about commerce and more about religion, says its parish priest.
In a normal year hundreds of thousands of visitors flood the Palestinian city in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, located less than 10 kilometres (six miles) from Jerusalem.
Those seeking a quiet moment of contemplation in the Church of Nativity — the site of Christ’s birth, according to tradition — generally have to use their elbows to manoeuvre through the crowds.
While the lack of visitors has been devastating for business owners, it has also offered a rare opportunity for solemn worship, said Father Rami Asakrieh, Bethlehem’s parish priest.
“Sometimes there are more than half million people who arrive in this period to visit the Nativity Church,” he told AFP.
A Palestinian carpenter carves religious statues and figurines from olive wood at a shop near the Church of the Nativity in the West Bank city of Bethlehem
HAZEM BADER, AFP
But with coronavirus restrictions making travel to Bethlehem all but impossible for foreign worshippers, the Church of the Nativity has been eerily calm in the days before Christmas.
Under the Grotto of the Nativity, the recitation of Armenian prayers by four monks echoed clearly through the basilica deserted of its typical throngs of visitors.
The Christmas Eve mass on Thursday, regarded as the most important annual event at the church, will be closed to the public.
‘Heartache and pain’ –
Not even representatives of the Palestinian Authority will come to Bethlehem on December 24, Asakrieh said.
A Palestinian shop-owner arranges christmas decorations at her shop in the West Bank city of Bethlehem
HAZEM BADER, AFP
“It has never happened before,” he explained, citing only past restrictions during the Palestinian intifadas, or uprisings, against Israel’s occupation.
“I think that this Christmas is different because people are not busy with the external manifestations of the feast,” the priest said, referring to the gift-buying that has, for many, become synonymous with Christmas.
“Now (people) have the time, and they are obligated, to concentrate on the essential… the theological spirit of Christmas,” he said.
“Less business, but more religion.”
In the lead-up to Christmas, the small Chapel of Saint Catherine, adjacent to the Church of the Nativity, was opened to the local Palestinian population.
Many turned out in their Sunday best, including Nicolas al-Zoghbi who said that this year the joyfulnesses of Christmas had been replaced by “depression”.
He recounted the “heartache and pain” felt by those like his son who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic.
“We hope the Lord will destroy corona, just get rid of it so we can return to our previous life,” said Zoghbi, who is in his 70s.
Bethlehem’s economy is driven partly by an annual Christmas rush that benefits small shops selling postcards, rosaries carved from olive tree wood and other Nativity-related souvenirs.
Christians in Gaza –
Sitting outside his Bethlehem store on a plastic chair, Georges Baaboul told AFP he “hadn’t sold anything for nine months”.
“In the last few days I sold about 170 shekels ($52)” worth of goods, he said.
Sixty-year-old trader Saif said he had never seen things this bad through his 60 years in business, including during the intifadas.
In 2020 West Bank tradesmen cannot even count on Christian customers from Gaza
HAZEM BADER, AFP
This year, West Bank tradesmen cannot even count on Christian customers from Gaza, the coastal Palestinian enclave controlled by the Islamist group Hamas that is under Israeli blockade.
Gazan Christians generally receive special permission to cross to Bethlehem for Christmas, but this year those permits have not been issued, said Father Youssef Asaad of the Latin monastery in Gaza.
Hamas has imposed strict measures to limit the spread of the virus in the strip, including the closure of mosques and the Latin Church, but masses are being broadcast online.
Christian Gaza resident Issa Abou George said he could not buy gifts for his children this year, but will participate in services online.
“My family and I will pray to God for the pandemic to end as well as for peace, in the Holy Land and the world,” he told AFP.
Some fifteen (15) youth comprising males and females within the Rose Town Community are set to benefit from the opportunity of honing their skills through a block making training initiative.
The block making training will be facilitated in partnership with the HEART/NSTA Trust and at the end of the training persons will be issued with the requisite certification.
The project is being implemented through the support of the Jamaica Social Investment Fund Poverty Reduction Programme (PRP), which is funded by the European Union to the value of Three Million Jamaican Dollars (J$3,000,000).
The initiative is also supported by the Planning Institute of Jamaica’s Community Renewal Programme.
