The Munich prosecutor’s office has ordered the confiscation of property in Germany, which allegedly belongs to a member of the State Duma and his wife, due to EU sanctions. This is the first time such a case has taken place in Germany, the Süddeutsche Zeitung reported.
The MP’s name is on the EU’s February 23 sanctions list and he is a member of the Communist Party. It has not been announced. It is alleged that the Russian and his wife own three apartments in Munich, which until recently were rented out. According to the newspaper, after the imposition of sanctions by Brussels, the couple received a total of 10,000 euros from renting out the property.
The prosecution instituted proceedings on suspicion of violating paragraph 18 of the German Foreign Trade Act or, more simply, the sanctions regime. Such a crime is punishable by imprisonment from three months to five years.
Authorities confiscated the apartments instead of “freezing” them. It is alleged that this was due to the fact that the owner received rent, ie. has made a profit. The publication recalls that the property of Russians subject to sanctions in Europe is usually “frozen” and not confiscated if it does not involve generating income.
A special working group set up by the German government to enforce EU sanctions is currently checking all the information available to regional authorities about Russian property in Germany.
Russian citizens arrested at German airports for exporting luxury goods
At German airports, expensive purchases are confiscated from citizens of the Russian Federation when they try to get a tax deduction for them (Tax free) and they initiate cases of an attempt to illegally import sanctioned goods into Russia. The Moscow Times writes about this (included in the list of blocked resources).
“At the Frankfurt airport, a Furla bag for 500 euros was confiscated from a Muscovite when she tried to stamp the purchase documents at a special point for tax free before departure in order to receive a tax deduction on her account,” the newspaper writes. According to the Russian woman, the officer making the deduction announced the withdrawal of the purchase and the initiation of a case on an attempt to illegally import luxury goods into the Russian Federation.
Experts spoke about several more cases of luxury brands being seized from Russians. So, two similar incidents occurred in Frankfurt and Berlin airport. “We advise Russian clients not to try to get a VAT refund under any circumstances, at the risk of losing not only the purchase, but also the right to enter the EU,” the consultant recommended.
The EU countries, as well as the United States, Canada, Japan and a number of other states have imposed sanctions against Russia because of the Russian special operation in Ukraine. In particular, as part of the fourth package of sanctions, the European Union imposed a ban on the supply of “luxury items” to the Russian Federation, MK.RU reports. The restrictions affected cars worth more than 50 thousand euros, as well as expensive equipment, jewelry, perfumes, bags, precious stones, delicacies and alcohol, RT adds. However, the business of the Russian Federation has already begun to acquire equipment without the consent of the copyright holders as part of parallel imports. The head of the federal antimonopoly service, Maxim Shaskolsky, announced plans to return all imported goods to the country.
Russian business began to purchase equipment as part of parallel imports. This was stated by a representative of one of the trading companies selling equipment and electronics in the Russian Federation.
“Sales of consumer goods that will be imported into the Russian Federation without the consent of the copyright holder may start in June,” the Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov suggested earlier, Izvestia reports. He added that the list of goods for parallel imports was approved on May 6, and it will take about a month for trade to purchase goods. The Minister noted that the import of products without the consent of the copyright holder is allowed until the end of 2022.
At the same time, large retail chains do not risk buying Apple electronics, as there is a risk that gadgets in Russia will not be activated. “Russians can buy Apple equipment in third countries, but they themselves will be responsible for these products,” a source in one of the telecom retailers emphasized. At the same time, representatives of the stores assured that Russian buyers should not have problems finding and buying the right product in Russia – they managed to buy equipment in stores even before the sanctions hit the country.
Earlier, Denis Manturov said that foreign companies did not ask to exclude their goods from the list of parallel imports. At the same time, he noted that the Ministry of Industry and Trade would promptly respond to requests from companies to remove them from the list.
The EU countries, as well as the United States, Canada, Japan and a number of other states have imposed tough sanctions against Russia because of the Russian special operation in Ukraine. Sanctions pressure on Russia has been ongoing since the early 2000s and has escalated in recent months. Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that their goal was to “cancel” Russia, ban its culture and role in major world events: “I am talking about the progressive discrimination of everything connected with Russia, about this trend that is unfolding in a number of Western states – with full connivance, and sometimes with the encouragement of the ruling elites.
According to scientists, the largest registered freshwater fish in the world was caught in Cambodia – a giant stingray, Al Jazeera reports.
Caught on June 13, the stingray measures almost four meters from snout to tail and weighs nearly 300 kg. The previous record for freshwater fish was 293 kg and it was a giant catfish from the Mekong River, discovered in Thailand in 2005.
