BOGOTA – Tens of thousands of Colombians marched to reject economic and social reforms being proposed by the leftist government of President Gustavo Petro, the latest in a series of demonstrations against Petro’s policies. The reforms, which Petro says will fight deep inequality but which opponents say will damage the country’s alreadystruggling economy, were key campaign promises for the 64-year-old leader, who took office in 2022. Despite gray skies and rain, some 70,000 people marched in Bogota, the capital, according to city government estimates, chanting “out with Petro,” waving national flags and blowing on trumpets before gathering in the central Bolivar Square. The march comes after a Senate committee earlier this month rejected a proposed health reform aimed at stripping power from insurers and expanding access to healthcare, as the government took control of two major insurers it said had failed to correctly care for patients. The government is expected to propose a new version of the health reform once the new legislative session begins in July. Pension and labor reforms are still being debated by lawmakers. “This government’s policies are dire. The health system, despite its flaws, was working and now Petro is putting an end to it by plunging patients who have no healthcare or medicine into a crisis,” said Monica Leon, a 45-year-old doctor. Accountant Miguel Angel Larrota, 52, said he was protesting against bad governance and demanding that Petro “not destroy what works and put an end to the corruption he promised to fight.” Paloma Valencia, a senator from the opposition Democratic Center, a conservative political party founded by former President Alvaro Uribe, said the march was bringing together not only opponents but people who voted for Petro two years ago. People also took to the streets in the city of Medellin and in Cali, near the Pacific coast. Marches have also previously taken place in support of Petro’s reforms. (Reuters)…[+]
english news
Massive flooding hits China’s Guangdong
GUANGZHOU – A total of 38 hydrological stations at 24 rivers in south China’s Guangdong Province have reported water levels surpassing the alert threshold as of 4 p.m. last Sunday, according to the provincial department of water resources. The lower reaches of the Beijiang River were expected to experience big floods caused by the heavy and continuous downpours. The provincial disaster reduction committee has initiated a Level IV emergency response to tackle the floods that hit the cities of Shaoguan and Qingyuan in Guangdong. Rescue efforts are also underway. A total of 652 people have been relocated and properly resettled in the Longgui Township in Shaoguan, according to the local officials. Over 200 sanitation workers were deployed to promptly clear the streets of mud and fallen trees, and to dredge waterways and drains. The Guangdong provincial meteorological observatory forecasted frequent precipitation in Guangdong Province over the next week. (Xinhua)…[+]
Two Palestinians shot dead as Israel continues deadly raids in West Bank
OCCUPIED WEST BANK – Two Palestinians have been shot and killed by the Israeli forces as raids have been carried out in several locations, including Hebron, Nablus and Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, according to Wafa news agency.
Quoting two Palestinian security sources, Wafa reported that the men succumbed to their wounds after they were fired on.
The Israeli military said the two men attempted to stab and shoot troops near the village.
“One of the terrorists attempted to stab [Israeli army] soldiers that were in the area, who responded with live fire and neutralised him,” the military said in a statement yesterday.
“At the same time, the other terrorist opened fire at the soldiers,” the army said, adding he too was “neutralised”.
Yesterday’s raids come after at least 14 people were killed in three days of incursions on Nur Shams refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said late last Saturday their crews had “evacuated 14 martyrs from Nur Shams camp to the hospital”. The Israeli army said troops had killed 10 “fighters” during the operation, which it said started on Thursday.
Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut said yesterday that there were at least five active raids across the territory, primarily focusing on the Nablus, Hebron and Ramallah areas.
“At least one Palestinian has been arrested in Nablus. In Hebron, in the village of Beit Ummar, Israeli forces are invading one of the homes, reportedly looking for someone,” she said from the occupied East Jerusalem.
According to Wafa, at least four people were arrested in Hebron.
