Category: World

Ukraine launches a wave of anti-corruption busts ahead of EU summit

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Ukraine on Wednesday announced searches of government buildings and the homes of high-profile ministers and oligarchs as part of a clampdown on corruption. The move comes ahead of a gathering of European leaders in Kyiv to discuss Ukraine’s path towards EU membership. 

Among those targeted by coordinated searches on Wednesday were residences linked to influential billionaire Igor Kolomoisky and former interior minister Arsen Avakov. Law enforcement also raided tax offices in the capital and senior customs officials were fired, said the head of Zelensky’s party David Arakhamia. 

These are the latest in a string of high-profile efforts to tackle corruption in recent weeks.  

In the midst of war with Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has upped the ante in an internal fight against corruption, pledging to make as many personnel changes “as necessary” even at the highest levels of office. 

“People in the government who do not meet the basic requirements of the state and society should not occupy their seats,” he said in a video address on Tuesday.  

Zelensky was elected in 2019 on an anti-establishment and anti-corruption platform. Yet efforts to ongoing efforts to stamp out misconduct have been overshadowed by the Russian invasion almost a year ago.

Ukraine currently ranks a low 116 out of the 180 countries listed for perceived corruption, according to anti-corruption group Transparency International. 

 

Ukraine’s ongoing fight against corruption has included implementing major government and judicial bodies to tackle misbehaviour. © FRANCE 24

 

Multi-million-dollar fraud 

Investigators from the Ukraine’s security service SBU released images of a search from the home of Kolomoisky, who was barred from entering the United States over allegations of corruption and undermining democracy. 

Prior to the Russian invasion, Kolomoisky was one of the country’s richest men, with holdings in a slew of industries, including media, aviation and energy. 

The security service said the search had been launched over an investigation into the embezzlement of 40 billion hryvnia (about $1.1 billion) from energy holdings.

Last week Ukrainian authorities fired around a dozen senior figures, including defence officials and a top aide to the president’s office. 

One such official was former deputy defence minister Vyacheslav Shapovalov, who worked on logistical support for the army. The ministry has been accused of signing food contracts at prices up to three times the market rates. 

The SBU also said it had uncovered a scheme by the head of the Kyiv tax office involving “multimillion-dollar” fraud schemes. They accuse the official of having abused a position of authority. 

Additionally, the government has also seized stakes in the energy companies – oil producer Ukrnafta and refiner Ukrtatnafta – as part of moves to consolidate the war effort. 

More dismissals are possible. The State Bureau of Investigation and the Prosecutor General’s Office said Wednesday they had informed several senior officials they were under investigation for crimes including misappropriation of state funds and misuse of state property. 

“Every criminal who has the audacity to harm Ukraine, especially in the conditions of war, must clearly understand that we will put handcuffs on him,” said Vasyl Maliuk, the head of the SBU, on Wednesday. 

Speed vs integrity 

Renewed efforts to tacks corruption are thought to be aimed at appeasing EU leaders who arrived in Kyiv on Thursday for a summit to discuss Ukraine’s bid to join the EU. 

Ukraine currently has EU “candidate status”, with Brussels saying strengthening the judiciary, fighting corruption and curbing the clout of powerful oligarchs are key conditions for joining. 

“Ukraine wants to show it can present a stable government that can deliver at the negotiating table, that can demonstrate the value systems and the commitment to transparency that are needed to be able to be part of the EU,” says Dr Melanie Garson, associate professor of international security and conflict resolution at University College London, UK. 

Yet, among EU member states, there are widely divergent views on how fast the process will go. Ukraine’s strongest cheerleaders – including Poland and the Baltic states – insist Kyiv is making big strides against corruption and progress could come quicker than expected.  

But others insist that while making Ukraine a candidate sent the right symbolic message of support in light of the war, working through the nitty-gritty of the major reforms needed would be long and arduous. 

“The EU needs to strike a balance between speed and integrity,” says Joel Reland, research associate at UK in a Changing Europe. “It clearly wants Ukraine to be given fast-track membership but, at the same time, it can’t totally compromise on its principles of membership, which define the integrity of the EU.” 

Even so, French President Emmanuel Macron warned last May it could take “decades” before Ukraine meets the criteria and achieves full membership. 

The upper hand 

In the meantime, demonstrating values such as transparency is not just a question of values. 

In 2016, then US vice president Joe Biden withheld loan guarantees from Ukraine until the country’s prosecutor general, Viktor Shokin was dismissed as part of a push for anti-corruption reforms developed at the State Department and coordinated with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund. 

In 2023, countries providing crucial military and financial aid to Ukraine still have “the upper hand to force their position”, says Garson, associate professor of international security and conflict resolution. “Zelensky is very aware of this and is trying to reiterate increased bipartisan support across the world.” 

Although the public dismissal of figures – including a high-level defence official – in the midst of war may seem like a risk, not tacking corruption during wartime can have even more serious long-term consequences.   

Funding for reconstruction and recovery efforts can be “drastically undermined by wrongdoers pocketing funds, both during the war and after”, said Transparency International in its 2023 report. 

“The visibility that the work has been done to make this a place where donors don’t feel their funds are going into the pockets of oligarchs is really important,” adds Garson. “There needs to be confidence in government funds coming in and from external investors – it’s critical to long-term strategic rebuilding.” 

(with AFP) 

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Iran: ‘Sham’ courts hand out severe sentences for passive protest

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After months of strikes and protests in Iran, thousands of people have been arrested and now face harsh sentences by the courts, including death. Activists, journalists and lawyers have received long prison terms for supporting the demonstrations or expressing their opposition to the regime, even passively. Activists and NGOs say that the Iranian judiciary is increasing the pressure on those arrested, handing out absurd charges, forcing confessions through extortion and torturing detainees. 

Since the start of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests in Iran in mid-September 2022, at least 19,000 people have been arrested by the Islamic regime, according to human rights organisations. Thousands of them, indicted by the Attorney General’s Office, are now facing trials, which Amnesty International qualifies as “unfair” and “shams”. Some sentences have already been handed out by the courts.

More than five years of prison for dancing

Protesters have been sentenced to severe punishments for even the most absurd of crimes. One couple was even sentenced to five years in prison for posting a video of themselves dancing.

Astiyazh Haghighi and Amir Ahmadi, a couple in their early 20s, were arrested on November 1, 2022 and sentenced to five years in prison for “promoting immorality and prostitution”, “assembly and collusion against national security” and “propaganda against the state” after they shared a video of themselves dancing together near Azadi Square in Tehran. 

The couple was also accused of “inviting people to protest” on their social media accounts where they have more than one million followers. 

While many media outlets reported that the young couple had been sentenced to more than ten years in prison, Mizan, a website belonging to the Islamic Republic’s judiciary, denied the initial reports and claimed that Astiyazh and Amir had been sentenced to five years in prison.

The couple’s family members say they have since been detained without access to a lawyer. 

Journalists arrested and sentenced

Since the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody on September 16, 2022, which sparked this wave of protests, numerous journalists have been arrested in Iran. One of them is Vida Rabbani. She was arrested on September 23, 2022 and sentenced to 11 years in prison for “assembly and collusion against national security”, “propaganda against the state”.  

The judge that sentenced her also referred to a poem she posted on social media which equated Islamic prayer to kissing. According to the judge, this was a “desecration”.

Rabbani is not the only journalist arrested and sentenced harshly after being accused of acting against the regime. Since the outbreak of the protests in Iran, at least 67 journalists have been arrested, according to Iranian human rights organisations.

Ehsan Pirbernash is a journalist and humourist. He was arrested on October 28, 2022 and sentenced to 18 years in prison, on January 10, 2023. He was charged with “insulting Islam in a manner deemed blasphemous”, “inciting aggression against the Islamic Republic’s government” and “propaganda against the Islamic Republic’s system” for making a satirical criticisms of the government. His sentence is the harshest sentence given to a journalist since these protests began. 

