EU army's secret weapon! Joe Biden urged to wade in and approve bloc's military - Daily Express

Macron criticised over push for EU army by Italian MEP

The US President was told by the Center for American Progress, a Washington think tank with close ties to his administration, that it was time America allowed the EU to become a global military power. In a push for French President Emmanuel Macron's dream of a united EU army, the think tank published a report urging President Biden to encourage the EU to develop hard-power military capabilities.

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For the past few decades, US presidents have been staunchly opposed to EU defence integration under the facade of preventing duplication of NATO.

But writing in the report, Max Bergmann, James Lamond and Siena Cicarelli said it was time for the US to ensure Europe no longer depends on American defence powers.

They wrote: “Europe’s dependence on the United States for its security means that the U.S. possesses a de facto veto on the direction of European defence.

“Since the 1990s, the United States has typically used its effective veto power to block the defence ambitions of the European Union.

Joe Biden has been urged to facilitate the creation of an EU Army (Image: GETTY)

Emmanuel Macron has longed pushed for an EU Army (Image: GETTY)

“This has frequently resulted in an absurd situation where Washington loudly insists Europe do more on defence but then strongly objects when Europe’s political union — the European Union — tries to answer the call."

They added: “This policy approach has been a grand strategic error — one that has weakened NATO militarily, strained the transatlantic alliance, and contributed to the relative decline in Europe’s global clout.”

The call is sure to attract some criticism from NATO commanders who have longed believed EU countries lack the ability to defend themselves.

The authors of the reports said: “Today, much of Europe’s military hardware is in a shocking state of disrepair.

READ MORE: Joe Biden 'has a Europe problem' bloc warned before EU and US row

“European forces aren’t ready to fight with the equipment they have, and the equipment they have isn’t good enough.”

But they claimed the US was also to blame for such a state of the EU's military forces.

They said: “This is a European failure.

“But Washington has played a critical, if underappreciated, role in precipitating this failure.”

They added: “For more than two decades, both Republican and Democratic administrations have vigorously pressed European capitals to bolster their national forces in support of NATO.

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“But this focus on national defence spending levels, embodied by the 2014 commitment by NATO members to spend two percent of their GDP on defence, simply hasn’t worked. European defence today remains anaemic, despite noticeable increases in spending.”

Retired General Philip Breedlove, NATO’s former supreme allied commander for Europe, said he was opposed to an EU army that could be seen as a duplication of NATO.

He said: “If these nations that are also in NATO want to spend on their defense, I see that as a good thing, because anything that will benefit the EU will also benefit NATO.

“But there is a huge caveat and that is something that we have been saying for a long time, everyone from the secretary-general to everyone else: We should not be investing in duplicative capabilities.

“There are far too many readiness needs, capability needs and capacity needs that should be met first.

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“What we don’t need to do is invest money in redundant duplicative capabilities.”

Mr Bergmann, the lead author of the report, said US politicians and commanders should be open to adopting a new approach.

He said: “We need to get out of the mindset that the EU will be a complication for us.

“There is a sort of kneejerk negativity about the EU’s potential involvement, instead of viewing it in a potentially positive way.

“The waste and duplication is in the current system, where everyone is having to have their own full spectrum militaries. That’s probably not the best use of militaries for the EU or NATO.

“Too often the opposition to EU defence is very theoretical and not based on the practicalities of the EU getting involved in defence in a realistic way.

“It would be one thing if you could make the case that NATO as currently structured is totally working and European defence is taken care of, but it’s not.

"Just pushing and yelling at member states to spend more on defence … that’s just not a recipe for a strong Europe or a successful transatlantic alliance.”

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2021-06-02 07:59:24Z
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Fears of oil spill emergency as cargo ship that burnt for 13 days off coast of Sri Lanka is now sinking - CNN

Since May 20, the Sri Lanka Navy and Indian Coast Guard have been working round the clock to try to stop that from happening as the blaze engulfed the container ship, which was laden with chemicals such as nitric acid and carrying 350 metric tons of oil in its tanks.

