backwards': Eurovision fans accuse Israeli champion of cultural appropriation after the singer performed her winning song in a kimono
Netta Barzilai came first in the Eurovision song contest scoring 529 points
The Israeli winner performed a song named TOY dressed in a kimono
Viewers of the show have accused her of appropriating Japanese culture
By Martha Cliff for MailOnline
PUBLISHED: 18:19 AEST, 13 May 2018 | UPDATED: 20:53 AEST, 13 May 2018
Israel's Eurovision entry won with a landslide victory of 529 points at the annual singing competition last night - but not everyone was pleased by her win.
Viewers have since taken to Twitter to accuse Israeli Netta of cultural appropriation describing the win as 'a massive step backwards.'
Netta Barzilai took home the crown thanks to her performance of TOY, which featured an unusual chicken dance.
Eurovision winner Netta Barzilai has been accused of cultural appropriation by viewers due to her Japanese inspired set and costume +3
Eurovision winner Netta Barzilai has been accused of cultural appropriation by viewers due to her Japanese inspired set and costume
Video playing bottom right...
The 25-year-old took to the stage wearing a pink and black silk kimono - traditional Japanese costume with her hair in roller buns, a style synonymous with Japanese culture.
She performed to a backdrop of Maneki-nekos, a Japanese figurine depicting a waving cat and is thought to bring the owner good luck.
'I have never been so insulted in my life!' Outcry as...
Eurovision fans claim stage invader proves acts MIME after...
Commentator Graham Norton brands Britain’s SuRie a ‘national...
The not-so-subtle links to the country did not go unnoticed by viewers who took to Twitter to share their disappointment.
One wrote: 'So how come no one's calling Israel out on their cultural appropriation?'
Agreeing another added: 'Yeah okay Israel your song is catchy but what is up with cultural appropriation that nobody seems to be talking about?'
The Israeli entry performed a song called TOY which saw her take first prize - but many viewers were left offended by the clear nods to Japanese culture +3
The Israeli entry performed a song called TOY which saw her take first prize - but many viewers were left offended by the clear nods to Japanese culture
While viewers were pleased by the feminist message behind the song they were disappointed with the appropriation
While viewers were pleased by the feminist message behind the song they were disappointed with the appropriation
Another commented on the political situation in Israel describing the win as a step backwards
Another commented on the political situation in Israel describing the win as a step backwards
'So cringy cultural appropriation won #eurovision' added a third.
MailOnline has contacted Eurovision for a comment.
Despite criticism Netta has proved a hit with the public with TOY receiving over 25 million views on YouTube ahead of the show.
She was the second favourite to win prior to this evening's show, but beat Cyprus' Eleni Foureira in a closely-fought contest.
Others said that it was 'cringy' to see Israel win due to the accusations of cultural appropriation
Others said that it was 'cringy' to see Israel win due to the accusations of cultural appropriation
Despite criticism Netta has proved a hit with the public with TOY receiving over 25 million views on YouTube ahead of the show and came first with 529 points +3
Despite criticism Netta has proved a hit with the public with TOY receiving over 25 million views on YouTube ahead of the show and came first with 529 points
The song, which the artist said was about women's empowerment and represented the #MeToo movement, proved a hit with both the public and jury and saw her narrowly secure victory over Eleni Foureira's performance of 'Fuego'.
She managed to secure the win with 529 points, compared to runner-up Cyprus on 436 points. Austria's Cesar Sampson, who was winning the jury vote, finished third with 342 points for his performance of 'Nobody But You'.
Speaking after her win, Barzilai said: 'I am so happy. Thank you so much. Thank you for supporting diversity.'
The next Eurovision is expected to be held in Israel following the country's fourth win in the competition's 63 year history.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-5723023/Eurovision-fans-accuse-Israeli-winner-cultural-appropriation.html#ixzz5FNWUHNfg
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
Sunday, May 13, 2018
On the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Israel, its people would do well to reflect on the peaceful spirit of the agreement - Independent
May 12. 2018
On the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Israel, its people would do well to reflect on the peaceful spirit of the agreement
The Arab minority – around 20 per cent – of Israel’s own citizens, unlike the Palestinians in the occupied territories, enjoys full political and civil rights. But legislation before the Knesset will threaten their sense of security
Editorial @IndyVoices a
Benjamin Netanyahu’s standing internally has probably never been higher, despite the police investigation into his alleged corruption Pool/Reuters
Seventy years ago tomorrow David Ben-Gurion signed the declaration of independence which, in the midst of a fierce Arab-Jewish war, established the State of Israel in the shadow of the Holocaust.
It is a birthday that Ben-Gurion’s successors have many reasons to celebrate, going much deeper and wider than Israel’s status as the region’s leading – and only nuclear – military power. In seven decades it has built a formidably strong economy, a cutting edge high-tech industry, a Nobel prize-winning science base and one of the world’s best health services, and has permanently revived the Hebrew language. It has a vibrant cultural scene and a still viable parliamentary democracy.
But the conflict that underlay the 1948 war has not been resolved. That war also generated the nakba, or catastrophe, which Palestinians will commemorate on Tuesday, and in which more than 700,000 of them were driven from or fled their homes in what is now Israel. Israel, moreover, remains without internationally recognised borders. Its stunning military victory over Egyptian and Jordanian forces in the 1967 Six-Day War left its military occupying Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem – in the latter two of which Jewish settlement continues to expand despite a widespread international consensus that it is illegal in international law. Millions of Palestinians are without the right to elect the government that fundamentally controls their lives.
It will be tempting for many Israelis to forget all that this week. Benjamin Netanyahu’s standing internally has probably never been higher, despite the police investigation into his alleged corruption. Donald Trump’s withdrawal from Barack Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran is a triumph for his main foreign policy. The decisive action of Israel’s military against Iranian forces in Syria commands support far beyond his nationalistic base. And finally, to Mr Netanyahu’s unbridled delight, Mr Trump will on Monday move the US embassy to Jerusalem, in open defiance of a protocol endorsed by Western governments, including hitherto the US, that the city cannot be recognised as Israel’s capital before a peace agreement is reached with the Palestinians.
Tempting but not necessarily easy. The protests in Gaza, organised by Hamas, and reinforced by anger over Mr Trump’s Jerusalem move, the seventh anniversary of the nakba and above all by a decade-long Israeli blockade which has imploded the Gaza Strip’s economy, have already claimed 40 Palestinian lives. Hamas is already threatening that on Monday and Tuesday the protests will break through Gaza’s border fences. Israel’s military will probably contain the protests, albeit with as yet unknown consequences in bloodshed. But they will serve as a reminder – especially abroad – that the conflict remains unresolved.
The 70-year-old declaration of independence, a remarkable document, asserted – unassailably – “the natural right of the Jewish people to be masters of their own fate, like all other nations, in their own sovereign state”. But it also promised to “ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex…”. The Arab minority – around 20 per cent – of Israel’s own citizens, unlike the Palestinians in the occupied territories, enjoys full political and civil rights. But while to its great credit Israel is doing much to improve the minority’s economic prospects, legislation before the Knesset that will reduce – among other things – the status of Arabic as an official language alongside Hebrew, and Mr Netanyahu’s notorious warning to his base in the 2015 election that Arab voters were heading to the polling stations “in droves”, threaten Arab Israeli citizens’ own sense of security.
