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Sabtu, 21 Januari 2023

Peru protests: Machu Picchu closed indefinitely and tourists stranded - BBC

By Kathryn Armstrong

BBC News

Peru has closed its famous tourist site Machu Picchu indefinitely over the ongoing protests against the country's new president.

The government said it closed the site, and the Inca trail hike leading up to it, to protect tourists and citizens.

Hundreds of people who were stuck for hours at the foot of the 15th Century Inca citadel have now been rescued.

The violent protests, which have seen dozens of people killed, began when Peru's previous leader was ousted.

Rail services to Machu Picchu were suspended on Thursday after some train tracks were damaged, allegedly by protesters.

It left 418 people stranded at the site, tourism minister Luis Fernando Helguero said at a news conference on Saturday.

However by Saturday night, the tourism ministry announced that everyone - 148 foreigners and 270 Peruvians - had been safely evacuated on trains and buses.

They are not the first visitors to have been stranded at Machu Picchu because of civil unrest - last month, hundreds of tourists were airlifted out after being stuck there for several days.

Sitting high on a mountain in the Andes, Machu Picchu is considered one of the new seven wonders of the world. It is hugely popular with tourists, with around a million people visiting every year.

Some visitors arrive at Machu Picchu via the Inca Trail, which is a famous multi-day hike.

In a statement, Peru's culture ministry said that those who had already bought tickets for the site would be able to use them for one month after the end of the demonstrations, or get a refund.

Demonstrators in Peru are demanding fresh elections and calling for the new President, Dina Boluarte, to stand down, which she has so far refused to do.

They want her left-wing predecessor, Pedro Castillo, who is in jail and facing charges of rebellion and conspiracy, to be released. Mr Castillo denies the accusations and insists that he is still Peru's legitimate leader.

Authorities announced on Saturday that another protester had died following demonstrations in the southern region of Puno, where police stations were set on fire.

At least 58 Peruvians have been injured in the protests, according to a report from Peru's ombudsman.

In the latest clashes, roads were blocked and police fired tear gas at stone-throwing demonstrators in the capital, Lima.

The European Union has condemned the widespread violence and what it called the "disproportionate" use of force by the police.

In a statement, it called for "urgent steps to restore calm".

Dina Boluarte: Peru's first female president

Peru has been through years of political turmoil, which came to a head when Mr Castillo was arrested last month for trying to dissolve Congress.

Ms Boluarte has resisted calls to step down, including from some regional governors, and earlier this week urged Peruvians to ensure their protests were peaceful.

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2023-01-22 02:44:38Z
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Ukraine: Emotional President Volodymyr Zelenskyy honours interior minister and those killed in helicopter crash - Sky News

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fought back tears as he met with the families of those killed in a helicopter crash in a Kyiv suburb earlier this week.

At the sombre service in Kyiv, Mr Zelenskyy and his wife, first lady Olena Zelenska, laid flowers on seven coffins draped in the blue and yellow flag of Ukraine and spoke with family members.

The helicopter carrying interior minister Denys Monastyrskyi and the rest of his ministry's leadership crashed near a nursery school building in the residential suburb of Brovary on Wednesday.

About a dozen people died in the disaster - including a child on the ground - which dealt yet another blow to a nation already grieving tens of thousands of civilians and military personnel killed in the war with Russia.

Mr Monastyrskyi, who oversaw the country's police and emergency services, is the most senior official killed since Russia invaded Ukraine.

President Zelenskyy appeared emotional at the service as he spoke briefly with the families of seven of those killed and a small orchestra played.

Officials have not confirmed the cause of the crash but earlier this week Mr Zelenskyy said the incident was a consequence of being at war - a view repeated by Ruslan Stefanchuk, chairman of Ukraine's parliament, speaking after the service.

"All this would not have happened if not for this terrible and undeclared war which the Russian Federation is waging against Ukraine," Mr Stefanchuk said.

"Therefore, we must remember this and not forget these people. Because for Ukraine and Ukrainians, every lost life is a great tragedy."

