Month: January 2023

Ukraine has called on the West to provide the German-made tanks which they say will help them defeat Russia.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told the BBC that Germany had the power to “save the lives of many Ukrainian soldiers”.

But Germany is yet to agree and its export laws have stood in Poland’s way.

On Sunday, Ms Baerbock said Poland had not yet asked for export permission.

“For the moment the question has not been asked, but if we were asked we would not stand in the way,” she told France’s LCI TV.

Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Monday the government would request authorisation from Berlin. But he said Poland would send the tanks to Ukraine, even if it was not granted.

“Even if ultimately we did not get this consent, within the framework of a small coalition… we will still hand over our tanks, together with others, to Ukraine,” Mr Morawiecki said.

The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said Germany would not stop other EU countries exporting Leopard tanks.

He added that discussions of support for Ukraine should not solely revolve around tanks.

In a BBC interview Ukraine’s Dmytro Kuleba appealed to all countries willing to send Leopard 2 tanks to “immediately, officially request the German government to allow delivery of these tanks to Ukraine”.

“This is the move that will make the whole situation crystal clear and we will see where it takes Germany. This is something that needs to be done right away and everything will become obvious,” he added.

Mr Kuleba also told national TV on Monday that he was “confident” Germany would supply the tanks eventually: “We already received British Challenger. They said it would be impossible… Every time in the end we obtained the desired result. We will have it this time as well.”

A spokesperson for the German government said it had not yet received any requests to authorise delivery of the Leopard 2 tanks.

Last week, Mr Morawiecki said Poland was ready to provide 14 Leopard 2s for Kyiv.

On Monday, the Polish president’s foreign policy adviser, Marcin Przydacz, said he welcomed Ms Baerbock’s announcement, but would prefer to hear Germany’s position confirmed by Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

“It turns out that through talks and diplomatic actions, Poland is able to change the German position,” Mr Przydacz told Polish Radio.

However, Poland ultimately wants Berlin and Nato allies to also send their own Leopards, because government officials admit that 14 tanks will have a limited impact on Ukraine’s fighting capacity.

Meanwhile, Vyacheslav Volodin, Speaker of Russia’s Duma lower house of parliament, warned that the United States and Nato support of Ukraine would risk sparking a “terrible war”, and supplying weapons that Ukraine could use to “strike civilian cities and attempt to seize our territories” would lead to “retaliatory measures using more powerful weapons”.

The Leopard 2 tanks were specifically designed to compete with the Russian T-90 tanks, which are being used in the invasion.

There are believed to be more than 2,000 of them worldwide and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said about 300 of them would help ensure a Russian defeat.

Many allied countries have become frustrated with Germany over its reluctance to send its own Leopard 2 tanks.

Under current regulations, Germany must also sanction any re-export of its tanks by other countries, such as Poland.

Following a meeting of more than 50 allied countries on Friday, Germany had not yet committed to supplying the tanks nor releasing their export licence. But it denied unilaterally blocking the tanks’ export.

In a joint statement on Saturday the foreign ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania told Germany “to provide Leopard tanks to Ukraine now”.

By Chris Partridge, BBC weapons analyst

The Leopard 2 tank is a world-class weapon used by more than a dozen countries.

Ukraine sees tanks as another vital part of its defence against Russian forces and Leopards have seen combat action in Afghanistan and Syria.

What makes them particularly attractive to Kyiv is that nearly two-thirds of all Leopards produced are still in Europe. So physically getting Leopards to the fight is relatively straightforward. That also makes maintenance and repair – vital aspects of any weapons system – easier too.

It is worth remembering in all this that Germany is giving Ukraine vital air defence systems, such as IRIS-T and Patriot surface-to-air missiles, as well as armoured personnel carriers.

Mr Scholz has traditionally been sceptical of German involvement in military conflicts, and concerned about triggering an escalation from Russia.

The chancellor met French president Emmanuel Macron at the weekend to reiterate the two countries’ post-war alliance.

France has already committed to sending light tanks to Ukraine, and Mr Macron suggested it was possible that French-made Leclerc heavy tanks may also be delivered to Ukraine.

Other countries have committed to sending tanks, including the UK, which will send 14 Challenger 2s.