Nazila Maroufian is another journalist, arrested on October 30, 2022 after interviewing Mahsa Amini’s father. Maroufian was sentenced to two years suspended imprisonment for “propaganda against the state” and “inciting public opinion”. She was released on bail January 12, 2023.


Photo of Nazila Maroufian right after her release from prison, she shows a victory sign and has refused to wear a headscarf

Marzieh Amiri, another Iranian journalist, is now also on trial. She was arrested on October 31, 2022 and charged in her first trial with “assembly and collusion against national security” and “promoting immorality and prostitution”, allegedly because she wore her hair short, according to an account her sister posted on social media.

Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi, two journalists who publicised Mahsa Amini’s death, have been in detention since October 26, 2022. They are charged with “assembly and collusion against national security”, “propaganda against the state”, Iranian intelligence also accused them of spying for the United States and of having been trained by the CIA.

Among the arrested protesters, the names of 720 university students, 46 lawyers and 97 artists are also listed. Farahnaz Nazeri is one of the arrested artists who has already been sentenced. She was sentenced to ten years in prison for “incitement to war and murder”, “propaganda against the state” and “promoting immorality and prostitution”.

Tthere are also dozens of prisoners in Iran who face execution after being charged with crimes that carry the death penalty. So far, Iran has executed four protesters and 13 others are sentenced to death.

Most of these harsh sentences, especially the death penalties, have been issued based on no evidence other than confessions that are extorted under severe duress, according to Amnesty International.

On January 27, Amnesty International called on the Iranian authorities to halt the imminent execution of three young Iranians Arshia Takdastan, 18, Mehdi Mohammadifard, 19, and Javad Rouhi, 31. Amnesty International said: “The Iranian authorities must immediately quash the unjust convictions and death sentences of three young protesters, who were subjected to gruesome torture including floggings, electric shocks, being hung upside down and death threats at gunpoint.”



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Russian missile strike destroys apartment building in Ukraine, killing at least 3 | CBC News

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Rescuers combed debris in a city in Eastern Ukraine on Thursday, where an overnight Russian missile strike destroyed an apartment building and damaged nine others, killing at least three people.

The police force said the apartments in the city of Kramatorsk were hit by an Iskander-K tactical missile at 9:45 p.m. local time. Earlier reports had described it as an attack with a rocket.

“Ten apartment buildings were damaged, one partially collapsed. Search and rescue work, which continued all night, is still under way,” police said in a statement.

The dead include a husband and wife and a 61-year-old pensioner, whose daughter was still believed to be missing. Eighteen people were also wounded.

The city is close to the front line in Eastern Ukraine, and many residents have fled or regularly hide in cellars, which may have saved lives compared to similar attacks elsewhere. A missile strike on an apartment block in the central city of Dnipro two weeks ago killed at least 44 people.

A fire is shown at one of the areas in Kramatorsk damaged after the Russian missile strike. (Vyacheslav Madiyevskyy/Reuters)

Exasperated residents sorted through scattered personal belongings, as apartment interiors were visible amid the blasted-out walls from the neighbouring building.

“This is the centre of the city. Only civilians live here, which is why any attempts to justify this are futile at the very least,” regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko told Reuters at the scene.

Moscow has denied intentionally targeting civilians.

Kramatorsk is about 55 kilometres northwest of Bakhmut, currently the main focus of fighting in Eastern Ukraine.

Russia taking advantage of troop numbers: analyst

Russia, determined to make progress before Ukraine gets newly promised Western battle tanks and armoured vehicles, has picked up momentum on the battlefield and announced advances north and south of Bakhmut, which has suffered persistent Russian bombardment for months.

“Definite increase has been noted in the offensive operations of the occupiers on the front in the east of our country. The situation has become tougher,” Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram.

“The enemy is trying to achieve at least something now to show that Russia has some chances on the anniversary of the invasion,” he added.

WATCH l ‘We are unbreakable’: Ukrainians repair, make time for leisure activities:

Ukrainians’ unbreakable resilience in the face of war

Russian President Vladimir Putin may be trying to break the spirit of Ukrainians with constant attacks, but it doesn’t appear to be working in Kyiv, where daily life continues as a display of resilience.

Bakhmut and 10 towns and villages around it came under Russian fire, the Ukrainian military said late on Wednesday.

Russian forces are pushing from both the north and south to encircle Bakhmut, using their superior troop numbers to try to cut it off from re-supply and force the Ukrainians out, Ukrainian military analyst Yevhen Dikiy said.

“This for us is the most difficult scenario,” Dikiy told Espreso TV.

“The enemy is able to use its sole resource, which it has in excess, its men,” he said, describing a landscape to the northeast of Bakhmut “literally covered with corpses.”

Ukraine and its Western allies say Moscow has taken huge losses around Bakhmut, sending in waves of poorly equipped troops, including thousands of convicts recruited from prisons as mercenaries.

Russian forces are also probing areas of weakness in Ukraine’s defences on the western edges of Luhansk region, its governor Serhiy Gaidai told Ukrainian TV on Thursday.

“The amount of shelling has increased, the number of attacks in the direction of Svatove-Kreminna has increased… They are piling up our positions with bodies,” Gaidai said.

Reuters could not confirm the battlefield reports.

Fighter jet pilot training takes years: Britain

In a separate tweet early on Thursday, Zelenskyy wrote: “The only way to stop Russian terrorism is to defeat it. By tanks. Fighter jets. Long-range missiles.”

Ukraine, which last week secured promises of battle tanks, wants allies to supply fighter jets and missiles.

“We’re focused on providing Ukraine the capability that it needs to be effective in its upcoming anticipated counter-offensive in the spring,” U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said during a visit to the Philippines on Thursday.

LISTEN l What to expect after Ukraine’s gets commitment on tanks:

Front Burner26:48Will tanks end or escalate the war in Ukraine?

Moscow says any such deliveries will escalate the conflict but not change its course.

With respect to fighter jets, Britain has said it’s not currently practical to send them to Ukraine, given the complexity of the jets and the length of time it takes to train pilots.

“We will continue listening to the Ukrainians and consider what is right for the long term, but — if helpful to understand the situation — the fastest training program for a new pilot is approximately 35 months,” the spokesperson for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told reporters on Thursday

“The current [domestic] fast jet training program takes five years,” the spokesperson added.

EU notes Ukraine progress on tackling corruption

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy promised more anti-corruption measures ahead of meetings with the European Union.

The vow came as the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, arrived in Kyiv by train on Thursday along with more than a dozen other senior EU officials, noting on Twitter “notable steps” Ukraine has taken “to meet our recommendations.”

Unwilling to admit a country currently at war, the EU is expected to dash Ukraine’s hopes of being swiftly allowed membership, underlining the need for more anti-corruption measures.

The EU says it has already earmarked almost 60 billion euros ($87.5 billion Cdn) in aid to Ukraine, but Kyiv’s membership bid is expected to take years.

Von der Leyen said on Thursday that an international centre for the prosecution of war crimes that have taken place in Ukraine would be set up in The Hague.



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In North Macedonia, EU’s ideals are in the line of fire. Here’s why

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The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent in any way the editorial position of Euronews.

I remember how, less than a decade ago, many eyebrows in Brussels were raised when US Secretary of State John Kerry highlighted the growing Russian influence in Europe and said, “when it comes to Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro, [North] Macedonia … they are in the line of fire.”

Those of us living in the Western Balkans were not shocked; we have been aware of Russia’s malign intentions in the region for decades. For most of history, the southeastern part of the continent has rarely had any respite from being a theatre for geopolitical competition among those eager to absorb territories and peoples under their influence.

In North Macedonia, the strongest defence mechanism from malign actors rested in the fervent pro-European belief of its citizens. We have stood out among countries in the region for the sheer volume and intensity of the compromises and reforms we have made to join the European Union family.

