#deutsche welle

[panicinthestudio]

Hong Kong: Chinese control and the future of protest, October 18, 2024

In Hong Kong, protests have fallen silent. The Chinese state is more restrictive than ever. Back in 2019, artists were among those who took to the streets to demonstrate against the curtailing of basic rights. How are they doing, five years on? Unlike many of his contemporaries, multimedia artist Samson Young chose to remain in Hong Kong rather than going into exile. Young plays with codes and hidden references in his complex art installations. Filmmaker Kiwi Chow also stayed. He sold the rights to an internationally acclaimed documentary about the 2019 protest movement to a friend outside the country. Others felt they could no longer stay in Hong Kong, like Kacey Wong, who now lives and works in Taiwan. Despite their different paths, these artists all ask themselves the same question: Will Hong Kong ever be as free as it was before the protests, or will Beijing’s grip get even tighter? Deutsche Welle

[begirlywithme]

Transgender in Pakistan? Amazing. Glad to see some progress has been made there in certain respects. I hope it continues & expands. Because trans rights are human rights. Regardless of country. And also whether someone is trans or not. Everyone deserves to be treated with value.

And in listening to stories like these, it is striking how similar they can be for trans women all over the world. There are lessons to be learned, too. Like the trans mentorship programs they have in some Pakistani cities. Being trans and out can be very difficult to do alone.

[indizombie]

In Rafah, Israeli airstrikes and shellings killed scores of refugees sheltering in the city, prompting the International Court of Justice to order Israel to "immediately halt its military offensive or any other action in the Rafah governorate." Even though the US suspended its supply of heavy bombs for a few weeks, this has not stopped the steady flow of US weapons across the Atlantic. In a report last month, Reuters said that the US had "transferred at least 14,000 of the MK-84 2,000-pound bombs, 6,500 500-pound bombs, 3,000 Hellfire precision-guided air-to-ground missiles, 1,000 bunker-buster bombs, 2,600 air-dropped small-diameter bombs, and other munitions" between the start of the war in Gaza last October and the end of June. The 2,000-pound MK-84 bomb is one of the largest conventional free-fall or unguided bombs in the US arsenal. It is filled with more than more than 945 pounds (429 kilos) of highly explosive material and can cause massive destruction to concrete and metal structures. The bomb is often used against heavily fortified targets or underground bunkers. Its use in densely populated areas is particularly problematic due to the large blast radius and high destructive power.

Andreas Noll, ‘War in Gaza: Germany supplies 30% of Israel's arms imports’, Deutsche Welle

[aspiringbelle]

This is a fascinating video on how an old US army base is being recycled to build new buildings in Heidelberg.

[kouczi]

matkojebcy sa jak: jestem totalnie patrickiem batemanem/tylerem durdenem/ryanem goslingiem

moj bracie w chrystusie moim wzorem do nasladowania jest nico z filmu nicos weg (A1) deutsch lernen mit videos von deutsche welle

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

The director of Germany’s state-funded national broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) is apologizing for allegations of antisemitism at the network for the second time in less than a year, amid a furor over the broadcast of comments from a Hamas spokesman that failed to provide any broader context.

“The editors made mistakes here, which we expressly regret and have corrected,” DW’s director Peter Limbourg said in a statement, after the station broadcast a report on Tuesday that featured Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem calling Israel’s newly-elected right-wing government “terrorist, fascist, racist like never before” and threatening an “escalation at all levels.”

The first broadcast of the report omitted to mention Qassem’s affiliation with Hamas and did not include any explanation of the Islamist organization’s declared goal of eliminating Israel as a sovereign Jewish state. After these lapses were pointed out, the video was reedited to account for them.

Limbourg said those responsible for the initial version of the report had been “strongly admonished.” He emphasized that he viewed this latest incident with “particular regret because we have made tremendous efforts over the past year to educate the editorial staff on the issues of antisemitism and hatred of Israel.”

[underthewingsofthblackeagle]

The American news magazine described her as a 'musical force of nature' and praised her as 'both the writer and the hero of her own story'. Ms Swift is the first woman to be awarded the title twice. She also won in 2017.

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@matthewsblue :)

[a-captions-blog]

[Image descriptions: 1. Tweet by AJ+ @AJPlus [gold check verified] that says: Spain became the 1st country in Europe to offer paid menstrual leave, for 3-5 days. It also gave final approval to laws that: [bullet point] enshrine rights to abortion for people over 16 [bullet point] let trans people over 16 self-identify gender by simple declaration, one of the only places to do so [Attaced to the Tweet is a photo of a group of people with trans flags gathered on the steps of a building with large stone columns.] 2. A headline from DW that says: “Spain passes laws on trans rights, abortion, menstrual leave – DW.” The visible part of the article says, “The new laws expand transgender rights and abortion access, as well as give workers paid menstrual leave. The approval comes ahead of…” \End descriptions]

Yes, Spain!!!!

