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Germany, Nigeria to sign accord on returning Benin Bronzes

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In order to facilitate the return of significant sculptures known as the Benin Bronzes that were stolen from Africa in the late 19th century, Germany is scheduled to sign an agreement in Nigeria on Friday.

In Europe and North America, ownership issues over items that were plundered during colonial periods have become a growing concern for governments and museums. The bas-relief Bronzes were among many other priceless artefacts that were taken from the Kingdom of Benin’s royal palace in 1897 by a British colonial force.

Many of Berlin’s institutions are governed by the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, which declared last year that it was starting official talks to restore items to its collection. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Culture Minister Claudia Roth, and their respective Ministers of State for Foreign Affairs Zubairo Dada and Lai Mohammed will all sign the agreement of understanding in Berlin.

Although the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation hopes to maintain some of the Bronzes on loan from Nigeria, the final details of the restitution have not yet been disclosed. Ten pieces of Benin Bronze were taken off display at the National Museum of African Art in Washington, D.C., last year, and the Smithsonian promised to return them to Nigeria. Talks on returning the items have already started in other museums.

Many of the items are still housed in the British Museum, which has defied requests to give them back.

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Germany accuses Russian gas giant Gazprom of inflating energy prices.

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Germany has accused Gazprom, the Russian state-owned gas company, of seeking to raise energy prices by drastically cutting supplies. Gazprom said it will limit gas exports to Germany to less than 70 million cubic metres per day, which is less than half the current rate.

It cited the need to service equipment in the Nord Stream pipeline as the reason. However, Germany’s economy minister, Robert Habeck, stated that it was a “political choice” rather than a technical one. “Clearly, it’s a plan to agitate the market and drive up prices.” On Tuesday, Gazprom said that the Nord Stream 1 gas flow would be reduced from 167 million to 100 million cubic metres per day, but on Wednesday, it was further reduced to 67 million cubic metres per day.

According to energy firm ENI, Gazprom cut its gas supplies to Italy by roughly 15% on Wednesday. Italy, like Germany, is significantly reliant on Russian gas, with 40 percent of its imports coming from Russia.

The action comes just two weeks after European Union leaders agreed to halt most Russian oil imports by the end of 2022 as retaliation for Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

After refusing a demand that “unfriendly countries” pay in Russian roubles, Russian natural gas supply to Poland, Bulgaria, Finland, Denmark, and the Netherlands were already halted.

The payment demand was interpreted as an attempt by Russia to bolster the rouble after it was battered by Western sanctions. Demand for roubles was projected to rise as foreign exchange demand increased, pushing up the currency’s value.

Mr. Habeck stated that Russia’s actions demonstrated that European countries must urgently eliminate their reliance on fossil fuels. Germany halted the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in February, just as Russia began its conflict in Ukraine. The minister said he would wait to see how the decision affected the European and German gas markets, but that suppliers had always been able to get gas elsewhere.

He added, “We don’t have a supply problem in Germany either.” “Gas will almost certainly be kept indefinitely.” In the last several days and weeks, we’ve made significant progress in this area.

“However, we’ll have to wait at least two or three days to obtain a complete picture of how things are progressing right now.”

On Wednesday, the EU and Israel and Egypt inked a framework deal aimed at increasing the amount of Israeli natural gas delivered to European countries.

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Berlin: One dead and others hurt as car drives into pedestrians

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A car slammed into a crowd on a busy Berlin street, killing at least one person and injuring eight others. It’s unclear whether the incident, which occurred around 10:30 a.m. local time (08:30 a.m. GMT), was intentional or unintentional, according to emergency officials.

The driver was arrested at the scene, according to a police spokesperson. The incident occurred in western Berlin, on one of the city’s busiest shopping streets. According to reports, the vehicle veered off the road and climbed the sidewalk before crashing into a storefront.

A silver Renault Clio crashed through a display window in a cosmetics store, according to images from the scene. There are also photos of what appears to be a body in the middle of the road, covered in blankets.

According to Berlin police, around 130 emergency workers are on the scene. Mayor Franziska Giffey of Berlin said on Twitter that she was “deeply affected” by the incident and that “police are working flat out to clarify the matter.”

“Throughout the day, I’ll get a sense of the situation on the ground. I’d like to express my gratitude to the more than 130 emergency services who responded quickly and provided care to those who were affected “she continued.

The actor John Barrowman tweeted that he was nearby when the incident occurred, and that the car had repeatedly mounted the footpath before crashing into the storefront, according to a video posted from the scene.

“The police presence is astounding. They’re removing the debris from the area “”, said the actor. “Right now, helicopters are flying in to airlift people.” The incident occurred near the busy intersection of Rankestrasse and Tauentzienstrasse in west Berlin.

The area is directly across from Breitscheidplatz, where a truck driver deliberately drove his lorry into a crowd of people at a Christmas market, killing 12 people.

The attack, which was carried out by an unsuccessful asylum seeker, was later claimed by IS. Italian police shot and killed the assailant later.

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Russia Ukraine War: In Kharkiv, a Holocaust survivor was killed by Russian shelling

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During a Russian attack on the eastern city of Kharkiv, a Ukrainian man who survived the Nazi Holocaust during WWII was killed. Boris Romantschenko, 96, died on Friday as a result of Russian shelling of his apartment block, according to relatives.

For more than three weeks, Russian forces have been shelling Kharkiv, which is only 30 miles (50 kilometres) from the Russian border. According to Ukrainian officials, at least 500 civilians have been killed there. One of the victims has been identified as a nine-year-old boy, according to police. Mr Romantschenko’s death has left the Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora Memorials Foundation “deeply disturbed.”