Since early last year, Israel has intensified raids in the occupied West Bank, which were accelerated after Israel launched its war on Gaza on October 7. At least 482 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli forces or settlers since the war began. More than 34,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have been killed in Israeli attacks in the past six months.
Earlier, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said it had confirmed 11 injured in the Israeli raid, seven of them “wounded by live gunshots”. Among them was a paramedic shot while trying to get to the wounded, it added.
Medics had been alerted to “a number of killed and injured” inside the camp, but the army was “denying them access to tend to the wounded”, the ministry said.
Moreover, residents contacted by the AFP news agency on Saturday said there was no electricity in the camp and food was running short, but nobody was being allowed to enter or leave.
Minister Muayad Shaaban, head of the Palestinian Colonisation and Wall Resistance Commission, said residents were suffering from the “destruction of homes, shops, the electricity grid, the sewerage, the water network and infrastructure”.
Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim reporting from Tulkarem early yesterday witnessed first responders attempting to fix the electricity and water lines amid damage at an unprecedented scale.
“People here say even during the second Intifada in the early 2000’s, this is even worse when compared to that,” Ibrahim said.
“We’ve seen some burn (signs) in some of the homes but we’re told more and more homes have been burned up. The feeling here is that what is happening here was a targeted demolition, a targeted damaging…Wherever you go in the camp, you’ll see the roads (have) been completely damaged…the water lines have burst as well as the sewage lines.”
Tulkarem governor Mustafa Taqatqa has called for a strike and a day of public mourning over the Nur Shams raid.
“All these crimes will not affect the determination of our people and their free will, leading to the end of the occupation and the establishment of our independent Palestinian state,” he was quoted as saying by Wafa.
The Palestinian Health Ministry said a 50-year-old ambulance driver was killed by Israeli gunfire near the village of as-Sawiya, south of the city of Nablus, as he was making his way to transport people injured during the attack on the village on Saturday.
It was not immediately clear whether he was shot by Israeli settlers, and there was no immediate comment from the military.
More than 700,000 settlers – 10 percent of Israel’s nearly seven million population – now live in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
All settlements are considered illegal under international laws as they violate the Fourth Geneva Convention, which bans an occupying power from transferring its population to the area it occupies.(Al Jazeera)…[+]
Borsen fire: Denmark endures its own Notre Dame devastation
DENMARK – Alarm bells first rang out early last Tuesday morning as fire ripped through Copenhagen’s historic former stock exchange building, Borsen.
In no time the inferno had gutted large parts of the 400-year-old structure and toppled the ornate spire known for its distinctive dragons.
Brian Mikkelsen, who heads the Danish Chamber of Commerce which owns Borsen, has vowed that it will be rebuilt “no matter what”.
Comparisons have been drawn with France’s Notre-Dame cathedral, which was devastated by fire in 2019.
Danish officials now hope to find out what lessons can be learned from the cathedral’s swift restoration.
Mr Mikkelsen was cycling to his office when he first heard about the fire and arrived to find scores of firefighters tackling the blaze. “I was biking in there. Then I saw the flames,” he said.
Together with colleagues and emergency workers, he ran into the burning building multiple times to rescue some of the hundreds of centuries-old artworks stored inside.
“We’d been running, in and out, in and out. Sometimes the fire team said we should get out because we were right next to the fire,” he recalled.
“I didn’t think, I just reacted. It was intuition saying that we have to save this.”
They climbed on each other’s shoulders to pull down artworks mounted high up on walls. A hundred soldiers, museum conservators and even members of the public, joined the rescue effort.
Except for a bust of King Christian IV of Denmark that weighed two tonnes, most of the historic items were recovered.
“We got almost everything,” Mr Mikkelsen told me. “So that’s a little hope in disaster.”
Fortuitously the spire’s ornamental metal tip also survived and was handed over to him.
“It is one of the worst days of my life,” he reflected. “It’s really a disaster for history and for culture.”
Danes have been shocked and saddened by the loss of the famous dragon spire from the city’s picture-postcard skyline.