The announcement was made recently at the launch of the block factory project, attended by the Member of Parliament, Mark Golding, Ambassador Marianne Van Steen – Head of the European Delegation to Jamaica, JSIF’s Managing Director, Omar Sweeney, Representatives of the Planning Institute of Jamaica, Representatives of the Social Development Commission, Members of the Rose Town Benevolent Society and other key stakeholders.
The European Union as the largest grant funding international agency in the Caribbean continues to underscore the importance of supporting community initiatives.
Ambassador Van Steen in addressing the audience posited “The European Union is happy to support these types of initiatives because they impact lives in a meaningful way and contribute to the government’s development goals. These community-based projects allow residents the opportunity to actively participate in deciding what their priorities are and designing initiatives together to achieve them.”
Meanwhile, Managing Director of the Jamaica Social Investment Fund, Omar Sweeney, added that;” this initiative will bolster the ability of the beneficiaries to utilise their skills in a productive way in order to gain employment and generate income opportunities”. He also said that after training, persons will be able to supply their community with the necessary raw materials for building.
For his part, Member of Parliament, Mark Golding, in his address applauded all the key stakeholders for making the initiative a reality. He also urged the community members to work together with the stakeholders in order to ensure a successful completion of the project.
The project will be supervised under the guidance of Errol Jackson, a longstanding community member and President of the Rose Town Benevolent Society.
The National Secular Society has urged the UK’s new envoy on freedom of religion or belief, Fiona Bruce, to take an even-handed rather than selective approach to promoting the principle.
Fiona Bruce was appointed as the prime minister’s special envoy for freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) this week.
The NSS has questioned the wisdom of the appointment.
Bruce is a council member of the Evangelical Alliance council. She chairs the all-party parliamentary pro-life group and has lobbied to limit women’s reproductive rights.
She has voiced opposition to same-sex marriage and assisted dying, and support for daily Christian worship in state schools.
In 2016 she was accused of seeking to exclude non-religious worldviews from religious education when she took over as chair of the all-party parliamentary group on RE.
But she has also raised human rights abuses in countries such as North Korea, Pakistan and Nigeria in parliament.
NSS letter and comment
In a letter to her, the NSS warned that efforts to promote FoRB are impeded when the agenda is manipulated to protect specific beliefs rather than people.
It said the perception of FoRB as a right that protects religious groups and individuals, rather than more broadly as a right that protects both the religious and non-religious, risks disengagement from potential civil society allies.
NSS chief executive Stephen Evans said: “Freedom of religion or belief is fundamental to living in an open, tolerant and diverse society – and we support the government’s agenda of promoting and protecting this right around the world. But in doing so the government must take an even-handed approach.
“It’s vital to recognise that freedom from religion is a necessary corollary to freedom of religion.
“Fiona Bruce has rightly used her platform to raise some significant human rights abuses. But she’s also promoted a false narrative of persecutions of Christians in the UK – and her parliamentary activity indicates a keenness to impose her religious beliefs on others. This isn’t a vision of FoRB the government should promote.
“We hope to work with Ms Bruce and the government to ensure that everyone’s right to freedom of religion or belief is upheld and protected equally.”
Note
Bruce has replaced Rehman Chishti, who resigned from the government in September in opposition to the internal market bill.
Image: Official portrait of Fiona Bruce MP, via parliament.uk [CC BY 3.0]
BRUSSELS: The European Union (EU) on Monday gave conditional approval to the mega merger of car giants Fiat Chrysler (FCA) and Groupe PSA, after the firms promised to address competition fears.
The tie-up, which was announced late last year and planned to be completed in early 2021, will create Stellantis, set to be the world’s fourth-largest automaker in terms of volume, and number three in terms of sales.
The combined company unites brands such as Peugeot, Citroen, Fiat, Chrysler, Jeep, Alfa Romeo and Maserati into a global giant, each of which will continue under its own marque.
The European Commission said the decision to approve the deal came after it had carried out an “in-depth investigation” over concerns it might stifle competition.
“The approval is conditional on full compliance with a commitments package offered by the companies,” the commission said in a statement.
Brussels was worried the merger could effect Europe‘s lucrative market for vans, which are technically easy to manufacture but sell at good prices.