[kristinhelberg]

Talksendung DW Auf den Punkt 12.12.2024

(42´34 Min.)

[panicinthestudio]

Returning colonial looted art to its countries of origin, July 18, 2023

Colonial looted art is finally being returned to its countries of origin. But new problems lie ahead, as former colonies now fear the return of looted art may take the place of a comprehensive reparation for colonial crimes. The documentary shows how the return of looted art leads to new disputes. One example is Nigeria. In move that would’ve been considered unthinkable just a few years ago, Germany is returning a large part of the disputed Benin bronzes to Nigeria. For years, legal arguments had been made as to why the bronzes were "rightfully" in Germany despite colonial crimes. Now, however, a heightened awareness of post-colonialism moral obligations is increasingly determining action. But descendants of Nigerian slaves have criticized the terms of the return of the Benin bronzes. These cultural goods are being returned to Benin City - a center of the criminal slave trade. So is restitution being made to former perpetrators? Were too few descendants of those affected included in the restitution considerations? To whom exactly should the looted cultural treasures be returned? To nation states whose arbitrary borders are often themselves the result of colonialism? Or to the descendants of traditional cultures of origin within these states, who were once the victims of colonial encroachment? Debates about this have only just begun. What are the arguments in favor of art historian Bénédicte Savoy's "give it all back" demands? And is there merit to the warnings of ethnologist Brigitta Hauser-Schäublin, who says: "You are gambling away world heritage"? The shift in position on looted art also affects Europe. Poland and Germany, for example, are fighting over the precious manuscripts of the "Berlinka" collection in Krakow. The indigenous Samí people in the far north of Scandinavia also have justified claims for restitution - and not just to Berlin. Deutsche Welle

[mycstilleblog]

Nur die richtige Meinung ist frei. Von Danghong Zhang - Rezension

Das erste Mal, dass ich etwas über die am 1. Oktober 1949 gegründete Volksrepublik China erfahren habe, kann in der vierten oder fünften Klasse zu DDR-Zeiten in meiner Polytechnischen Oberschule gewesen sein. Und zwar in einer Geographiestunde. Die VR China war damals sehr arm. Ein Entwicklungsland. Nicht bewusst war uns Schülern damals, dass China ein Land mit tausenden von Jahren Geschichte und…

[indizombie]

Last year, the German government authorized arms exports worth a total of €326.5 ($355.3 million) to Israel. Of this amount, €20 million was earmarked for weapons of war while the remaining €306.3 million was reserved for defense equipment. According to media reports, the supplies include 3,000 portable anti-tank weapons, 500,000 rounds of ammunition for fully and semi-automatic firearms as well as other fuses and propellants. Much of the over €300 million was spent on armored vehicles, military trucks and safety glass. Until the fall of 2023, only €38.5 million worth of military exports to Israel had been approved in Germany. That figure rose sharply after October 7. In November, the Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control, which overseas arms exports, stated that as a consequence of the attack, "applications for the export of military equipment to Israel" would be decided upon according to priority. The share of weapons of war amounts to nearly 6% of the total volume — in 2022, it was 2%. As a result of the significant increase in arms exports from Germany to Israel, the latter now ranks seventh among the prime recipients of Germany military technology. Ukraine tops the list, receiving over €4 billion worth, while Norway and Hungary fall in second and third place respectively, both receiving over €1 billion.

Andreas Noll, ‘War in Gaza: Germany supplies 30% of Israel's arms imports’, Deutsche Welle

[totallyhussein-blog]

Outside of public opinion, DW explores the question of 'what conflict does to us'

The geopolitical effects of the 2003 war and invasion of Iraq can still be felt today, and they extend far beyond Iraq. The entire Middle East region was destabilized, creating a power vacuum in which terrorist organizations were able to take hold, including Al-Qaeda and the so-called "Islamic State" group.

But how are the people affected by this war faring today, when none of those responsible for starting the war were ever brought to justice? Over 41,000 people have now seen 'What Conflict Does to Us' by Deutsche Welle and it has gained over 200 comments. What do you think about the issues raised?

[adribosch-fan]

Maduro suspende vuelos con Panamá y República Dominicana por “injerencistas”

Estos son dos de los siete países a los que el gobierno venezolano les ordenó retirar a sus embajadores de Venezuela por actos “injerencistas” A partir del 31 de julio cancelan vuelos a Panamá y República Dominicana desde y hacia Venezuela. Crédito: Deutsche Welle El gobierno de Venezuela anunció la suspensión temporal a partir del 31 de julio, de los vuelos comerciales desde y hacia Panamá y…

[russianreader]

Julia Stakhivska: Books in the Firing Line in Ukraine

Julia Stakhivska After talking to relatives in Kharkiv, once again shelled by Russia, and hearing news of the missile strike on one of Ukraine’s largest printing plants, I touch the bindings of the books on my shelves. I think about how many of them were printed in that same city, now very much on the frontlines again. This time it was not only transport and urban infrastructure that were…