Russia's war in Ukraine, nearing the end of its 11th month, is "in a state of deadlock", according to an assessment by the UK's Ministry of Defence.

It said Ukrainian forces seem to be achieving small gains in the northeast, near the town of Kreminna, while the Russian military has "likely been reconstituting" in the eastern town of Soledar, which it took earlier in the week.

"There is a realistic possibility of local Russian advances" around Bakhmut, an eastern city whose capture would give the Kremlin a long-awaited victory after months of battlefield setbacks, the ministry said in its regular update.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of Ukraine's presidential office, today said fierce battles for Bakhmut have been raging and three civilians were killed by Russian shelling in that area of the eastern Donetsk region.

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2023-01-21 16:48:19Z
1744622645

Peru protests: Machu Picchu closed indefinitely and tourists stranded - BBC

By Kathryn Armstrong

BBC News

Peru has closed its famous tourist site Machu Picchu indefinitely over the ongoing protests against the country's president.

The government said it closed the site, and the Inca Trail hike leading to it, to protect tourists and citizens.

Hundreds of people, mostly foreigners, are currently thought to be stranded at the foot of the site.

Dozens of people have been killed in weeks of violent protests, which began after the previous leader was ousted.

The stranded tourists at Machu Picchu are not the first to be stuck there during the protests, which have disrupted transport services and damaged nearby train tracks.

Rail services to the site were suspended on Thursday.

Last month, the authorities had to rescue hundreds of tourists nearby who had been stuck for days.

Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Incan citadel in the Andes mountains that was named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007. It is hugely popular with tourists, with around a million people visiting every year.

Some visitors arrive at Machu Picchu via the Inca Trail, which is a famous multi-day hike.

In a statement, Peru's culture ministry said that those who had already bought tickets for Machu Picchu would be able to use them for one month after the end of the demonstrations, or else refund them.

Demonstrators in Peru are demanding fresh elections and calling for the new President, Dina Boluarte, to stand down, which she has so far refused to do.

They want her left-wing predecessor, Pedro Castillo, who is in prison and who has been charged with rebellion and conspiracy, to be released.

Stranded tourists who were visiting the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu

Authorities announced on Saturday that another protester had died following demonstrations in the southern region of Puno, where police stations were set on fire.

At least 58 Peruvians have been injured in the protests.

In the latest clashes, roads were blocked and police fired teargas at stone-throwing demonstrators in the capital, Lima.

The European Union has condemned the widespread violence and what it called the "disproportionate" use of force by the police.

"The EU calls on the government and all political actors to take urgent steps to restore calm and ensure an inclusive dialogue with the participation of civil society and affected communities as the way out of the crisis," it said in a statement.

Dina Boluarte: Peru's first female president

The country has been through years of political turmoil, which came to a head when Mr Castillo was arrested last month for trying to dissolve Congress.

He is being investigated on charges of rebellion and conspiracy. He denies all the accusations, insisting that he is still the country's legitimate president.

Ms Boluarte has resisted calls to step down, including from some regional governors, and earlier this week urged Peruvians to ensure their protests were peaceful.

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Chris Hipkins: Uphill battle looms for New Zealand's next PM - BBC

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By Shaimaa Khalil

in Wellington

New Zealand MP Chris Hipkins says succeeding Jacinda Ardern as prime minister after her shock decision to resign amounts to "the biggest responsibility and the biggest privilege of my life".

"The weight of that responsibility is still sinking in," he told reporters on parliament's steps in Wellington on Saturday, in his first appearance since being nominated.

An experienced MP and career politician, Chris Hipkins is seen as the safest choice for Labour at the moment. He already has the education, Covid response and policing portfolios under his belt.

Speaking to the Guardian in 2021, he said one of his political strengths was "understanding how the machinery of government operates, which is something that I've developed over about 20 years".

But according to Dr Lara Greaves, senior lecturer in New Zealand politics at the University of Auckland, this could work against him.

"He's mainly just been in politics so he doesn't have that outside career to point to and that's something that I imagine the Nationals (opposition party) hammer on, given the strength of Christopher Luxon (leader of the opposition) as a former airline CEO, and working in international business," she said.