Sri Lanka's Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) has warned the Singaporean-registered ship, called the MV X-Press Pearl, could create an oil spill emergency. It expects pristine beaches along a 30 kilometer-stretch of coastline from the tourist spot of Negombo to Dikowita to be hit.

The fire, which raged for almost two weeks, has prompted a large-scale clean-up operation along Sri Lanka's western coast, as millions of plastic micro pellets blanketed beaches near the capital Colombo. Fishing in the area was suspended and environmentalists warned birds and marine life could be threatened by the plastic and chemical pollution.

Authorities fear a bigger disaster if the oil leaks into the ocean and nearby lagoons before the vessel can be towed away.

Sri Lanka's State Minister of Fisheries, Kanchana Wijesekera, said on Twitter the X-Press Pearl was "sinking at the current position" and fishing activities and other vessels have been barred from entering the Negombo Lagoon.

"Emergency measures are (being) taken to protect the lagoon and surrounding areas to contain the damage form any debris or in case of an oil leak," Wijesekera added.

Images of the vessel shared by Sri Lanka's Navy showed the charred body of the container ship with its stern appearing to be submerged in the water as smoke continues to billow from its bow.

Wijesekera said the X-Press Pearl was being "towed away to deep waters" by a salvage company and the navy.

In a statement, the cargo ship's operator, X-Press Feeders, said an inspection team had managed to board the ship on Tuesday after dousing the fire and found the engine room had flooded.

"There are now concerns over the amount of water in the hull and its effect on the ship's stability," X-Press Feeders said Wednesday. A previous attempt to tow the ship away was aborted on Tuesday due to a large ocean swell, it said.

In a Facebook post Wednesday, the MEPA said the cause of the sinking was due to a water leak at the back of the ship.

The X-Press Pearl, was sailing from India's Gujarat to Colombo when a fire broke out on board on May 20, as it was nine nautical miles off the Sri Lankan coast.

It was carrying 1,486 containers when the fire started, 81 of which held "dangerous goods," including 25 metric tons of nitric acid, according to X-Press Feeders. The other chemicals onboard the ship are yet to be confirmed.

Sri Lankan authorities have launched criminal and civil probes into how the fire started.

X-Press Feeders said it was "too early to tell" but had previously reported one of the containers onboard was leaking nitric acid at its previous stops in Hamad Port in Qatar and Hazira Port in India. The company said "the advice given was there were no specialist facilities or expertise immediately available to deal with the leaking unit."

Ratnam contributed reporting from Colombo, Sri Lanka.

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2021-06-02 08:47:00Z
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Covid Victoria: State extends lockdown to curb outbreak - BBC News

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The Australian state of Victoria will extend its lockdown by another week as authorities battle to control a growing virus outbreak.

Officials say people have been catching the virus from "fleeting" encounters in a Melbourne outbreak of the B.1.617.1 strain, now named the Kappa variant by the World Health Organization.

Australia's second most-populous state will now be locked down until 10 June.

It's the fourth shutdown endured by residents so far in the pandemic.

Six new local cases were reported on Wednesday, taking the cluster to 60.

"I know this is not the news that everybody wants to hear but given the cases we have... the government had no choice," said Acting Premier James Merlino.

"If we don't do this [lockdown], this thing will get away. This variant of concern will become uncontrollable and people will die."

Nearly seven million people have been in lockdown since 27 May, after the state recorded its first cases in the community in nearly three months.

For another seven days, people in the state capital Melbourne will be required to stay at home except for essential work, shopping, exercise, caregiving or to get a Covid vaccine.

No gatherings are allowed. Some measures have been eased including the expansion of travel limits to within 10km (6.1 miles) of the home, and senior school students will be allowed to return to the classroom.

• The battle to open up 'Fortress Australia'
• Why hotel quarantine keeps leading to lockdowns

Outside the state capital, restrictions will be relaxed for regional towns with limited outdoor gatherings and the re-opening of restaurants.

But Mr Merlino warned people to remain cautious. He said there are more than 350 places where people may have been exposed to the virus, including camping spots in the neighbouring state of New South Wales after a Melbourne resident travelled there.

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"No one - no one - wants to repeat last winter," he said, referencing Melbourne's second wave last year which caused over 90% of deaths nationwide.

