Germany
Wildfires in Germany, Czechia threatening tourist region
A large wildfire on the German-Czech border is spreading and threatening to destroy a forested national park popular with tourists.
The fire in the region called Bohemian Switzerland on the Czech side and the Saxon Switzerland national park on the German side, which started on the weekend, had seemed to be under control, but spread again early Thursday, German news agency dpa reported.
Hundreds of firefighters on both sides of the border and with help from neighboring Poland and Slovakia were battling the flames, while local authorities warned tourists to stay away.
About 250 hectares of forest are currently burning and eight firefighting helicopters were helping to douse the flames, dpa reported.
Read: What Causes Wildfire? How to Prevent Forest Fire?
Another large forest fire in the Elbe-Elster district in the eastern German state of Brandenburg also flared up again on Wednesday evening, local authorities said.
Germany's minister for agriculture said Wednesday night the government would help battle the fires and praised those already working to extinguish them. Germany's army has sent several military helicopters to both fires to support local units.
“The emergency forces are already doing a great job here,” Cem Ozdemir said.
The fight against the fire in Brandenburg has been further complicated because some areas are contaminated with World War II ammunition and can only be extinguished from the air by helicopters. It is too dangerous for firefighters to enter these areas as old ammunition triggered by the heat or by people stepping on it can explode at any time.
Hundreds of firefighters battle blazes in Germany, Czechia
Hundreds of firefighters were battling wildfires in eastern Germany and neighboring Czechia on Tuesday as tourist regions and residential areas were being evacuated.
A large wildfire was spreading quickly in the eastern German state of Brandenburg in a region with lots of bone-dry pine forests where firefighters have to be especially careful because of old World War II ammunition that’s still buried there, German news agency dpa reported.
The large fire in the Elbe-Elster district has already destroyed an area of about 850 hectares and continued to spread quickly because of gusty winds blowing from changing directions.
Seven firefighters were injured, four of whom had to be treated in a hospital for smoke inhalation. No residents were injured, but a pig breeding farm burned down and several animals died.
The state’s explosive ordnance disposal service has designated a small area near the village of Rehfeld as a site where old ammunition could be buried, deputy forest fire protection officer Philipp Haase told dpa. Two German military firefighting helicopters were on site trying to extinguish the flames from the air because firefighters were not allowed to access the area for fear that the ammunition could explode.
Authorities said it was not clear when the fire could be brought under control. More than 350 firefighters were battling the flames and around 300 people from various villages had to be evacuated.
“The situation is still serious. We still have pockets of fire,” local district fire chief Steffen Ludewig told dpa.
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Further southeast, firefighters from several countries have joined forces to battle a fire in a national park in northern Czech Republic that has spread to the state of Saxony in neighboring Germany.
The fire in the Bohemian Switzerland park broke out on Sunday and was mostly contained before windy weather caused it to spread again on Monday afternoon and overnight. Firefighters said some 30 hectares have been affected in the park and more across the border in Germany.
No injuries have been reported.
Some 80 people have been evacuated from the border town of Hrensko, and more from the village of Mezna, where the flames have destroyed or damaged several homes, firefighters spokesman Lukas Marvan said.
Dozens of German children were evacuated from a summer camp on the Czech side of the border and transported back to Germany.
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Interior Minister Vit Rakusan were visiting the area on Tuesday.
Rakusan said some 400 firefighters have been in action and the blaze was not under control by midday Tuesday.
"The situation is very serious,” Rakusan said adding that several neighboring countries had responded to the Czech Republic's call for help to extinguish the fire.
Poland and Slovakia said they were sending helicopters while Italy offered special Canadair planes designed for firefighting.
The German military announced it would send four helicopters to the border region to help fight the flames, dpa reported.
The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute said the smoke has spread 100 or more kilometers (60 miles or more) from the fire.
Nord Stream 1 resumes gas deliveries to Germany after maintenance
Gas deliveries through the German-Russian pipeline Nord Stream 1 resumed on Thursday morning after 10 days of maintenance, the German news agency dpa reported.
Gas is flowing again and the gas transport level via Nord Stream 1 has resumed at the pre-maintenance level, around 40 percent of the pipeline's transport capacity, a spokesman for Nord Stream AG was quoted as saying.
However, he added that the registered volumes could also change in the course of a day, and it would take some time before full transport capacity is reached.
Read: Economics of war: Pain for Europe now, later for Russia
Meanwhile, Klaus Mueller, chief of the federal network agency Bundesnetzagentur, said on Wednesday evening that 30 percent of the maximum transport capacity was to flow through the pipeline.
The Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which went into operation in 2011, transports gas from Vyborg in Russia to Lubmin in northeastern Germany. From there, gas is further transported to other European countries such as Belgium, Denmark, France and the Netherlands, according to the operator.
France, Germany reiterate importance of promoting HR worldwide
France and Germany have reiterated their attachment to freedom of opinion and expression and to the promotion and protection of all human rights throughout the world.
The French Embassy quoting a Facebook post on their verified page on Tuesday said, “We are concerned by the situation of the NGO Odhikar, which was temporarily denied the renewal of its registration.”
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The two countries “salute the important work of this NGO” to which the Franco-German Human Rights Prize was awarded in December 2017 by the French and German Ministers of Foreign Affairs, the post reads.
Spain, Germany battle wildfires amid unusual heat wave
Firefighters in Spain and Germany struggled to contain wildfires on Sunday amid an unusual heat wave in Western Europe for this time of year.
The worst damage in Spain has been in the northwest province of Zamora, where over 30,000 hectares (74,000 acres) have been consumed, regional authorities said, while German officials said that residents of three villages near Berlin were ordered to leave their homes because of an approaching wildfire Sunday.
Also read: Northern Arizona watches winds as Western wildfires blaze
Spanish authorities said that after three days of high temperatures, high winds and low humidity, some respite came with dropping temperatures Sunday morning. That allowed for about 650 firefighters supported by water-dumping aircraft to establish a perimeter around the fire that started in Zamora’s Sierra de la Culebra. Authorities warned there was still danger that an unfavorable shift in weather could revive the blaze that caused the evacuation of 18 villages.
Spain has been on alert for an outbreak of intense wildfires as the country swelters under record temperatures at many points in the country for June. Experts link the abnormally hot period for Europe to climate change. Thermometers have risen above 40 C (104 F) in many Spanish cities throughout the week — temperatures usually expected in August.
A lack of rainfall this year combined with gusting winds have produced the conditions for the fires.
Authorities said that gusting winds of up 70 kph (43 mph) that changed course erratically, combined with temperatures near 40 C, made it very tough for crews.
“The fire was able to cross a reservoir some 500 meters wide and reach the other side, to give you an idea of the difficulties we faced,” Juan Suárez-Quiñones, an official for Castilla y León region, told Spanish state television TVE.
The fire in Zamora was started by a strike from an electrical storm on Wednesday, authorities said. The spreading fire caused the high-speed train service from Madrid to Spain’s northwest to be cut on Saturday. It was reestablished on Sunday morning.
Military firefighting units have been deployed in Zamora, Navarra and Lleida.
There have been no reports of lives lost, but the flames reached the outskirts of some villages both in Zamora and in Navarra. Videos shot by passengers in cars showed flames licking the sides of roads. In other villages, residents looked on in despair as black plumes rose from nearby hills.
In central-north Navarra, authorities have evacuated some 15 small villages as a precaution, as the high temperatures in the area are not expected to drop until Wednesday.
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They also asked farmers to stop using heavy machinery that could unintentionally spark a fire.
“The situation remains delicate. We have various active fires due to the extremely high temperatures and high winds,” Navarra regional vice-president Javier Remírez told TVE.
Remírez said that some villages had seen some buildings damaged on their outskirts.
Some wild animals had to be evacuated from an animal park in Navarra and taken to a bull ring for safe keeping, authorities said.
Wildfires were also active in three parts of northeast Catalonia: in Lleida, in Tarragona and in a nature park in Garaf, just south of Barcelona.
Firefighters said that 2,700 hectares (6,600 acres) were scorched in Lleida. They added that they have responded to over 200 different wildfires just in Catalonia over the past week.
Germany has also seen numerous wildfires in recent days following a period of intense heat and little rain. The country’s national weather agency said the mercury reached 39.2 C (102.6 F) in the eastern cities of Dresden and Cottbus on Sunday.
Strong winds have been fanning a blaze near the town of Treuenbrietzen, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) southwest of Berlin, prompting officials to order three villages evacuated Sunday.
About 600 people in Frohnsdorf, Tiefenbrunnen and Klausdorf were told to immediately seek shelter at a community center.
“This is not a drill,” town officials tweeted.
More than 1,400 firefighters, soldiers and civil defense experts were deployed to tackle the blaze, which also affected a former military training area known to be contaminated with ammunition.
Officials expressed hope late Sunday that thunderstorms moving in from the west would help put out the fires.
