Catalonia's divided residents head to the polls again

December 20, 2017

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — In Barcelona, Catalonia's cosmopolitan capital, there is no sign of the independent country that the region's former leaders proclaimed with great fanfare nearly two months ago.

The Spanish flag still flies alongside the Catalan one above the regional government building. The square where a jubilant crowd celebrated what it thought was the birth of a new republic is adorned only with Christmas decorations.

The movement's leaders are in jail or have fled the country after staging a brazen Oct. 1 referendum on secession that was declared illegal by Spain's government and highest court. But as voters return to the polls Thursday — this time to elect a new regional government in an election called by Spain as a way out of the crisis — Catalonia has been left deeply polarized by this fall's dramatic events.

Friendships have been broken, families split. Many Catalans who had mixed feelings about independence, or didn't care about the issue much, now feel compelled to take a position. Gabriel Brau, a 50-year-old photographer with little interest in politics, said he will vote for the first time since the 1980s, and it will be for one of the parties that favors independence. Or rather, against those who don't, because he finds them complicit in Spain's crackdown.

During the October referendum, Spanish police used rubber bullets and truncheons against voters, who formed human barriers to keep them out of polling stations. "What happened on Oct. 1 affected me in a powerful way," Brau said. "I was thinking, 'What if they did that to my son?' That is not democracy. ... I don't want these people to govern my country."

The other side has also been galvanized. Catalans who oppose independence previously kept a low profile. Coming out as a unionist, they say, would have resulted in scorn, insults and even accusations of treason from pro-independence friends and neighbors.

But in the aftermath of the referendum they for the first time gathered for mass rallies similar in size to those achieved by the independence movement. Cristina Calaco, 51, said she was so appalled by the way the secessionist leaders unilaterally pushed through the referendum, "I wanted to pack my bags and leave Catalonia."

But after seeing unionists with Spanish flags on the streets, she was emboldened to publicly display her allegiance to Spain. These days, when pro-independence neighbors bang pots and pans in noisy balcony protests, she said she opens her window and shouts "Viva Espana" — long live Spain.

Spain's heavy-handed response may have raised eyebrows in Europe, but it didn't lead to any significant support for Catalan secession. No European Union country has recognized the declaration of independence that Catalonia's parliament adopted on Oct. 27.

On the surface, independence now seems further away than before the referendum. The Spanish government applied never-before-used constitutional powers take direct control of the region. The plan is to restore autonomy after Thursday's election produces a new regional government.

Yet the Catalans supporting a total breakup with Spain now seem more committed than ever, saying the government's tough response showed the true nature of the Spanish state. "They don't realize how many people they converted," said Ana Pousa, 38, who was born in the northwestern Galicia region but grew up in Catalonia and now hesitates to call herself Spanish.

The movement for secession to a large extent is driven by the notion that Catalonia's history, culture and language make it separate from Spain. It's also about economics: Wealthy Catalonia pays more taxes to Madrid than it gets back in government handouts, something that frustrated many Catalans during the deep recession that started in 2008.

But there is also a sense of victimhood that can be hard to grasp for outsiders. Independence activists, often middle-class intellectuals, say they are being repressed by the Spanish government, drawing parallels to the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, when Catalans were banned from speaking their language in public. On a square in Barcelona this week, some activists even made comparisons to the struggle against apartheid in South Africa.

"There are dynamics, aspects that you can compare: how the state abuses its power," said Heiko Voigts, a 46-year-old South African who married a Catalan. "But I wouldn't compare too much." Some of the pro-independence leaders are in pre-trial detention for staging the referendum illegally. Others face preliminary charges of rebellion and sedition, among them Carles Puigdemont, the former Catalan regional president who fled to Belgium. He risks up to 30 years in prison if he returns to Spain.

Spain's conservative prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, has rejected questions over the separation of powers prompted by the crackdown, saying his government has no say over the country's independent courts.

His own ministers don't always help him making that case, though. Just this weekend his deputy, Soraya Saenz de Santamaria, boasted that the governing party had effectively "beheaded" the independence movement's leadership. Party colleagues later said she meant that only in a political sense.

Thursday's election could see pro-independence parties return to power, or it could yield a new coalition led by parties who want Catalonia to remain in Spain. Either way, the rift between the two sides is likely to remain deep.

"Now it seems you can't be in the middle and say, 'I don't know what I want,'" Pousa said. She said while she respects everyone's views, some unionists say awful things like, "I wish (the police) had beaten more people."

She used to think of herself as Galician, Catalan and Spanish all in one, but the situation has made her reconsider her relationship with Spain. "Hearing myself saying 'I'm Spanish' sounds strange," she said. "Because now it means something different."

Officials: US agrees to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine

December 23, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has approved a plan to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine, U.S. officials said Friday, in a long-awaited move that deepens America's involvement in the military conflict and may further strain relations with Russia.

The new arms include American-made Javelin anti-tank missiles that Ukraine has long sought to boost its defenses against Russian-backed separatists armed with tanks that have rolled through eastern Ukraine during violence that has killed more than 10,000 since 2014. Previously, the U.S. has provided Ukraine with support equipment and training, and has let private companies sell some small arms like rifles.

The officials describing the plan weren't authorized to discuss it publicly and demanded anonymity. The move is likely to become another sore point between Washington and Moscow, as President Donald Trump contends with ongoing questions about whether he's too hesitant to confront the Kremlin. Ukraine accuses Russia of sending the tanks, and the U.S. says Moscow is arming, training and fighting alongside the separatists.

Trump had been considering the plan for some time after the State Department and the Pentagon signed off earlier this year. President Barack Obama also considered sending lethal weapons to Ukraine, but left office without doing so.

The State Department, responsible for overseeing foreign military sales, would not confirm that anti-tank missiles or other lethal weapons would be sent. But in a statement late Friday, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the U.S. had decided to provide "enhanced defensive capabilities" to help Ukraine build its military long-term, defend its sovereignty and "deter further aggression."

"U.S. assistance is entirely defensive in nature, and as we have always said, Ukraine is a sovereign country and has a right to defend itself," Nauert said. The White House's National Security Council declined to comment. Russia's embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Friday.

Although the portable Javelin anti-tank missiles can kill, proponents for granting them to Ukraine have long argued they are considered "defensive" because the Ukrainians would use them to defend their territory and deter the Russians, not to attack a foreign country or seize new territory.

Under law, the State Department must tell Congress of planned foreign military sales, triggering a review period in which lawmakers can act to stop the sale. It was unclear whether the administration had formally notified Congress, but lawmakers are unlikely to try to block it given that Democrats and Republicans alike have long called on the government to take the step.

The move comes as the United States and European nations struggle to break a long logjam in the Ukraine-Russia conflict that erupted three years ago when fighting broke out between Russian-backed separatists and government troops in the east. France, Russia and Germany brokered a peace arrangement in 2015 that has lowered violence but not stopped it, and a political settlement outlined in the deal hadn't been fully implemented.