To assuage those concerns, the commission said PSA would continue an agreement with Toyota to manufacture vans to be sold under the Japanese brand in Europe.
The statement said that the new firm would also facilitate access for competitors to its van repair and maintenance networks.
“We can approve the merger of Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot SA because their commitments will facilitate entry and expansion in the market for small commercial vans,” EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager said.
“In the other markets where the two automotive manufacturers are currently active, competition will remain vibrant after the merger.”
Italian-American FCA and France’s PSA said they “warmly welcomed” the decision by the European authorities.
The merger must still be approved by shareholders at a meeting on January 4, the companies said, with the aim of finalising it by the end of the first quarter.
The tie-up is seen as crucial for the two groups in light of heavy investments that must be made in electric cars as the global car market undergoes a major shift.
Massive global disruptions caused by the coronavirus this year had at one stage cast doubt over the merger as automakers saw sales and share prices slump.
Fiat Chrysler in October said it returned to profit in the third quarter, doing better than expected as the market recovered from the steep downturn.
PSA reported its sales had stabilised over the same period, after a plunge of almost 35% in the first half of the year. – AFP
Fiona Bruce has been appointed as the UK Government’s new Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB).
Bruce, a committed Christian, said the plight of young Christian girls like Leah Sharibu, kidnapped by militants in Nigeria, and Maira Shahbaz, forced into a marriage in Pakistan, would be priorities for her.
Welcoming the news on Twitter, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: “Fiona Bruce is a champion for freedoms here and abroad.
“I look forward to working with her as the UK’s Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief to make sure everyone, everywhere is free to have and practise a faith, belief, or not, in accordance with their conscience.”
She succeeds Rehman Chisti who resigned earlier this year after the Government suggested it would break international law over Brexit.
Bruce said she was “honoured” by the appointment.
“There is much to do, and my post will be placed at the service of some of the most vulnerable people across the world, people like young girls Leah Sharibu from Nigeria and Maira Shahbaz from Pakistan, both brutally abducted from their homes and whose plights I was able to highlight recently in the House of Commons,” she said.
“This appointment comes in the light of continuing large scale horrors taking place – such as those against Uighur Muslims in China, Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar and Yazidis in Iraq and at a time when, as the late and much respected former Chief Rabbi, Jonathan Sacks stated, ‘the persecution of Christians throughout much of the Middle East, sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, and elsewhere, is one of the crimes against humanity of our time.’
“These are some of the most deeply concerning issues of our generation, on which it will be a privilege to engage as Special Envoy, both nationally and internationally, with others similarly concerned.”
Her appointment has been welcomed by CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas, who said: “This appointment is wonderful news for all who work on freedom of religion or belief.
“Fiona Bruce has been unwavering, courageous and outspoken in championing this fundamental right since she became an MP in 2010, and we look forward to continuing to work with her in her new role.
“We would also like to thank Rehman Chisti MP for his work advancing the promotion and protection of freedom of religion or belief worldwide both during and after his time as FoRB envoy.”
Henrietta Blyth, CEO of Open Doors, said the Conversative MP has been a “champion” for minority religious groups.
“We are thrilled that a new special envoy has been appointed,” said Henrietta. “And we are delighted that it is Fiona Bruce – she has been a friend of Open Doors through the years and is a real champion for freedom of religion and belief,” she said.
“Freedom of religion and belief affects all religious groups and it’s great to see that the Government is open to appointing members of all religions to the role.
“Rehman Chishti MP was very energetic in pursuing the recommendations from the Bishop of Truro’s report to support persecuted Christians and we will look forward to continuing our work on this with Fiona.”
Dr David Landrum, the new director of Advocacy and Public Affairs at Open Doors UK & Ireland, said:
“This is a timely and important appointment. Fiona understands that the freedom to convert is at the heart of religious freedom and that religious freedom underpins all our other human rights and civil liberties.
“We look forward to working with Fiona as the UK government affirms its commitment to addressing the persecution of Christians across the world.
“We know that from her extensive campaigning work and her role on the Joint Human Rights Committee Fiona is not only very knowledgeable about the issues facing the persecuted church, but she also has both a heart for religious freedom and a vision to see things change.”
