Cincunri Sakia

Senin, 15 Maret 2021

German elections: Angela Merkel's CDU suffers historic regional defeats as voters react to COVID-19 handling - Sky News

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's party has suffered historic defeats in regional elections as voters reacted to her handling of the COVID-19 crisis.

The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) lost out to the Greens in the southwest automotive hub of Baden-Wuerttemberg and to the left-leaning Social Democrats (SPD) in neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate.

Mrs Merkel has been in power since 2005 and will not be standing again at the federal elections in September following four consecutive national election victories.

The record defeats in the regional elections, only held in the two wealthy southern states and seen as a bellwether for September, is another blow for the CDU.

In Baden-Wuerttemberg, exit polls put the Greens at 37.2% with the CDU at 24% and in Rhineland-Palatinate the SPD led with 36.1% with the CDU getting 27.1% of the vote.

A face mask procurement scandal, months of lockdowns and a slow coronavirus vaccine rollout caused by supply shortages and excessive bureaucracy dominated Sunday's elections.

The CDU's support dropped from 40% last June, when Germany was praised for its pandemic response, to around 33% this month.

Over the past two weeks, several conservative MPs quit over allegations of receiving payments for arranging procurement deals.

There are also fears of a potential third wave of COVID-19 as infection rates have begun rising over the past few days after steadily falling since early January.

Since starting its vaccination programme in late December, only 7% of the population has received at least one dose, making Germany among the slowest in an already lagging European vaccine rollout.

Markus Blume, general secretary of the CSU, the CDU's Bavarian faction, told Bild Live: "The election results are so bad that you can't say 'just keep going'."

The SPD's candidate for chancellor in September, Olaf Scholz, said the results showed a national government without the CDU and the CSU is possible.

Both the election results open up potential regional alliances of the Greens, SPD and liberal Free Democrats (FDP), who already governed Rhineland-Palatinate.

CDU leaders fear those parties could now gain enough support to leave their party in opposition at national level in September.

The results are also a blow to CDU chairman Armin Laschet, who was winning the race to succeed Mrs Merkel after winning the party leadership two months ago.

It could, however, give a leg up to the CSU's Markus Soeder, Mr Laschet's Bavarian rival to become chancellor.

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2021-03-15 09:22:39Z
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Myanmar military extends martial law after bloodiest day since coup - BBC News

Myanmar's military has imposed martial law across more districts around the country following the deadliest day of protests since February's coup.

About 50 people were reported killed when troops and police opened fire on protesters in various areas on Sunday. Most deaths were in Yangon.

The violence came a day before ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi was due to appear in court.

On Monday, her virtual hearing was adjourned due to internet problems.

Pro-democracy protesters are demanding the release of Ms Suu Kyi, the head of the National League for Democracy (NLD) which saw a landslide victory in elections last November. She has been held at an unknown location since the 1 February coup.

She is due to face a slew of charges her supporters say are fabricated.

The military detained most of the NLD leadership after the coup, alleging voter fraud. No proof has been provided.

Myanmar coup: What is happening and why?

The military initially declared martial law in two districts of Yangon (Rangoon), the country's largest city, on Sunday after Chinese businesses were attacked. Martial law was imposed in several other areas of Yangon and Mandalay on Monday. Protesters there can now be tried in military courts.

Protesters believe China is giving support to the military in Myanmar (also called Burma) but it is unclear who was behind the weekend attacks.

Most of Sunday's casualties were reported in Yangon.

In total, more than 120 protesters have been killed during the crackdown, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) monitoring group.

On Monday there were fresh protests in Mandalay and a number of other locations. Casualties were reported after security forces opened fire on protesters in the central towns of Myingyan and Aunglan.

What is Ms Suu Kyi charged with?

The ousted civilian leader is facing charges including "fear and alarm", illegally possessing radio equipment, and breaking Covid rules.

The charges against Ms Suu Kyi carry sentences of several years in jail and could also lead to her being barred from running in future elections if convicted.

protesters face security ofrces in Hlaing Tharyar, 14 March

Last week, the military also accused the ousted leader of illegally accepting $600,000 (£430,000) and 11kg of gold - a claim the NLD denies.

Ousted MPs call for 'revolution'

Some of the ousted MPs have refused to accept last month's coup and have gone into hiding, forming a new group, the CRPH, or Committee for Representing the Union Parliament.

In his first public address, their leader Mahn Win Khaing Than urged protesters over the weekend to defend themselves against the military crackdown during what he called a "revolution".

"This is the darkest moment of the nation and the moment that the dawn is close," he said, adding: "The uprising must win."

The military considers the CRPH illegal, warning that anyone co-operating with them will face treason charges.