But the declaration also endorsed the 1947 United Nations resolution prescribing partition of the whole land into two states, Israel, on 56 per cent of historic Palestine, and an Arab one on 44 per cent. Israelis are quick to remember that this never happened because the Arab leaders rejected it. They less often remember the historic 1988 compromise in which Yasser Arafat finally accepted, bowing to the inevitable, partition that would give Palestinians a state on 22 per cent of the land, with Israel on 78 per cent.
Today, when leading members of Mr Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition openly reject it in favour of annexing large parts of the West Bank, that two-state solution remains the best option for resolving the conflict. While Israelis reflect this week on their country’s short but in many ways glorious history, they would do well to imbibe the spirit of the declaration signed 70 years ago by the greatest of its founding fathers.
On the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Israel, its people would do well to reflect on the peaceful spirit of the agreement
The Arab minority – around 20 per cent – of Israel’s own citizens, unlike the Palestinians in the occupied territories, enjoys full political and civil rights. But legislation before the Knesset will threaten their sense of security
Editorial @IndyVoices a
Benjamin Netanyahu’s standing internally has probably never been higher, despite the police investigation into his alleged corruption Pool/Reuters
Seventy years ago tomorrow David Ben-Gurion signed the declaration of independence which, in the midst of a fierce Arab-Jewish war, established the State of Israel in the shadow of the Holocaust.
It is a birthday that Ben-Gurion’s successors have many reasons to celebrate, going much deeper and wider than Israel’s status as the region’s leading – and only nuclear – military power. In seven decades it has built a formidably strong economy, a cutting edge high-tech industry, a Nobel prize-winning science base and one of the world’s best health services, and has permanently revived the Hebrew language. It has a vibrant cultural scene and a still viable parliamentary democracy.
But the conflict that underlay the 1948 war has not been resolved. That war also generated the nakba, or catastrophe, which Palestinians will commemorate on Tuesday, and in which more than 700,000 of them were driven from or fled their homes in what is now Israel. Israel, moreover, remains without internationally recognised borders. Its stunning military victory over Egyptian and Jordanian forces in the 1967 Six-Day War left its military occupying Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem – in the latter two of which Jewish settlement continues to expand despite a widespread international consensus that it is illegal in international law. Millions of Palestinians are without the right to elect the government that fundamentally controls their lives.
It will be tempting for many Israelis to forget all that this week. Benjamin Netanyahu’s standing internally has probably never been higher, despite the police investigation into his alleged corruption. Donald Trump’s withdrawal from Barack Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran is a triumph for his main foreign policy. The decisive action of Israel’s military against Iranian forces in Syria commands support far beyond his nationalistic base. And finally, to Mr Netanyahu’s unbridled delight, Mr Trump will on Monday move the US embassy to Jerusalem, in open defiance of a protocol endorsed by Western governments, including hitherto the US, that the city cannot be recognised as Israel’s capital before a peace agreement is reached with the Palestinians.
Tempting but not necessarily easy. The protests in Gaza, organised by Hamas, and reinforced by anger over Mr Trump’s Jerusalem move, the seventh anniversary of the nakba and above all by a decade-long Israeli blockade which has imploded the Gaza Strip’s economy, have already claimed 40 Palestinian lives. Hamas is already threatening that on Monday and Tuesday the protests will break through Gaza’s border fences. Israel’s military will probably contain the protests, albeit with as yet unknown consequences in bloodshed. But they will serve as a reminder – especially abroad – that the conflict remains unresolved.
The 70-year-old declaration of independence, a remarkable document, asserted – unassailably – “the natural right of the Jewish people to be masters of their own fate, like all other nations, in their own sovereign state”. But it also promised to “ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex…”. The Arab minority – around 20 per cent – of Israel’s own citizens, unlike the Palestinians in the occupied territories, enjoys full political and civil rights. But while to its great credit Israel is doing much to improve the minority’s economic prospects, legislation before the Knesset that will reduce – among other things – the status of Arabic as an official language alongside Hebrew, and Mr Netanyahu’s notorious warning to his base in the 2015 election that Arab voters were heading to the polling stations “in droves”, threaten Arab Israeli citizens’ own sense of security.
But the declaration also endorsed the 1947 United Nations resolution prescribing partition of the whole land into two states, Israel, on 56 per cent of historic Palestine, and an Arab one on 44 per cent. Israelis are quick to remember that this never happened because the Arab leaders rejected it. They less often remember the historic 1988 compromise in which Yasser Arafat finally accepted, bowing to the inevitable, partition that would give Palestinians a state on 22 per cent of the land, with Israel on 78 per cent.
Today, when leading members of Mr Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition openly reject it in favour of annexing large parts of the West Bank, that two-state solution remains the best option for resolving the conflict. While Israelis reflect this week on their country’s short but in many ways glorious history, they would do well to imbibe the spirit of the declaration signed 70 years ago by the greatest of its founding fathers.
Interview: ‘I know China’ – Cardinal Zen sticks to his guns in fight against Vatican deal with Beijing - Hong Kong Free Press
Interview: ‘I know China’ – Cardinal Zen sticks to his guns in fight against Vatican deal with Beijing
13 May 2018 15:51 Kris Cheng11 min read
HKFP Exclusive
Hong Kong’s Cardinal Joseph Zen, 86, is continuing a one-man fight inside the Catholic establishment to oppose a deal between the Vatican and China over who can appoint bishops in the officially atheist country.
A potential agreement between the Vatican and Beijing was reportedly in its final stages in March – though Zen often called it a “deal with the devil” and a “complete sellout.” Perhaps – in part – because of his efforts, the critical voices he inspired, and the ever-harsher suppression of religion in China, the Vatican now says the deal is not going anywhere soon.
“I had a very special experience. I know China. I know the church in China. I have worked seven years, spending six months a year from 1989 to 1996 in [government-recognised churches] teaching the seminaries,” Zen, born in Shanghai to Catholic parents, said in an interview with HKFP.
Cardinal Zen
Cardinal Zen. Photo: Catherine Lai/HKFP.
“I met so many people, people of the government, people of the church, so I really know the situation. I see how the church is being persecuted, and the bishops are being humiliated. I think nobody else has had such experience,” he said at his home – the Salesian House of Studies built in the 1930s on a Hong Kong hillside.
Zen, officially an emeritus bishop, hardly shows any signs of retiring as he still has a busy schedule and blogs about Catholic affairs in English, Chinese and Italian. Zen speaks with a strong voice, but because he can no longer hear well, he often put his hand around his left ear and leaned forward to hear questions during the interview.
The Vatican, which severed diplomatic relations with China in 1951 and maintains diplomatic ties with Taiwan, relaunched negotiations with Beijing in 2015.
China, with around ten million Catholics, has its own state-run Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association which chooses its own bishops. But there is an unofficial underground church loyal to the Vatican. Under the proposed deal, the Vatican may make a major compromise to recognise a handful of bishops endorsed by Beijing, including seven excommunicated by the Vatican.
Deal postponed
But Zen said that, according to his knowledge, both the Vatican and China have encountered difficulties in reaching the final agreement, which may now be delayed until June.
Cardinal Joseph Zen
Cardinal Joseph Zen at the Vatican. Photo: Facebook/Joseph Zen.
“Some are saying maybe now there are difficulties on the Chinese side, because there are people who think that they don’t need the agreement, they can control everything. Maybe there are voices in China against the eventual agreement,” said Zen.