It is a sight that many regularly walk or cycle past, and there has been a public outpouring of support with people sharing photos of Borsen on social media.
“I could see the flames,” Resident Cheri Christiansen told me. “I burst into tears, because it’s our heritage. It’s never going to be the same. But I hope they can rebuild it.”
“It was a very sad feeling because it is a very historical building,” said another resident, Mohamed Ibrahim Zaid.
“I could see it from my apartment. It was devastating to watch,” agreed Viktor Stabel Ovro, who also lives nearby.
Neighbouring the Danish parliament, Borsen was built in 1625, by Christian IV, who was one of the country’s most powerful monarchs, as a trading facility for Northern Europe.
Later, it served as a stock exchange until the mid-20th Century.
With its red bricks, teal-green copper roof and richly decorated interior, it was one of the few Renaissance buildings left in Copenhagen.
Outside parliament MP Henrik Moeller told me: “I think it’s part of both Copenhagen and Denmark’s identity.”
“Of course there are comparisons with Notre-Dame. It’s kind of the Danish Notre-Dame that we have experienced here.”
France’s famous cathedral is due to reopen again this December, after just five and a half years of restoration work, while the immediate vicinity will be redeveloped by 2028.
Copenhagen’s Mayor Sophie Haestorp Andersen told the BBC it was terrible to see 400 years of Danish history go up in flames.
“We have just lost a fundamental part of the city’s soul and history,” she said.
Ms Andersen is among those rallying to see Borsen rebuilt and has spoken with the Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo to hear about Notre-Dame’s restoration.
A team from Denmark is scheduled to visit the cathedral next month.
According to French newspaper Le Monde, about 250 companies and hundreds of skilled tradespeople and architects were involved, at a cost of $760m.
Kent Martinussen, Chief executive of the Danish Architecture Centre, said lessons could be learned from new 3D techniques and AI to help recreate older materials.
From the square outside parliament, I spent last Tuesday observing the orange flames and the billowing smoke that engulfed the stock exchange as fire crews armed with hoses battled the blaze.
You only see an incident like this once or twice in your career, Copenhagen’s emergency services chief of operations Tim Ole Simonsen told the BBC.
“The fire was very intense in the beginning, spreading rapidly,” he said.
The first images from inside showed torched and waterlogged rooms, strewn with charred timber and black ash.
Twisted scaffolding now stands precariously and large sections of the outer wall have collapsed, while 40 shipping containers filled with concrete have been placed around the ruins as supports.
“The walls are now very unstable,” said Mr Simonsen, adding that extreme changes in temperature, drying and water saturation had weakened the structure.
Pockets of smouldering embers continue to burn and last Thursday I could still see smoke.
“There will be a lot of work until last Monday morning, and then there’ll be a review,” he said.
Police have said it could take months to determine the cause of the fire. (BBC)…[+]
Book of Xi’s discourses on talent work published
BEIJING – A compilation of excerpts from discourses on China’s talent work by Xi Jinping has been published by the Central Party Literature Press.
The discourses answer major theoretic and practical questions such as why does China need to build itself into a strong country in talent, what the goal means, and how to achieve it.
The discourses are significant to providing support and laying solid foundation for building China into a strong country and realizing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese modernization.
The excerpts were selected from over 110 reports, speeches, instructions or letters by Xi from December 2012 to March 2024. Some of them were published for the first time. (Xinhua)…[+]
One dead, seven missing after two Japanese military helicopters crash in Pacific
JAPAN – One rescued crew member has died and seven others are still missing after two Japanese military helicopters appeared to have crashed during a drill late last Saturday, Japan’s Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said.
“It is very unfortunate that this situation has come to this point,” Kihara told reporters yesterday. “As for the other seven people, we are doing our utmost to search and rescue them.”
According to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), two of its helicopters, each carrying four crew members on board, are believed to have crashed during a training exercise in the Pacific Ocean late Saturday.