In recent days, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has warned that violence is up about 60 percent this year. In Europe earlier this month, Tillerson called Russia's involvement the biggest tension point between the former Cold War rivals.

"It stands as the single most difficult obstacle to us renormalizing the relationship with Russia, which we badly would like to do," Tillerson said. The intensified support for Ukraine's military also comes amid early discussions about sending U.N. peacekeepers to eastern Ukraine, to improve security conditions not only for Ukrainians but for special monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe who are on the ground in Ukraine.

The U.S. and other nations were cautiously optimistic when Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed to send in peacekeepers. But there are major disagreements about how and where the peacekeepers would operate, especially about whether they'd be deployed only on the "line of conflict" between separatists and the government.

Both the Obama administration and the Trump administration had expressed concerns in the past that injecting more weapons into the conflict was unlikely to resolve it, especially considering that Russia is well-equipped to respond to any Ukrainian escalation with an even stronger escalation of its own. Sending lethal weapons to Ukraine also creates the troubling possibility that American arms could kill Russian soldiers, a situation that could thrust the two nuclear-armed nations closer to direct confrontation.

The United States, under Obama, also imposed sanctions on Russia for its invasion and annexation of Crimea. The Trump administration has insisted those sanctions will stay in place until Moscow gives up the Crimean Peninsula.

AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee contributed to this report.

Ukraine, Poland move to mend ties strained by views on WWII

December 13, 2017

KHARKIV, Ukraine (AP) — The presidents of Ukraine and Poland have met to find ways of overcoming the World War II legacy that sours relations between the neighboring countries. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and visiting President Andrzej Duda of Poland laid flowers on Wednesday at a monument to Polish soldiers killed by Soviet security forces in 1940.

Duda says they discussed bringing in peacekeepers as a step in ending the armed conflict between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. Poroshenko said: "History should not affect the strategic nature of Ukrainian-Polish relations."

Poland generally supports closer relations between Ukraine and the European Union. But the government also wants Polish civilians who were victims of Ukrainian armed units during World War II recognized.

In Ukraine, the fighters are regarded as heroes who fought both German Nazis and the Soviets.

Romanians join European royals for last king's state funeral

December 16, 2017

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — European royalty joined tens of thousands of Romanians who wept and applauded as they said farewell to Romania's last monarch, King Michael, who was buried next to his wife Saturday after a state funeral.

Michael, who ruled Romania twice before being forced to abdicate by the communists in 1947, was remembered for his dignity and morality. He died at age 96 in Switzerland on Dec. 5. Britain's Prince Charles, Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, and Spain's former King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, were among those at a pre-funeral service at the Royal Palace where Michael's body had been laying in state for the past two days. The Swedish king saluted as Michael's coffin was placed on a dais.

Non-European royals attending the funeral included Princess Muna al-Hussein, mother of King Abdullah II of Jordan. Other royals including Henri, the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz of Belgium were joined by Romanian President Klaus Iohannis for a sung funeral service, led by the head of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Daniel.

Bishops wafted incense in the small cathedral where Michael was crowned for the second time on Sept. 6, 1940. Michael, who was a great-great grandson of Queen Victoria, first became king aged 5 after his father Carol II eloped with his mistress and abdicated.

Michael's reign is best-remembered for the Aug. 23, 1944 coup he led to oust pro-Nazi leader Marshal Ion Antonescu, a move that took Romania into the war on the side of the Allies. For this, the king was awarded made a Chief Commander of the Legion of Merit by U.S. President Harry S. Truman and was decorated with the Soviet Order of Victory by Joseph Stalin.

After his abdication, Michael spent decades in exile working as a chicken farmer and aircraft pilot, living in Britain and settling in Switzerland. He finally got his Romanian citizenship back in 1997, eight years after the collapse of communism.

The Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen dynasty that ruled Romania from 1866 until Michael's reign ended in 1947 no longer enjoys special status, but its heirs enjoy a certain prestige and hand out honors. Successive Romanian governments have returned castles and other properties that were seized from the royal family when the communists came to power.

The funeral procession carrying the coffin of Romania's last king drove slowly through the capital to a railway station, where, accompanied by a phalanx of priests, the casket was put on a royal train.

It later arrived in the central town of Curtea de Arges, where priests performed a service before the late king was buried next to his late wife, Anne de Bourbon-Parme, who died last year. Earlier, thousands of ordinary Romanians crowded the streets to see the procession go by, while others threw flowers as the royal train bearing the coffin passed through railway stations on its way to burial in central Romania.

In the hours before Michael's coffin was taken out of the palace, people gathered silently, many in tears, in Revolution Square. Church bells tolled around the country and a choir of priests sang as the coffin was taken out and was laid on a dais in the square.

Mourner Georgeta Anastasiu, 60, said the late king had been "demonized by the communists, but in the end we found out the truth about him." She called the king "the last moral example for Romanians." Earlier, the crowd cheered and shouted "King Michael!" as the coffin, led by Orthodox priests and a guard of honor, was transported by an army jeep toward the cathedral.

Michael's five daughters and his estranged grandson, Nicholas Medforth-Mills, who was stripped of his title for allegedly fathering a child out of wedlock, walked behind the coffin. Journalist Vlad Mixich summed up the mood on social media.

"Today Romania is burying what it could have been; today is the funeral of a dream," he tweeted.

Poland donates large sum to preserve Warsaw Jewish cemetery

December 22, 2017

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The Polish government has donated 100 million zlotys ($28 million) to restore and protect a major Jewish cemetery in Warsaw, one of the country's largest public contributions toward preserving the Jewish culture nearly wiped out in the Holocaust.

The Okopowa Street Jewish Cemetery, established in 1806, is the resting spot of 250,000 Polish Jews — Yiddish writers, rabbis, philanthropists, scholars, bankers and regular citizens who once belonged to a vibrant community that made up one-third of Warsaw's population before World War II.

Among the notable people buried at the Okopowa Street cemetery are Ludwik Zamenhof, the creator of the Esperanto language (1859-1917), and Samuel Orgelbrand, publisher of Poland's first modern encyclopedia (1810-1868).

Today, decades after Germany uprooted and destroyed that community, many sections of the cemetery are a desolate sight. Some tombstones are broken or disappearing below decades of decomposing vegetation, and others bear inscriptions rendered unreadable by erosion.

"It's a disaster. It's a large territory in the middle of the city which looks like a jungle," said Michal Laszczkowski, the head of the Cultural Heritage Foundation, a private organization that preserves Polish heritage sites. "That's why we decided to do something."

The foundation will oversee the preservation work at the Jewish cemetery. Catholic churches, monuments and cemeteries have been among the organization's focus. In Warsaw on Friday, Polish Culture Minister Piotr Glinski signed a contract with Laszczkowski that formalized the government donation. The money established an endowment, returns from which are supposed to go to cleaning the cemetery, preserving its tombstones and monuments and reinforcing an outer wall.

