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Czechs vote for new president in 2-day first round
Deutsche Welle
13 Jan 2023, 21:48
Former Prime Minister Andrej Babis is battling against two other main rivals to replace outspoken veteran Milos Zeman as head of state. The vote is considered likely to go to a runoff at the end of the month.
Polls opened in the Czech Republic on Friday to pick a new president to succeed controversial figure Milos Zeman in the largely ceremonial role.
Opinion polls suggested a tight race between the billionaire and populist ex-prime minister Andrej Babis, former army general Petr Pavel and economics professor Danuse Nerudova, who are the three leading contenders.
One candidate would need to secure more than 50% of the vote to win outright in the two-day first round, which is considered unlikely.
Otherwise, the top two candidates will face off in a second round on January 27-28.
Going into the vote, polls suggested that both Pavel and Nerudova would beat Babis if they faced him in the second round, while opinion polls differed on who was likely to secure the most votes in the first.
The first-round results are expected on Saturday evening.
Who are the main candidates?
A business tycoon and former prime minister, 68-year-old Babis is the country's fifth wealthiest person, according to Forbes magazine.
He told a final presidential TV debate Thursday that his experience as head of the government would help him in the new role.
"Everybody knows me, I will be very active and my advantage is I have experience from all sectors in the government," said Babis, who is the leader of the biggest opposition party in parliament.
However, he was accused by his rivals of presiding over "chaos" during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Petr Pavel, 61, is a former paratrooper who was decorated as a hero of the Serbo-Croatian war during which he helped to free French troops from a war zone.
He went on to be the chief of the Czech general staff and chair of NATO's military committee.
Addressing the same TV debate, Pavel said he would "restore dignity to the presidential office," after incumbent Zeman was accused of repeatedly exploiting constitutional loopholes to increase his influence.
Pavel also complained Friday on Twitter of a cyberattack on campaign websites, blaming Russian hackers for the incident.
Danuse Nerudova, the youngest frontrunner at 44, has a strong focus on social issues and is counting largely on the backing of younger voters.
She said a woman would bring a welcome change to the largely male-dominated world of Czech politics.
"There is a lot of aggression in our society and I think that a woman would bring empathy and more political culture," she said.
Five other candidates trail behind the top three, including two senators, a far-right lawmaker, a former university rector and an entrepreneur.
The center-right government does not have its own candidate but has endorsed Pavel, Nerudova and one other candidate.
What is the role of the Czech president?
The president's role is largely ceremonial, tasked with appointing the government, picking the governor of the central bank and constitutional judges.
The head of state also serves as the top commander of the armed forces.
The next president will be only the fourth since the Czech Republic was founded in 1993 following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The position was first held by Vaclav Havel for a decade after the 1993 break-up of Czechoslovakia. Economist Vaclav Klaus then served the maximum permitted period in the role.
Incumbent Zeman tried to build closer relations with China and Russia for most of his two five-year terms but has distanced himself from Moscow since Russia's invasion of Ukraine
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Several killed in Czech train crash, dozens injured
At least four people were killed when a passenger train collided head on with a freight train in the Czech city of Pardubice, according to rescue services.
Four people died and more than two dozen were injured after a passenger train collided with a freight train late on Wednesday in the Czech city of Pardubice, the regional governor said.
"A head-on collision between a RegioJet train and a freight train claimed several lives and left dozens injured," Martin Netolicky, governor of the Pardubice region,
said on Facebook.
Firefighters, paramedics and doctors, as well as at least one rescue helicopter, have been deployed at the scene of the accident, some 100 kilometers east of Prague.
The country's interior and transport ministers said they were headed to the accident scene, while Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala expressed his "sincere condolences to all the bereaved" in a post on social media platform X.
300 passengers on board, carriage derailed
The fast train, operated by RegioJet, was traveling overnight from Prague to Kosice in eastern Slovakia, the Railway Administration said.
The accident occurred shortly before 23:00 (2100 GMT) near the main train station in Pardubice, Czech TV reported.
As per Fire Rescue Services, over 300 passengers were on board.
Many of the passengers were foreigners, Czech TV said.
Footage on local media showed at least one carriage off the track after the crash.
While passengers were being ushered into buses near the Pardubice main station, Czech TV said.
Transport Minister Martin Kupka said a major track between Prague and the eastern part of the country had to be shut down while authorities investigate the collision.
China ready to ‘forcefully’ stop Taiwan independence: Defence minister
Dong Jun says 'whoever dares to split Taiwan from China will be crushed to pieces and suffer his own destruction'.
Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun has said the country’s military was ready to 'forcefully' stop Taiwan’s independence, in a fiery speech at a Singapore security forum.
Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue conference in Singapore on Sunday, Dong said the self-ruled democracy of Taiwan was the 'core of core issues' for China, but claimed Taiwan's governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was incrementally pursuing separatism and bent on erasing Chinese identity.