Kihara said that “there is a high possibility of a collision,” and the flight recorders of the two helicopters were found and recovered from the area.
“What is believed to be part of the aircraft has been confirmed at sea, and the two aircraft are thought to have crashed,” Kihara said. “The cause is unknown at this time, but we will do our utmost to save lives first.”
The US government has offered assistance with the search and rescue operation, the US ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel, said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
“We will stand together, side by side, with our friend and ally, Japan. My thoughts are with the crew members, and their families and friends during this challenging time,” he added.
Communication with one of the helicopters was lost at 10:38 p.m. local time on Saturday off Japan’s Izu Islands, an archipelago that stretches south into the Pacific Ocean.
At 11:04 p.m., communication with the other aircraft was also lost in the same area, according to the JMSDF.
The SH-60K helicopters are mainly stationed on and operated from destroyers, and the two aircraft were conducting night-time training to search for submarines, according to the JMSDF.
Earlier this month, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told CNN that his country is boosting its defense spending and changing its security policy, after years of pacifism, due to soaring geopolitical tensions and mounting international security challenges. (CNN)…[+]
Brazil reports over 1,600 deaths from dengue in 2024
SAO PAULO – Brazil has registered 1,601 confirmed deaths from dengue so far this year, with another 2,061 deaths under investigation, the Health Ministry said.
A total of 3.53 million suspected cases of dengue have been reported nationwide, and the incidence rate of dengue fever in the South American country is currently 1,741 suspected cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
The number of confirmed deaths is 35 percent higher than the total in 2023, which was 1,179 deaths.
According to the data updated as of last Friday, women have borne the brunt of the disease, representing 55.2 percent of confirmed cases. The demographic group most significantly affected falls within the age range of 20 to 29 years old.
The government has called on the public to adhere to the country’s vaccination program against the disease.
Dengue is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito and can be fatal in severe cases.(Xinhua)…[+]
World urges ‘de-escalation’ after drones shot down over Iran
IRAN – Iran fired air defense batteries to shoot down three drones over the central city of Isfahan, according to state media reports, after officials in the United States told US broadcasters that Israel carried out military operations against Iran.
Explosions were reported yesterday in the sky over the cities of Isfahan and Tabriz, but the Iranian government has downplayed the incident.
There has been no official comment from Israel. Several countries have called for “de-escalation”. Here are some reactions:
A Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said Oman “condemns the Israeli attack this morning on Isfahan in the Islamic Republic of Iran”.
It also “condemns and denounces Israel’s repeated military attacks in the region”, the statement said.
The Gulf country has long mediated between Iran and Western countries.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Egypt was “deeply concerned” about an escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran.
Egypt also warned of the consequences of expanding the conflict and instability in the region.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on all sides to refrain from steps that could lead to a wider conflict in the Middle East.
It said in a statement that priority of the international community should be “to stop the massacre in Gaza and to ensure lasting peace” in the region by establishing a Palestinian state.
“It is becoming increasingly evident that the tensions that were initially caused by Israel’s illegal attack on the Iranian Embassy in Damascus risk turning into a permanent conflict,” it added.
Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said Israeli-Iranian retaliations must end, warning against the danger of regional escalation.
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani called for an “absolute de-escalation”.
“We invite everyone to be cautious to avoid an escalation,” he told RAI news from the Italian island of Capri, where Italy is hosting a meeting of foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) nations.
The G7 foreign ministers urged “all parties” to “work to prevent further escalation” in the Middle East.
“In light of reports of strikes on April 19th, we urge all parties to work to prevent further escalation. The G7 will continue to work to this end,” they said in a statement.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “It’s a developing situation, it wouldn’t be right for me to speculate until the facts become clearer and we’re working to confirm the details together with allies.
“Significant escalation is not in anyone’s interest. What we want to see is calm heads prevail across the region.”