Anna Chipczynska, the head of the Warsaw Jewish community, and Michael Schudrich, an American who is the country's chief rabbi, attended the signing. While many Poles see Jews as a foreign nation or separate people despite centuries of co-existence, Glinski described the cemetery as an element of "Poland's cultural and national heritage."

"It's the duty of the Polish state to care for our heritage," the culture minister said. Schudrich called Glinski's words "honey to my heart" and added: "It's obvious, but sometimes it needs to be said."

Poland's Jewish population numbered nearly 3.5 million on the eve of World War II. Most were murdered in ghettos or death camps set up by Nazi Germany during its wartime occupation of Poland. A Jewish community that numbers in the thousands now struggles to maintain hundreds of cemeteries and depends on local communities, volunteers and foreign donations for help.

Tad Taube, an American philanthropist who fled Poland on the eve of war and who has contributed in past years to Poland's Jewish revival, welcomed the government's endowment. The California resident said it follows years of efforts to restore "one of the most significant Jewish historical sites in Europe."

"It is truly a milestone that the Polish government has committed the needed funds to protect the cemetery and the rich heritage it represents," Taube said.

Polish president signs laws that led to EU sanction threat

December 20, 2017

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland's president signed two laws Wednesday that complete a sweeping government overhaul of the country's justice system, ignoring a warning from the European Union that the legislation breached fundamental democratic principles and could lead to unprecedented sanctions.

President Andrzej Duda's approval of the laws he had a hand in drafting was not unexpected, but his announcement came hours after the EU's executive body triggered proceedings over a series of legal changes that give the Polish government more control over the judiciary and courts.

Duda emphatically defended the legislation in a television interview on Wednesday night. He accused the EU of hypocrisy" and some of its leaders of "lying" with the suggestion that Poland is acting with disregard for basic European values.

The developments reflect a dramatic historical reversal for Poland, the birthplace of an anti-communist movement in the 1980s that inspired people across Eastern Europe and has been held up as a model of democratic transition for more than a quarter century.

The right-wing Law and Justice party that has ruled Poland for two years has enacted several laws that critics say erode the separation of powers between the executive and judicial branches and could interfere with defendants receiving fair trials.

The European Commission announced Wednesday that it was invoking what is known as Article 7 — essentially putting Poland on notice that it is at risk of contravening EU law — in response. Though the step was historic — no EU state has ever been censured in this way — for now it is largely symbolic and reflects the escalating tensions between Poland's populist government and its EU partners.

The final step in the process would involve sanctions, including the loss by Poland of its voting rights in the Council. This step, however, is considered unlikely to happen because it requires unanimity of EU countries, and Hungary's government has vowed to block any such move.

"We are doing this for Poland, for Polish citizens," so they can rely on a fully independent judiciary in their nation, EU Commissioner Frans Timmermans said in announcing the decision. Timmermans said the decision was taken with a "heavy heart" but had become unavoidable because Poland's authorities could not be persuaded to abandon laws that have been condemned not only by the EU but also by the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Council of Europe, the continent's top human rights body.

Poland's government, which has defiantly gone forward with its changes to the legal system despite repeated warnings from the EU, took the decision in its stride. In announcing his decision to sign the laws, Duda passionately defended them against unnamed critics. He argued that putting courts and judges under greater political control will make them more accountable to regular Poles, ending an unaccountable oligarchy of judges.

"I really believe that extremely democratic solutions are being introduced in Poland with these legal changes," Duda said. "The idea that they are violating democratic rules — it's actually the exact opposite. I am convinced that this deepens democracy in the judicial system."

He suggested it was unfair to judge Poland for making judges more accountable to politicians, noting that the appointment of judges to the U.S. Supreme Court is also a political process. The Polish president accused Timmermans during the interview with Polsat News TV of rejecting every argument from Poland and of applying a "dictate" that the country "will not accept."

The European Commission must now submit a request to the EU member states to declare "a clear risk of serious breach of the rule of law" in Poland. That is essentially a warning, or in EU lingo, a "preventative" measure, that will require that acceptance of 22 EU countries.

The procedure carries a number of risks. Targeting Poland could increase anti-EU sentiment in one of member countries where support for the bloc is highest, with more than 80 percent approval. The move also could expose the EU as largely impotent at a time when it is struggling with other blows to its rationale for existing, including Britain's withdrawal and the huge numbers of migrants stuck in Italy and Greece that the bloc is struggling to relocate.

Even some of the government's staunchest critics have opposed the step, fearing it will create a sense among some Poles — particularly those who do not understand the complexities of the judicial laws — that they are being targeted unfairly by the EU.

Ryszard Czarnecki, a member of Law and Justice and the vice president of the European Parliament, called the step an "anti-Polish" move that is really meant to punish Poland for not taking migrants in a mandatory EU resettlement plan.

As expected, Hungary came to Poland's defense. Zsolt Semjen, the deputy prime minister, described the EU decision as "unprecedented and astounding" and reiterated the intention of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to block any sanctions.

"The decision seriously damages Poland's sovereignty," Semjen told state news wire MTI. "It is unacceptable that Brussels is putting pressure on sovereign member states and arbitrarily punishing democratically elected governments."

Raf Casert in Brussels and Pablo Gorondi in Budapest contributed.

Remains of exiled Italian king to be returned after 70 years

December 16, 2017

ROME (AP) — The remains of exiled King Victor Emmanuel III, whose rule through two world wars led to the end of Italy's monarchy, are expected to be returned to a family mausoleum near Turin soon, an Italian church said Saturday.

The announcement from the Sanctuary of the Nativity of Mary in Vicoforte came hours after the remains of the king's late wife, Queen Elena, were secretly transferred to the sanctuary from Montpellier, France, where she died in 1959.

Victor Emmanuel ruled Italy from 1900-1946, when he abdicated in favor of his son, Umberto II, in a desperate bid to preserve the monarchy amid rising republican sentiment following Italy's disastrous involvement in World War II.

A plebescite favored the birth of the Italian republic, forcing both father and son — Italy's last king — into exile. Victor Emmanuel died in 1947 in Alexandria, Egypt, where his remains still reside. Umberto died in 1983 in Geneva.

Italy's post-World War II constitution barred male descendants of the royal House of Savoy from Italian soil as punishment for the family's support of Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini. The ban was lifted in 2002, and moves to bring royal remains back to Italy began in earnest in 2011.

One of Victor Emmanuel's great-grandchildren, Emmanuel Filiberto — who along with his father made a triumphant return to Italy in 2002 after the ban was lifted — said he was pleased with the return of his ancestors to Italian soil. But he criticized the secrecy with which Elena's remains were repatriated, saying he learned of it only from the media.