China views Taiwan as its own territory and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve unification.
Last month it staged two days of war games around the island after the May 20 inauguration of President William Lai Ching-te. Lai and the DPP say it is up to the people of Taiwan to decide their future. Beijing calls him a 'separatist'.
'Those separatists recently made fanatical statements that show their betrayal of the Chinese nation and their ancestors. They will be nailed to the pillar of shame in history,' Dong said.
'The Chinese People’s Liberation Army has always been an indestructible and powerful force in defence of the unification of the motherland, and it will act resolutely and forcefully at all times to curb the independence of Taiwan and to ensure that it never succeeds in its attempts,' Dong told the forum on Sunday.
'Whoever dares to split Taiwan from China will be crushed to pieces and suffer his own destruction.'
Reacting to the Chinese minister's statements, Taiwan’s government said it deeply regretted the 'provocative and irrational' remarks.
Dong's comments in Singapore followed the first substantive face-to-face talks in 18 months between the defence chiefs of China and the US. Dong and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met for more than an hour at the luxury hotel hosting the forum.
'We have always been open to exchanges and cooperation, but this requires both sides to meet each other halfway,” Dong said. “We believe that we need more exchanges precisely because there are differences between our two militaries.'
After the meeting, Austin said telephone conversations between US and Chinese military commanders would resume 'in the coming months', while Beijing hailed the “stabilising” security relations between the two countries.
President Joe Biden’s administration and China have been stepping up communication to ease friction between the nuclear-armed rivals, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken visiting Beijing and Shanghai last month.
A key focus has been the resumption of military-to-military dialogue, which is seen as critical to preventing flashpoint disputes from spinning out of control.
China scrapped military communications with the US in 2022 in response to then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.
On the South China Sea, which China claims almost entirely and where it has been involved in frequent confrontations with Philippine vessels, Dong warned of 'limits' to Beijing's restraint.
Source: Aljazeera
June 16: Eid in Saudi Arabia
The moon of the month of Zilhaj was sighted in Saudi Arabia in 1445 AH. So next June 16 will be the holy Eid-ul-Adha and June 15 will be the day of Arafah.
Khaleej Times reported this news on Thursday (June 6) night.
According to Saudi Arabia, the report said that the moon of the month of Zilhaj was sighted in Saudi Arabia on Thursday (June 6). Moon was seen by a man from Al Hari. So Thursday June 6 is the last day of Zilhaj and Friday June 7 is the first day of Zilhaj. That is, the first day of Eid-ul-Azha will be Sunday, June 16 (Zilhaj 10).
The Day of Arafah, which marks the day before Eid and is known as the holiest day in Islam, falls on Saturday, June 15 (9 Zilhaj).
For Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, this Eid is one of the most anticipated religious holidays, with most employees allowed a long weekend.
UAE residents will get one day off on the Day of Arafah (9th of Zilhaj) and three days off on Eid ul-Adha (10th to 12th of Zilhaj).
Eid ul-Adha, also known as the Festival of Sacrifice, is marked by special prayers. Muslims usually slaughter goats, sheep, cows or camels to commemorate the faith of Hazrat Ibrahim (as).
WWII bomb at Frankfurt Airport detonated safely
A phosphorus bomb dating back to the Second World War was found by construction workers on the airport's grounds, according to police.
Frankfurt police announced late on Friday that a World War II bomb discovered at Frankfurt Airport had been successfully detonated.
The phosphorus bomb was discovered during construction work around the new Terminal 3.
Airport operator Fraport had warned that flights may be disrupted as a result of the find.
Authorities cited by Germany's DPA news agency said a highway was closed and four runways could not be used while the operation to detonate the bomb was underway.
Fraport said on X, formerly Twitter, that any disruptions were expected to last until 9 p.m. local time (1900 UTC/GMT).
"Check flight status before traveling to the airport and allow extra time for your journey. We also recommend you check in as early as possible for your flight," the post on X said.
Later on Friday, police said the A5 highway had been reopened.
The discovery of unexploded World War II ordnance in German cities is not unusual.
The country experienced heavy bombing from Allied forces during the conflict, and explosive devices are frequently unearthed, especially at construction sites.
Latin American anger grows over China's economic clout
China's growing influence appears to have some drawbacks in Latin America. Beijing has targeted countries such as Guatemala and outraged retailers in Brazil.
It came as a shock to Guatemalan exporters: according to media reports, China had recently banned the import of Guatemalan coffee and other goods.
There was no official explanation. Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo, however, presumed there was a connection to his country's ties with Taiwan. "We will take care of it," Arevalo said.
Apart from Paraguay, Guatemala is now the only Latin American country with diplomatic ties to Taiwan. Beijing regards the island nation as part of the People's Republic of China. In recent years, Honduras and Nicaragua changed sides, turning their backs on Taiwan and seeking rapprochement with Beijing.