Named Borami, which means full moon in Khmer, the stingray was captured in northeastern Cambodia. About a dozen men were needed to pull the huge fish ashore. The fisherman who caught Borami, in addition to the honor of catching a record catch, was rewarded with $ 600.
Scientists in the region immediately received information about the catch and were amazed by what they saw. “When you see fish of this size, especially in fresh water, it’s hard to think, so I think our whole team was shocked,” said Zeb Hogan of the Mekong Wonders Foundation.
Freshwater fish are defined as those that spend their entire lives in freshwater, as opposed to giant marine species such as bluefin tuna and marlin, or fish that migrate between fresh and salt water such as sturgeon and beluga.
According to scientists, the discovery of this slope is not just a stunning record, but also a good sign for the legendary Mekong River. It passes through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. The river is home to several species of giant freshwater fish, but the pressure on the environment is increasing. In particular, scientists fear that a major dam-building program in recent years could seriously disrupt spawning grounds.
Only one country on the European continent is in a worse position – Russia
Ukraine is almost the most corrupt country in Europe. At least according to Transparency International’s corruption index. Only one country on the European continent is at a disadvantage in terms of corruption – Russia.
This is a problem that Ukrainians are painfully aware of, says the German “Tageshau”.
“It is not difficult to understand that we have large-scale corruption. The difference between the European Union and Ukraine is that corruption is manifested at almost every level of government – from the most ordinary people to the potential prime minister,” said Maxim, a young man. a man from Kyiv who currently provides drones and aid to the army.
Many of his friends are involved in humanitarian aid. With a special document they are allowed to leave the country for a short period of time.
Recently, Maxim and his friends had an unpleasant experience at the border: “Our friends’ car was stopped at the border. Some of the border guards asked for money to enter. However, the case quickly became clear, Ukrainian police came and arrested the border guards.”
Border guards who want bribes, the sale of humanitarian aid – these are all stories that have spread in Ukraine since the beginning of the war. It is difficult to check. But in a country where corruption has spread to almost every sphere of life, for many people they seem credible.
The fact that police officers are intervening and taking action is already showing improvement.
Anton Marchuk of the Center for Combating Corruption explains: “We are making progress, perhaps not as fast as we would like, but it shows that we are moving in the right direction.”
For example, passports and documents can now be applied for online. Less physical contact with office workers also means fewer opportunities to bribe. The health care system has been reformed so that patients no longer have to pay for a referral. Several anti-corruption institutions have also been established. Critics, however, describe them as ineffective.
“We have the opportunity to do more to bring corruption to the EU average. We can do it, especially now that we have a clear goal that we did not have before. We now have the prospect of becoming an EU member in the future.” Marchuk thinks.
Many European countries are more pessimistic. A report from the Danish Foreign Ministry even accused Kyiv of lacking the will to fight corruption, according to the Zudoyche Zeitung. things have improved in Ukraine over the last eight years.
“Before 2014, it was terrible. On the way from Kyiv to Kharkov, they were always stopped by police and asked for money. This is no longer the case,” said Maxim.
When the mass protests on the Maidan in Kyiv began nine years ago, the fight against corruption was one of the movement’s main demands. Since then, many people have fought a sometimes disappointing battle against the deep-rooted system. But civil society has emerged, ready to take the long road to EU membership.
Ukraine received official candidate status for membership of the European Union after being approved by the bloc’s 27 leaders during a summit in Brussels.
Moldova also received candidate status, while Georgia remained on the waiting list for reforms to ensure the country’s political stability.
European Council President Charles Michel described the decision as a “historic moment”. “Today marks a decisive step on your path to the EU,” he wrote on Twitter.
Michel then congratulated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Moldovan President Maya Sandu, adding: “Our future is together.” Other EU leaders have joined social media to welcome the decision.
Zelensky praised the decision, saying “Ukraine’s future lies within the EU.” He then virtually joined the summit to talk to EU heads of state and government.
Candidate status is largely a symbolic sign recognizing that the chosen country is on track to begin the long, complex and often arduous accession process.
Female circumcision is the partial or complete removal of the external genitalia without the medical need to do so
About 200 million girls and women who now live on planet Earth have undergone the extremely painful procedure of female circumcision, also called infibulation.
Female circumcision is the partial or complete removal of the external genitalia without the medical need to do so. This operation is commonly referred to as “female genital mutilation” and “female genital mutilation.”
The essence of the operation is that the labia majora are sutured in such a way that only a tiny hole remains, through which urine and menstrual blood are difficult to pass.
In this case, the clitoris and the external labia are often completely amputated and the internal – partially. Due to the deep incision made during the operation, a noticeable scar is formed after healing, which actually completely covers the vulva.