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen called for restraint to avoid further escalation in the Middle East.
“We have to do everything possible [so] that all sides restrain from the escalation in that region,” she told reporters during a visit to Finland.
“It is absolutely necessary that the region stays stable and that all sides refrain from further action.”
The United Nations nuclear watchdog confirmed that “there is no damage to Iran’s nuclear sites”. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi called for extreme restraint and said nuclear facilities should never be a target in military conflicts.
The IAEA “is monitoring the situation very closely,” it said on X.
Foreign Minister Hanke Bruins Slot said that the Netherlands is “closely monitoring the situation in Iran”.
“The recent developments in the Middle East are deeply worrying. It is of paramount importance that further escalation is prevented,” Bruins Slot added on X.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned against further escalation in the Middle East.
“Everyone must ensure now and in the near future that there is no further escalation of the war,” Scholz said.
The Kremlin said it was studying information on Israel’s reported strike on Iran and urged both sides to show restraint.
Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, said: “Japan is deeply concerned about the situation in the Middle East and strongly condemn any actions that lead to the escalation of the situation.
“Japan will continue to make all necessary diplomatic efforts to prevent the situation from worsening further.”
Minister of Foreign Affairs Tobias Billstrom said: “This is something we from the government’s side take very seriously and are following very closely.”
He added that there “has to be an end to the exchange of blows and escalation”.
“We are monitoring the situation closely. We will address the situation with the foreign ministers at the G7 session this morning in Italy,” Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said on X.
Deputy foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot said France’s “position is to call on all actors for de-escalation and restraint”.
“Israel’s latest strikes on Iran are another violation of the prohibition on the use of military force under international law & the UN Charter, and threaten the human right to life.” (Al Jazeera)…[+]
Ukraine war: Children among eight dead in Russian strike on Dnipropetrovsk region
UKRAINE – Two Russian strikes in Ukraine’s central Dnipropetrovsk region have killed eight people, including two children, officials say.
The station in the main city Dnipro came under attack, and several homes were hit further east in Synelnykove.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the attack highlighted the need for every city to have adequate air defenses.
In a separate strike, Ukraine said that for the first time it had downed a long-range bomber in Russian territory.
According to Ukraine’s interior minister, a boy aged eight and a girl of 14 were among six people killed when private homes were targeted by Russian strikes on the town of Synelnykove.
A third child, who had earlier been reported killed, was in a critical condition and several other people were wounded.
Another two people were killed and 19 wounded in the regional capital, Dnipro, when the train station and a five-storey building were hit. Rail operator Ukrzaliznytsia said a woman who was on duty at the time was killed and seven other railway workers were hurt.
Rescue services were continuing to search the rubble and warned that the number of victims would rise, the ministry added. A maternity hospital was also hit.
Ukraine has for months warned that it is running low on weapons capable of bringing down Russian missiles and drones, and Nato’s secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, has spoken of an “urgent, critical need” for fresh military aid.
Earlier this week, the northern city of Chernihiv was struck in Russia’s deadliest attack for some time, leaving 18 dead and dozens wounded. Three Iskander cruise missiles hit residential buildings close to the centre of the city, the regional leader said.
For months, a US military aid package worth $60.8bn (£49bn) has been blocked by Republican representatives in Congress. However, the Republican leader of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, has said he is determined to bring the matter to a vote, which could take place as early as today.
Meanwhile, the air force in Kyiv said it had brought down a Russian Tu-22M3 strategic bomber 300km (186 miles) from Ukrainian territory. It said the plane eventually went down in Russia’s Stavropol region after it had launched a missile strike on Ukraine.
Ukraine’s defense intelligence described the strike as a special operation similar to an earlier attack on a Russian long-range radar plane.
In January, Ukraine’s military said it had brought down an A-50 spy plane and a control centre plane over the Sea of Azov. Ukrainian media reported yesterday that the bomber had been hit by a missile fired from an upgraded Soviet S-200 air defense system.