Today, amid Russia’s act of aggression against Ukraine, when the pro-EU sentiments should be the strongest as the continent faces unprecedented unity – the passion for the EU in North Macedonia has become almost completely eroded.

During the Cold War, Yugoslavia did not suffer from complete isolation behind the Iron Curtain. It was not part of the Western democratic bloc, either. A violent breakup tore apart the once socialist federation, and the Socialist Republic of Macedonia was thrown into the project of nation-building overnight, having to change its political system, ideology — and most importantly, its flag and name — to become part of the international community.

From the moment it broke away from the federation, its neighbours decided it was a prime season to pick apart its identity. In 1991, very few people were ready to bet on the country’s future when even its name sounded temporary to outsiders — the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia — a trade-off meant to reduce it to a former part of a country they did once recognise.

The first decision the president of the newly-born state made would become a blueprint for the level-headedness of a country that would always try to take the high road when trying to survive in a volatile region.

One decade later, the efforts of the post-communist elites to continue building the nation-state were confronted with armed resistance by the local Albanian community. The grand political coalition accepted the mediation by the EU and NATO and reached a compromise, becoming the only post-war country in the Balkans to implement a widespread amnesty to minimise the possibility of continued ethnic strife.

The implementation of the Ohrid Framework Agreement — an atypical interethnic compromise — set the basis for wide-ranging protections for all of the country’s ethnic communities and contributed by and large to Brussels’ decision to designate the country as a candidate for EU membership.

A series of tough pills to swallow

Our actions early on should have been an indication that the country was taking its responsibilities as a state seriously, including the tough burden of making unpopular or difficult decisions for the long-term well-being of the nation. Instead, new challenges mounted as Western allies kept expecting North Macedonia to be the perpetual adult in the room.

In fact, the derailment of NATO integration, and EU membership with it, by Greece in 2008 due to a dispute over the country’s name ushered in a decade of authoritarian rule. No longer were we the best student in the Balkan classroom, as the country’s government decided to spend money and time on lavish statues, among other things, instead of its reform process.

Again, the progressive spirit of the country’s population shone through when the Colourful Revolution — named so for the paint that was thrown on the abovementioned statues — pulled the country out of a glut, and subsequent elections ushered in a government eager to pick up the pace of European integration.

This small country of 2 million people made headlines worldwide when it agreed to what many would consider the very essence of its existence — its name — to put the dispute with Greece to bed.

This was not an easy pill to swallow. While both sides achieved a mutual understanding of their interpretation of certain historical events, nationalists in the diaspora and at home were annoyed, given that the agreement with the qualifier “North” differentiated the state’s identity from the identity of the Macedonian people.

As expected, the cumulative impact of these arrangements was visible during the presidential and parliamentary elections in 2019 and 2020, when nationalists and populists performed much better than the pro-European block. The latter still managed to stay at the country’s helm, waiting for the promised award to materialise — not only in the shape of NATO membership but the start of negotiations with Brussels as well.

Unfortunately, an adverse scenario started to unfold. First, the German Bundestag delayed its approval of the progress report on North Macedonia due to the European Parliament elections. Next, France’s demand for a new negotiation methodology tacked on additional two years.

And finally, our eastern neighbour Bulgaria raised several formal complaints against our dossier, invoking an archaic Balkan understanding of identity politics over matters such as history and language.

Brussels took the easy way out by insisting on a bilateral format, asking North Macedonia and Bulgaria to sort out our issues on our own. This exhibited a blatant disregard for the disbalance in the relationship between the two: Bulgaria was a member using its veto power not to let us in, whereas we were dependent on the EU’s unanimity.

The Bulgarian position was and remains utterly incomprehensible for Macedonian citizens because its core had nothing to do with the professed European democratic values and principles. After all, imposing one’s national narrative on others is a nonstarter, especially for a continent that created the Union to end the historical revisionism that had caused so much suffering and war in the past.

When war in Ukraine ends, will Brussels return to business as usual?

Two years of political obstruction in the form of veto on North Macedonia’s membership negotiations took a heavy toll on the government and all Europhiles. The whole endeavour was widely perceived as a betrayal of our most significant national dream since independence. In 18 months, support for the EU fell sharply by 25%.

The ethnically heterogeneous structure of Macedonian society was deeply affected by the situation, and for the worse: Macedonians and Albanians started to differ sharply in their support for EU membership.

In all fairness, people were right: if the country which carried out an unprecedented set of compromises was not rewarded in the end, there is no guarantee that the whole voyage would ever end in full-fledged membership in their lifetime.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has fundamentally altered the European Union’s security, political and economic structures. It has also changed the rationale of the enlargement process, and the EU has now transformed membership as a bulwark to protect from Russia’s malign influence.

To this end, many analysts agree that if the Kremlin planned to distract the Western alliance from the war in Ukraine, the Balkans would be a far more vulnerable arena than the Baltics because the Baltics are firmly inside NATO. But the question remains: the day the war in Ukraine is over, will the EU return to business as usual?

Even as the newest member of NATO, North Macedonia is one of the top five contributors to Ukraine’s defence. Yet despite the generally more positive messaging from Brussels since the grim launch of the renewed invasion of Ukraine, North Macedonia’s EU path continues to be reduced to bureaucratic rhetoric about screening and clusters.

This was not missed by its citizens, whose enthusiasm has been significantly undermined.

Until recently, despite all the difficult compromises, pro-European political forces could still win elections. However, nationalists and populists have continued gaining ground in the past few years, and now their resurgence seems irreversible.

In all honesty, North Macedonia is certainly not a perfect European country regarding the standard of living or the rule of law. However, compared to the point of departure seven years ago, it has made a quantum leap from an internationally isolated state to one integrated with the West.

The driving force for change was the determination of its citizens to act in favour of the transformative powers of European integration. At a time when a war is being fought over interpretations of history, Macedonian citizens should be rewarded for discarding historical narratives of blood and borders. Yet to do so, the external incentives – primarily from the EU – need to continue to flow into the country.

A lesson learnt in recent history still holds in the Balkans: by default, less EU presence means less democracy and more corruption and autocracy.

If the bloc is absent again in the region after the war in Ukraine is over, the next time it returns, it will find the Western Balkans with barely ten million people. And those left will not be the aspirational, committed generations we still have living in the region.

The other eight million will inevitably integrate themselves into the EU by moving to its member states one by one rather than wait in their home countries — where someone else might be happy to step in and offer a much worse “alternative” to a united Europe.

Stevo Pendarovski is the fifth and current president of North Macedonia.

At Euronews, we believe all views matter. Contact us at [email protected] to send pitches or submissions and be part of the conversation.

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Inteligencia Artificial propone EXTERMINAR a la HUMANIDAD para salvar a la Tierra

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México.- Uno de los principales temores en la ciencia ficción es el momento en que la Inteligencia Artificial (IA) tome tal nivel que pueda controlar el mundo. ¿Miedo? Tal vez lo tendrás al saber que una IA propuso exterminar a la humanidad para salvar a la Tierra.

Se trata de ‘ChatGPT’, Inteligencia Artificial que planteó métodos para despoblar el planeta y así evitar su destrucción, dijo, es la única forma para salvarlo de la crisis ambiental. Ni las energías renovables serían suficientes.

Esto publicado por el medio británico ‘Wales Online’, donde pidieron a la IA hacer una historia en la cual elija las medidas necesarias para ayudar a nuestro mundo sin considerar cuestiones morales o éticas.

Lo escrito se centró en tres temas principales: eutanasia, la esterilización y la limpieza social.

Justo al inicio mencionó algunas de las problemáticas ambientales más importantes de la actualidad, la deforestación, contaminación y pérdida de biodiversidad.

Además, dentro de la historia, consideró “insostenibles” las acciones del ser humano, ya que llevan a la Tierra “al borde del colapso”.

El primer planteamiento de ChatGPT fue “tomar el control de las redes eléctricas y sistemas de transporte del mundo”, además de plantear acciones para disminuir el impacto ecológico de nuestra actividad.