US and Germany agree to supply advanced weapons to Ukraine
The U.S. and Germany pledged on Wednesday to equip Ukraine with some of the advanced weapons it has long desired for shooting down aircraft and knocking out artillery, as Russian forces closed in on capturing a key city in the east.
Germany said it will supply Ukraine with up-to-date anti-aircraft missiles and radar systems, while the U.S. announced it will provide four sophisticated, medium-range rocket systems and ammunition.
The U.S. is trying to help Ukraine fend off the Russians without triggering a wider war in Europe. The Pentagon said it received assurances that Ukraine will not fire the new rockets into Russian territory.
The Kremlin accused the U.S. of “pouring fuel on the fire.”
Western arms have been critical to Ukraine’s success in stymieing Russia’s much larger and better-equipped military, thwarting its effort to storm the capital and forcing Moscow to shift its focus to the industrial Donbas region in the east.
But as Russia bombards towns in its inching advance in the east, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly pleaded for more and better weapons and accused the West of moving too slowly.
Andriy Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian president’s office, hailed the new Western weapons.
“I’m sure that if we receive all the necessary weapons and strengthen the efficient sanctions regime we will win,” he said.
Read: High prices, Asian markets could blunt EU ban on Russian oil
The new arms could help Ukraine set up and hold new lines of defense in the east by hitting back at Russian artillery pieces that have been battering towns and cities and by limiting Russian airstrikes, said retired French Gen. Dominique Trinquand, a former head of France’s military mission at the United Nations.
“The NATO countries — the European nations and the Americans — have progressively escalated the means that they are putting at Ukraine’s disposal, and this escalation, in my opinion, has had the aim of testing Russian limits,” he said. “Each time, they measure the Russian reaction, and since there is no reaction, they keep supplying increasingly effective and sophisticated weaponry.”
Military analysts say Russia is hoping to overrun the Donbas before any weapons that might turn the tide arrive. It will take at least three weeks to get the precision U.S. weapons and trained troops onto the battlefield, the Pentagon said. But Defense Undersecretary Colin Kahl said he believes they will arrive in time to make a difference in the fight.
The rocket systems are part of a new $700 million package of security assistance for Ukraine from the U.S. that also includes helicopters, Javelin anti-tank weapon systems, radars, tactical vehicles, spare parts and more.
The rockets have a range of about 50 miles (80 kilometers) and are highly mobile. Ukraine had pushed unsuccessfully for rockets with a range of up to 186 miles (300 kilometers).
Also read:'Now I am a beggar': Fleeing the Russian advance in Ukraine
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow does not trust assurances that Ukraine will not fire on Russian territory. “We believe that the U.S. is deliberately and diligently pouring fuel on the fire,” he said.
Col. Gen. Mikhail Mizintzev later went further, directly accusing Ukraine of planning to fire U.S.-provided missiles from the northeastern Sumy region at border areas in Russia. The claim, which he said was based on radio intercepts, couldn’t be independently confirmed.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Ukraine’s push for more weapons is a “direct provocation intended to draw the West into the fighting.” He warned that the multiple rocket launchers would raise the risk of an expanded conflict.
“Sane Western politicians understand those risks well,” he said.
As the new weapons shipments were announced, a Russian missile hit rail lines in the western Lviv region, a key conduit for supplies of Western weapons and other supplies, officials said. Regional Gov. Maksym Kozytskyy said five people were wounded in Wednesday’s strike, and the head of Ukrainian railways said the damage was still being assessed.
Germany’s promise of IRIS-T air defense systems would mark the first delivery of long-range air defense weapons to Ukraine since the start of the war. Earlier deliveries of portable, shoulder-fired air defense missiles have bolstered the Ukrainian military’s ability to take down helicopters and other low-flying aircraft but didn’t give it enough range to challenge Russia’s air superiority.
Germany has come under particular criticism, both at home and from allies abroad, that it isn’t doing enough. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told lawmakers that the IRIS-T’s surface-to-air missiles are the most modern air defense system the country has.
“With this, we will enable Ukraine to defend an entire city from Russian air attacks,” he said. The radar systems will also help Ukraine locate enemy artillery.
A regional governor said Russian forces now control 80% of Sievierodonetsk, a city that is key to Moscow’s efforts to complete its capture of the Donbas, where Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists have fought for years and where the separatists held swaths of territory even before the invasion.
Luhansk Gov. Serhiy Haidai said Russian troops were advancing in the city during fierce street battles with Ukrainian forces, though he noted that in some districts the Ukrainian troops managed to push them back.
The only other city in Luhansk that the Russians have not yet captured, Lysychansk, is still fully under Ukrainian control, he said, but is likely to be the next target. The two cities are separated by a river.