The state endured a 112-day lockdown to bring the case rate back to zero.

Vaccination delay

Victoria's new outbreak has highlighted the low level of vaccination among Australians - a task that has been the responsibility of the federal government.

Less than 2% of the population has been vaccinated. Cases reported in aged care homes in Melbourne this week have also fuelled criticism of the flawed rollout.

The government had pledged it would prioritise vaccines for vulnerable groups like the elderly, but was forced to admit yesterday it did not know how many vaccinations had occurred in aged care homes amid reports of widespread delays.

The Victorian outbreak marks the biggest case increase in Australia since October.

The nation has largely avoided the level of Covid deaths seen in many other developed nations due to a stringent system of snap lockdowns, border controls and movement restrictions.

Officials say this outbreak has been traced to a traveller who tested positive days after finishing quarantine in South Australia.

It's believed he contracted the virus through airborne transmission from an infected traveller in another room- throwing up questions over the safety of hotel quarantine.

Are you in Victoria? How are you finding the extended lockdown? You can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

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2021-06-02 03:21:14Z
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The 'kindness and propaganda' of a life in Belarus - BBC News

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It's been called "Europe's last dictatorship". This year it was banned from Eurovision.

And now, Belarus has been making headlines because of the detention of an opposition Belarusian journalist, after the Ryanair plane he was travelling on was forced to land.

That's led to the threat of increased sanctions on the country by the UK, EU and US - and global protests.

So from protests to pandemics - what is life like in Belarus?

President Alexander Lukashenko has been in power for nearly 27 years and is nicknamed by some as "Europe's last dictator".

Officially, he won the election last year by a landslide - but the opposition movement and Western governments including the UK and EU say it was rigged.

President Lukashenko insists he won fairly and has said protests against him are a Western-backed plot.

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Maria was born and raised in the capital, Minsk - but is currently living in exile in Lithuania after protesting against the government.

The 22-year-old lived in Belarus for 20 years, before moving to London. But in the summer of 2020, Maria found herself going back "for democracy".

"I wanted to participate somehow in the future of my country, even though I couldn't vote [because of Lithuanian citizenship]," she tells Radio 1 Newsbeat.

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Maria says "outstanding alternative candidates" to the current president were "Belarusians that you'd want to follow and see as representatives of the country".

But many of those candidates were arrested for what Maria describes as "ridiculous" reasons - such as allegations of money laundering.

The crackdown on opposition politicians led people to the streets to protest across the country.

• Five things you may not know about Belarus
• 'If you croak we don't care': Brutality in Belarus
• 'Widespread torture' against Belarus protesters

Maria first protested at the embassy in London - but it was seeing security forces arresting and beating people in her home country that sparked her return to Belarus.

"I took the decision to support my friends and relatives and participate in the protests. I didn't realise at the time how big this would be."

Maria was prepared for a few nights in prison, but "not for the amount of violence" she'd experience.

'We've seen terrible things'

She says she was arrested and beaten by security forces.

"On one of the nights, I was lucky to escape. I was separated from my friends and they started to attack us with stun grenades and continued shooting," she said.

"It was just an awful night."

"We've seen terrible things, what they were doing to people, how violent and brutal they've been. We were lucky to survive."

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Maria says the violence she faced caused her to develop post-traumatic stress disorder.

Eventually she fled to Lithuania with her husband out of fear of persecution and further violence.

The EU and UK has imposed sanctions on members of the Belarus government for repression and intimidation against protesters, and called for new free and fair elections with all political prisoners released.

The Belarus government has denied widespread allegations of abuse.

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Maria says she was "raised as a normal kid".

"You're taught to be kind and caring towards others, but [you are] brought up in a system from kindergarten to university - unless you can escape," she says.

She says Belarus is "a strict country where you always have to fight for your rights".

This begins at school, "where you don't always get the right education because there's a lot of propaganda".

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When Maria visited her grandma in England, at the age of eight, she felt "a massive difference" between the two countries.

"I'd seen the democratic atmosphere and the ways of education where teachers appreciate and try to help your ambitions," she remembers.