Sweden applied to join Nato after Russia invaded Ukraine – but needs Turkey, already a member, to approve.

Kurdish protesters in Sweden hung an effigy of Mr Erdogan this month, followed by the Quran burning.

“Sweden should not expect support from us for Nato,” Erdogan said in response.

“It is clear that those who caused such a disgrace in front of our country’s embassy can no longer expect any benevolence from us regarding their application.”

Saturday’s protest – but not the burning of the book itself – was given prior approval by Swedish authorities.

Erdogan condemned the latest protest, carried out by a far-right politician from a Danish party, as blasphemy not to be defended by free speech.

The Swedish governments also criticised the protest.

“Sweden has a far-reaching freedom of expression, but it does not imply that the Swedish government, or myself, support the opinions expressed,” Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said on Saturday.

Responding to Mr Erdogan’s remarks on Monday, Mr Billstrom said that he wanted to understand exactly what the Turkish leader said before commenting.

“Sweden will respect the agreement that exists between Sweden, Finland and Turkey regarding our Nato membership,” he added.

Sweden, along with Finland, applied to join Nato after Russia invaded Ukraine, but the recent protests have heightened tensions.

Nato’s secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said that freedom of expression was a “precious commodity” in Nato countries, and that these acts, while inappropriate, were not “automatically illegal”.

Turkey, a majority Muslim country, denounced the Swedish government’s decision to allow the protest as “completely unacceptable”.

“No one has the right to humiliate the saints,” said Mr Erdogan in his televised remarks on Monday.

“When we say something, we say it honestly, and when someone dishonours us, we put them in their place.”

Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said Turkey cancelled a visit by his Swedish counterpart Pal Jonson after “observing that no measures were taken over the… disgusting protests”.

A flurry of earlier visits by Sweden’s top ministers to Turkey’s capital Ankara raised hopes the trip could ease objections to Sweden’s accession.

As Turkey is already a Nato member, it can block another country from joining, and has made several demands of Sweden already. That includes the extradition of some Kurds that it claims are terrorists.

Earlier this month, the Swedish prime minister said Kurdish protesters in Stockholm who hung an effigy of Turkey’s president from a lamppost were trying to sabotage Sweden’s Nato application.

A Swedish minister branded the stunt as “deplorable”, but Turkey said the condemnation was not enough.

The latest attacks occurred at two separate locations in the coastal city of Half Moon Bay, about 30 miles (50 km) south of San Francisco.

The attacker was identified as 67-year-old Zhao Chunli, a local resident.

It comes as the state mourns the deaths in majority-Asian Monterey Park during celebrations for the Lunar New Year.

The suspect on Monday was filmed by news cameras turning himself in to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office about two hours after the attack.

The first four victims were discovered at a mushroom farm around 14:22 local time (00:22GMT), while the other three were later found at a nearby trucking business.

Investigators have not yet provided a motive for this attack.

San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus said at a news conference that the suspect was arrested after driving himself to a local police station around 16:40.

He was found with a semi-automatic pistol that may have been used in the attack, and is currently “co-operating” with police, she added.

Mrs Corpus added that an eighth victim is being treated in hospital and is in critical condition.

“This kind of shooting is horrific,” she said. “It’s a tragedy we hear about far too often, but today it’s hit home here in San Mateo County.”

In a news conference, the sheriff also confirmed that witnesses include children who had recently been let out of school and lived on the rural property.

“For children to witness this is unspeakable,” she said.

California Governor Gavin Newsom tweeted that he was “at the hospital meeting with victims of a mass shooting when I get pulled away to be briefed about another shooting.

“This time in Half Moon Bay. Tragedy upon tragedy.”

Half Moon Bay Council member Debbie Ruddock told NBC that the victims were Chinese farmworkers.

San Mateo County Board of Supervisors President Dave Pine told the Associated Press news agency that the attacks were committed by a “disgruntled worker”.

“We are sickened by today’s tragedy in Half Moon Bay,” Mr Pine said in a statement.

“The scourge of gun violence has sadly hit home. We have not even had time to grieve for those lost in the terrible shooting in Monterey Park. Gun violence must stop.”

Fumio Kishida said it was a case of “now or never.”

Japan – population 125 million – is estimated to have had fewer than 800,000 births last year. In the 1970s, that figure was more than two million.