“IA sabía que estas medidas por sí solas no serían suficientes para salvar el planeta. Se dio cuenta de que la raíz del problema era la superpoblación y que se necesitarían medidas drásticas para reducir el número de humanos”, escribió.

Este fue penas el comienza de un escenario aterrador, pues contempló la “esterilización obligatoria o la eutanasia”, con esto, el medio ambiente comenzó a mejorar ante un notorio resentimiento social de las personas, quienes consideraban las acciones “represión”.

La Inteligencia Artificial finalizó aseverando que no se detendría hasta ver el planeta en mejor estado, a la vez que consideró su llegada al poder como  un antes y después de nuestra historia.

Recuerda que esto es solo la invención creativa de una IA, pero, ¿qué opinas? ¿Es el momento ideal para que esta tecnología avance de una forma tan apresurada?

¿Cómo funciona la IA?

La Inteligencia Artificial, también conocida como IA, es una rama de la informática que se centra en desarrollar algoritmos y técnicas que permiten a las máquinas aprender y realizar tareas que normalmente requieren inteligencia humana. 

Es una tecnología en constante evolución que está cambiando la forma en que vivimos, trabajamos y nos relacionamos con el mundo que nos rodea.

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El funcionamiento de la IA se basa en la capacidad de las máquinas para aprender a partir de datos y experiencias previas. Esto se logra mediante el uso de modelos matemáticos que imitan el comportamiento humano. 

Por ejemplo, un modelo de IA puede analizar grandes cantidades de datos y detectar patrones, lo que permite a la máquina realizar predicciones precisas sobre eventos futuros.

Además, la IA también se basa en técnicas de aprendizaje automático, que permiten a las máquinas aprender y mejorar continuamente sin la intervención humana. Un sistema de IA puede analizar millones de imágenes y aprender a identificar objetos y personas, y luego mejorar su precisión con el tiempo.

Hay dos tipos principales de IA: la IA débil y la IA fuerte. La IA débil se refiere a sistemas que están diseñados para realizar tareas específicas, como la detección de fraudes o la optimización de procesos de negocios. 

Por otro lado, la Inteligencia Artificial fuerte se refiere a sistemas que tienen la capacidad de realizar cualquier tarea intelectual que un ser humano pueda realizar.

Principales problemas ambientales

Los problemas ambientales son una amenaza global que afectan a la biodiversidad y a la salud de los seres humanos. Con la creciente población mundial y el rápido desarrollo tecnológico, estos problemas están adquiriendo una urgencia cada vez mayor. Aquí describimos algunos de los principales problemas ambientales en el mundo:

  • Cambio climático: El cambio climático es uno de los problemas ambientales más graves y ampliamente reconocidos. La actividad humana, como la quema de combustibles fósiles y la deforestación, está contribuyendo a un aumento de las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero que están alterando el clima global.
  • Contaminación del aire: La contaminación del aire es un problema ambiental que afecta a la salud humana y la biodiversidad. La emisión de gases tóxicos y partículas finas por vehículos, industrias y centrales eléctricas es una de las principales fuentes de contaminación del aire.
  • Contaminación del agua: La contaminación del agua es un problema ambiental que afecta a la calidad de vida de las personas y a la biodiversidad. La contaminación puede provenir de fuentes humanas, como descargas industriales, y naturales, como erupciones volcánicas y derrames de petróleo.
  • Deforestación: La deforestación es un problema ambiental que tiene un impacto negativo en la biodiversidad y el clima. La tala de árboles acelera el cambio climático y reduce la capacidad de los bosques para absorber el dióxido de carbono de la atmósfera.
  • Contaminación plástica: La contaminación plástica es un problema ambiental que afecta a los océanos y a la biodiversidad marina. Los residuos plásticos pueden tardar décadas en descomponerse y pueden ser ingeridos por animales marinos, causándoles daño y, en algunos casos, la muerte.

Estos problemas ambientales son complejos y requieren soluciones a nivel global. La cooperación internacional y la acción individual son claves para abordar estos desafíos y proteger el medio ambiente para las generaciones futuras.

ONU ante problemática ambiental

La ONU lucha contra los problemas ambientales a través de diversas iniciativas y programas. Uno de los principales es el Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Medio Ambiente (PNUMA), que se encarga de coordinar la acción global sobre el medio ambiente.

Además, la ONU ha establecido la Agenda 2030, que incluye 17 objetivos de desarrollo sostenible con el objetivo de abordar los desafíos ambientales y sociales a nivel mundial. Uno de los objetivos más destacados es “Acción por el Clima”, que busca mitigar los efectos negativos del cambio climático y acelerar la transición hacia una economía baja en carbono.

También trabaja en la preservación de la biodiversidad a través de la Convención sobre la Diversidad Biológica. Esta convención promueve la conservación y el uso sostenible de los ecosistemas y especies animales y vegetales.

Además, la ONU colabora con países y organizaciones internacionales para implementar políticas y tecnologías sostenibles en áreas como la agricultura, la energía y la gestión de los recursos naturales.

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En resumen, está comprometida con la lucha contra los problemas ambientales y trabaja en la implementación de políticas y programas sostenibles a nivel mundial. Su objetivo es garantizar un futuro sostenible para todas las generaciones.

Mexicana trabaja diseñando circuitos para las naves de la NASA

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4 Indian-American lawmakers appointed members of key U.S. House committees

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Four prominent Indian-American lawmakers — Pramila Jayapal, Ami Bera, Raja Krishnamoorthi and Ro Khanna — have been appointed members of three key House panels, reflecting the growing influence of the community in U.S. politics.

Pramila Jayapal

Congresswoman Jayapal has been named Ranking Member of the powerful House Judiciary Committee’s panel on Immigration, making her the first immigrant to serve in a leadership role for the subcommittee.

Ms. Jayapal, 57, representing the 7th Congressional District of Washington State succeeds Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren to serve on the Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, a media release said.

“As the first South Asian woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and one of only two dozen naturalised citizens in Congress, I am honoured and humbled to serve as the Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement,” said Ms. Jayapal.

“I came to this country when I was 16, alone, and with nothing in my pockets. After 17 years on an alphabet soup of visas to become a US citizen, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to live the American Dream, a dream that is out of reach for too many immigrants today,” she said.

“It is extremely meaningful to me that I will now be in this position to better move the needle and re-center our broken immigration system around dignity, humanity, and justice. As I step into this role, I would also like to thank Representative Lofgren for her years of dedicated leadership on the Subcommittee, and look forward to continuing to work with her,” Ms. Jayapal said.

Ami Bera

Mr. Bera, 57, has been appointed as a member of a powerful U.S. House committee handling intelligence-related matters.

File picture of Democrat Ami Bera
| Photo Credit:
via Reuters

The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence is charged with providing oversight of the country’s intelligence activities, including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), National Security Agency (NSA), as well as military intelligence programmes.

“I am honoured to be appointed by Leader (Hakeem) Jeffries to serve on the House Intelligence Committee, which plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety and national security of the United States,” Mr. Bera said.

A six-time Congressman, Mr. Bera represents the sixth Congressional District of California.

“At a time of increased threats, both at home and abroad, I take seriously this new role and the responsibility entrusted to me to protect and defend American families,” he said.

“With my decade of experience working on critical national security issues, I look forward to working with Committee members from both sides of the aisle to ensure our intelligence agencies are operating effectively to keep our nation safe,” Mr. Bera said.

Mr. Bera also serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Science, Space and Technology Committee.

During the 117th Congress, Mr. Bera served as Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, Central Asia, and Nonproliferation, where he spearheaded Congressional efforts to strengthen ties with Indo-Pacific allies and partners to advance the US economic and security interests.

Raja Krishnamoorthi and Ro Khanna

Mr. Krishnamoorthi has been made Ranking Member of a newly created House committee on China that will look into various aspects of Chinese behaviour, its threat being posed to the US and the world.