Several small conflicts in Latin America
The blockade of Guatemalan goods is one of several minor conflicts beginning to overshadow China's course in Latin America, which has long been oriented toward growth and expansion.
Those conflicts were, however, of a different nature, Vladimir Rouvinski, an associate professor with the Department of Political Studies at Icesi University in Cali, Colombia, told DW.
"In this case, China clearly uses something as leverage, and it does this less against Guatemala, but rather against Taiwan," he said.
In Costa Rica, the government urged one of the managers of state-owned energy supplier ICE to leave the company after some 70 high-ranking employees had visited a party organized by Chinese technology giant Huawei.
Trade unionists were appalled, while ICE's president, Mario Acuna, urged more sensitivity in the face of simultaneous "contracting procedures and various litigations." The conduct of the employees involved could harm "the image of the institution as well as our reputation," he said.
'China has to play by the rules as well'
Relations between Costa Rica and Huawei are strained after President Rodrigo Chaves established the Budapest convention on fighting cybercrime, which China has not signed, as a standard for economic engagement in Costa Rica.
Afterwards, Huawei's chief executive for Latin America criticized Costa Rica's approach as "unprofessional." "This is a message for Beijing: China has to play by the rules as well," Rouvinski told DW.
The Budapest Convention is the first international agreement on crimes committed on the internet. Focus areas are copyright infringements, computer-related fraud and violations of network security.
There are other examples of economic conflicts between China and Latin American countries. One of them involves cheap steel imports from China, which puts Latin American steel producers under a lot of pressure, thus sparking anger.
In Brazil, meanwhile, cheap textiles from China are posing a serious threat to fashion boutiques. Accusations against Chinese companies causing environmental damage with their operations have also sparked debate.
Brazil imposes tariffs on Chinese imports
Brazil is now fighting back against cheap Chinese imports by imposing a 20% tax. This affects goods valued under $50 (€46) which are bought via international shopping websites.
According to Brazilian media, Chinese online retail platform AliExpress was "surprised" by the decision, as the tax would primarily hit the poorest and discourage foreign investment in the country.
In the textile industry, considerable anger has been directed at Chinese suppliers, because conglomerates such as Shein, which don't produce their goods under the same conditions and general framework as small Brazilian firms, are pushing thousands of local companies out of the market. At the grassroots level, there's a growing feeling that China's strategy destroys local trading structures rather than making them profitable.
Who profits from Chinese-Latin American trade?
"Recently, the challenges and risks related to the rise of China as a dominant actor in many economy and technology areas have become more and more apparent in Latin America as well," Christian Hauser, an expert on Latin America at the University of Applied Sciences in Graubünden, Switzerland, told DW.
Various Latin American societies are increasingly feeling that it's predominantly Beijing which has profited from the region's economic relations with China, said Hauser. Therefore, he said, current criticism of China's trade practices could become even more pronounced.
In addition, a foreign policy element often plays a role. "Latin American countries find themselves increasingly entangled in the conflict of geopolitical rivalry between the US and China," added Hauser.
"Against this backdrop, the current tensions between some Central American countries, like Guatemala and Costa Rica, and China are probably only the beginning of more conflict-ridden relations in the future," he said.
Only China's relations with Nicaragua seem untarnished. The country's authoritarian government has banned countless NGOs, including many which championed environmental protection.
According to reports by Nicaraguan media critical of the government, Chinese companies operating in the country have received 13 mining concessions within little more than half a year.
US Defence Secretary visits Cambodia amid concerns over China's influence
US Defence SecretaryLloyd Austin has embarked on a visit to Cambodia to meet with the country's prime minister and defence minister, signalling growing apprehension in Washington over China's expanding influence in the region, CNN reported.
According to CNN, Austin's trip to the Cambodian capital on Tuesday marks his second visit to the Southeast Asian country as Secretary of Defense but is the first time a United States defence chief has travelled to Cambodia specifically to hold a bilateral meeting with his counterpart, Defence Minister Tea Seiha.
The outreach reflects the US' desire to forge a better relationship with Cambodia, defence officials said, particularly as Beijing's influence over the country has only continued to grow in recent years.
"We believe there is potentially an opportunity, with leadership transition in Cambodia, for us to sit down and talk about how our relationship might have a more positive and optimistic path in the future," a senior defence official told reporters, referring to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, who took office last year following his father Hun Sen's nearly four-decade rule. "This isn't a visit that is about significant deliverables and achievements."
However, underlying the diplomatic outreach are palpable concerns regarding China's growing presence at Cambodia's Ream Naval Base. Austin expressed US apprehensions about China's funding and operations at the base, strategically positioned near the South China Sea. Despite Cambodian officials' assertions that the base won't serve as a foreign naval facility, China's deployment of warships in December raised alarm bells in Washington.