In an interview with Mediaset's Tgcom24 Saturday, Filiberto said his grandfather — Umberto II — had always said the remains of exiled members of the House of Savoy should only return if they could be interred in the Pantheon in Rome — the final resting place of many other members of the family.

In a sign of the internecine battles among Europe's minor royals, Filiberto's sister appeared to be fully behind the initiative to keep the remains up north near Turin. Another relative, Prince Serge of Yugoslavia, reportedly is seeking to block Victor Emmanuel's remains from coming back to Italy altogether.

Macron offers support to French, African forces in Niger

December 22, 2017

PARIS (AP) — President Emmanuel Macron will hold a holiday dinner with French troops in Niger as he tries to bolster international forces fighting extremists across a swath of Africa. In a trip starting Friday, Macron wants to encourage Niger's growing military efforts to fight terrorism in West Africa. France has thousands of troops there in its largest overseas military operation and wants African forces to take a more prominent role.

In meetings with President Mahamadou Issoufou, Macron is also expected to discuss migrant trafficking through the area. Macron is trying to show support for French troops based in Niger and is bringing a special present: the chef from the Elysee presidential palace. The chef will oversee a meal for hundreds of French troops in addition to American, Canadian and German forces.

French sailor Gabart sets new solo round-the-world record

December 17, 2017

BREST, France (AP) — French sailor Francois Gabart broken the record Sunday for sailing around the world alone, circumnavigating the planet in just 42 days and 16 hours. That is more than six days faster than the last record, set by fellow Frenchman Thomas Coville last year.

The organizers, tracking his journey by satellite, tweeted that 34-year-old Gabart reached the finish line near Ouessant island off France's western coast on his trimaran called "Macif" before dawn Sunday.

Dozens of vessels swarmed around the victory vessel, accompanying Gabart as he waved torches. Supporters waited to fete him in nearby Brest, a historic port city and sailing capital from where he departed Nov. 4 and where residents have been following his travels.

"It's a crazy pleasure ... all this human energy," Gabart said later. "I'm a solitary sailor but this is a pleasure."

EU leaders set to launch new phase in Brexit talks

December 15, 2017

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union leaders are set to authorize a new phase in Britain's departure from the bloc. The expected clearance Friday to trade discussions will provide a welcome boost to British Prime Minister Theresa May, who earlier this week lost a key parliamentary vote over giving lawmakers the final say on the Brexit deal.

May received a round of applause from EU leaders Thursday night after giving her assessment of progress in the talks. Britain is due to leave in March 2019. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said Friday that "some of us thought, including me, that she did make big efforts and this has to be recognized."

Malta's prime minister, Joseph Muscat, said "there was appreciation from everyone," despite concerns in the EU of developments in London.

New Austrian government pledges pro-EU approach, more police

December 16, 2017

BERLIN (AP) — The new Austrian government led by a conservative and a nationalist party is pledging to tighten the country's asylum and immigration regulations while maintaining a firm commitment to the European Union, according to their coalition agreement released Saturday.

Under the deal reached late Friday night, Sebastian Kurz, head of the Austrian People's Party, will become chancellor, which will make him Europe's youngest leader when he is sworn in on Monday at age 31. Right-wing Freedom Party leader Heinz-Christian Strache will be vice chancellor and minister for sports and public servants.

"This can be the basis for real change in Austria," Kurz told reporters, introducing the government program that runs more than 180 pages. The document begins with a statement reinforcing Austria's commitment to the EU and other international organizations, saying that no Brexit-like referendums would be allowed.

"Only in a strong Europe can there also be a strong Austria, in which we are able to take advantage of the opportunities of the 21st century," the document reads. At the same time, the People's Party-Freedom Party partnership is expected to move the country to the right. Both campaigned on the need for tougher immigration controls, quick deportations of asylum-seekers whose requests are denied and a crackdown on radical Islam.

The coalition agreement calls for bolstering the country's police forces with another 2,100 officers, as well as immigration policies that "can be sustained by the population." It also says asylum should only be offered to people "for the duration of their persecution, who really need Austria's help"

Other points include ending illegal migration, cutting government bureaucracy, reducing taxes and creating a new national climate and energy strategy. Kurz's party finished first in the country's Oct. 15 election and then embarked on coalition talks with the Freedom Party, which came in third after the center-left Social Democrats.

In the new government, the Freedom Party will have another five ministers in addition to Strache and a deputy minister, including leadership of the important Interior, Defense and Foreign Ministries, the Austria Press Agency reported.

Along with Kurz as chancellor, the People's Party will have seven ministers and one deputy, with responsibilities including the Finance, Economy and Justice Ministries. Kurz is the foreign minister in the outgoing government under Chancellor Christian Kern, a Social Democrat. He has stressed the importance of a pro-European direction and is expected to continue to take the lead on European issues even though the Freedom Party, which has traditionally been strongly euroskeptic, will have the Foreign Ministry.

Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen said after he was presented with the coalition agreement and minister choices earlier Saturday that he saw no issues preventing the new government from being sworn in.

Following meetings with Kurz and Strache, Van der Bellen said he'd been assured a "pro-European" focus was central to that of the new government. "In these talks, among other things, we agreed it is in the national interest of Austria to remain at the center of a strong European Union and to actively participate in the future development of the European Union," he said.

US recognizes disputed Honduras election results

December 23, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration on Friday recognized the results of Honduras' disputed presidential election despite opposition complaints, irregularities found by poll observers and calls from Congress to back a new vote.

The State Department congratulated Juan Orlando Hernandez on his victory in last month's election but urged the country's electoral commission to fully review any challenges to the results. In a statement, spokeswoman Heather Nauert also urged all sides to refrain from violence amid unrest that has claimed at least 17 lives. She also called on security forces to respect the rights of peaceful protesters.

Hernandez was declared the winner but opposition candidate Salvador Nasralla claimed fraud and came to Washington earlier this week to seek backing from the U.S. and the Organization of American States. Election observers from the OAS and European Union had found irregularities that called the result into question.

"The close election results, irregularities identified by the OAS and the EU election observation missions, and strong reactions from Hondurans across the political spectrum underscore the need for a robust national dialogue," Nauert said. "A significant long-term effort to heal the political divide in the country and enact much-needed electoral reforms should be undertaken."

"We call upon the (election tribunal) to transparently and fully review any challenges filed by political parties," she said. "We urge Honduran citizens or political parties challenging the result to use the avenues provided by Honduran law. We reiterate the call for all Hondurans to refrain from violence. The government must ensure Honduran security services respect the rights of peaceful protesters, including by ensuring accountability for any violations of those rights."

The first results reported by the electoral court after the Nov. 26 election showed Nasralla with a significant lead over Hernandez with nearly 60 percent of the vote counted. Public updates of the count mysteriously stopped for more than a day, and when they resumed, that lead steadily eroded and ultimately reversed in Hernandez's favor.

On Thursday, a group of 20 Democratic legislators had asked Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to support a repetition of the election, citing the irregularities found by observers. They also asked Tillerson to denounce what they consider "excessive use of force" by Honduran security forces handling the street protests that have taken place since.