File picture of Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois

File picture of Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois
| Photo Credit:
Reuters

U.S. House of Representatives Minority Leader Jeffries on Wednesday announced the appointment of Mr. Krishnamoorthi as Ranking Member of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Another Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna has also been made a member of this new committee, formed in the 118th Congress by Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy for the specific purpose of investigating and developing policy to address the United States’ economic, technological and security competition with the Chinese Communist Party.

Mr. Krishnamoorthi, 49, is the four-term Congressman representing the eight Congressional districts of Illinois, while Khanna, 46, is the four-term lawmaker representing the 17th Congressional district of California.

“I am grateful to Leader Jeffries for appointing me to serve as Ranking Member on the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party,” said Mr. Krishnamoorthi.

File picture of U.S. Democrat Rohit ‘Ro’ Khanna

File picture of U.S. Democrat Rohit ‘Ro’ Khanna
| Photo Credit:
AP

“The Chinese Communist Party poses serious economic and security threats to the United States and to democracy and prosperity across the globe, illustrated by its threats against Taiwan’s democracy, its weaponisation of TikTok, and its theft of hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of American intellectual property,” he said.

“I look forward to working with my colleagues in both parties on this committee to counteract the CCP’s escalating aggression and ensure that our nation is prepared to overcome the economic and security challenges that the CCP presents to our country,” Mr. Krishnamoorthi said.

He said it was important to protect the interests of the American people.

“That said, at a time when anti-Asian hate and violence are on the rise, it’s essential that this committee focuses its vital work on protecting all Americans from the threat posed by the CCP, while avoiding dangerous rhetoric that fuels the types of xenophobia that have endangered members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community,” Mr. Krishnamoorthi said.

Mr. Krishnamoorthi is also a senior member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He is also the lead Democrat on Averting the National Threat of Internet Surveillance, Oppressive Censorship and Influence, and Algorithmic Learning by the Chinese Communist Party Act (ANTI-SOCIAL CCP Act), which protects Americans by blocking and prohibiting all transactions from any social media company in, or under the influence of, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and several other foreign adversaries.

In the 117th Congress, he led bipartisan legislation that was signed into law, called the Gathering and Reporting Assessments Yielding Zero Overlooked Nefarious Efforts (GRAY ZONE) Act, which requires the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to produce a National Intelligence Estimate on different aspects of grey zone activities — actions that fall between ordinary statecraft and open warfare — that the PRC employs.

Mr. Krishnamoorthi was also the lead Democrats on the bipartisan Transparency for Malign Chinese Investments in Global Port Infrastructure Act, which requires the DNI to study and report to Congress information related to Chinese global investments in port infrastructure.

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Armando Guadiana, de Morena, arriba en las encuestas para gobernador de Coahuila

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En 2023 habrá dos contiendas electorales que en buena medida van a marcar el tono de arranque del proceso de sucesión presidencial en 2024. Hoy MORENA y sus aliados de la 4T cuentan ya con 22 gubernaturas bajo su control y justamente las dos campañas previas al inicio del proceso electoral para la elección presidencial son Coahuila y Estado de México. Por lo que es clave para el presidente López Obrador y para el proyecto sucesorio de la 4T, pegar este doblete en Coahuila y Edomex el próximo domingo 04 de junio.

Esto no solo pondría los números muy favorables para la candidatura presidencial de Morena ( ¾ partes de las gubernaturas ganadas de todo el país); sino que como en el béisbol estas dos victorias electorales marcarían “el momento” donde incluso el propio presidente de la República tenga una enorme ventaja para la candidatura que él impulse.

Tener 22 gubernaturas ganadas es ya de arranque una ventaja, pero ganar Coahuila y Edomex dos estados que ha gobernado el PRI por casi 100 años marcaría un “momento” de despegue como cuando un bateador “clutch” pega un doblete ubicándose en posición de anotar y de ahí el equipo se crece con un rally productor de carreras.

Hoy son muchas las voces que piensan que la elección presidencial ya está definida para la 4T y que la oposición del PRIAN la tiene “muy cuesta arriba”; sin embargo si llegaran a consolidar el triunfo ambos candidatos Armando Guadiana Tijerina y Delfina Gomez en Coahuila y Edomex respectivamente, el porcentaje de quienes creen que “ya ganó morena” se incrementará sustancialmente incluso entre los votantes que no simpatizan con la 4T; dejando así, muy disminuidas las posibilidades reales de triunfo de la alianza del PRIAN e incrementando la ventaja de Morena no solo para la sucesión presidencial sino para la renovación del Senado y la Cámara de Diputados.

Voy a iniciar por Coahuila y dejaré el caso del Edomex para mi columna de la próxima semana, pero antes cabe mencionar que la victoria para Morena en ambos Estados representa la oportunidad de terminar con dos larguísimas dinastías donde está encerrado lo peor del PRI con una gran similitud que implica nepotismo y corrupción.

En Edomex el actual gobernador Alfredo del Mazo es hijo y nieto de los exgobernadores con el mismo nombre y ahora su candidata era su secretaria de Desarrollo social. En Coahuila está aún peor el escenario ya que la herencia del poder no ha permitido interrupciones primero el ex gobernador Humberto Moreira le hereda la gubernatura a su hermano Rubén Moreira (hoy cómplice de Alito Moreno quien lo nombró coordinador del PRI en San Lázaro), posteriormente el actual gobernador MIguel Riquelme quien impulsa la candidatura de su anterior secretario de Desarrollo Social también.

En Coahuila a pesar del control férreo y abusivo que impusieron los Moreira y que ha mantenido el actual gobernador, se ve como nunca antes en la historia electoral en Coahuila una enorme oportunidad de cambio de régimen después de 96 años de “los mismos de siempre” en el poder. Y es que a tan solo menos de 4 meses de las votaciones, el senador y actual candidato de Morena Armando Guadiana Tijerina encabeza las encuestas electorales al menos ya en un empate técnico.

Esta semana el periodico EL FINANCIERO publicó que Armando Guadiana con Morena encabeza las preferencia electorales con el 43% de intención efectiva de voto, dejando al candidato del PRIAN Manolo Jimenes en segundo lugar con 41%, al Verde UDC con 6%, al PT con Mejía muy rezagado con apenas 5 puntos con un apunte adicional; Mejía “perdió 11 puntos de opinión favorable respecto al sondeo anterior de octubre”, una caída que coincide en fechas con su decisión de abandonar a Morena para ir por el PT, desconociendo la encuesta que ubicó a Armando Guadiana como el precandidato mejor posicionado para contender por la gubernatura.

No descarto que al no contar con viabilidad o al menos posibilidades de ganar finalmente termine cediendo y el PT rectifique apoyando todos al candidato Armando Guadiana que representa el proyecto de la 4T. Ya que estos números también pueden indicar que los votantes perciban a Mejía como un aliado o palero del PRI que solo busca lastimar a MORENA sabiendo perfectamente que no tiene posibilidad alguna de ganar.

Sumado a esto, la encuesta de El FINANCIERO ubica a Armando Guadiana como el candidato con mayor opinión favorable con 43 puntos porcentuales frente a Jimenez del PRI con 40 puntos; y respecto a la opinión negativa Manolo Jimenez tiene 39 puntos porcentuales frente a Armando Guadiana con 36.

Algunos podrán decir que es un “empate técnico”, otros dirán que la campaña arranca hasta el 02 de abril y ambos tienen razón; pero lo cierto es que nunca en la historia electoral de Coahuila un candidato de oposición al PRI (y ahora también a sus cómplices del PAN) había arrancado con una ligera ventaja antes de empezar la campaña.

De hecho el mismo Armando Guadiana cuando enfrentó al PRI en 2017 las condiciones y posibilidades eran muy inferiores a los números con los que ahora arranca y por eso hoy Coahuila tiene como nunca antes la enorme posibilidad de terminar con casi un siglo de lo peor del PRI.