After being informed by his family, the organisation, of which Mr Romantschenko was vice-president, announced the news, saying he had “worked intensely on the memory of Nazi crimes.” “We are saddened by the death of a close friend. We send our heartfelt condolences to his son and granddaughter, who broke the sad news to us “The statement of the foundation has been added. Mr. Romantschenko’s death comes more than three weeks after Russian President Vladimir Putin attempted to justify his invasion by telling the Russian people that his goal was to “de-Nazify Ukraine.” These claims have been condemned by Western leaders, who have pointed out that Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, is Jewish.

Mr. Romantschenko was born on January 20, 1926, in the north-eastern city of Bondari. Following the invasion of the Soviet Union, he was apprehended by Nazi troops and deported to Germany in 1942, where he was forced to work as a slave, according to the foundation. Following a failed escape attempt in 1943, he was sent to the Buchenwald concentration camp, where 56,545 people were murdered before the allies liberated the camp in 1945.

He was also stationed in the Mittelbau-Dora subcamp, as well as the notorious Bergen Belsen and Peenemünde camps.

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Covid: Unvaccinated People Subjected to Severe Limitations in Germany

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In order to ward off the fourth wave of Covid-19, Germany’s national and regional officials have agreed to ban unvaccinated people from much of public life.

The far-reaching measures were described by outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel as an act of “national solidarity.” In restaurants, cinemas, leisure facilities, and many businesses, only people who have been vaccinated or who have just recovered from Covid will be permitted.

Vaccinations could be made compulsory by February, according to the chancellor. The fourth wave of Covid in Germany is the most devastating so far, with 388 deaths in the last 24 hours.

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Germany: Pro-migrant politician’s murderer awarded life imprisonment

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A German court has awarded life imprisonment to a far-right leader who has been found guilty for the murder of a pro-migrant politician.

It is the first far-rightist murder crime that has been registered in the country since the year 1920.

The court has also given a punishment to another person in connection with the case. He has been awarded a suspended sentence in the case.

The development has triggered a serious discussion around the subject in the social media platforms.

The European country of Germany is struggling to cope with the rising strength of the far-rightist politics.

The rise of far-rightist politics is not just a German issue, but it is also a serious issue in the entire Europe.

Germany is a very powerful country. Once it was very close to the far-rightist ideology. But, the Second World War overturned the country’s attachment towards the ideology. Adolf Hitler was the last powerful proponent of the ideology. The contribution of this ideology towards the Second World War was very high. In a sense, this ideology was the one which fuelled the war, which brought havoc to the continent of Europe.

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German doctor jailed for blood doping

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A German doctor has been jailed in connection with a controversial blood doping case. He has bee found to have helped many athletes to cheat in their games. The majority of his clients were skiers.

A German court has awarded a serious punishment of five-year imprisonment to the German doctor, whose involvement in the case has been proved by the court.

A huge fine has also been imposed over the culprit. The court has also suspended his medical practice license.

The incident has sent shock waves across the sports world. He has triggered a serious discussion across the world.

It has triggered a serious discussion in the social media platform.

The incident has severely damaged the image of the European country of Germany, which is home to several talented athletes.

Germany is a very powerful country in terms of sports. It has several times stunned several reputed sports competitions with their performance.

Due to certain legal reasons, the German government has not yet released the clear identity of the doctor who has been punished by the German court.   

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Europe’s changing political landscape

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The continent of Europe, which is one of the most developed continents in the world, is at present dominated by the multilateral organisation of the European Union, which is led by the United Kingdom, Germany and France.

Russia is one of the prime rebels in the region. The country is not in a good relation with the rest of the countries in the continent.

Still, the country is not a supreme force compared to the European Union. The majority of the countries in the region is under the influence of the multilateral organisation.

It is a crucial juncture. The future of the EU is not bright at this moment. The Brexit, the exit of the UK from the European Union, is expected to reduce the strength of the multilateral organisation.

The steadily increasing influence of Russia over the Europe is also a serious threat for the future of the European Union’s influence over the continent.

In a sense, the US is responsible for the steady decline of the EU’s influence over the continent of Europe.

The Donald Trump-led United States have pulled the country away from the Europe, ignoring the commitment the country has to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

Anyway, the changed political scenario in the US is seen as a game changer. It may reverse the trend.

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German cultural groups denounce anti-BDS resolution

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A group of cultural groups based in Germany and Austria has denounced the anti-BDS resolution, which was introduced in the German parliament few months ago to prevent the anti-Israel movement.

The group has termed the resolution as an attempt to threaten the right to speech and expression.

The BDS movement, which is also called the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, aims to force Israel to change its attitude towards the people of Palestine.

The development has opened up a serious discussion around the matter.

The BDS movement is very active at this junction. The movement has a good support base in Germany and Austria.

The movement requests the countries to boycott, divest and sanction Israel until the Middle East country respects its obligation towards Palestine.

The German government has not yet commended on the issue. It is less likely to relook the resolution it has presented. It is important to address the anti-BDS resolution. It is unfortunate that the German government has passed the law.

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Germany suspends police officials over far-rightist contest

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The European country of Germany, struggling to overcome the threat of far-rightist politics, has suspended as many as eight police officials.

It is not the first time that the German government has taken a strict action to weed out far rightist elements from its police service.

The suspended officials are accused of participating in online discussions supporting far-rightist politics.

Far-rightist politics is the biggest threat the European country is facing at this juncture.

Not only Germany, both also the entire Europe has witnessed the rise of far-rightist politics.

It is feared that the rise of this politics sweeps away the understanding between European countries nourished by the powerful multilateral organisation of European Union.

Germany is the most powerful country in the European Union. It is not wrong to assume that Germany is the backbone of the union.

The rise of far-rightist politics in Germany, in that sense, is definitely a serious threat to the future of the unity of the European Union.

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