What's the background?

Independent international observers have disputed the military's claim of the fraudulent election held in November 2020, saying no irregularities were observed.

Since the coup the military has used lethal force to try to quell protests, leaving dozens dead and prompting widespread international condemnation.

The US has announced sanctions on coup leaders, while steps are also being taken to block access by the military to $1bn of government funds held in the US.

The military has dismissed criticism of its actions, instead blaming Ms Suu Kyi for the violence.

Myanmar profile

Myanmar became independent from Britain in 1948. For much of its modern history, it has been under military rule
Restrictions began loosening from 2010 onwards, leading to free elections in 2015 and the installation of a government led by veteran opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi the following year
In 2017, Myanmar's army responded to attacks on police by Rohingya militants with a deadly crackdown, driving more than half a million Rohingya Muslims across the border into Bangladesh in what the UN later called a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing"
Country profile

Map of Myanmar showing Mandalay, Nay Pyi Taw and Yangon

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2021-03-15 09:03:18Z
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Germany: Merkel’s CDU in crisis after setback in regional polls - Al Jazeera English

The CDU, the party of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, suffered record defeats in two regional votes on Sunday amid anger over a muddled coronavirus response, including a face mask procurement scandal and a sluggish vaccine rollout.

Sunday’s rout in the southwestern states of Baden-Wuerttemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate raised questions about the CDU’s chances in a September 26 general election, when Germans will choose a successor to Merkel.

“It can’t go on like this,” the Der Spiegel weekly said, adding Merkel’s house was “on fire”.

In the southwestern automotive hub of Baden-Wuerttemberg, the Greens won 31.4 percent of the vote and the CDU 23.4 percent, projections based on early results for broadcaster ZDF showed.

In neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate, the left-leaning Social Democrats (SPD) came first again with 35.5 percent of the vote ahead of the CDU, which led there in opinion polls until last month but secured only 26.9 percent support in Sunday’s election.

The results were the CDU’s worst in post-World War II Germany in both states.

“This is not a good election evening for the CDU,” a glum-looking Paul Ziemiak, the party’s secretary general, told reporters after the exit poll results.

The Greens were jubilant.

“This is a super start to the super election year,” said Robert Habeck, the co-leader of the Greens, suggesting that the outcome was a good omen in a national election year.

‘A lot is possible’

Along with fears of a potential third coronavirus wave, CDU officials worry the party’s reputation took a hit in the last two weeks when several conservative legislators quit over allegations they received payments for arranging procurement deals.

The CDU has seen its national popularity wane from 40 percent last June, when Germany was widely praised for its response to the coronavirus pandemic, to approximately 33 percent this month.

The SPD’s candidate for chancellor, Olaf Scholz, said Sunday’s results showed a national government without the CDU and its Bavarian CSU sister party could be possible after September’s vote.

“A lot is possible,” he told broadcaster ARD.

Both regional election results open the way for potential regional alliances of the Greens, SPD and liberal Free Democrats (FDP), which had already governed in Rhineland-Palatinate before Sunday’s election.

CDU leaders fear the same constellation of parties could gain enough support to leave their party in opposition at the national level at September’s federal vote.

Markus Blume, the CSU secretary-general, called Sunday’s drubbing a “wake-up call” for the CDU/CSU.

If Germany’s largest bloc wants to stay in power when Merkel bows out after 16 years, it urgently needs to “win back trust”, he said.

“We need clear decisions and a clear course in the fight against the coronavirus,” he added.

‘Strike now’

The first order of business should be to decide the bloc’s candidate for chancellor, media outlet Spiegel said.

New CDU chief Armin Laschet is the obvious choice but he lacks broad support.

Critics say he has failed to carve out a political profile beyond representing continuity in the post-Merkel era.

Laschet needs to “free himself from Merkel’s shadow” and “say what the party stands for”, Andreas Roedder, a historian at Mainz University and a CDU member, told the Bild daily.

Opinion polls suggest Germans would prefer to see popular Bavarian premier and CSU leader Markus Soeder in the top job but he has yet to declare a willingness to run.

If Soeder genuinely has ambitions to be chancellor, “he must strike now”, the Handelsblatt financial daily said.

No German chancellor has ever come from the CSU. Soeder and Laschet want to settle the candidacy matter by May 23.

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The conservatives’ woes come as Germany braces for a third COVID-19 wave, even while proceeding with a gradual reopening of schools and non-essential shops.

Latest forecasts by the country’s Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases predict that by mid-April, new infections could surpass the peak seen in December, when some 30,000 cases were reported every day.