China's assertive claims over the vast expanse of the South China Sea have drawn sharp rebukes from the US and its Indo-Pacific allies. Recent incidents, including attacks on Philippine vessels and military drills near Taiwan, underscore Beijing's coercive tactics, fueling US anxieties over the prospect of China establishing a military outpost near crucial waterways, as reported by CNN.
Amidst China and Cambodia's reaffirmed military cooperation, relations between Washington and Phnom Penh have faced strains. Cambodia's cancellation of military exercises with the US in 2017 and the demolition of a US-built facility at Ream in 2020 reflect these tensions. Moreover, the Biden administration's imposition of sanctions on Cambodian individuals last year in response to flawed elections further strained bilateral ties.
Austin's meetings in Phnom Penh aimed to revitalise US-Cambodia defence cooperation, focusing on areas such as disaster assistance, UN peacekeeping, and military education exchanges. The discussions underscored mutual interests in bolstering regional peace and security while navigating the complexities of China's assertive actions in the Indo-Pacific.
Austin's visit to Cambodia concludes a broader Asian tour, during which he attended the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. At this forum, he sounded the alarm on China's coercive activities in the region, emphasizing the importance of deepening ties with key Asian partners to counter Beijing's assertiveness.
In a meeting with China's Defence Minister Dong Jun, Austin underscored the US commitment to maintaining open military channels to mitigate misunderstandings and prevent escalation. However, Dong's subsequent speech, condemning external interference and highlighting Beijing's perceived strength, stood at odds with China's coercive activities across the region, as noted by a senior US official, CNN reported.
Source: Daily Hunt
How China is losing the chip war
As the rivalry between China and the United States over semiconductor intellectual property and manufacturing intensifies, recent studies indicate that the US is gaining a significant lead in the chip war with China. The competition, which has global economic and security implications, has seen the US leveraging strategic investments and sanctions to bolster its position in the semiconductor industry.
A comprehensive report by the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) forecasts a steep increase in the US semiconductor manufacturing capacity. According to the report, the US is on track to more than triple its capacity and control nearly 30% of advanced chipmaking by 2032. By then, the US could be producing 28% of chips below the 10-nanometer level, whereas China is projected to produce only 2%. Currently, neither country has the capability to manufacture these advanced chips.
The CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, which allocated $39 bn to enhance US chip manufacturing capacity, has been a significant factor in this projected growth. The report, titled 'Emerging Resilience in the Semiconductor Supply Chain,' highlights that this investment will start yielding substantial results in the next decade.
A study by Citi Research underscores the urgency of this expansion. The study reveals that despite accounting for 25% of global semiconductor demand, the US only possesses 12% of the world’s semiconductor manufacturing capacity, a sharp decline from 37% in the 1990s. “That has sparked concerns about a threat to national security given China's efforts to gain a significant foothold in this vital industry,” the Must C Citi Research report stated.
In addition to the CHIPS Act, the US has implemented a series of sanctions targeting China’s semiconductor sector. Since 2017, starting with actions against ZTE, the US has tightened export controls on advanced semiconductor production equipment and high-performance computing chips. The US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security further intensified these restrictions in October of last year.
China chip war: Europe, Japan, India strengthen their own semiconductor industry
The global landscape of semiconductor manufacturing is also evolving. The European Union has introduced the European CHIPS Act, while countries like Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, and India have launched various incentive programs to support their chip industries. Japan, for example, aims to attract $64.2 bn in investment to triple its domestically produced chip sales to approximately $96.3 bn by 2030.
India is also making substantial investments. The interim 2024 Union Budgetsaw an increased allocation for the semiconductor and display manufacturing sector by 130% ($83.28 mn). In Feburary, the government approved three new semiconductor manufacturing facilities.
South Korea’s government is supporting an estimated $246 bn in spending on homegrown technology, including a $7.3 bn chip program expected to be announced soon.
Despite these global efforts, China is not idly standing by. According to Bloomberg, China has more semiconductor plants under construction than any other country and has committed over $142 bn in government incentives to build its domestic semiconductor industry. However, John Neuffer, president and CEO of SIA, noted, 'China seems to be putting a lot more energy into the so-called legacy chips.'
Chris Danely, Head of Technology & Communications Research and US Semiconductors Analyst at Citi, commented on the geopolitical implications, stating, 'As China pursues self-reliance in semiconductor manufacturing, the US and its allies are seeking to blunt China's impact via sanctions and subsidies such as the CHIPS Act. While we believe China will have success in semiconductors and slow the growth of non-Chinese makers, we also envision increased equipment spending from subsidies.'
Danely commented further that higher costs might prevent the CHIPS Act from 'doing much to bring leading-edge manufacturing back to the US.'
Source: The Atlantic