Honduran police have confirmed 17 deaths, but the opposition and the Committee of Detained and Disappeared, a non-governmental organization, said at least 24 people have been killed in the three weeks of unrest. Demonstrations continued Friday, with rock-throwing protesters clashing with police armed using tear gas.

Nasralla said in a news conference in Honduras' capital that he would continue the fight by filing new demands with Honduras' electoral court to annul the vote and hold new elections. "It's clear that Hernandez is imposed by the United States because leftist governments terrify them," Nasralla said. "With its weight in international relations, the United States opts for legitimizing a regime rejected by its people."

He added that while he ran as the candidate of a leftist opposition alliance, he is a man without a party and will stand by all Hondurans. Washington's recognition of the election results followed congratulations sent by Mexico's foreign ministry to Hernandez on Tuesday. Canada and Panama also recognized Hernandez as president Friday.

But countries such as El Salvador and Brazil have held back. Brazil's Foreign Ministry said Friday that since the election vote has been questioned by opposition parties it would not decide whether to recognize the results until after the Supreme Electoral Court rules on those challenges.

Two of the region's leftist leaders, Presidents Nicholas Maduro of Venezuela and Evo Morales of Bolivia, meanwhile, have railed against the alleged electoral fraud. The OAS said Friday that its team of election observers had reported "a series of irregularities and serious deficiencies that surely affected the election results." While the OAS secretary general's office said it would not comment on individual government decisions to recognize Hernandez's victory, it noted that ignoring the observers' reports "sets a dangerous precedent in the face of the many elections to be held in 2018."

Associated Press writers Freddy Cuevas in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Christopher Sherman in Mexico City, Marcos Aleman in San Salvador, El Salvador, Stan Lehman in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Fabiola Sanchez in Caracas, Venezuela and Carlos Valdez in La Paz, Bolivia, contributed to this report.

Honduras' electoral court declares president election winner

December 18, 2017

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) — President Juan Orlando Hernandez was declared the winner Sunday of Honduras' disputed election after three weeks of uncertainty and unrest in which at least 17 people died in protests amid the opposition's allegations of vote fraud.

Electoral court president David Matamoros made the announcement, saying, "We have fulfilled our obligation (and) we wish for there to be peace in our country." According to the court's official count, Hernandez won with 42.95 percent to 41.42 for runner-up Salvador Nasralla, who well before the announcement had challenged the result and said he would not recognize it.

There were reports of nighttime demonstrations on main boulevards in Tegucigalpa, the capital, and other cities, and Nasralla's party called for more protests Monday. There was no immediate public comment by Hernandez, whose sister Hilda Hernandez, a Cabinet minister, died Saturday in a helicopter crash.

Earlier in the day Nasralla traveled to Washington to present what he called "numerous" examples of evidence of alleged fraud. He said he planned to meet with officials from the Organization of American States, the U.S. State Department and human rights groups.

Interviewed by UneTV during a layover at the Miami airport, Nasralla called Hernandez's re-election illegitimate and said he would ask the OAS to invoke its democratic charter against Honduras. "The declaration by the court is a mockery because it tramples the will of the people," Nasralla said. He added that he was "very optimistic" because "the people do not endorse fraud."

Former President Manuel Zelaya, a Nasralla ally, called for civil disobedience from the population and for the armed forces to recognize Nasralla. "May God take us having made our confessions because today the people will defend in the streets the victory that it obtained at the ballot box," Zelaya said.

OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro said via Twitter shortly before the announcement that election observers concluded "serious doubts persist about the results." He asked that no "irresponsible pronouncements" be made before observers could make definitive reports.

The first results reported by the electoral court before dawn the day after the Nov. 26 election showed Nasralla with a significant lead over Hernandez with nearly 60 percent of the vote counted. Then public updates of the count mysteriously stopped for more than a day, and when they resumed, that lead steadily eroded and ultimately reversed in Hernandez's favor.

The electoral court recently conducted a recount of ballot boxes that presented irregularities and said there was virtually no change to its count. Since then it had been considering challenges filed by candidates.

Despite widespread suspicions of electoral malfeasance, especially among Nasralla's supporters, Matamoros defended the court's performance. He said it had presided over "the most transparent electoral process ever seen in Honduras."

Hernandez, a 49-year-old businessman and former lawmaker, took office in January 2014 and built support largely on a drop in violence in this impoverished Central American country. According to Honduras' National Autonomous University, the nation's homicide rate has plummeted from a dizzying high of 91.6 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2011 to 59 per 100,000 — though Honduras remains among the deadliest places in the world.

But corruption and drug trafficking allegations cast a shadow over Hernandez's government, and his re-election bid fueled charges that his National Party was seeking to entrench itself in power by getting a court ruling allowing him to seek a second term.

Re-election has long been outlawed in the country, and Zelaya was ousted as president in a 2009 coup ostensibly because he wanted to run again himself. He later founded the party that ran Nasralla as its candidate.

"The people say: 'JOH you are not our President,'" Zelaya tweeted, referring to Hernandez's initials. "We must mobilize immediately to all public places. They are violating the will of the PEOPLE." Hernandez's government recently accused Zelaya and Nasralla of ordering "gangs" to block streets and commit violent acts amid the protests, which have seen burning barricades and clashes between rock-throwing demonstrators and police and soldiers responding with tear gas.

"The generalized crisis that Honduras is experiencing is primarily due to the disagreement there has been between the political parties which, in a democracy, must respect the majority will of the people expressed at the ballot box," National Human Rights Commissioner Roberto Herrera said in a statement.

Associated Press writer Peter Orsi in Mexico City contributed to this report.

Zimbabwe ruling party meets to seal Mugabe's fall from grace

December 15, 2017

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — In an open space that Zimbabwe's ruling party has called Robert Mugabe Square, delegates gathered Friday to seal the fate of a man they had revered for decades but removed from power in dramatic scenes last month.

Emmerson Mnangagwa has already been inaugurated as the new president and party leader, replacing Mugabe, who had led the party since 1975 and the country since independence from white minority rule in 1980.

Friday's ZANU-PF party meeting is the final step in Mugabe's fall from grace after the military put him under house arrest, hundreds of thousands rallied in the streets and lawmakers began impeachment proceedings. Under the growing pressure, the 93-year-old who had vowed to rule for life finally resigned.

The decision to remove Mugabe as party leader was made by the Central Committee, and "it is a foregone conclusion delegates will ratify," party spokesman Simon Khaya Moyo said. Images of Mugabe's face, usually plastered on delegates' dress and other paraphernalia, were conspicuously missing, as was Mugabe himself. He flew to Malaysia and Singapore earlier this week to visit family and seek medical treatment in his first overseas trip since last month's events.