“You see that there are many actions on the side of the government which show that they are tightening control on religion. And so it’s more difficult to understand how the Vatican can come to a deal at this moment, because obviously they are seen as collaborating with the government.”
For instance, new regulations on religious affairs were installed on February 1, under which minors are banned from entering places of worship.
“There is no reason for optimism,” said Zen. “Any agreement on the side of the Vatican may be seen as collaboration with the government to persecute our people; that’s terrible.”
The cardinal said China’s recent amendments to the constitution, such as the removal of the presidential term limit, may also have influenced how the Vatican looked at the issue.
Xi Jinping
Chinese President Xi Jinping taking oath on March 17, 2018. Photo: Screenshot.
“Surely they should take into account also these new things – which are not encouraging any agreement. I really hope that a miracle may happen, the Pope may say we need more time to be more cautious, to consider again,” he said. “No deal is better than a bad deal. I really cannot understand how people can say bad deal is better than no deal, I don’t think it’s correct.”
Zen stressed his loyalty to the Pope. Zen travelled to Rome in January to personally give the Pope a letter from the 88-year-old persecuted Chinese Bishop Peter Zhuang Jianjian of Shantou.
Zhuang, a priest loyal to the Vatican but not recognised by China, was one of two bishops asked by the Vatican to step aside for priests excommunicated by the Vatican but accepted by Beijing.
“I told him everything. I wrote so many letters,” Zen said. “My last letter was very clear, I have the impression that the Pope now is aware of the worries in the church in China, so I don’t think I need to see him again or say more things.”
“Maybe now there are some other things which may make the Holy Father more aware that he is not receiving good information from people around him.”
Cardinal Joseph Zen Pope Francis
Cardinal Joseph Zen meeting with Pope Francis. Photo: Facebook/Joseph Zen.
Few allies
Zen has been in a war of words with the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who he said was considering the potential deal like a diplomat, but not from religious standpoints.
“I can understand that Pope Francis may not be well informed about real situation in the church in China, because he comes from South America,” Zen said. “But these people like Parolin, they must know very well the situation, so I really cannot understand how they are so enthusiastic to push for a deal, so they may have a wrong objective.”
“Because from the point of view of Catholic faith, they are not going to achieve anything. Maybe they are more interested in diplomatic success.”
“It’s very scary. These people – they should understand a lot of things, why do they do this? They are not naive, they are evil.”
Cardinal Pietro Parolin
Cardinal Pietro Parolin. Photo: Kremlin.
However, Zen has fewer and fewer allies in the Vatican.
Savio Hon, a top Hong Kong priest with similar views to Zen, against the China deal, was an influential ally of Zen’s. Hon was in Rome and had direct access to the Pope but, at 67, he was sent to Greece last year as the Vatican’s representative, despite the fact that he never served in the diplomatic service. Some considered it a punishment.
Cardinal Fernando Filoni, another top priest who worked many years in Hong Kong caring for the church in China, was also cautious of the China deal. But he too was another ally lost, gradually switching towards Parolin’s side.
“Unfortunately the voices in Rome around the Pope are all in favour of Cardinal Parolin. That’s very sad. I hope now there are many voices everywhere, in United States, Italy… Germany, I hope some of those voices may reach the Holy Father.”
Among the bishops that Beijing reportedly asked the Vatican to recognise, Bishop Joseph Liu Xinhong of Anhui and Bishop Paul Lei Shiyin of Sichuan were two who have children with their girlfriends. It was a violation to the law of celibacy that only unmarried man, without children, can be priests.
“Everybody knows – now [officials in the Vatican] come out to say that they don’t have cogent evidence, that’s ridiculous,” Zen said.
Bishop Joseph Liu Xinhong
Bishop Joseph Liu Xinhong of Anhui. File Photo: UCAN.
Zen recalled another case of a Chinese priest who cannot be legitimised by the Holy See, since he did not observe the law of celibacy, but the Chinese wanted the bishop – who he did not name – to be recognised.
He said the Vatican conducted an investigation, but the investigator simply reported back the priest’s denial: “They just want to cheat themselves.”
Vietnam-style deal?
China’s situation is often compared to that in Vietnam – another deal brokered by Parolin. In Vietnam, the Holy See proposes a list of bishops to the Hanoi government, and Hanoi makes its choice, before the Pope appoints them.
But Zen said Vietnam has a strong base of Catholic followers, and the government cannot interfere in the church.
“I think that one thing that the Pope may have difficulty to understand is that, with a really totalitarian regime, you have only your spiritual strength,” Zen said.
Zen also said China’s case was very different from those of Hungary, Poland and the then-Czechoslovakia, where they have a long history of faith.
“Even the collaborators of the government – they could not be that bad. Because they know that they will not be accepted by the people. To be accepted or to be tolerated by the people, they have to be decent [in] some way,” he said. “But unfortunately, in China, among the bishops in the open church – there are too many collaborators of the government.”
Chinese Christians have been resisting the government’s continuous actions to remove crosses from churches.
“They are not afraid to be persecuted. They are ready to suffer. When you are not afraid of the government, the government is afraid of you,” Zen said.
Catholics Zhejiang cross
Catholics defending the cross at a church in Zhejiang, China. Photo: RFA.
Zen warned there may be serious consequences after signing a bad deal with China, which may disappoint Catholics in China – both those in “underground” churches and those in government-recognised ones.
“I am very much afraid that some may have some irrational reaction, like a kind of rebellion against the Pope, that would be very unfortunate – I am against any kind of such rebellion. I think that fidelity to the Pope is our bottom line; even if we cannot understand what the Pope is doing, we must obey,” Zen said.
Differences in Hong Kong
Zen, who often has to visit doctors for heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes, said he cannot find someone else to continue his work.
He said his successors Cardinal John Tong and Bishop of Hong Kong Michael Yeung may have differences in experiences and overall views of history. Tong and Yeung were more optimistic about the China deal, with Tong calling those who oppose it “unreasonable.”
Michael Yeung
Michael Yeung. Photo: HKFP/Kris Cheng.
“I think it’s very important to discuss about history,” he said. “I am still reading much about the history in Germany, in Russia, in Europe. I think maybe we have different views because we understand the history differently. I think we must have long-ranged vision, and not just look at today.”
He said they may have different considerations in weighing advantages and disadvantages of the Vatican-China deal: “Maybe I am too pessimistic. I see more bad effects of the agreement, they may see some good effects.”
But Zen stopped short of criticising his successors, saying that they must respect each other and it was not good to fight each other.
Visiting local activists in prison
A significant part of Zen’s schedule is filled with prison visits for those serving long sentences, which he has been doing for decades. Recently, his workload was even heavier, he said.
“Because of the Umbrella Movement, of what happened in North East [land development protests], Mong Kok [clashes] – all those cases there are many people in prison, some welcome our visits, so I go round to visit them,” he said.
Cardinal Joseph Zen
Cardinal Joseph Zen. Photo: Facebook/Joseph Zen.
Around the Lunar New Year holiday Zen visited three prisons in one day. “Unfortunately I am very busy and I am not strong anymore – I’d like to do more,” he said.
Zen, who is vocal about democracy and human rights in Hong Kong, was never charged by the government over his support for the Umbrella Movement, even after he surrendered himself to the police. Instead, the 74-year-old Reverend Chu Yiu-ming was charged as one of the instigators of the protests.
Asked to comment on why he was not targeted by the Hong Kong government, he said with a laugh: “You ask them.”