It is said that infibulation is the ideal way to preserve a girl’s virginity until marriage, but it is necessary to perform another operation after reaching the age of marriage so that she can have sex.
Some peoples have a custom according to which on the wedding night the husband takes a knife and with it cuts his wife’s crotch and only then has sexual intercourse with her. Once conceived, it is sutured again.
When it is time for the woman to give birth, the vaginal area is cut again so that the baby can come out, and sutured again after birth.
Usually such interventions are extremely painful for women. Because they are all performed without anesthesia, women in labor lose consciousness from pain.
Death from complications is not uncommon. The instruments are not disinfected, hence the risk of tetanus and other infections increases. Sometimes this barbarism leads to infertility.
The causes of female genital mutilation vary by region, change over time, and are a combination of family and community-specific sociocultural factors.
This practice is usually justified by the following most common reasons:
• In areas where such a practice is part of the customs, incentives for its continuation are social pressure and fear of social rejection. In some communities, female genital mutilation is almost mandatory and the need for it is not disputed.
• These surgeries are often considered a necessary part of a girl’s upbringing and a way to prepare for adulthood and marriage.
• Often the motives for performing these operations are views on proper sexual behavior. The purpose of the operations is to ensure the preservation of virginity before marriage.
• In many communities, the practice of genital mutilation in women is believed to help suppress libido and thus help them resist extramarital sex.
• The practice of female genital mutilation is associated with cultural ideals of femininity and modesty, in which girls are clean and beautiful.
• Although religious texts do not speak of such practices, those who perform such operations often believe that religion supports the practice.
In most communities, this practice is considered a cultural tradition, which is often used as an argument for its continuation.
Seafarers // The United Nations has underlined its support for the men and women working at sea, whose immeasurable contributions help to keep global trade moving.
Secretary-General António Guterres highlighted both their critical role, as well as the challenges they face, In his message to mark the Day of the Seafarer on Saturday.
“The world counts on seafarers,” he said.
“Ships transport a remarkable 90 per cent of the world’s commodities — from grains and energy, to consumer goods and much more. Without ships and the women and men who work on them, economies would stall and people would starve.”
However, seafarers have faced immense challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The UN chief listed some of these issues, which include contracts extended long beyond their expiry dates and maximum periods of service, and problems related to vaccinations, medical care and shore leave.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) continues to advocate for seafarers during the pandemic by urging countries to designate them as key workers.
Kitack Lim, the IMO Secretary-General, stated (see PDF below) that without seafarers, there would be no shipping.
Sharing the journey
The theme for this year’s international day celebrates maritime journeys and voyages, providing a chance “to recognize and pay tribute to seafarers everywhere, whatever their voyage”, he said.
As part of an IMO campaign, seafarers from around the globe are using social media to share images and information about what truly resonates with them, whether a positive experience or challenging circumstances.
“Shipping and the call of the oceans, form a way of life,” said Mr. Lim. “It is a meaningful, important career that provides a solid foundation for life and offers endless opportunities to learn and progress.”
A greener future
The international day is also an opportunity to look to the future, and for the UN Secretary-General, this means listening to seafarers.
“They know better than anyone their needs and what this industry needs to do to address key challenges. This includes the expansion of social protection, better working conditions, addressing the crew-change crisis, adopting new digital tools to enhance safety and efficiency, and making this industry greener and more sustainable,” he said.
The UN chief concluded his message by calling for renewed commitment to supporting seafarers everywhere, and honouring their knowledge, professionalism and experience.
At the end of June, 25 years after Madrid last hosted a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit, the Spanish capital will again be the scene of a new chapter in European security. And Europe, for the most part, will have to be the protagonist. Ultimately, the alliance’s coming gathering must help us Europeans step up and assume our responsibilities with regard to our continent’s security. That is the best and most necessary contribution that Europe can make to NATO’s future.
Today’s geopolitical context is very different from that of a quarter-century ago. At its 1997 Madrid summit, NATO invited three former Warsaw Pact countries — the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland — to join. In addition, following the signing that year of the NATO-Russia Founding Act and the subsequent establishment of the NATO-Russia Council, Europe was looking at a future of unprecedented rapprochement with the Kremlin. Now, of course, little of that optimism remains.
NATO has shown itself to be indispensable for Europe’s security and the best guarantee of their national security for a growing number of countries. One of the most important consequences of the war in Ukraine has been Finland and Sweden’s applications to join NATO — two countries with all the credentials to contribute positively to the alliance. Following Danish citizens’ recent decision to join the European Union’s defense policy, the institutions that form the basis of European security are becoming increasingly aligned.