Merkel and the premiers of Germany’s 16 federal states will discuss the next steps in the pandemic fight on March 22.

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2021-03-15 05:10:09Z
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March 4 Justice: Thousands of women join rallies in Australia to demand justice for sexual assault victims - Sky News

Thousands of women have gathered in major cities across Australia to demand gender equality and justice for the victims of sexual assault.

The March 4 Justice rallies have been sparked by recent allegations of sexual assault, discrimination and misconduct in some of the country's highest political offices.

One of the biggest marches is taking place in the capital of Canberra, where two petitions demanding action will be delivered to parliament.

Organisers have declined an invitation to meet Prime Minister Scott Morrison in private.

One of the women behind the March 4 Justice movement, Janine Hendry, said: "We've come to his front garden. We are 200m from his office and it's not appropriate for us to meet behind closed doors especially when we are talking about sexual assault which does happen behind closed doors."

Mr Morrison's government has been overshadowed by historical rape allegations that have been made against Attorney General Christian Porter, who has strongly denied the alleged 1988 assault.

Meanwhile, defence minister Linda Reynolds has been criticised for failing to report an alleged rape of one of her former staff members by a colleague.

March 4 Justice's rallies are in protest at the unacceptable treatment of women in the workplace and the community, and the right of women to feel safe.

The public anger mirrors that seen in the UK following the killing of Sarah Everard, who disappeared while she was walking home in London on 3 March.

Tanya Plibersek, an Australian opposition politician, said: "Wherever I go, I'm stopped by women, by girls, by men as well, saying that they've just had enough.

"I'm very concerned, too, that despite all of the efforts that have been made by so many people over so many years, change is too slow."

Those behind the March 4 Justice rally estimated that more than 100,000 women were expected to join the marches, with more than 40 being held across the country.

Organiser Renee Carr added: "Enough is enough. This is a national reckoning."

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2021-03-15 04:52:49Z
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Merkel's party slumps to defeat in regional polls - BBC News

Angela Merkel's ruling Christian Democrats (CDU) have suffered poor results in two key regional votes seen as an indication of what might happen in September's general election.

The CDU won about a quarter of the vote in Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate, preliminary results show.

The two western states were once conservative strongholds.

Mrs Merkel is due to step down as German chancellor in September, after 16 years in office.

The men vying to take Merkel's top job in Germany

The slump in the CDU vote comes amid anger in Germany at the slow pace of the coronavirus vaccine rollout and a mask procurement scandal.

Several conservative lawmakers have quit over allegations they received huge commissions for arranging government deals to buy face masks.

What do the preliminary results show?

In Baden-Württemberg the Green Party is predicted to hang on to power with about 33% of the vote, with the CDU getting 24%, less than at the previous poll in 2016.

In neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate, the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) are projected to retain power with about 36%.

The CDU had led in opinion polls but is predicted to get only 28% of the vote.

CDU Secretary-general Paul Ziemiak said it was "not a good election evening for the CDU".

Both results pave the way for regional alliances between the Greens, the SPD and the liberal Free Democrats and raise the prospect of a similar coalition forming a federal government after the September poll.

The SPD's candidate for chancellor Olaf Scholz said it showed a government without the CDU or its sister party the CSU could be possible. "A lot is possible," he said.

Green Party Chairman Robert Habeck said the party would "take this success as a tailwind for the Bundestag election campaign".

Opinion polls show the CDU's national popularity slipping from 40% last June, when Germany was being praised for its initial response to the coronavirus pandemic, to about 33% this month.

Who will be the CDU's candidate for chancellor?

In January the CDU elected centrist Armin Laschet as its leader but he is not guaranteed to be the party's candidate for chancellor in September's election.

His rival for the role is Markus Söder, leader of the CDU's Bavarian sister party the CSU. The party aims to have the matter settled by late May.

Merkel remains popular, but what about her party?

By Damien McGuinness, BBC News in Berlin

The results are even worse than expected, and are being blamed on how the CDU is managing the pandemic.

Rising infection numbers and the slow vaccine rollout have soured the national mood. And there is fury that some conservative MPs have earned huge commissions on government deals to procure masks.

Angela Merkel herself is still popular. But with just six months to go before her final term ends, these results don't bode well for the chances of her party in the general election.

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2021-03-15 04:50:34Z
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Minggu, 14 Maret 2021

Myanmar: At least 38 anti-coup protesters killed as Chinese factories burn - Sky News

At least 38 anti-coup protesters have been killed in Myanmar, according to a local advocacy group, making for one of the bloodiest days since the demonstrations began.

Violence has erupted across the country since 1 February, when a military junta seized control from the democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

In addition to the 38 protesters who died on Sunday, one police officer was also killed, local media reported.