Unverified video yesterday showed a plane on fire spiralling out of control to the ground and Stavropol regional governor Vladimir Vladimirov said only that the plane had crashed in a Russian field some distance north of the main city.
Russia’s defense ministry blamed a technical malfunction after the bomber had carried out a “combat task”. Two pilots had been found alive, a third crew member was killed and rescue services were looking for a fourth, the governor said.
Ukrainian air force chief Lt Gen Mykola Oleschuk said Russia had fired six Kh-22 cruise missiles overnight and two of them had been destroyed for the first time.
The Tu-22M3 is described as a supersonic bomber and the air force commander said the planes were used to carry Kh-22 missiles for attacks on Ukrainian cities. (BBC)…[+]
Argentina keen on NATO “global partner” status
BUENOS AIRES – Argentina has applied to become a “global partner” of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Defense Minister Luis Petri said.
Petri said on X that he has met with Deputy Secretary General of NATO Mircea Geoana.
“I presented the letter of intent that expresses Argentina’s request to become a global partner of this organization. We will continue working to recover links that allow us to modernize and train our forces to NATO standards,” he said.
Petri also held a meeting with NATO’s Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Public Affairs and Security Policy Javier Colomina and presented him “Argentina’s proposals to explore issues of mutual interest such as maritime security and reinforce strategic security dialogue.”
“We are going to continue working to strengthen our relationship with NATO,” he said.
According to Argentine Public TV, the nation has been an “extra-NATO ally” since 1998, when then-U.S. President Bill Clinton gave the “green light” to his Argentine counterpart Carlos Menem, but “global partner” status is a “step up.”(Xinhua)…[+]
Kenya’s military chief among 10 people killed in helicopter crash
KENYA – Kenya’s military chief has died in a helicopter crash in the country’s northwest, President William Ruto says.
General Francis Ogolla and nine other people were killed in the crash at in Elgeyo Marakwet County, about 400km (250 miles) northwest of the capital, Nairobi.
The military aircraft had been on a visit to troops deployed in northwest Kenya to combat cattle rustling and came down just minutes after taking off near Cheptulel Boys Secondary School in West Pokot County.
It was not immediately clear what caused the crash.
“Our motherland has lost one of her most valiant generals,” Ruto said at a news conference. “The demise of General Ogolla is a painful loss to me.”
Two soldiers survived the crash and were in hospital, the president said, adding that an air investigation team had been sent to find out the cause of the incident.
Ogolla was previously the head of the Kenyan air force before rising to deputy military chief and then being promoted by Ruto last year to head the military.
The general joined the military in 1984 and trained as a fighter pilot with United States air force and as an instructor pilot at the Kenyan air force, according to a Ministry of Defense profile.
When promoting Ogolla to the top military job a year ago, Ruto accused him of being part of a plot to overturn the result of the 2022 presidential election but said he was the best qualified person for the job.
Dozens of civilians and police officers have been killed in the unrest in northwestern Kenya.
At least 10 soldiers were killed in June 2021 when their helicopter crashed while landing near Nairobi.(Al Jazeera)…[+]
Polish man charged in connection with alleged Russian plot to kill Ukraine leader Zelensky
POLAND/UKRAINE – A Polish man has been charged over claims that he assisted an alleged Russian plot to assassinate Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to authorities in Poland and Ukraine.
He was charged with “readiness to act for foreign intelligence against the Republic of Poland,” an offense which carries up to eight years in prison if he is found guilty, according to prosecutors.
Polish authorities allege the man, named as Paweł K, was tasked “to help, among other things, in planning by Russian special services a possible attack on the life of the head of a foreign state – President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky,” according to a statement.
Prosecutors said the man agreed to provide information to Russian spies about security at Rzeszów-Jasionka airport, in southeastern Poland, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the border with Ukraine.