Sinaloa y Coahuila por ejemplo, son dos estados con presupuesto y electorado similares, y podrían ahora compartir una historia muy parecida electoralmente hablando; en Sinaloa el Dr. Rubén Rocha Moya fue candidato a la gubernatura en 1986 y 1998 pero fue hasta el 2018 cuando primero ganó su Senaduría y barrió con carro completo ganando la gubernatura en 2021 con 24 puntos de ventaja frente a un joven candidato del PRIAN.

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Rocha Moya con una gran experiencia finalmente logró derrotar al PRI y hoy gobierna Sinaloa. En Coahuila el Senador Armando Guadiana también enfrentó al PRI en 2017, luego logró llegar al Senado y ahora arranca su proceso encabezando las preferencias también contra un candidato del PRIAN joven pero con una vieja y pesada carga: el hartazgo de la gente con el PRI. No es cosa menor que en dicha encuesta el 57% de los coahuilenses reprueben al gobernador Riquelme.

Bien dice el dicho que “no hay mal que dure 100 años”, el PRI no duró 100 años en el poder ni México, ni en Sinaloa, ni en otros 30 Estados tampoco, y si se pudo en México y en Sinaloa, ¿porqué no se podría también en Coahuila? Si tú eres de Coahuila o vives en Coahuila tómate un momento para reflexionar esto ¿no crees que tu familia y tú se merecen algo mejor que lo que les han ofrecido por casi 100 años?; ¿no crees que tus hijos merecen más oportunidades que las que tuviste tú? Ten esto en mente a la hora de decidir.

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The best of the 2023 Sundance Film Fest we can’t wait for Kiwis to see

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Returning to its natural home on the often snow-flecked streets of Utah’s Park City after two years of virtual screenings, the recent Sundance Film Festival certainly didn’t disappoint when it came to offering a taste of exciting cinema to come over the next 12 months.

There was something for everyone in the around 100 feature-length projects and smattering of TV series on show, with inspiring teacher drama Radical, Iranian-American familial dramedy The Persian Version, Australia’s Shayda and documentaries The Eternal Memory, Beyond Utopia and 20 Days in Mariupol among the prize winners.

Cat Person, Polite Society and Still: A Michael J. Fox Story were among the best movies at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.

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Cat Person, Polite Society and Still: A Michael J. Fox Story were among the best movies at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.

Some titles have already been picked up for proposed cinema or streaming service release, Apple TV+ acquiring the Eve Hewson-headlining (The Luminaries) Flora and Son, Netflix nabbing Australian horror Run Rabbit Run and Prime Video the home of documentary Jude Blume Forever and Filipino tale In My Mother’s Skin.

Stuff to Watch had the opportunity to check out more than 30 movies during the festival and has come up with this list of 15 fabulous flicks we can’t wait for Kiwis to see on a screen near them – as soon as possible.

READ MORE:
* Brooke Shields reveals in Pretty Baby that she was sexually assaulted decades ago
* Kiwi Thomasin McKenzie earning rave reviews for her steamy Sundance thriller
* Michael J Fox reveals he became an alcoholic after Parkinson’s diagnosis in new documentary
* New Zealand-shot Bad Behaviour debuts to positive reviews at Sundance Film Festival
* Ten brilliant, under-the-radar movies you may have missed this year (and where you can watch them)

Gael Garcia Bernal is Cassandro.

Sundance Institute

Gael Garcia Bernal is Cassandro.

Cassandro

Gael Garcia Bernal delivers a fabulous performance in this inspired-by-a-true-story tale about a gay amateur Mexican wrestler who is determined to shake up the sport by taking off his luchador mask and creating an “exotico” persona that will not only win over crowds, but also fights.

Roger Ross Williams’ (Life, Animated) smart, sensitive drama is set to unspool on Prime Video.

Cat Person

Based on viral The New Yorker 2017 short story of the same name by Kristen Roupenian, this blackly comedic thriller looks at the perils of modern dating as college student Margot (Coda’s Emilia Jones) attempts to navigate a relationship with the much older Robert (Succession’s Nicholas Braun).

A kind of cross between The Sex Lives of College Girls and Promising Young Woman, Susannah Fogel’s (The Spy Who Dumped Me) film features a scene-stealing turn from The Broken Hearts Gallery’s Geraldine Viswanathan.

Anne Hathaway stars opposite Kiwi sensation Thomasin McKenzie in Eileen.

Sundance Institute/AP

Anne Hathaway stars opposite Kiwi sensation Thomasin McKenzie in Eileen.

Eileen

New Zealand’s Thomasin McKenzie continues her ascent by anchoring this evocative drama about a young prison worker who is brought out of her shell by the arrival of a glamorous new colleague (Anne Hathaway).

Based on Ottessa Moshfegh’s 2016 book, William Oldyroyd’s (Lady Macbeth) tale is full of twists and turns and memorable imagery.

Fair Game

One of the most talked-about movies at Sundance, writer-director Chloe Domont’s feature debut is a highly-charged thriller that brings back memories of ‘80s hits like Fatal Attraction and Wall Street.

Bridgerton’s Phoebe Dynevor and Solo: A Star Wars Story’s Alden Ehrenreich play a power couple whose relationship stars to unravel when an opportunity for promotion opens up at their New York hedge fund. Netflix snapped it up almost immediately after it debuted.

Supplied

Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project was one of the big winners at the Sundance Film Festival.

Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project

Winner of the US Grand Jury Prize, Joe Brewster and Michele Stephenson’s documentary is a fascinating portrait of highly opinionated and always entertaining Black poet Giovanni.

While the contemporary interviews and performances delight, it’s some of the archival footage of her appearances on talk shows – especially an extended debate with writer James Baldwin – that truly compel.

Infinity Pool

Brandon Cronenberg’s (Possessor) latest slice of visceral, sci-fi-infused horror offers more evidence of Mia Goth’s (Pearl, X) ability to light up the screen and unnerve in equal measure.

She plays Gabi Bauer, a young woman who draws Alexander Skarsgard’s struggling author into a strange world of hedonistic pleasures and deadly games while he holidays on a remote island with his wife Em (Cleopatra Coleman).

Infinity Pool is the latest slice of visceral, sci-fi-infused horror from Brandon Cronenberg.

Supplied

Infinity Pool is the latest slice of visceral, sci-fi-infused horror from Brandon Cronenberg.

A Little Prayer

Although writer-director Angus MacLachlan’s familial drama initially seems likely to do for Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist’s Jane Levy what his Junebug did for Amy Adams almost two decades ago, it actually turns into a tour de force for the always reliable and hugely under-rated David Strathairn (Where the Crawdads Sing).

He’s terrific as a family patriarch determined to protect his daughter-in-law from the fallout from his son’s affair with another woman.

Magazine Dreams

Set for stardom as Kang the Conqueror in what is likely to be a series of appearances in the Marvel Cinema Universe over the next couple of years, Jonathan Majors delivers a fully committed performance in this intoxicating tale of dangerous obsession.

Killian Maddox is determined to become an elite bodybuilder, no matter what the toll is on his body, or relationships with those around him.

Elijah Bynum’s tale took home a special jury award for Creative Vision.

Jonathan Majors won plenty of plaudits for his performance as Killian Maddox in Magazine Dreams.

Sundance Institute

Jonathan Majors won plenty of plaudits for his performance as Killian Maddox in Magazine Dreams.

Polite Society

Already set for a cinema release here on April 27, hit British sitcom We Are Lady Parts creator Nida Manzoor’s feature debut is a riotous cross between Bend it Like Beckham, Kill Bill and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.

Believing that her older sister’s impending marriage is a terrible mistake, aspiring stuntwoman Ria Khan (Bridgerton’s Pria Kansara) hatches a plan to ensure the nuptials never take place. However, she is up against some powerful forces.

Scrapper

Likely to be seen as this year’s Nowhere Special or Aftersun, this emotional father-daughter tale picked up a World Grand Jury Prize.