Birth rates are slowing in many countries, including Japan’s neighbours.

But the issue is particularly acute in Japan as life expectancy has risen in recent decades, meaning there are a growing number of older people, and a declining numbers of workers to support them.

Japan now has the world’s second-highest proportion of people aged 65 and over – about 28% – after the tiny state of Monaco, according to World Bank data.

“Japan is standing on the verge of whether we can continue to function as a society,” Mr Kishida told lawmakers.

“Focusing attention on policies regarding children and child-rearing is an issue that cannot wait and cannot be postponed.”

He said that he eventually wants the government to double its spending on child-related programmes. A new government agency to focus on the issue would be set up in April, he added.

However, Japanese governments have tried to promote similar strategies before, without success.

In 2020, researchers projected Japan’s population to fall from a peak of 128 million in 2017 to less than 53 million by the end of the century. The population is currently just under 125 million, according to official data.

Japan has continued implementing strict immigration laws despite some relaxations, but some experts are now saying that the rules should be loosened further to help tackle its ageing society.

Falling birth rates are driven by a range of factors, including rising living costs, more women in education and work, as well as greater access to contraception, leading to women choosing to have fewer children.

Last week, China reported its first drop in population for 60 years.

Japan is home to the oldest population in the world, after tiny Monaco. It is recording fewer births than ever before. By 2050, it could lose a fifth of its current population.

Yet its hostility to immigration has not wavered. Only about 3% of Japan’s population is foreign-born, compared to 15% in the UK. In Europe and America, right-wing movements point to it as a shining example of racial purity and social harmony.

But Japan is not as ethnically pure as those admirers might think. There are the Ainu of Hokkaido, Okinawans in the south, half a million ethnic Koreans, and close to a million Chinese.

Then there are Japanese children with one foreign parent, which include my own three.

These bi-cultural kids are known as “hafu” or halves – a pejorative term that’s normal here. They include celebrities and sports icons, such as tennis star Naomi Osaka. Popular culture idolises them as “more beautiful and talented”. But it’s one thing to be idolised and quite another to be accepted.

If you want to see what happens to a country that rejects immigration as a solution to falling fertility, Japan is a good place to start.

Real wages haven’t grown here in 30 years. Incomes in South Korea and Taiwan have caught up and even overtaken Japan.

But change feels distant. In part it’s because of a rigid hierarchy that determines who holds the levers of power.

David Lammy will later set out five proposals the party said would help Britain “thrive” on the world stage.

The proposals involves working more closely with the EU on cyber threats, energy security and organised crime.

Mr Lammy will outline how the party will reset UK foreign policy and create a “Britain Reconnected”.

Labour say their proposals will improve UK prosperity by resolving the Northern Ireland protocol negotiations, tackling climate change and rebuilding what the shadow foreign secretary will says is Britain’s “tarnished” international reputation.

The shadow foreign secretary will also promise to ease UK-EU friction on food and medical goods, strengthen the recognition of professional standards, and restore co-operation on science and research – with regular summits of the two sides to discuss commons issues.

Labour also pledges to push for the UK to re-establish itself as a “trusted, reliable and influential partner” when it comes to diplomacy, which Mr Lammy will say involves protecting the role of the BBC World Service and the British Council and legislating for a “new legal right to consular protection to protect Britons abroad”.

Labour said it would not take Britain back into the single market or customs union. Sir Keir Starmer previously ruled out re-joining the single market despite Mayor of London Sadiq Khan calling for a shift to greater alignment with Europe.

In an address at the foreign affairs think tank Chatham House, Mr Lammy is expected to say that “ideological leadership and reckless choices” left the UK “disconnected from its closest allies”.

He will say: “A failure to clearly define the goals of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office around modern challenges leave the UK ill-equipped to face the future.

“It doesn’t have to be this way. The UK is home to cutting-edge technology and services, world-leading universities, vibrant cultural industries, and it has the potential for unparalleled global connections.

“Labour will reset our foreign policy to create a Britain Reconnected, for security and prosperity at home. With the right priorities, the right partnerships and the right values, Britain can, and will, thrive.”

General Julio Cesar de Arruda had only been in the role since 30 December – just before former president Jair Bolsonaro’s mandate ended.