Zelensky is known to use the airport when leaving on foreign trips, as it is one of the closest airports to the Ukrainian border. The airport often receives military aid and civilian goods from the US and across Europe because Ukraine’s airspace remains closed to non-military flights.
Ukrainian authorities said they uncovered the plot and handed key evidence to Polish officials, who then detained the accused on Polish territory.
Polish prosecutors said the man had contacted Russians “directly involved in the war in Ukraine,” though it was not clear from official statements whether he had handed over any information, or even collected it.
It is not the first time Ukraine has claimed to have foiled an attempt to kill President Zelensky, who has become a figurehead of his country’s war effort and been energetic in rallying Western support.
He has faced several known attempts on his life since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
In August 2023, the Ukrainian Security Service, the SBU, arrested a woman who had been allegedly “gathering intelligence” about a planned visit by the president to the southern region of Mykolaiv, in order to help plan a Russian airstrike.
News of the Polish arrest came just hours after German police said they had arrested two suspected Russian agents in the Bavarian town of Bayreuth.
The two individuals, identified as German-Russian nationals, are accused of plotting sabotage attacks and planning an explosive detonation, according to a statement by the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office in Karlsruhe.
One of the men had been in contact with a Russian intelligence agent, the statement said, adding that among the potential targets scouted were US army facilities in Germany.
“Our security authorities have prevented possible explosive detonations that were intended to affect and undermine our military aid to Ukraine. This is a particularly serious case of suspected agent activity for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s criminal regime,” Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser said during a press conference in Berlin.
The Russian Embassy in Berlin dismissed the accusations as an “outright provocation,” Russian state news agency TASS reported.(CNN)…[+]
Prince William resumes public duties after Kate’s cancer announcement
ENGLAND – The Prince of Wales was back in action yesterday, carrying out his first public engagements since his wife, Catherine, revealed her cancer diagnosis last month.
William, 41, visited a surplus food charity in Surrey before he was expected to head to a youth center in west London.
The Princess of Wales, who has not carried out any official duties since Christmas Day, announced in a powerful video on March 22 that her diagnosis had been a “huge shock” and she had already started preventative chemotherapy. Kate’s cancer was found in tests following an abdominal surgery in January.
The revelation followed weeks of speculation over her whereabouts and bizarre conspiracy theories circulating online.
William started his engagements yesterday by visiting Surplus to Supper, a food redistribution organization where he met with volunteers and helped load vans with food to dispense to local groups.
He also chatted with chefs on how they are bridging the gap between food waste and food poverty while donning an apron and pitching in with the preparation of meals.
While in the kitchen, one volunteer gave the prince several get well cards for his wife and father, King Charles III, who also revealed in February that he was getting treatment for an unspecified form of cancer.
Prince William then jumped into one of the vans and joined volunteers as they drove to Hanworth Centre Hub, a youth center that benefits from the Surplus to Supper’s work.
Kensington Palace said his visits aimed “to spotlight the community and environmental impact organisations in the area are having through their work.”
The palace added: “Reducing food waste has a considerable number of environmental benefits, including reducing emissions from landfill that contribute to climate change.”
The prince’s last official engagement was on March 19 when he visited the English city of Sheffield for his Homewards homelessness project. However, he and his eldest son delighted soccer fans when they were spotted at an Aston Villa game in Birmingham last week. William’s presence will be a welcome signal to royal-watchers that his wife is feeling well enough for him to resume public-facing duties. However, it also had been expected that the heir to the British throne would be out and about once more after his children were back at school following the Easter break, which restarted on Wednesday.
The Waleses have been out of the public eye over the past few weeks during the school holidays.
In Kate’s video message, she explained that it had “taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be ok.”
She added that she hoped “that you will understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment.
King Charles has also taken a step back from public-facing duties while undergoing treatment. He made his most significant public appearance on Easter Sunday following the tradition family church outing.(CNN)…[+]