“Surely they have their reasons, but there are several people who are not yet arrested. So if one day I remain the only one, then I will protest, I will come to protest. But since there are still many in the same case in the same situation, I just wait.”
Zen said he believes that it is key for more people to speak up about China’s suppression of religious freedom and about the China deal.
“Our voice is weak, their voice is strong, it will be good to raise concerns of more people,” he said.
13 May 2018 15:51 Kris Cheng11 min read
HKFP Exclusive
Hong Kong’s Cardinal Joseph Zen, 86, is continuing a one-man fight inside the Catholic establishment to oppose a deal between the Vatican and China over who can appoint bishops in the officially atheist country.
A potential agreement between the Vatican and Beijing was reportedly in its final stages in March – though Zen often called it a “deal with the devil” and a “complete sellout.” Perhaps – in part – because of his efforts, the critical voices he inspired, and the ever-harsher suppression of religion in China, the Vatican now says the deal is not going anywhere soon.
“I had a very special experience. I know China. I know the church in China. I have worked seven years, spending six months a year from 1989 to 1996 in [government-recognised churches] teaching the seminaries,” Zen, born in Shanghai to Catholic parents, said in an interview with HKFP.
Cardinal Zen
Cardinal Zen. Photo: Catherine Lai/HKFP.
“I met so many people, people of the government, people of the church, so I really know the situation. I see how the church is being persecuted, and the bishops are being humiliated. I think nobody else has had such experience,” he said at his home – the Salesian House of Studies built in the 1930s on a Hong Kong hillside.
Zen, officially an emeritus bishop, hardly shows any signs of retiring as he still has a busy schedule and blogs about Catholic affairs in English, Chinese and Italian. Zen speaks with a strong voice, but because he can no longer hear well, he often put his hand around his left ear and leaned forward to hear questions during the interview.
The Vatican, which severed diplomatic relations with China in 1951 and maintains diplomatic ties with Taiwan, relaunched negotiations with Beijing in 2015.
China, with around ten million Catholics, has its own state-run Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association which chooses its own bishops. But there is an unofficial underground church loyal to the Vatican. Under the proposed deal, the Vatican may make a major compromise to recognise a handful of bishops endorsed by Beijing, including seven excommunicated by the Vatican.
Deal postponed
But Zen said that, according to his knowledge, both the Vatican and China have encountered difficulties in reaching the final agreement, which may now be delayed until June.
Cardinal Joseph Zen
Cardinal Joseph Zen at the Vatican. Photo: Facebook/Joseph Zen.
“Some are saying maybe now there are difficulties on the Chinese side, because there are people who think that they don’t need the agreement, they can control everything. Maybe there are voices in China against the eventual agreement,” said Zen.
“You see that there are many actions on the side of the government which show that they are tightening control on religion. And so it’s more difficult to understand how the Vatican can come to a deal at this moment, because obviously they are seen as collaborating with the government.”
For instance, new regulations on religious affairs were installed on February 1, under which minors are banned from entering places of worship.
“There is no reason for optimism,” said Zen. “Any agreement on the side of the Vatican may be seen as collaboration with the government to persecute our people; that’s terrible.”
The cardinal said China’s recent amendments to the constitution, such as the removal of the presidential term limit, may also have influenced how the Vatican looked at the issue.
Xi Jinping
Chinese President Xi Jinping taking oath on March 17, 2018. Photo: Screenshot.
“Surely they should take into account also these new things – which are not encouraging any agreement. I really hope that a miracle may happen, the Pope may say we need more time to be more cautious, to consider again,” he said. “No deal is better than a bad deal. I really cannot understand how people can say bad deal is better than no deal, I don’t think it’s correct.”
Zen stressed his loyalty to the Pope. Zen travelled to Rome in January to personally give the Pope a letter from the 88-year-old persecuted Chinese Bishop Peter Zhuang Jianjian of Shantou.
Zhuang, a priest loyal to the Vatican but not recognised by China, was one of two bishops asked by the Vatican to step aside for priests excommunicated by the Vatican but accepted by Beijing.
“I told him everything. I wrote so many letters,” Zen said. “My last letter was very clear, I have the impression that the Pope now is aware of the worries in the church in China, so I don’t think I need to see him again or say more things.”
“Maybe now there are some other things which may make the Holy Father more aware that he is not receiving good information from people around him.”
Cardinal Joseph Zen Pope Francis
Cardinal Joseph Zen meeting with Pope Francis. Photo: Facebook/Joseph Zen.
Few allies
Zen has been in a war of words with the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who he said was considering the potential deal like a diplomat, but not from religious standpoints.
“I can understand that Pope Francis may not be well informed about real situation in the church in China, because he comes from South America,” Zen said. “But these people like Parolin, they must know very well the situation, so I really cannot understand how they are so enthusiastic to push for a deal, so they may have a wrong objective.”
“Because from the point of view of Catholic faith, they are not going to achieve anything. Maybe they are more interested in diplomatic success.”
“It’s very scary. These people – they should understand a lot of things, why do they do this? They are not naive, they are evil.”
Cardinal Pietro Parolin
Cardinal Pietro Parolin. Photo: Kremlin.
However, Zen has fewer and fewer allies in the Vatican.
Savio Hon, a top Hong Kong priest with similar views to Zen, against the China deal, was an influential ally of Zen’s. Hon was in Rome and had direct access to the Pope but, at 67, he was sent to Greece last year as the Vatican’s representative, despite the fact that he never served in the diplomatic service. Some considered it a punishment.
Cardinal Fernando Filoni, another top priest who worked many years in Hong Kong caring for the church in China, was also cautious of the China deal. But he too was another ally lost, gradually switching towards Parolin’s side.
“Unfortunately the voices in Rome around the Pope are all in favour of Cardinal Parolin. That’s very sad. I hope now there are many voices everywhere, in United States, Italy… Germany, I hope some of those voices may reach the Holy Father.”
Among the bishops that Beijing reportedly asked the Vatican to recognise, Bishop Joseph Liu Xinhong of Anhui and Bishop Paul Lei Shiyin of Sichuan were two who have children with their girlfriends. It was a violation to the law of celibacy that only unmarried man, without children, can be priests.
“Everybody knows – now [officials in the Vatican] come out to say that they don’t have cogent evidence, that’s ridiculous,” Zen said.
Bishop Joseph Liu Xinhong
Bishop Joseph Liu Xinhong of Anhui. File Photo: UCAN.
Zen recalled another case of a Chinese priest who cannot be legitimised by the Holy See, since he did not observe the law of celibacy, but the Chinese wanted the bishop – who he did not name – to be recognised.
He said the Vatican conducted an investigation, but the investigator simply reported back the priest’s denial: “They just want to cheat themselves.”
Vietnam-style deal?
China’s situation is often compared to that in Vietnam – another deal brokered by Parolin. In Vietnam, the Holy See proposes a list of bishops to the Hanoi government, and Hanoi makes its choice, before the Pope appoints them.
But Zen said Vietnam has a strong base of Catholic followers, and the government cannot interfere in the church.
“I think that one thing that the Pope may have difficulty to understand is that, with a really totalitarian regime, you have only your spiritual strength,” Zen said.
Zen also said China’s case was very different from those of Hungary, Poland and the then-Czechoslovakia, where they have a long history of faith.
“Even the collaborators of the government – they could not be that bad. Because they know that they will not be accepted by the people. To be accepted or to be tolerated by the people, they have to be decent [in] some way,” he said. “But unfortunately, in China, among the bishops in the open church – there are too many collaborators of the government.”