Mnangagwa at his inauguration described Mugabe as a "father, comrade-in-arms and my leader," even though his firing by Mugabe as vice president early last month set the events in motion amid concerns that unpopular first lady Grace Mugabe might succeed him.

Mugabe's time was up the moment he surrendered power to his wife, some party delegates said. The ruling party also was expected to endorse the 75-year-old Mnangagwa as party leader and its presidential candidate for next year's elections, Moyo said.

Now Mnangagwa must find a way out of his longtime mentor's shadow, revive the severely weakened economy and win over voters ahead of elections. On Thursday, he called for longtime sanctions to be lifted to ease foreign investment and promised measures to make the once-prosperous southern African nation "a place where capital feels safe."

The opposition, shut out of Mnangagwa's Cabinet in favor of military and ruling party members, has joined the United States and others in the international community in urging Zimbabwe's new government to make sure next year's elections are democratic.

Mnangagwa, sanctioned by the U.S. years ago for his activities as a top Mugabe aide, has said the government will do all in its power to make sure the elections are "credible, free and fair."

South Africa ruling party's fight for its future kicks off

December 16, 2017

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The fight to replace South Africa's scandal-prone President Jacob Zuma began Saturday as thousands of delegates of the ruling African National Congress gathered to elect a new leader, with Zuma acknowledging "failures" that have threatened the party's future.

The reputation of Nelson Mandela's liberation movement has been battered during the tenure of Zuma, whose second term as party president is up. The new ANC leader is likely to become South Africa's next president in 2019 elections.

The two clear front-runners are Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, former chair of the African Union Commission and Zuma's ex-wife. The selection is expected to be announced on Sunday.

Voters are frustrated with the ANC as Zuma's administration has been mired in scandal and corruption allegations. Africa's oldest liberation movement, which celebrated its 105th anniversary this year, led the fight against the system of white minority rule known as apartheid and has governed South Africa since the first democratic elections in 1994.

Observers say the party needs to restore its reputation or it could be forced into a governing coalition for the first time. Party divisions run so deep that analysts say either outcome, Ramaphosa or Dlamini-Zuma, could mean the end of the ANC's dominance as members of the losing faction could form a new party.

"We must attend to enormous challenges facing our movement," Zuma told the gathering, which opened with emotional appeals for unity. He pushed back against allegations of graft, asserting that "theft and corruption" in the private sector is just as bad as in government and that "being black and successful is being made synonymous to being corrupt."

But Zuma said "greed is posing a serious threat" to the party and pointed out warnings that the ANC could implode. "We need to find ways of protecting the ANC from corporate greed," he said. He rejected the party's "petty squabbles" that have distracted its work and said challenges to inclusion are "killing our movement." He also lashed out at the media, the judiciary and civil society, accusing them of fighting the ANC or interfering in party matters.

The president defended the party's worth despite the challenges, saying it continues to stand for millions of people on the fringes of society. "A heavy responsibility lies upon the shoulders of delegates here ... to renew our movement and to restore its timeless values," he said. "We must give people reason to have faith."

Zuma didn't endorse a successor, saying any of the seven candidates would make a "first-class president." He said he met with them and all agreed to abide by the party's selection. Zuma could carry on as head of state until 2019, when his term ends, or he could step down or be ousted before then by the new party leader ahead of the general elections. He said "I bear no grudge" against those who already have urged him to step aside.

Under Zuma, unemployment has risen to nearly 30 percent and economic growth has slumped, briefly dipping into recession this year. More than 55 percent of the country lives below the poverty line. Ramaphosa, who helped negotiate an end to apartheid and has become one of the wealthiest men in a democratic South Africa, has pledged to crack down on corruption and get the economy back on track. Dlamini-Zuma, a doctor and former government minister and an ally of the president, has promised to bring more black South Africans into the fold through "radical economic transformation."

The president told the gathering that land, for example, "must be distributed in an equitable manner while enhancing its productivity and ensuring food security." Some South Africans worry, however, that Dlamini-Zuma would be influenced by her ex-husband and perhaps shelter him from prosecution. Others were excited by the idea of her taking charge.

"Now I want a woman president," said Lerato Godi, a delegate from North West province. The growing frustration around Zuma led the party to suffer its worst-ever performance in municipal elections in 2016, with its vote share falling below 60 percent for the first time.

"Anyone who wins we are going to support and rally behind," said Sasekani Manzini, a spokeswoman for the ANC in Mpumalanga province. She said she supports Dlamini-Zuma but "we want to see a united ANC."

UN denounces US recognition of Jerusalem as Israeli capital

December 22, 2017

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly Thursday to denounce President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, largely ignoring Trump's threats to cut off aid to any country that went against him.

The nonbinding resolution declaring U.S. action on Jerusalem "null and void" was approved 128-9 — a victory for the Palestinians, but not as big as they predicted. Amid Washington's threats, 35 of the 193 U.N. member nations abstained and 21 were absent.

The resolution reaffirmed what has been the United Nations' stand on the divided holy city since 1967: that Jerusalem's final status must be decided in direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

The Trump administration made it clear the vote would have no effect on its plan to move the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said afterward that he completely rejects the "preposterous" resolution.

Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour called the vote a victory not only for the Palestinians but for the United Nations and international law, saying U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley "failed miserably" in persuading only seven countries aside from the U.S. and Israel to vote against the resolution.

"And they used unprecedented tactics, unheard of in the diplomatic work at the U.N., including blackmail and extortion," he said. The United States and Israel had waged an intensive lobbying campaign against the measure, with Haley sending letters to over 180 countries warning that Washington would be taking names of those who voted against the U.S. Trump went further, threatening a funding cutoff: "Let them vote against us. We'll save a lot. We don't care."

But in the end, major U.S. aid recipients including Afghanistan, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Tanzania and South Africa supported the resolution. Egypt received roughly $1.4 billion in U.S. aid this year, and Jordan about $1.3 billion.

The nine countries voting "no" were the U.S., Israel, Guatemala, Honduras, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, the Marshall Islands and Togo. Among the abstentions were Australia, Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic and Mexico.

The absent countries included Kenya, which was the fifth-largest recipient of U.S. aid last year, Georgia and Ukraine, all of which have close U.S. ties. After the vote, Haley tweeted a photo naming the 65 nations that voted no, abstained or were absent, and said: "We appreciate these countries for not falling to the irresponsible ways of the UN."

She later sent invitations to the 65 ambassadors inviting them to a reception on Jan. 3 to thank them for their friendship with the United States. The U.S. is scheduled to dispense $25.8 billion in foreign aid for 2018. Whether Trump follows through with his threat against those who voted "yes" remains to be seen.

But within hours, the Trump administration appeared to be backing away from its funding threats. In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said cuts to countries that opposed the U.S. are not a foregone conclusion.

"The president's foreign policy team has been empowered to explore various options going forward with other nations," Nauert said. "However, no decisions have been made." During the debate, Arab, Islamic and non-aligned nations urged a "yes" vote on the resolution, which was sponsored by Yemen and Turkey.