After that experience, she regularly compared life in Belarus with "the British way".

There are some similarities between the two countries - Maria feels people in the two countries share a caring nature and a desire to fight for individual rights.

But she says one of the big differences is "the freedom" individuals have.

'Outside and inside freedom'

"Not just outside, but your inner freedom - that you can be someone who you like and just depend on yourself," she says.

She points to the lack of acceptance for LGBT people in Belarus, with the country previously calling LGBT relationships "fake".

In recent months, the media has become a government target - with journalist Roman Protasevich making headlines across the globe when he was detained after a Ryanair plane was forcibly diverted to Belarus.

When the intercepted plane landed in Minsk, he reportedly told a fellow passenger: "A death penalty awaits me here."

Belarusian state TV said Roman faced up to 15 years in prison, primarily for "organising large-scale mass unrest" and "inciting hatred towards government and police".

But Belarus does still pass and carry out death sentences - it's the only country in Europe still to do so.

• Belarus plane: What we know and what we don't
• Belarus plane: Who is dissident Roman Protasevich?

Maria says news of Roman's detention "was a massive shock to everyone".

"You don't feel safe anywhere. People who have had to flee the country and are still activists can't feel protected or secure."

President Lukashenko has rejected international condemnation that the plane diversion was an act of "air piracy" or "hijacking", staged to arrest a political opponent.

He insisted there was a genuine bomb threat and that he'd acted "legally" and to "save lives".

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Maria says another stark difference between the UK and Belarus is how they've tackled coronavirus.

As the pandemic took hold and the UK went into lockdown, football matches and large gatherings in Belarus were still going ahead.

The president suggested vodka or a sauna could help to prevent infection.

Maria was in London at the start of the pandemic and felt there would "be no support or protection" from the virus if she returned to Belarus.

Though Maria is currently in Lithuania and says she's been banned from Belarus for five years, it hasn't stopped her campaigning for her country.

"I'm still connected with Belarus. It's a massive scar on my heart and mind, and it's not healing," she says.

"We need to bring changes in our country as quick as possible. It's not just about loud words."

Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.

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2021-06-02 00:23:55Z
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Joe Biden becomes first US president to commemorate Tulsa race massacre as he visits site - Sky News

Joe Biden has become the first sitting US president to visit the site of the Tulsa massacre - 100 years since one of America's darkest episodes of racial violence.

Hundreds of black people were killed by a white mob in the city's Greenwood district between 31 May and 1 June 1921.

Mr Biden led a moment of silence for the victims of the mass killing, alongside three survivors.

Image: People pictured listening to Mr Biden's speech

Viola Fletcher, Hughes Van Ellis and Lessie Benningfield Randle were all present a century ago when the killings happened in Oklahoma.

Mr Biden said: "For much too long the history of what took place here was told in silence.

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"My fellow Americans, this was not a riot. This was a massacre, and among the worst in our history. But not the only one."

He added: "Some injustices are so heinous, so horrific, so grievous, they cannot be buried, no matter how hard people try.

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"Only with truth can come healing."

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106-year-old survivor remembers Tulsa massacre

Latasha Sanders, 33, waited outside with her five children and her nephew to try and see the president.

She said: "It's been 100 years, and this is the first we've heard from any US president.

"I brought my kids here today just so they could be a part of history and not just hear about it, and so they can teach generations to come."

Last year, President Donald Trump planned a political rally in Tulsa on 19 June - a date known as "Juneteenth" - which is marked as the day slavery ended in the US in 1865.

In the end, the Republican's event was delayed for a day due to criticism.

Public awareness over what happened in Greenwood has grown in recent years, as the incident was not taught in schools or reported in local newspapers.

White residents shot and killed as many as 300 black people and burned and looted businesses and homes.

It came after a white woman accused a black man of assault, a charge which was never proven.

Insurers refused to pay out for the damage from the riots and no one was prosecuted for the violence.

During his speech, Mr Biden spoke of how he wanted to improve life for black Americans.

This included promises to spend more money supporting minority-owned businesses, as well as making sure voting rights were protected.