Chinese Christians have been resisting the government’s continuous actions to remove crosses from churches.
“They are not afraid to be persecuted. They are ready to suffer. When you are not afraid of the government, the government is afraid of you,” Zen said.
Catholics Zhejiang cross
Catholics defending the cross at a church in Zhejiang, China. Photo: RFA.
Zen warned there may be serious consequences after signing a bad deal with China, which may disappoint Catholics in China – both those in “underground” churches and those in government-recognised ones.
“I am very much afraid that some may have some irrational reaction, like a kind of rebellion against the Pope, that would be very unfortunate – I am against any kind of such rebellion. I think that fidelity to the Pope is our bottom line; even if we cannot understand what the Pope is doing, we must obey,” Zen said.
Differences in Hong Kong
Zen, who often has to visit doctors for heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes, said he cannot find someone else to continue his work.
He said his successors Cardinal John Tong and Bishop of Hong Kong Michael Yeung may have differences in experiences and overall views of history. Tong and Yeung were more optimistic about the China deal, with Tong calling those who oppose it “unreasonable.”
Michael Yeung
Michael Yeung. Photo: HKFP/Kris Cheng.
“I think it’s very important to discuss about history,” he said. “I am still reading much about the history in Germany, in Russia, in Europe. I think maybe we have different views because we understand the history differently. I think we must have long-ranged vision, and not just look at today.”
He said they may have different considerations in weighing advantages and disadvantages of the Vatican-China deal: “Maybe I am too pessimistic. I see more bad effects of the agreement, they may see some good effects.”
But Zen stopped short of criticising his successors, saying that they must respect each other and it was not good to fight each other.
Visiting local activists in prison
A significant part of Zen’s schedule is filled with prison visits for those serving long sentences, which he has been doing for decades. Recently, his workload was even heavier, he said.
“Because of the Umbrella Movement, of what happened in North East [land development protests], Mong Kok [clashes] – all those cases there are many people in prison, some welcome our visits, so I go round to visit them,” he said.
Cardinal Joseph Zen
Cardinal Joseph Zen. Photo: Facebook/Joseph Zen.
Around the Lunar New Year holiday Zen visited three prisons in one day. “Unfortunately I am very busy and I am not strong anymore – I’d like to do more,” he said.
Zen, who is vocal about democracy and human rights in Hong Kong, was never charged by the government over his support for the Umbrella Movement, even after he surrendered himself to the police. Instead, the 74-year-old Reverend Chu Yiu-ming was charged as one of the instigators of the protests.
Asked to comment on why he was not targeted by the Hong Kong government, he said with a laugh: “You ask them.”
“Surely they have their reasons, but there are several people who are not yet arrested. So if one day I remain the only one, then I will protest, I will come to protest. But since there are still many in the same case in the same situation, I just wait.”
Zen said he believes that it is key for more people to speak up about China’s suppression of religious freedom and about the China deal.
“Our voice is weak, their voice is strong, it will be good to raise concerns of more people,” he said.
Stormy Daniels’s Lawyer Claims Russian Oligarch Reimbursed Michael Cohen - Intelligencer ( New York Magazine )
May 8, 2018
6:51 pm
Stormy Daniels’s Lawyer Claims Russian Oligarch Reimbursed Michael Cohen
By Benjamin Hart
Benjamin Hart
@realaxelfoley
Michael Avenatti, Stormy Daniels’s high-profile lawyer, tweeted on Monday that Trump fixer Michael Cohen had received $500,000 from a company controlled by a Russian oligarch last year, and that the money may have acted as a repayment for Cohen’s $130,000 payoff to Daniels.
Michael Avenatti
✔
@MichaelAvenatti
After significant investigation, we have discovered that Mr. Trump’s atty Mr. Cohen received approximately $500,000 in the mos. after the election from a company controlled by a Russian Oligarc with close ties to Mr. Putin. These monies may have reimbursed the $130k payment.
7:05 AM - May 9, 2018
In a second tweet, Avenatti attached a document purporting to show that the oligarch, Viktor Vekelsburg, and his cousin Andrew Intrater “routed eight payments to Mr. Cohen through a company named Columbus Nova LLC beginning in January 2017 and continuing until at least August 2017.”
Michael Avenatti
✔
@MichaelAvenatti
The Executive Summary from our first Preliminary Report on Findings may be accessed via the link below. Mr. Trump and Mr. Cohen have a lot of explaining to do.https://www.dropbox.com/s/pskgpwr15r48tx5/Executive%20Summary.pdf?dl=0 …
7:06 AM - May 9, 2018
Executive Summary.pdf
Shared with Dropbox
dropbox.com
The document includes a perhaps even more explosive detail: that multiple large companies had also made payments to a different Cohen company, perhaps in an effort to influence Trump administration policy.
Robert Maguire
✔
@RobertMaguire_
Here's something that could be a REALLY big deal: In addition to the payments from a Russian oligarch, Avenatti says that major companies -- like Novartis and AT&T -- were making large payments in 2017 and 2018 to the LLC that Michael Cohen set up to pay Stormy Daniels
7:43 AM - May 9, 2018
AT&T confirmed that it had made the payments shortly after Avenatti’s tweets were posted.
Christina Wilkie
✔
@christinawilkie
BREAKING: @ATT confirms payments to Cohen LLC >>
Full Stmt: “Essential Consulting was one of several firms we engaged in early 2017 to provide insights into understanding the new administration. They did no legal or lobbying work for us, and the contract ended in December 2017”
8:38 AM - May 9, 2018
11.8K
8,033 people are talking about this
Twitter Ads info and privacy
As did Novartis:
Jon Swaine
✔
@jonswaine
Spokesman for NOVARTIS does not dispute Avenatti's assertion that it paid Cohen. Says: "Any agreements with Essential Consultants were entered before our current CEO taking office in February of this year and have expired."
9:37 AM - May 9, 2018
Vekelsburg, who is one of the world’s richest men, was recently sanctioned by the Trump administration over suspected 2016 election meddling. The New York Times reported last week that Vekelsberg was stopped at an aiport and questioned by agents working with Special Counsel Robert Mueller about two months ago; CNN reported on Tuesday that agents asked him about the payments to Cohen, seemingly confirming Avenatti’s assertion of the transaction.
Cohen’s lawyer denied Avenatti’s characterization:
Natasha Bertrand
✔
@NatashaBertrand
Michael Cohen’s attorney, Steve Ryan, won’t discuss the $500,000 Michael Avenatti says Cohen received from Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg in 2017. “I understand the shorthand you’re using, but it wasn’t a payment,” Ryan says before hanging up.
7:20 AM - May 9, 2018
Cohen is in dire legal and emotional straits after federal investigators raided his office last month.
6:51 pm
Stormy Daniels’s Lawyer Claims Russian Oligarch Reimbursed Michael Cohen
By Benjamin Hart
Benjamin Hart
@realaxelfoley
Michael Avenatti, Stormy Daniels’s high-profile lawyer, tweeted on Monday that Trump fixer Michael Cohen had received $500,000 from a company controlled by a Russian oligarch last year, and that the money may have acted as a repayment for Cohen’s $130,000 payoff to Daniels.