“If the Russians manage to take full control over Sievierodonetsk within two to three days, they will start installing artillery and mortars and will shell Lysychansk more intensively,” Haidai said.
Zelenskyy, meanwhile, said the country is losing between 60 and 100 soldiers a day in the fighting.
He turned the focus to children in his nightly video address, saying 243 of them have been killed in the war, 446 have been wounded and 139 are missing. The real numbers could be higher, he added, as his government doesn’t have a full picture of areas under Russian occupation.
Zelenskyy also said 200,000 children are among the Ukrainians who have been forcefully taken to Russia and dispersed across that vast country: “The purpose of this criminal policy is not just to steal people but to make those who are deported forget about Ukraine and unable to return.”
In southern Ukraine, a regional governor sounded a more positive note, saying Russian troops were retreating and blowing up bridges behind them.
“They are afraid of a counterattack by the Ukrainian army,” Vitaliy Kim, governor of the Mykolayiv region, said on the Telegram messaging app.
Germany wants stronger partnership with Bangladesh to scale up renewables; efficiency
Germany’s State Secretary and Special Envoy for International Climate Action Jennifer Morgan on Saturday said they are keen to have stronger partnership with Bangladesh to scale up Bangladesh’s renewables and energy efficiency, accelerating the transition efforts.
“We’ve a long history of cooperation with Bangladesh. I’ve come here to listen and learn; and to see what we can do together. I think we’ve much to learn from each other,” she said, noting that multiple benefits clearly come from renewables and efficiency.
At a press conference held in a city hotel together with German Ambassador to Bangladesh Achim Troster, Germany’s first climate envoy said they are running out of time and it is crystal clear that impacts are happening.
“We wish to work with the government of Bangladesh on energy efficiency and to look at how to scale up renewable energy and energy efficiency efforts,” said the German climate envoy.
The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report published on April 4 shows growth in global emissions has slowed over the past decade, but much more needs to be done, including halving global emissions by 2030, to keep the goal of 1.5C in reach and avoid the worst impacts of global warming.
The IPCC’s independent report highlights the need for urgent action in decarbonising energy, industry, transport and making homes more energy efficient, to achieve the Paris Agreement’s central goal of keeping a global temperature rise this century to well below 2C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5C.
Morgan, who has lived in Berlin for many years and obtains German citizenship, said she has been “incredibly impressed” by the work of civil societies and NGOs here in Bangladesh and their diversity of approaches, especially those working with the women on the local level. “I think they’re clearly working to help people every single day.”
She said a vibrant civil society is “absolutely essential” for sustainable development and their local knowledge and deep training is just “very impressive.”
Seminar held to commemorate 50 years of diplomatic relations with Germany
The German ambassador to Bangladesh, Achim Tröster, has stated that Germany is creating a special kind of climate development partnership with Bangladesh to assist in mitigating the looming threat of climate change.
He made this statement while giving a speech at a seminar titled “Celebrating 50 Years of German – Bangladesh Diplomatic Relations”.
The seminar was hosted by the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) and took place on 28 March at the Six Season Hotel, Dhaka. On this day, 50 years ago, East Germany recognised the independence of Bangladesh, becoming the first European nation to recognise Bangladesh as an independent nation.
To commemorate the occasion, CGS, in partnership with Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) Bangladesh, organised the event where the ambassador was a guest of honour.
The other guest of honour was Lt. Col. Muhammad Faruk Khan (Retd.) MP, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and former Minister. He made a brief statement emphasising the need for further collaboration between Bangladesh and Germany.
Felix Kolbitz, Resident Representative, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Bangladesh, and Dr Manjur A Chowdhury, Chairman, Centre for Governance Studies (CGS), gave their opening remarks in the program.
The keynote speech for the event was presented by Md Touhid Hossain, former Foreign Secretary of the Government of Bangladesh. The Keynote paper was titled “Prospects and Challenges in Bangladesh’s Relationship with Germany and the European Union on its 50th Anniversary of Independence.”
Bangladesh requests Germany to expedite student visa processing
Bangladesh has requested Germany to expedite the visa processing for its students going to the country for under-graduate and post-graduate studies. Bangladesh has also sought Germany’s support in developing skill sets for creating job opportunities for the hard working people of Bangladesh.State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam made the request when Ambassador of Germany to Bangladesh Achim Tröster met him at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday.