Yemeni Ambassador Khaled Hussein Mohamed Alyemany warned that Trump's recognition of Jerusalem undermines any chance for peace in the Mideast and "serves to fan the fires of violence and extremism." He called Trump's action "a blatant violation of the rights of the Palestinian people and the Arab nations, and all Muslims and Christians of the world," and "a dangerous violation and breach of international law."

On Wednesday, Trump complained that Americans are tired of being taken advantage of by countries that take billions of dollars and then vote against the U.S. Haley echoed his words in her speech to the packed assembly chamber, threatening not only member states with funding cuts, but the United Nations itself.

Haley said the vote will make no difference in U.S. plans to move the American Embassy, but it "will make a difference on how Americans look at the U.N., and on how we look at countries who disrespect us in the U.N."

"And this vote will be remembered," she warned. Trump's pressure tactics had raised the stakes at Thursday's emergency meeting and triggered accusations from the Muslim world of U.S. bullying and blackmail.

"It is unethical to think that the votes and dignity of member states are for sale," said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. "We will not be intimidated! You can be strong but this does not make you right!"

The Palestinians and their supporters sought the General Assembly vote after the U.S. on Monday vetoed a resolution supported by the 14 other U.N. Security Council members that would have required Trump to rescind his declaration on Jerusalem.

The resolution adopted by the assembly has language similar to the defeated measure. It "affirms that any decisions and actions which purport to have altered the character, status or demographic composition of the holy city of Jerusalem have no legal effect, are null and void and must be rescinded."

Associated Press writers Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, and Joe Federman in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

3 astronauts blast off for International Space Station

December 17, 2017

BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan (AP) — A capsule carrying three astronauts from Russia, Japan and the United States has blasted off for a two-day trip to the International Space Station. The Soyuz capsule with Anton Shkaplerov, Norishige Kanai and Scott Tingle launched at 1:23 p.m. (0723 GMT; 2:23 a.m. EST) Sunday from Russia's manned space-launch complex in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. It entered orbit nine minutes later.

It is the first space flight for Tingle and Kanai; Shkaplerov is on his third mission to the ISS. The capsule is to dock on Tuesday with the orbiting space laboratory. The three will join Russia's Alexander Misurkin and Joe Acaba and Mark Vandde Hei of NASA, who have been aboard since September.

Opposition leader says he could beat Putin in fair election

December 18, 2017

MOSCOW (AP) — As the most serious challenger during Vladimir Putin's 18 years in power, Alexei Navalny has endured arrests, show trials and facefuls of green antiseptic that damaged his vision. But in an interview Monday with The Associated Press, he said the biggest thing keeping him from becoming Russia's next president is a political system that punishes him for rallying support and conspires to keep his face off the airwaves.

Putin's approval rating is astronomical and he is widely expected to win another term with ease, but the fact that he won't even say Navalny's name suggests the anti-corruption crusader has struck a nerve. Navalny's criminal record will probably keep him off the ballot — a sign, he says, of how much he frightens the political class.

Navalny, in his first interview since the start of the presidential campaign, said he would win it "if I am allowed to run and if I'm allowed to use major media." And he said the Kremlin knows it. "It's the main reason they don't want me to run," he said. "They understand perfectly how ephemeral the support for them is."

That support certainly looks strong: The latest independent poll, conducted this month by the Levada Center, suggests 75 percent of Russians would vote for Putin. People in much of Russia back Putin as a matter of course, and Navalny supporters are routinely heckled, arrested and fined when they try to spread their message.

But there are also signs that enthusiasm for Putin may be starting to wane. Another Levada poll, conducted in April, found that 51 percent of people are tired of waiting for Putin to bring "positive change" — 10 percentage points higher than a year ago. Both polls surveyed 1,600 people across Russia and had margins of error of 2.5 percentage points.

Navalny hopes to capitalize on that discontent. "Putin has nothing to say," Navalny said. "All he can promise is what he used to promise before, and you can check that these promises did not come true and cannot come true."

Navalny gets out his message on social media, using Twitter and Telegram and broadcasting a weekly program on YouTube. But television — the main source of information for most Russians — remains off limits because it's controlled by the government.

Other opposition candidates are expected to run, notably socialite Ksenia Sobchak, the daughter of Putin's mentor — but there is wide speculation that her candidacy is a Kremlin plot to split Navalny's support. The only other candidates who are critical of Putin have too little support for the Kremlin to view them as threats.

Putin himself has announced his re-election bid but so far refrained from any campaigning events. Even so, his face is everywhere — at his annual news conference last week, carried live for nearly four hours on Russian television, he touted his accomplishments and even taunted Navalny — but stuck to his practice of not saying his name.

Navalny was not a candidate during Russia's last presidential election in 2012, but he spearheaded massive anti-government protests that rattled Putin. Amid dwindling popularity, Putin seized Ukraine's Crimean peninsula and threw support behind separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine, striking a chord with millions of Russians who felt like losers in the outcome of the Cold War. Now, people are tiring of the Ukrainian conflict and becoming more focused on their own economic woes, providing fertile ground for Navalny's message.

Navalny published his full election platform last week, focusing on fighting corruption and funneling more money into education and health care. He calls for a windfall tax on oligarchs and huge cuts to Russia's bloated bureaucracy. Unlike Putin's focus on foreign policy, Navalny's platform is almost entirely domestic, which he credits for growing support in places like Novosibirsk, Russia's third-largest city, where he drew a large crowd in October.

"Our government is in the grip of illusions. They deal with Syria and they're not interested in what's happening in Novosibirsk, and people there feel it," Navalny told the AP. "That translates into the fact that I'm receiving more support."

The blue-eyed Moscow lawyer first made his name in 2009 when he began publishing investigations into corruption at Russia's biggest state-owned companies. When the AP first interviewed Navalny in 2010, he was a lone wolf, but he has since acquired allies and supporters who have been made investigations into official corruption their full-time job.

With the visibility came the backlash: The 41-year old Navalny has been convicted on two sets of unrelated charges, and his brother was sent to prison in what was largely viewed as political revenge. A conviction on one of the charges bars Navalny from running for public office without special dispensation — and the election official who will consider that request in the coming weeks has already said she sees no legal grounds for him to run.

In his only formal election campaign, Navalny ran for Moscow mayor in 2013 and got nearly 30 percent of the vote. His presidential bid began a year ago, when he started to build a network of supporters across Russia. He currently counts over 190,000 volunteers, most of them young, from Russia's western exclave of Kaliningrad to Vladivostok on the Pacific. His supporters have opened campaign offices in 83 cities and towns, including many where Putin is accustomed to winning by a landslide.

On his most recent visit to Putin's heartland, 1,000 people braved temperatures of -15 Celsius (-5 Fahrenheit) to hear him speak in the industrial town of Novokuznetsk, where Putin got 77 percent of the vote in 2012.