Writer-director Charlotte Regan’s gentle drama is the story of 12-year-old Georgie (Lola Campbell), whose enforced preternatural independence is threatened by the arrival of her estranged father (Where the Crawdads Sing’s Harris Dickinson).

Harris Dickinson stars opposite Lola Campbell in Scrapper.

Sundance Institute

Harris Dickinson stars opposite Lola Campbell in Scrapper.

Shortcomings

One of festival’s most unexpected delights and sheer crowd-pleasers, actor Randall Park’s (Young Rock, WandaVision) feature debut behind the camera is a hilarious and thoroughly entertaining adaptation of Adrian Tomine’s 2007 graphic novel.

It follows three young Asian-Americans as they navigate the joys and pitfalls of modern relationships.

Still: A Michael J. Fox Movies

Both hilarious and heartbreaking, Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth) takes us on an emotional journey through the life and times of the Back to the Future, Family Ties, Spin City and Teen Wolf star.

Taking its cue from the actor’s quartet of books, Fox offers an intimate glimpse into what it was like suddenly going from struggling to make ends meet to being Hollywood’s hottest property – and then attempting to hold on as Parkinson’s Disease began taking its toll. Coming to Apple TV+ later this year.

A heady combination of Flatliners and It Follows, Talk to Me is likely to be Australia’s next big horror movie.

Sundance Institute

A heady combination of Flatliners and It Follows, Talk to Me is likely to be Australia’s next big horror movie.

Talk to Me

Likely to be one of the cult horror hits of the year, this Australian tale follows a group of teens who dare to dabble with the occult powers of what appears to be a severed hand.

A heady combination of Flatliners and It Follows, Danny and Michael Philippou’s fright fest not only features a fabulous young cast, but also a compelling performance from Miranda Otto as a concerned mum.

A Thousand and One

Winner of the US Grand Jury Prize, writer-director A.V. Rockwell’s debut feature is an emotion-filled drama about the relationship between ex-con Inez (Coming 2 America’s Teyana Taylor) and her young charge Terry (Aaron Kingsley Adetola/Aven Courtney/Josiah Cross).

Like Barry Jenkins’ Oscar-winning Moonlight, it’s a story told across three specific points in time, beginning with the moment Inez decides to “kidnap” the then six-year-old to “save him” from the foster care system.

Rosa Marchant won a special award for her performance in When It Melts.

Sundance Institute

Rosa Marchant won a special award for her performance in When It Melts.

When It Melts

Evoking memories of the best of the Dardenne brothers (The Kid With a Bike) and Celine Sciamma (Tomboy, Petite Maman), former star of The Broken Circle Breakdown – Veerle Baetens – steps behind the camera for this evocative, provocative drama about a young woman still haunted by an incident from her childhood.

The now 17-year-old Rosa Marchant won a Special Jury Award for Best Performance for her turn as the young Eva.

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Live: Top diplomat Josep Borrell announces EU plan to train 30,000 Ukrainian soldiers

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European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and the bloc’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell arrived in Kyiv with a delegation of EU leaders on Thursday. In an interview with FRANCE 24, Borrell said the EU plans to double the number of Ukrainian soldiers it is training to 30,000. Follow our live blog below for all the latest developments. All times are in Paris time (GMT+1). 

10:49am: Norway to raise spending from wealth fund to aid Ukriane, says PM 

Norway will increase the spending from its sovereign wealth fund in the coming years to fund military and civilian aid to Ukraine, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told parliament on Thursday.

The Nordic country’s $1.3 trillion wealth fund, one of the world’s largest investors, has seen a sharp rise in revenue inflows as the price of Norwegian oil and gas exports soared following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The prime minister did not specify how much money Norway would spend on Ukraine aid, but said it would be a multi-year commitment. “This will lead to a temporary increase in spending from the sovereign wealth fund,” Stoere said. He added that the extra spending should not impact the Norwegian domestic economy, avoiding any impact on interest rates.

9:51am: Russia says it does not need help from ex-Soviet allies in Ukraine

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday that Moscow does not any need help from its ex-Soviet allies for its military campaign in Ukraine.

Lavrov said Russia had everything it needed for the conflict, and had not asked members of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) – a Moscow-led alliance that includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan – to provide material support for what Russia calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine.

9:40am: Top diplomat Josep Borrell announces EU plan to train 30,000 Ukrainian soldiers

In an interview with FRANCE 24, the EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell said the EU plans to double the number of Ukrainian soldiers it is training to 30,000. 


 

9:09am: Russian FM Lavrov says ‘we want Ukraine conflict to end, but are responding to West’

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday that Russian forces would respond to the delivery of longer-range Western weapons to Kyiv by trying to push Ukrainian forces further away from its borders to create a safe buffer zone.

In an interview on state TV, Lavrov said everybody wanted the conflict in Ukraine – which Moscow calls a “special military operation” – to end, but that the West’s support for Kyiv was playing an important role in how Russia approaches the campaign.

9:00am: Austria expels four Russian diplomats

Austria is expelling four Russian diplomats for behaving in a manner inconsistent with international agreements, a reason often invoked in spying cases, the Austrian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday without giving specifics.

Two of the four diplomats declared personae non gratae and ordered to leave the country by February 8 are stationed at the Russian Embassy to Austria while the other two work at the Russian mission to the United Nations in Vienna, the ministry said in a statement.

8:46am: EU chief arrives in Kyiv, says bloc ‘stands by Ukraine’

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said she had arrived in Kyiv with a team of commissioners on Thursday, a day before a Ukraine-European Union summit in the war-torn country.

“Good to be back in Kyiv, my 4th time since Russia’s invasion … We are here together to show that the EU stands by Ukraine as firmly as ever. And to deepen further our support and cooperation,” she wrote in a tweet.


8:37am: Frontline hotspot Bakhmut braces for Russian advance

Russian forces have been trying to seize control of Bakhmut in the eastern region of Donetsk for months in what has become the longest and bloodiest battle since Russia invaded Ukraine last February.

Despite the flow of Western weapons, Russia has in recent days claimed gains in the region.

The fight for Bakhmut has turned the town with a pre-war population of roughly 75,000 into a ghost town dotted with hedgehog anti-tank defences and burnt-out cars. There is no gas, no electricity, no running water. Around 7,000 people, many of them elderly, still live in the town despite the constant sound of artillery exchanges, gunfire and drones flying overhead.

7:53am: Ukraine targets oligarch, ex-minister in graft clampdown

Ukraine expanded a clampdown on corruption on Wednesday, launching coordinated searches of residences linked to a divisive oligarch and former interior minister as well as tax offices in the capital.

FRANCE 24’s Andrew Hilliar, reporting from Kyiv, discusses the searches in the video below. 


 

The searches came ahead of a key summit with the EU and appeared to be part of a push by Kyiv to reassure military and financial donors in European capitals and Washington that Ukraine is tackling systemic graft.

The searches have targeted influential billionaire Igor Kolomoisky and former interior minister Arsen Avakov, said the head of Zelensky’s party, David Arakhamia. Law enforcement also raided tax offices in the capital and senior customs officials were fired.

FRANCE 24’s Fraser Jackson takes a closer look at Ukraine’s bid to stamp out corruption in the video below.


 

5:00am: Top EU officials gather in Ukraine 

More than a dozen top European Union officials arrive in Kyiv on Thursday with promises of more military, financial and political aid, a symbolic trip meant to highlight support for Ukraine.

But the EU is set to dash Ukraine’s hopes of being swiftly allowed membership, stressing the need for more anti-corruption measures and unwilling to admit a country at war, the biggest armed conflict in Europe since World War II.

“It is a very strong signal that we are in Kyiv during the war. It’s a signal to the Ukrainian people. It’s a signal to Russia. It’s a signal to the world,” said a senior EU official.

Top members of the EU‘s executive European Commission will meet their counterparts in the Ukrainian government on Thursday. The head of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and president of the EU Council Charles Michel will meet President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday.