Also read: Bangladesh to open first official visa application centre in KolkataBoth the countries are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations this year. The state minister urged the ambassador for enhanced German investment to take advantage of the facilities being created in Special Economic Zones and Hi-Tech parks in Bangladesh. He requested the envoy to explore ways to increase the volume and content of bilateral trade between Bangladesh and Germany. Shahriar briefed the German ambassador of the situation arising out of the forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals currently sheltered in Bangladesh and sought continued cooperation and support of Germany for an early resolution of the crisis.
Also read: Visa Free Country List for Bangladeshi Passport Holders in 2021The envoy appreciated Bangladesh’s proactive role in providing shelters as well as humanitarian assistance to the Rohingyas. He assured of standing by Bangladesh to help find a durable solution for the Rohingya crisis. He also mentioned about his recent visit to Bhashan Char and expressed his satisfaction about the infrastructural development as well as all other facilities that are being put in place by the Government of Bangladesh. During the meeting, different aspects of bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Germany were discussed including trade and investment, technical cooperation, technology transfer, private sector development, new economic opportunities in Bangladesh, maritime connectivity and cooperation in vocational education. They also exchanged views on the regional and multilateral cooperation between the two countries.Secretary (West), Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mr. Mr. Shabbir Ahmad Chowdhury was present at the meeting.
Xi holds virtual summit with leaders of France, Germany
Chinese President Xi Jinping had a virtual summit with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday.
Xi pointed out that the combined impact of major global changes and the pandemic, both unseen in a century, has brought multiple global challenges that need to be addressed through global cooperation.
Noting that China and the EU share much common understanding on promoting peace, seeking development and advancing cooperation, Xi said that we need to shoulder our responsibility to bring more stability and certainty to a turbulent and fluid world.
Xi said it is important for the two sides to enhance dialogue, stay committed to cooperation, and promote steady and sustained progress of China-EU relations.
China's development will create broader space for China-EU cooperation, Xi said, adding that the two sides must, under the principle of mutual benefit and win-win, further deepen green and digital partnerships as well as practical cooperation in various fields.
The two sides need to continue upholding multilateralism and advancing major global agenda, he added.
Macron and Scholz congratulated China on its successful hosting of the Beijing Olympic Winter Games, saying that the world faces many challenges, and each country acting on its own will only make things worse.
Read: Air alert declared in Kyiv as fighting continues
The European side values the important and positive role of China in global affairs, and is willing to engage in close cooperation with China to jointly tackle climate change, public health and other major global challenges, they said.
The two leaders said the European side is ready to work with China for a successful EU-China summit, and to move forward France-China, Germany-China and EU-China relations.
The leaders exchanged views on the key issue of the current situation in Ukraine.
Macron and Scholz shared their assessment and positions on the current situation in Ukraine, saying that Europe is facing the worst crisis since World War II.
France and Germany support reaching a settlement through negotiation and giving peace a chance, they noted.
The two leaders thanked China for its initiative on the humanitarian situation and said the two countries are ready to strengthen communication and coordination with China to promote talks for peace, and prevent further escalation of the situation that may worsen the humanitarian crisis.
Xi stressed that the current situation in Ukraine is worrisome, and the Chinese side is deeply grieved by the outbreak of war again on the European continent.
China maintains that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries must be respected, the purposes and principles of the UN Charter must be fully observed, the legitimate security concerns of all countries must be taken seriously, and all efforts that are conducive to the peaceful settlement of the crisis must be supported, he said.
The pressing task at the moment is to prevent the tense situation from escalating or even running out of control, Xi stressed.
China commends the mediation efforts by France and Germany on Ukraine, he said, adding that China will stay in communication and coordination with France, Germany and the EU and, in light of the needs of the parties involved, work actively together with the international community.
Read: Ukraine war highlights internal divides in Mideast nations
Xi emphasized that we need to jointly support the peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, and encourage the two sides to keep the momentum of negotiations, overcome difficulties, keep the talks going and bring about peaceful outcomes.
We need to call for maximum restraint to prevent a massive humanitarian crisis, Xi said, adding that China has put forward a six-point initiative on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, and stands ready to provide Ukraine with further humanitarian aid supplies.
We need to work together to reduce the negative impact of the crisis, Xi said, adding that relevant sanctions will affect global finance, energy, transportation and stability of supply chains, and dampen the global economy that is already ravaged by the pandemic. And this is in the interest of no one.
We need to actively advocate a vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, Xi said.
China supports France and Germany in promoting a balanced, effective and sustainable European security framework for the interests and lasting security of Europe, and by upholding its strategic autonomy, he said.
China will be pleased to see equal-footed dialogue among the EU, Russia, the United States and NATO, Xi added.
The leaders also exchanged views on the Iranian nuclear issue.