For decades, a false dichotomy between Europeanists and Atlanticists has fueled a sterile and unproductive security debate in Europe. Today, few doubt that Europeans must contribute more to the alliance and European security, and that they should develop the capacity to lead in future security crises. The question, therefore, is how Europe can best contribute to NATO’s mission.
A strong Europe is indispensable for revitalizing the trans-Atlantic security bond. In one of my first meetings as EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, a former British chief of the defense staff pertinently described the direction this relationship should take. “A Europe that remains allied with the United States simply because of its own weakness,” he said, “is of limited value.”
The European response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, after the measures the continent adopted to mitigate the economic consequences of COVID-19, has confirmed that Europe becomes stronger in times of adversity. True, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggression has made it easier for Europe to unite. But its leaders’ ambition is noteworthy, given some of the measures’ economic costs to Europe.
The basis for advancing European defense integration already exists. Progress in the past 20 years in common security and defense policy, the experience of both civil and military EU missions, the work of the European Defense Agency, and the adoption of the Strategic Compass put Europe in a favorable position to confront the challenge.
The willingness of national publics and EU institutions to finance joint projects to strengthen the European defense sector is an essential first step. The German government’s recent policy shift — nearly doubling defense expenditure in 2022, to 100 billion euros ($107 billion) — represents a historic opportunity to finance projects with other European partners.
And Germany is not alone. The war in Ukraine has prompted EU member states to announce unprecedented increases in defense spending totaling 200 billion euros over the next four years. These commitments contrast with Europe’s previous sluggishness in this domain. Over the past 20 years, the percentage increase in EU member states’ combined defense spending was three times less than that of the US, 15 times less than that of Russia, and 30 times less than that of China.
Fortunately, the amount of military expenditure is less important than how it is spent. We must spend better, together, and as Europeans. Joint defense spending is more efficient than national efforts and helps to reinforce Europe’s industrial and technological base. The European Commission’s recent commitment to allocate 500 million euros for joint defense procurement suggests that Europe is headed in the right direction.
Europe currently relies on spending outside its borders for 60% of its military capabilities. More and better defense expenditure must avoid increasing Europe’s dependence on other countries’ arms industries, as this would undermine efforts to achieve greater European strategic autonomy. But while we should encourage investment in an entirely European defense industry, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s proposed European Defense Union must not create new internal dependencies that benefit a few national industries within Europe.
The development of the EU’s common defense policy neither entails dividing responsibilities with regard to European security, nor pretends to substitute the vital function that NATO fulfills. The responsibilities of the organizations that form the basis of the trans-Atlantic security bond will remain the same. What matters is to assume those responsibilities with all our existing capacities.
The American commentator Walter Lippmann said that alliances are like chains: They can’t be strong with weak links. On the eve of NATO’s 2022 Madrid summit, this is the best way to describe the political challenge facing the trans-Atlantic relationship. Only the political will of Europeans and their leaders will be able to strengthen our continent’s security.
Artist’s animation of a rocket booster crashing into the moon.
Astronomers discovered a rocket body heading toward a lunar collision late last year. Impact occurred on March 4, 2022, with NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) later spotting the resulting crater. Surprisingly the crater is actually two craters, an eastern crater (18-meter diameter, about 19.5 yards) superimposed on a western crater (16-meter diameter, about 17.5 yards).
This animated GIF confirms the location of the newly formed rocket body double crater. The before image is LRO’s view from Feb. 28, 2022 (M1400727806L). The after image is from May 21, 2022 (M1407760984R). The width of the frame is 367 meters, about 401 yards. Credit: NASA/Goddard/Arizona State University
The double crater was unexpected and may indicate that the rocket body had large masses at each end. Typically a spent rocket has mass concentrated at the motor end; the rest of the rocket stage mainly consists of an empty fuel tank. Since the origin of the rocket body remains uncertain, the double nature of the crater may indicate its identity.
A rocket body impacted the Moon on March 4, 2022, near Hertzsprung crater, creating a double crater roughly 28 meters wide in the longest dimension. LROC NAC M1407760984R; image enlarged 3x. Credit: NASA/Goddard/Arizona State University
No other rocket body impacts on the Moon created double craters. The four Apollo SIV-B craters were somewhat irregular in outline (Apollos 13, 14, 15, 17) and were substantially larger (greater than 35 meters, about 38 yards) than each of the double craters. The maximum width (29 meters, about 31.7 yards) of the double crater of the mystery rocket body was near that of the S-IVBs.