Michael Avenatti
✔
@MichaelAvenatti
After significant investigation, we have discovered that Mr. Trump’s atty Mr. Cohen received approximately $500,000 in the mos. after the election from a company controlled by a Russian Oligarc with close ties to Mr. Putin. These monies may have reimbursed the $130k payment.
7:05 AM - May 9, 2018
In a second tweet, Avenatti attached a document purporting to show that the oligarch, Viktor Vekelsburg, and his cousin Andrew Intrater “routed eight payments to Mr. Cohen through a company named Columbus Nova LLC beginning in January 2017 and continuing until at least August 2017.”
Michael Avenatti
✔
@MichaelAvenatti
The Executive Summary from our first Preliminary Report on Findings may be accessed via the link below. Mr. Trump and Mr. Cohen have a lot of explaining to do.https://www.dropbox.com/s/pskgpwr15r48tx5/Executive%20Summary.pdf?dl=0 …
7:06 AM - May 9, 2018
Executive Summary.pdf
Shared with Dropbox
dropbox.com
The document includes a perhaps even more explosive detail: that multiple large companies had also made payments to a different Cohen company, perhaps in an effort to influence Trump administration policy.
Robert Maguire
✔
@RobertMaguire_
Here's something that could be a REALLY big deal: In addition to the payments from a Russian oligarch, Avenatti says that major companies -- like Novartis and AT&T -- were making large payments in 2017 and 2018 to the LLC that Michael Cohen set up to pay Stormy Daniels
7:43 AM - May 9, 2018
AT&T confirmed that it had made the payments shortly after Avenatti’s tweets were posted.
Christina Wilkie
✔
@christinawilkie
BREAKING: @ATT confirms payments to Cohen LLC >>
Full Stmt: “Essential Consulting was one of several firms we engaged in early 2017 to provide insights into understanding the new administration. They did no legal or lobbying work for us, and the contract ended in December 2017”
8:38 AM - May 9, 2018
11.8K
8,033 people are talking about this
Twitter Ads info and privacy
As did Novartis:
Jon Swaine
✔
@jonswaine
Spokesman for NOVARTIS does not dispute Avenatti's assertion that it paid Cohen. Says: "Any agreements with Essential Consultants were entered before our current CEO taking office in February of this year and have expired."
9:37 AM - May 9, 2018
Vekelsburg, who is one of the world’s richest men, was recently sanctioned by the Trump administration over suspected 2016 election meddling. The New York Times reported last week that Vekelsberg was stopped at an aiport and questioned by agents working with Special Counsel Robert Mueller about two months ago; CNN reported on Tuesday that agents asked him about the payments to Cohen, seemingly confirming Avenatti’s assertion of the transaction.
Cohen’s lawyer denied Avenatti’s characterization:
Natasha Bertrand
✔
@NatashaBertrand
Michael Cohen’s attorney, Steve Ryan, won’t discuss the $500,000 Michael Avenatti says Cohen received from Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg in 2017. “I understand the shorthand you’re using, but it wasn’t a payment,” Ryan says before hanging up.
7:20 AM - May 9, 2018
Cohen is in dire legal and emotional straits after federal investigators raided his office last month.
Blockchain will help ‘drive this next industrial revolution,’ Wall Street bull predicts - CBNC News
Blockchain will help ‘drive this next industrial revolution,’ Wall Street bull predicts
Stephanie Landsman | @stephlandsman
Published May 12, 2018
CNBC.com
Blockchain will help ‘drive this next industrial revolution,’ Wall Street bull predicts Blockchain will help ‘drive this next industrial revolution,’ Wall Street bull predicts
6:13 PM ET Fri, 11 May 2018 | 01:45
One of Wall Street's biggest bulls sees blockchain playing a big role as an economic growth driver.
It still may be considered an emerging technology, but Federated Investors portfolio manager Steve Chiavarone is folding the electronic system, which records cryptocurrency transactions, into his stock market forecast.
"This is going to be one of five key technologies — along with automation, robotics, A.I. [artificial intelligence] and the Internet of things that drive this next industrial revolution," he said Friday on CNBC's "Trading Nation."
He's not letting the growing pains currently gripping the cryptocurrency market affect his bullish view.
Bitcoin, which has been referred to as the FANG stock of the crypto world, has been struggling to break $10,000 — just months after hitting a record price just shy of $20,000 last December.
In fact, Chiavarone sees FANG stocks, which include top tech names Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Google [Alphabet], as ultimately reaping benefits from blockchain's processing power — as well as areas from health care to financials.
"A lot of investors went to bitcoin first because it was the first way to access blockchain," added Chiavarone. "Look, big banks are investing in this heavily. Bank of America boasted at Davos earlier this year that they're investing the most."
Do you see blockchain technology helping corporate America?
Chiavarone believes blockchain technology is valuable because it could potentially transform reconciliation, the action of verifying account balances in corporate America.
"It has an ability to replace reconciliation, which is expensive and requires back office and time and paperwork with more instantaneous verification," he said.
"What that means is companies can have more efficient supply chains. They can cut their back and middle office costs," Chiavarone said. "And, that will allow business to flow more efficiently and it'll allow costs to be cut and net savings to be passed along."
Stephanie Landsman | @stephlandsman
Published May 12, 2018
CNBC.com
Blockchain will help ‘drive this next industrial revolution,’ Wall Street bull predicts Blockchain will help ‘drive this next industrial revolution,’ Wall Street bull predicts
6:13 PM ET Fri, 11 May 2018 | 01:45
One of Wall Street's biggest bulls sees blockchain playing a big role as an economic growth driver.
It still may be considered an emerging technology, but Federated Investors portfolio manager Steve Chiavarone is folding the electronic system, which records cryptocurrency transactions, into his stock market forecast.
"This is going to be one of five key technologies — along with automation, robotics, A.I. [artificial intelligence] and the Internet of things that drive this next industrial revolution," he said Friday on CNBC's "Trading Nation."
He's not letting the growing pains currently gripping the cryptocurrency market affect his bullish view.
Bitcoin, which has been referred to as the FANG stock of the crypto world, has been struggling to break $10,000 — just months after hitting a record price just shy of $20,000 last December.
In fact, Chiavarone sees FANG stocks, which include top tech names Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Google [Alphabet], as ultimately reaping benefits from blockchain's processing power — as well as areas from health care to financials.
"A lot of investors went to bitcoin first because it was the first way to access blockchain," added Chiavarone. "Look, big banks are investing in this heavily. Bank of America boasted at Davos earlier this year that they're investing the most."
Do you see blockchain technology helping corporate America?
Chiavarone believes blockchain technology is valuable because it could potentially transform reconciliation, the action of verifying account balances in corporate America.
"It has an ability to replace reconciliation, which is expensive and requires back office and time and paperwork with more instantaneous verification," he said.
"What that means is companies can have more efficient supply chains. They can cut their back and middle office costs," Chiavarone said. "And, that will allow business to flow more efficiently and it'll allow costs to be cut and net savings to be passed along."
Erdogan's 'crazy' canal alarms villagers and environmentalists - Reuters
MAY 13, 2018 / 8:31 PM / UPDATED 8 MINUTES AGO
Erdogan's 'crazy' canal alarms villagers and environmentalists
Ali Kucukgocmen
SAZLIBOSNA, Turkey (Reuters) - When residents of Sazlibosna, a village near Istanbul, tried to attend a public meeting about the Turkish government’s plan to dig a 400 metre-wide canal through their farmlands, they were stopped by police.