He raised concerns over the state of the democratic process in the country following the 6 January riots in Washington DC, and Mr Trump's unfounded complaints over last year's election results.

Mr Biden said he was told by one of the Tulsa survivors that the events of 6 January "reminded her of what happened here in Greenwood 100 years ago".

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He added that intelligence agencies had reported that terrorism from white supremacy was currently the "most lethal threat" to America.

The president added that he wanted to do more to help people vote, but he was restricted by slim majorities in both houses of Congress.

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2021-06-01 22:24:12Z
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EU seals pact on forcing multinationals to report profits and tax - Financial Times

EU negotiators have agreed rules to force large multinational companies to disclose publicly where they book profits and pay tax in the bloc as part of Europe’s drive to clamp down on corporate tax avoidance. 

After years of stalled talks, EU governments and members of the European parliament sealed a deal on so-called country-by-country tax reporting for large companies operating in the single market and non-EU jurisdictions named on Brussels’ tax haven blacklist. 

The step has been hailed as a breakthrough for tax transparency and comes as international policymakers are stepping up demands to revamp rules on corporate taxation. G7 countries are expected to conclude a political agreement later this week on raising the effective minimum corporate tax rate to 15 per cent.

“I’m sure that this deal on public country-by-country reporting is just the beginning for more tax justice and financial transparency in Europe,” said Evelyn Regner, a centre-left MEP who led negotiations for the European parliament. 

Under the EU’s country-by-country rules, a company with global revenues of at least €750m for two consecutive years must publicly disclose how much tax they pay in each of the bloc’s 27 member states as well as an additional 19 jurisdictions deemed by the EU to be “non-co-operative” tax authorities. Those include “blacklisted” jurisdictions such as Guam and the US Virgin Islands, as well as “grey list” tax havens including Panama, Fiji and Samoa. 

Large companies are already obliged to disclose their profits to national tax authorities inside the EU but the information has not been made publicly available. 

€50bn-€70bn Estimated annual losses for EU governments from corporate tax avoidance 

Politicians and tax activists celebrated the agreement as a first step in measuring the scale of corporate tax avoidance inside the EU. Brussels estimates that EU governments lose an estimated €50bn-€70bn a year from corporate tax avoidance. 

The agreement concludes a longstanding battle over rules first proposed by Brussels in 2013 but stymied by resistance from EU governments. The rules for large multinationals will mirror EU disclosure requirements for banks that were agreed in the aftermath of the financial crisis. 

But the details of Tuesday’s deal have been met with criticism by tax justice activists and leftwing MEPs for limiting the scope of the disclosures to the EU and not beyond. 

“This agreement leaves out more than 80 per cent of the states in the world, including notorious tax havens like the Bahamas, Switzerland or the Cayman Islands, for which companies will not have to publish any information,” said Manon Aubry, MEP and co-leader of the European Left group in the European Parliament. 

Tove Ryding, from the European Network on Debt and Development, said the deal was a “missed opportunity” to force large companies to disclose all the countries where they have taxable activities.

“We need disaggregated data for every country where a multinational company is present, otherwise companies can hide their profits in jurisdictions where there are no transparency rules,” said Ryding.

Sven Giegold, a German Green MEP, said that while he would have preferred to have global disclosure rules, Tuesday’s agreement was still a “big step today towards full transparency”. He argued that more and more countries could adopt similar laws, ultimately providing a complete picture.

Under the final agreement, companies can avoid disclosing information deemed as “sensitive” for up to five years. Negotiators also decided to review the rules every four years after demands from member states.

Gabriel Zucman, an economist and head of a new EU-backed European Tax Observatory, which will monitor corporate tax avoidance, said the deal “was a major step towards more transparency in the EU and globally”.

“Public country-by-country information on profits booked by multinational companies and taxes paid by multinational companies is essential to monitor tax avoidance and to think about better tax policies,” said Zucman. 

The agreement is still subject to final vote by a majority of MEPs and EU governments expected after the summer. 

Additional reporting from Sam Fleming in Brussels

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2021-06-01 20:33:04Z
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Belarus: A climate of fear for opposition activists - BBC News - BBC News

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2021-06-01 18:37:40Z
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