Chris Hipkins set to be New Zealand's next PM

But even with that political pedigree, the incoming leader faces a steep uphill battle to convince New Zealanders that he and his centre-left Labour party are fit to lead the country for another term, when they go to the polls in October.

Dr Greaves said that if Labour wanted a third term, they needed enough successes to point to in the last two terms. Something that Labour will struggle with.

"The success that Labour can mainly point to at the moment is related to Covid and that feels less relevant to New Zealanders now. A large amount of the vote in 2023 will be about people's economic realities," she said.

There are two things the party currently lacks: favourable public opinion and Jacinda Ardern's star power - even though that has faded lately.

Around the world, Ms Ardern is still considered something of a global figurehead, a rock star of international politics.

Since taking power in 2017 aged 37 and steering the country through major crises - the Christchurch mosque shootings in which 51 people were killed, the White Island volcanic eruption and Covid-19 pandemic - Ms Ardern has become a symbol of a new generation of female leaders inspiring young women all over the world.

At her peak she was extremely popular here in New Zealand too. But that has significantly changed, with recent polls putting her personal popularity at an all-time low.

New Zealanders are bearing the brunt of a deteriorating economy post-Covid, with inflation that has compounded the cost of living crisis and concern about crime rates.

The contrast between the sentiment towards Jacinda Ardern globally and at home is quite stark. From world leaders to actors and music stars, the reaction to her shock departure was one of sadness.

At home many said how happy they were that she was going. Others described her exit as a political tactic, given how unpopular the Labour Party has become - leaving before being pushed out.

Dr Greaves said that there wasn't a particular moment to point to when public sentiment turned against Ms Ardern. Rather, she said, since the end of 2021 there has been a "progressive erosion of her popularity". She puts it down mainly to overexposure.

"Normally in New Zealand politics a government gets three terms, but she has had three terms of exposure at this point. The five and a half years she was in power feel like ten," Dr Greaves said.

There was also a growing anger and national fatigue as the stringent Covid-19 measures lingered on for so long.

BBC

Unfortunately Covid knocked her. It also knocked the economy
Tina Watson

Tina Watson, visiting her children in New Zealand, blamed Ms Ardern for separating her from her family during the Covid border closures. Ms Watson is originally from the UK and now lives in South Africa. She told me she was "thrilled" that Ms Ardern had resigned, when I met her and her partner outside parliament in Wellington.

"I was here when they elected her [in 2017]," Ms Watson said. "I was really impressed. I thought 'wow! this thirty-odd year-old lady - this is a moving country'," she said.

But she said the Ardern government's Covid response, including strict lockdowns and long border closures, had changed her opinion.

"Unfortunately Covid knocked her. It also knocked the economy," she said.

While the country has now opened its borders there's still a sour taste among New Zealanders about what they had to endure during the pandemic.

The long-standing restrictions initially helped control the number of infections and fatalities, but led to increased anger and criticism of Jacinda Ardern and her government.

"Initially, there was a lot of misogyny towards Jacinda based on...a combination of gender and age, and comments about her partner," Dr Greaves said.

She added that the type and frequency of incidents have become more aggressive under Covid, with frequent threats and attacks.

In February 2022 anti-vaccine protesters occupied the parliament grounds in Wellington for more than two weeks, blocking streets in the capital's central business district with their cars.

It was a clear sign of the darkening mood of the country.

Jacinda Ardern has been on the receiving end of regular misogyny and abuse. In one incident a group of anti-vaccine protesters chased her van down a driveway as she visited a Christchurch primary school, with some in the crowd shouting "shame on you" and "traitor".

Chris Hipkins, who led New Zealand's response to the pandemic in 2020, has previously conceded that strict lockdowns should have been scaled back sooner.

As one of the primary architects of the Covid response his association with the Ardern government could now come back to haunt him politically.

He paid tribute to her, saying she had been "an incredible prime minister" who had "provided calm, stable, reassuring leadership, which I hope to continue to do".