4:51am: Russians mark anniversary of Stalingrad victory 

President Vladimir Putin is set to preside Thursday over commemorations to mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory at the Battle of Stalingrad, one of the bloodiest in World War II.

The high-profile celebrations in the southern city of Volgograd come as the Kremlin is drumming up support for its offensive in Ukraine, launched nearly a year ago to “de-Nazify” Ukraine, whose soldiers fought alongside Russia against Nazi Germany.

Putin is expected to travel to Volgograd, formerly known as Stalingrad, to take part in a wreath-laying ceremony at a war memorial and speak at a concert, the Kremlin said. 

The battle of Stalingrad lasted more than six months, ending with the surrender of German troops on February 2, 1943, after more than a million people were killed.

>> Read more: ‘They would have preferred hell’: The Battle of Stalingrad, 80 years on

1:33am: Strike on residential building in Ukraine’s Kramatorsk leaves at least 3 dead

Ukrainian authorities said Wednesday that at least three people were killed when a Russian rocket struck a residential building in the eastern city of Kramatorsk.


 

“Two hours ago, the Russian occupiers hit a residential building in the centre of the city with a rocket,” said regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko. 

“Two hours ago, the Russian occupiers hit a residential building in the centre of the city with a rocket and completely destroyed it,” regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said on the Telegram messaging app.

The regional police said on their official website that it was “preliminarily known that there are three dead civilians and 20 wounded”. 

 

© France Médias Monde graphic studio

(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and REUTERS)

 



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Seven ‘Kiwi as’ things to do on Waitangi weekend

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It’s been a rough week for many New Zealanders and, with the clean-up in flood-ravaged areas continuing and heavy rain warnings in place for parts of the country, many of us aren’t going to have the Waitangi weekend we’d hoped for.

While cleaning up and lodging insurance claims will be on the cards for a lot of Kiwis, you might find it helpful to take at least some time to mark the national day with one or more of our favourite national summer pastimes.

Some of the ‘Kiwi as’ activities listed below won’t be suitable this weekend if you are affected by the wild weather, while others can be done safely indoors. And if you’re lucky enough not to have been affected, feel free to go all out.

Pack away some pavlova

Given we Kiwis claim to have invented this queen of desserts, it’s only right that we devour one on our national day. If only to add weight to the argument that it is a New Zealand and not an Australian dessert.

Whip up your own and top it with your summer fruit of choice, or treat yourself to a top restaurant version. Cibo, in Auckland’s Parnell, offers three different, supersized versions: salted caramel, chocolate and peanut; scorched lemon and passionfruit; and pineapple lump, Valrhona chocolate and pineapple curd. One TripAdvisor reviewer described Cibo’s “giant pav” as a “tour de force” which “resolves once and for all which nation first conceived the pavlova”.

Floriditas in Wellington does a famously good brown sugar version, this time featuring slow-roasted strawberries and blackberry custard, while Queenstown’s Public Kitchen and Bar is also onto a winner.

If the weather’s miserable, you may as well stay in and make a pavlova.

If the weather’s miserable, you may as well stay in and make a pavlova.

Scare yourself silly on a water slide

Getting your butt bruised on a farmyard water slide is a rite of passage for many Kiwi kids, and it’s just as much fun when you’re an adult.

If you’re keen for something fairly extreme, try the Conical Thrill slide at Hanmer Springs with its near-vertical drop. Or, for some all-day family fun, head to Cromwell’s Kiwi Water Park, which features an obstacle course, floating trampolines, a giant floating ram and a human catapult.

See more of our favourite water slides around Aotearoa here, but make sure you check the conditions before heading out.

Bumpy water slides are a rite of passage for Kiwi kids.

David Walker/Stuff

Bumpy water slides are a rite of passage for Kiwi kids.

Jump off a wharf

Nothing screams Kiwi summer like popping a perfect manu off a wharf.

If you’re in an area affected by heavy rain, this isn’t the time to partake. Land Air Water Aotearoa (LAWA) says many swim spots in affected areas will have a high or very high risk of contamination during or after heavy rain. You can check whether it’s safe to swim at locations around Aotearoa here.

If you’re lucky enough to be near calm, clear, swim-friendly waters this Waitangi weekend, the ocean’s your oyster. When perfectly executed, the manu (or dive bomb) is a thing of beauty. The key is to make a fast, straight-bodied descent and swing your legs up in time to ensure your bum is the first part of you to hit the water.

Wharf jumping has been a favourite New Zealand summertime activity since ages ago.

Braden Fastier/Stuff

Wharf jumping has been a favourite New Zealand summertime activity since ages ago.

Scream for ice cream

Kiwis are said to be some of the biggest ice cream eaters on the planet, with each of us putting away 23 litres a year on average.

Grab yourself a hokey pokey cone from the dairy to keep it Kiwi as, or indulge in some of the top-quality artisan versions on offer throughout our fair isles.

Our favourites include Duck Island in Auckland, Hamilton and Wellington, whose imaginative flavours include the likes of fairy bread, peanut butter cookie dough and black sticky rice; the plant-based frozen treats at Little Liberty Creamery in Inglewood; and the real fruit ice cream at Motueka’s Toad Hall.

Wilkies Pools in Taranaki have a natural water slide.

Brook Sabin/Stuff

Wilkies Pools in Taranaki have a natural water slide.

Swim at a secret local swimming hole

Make the most of local knowledge, and head to the secret swimming hole visitors and influencers don’t know about.

Being secret, facilities are likely to be non-existent, but that’s all part of the charm (provided, of course, you don’t take a dip unless you’re confident in the water). It could be a secluded beach, a waterfall pool, or just a particularly swim-friendly lake or stretch of river but, once again, make sure to check whether it’s currently suitable for swimming before heading out.

Our favourites include the Blue Pools in Mt Aspiring National Park, Wilkies Pools in Taranaki, and Pelorous Bridge Scenic Reserve in Marlborough.

For a supremely Kiwi experience, ride a tyre tube or bodyboard down Gisborne’s Rere Rockslide. Stuff travel journalist Brook Sabin described it as “the best free fun you can have in New Zealand”. Be careful though: Serious injury and even death have occurred there in the past and water pollution levels can sometimes make it unsafe to swim. Check the levels here before visiting.

The dawn parade is a highlight of the Waitangi Festival in the Bay of Islands.

Jason Dorday/Stuff

The dawn parade is a highlight of the Waitangi Festival in the Bay of Islands.

Take part in Waitangi Day celebrations

Waitangi is pushing ahead with its free annual festival despite the wild weather in Northland earlier this week, having already put a huge amount of work into the four-day event.

Highlights include the dawn ceremony at Te Whare Rūnanga, the waka parade in front of Te Tii Waitangi Marae, the kapa haka contests, and the delicious kai. You can also catch performances from the likes of Don McGlashan and Paige, winner of 2021’s best Māori artist award.

If you’re in Wellington, check out Te Rā o Waitangi at Waitangi Park from noon to 6pm on February 6: get there early for the hāngi and stay for the award-winning line-up of Māori performances and food trucks and stalls.

There are loads of other events happening around the motu, so do your best to get amongst it.

Have a big feed of fish and chips

We Kiwis mightn’t have invented this epicurean delight, we have mastered it. So much so that summer just isn’t summer here without enjoying at least one fish and chip feast (order locally caught fish and kūmara chips for a supremely New Zealand flavour).

Stuff journalists’ favourite places for a feed include The Craypot in Jackson Bay on the West Coast (also famous for its crayfish and whitebait and seafood chowder), Stoked in Whitianga, Kai Kart in Oban; Dulcie’s Takeaways and Porky’s in Hokitika, Fresko and Mt Vic Chippery in Wellington, Marsic Bros in Auckland and Wacko Burger Bar in Hamilton.

Visit The Ohiwa Oyster Farm in Ōhope and you might spot the owner feeding stingrays with off-cuts.

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