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) said that 22 anti-coup demonstrators died in the Hlaingthaya region of Myanmar's main city Yangon after factories funded by China were set on fire.

China is seen as being supportive of the junta that took control of the country last month.

Another 16 protesters were killed elsewhere, and the police officer died after a confrontation with protesters. They are the second officer to die during the demonstrations.

It comes after Sky News heard members of the police were fleeing to India after defying orders to shoot civilians.

As smoke rose from the Hlaingthaya region, security forces fired upon protesters in the suburb which is home to migrants from across Myanmar, according to local media.

One photojournalist who witnessed the events told Reuters: "It was horrible. People were shot before my eyes. It will never leave my memory."

State media announced the imposition of martial law on Hlaingthaya and another part of Yangon after the incident.

Dr Sasa, a representative of the elected lawmakers who were ousted on 1 February, said: "The perpetrators, attackers, enemies of the people of Myanmar, the evil State Administrative Council (junta government), will be held accountable for every drop of blood that shed."

In a broadcast, the military-run Myawadday television network said that security forces had acted after four clothes factories and a fertiliser plant were set on fire, and a group of 2,000 people stopped fire engines from reaching them.

China's embassy released a statement after the fires at its factories, saying many staff were injured and trapped.

It said: "China urges Myanmar to take further effective measures to stop all acts of violence, punish the perpetrators in accordance with the law and ensure the safety of life and property of Chinese companies and personnel in Myanmar."

British ambassador Dan Chugg said: "We call for an immediate cessation of this violence and for the military regime to hand back power to those democratically elected by the people of Myanmar."

According to the AAPP, 126 people have died in the protests in total, and 2,150 people were arrested as of Saturday, with 300 since released.

The army took power after claiming that last year's elections were fraudulent.

The junta has said it will hold a new election but has not set a date.

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2021-03-14 22:50:30Z
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Merkel's party slumps to defeat in regional polls - BBC News

Angela Merkel's ruling Christian Democrats (CDU) have suffered poor results in two key regional votes seen as an indication of what might happen in September's general election.

The CDU is on course for about a quarter of the vote in Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate.

The two western states were once conservative strongholds.

Mrs Merkel is due to step down as German chancellor in September, after 16 years in office.

The men vying to take Merkel's top job in Germany

The slump in the CDU vote comes amid anger in Germany at the slow pace of the coronavirus vaccine rollout and a mask procurement scandal.

Several conservative lawmakers have quit over allegations they received huge commissions for arranging government deals to buy face masks.

What do exit polls say?

In Baden-Württemberg the Green Party is predicted to hang on to power with 31.5% of the vote, with the CDU getting 23%, less than at the previous poll in 2016.

In neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate, the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) are projected to retain power with 33.5%.

The CDU had led in opinion polls but is predicted to get only 25.5% of the vote.

CDU Secretary-general Paul Ziemiak said it was "not a good election evening for the CDU".

The SPD's candidate for chancellor Olaf Scholz said it showed a government without the CDU or its sister party the CSU could be possible. "A lot is possible," he said.

Green Party Chairman Robert Habeck said the party would "take this success as a tailwind for the Bundestag election campaign".

Opinion polls show the CDU's national popularity slipping from 40% last June, when Germany was being praised for its initial response to the coronavirus pandemic, to about 33% this month.

Who will be the CDU's candidate for chancellor?

In January the CDU elected centrist Armin Laschet as its leader but he is not guaranteed to be the party's candidate for chancellor in September's election.

His rival for the role is Markus Söder, leader of the CDU's Bavarian sister party the CSU. The party aims to have the matter settled by late May.

Merkel remains popular, but what about her party?

By Damien McGuinness, BBC News in Berlin

The results are even worse than expected, and are being blamed on how the CDU is managing the pandemic.

Rising infection numbers and the slow vaccine rollout have soured the national mood. And there is fury that some conservative MPs have earned huge commissions on government deals to procure masks.

Angela Merkel herself is still popular. But with just six months to go before her final term ends, these results don't bode well for the chances of her party in the general election.

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Senin, 15 Maret 2021

More from Angela Merkel

What is Ms Suu Kyi charged with?

Ousted MPs call for 'revolution'

What's the background?

Myanmar profile

‘A lot is possible’

‘Strike now’

More from Australia

What do the preliminary results show?

Who will be the CDU's candidate for chancellor?

Merkel remains popular, but what about her party?

Minggu, 14 Maret 2021

More from Aung San Suu Kyi

What do exit polls say?

Who will be the CDU's candidate for chancellor?

Merkel remains popular, but what about her party?