These four images show craters formed by impacts of the Apollo SIV-B stages: crater diameters range from 35 to 40 meters (38.2 to 43.7 yards) in the longest dimension. Credit: NASA/Goddard/Arizona State University
NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is a robotic spacecraft currently orbiting the Moon in an eccentric polar mapping orbit. LRO data is essential for planning NASA’s upcoming human and robotic missions to the Moon.
The crater formed (5.226 degrees north, 234.486 degrees east, 1,863 meters elevation) in a complex area where the impact of ejecta from the Orientale basin event overlies the degraded northeast rim of Hertzsprung basin (536 kilometers (333 miles) diameter). The new crater is not visible in this view, but its location is indicated by the white arrow. LROC WAC mosaic, 110 kilometers (68 miles) width. Credit: NASA/Goddard/Arizona State University
LRO is managed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Launched on June 18, 2009, LRO has collected a treasure trove of data with its seven powerful instruments, making an invaluable contribution to our knowledge about the Moon.
Full resolution (100 cm pixels) image centered on the new rocket body impact double crater. NAC M1407760984R, image width 1,100 meters. Credit: NASA/Goddard/Arizona State University
With Artemis, NASA is returning to the Moon with commercial and international partners to expand human presence in space and bring back new knowledge and opportunities.
Emergency lifesaving aid relief continued to flow into quake-hit eastern Afghanistan on Friday, as UN humanitarians and partners rushed to help the most vulnerable communities.
One of the UN teams on the ground, the refugee agency UNHCR, transported tons of relief items into the provinces of Khost and Paktika, where several thousand houses were destroyed or damaged by the 5.9 magnitude quake that struck early on Wednesday.
The latest tally from Thursday evening indicated that at least 1,036 people have been killed and more than 1,643 injured, in the worst earthquake to hit the country in two decades.
“At least 121 of these deaths were children and 67 of those injured were also children,” said Mohamed Ayoya, Representative for the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Afghanistan. “The total number of people killed or injured is not yet confirmed. Verification is ongoing and we expect these numbers [to be] going up in the hours and days to come.”
Critically needed items arriving from the capital, Kabul, include hundreds of tents, thousands of blankets, jerry cans, buckets, plastic sheets, kitchen sets and solar lamps – enough to help 4,200 survivors in Giyan, Bermal, Zerok, and Nika districts in Paktika province, and Spera district in Khost province.
To ensure distribution to the most needy, UNHCR has set up three supply hubs in Giyan, Bermal and Spera districts, so that humanitarian support can be shifted to communities affected by the earthquake. Heavy rains have also swept across the region in recent days, compounding the misery, UNHCR warned.
UNICEF has also dispatched life-saving supplies, including 500 first aid kits, along with treatment for acute watery diarrhoea to help prevent the spread of waterborne diseases.
Much more ‘urgently needed’
“Much more support is urgently needed to avert a humanitarian disaster in the affected areas,” said UNHCR spokesperson Shabia Mantoo, who noted that millions of people in the country face hunger and starvation, after four decades of conflict and instability.
“Already some 24 million Afghans are in need of humanitarian assistance due to the hunger and economic crisis, lack of development aid, and the impact of the changeover in government authorities 10 months ago,” Ms. Mantoo told journalists in Geneva.
Across Afghanistan, some 3.5 million people have been displaced by conflict and violence, and another 1.57 million have had to leave their homes because of climate shocks.
A one-year-old girl rests in an emergency health clinic after being pulled from the rubble of her collapsed home, which was destroyed during the earthquake which struck Paktika Province, Afghanistan.
The CEC Annual Report 2021 titled “Churches Together for Hope” is now available. The report provides an overview of activities carried out by the Conference of European Churches (CEC), highlighting accomplishments and challenges.
The report describes CEC’s work in the context of COVID-19, covering areas such as peace and reconciliation, ecclesiology and mission, dialogue with European Institutions, EU policy and legislation, human rights, care for creation and sustainable development, science, new technologies, education, democracy and diversity, as well as migration and asylum.
In their introduction to the report, CEC President Rev. Christian Krieger and CEC General Secretary Dr Jørgen Skov Sørensen shared how despite pandemic-related restrictions and organisational challenges, CEC managed to navigate unpredictable circumstances, adapting to a situation beyond control. “This was possible through CEC’s dedicated staff, committed Member Churches, National Councils of Churches and Organisations in Partnership.”
“CEC moved towards new directions in 2021. Several years of organisational scrutiny and analysis brought the CEC Governing Board to decide on working towards a better profiled, and not least, more focused organisation, by the end of 2021.”
“As we read about CEC’s journey in 2021, learning about its accomplishments and challenges, let us hold on to a resilient hope, as we move into our common future,” they added.