But he also addressed the abuse and misogyny she has had to deal with.

"There has been an escalation in vitriol, and I want to acknowledge that some politicians have been the subject of that more than others," he said. Ms Ardern "has absolutely been on the receiving end of some absolutely intolerable and unacceptable behaviour," he added.

In an effort to highlight some of this, video compilations of sexist questions she has been asked have been shared on social media. They include talking about her hair colour and even comments on when her daughter may have been conceived.

In November Ms Ardern was praised for her quick response when a male reporter suggested that she was meeting Finland's Sanna Marin because both were young female prime ministers.

At the press conference in Auckland, Ms Ardern said she wondered "whether or not anyone ever asked Barack Obama and [former New Zealand PM] John Key if they met because they were of similar age".

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After announcing her resignation Ms Ardern rejected suggestions by some commentators that experiences of misogyny had played a role in her decision.

She said she had a "message for women in leadership and girls who are considering leadership in the future" that "you can have a family and be in these roles", adding "you can lead in your own style".

On Thursday she said she hoped she would leave behind a belief "that you can be kind and strong… that you can be your own kind of leader, one that knows when to go".

The challenge for Chris Hipkins and the Labour Party is not just whether they can convince New Zealanders that they will be able to turn the economy and public opinion around.

The bigger question is how closely he associates himself with the "Jacinda Ardern brand". That star quality that delivered a landslide Labour win in 2020 has almost the opposite effect now.

The incoming PM will have to assert his own leadership brand and convince New Zealanders that it's the one they need going forward.

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2023-01-21 09:56:52Z
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Chris Hipkins: Uphill battle looms for New Zealand's next PM - bbc.com

By Shaimaa Khalil

in Wellington

New Zealand MP Chris Hipkins says succeeding Jacinda Ardern as prime minister after her shock decision to resign amounts to "the biggest responsibility and the biggest privilege of my life".

"The weight of that responsibility is still sinking in," he told reporters on parliament's steps in Wellington on Saturday, in his first appearance since being nominated.

An experienced MP and career politician, Chris Hipkins is seen as the safest choice for Labour at the moment. He already has the education, Covid response and policing portfolios under his belt.

Speaking to the Guardian in 2021, he said one of his political strengths was "understanding how the machinery of government operates, which is something that I've developed over about 20 years".

Chris Hipkins set to be New Zealand's next PM

There are two things the party currently lacks: favourable public opinion and Jacinda Ardern's star power - even though that has faded lately.

Around the world, Ms Ardern is still considered something of a global figurehead, a rock star of international politics.

At her peak she was extremely popular here in New Zealand too. But that has significantly changed, with recent polls putting her personal popularity at an all-time low.

New Zealanders are bearing the brunt of a deteriorating economy post-Covid, with inflation that has compounded the cost of living crisis and concern about crime rates.

The contrast between the sentiment towards Jacinda Ardern globally and at home is quite stark. From world leaders to actors and music stars, the reaction to her shock departure was one of sadness.

At home many said how happy they were that she was going. Others described her exit as a political tactic, given how unpopular the Labour Party has become - leaving before being pushed out.

BBC

Unfortunately Covid knocked her. It also knocked the economy
Tina Watson

"I was here when they elected her [in 2017]," Ms Watson said. "I was really impressed. I thought 'wow! this thirty-odd year-old lady - this is a moving country'," she said.

But she said the Ardern government's Covid response, including strict lockdowns and long border closures, had changed her opinion.

"Unfortunately Covid knocked her. It also knocked the economy," she said.

While the country has now opened its borders there's still a sour taste among New Zealanders about what they had to endure during the pandemic.

The long-standing restrictions initially helped control the number of infections and fatalities, but led to increased anger and criticism of Jacinda Ardern and her government.

In February 2022 anti-vaccine protesters occupied the parliament grounds in Wellington for more than two weeks, blocking streets in the capital's central business district with their cars.

It was a clear sign of the darkening mood of the country.

Chris Hipkins, who led New Zealand's response to the pandemic in 2020, has previously conceded that strict lockdowns should have been scaled back sooner.