The 45 km (28 mile) Kanal Istanbul will link the seas north and south of Istanbul and ease traffic on the Bosphorus strait, a major global shipping lane. It will also redraw the map of one of Europe’s biggest cities, turning its western side into an island.
Critics, including the national architects association, have questioned the need for the canal and warned it will destroy an 8,500-year-old archaeological site near Istanbul and cause widespread environmental damage.
The experience of the Sazlibosna villagers illustrates how the government has shut them out of an enterprise that could displace thousands. Estimated to cost around $16 billion, the canal is one of the most ambitious of President Tayyip Erdogan’s infrastructure mega-schemes. He has publicly referred to it as his “crazy project”.
When the villagers, who described themselves as Erdogan supporters, arrived for the meeting in March in western Istanbul - a session intended to allow the public to voice concerns and learn about the project - they were met by police carrying rifles and tear gas who said the hall was full.
It was - with workers who told Reuters they had been bussed in from another government mega-project. The villagers were stuck outside the hearing, in a crowd of more than a hundred people, including environmentalists, who were also not let in.
“The owners of these lands need to be inside,” said Oktay Teke, Sazlibosna’s local administrator, as he stood with the villagers outside the Arnavutkoy municipal building where the meeting was underway.
“If land is going to be expropriated, it will be our land - we will lose our homes.”
A Reuters reporter saw dozens of men leave the hall and board buses after the meeting. When approached, three said they were workers from Istanbul’s giant new airport, which opens in October at the northern end of the planned canal.
“Projects at the airport are about to be finished. This (canal) is a job opportunity for us,” one said, without giving his name.
The spokesman for the Arnavutkoy municipality, Fatih Sanlav, said only a limited number of people were unable to enter the meeting, and no workers were bussed in to fill the hall.
For a Graphic: tmsnrt.rs/2KkBczc
Ships are pictured at the Marmara Sea as they wait to transit the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey, April 16, 2018. Picture taken April 16, 2018. REUTERS/Osman Orsal
ERDOGAN’S PROJECTS
In a decade and a half in power, Erdogan and his ruling AK Party have built roads, trains and hospitals and improved the lives of millions of lower-income, pious Turks. Under a state of emergency in effect since after a 2016 coup attempt, he has also overseen a sweeping crackdown against opponents.
Erdogan says the canal will take the pressure off the Bosphorus and prevent accidents there. He says “mega-projects”, such as Istanbul’s third airport, are major contributors to the economy.
Yet there is concern about overdevelopment. A protest in 2013 against plans to redevelop Istanbul’s Gezi park turned into a major anti-government uprising.
The Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) criticized the canal as an environmental and urban “disaster” which should be abandoned.
Some 369,000 people live in the area that could be impacted by the canal, according to the Turkish Data Analysis Centre, a research company.
The canal will destroy archaeological sites around the Kucukcekmece lagoon that date back to 6,500 BC and provide the earliest evidence of the Hittites in Thrace, TMMOB said. The lagoon’s ecosystem, vital for marine animals and migratory birds, will also be destroyed.
The canal will demolish two basins that provide nearly a third of Istanbul’s fresh water and will increase the salinity of underground water streams, affecting agricultural land as far away as the neighboring Thrace region, TMMOB said.
The project will increase oxygen levels in the Black Sea, impacting the wildlife population, it said.
Three groups of artificial islands will be built just offshore in the Sea of Marmara from the earth dug for the canal, which environmentalists say will cause pollution there.
The Environment Ministry did not respond to requests for comment. The Transport Ministry and Cinar Engineering, the company tasked with compiling an environmental impact report, declined to comment.
While the Bosphorus is difficult to navigate, shipping companies do not need a new canal, said Cihangir Inanc of shipping agent GAC Shipping, adding it would be “more realistic” for the government to improve the strait.
Nearly 43,000 ships passed through the Bosphorus in 2017, down a quarter from a decade ago, although ships today are much bigger, according to government data. Traffic on the Bosphorus was nearly three times that of the Suez Canal.
GREEN HILLS
On the banks of Sazlidere dam, Sazlibosna is surrounded by rolling hills and green fields of grazing sheep and cattle. The canal will cut through that land, as well as land around nearly two dozen different villages and neighborhoods.
At the local tea house, villagers fear the government will compulsorily purchase land that has been in their families for generations and pay less than the market value.
Their concerns are fueled by a similar experience 20 years ago, when the government expropriated land to build the dam, paying below market value and devastating local farms.
“We had around 3,000 cattle then, we have 300 now,” Teke, the administrator, said.
Villagers fear the canal will destroy what remains of their agricultural land.
“Once this happens, there won’t be any husbandry or farming left. I’m going to have to stop farming, I don’t know what I’m going to do,” said one villager, who grows barley, wheat, maize and sunflowers.
Teke said he wrote to Erdogan, the prime minister, and to government offices asking for more information about what will happen, but to no avail.
Erdogan has promised to hold the tender for the canal soon, saying it will be built no matter what.
“Whether they want it or not, we will build Kanal Istanbul,” he said.
Editing by David Dolan and Giles Elgood
Erdogan's 'crazy' canal alarms villagers and environmentalists
Ali Kucukgocmen
SAZLIBOSNA, Turkey (Reuters) - When residents of Sazlibosna, a village near Istanbul, tried to attend a public meeting about the Turkish government’s plan to dig a 400 metre-wide canal through their farmlands, they were stopped by police.
The 45 km (28 mile) Kanal Istanbul will link the seas north and south of Istanbul and ease traffic on the Bosphorus strait, a major global shipping lane. It will also redraw the map of one of Europe’s biggest cities, turning its western side into an island.
Critics, including the national architects association, have questioned the need for the canal and warned it will destroy an 8,500-year-old archaeological site near Istanbul and cause widespread environmental damage.
The experience of the Sazlibosna villagers illustrates how the government has shut them out of an enterprise that could displace thousands. Estimated to cost around $16 billion, the canal is one of the most ambitious of President Tayyip Erdogan’s infrastructure mega-schemes. He has publicly referred to it as his “crazy project”.
When the villagers, who described themselves as Erdogan supporters, arrived for the meeting in March in western Istanbul - a session intended to allow the public to voice concerns and learn about the project - they were met by police carrying rifles and tear gas who said the hall was full.
It was - with workers who told Reuters they had been bussed in from another government mega-project. The villagers were stuck outside the hearing, in a crowd of more than a hundred people, including environmentalists, who were also not let in.
“The owners of these lands need to be inside,” said Oktay Teke, Sazlibosna’s local administrator, as he stood with the villagers outside the Arnavutkoy municipal building where the meeting was underway.
“If land is going to be expropriated, it will be our land - we will lose our homes.”
A Reuters reporter saw dozens of men leave the hall and board buses after the meeting. When approached, three said they were workers from Istanbul’s giant new airport, which opens in October at the northern end of the planned canal.
“Projects at the airport are about to be finished. This (canal) is a job opportunity for us,” one said, without giving his name.
The spokesman for the Arnavutkoy municipality, Fatih Sanlav, said only a limited number of people were unable to enter the meeting, and no workers were bussed in to fill the hall.
For a Graphic: tmsnrt.rs/2KkBczc
Ships are pictured at the Marmara Sea as they wait to transit the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey, April 16, 2018. Picture taken April 16, 2018. REUTERS/Osman Orsal
ERDOGAN’S PROJECTS
In a decade and a half in power, Erdogan and his ruling AK Party have built roads, trains and hospitals and improved the lives of millions of lower-income, pious Turks. Under a state of emergency in effect since after a 2016 coup attempt, he has also overseen a sweeping crackdown against opponents.