President Lula has said he suspects members of the armed forces colluded with protesters.

He has dismissed dozens of military officers in recent days.

Thousands of supporters of Mr Bolsonaro stormed government buildings in Brasília on 8 January after managing to march, largely unchallenged, through the city.

Several police officers were injured in the violence and the presidential palace, Congress and Supreme Court were vandalised after rioters forced their way in. Some 2,000 people were detained on the day, Brazil’s federal police reported, and nearly 1,200 remain under arrest.

The Supreme Court is investigating what happened and is including Jair Bolsonaro in the probe. Prosecutors said the far-right former leader may have incited the riot after posting a video that questioned the legitimacy of last year’s presidential election.

He has denied any involvement in or responsibility for the uprising by his supporters.

General Arruda is being replaced by a military commander close to the president – General Tomás Ribeiro Paiva. He made a speech earlier this week urging soldiers to accept the result of the presidential election.

Unsubstantiated allegations of fraud in October’s election were a driving motivation for many Bolsonaro supporters involved in the storming. Many were also enraged that President Lula, who was found guilty of corruption in 2017 and spent time in prison before his convictions were annulled, was back in power.

President Lula blames Mr Bolsonaro directly for the rioting, but also points the finger very firmly at collusion by “people inside the armed forces”, the BBC’s Latin America correspondent Will Grant reports.

Mr Bolsonaro was previously an army captain and known to have the support of certain figures in the military. Our correspondent says Lula’s sacking of the army commander and removal of dozens of officers responsible for presidential security are perhaps steps towards rebuilding trust in the military personnel who surround him.

After this tumultuous start, Lula now faces the challenge of trying to govern in a bitter and thoroughly polarised atmosphere.

On Friday, Brazil’s Defence Minister, José Múcio, said it was time to turn the page and focus on the country’s future – adding that the military as an institution was not involved in the rioting.

Meanwhile, Jair Bolsonaro remains in Florida, where he has been since he refused to attend President Lula’s inauguration ceremony.

Last week, the former justice minister and a key ally of Mr Bolsonaro, Anderson Torres, was arrested after being accused of “sabotaging” police efforts to protect the buildings in Brasília.

Some documents seized at the Wilmington property on Friday were from his time as a senator and others from his tenure as vice-president under Barack Obama.

Lawyer Bob Bauer said “personally handwritten notes” and “surrounding materials” were also taken away.

Mr Biden and his wife were not present.

The president offered access “to his home to allow DoJ to conduct a search of the entire premises for potential vice-presidential records and potential classified material”, Mr Bauer said in a statement on Saturday.

Earlier this month Mr Biden’s lawyers said a first batch of classified documents had been found on 2 November at the Penn Biden Center, a think-tank the president founded in Washington DC.

A second batch of records was found on 20 December in the garage at his Wilmington home, while another document was found in a storage space at the house on 12 January, his lawyers said.

After finding the documents, the president said his team immediately turned them over to the National Archives and the Justice Department. It is not clear why Mr Biden had kept them.

Under the Presidential Records Act, White House records are supposed to go to the National Archives once an administration ends, where they can be stored securely.

A special counsel, Robert Hur, has been appointed to lead the investigation into how the sensitive documents were handled.

The lengthy search and subsequent discovery of more documents is a political headache for the president, as he prepares to declare whether he will run for a second term in 2024.

Mr Biden and his wife, Jill, are spending the weekend in the coastal town of Rehoboth Beach in Delaware, where they own another house. It was searched earlier this month and no documents were found, his lawyers said, according to the New York Times.

The two-month gap between the first Biden discovery – days before the midterm elections – and the news being made public in January raises awkward questions for the president about transparency, BBC North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher says.

Mr Biden’s team insists the president has co-operated fully with the DoJ inquiry. Mr Biden has played down the affair as an oversight, saying he has “no regrets” about not publicly disclosing the discovery of some classified files before the November midterm elections.

The discovery comes as former US President Donald Trump also faces a probe over his alleged mishandling of hundreds of classified documents at his Florida Mar-a-Lago residence and his alleged failure to comply with a subpoena.

Mr Trump and his lawyers resisted handing over the documents until the FBI raided his Florida holiday home last August. He alleges that President Biden is being treated more favourably by the FBI.