As one of the primary architects of the Covid response his association with the Ardern government could now come back to haunt him politically.

He paid tribute to her, saying she had been "an incredible prime minister" who had "provided calm, stable, reassuring leadership, which I hope to continue to do".

But he also addressed the abuse and misogyny she has had to deal with.

In November Ms Ardern was praised for her quick response when a male reporter suggested that she was meeting Finland's Sanna Marin because both were young female prime ministers.

At the press conference in Auckland, Ms Ardern said she wondered "whether or not anyone ever asked Barack Obama and [former New Zealand PM] John Key if they met because they were of similar age".

This video can not be played

To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.

After announcing her resignation Ms Ardern rejected suggestions by some commentators that experiences of misogyny had played a role in her decision.

On Thursday she said she hoped she would leave behind a belief "that you can be kind and strong… that you can be your own kind of leader, one that knows when to go".

The challenge for Chris Hipkins and the Labour Party is not just whether they can convince New Zealanders that they will be able to turn the economy and public opinion around.

The bigger question is how closely he associates himself with the "Jacinda Ardern brand". That star quality that delivered a landslide Labour win in 2020 has almost the opposite effect now.

The incoming PM will have to assert his own leadership brand and convince New Zealanders that it's the one they need going forward.

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Jumat, 20 Januari 2023

Chris Hipkins set to replace Jacinda Ardern as New Zealand PM - BBC

By Antoinette Radford

BBC News

New Zealand Labour MP Chris Hipkins is set to replace Jacinda Ardern as prime minister after becoming the only nominee for the party's leadership.

He was first elected to parliament in 2008 and was appointed minister for Covid-19 in November 2020.

In Ms Ardern's shock announcement on Thursday she said she did not have "enough in the tank" to lead.

How long Mr Hipkins will be in office is uncertain as New Zealand holds a general election in October.

Mr Hipkins, 44, is currently minister for police, education and public service.

He will still need to be formally endorsed by the Labour Party in the House of Representatives on Sunday before he can become leader.

Should he receive that backing, Ms Ardern will formally tender her resignation to the governor-general on 7 February, who will then - on behalf of King Charles III - appoint Mr Hipkins as prime minister.

But the incoming Labour leader faces an uphill battle if he wants to remain in the top job after the 2023 election.

Inflation and increasing social inequality saw Ms Ardern's popularity fall to all-time lows according to opinion polls.

They also suggested public approval of the country's Labour Party was similarly low.

Mr Hipkins' appointment removes the immediate possibility of Justice Minister Kiri Allan becoming the country's first Maori prime minister.

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During her resignation announcement, Ms Ardern - who at 37 became the youngest female head of government in the world when she took office in 2017 - said the past five-and-a-half years had been the "most fulfilling" of her life.

However, she added that leading the country during "crisis" had been difficult - with the Covid pandemic, Christchurch mosque shootings and White Island volcanic eruption taking place during her premiership.

Reaction to Ms Ardern's announcement was mixed, with some suggesting she was "running away before getting thrown out".

But renowned New Zealand actor Sam Neill said she had faced "disgraceful" treatment from "bullies" and "misogynists".

If Labour loses the general election Mr Hipkins will have only spent eight months as the nation's leader - although the shortest prime ministerial stint was Harry Atkinson's term in 1884, which lasted just eight days.

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2023-01-20 22:16:06Z
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Sabtu, 21 Januari 2023

Peru protests: Machu Picchu closed indefinitely and tourists stranded - BBC

Ukraine: Emotional President Volodymyr Zelenskyy honours interior minister and those killed in helicopter crash - Sky News

More on Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Related Topics:

Peru protests: Machu Picchu closed indefinitely and tourists stranded - BBC

Chris Hipkins: Uphill battle looms for New Zealand's next PM - BBC

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Chris Hipkins: Uphill battle looms for New Zealand's next PM - bbc.com

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Jumat, 20 Januari 2023

Chris Hipkins set to replace Jacinda Ardern as New Zealand PM - BBC

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