Many of those in the crowd sounded weary of the president but said they saw no alternative. Asked about Navalny, many said they had heard very little about him. While Navalny has captured the attention of a younger generation and the politically active via social media, he conceded he won't be able to reach the broader population as long as he is barred from state television.

"We have won among the active political class despite the ban," he said. "The politically active class will turn the politically dormant one in our favor. It's going to happen in this election if I'm allowed to run."

Russia's presidential election to take place on March 18

December 15, 2017

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's presidential election will take place on March 18 following a vote in the upper chamber of the country's parliament. Though the vote Friday from the Federation Council is largely a formality, it formally kick-starts the campaign.

President Vladimir Putin last week ended weeks of speculation, saying he will run for the fourth term. Putin's 80 percent approval ratings make his victory all but certain. His most visible adversary, anti-corruption crusader Alexei Navalny, has declared his intention to run but a criminal conviction bars his from running for president.

Navalny has been convicted on two separate sets of charges largely viewed as politically motivated. Despite the implicit ban he has mounted a grassroots campaign which reached the most remote corners of Russia.

Iran's schools suffocate in smog

2017-12-17

TEHRAN- Iran shut primary schools in the capital and other parts of the country on Sunday due to choking levels of air pollution.

Local authorities late Saturday announced the closure of all primary schools in the province of Tehran, which is home to 14 million residents, except in two towns.

A blanket of smog has covered neighborhoods in the capital in the past few days.

Airborne concentration of fine particles (PM2.5) hit 185 micrograms per cubic meter in the south of Tehran and 174 in its center on Sunday morning, local authorities said.

That is far above the World Health Organization recommended maximum of 25 micrograms per m3 over a 24-hour period.

Authorities also ordered mines and cement factories in Tehran province to close and reinforced regular traffic restrictions in the capital's center.

They called on the elderly, children, pregnant women and people with heart problems to stay indoors.

In the northwestern cities of Tabriz and Urmia, schools remained closed for the second day straight on Sunday, official news agency IRNA said.

Every year, Tehran suffers some of the worst pollution in the world when cool temperatures cause an effect known as "temperature inversion".

The phenomenon creates a layer of warm air above the city that traps pollution from more than eight million cars and motorbikes.

In 2014, almost 400 people were hospitalized with heart and respiratory problems caused by pollution in Tehran. Nearly 1,500 others required treatment.

The health ministry estimated that pollution in 2012 contributed to the premature deaths of 4,500 people in Tehran and about 80,000 across the country.

Source: Middle East Online.
Link: http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=86459.

Istanbul summit strong on the rhetoric, weak on concrete steps

2017-12-17

More than 50 Muslim countries, led by Turkey, slammed the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital but a failure to back up the rhetoric with concrete action showed the extent of internal rifts, analysts said.

A statement issued in Istanbul after a December 13 emergency summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), a body comprising 57 Muslim countries, said members “reject and condemn” the US move.

OIC members invited “all countries to recognize the state of Palestine and East Jerusalem as its occupied capital.”

The summit was called by Turk­ish President Recep Tayyip Erdog­an, whose country holds the rotat­ing OIC presidency and who has been one of the most vocal critics of the US decision. In his speech at the Istanbul meeting, Erdogan called Israel a “terror state” and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said the United States would no longer be accepted as a mediator in the Israeli-Pales­tinian conflict.

Erdogan’s efforts to produce a unified and strong response to Trump’s plan were only partly successful. While criticism of the United States in the Istanbul decla­ration went beyond what some OIC members had said individually, less than half of OIC members sent their heads of states to the meet­ing.

Key US allies in the region limit­ed their representation in Istanbul to cabinet members. Saudi Arabia, the guardian of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina and host of the OIC headquarters, was represented by its minister of Islamic affairs. Egypt and the United Arab Emir­ates sent their foreign ministers.

Observers said the strong words in the final statement in Istanbul masked a lack of concrete steps. Gonul Tol, director of the Center for Turkish Studies at the Mid­dle East Institute in Washington, pointed out that, while the Istan­bul declaration was a “symbolically important move” that “projected the image of unity” in the Mus­lim world on the Jerusalem issue, there were no consequences. “It was the lowest common denomi­nator. In practical terms, it changes nothing,” Tol said.

Deep divisions in the Muslim camp meant that even a poten­tial withdrawal by the United States from its role in the Middle East would not change much, Tol added. “I don’t see how they could lead a peace process,” she said about countries at the table in Istanbul.

The OIC includes bitter regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran as well as war-torn Syria, where several regional powers are vying for in­fluence. Saudi Arabia also leads a quartet of regional powers in con­flict with Qatar, in which Turkey and Iran take Doha’s side.

While Turkish media hailed the Istanbul summit as “historic,” the meeting’s conclusions did not go beyond the affirmation of East Je­rusalem as the capital of the Pales­tinians, a stand already included in the OIC charter. The summit declaration did not include politi­cal or economic steps against Is­rael. Erdogan’s announcement fol­lowing Trump’s declaration that Turkey might break off diplomatic relations with Israel was not men­tioned.

Also, the OIC statement lacked a pledge by members to move em­bassies to East Jerusalem to coun­ter Trump’s decision to build a US embassy in the holy city. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavu­soglu, the day after the summit, said he was sure embassies would be opened in the eastern part of the city but did not offer a time frame.

The US State Department ac­cused the OIC of prejudging the outcome of Israeli-Palestinian talks by calling the eastern part of Jerusalem the Palestinian capital, while Trump’s announcement did not specify which parts of the city he was referring to. “I think this would be the difference” between the OIC and the United States, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said after the Is­tanbul meeting. “We are not mak­ing any calls on borders.”

Given the failure of the OIC to come up with specific steps, Israel said it was not worried by the Is­tanbul summit. Israeli Prime Min­ister Binyamin Netanyahu said the Istanbul decisions “fail to im­press us,” while the Times of Israel newspaper wrote that “Erdogan and Abbas bark at Jerusalem but their threats have no bite.”

Some government critics in Turkey agreed. Ertugrul Gunay, a former minister in Erdogan’s cabi­net, said on Twitter that Erdogan should cut all political, military and economic ties if he really viewed Israel as a “terror state.”

The OIC meeting highlighted Erdogan’s anti-Western rhetoric at a time of tension in Turkey’s ties with the United States over Wash­ington’s support for Kurds in Syria and a growing suspicion by US of­ficials concerning Erdogan’s lead­ership.

Trump’s national security ad­viser, H.R. McMaster, was quoted as telling a panel in Washington that NATO member Turkey and Qatar, long accused by critics of being sponsors of the Muslim Brotherhood, were key support­ers of a “radical Islamist ideology.” The Turkish Foreign Ministry said McMaster’s statement was “astonishing, baseless and unac­ceptable.”

Source: Middle East Online.
Link: http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=86457.