Erdogan says the canal will take the pressure off the Bosphorus and prevent accidents there. He says “mega-projects”, such as Istanbul’s third airport, are major contributors to the economy.
Yet there is concern about overdevelopment. A protest in 2013 against plans to redevelop Istanbul’s Gezi park turned into a major anti-government uprising.
The Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) criticized the canal as an environmental and urban “disaster” which should be abandoned.
Some 369,000 people live in the area that could be impacted by the canal, according to the Turkish Data Analysis Centre, a research company.
The canal will destroy archaeological sites around the Kucukcekmece lagoon that date back to 6,500 BC and provide the earliest evidence of the Hittites in Thrace, TMMOB said. The lagoon’s ecosystem, vital for marine animals and migratory birds, will also be destroyed.
The canal will demolish two basins that provide nearly a third of Istanbul’s fresh water and will increase the salinity of underground water streams, affecting agricultural land as far away as the neighboring Thrace region, TMMOB said.
The project will increase oxygen levels in the Black Sea, impacting the wildlife population, it said.
Three groups of artificial islands will be built just offshore in the Sea of Marmara from the earth dug for the canal, which environmentalists say will cause pollution there.
The Environment Ministry did not respond to requests for comment. The Transport Ministry and Cinar Engineering, the company tasked with compiling an environmental impact report, declined to comment.
While the Bosphorus is difficult to navigate, shipping companies do not need a new canal, said Cihangir Inanc of shipping agent GAC Shipping, adding it would be “more realistic” for the government to improve the strait.
Nearly 43,000 ships passed through the Bosphorus in 2017, down a quarter from a decade ago, although ships today are much bigger, according to government data. Traffic on the Bosphorus was nearly three times that of the Suez Canal.
GREEN HILLS
On the banks of Sazlidere dam, Sazlibosna is surrounded by rolling hills and green fields of grazing sheep and cattle. The canal will cut through that land, as well as land around nearly two dozen different villages and neighborhoods.
At the local tea house, villagers fear the government will compulsorily purchase land that has been in their families for generations and pay less than the market value.
Their concerns are fueled by a similar experience 20 years ago, when the government expropriated land to build the dam, paying below market value and devastating local farms.
“We had around 3,000 cattle then, we have 300 now,” Teke, the administrator, said.
Villagers fear the canal will destroy what remains of their agricultural land.
“Once this happens, there won’t be any husbandry or farming left. I’m going to have to stop farming, I don’t know what I’m going to do,” said one villager, who grows barley, wheat, maize and sunflowers.
Teke said he wrote to Erdogan, the prime minister, and to government offices asking for more information about what will happen, but to no avail.
Erdogan has promised to hold the tender for the canal soon, saying it will be built no matter what.
“Whether they want it or not, we will build Kanal Istanbul,” he said.
Editing by David Dolan and Giles Elgood
Meet America’s Highest-Paid CEO, a 66-Year-Old Immigrant From Malaysia Who Calls Himself a ‘Frugal Guy’ - TIME Business
Meet America’s Highest-Paid CEO, a 66-Year-Old Immigrant From Malaysia Who Calls Himself a ‘Frugal Guy’
Posted: 11 May 2018 08:30 AM PDT
The average CEO among the biggest companies in the U.S. made $12.1 million in 2017, according to a new analysis by The Wall Street Journal. But the highest-paid person with that title brought in a whopping $103.2 million.
That’s Hock Tan, the head of Broadcom, a global supplier of semiconductor technologies. The company saw its returns to shareholders increase 58% in the past year, while Tan’s salary jumped an astounding 318%, from $24.7 million in 2016.
Generally, executives got a pay boost over the last year. The median income for CEOs of S&P 500 companies reached a new post-recession high, driven by soaring profits and stock prices. Most of that group saw raises of 9.7% or higher, according to the Journal.
Tan’s nine-figure salary is still a bit of an outlier, with the second-highest-paid CEO, Les Moonves of CBS, coming out at $69.3 million in 2017. CEOs at pharmaceutical, media, technology and financial firms pervaded the upper echelon of earnings, taking 16 of the 25 top spots in the Journal’s ranking.
The $103.2 million breakdown
While Tan’s base, cash salary of $1.1 million in 2017 is deceptively low, the lion’s share of his money came from shares that Broadcom awarded to Tan, which held a value of $98.3 million, according to regulatory filings. Tan also took home a performance bonus of $3.7 million for exceeding revenue and operating margin targets. And his windfall includes $23,234 in travel expenses, $16,200 in 401(k) employer matching contribution, and $36,386 for car service.
All told, Tan made approximately 2,039 times more than the average U.S. worker, who earned $50,620, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics figures. That’s a staggering gap. It should be noted, however, that those awarded shares won’t be immediately to Tan. Instead, they’ll vest in 2020 and 2021, and what Tan ultimately gets will depend on how Broadcom continues to perform.
Tan’s rise from Asia to the U.S.
So far, he has little to worry about. In addition to outpacing its 2016 performance, Broadcom last month announced that it had completed its move from Singapore back to the U.S. President Donald Trump previously hosted an event with Tan to hail the growth of American jobs as a result of the chip manufacturer’s relocation, which Tan said would bring in $20 billion in revenue for the country. But Trump recently shut down Broadcom’s bid to overtake American rival Qualcomm, and the tech giant’s shares have dropped this year.
Tan, 66, came from modest roots in Malaysia to the U.S. through a scholarship at MIT, before making his name in the tech sector. He owns several homes across the East and West Coast, though he’s called himself “kind of a frugal guy.” Two of his three children have autism, and his family has donated $30 million to autism research.
Whatever the future for his company holds, it’s clear Tan seems to be doing just fine.
Posted: 11 May 2018 08:30 AM PDT
The average CEO among the biggest companies in the U.S. made $12.1 million in 2017, according to a new analysis by The Wall Street Journal. But the highest-paid person with that title brought in a whopping $103.2 million.
That’s Hock Tan, the head of Broadcom, a global supplier of semiconductor technologies. The company saw its returns to shareholders increase 58% in the past year, while Tan’s salary jumped an astounding 318%, from $24.7 million in 2016.
Generally, executives got a pay boost over the last year. The median income for CEOs of S&P 500 companies reached a new post-recession high, driven by soaring profits and stock prices. Most of that group saw raises of 9.7% or higher, according to the Journal.
Tan’s nine-figure salary is still a bit of an outlier, with the second-highest-paid CEO, Les Moonves of CBS, coming out at $69.3 million in 2017. CEOs at pharmaceutical, media, technology and financial firms pervaded the upper echelon of earnings, taking 16 of the 25 top spots in the Journal’s ranking.
The $103.2 million breakdown
While Tan’s base, cash salary of $1.1 million in 2017 is deceptively low, the lion’s share of his money came from shares that Broadcom awarded to Tan, which held a value of $98.3 million, according to regulatory filings. Tan also took home a performance bonus of $3.7 million for exceeding revenue and operating margin targets. And his windfall includes $23,234 in travel expenses, $16,200 in 401(k) employer matching contribution, and $36,386 for car service.
All told, Tan made approximately 2,039 times more than the average U.S. worker, who earned $50,620, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics figures. That’s a staggering gap. It should be noted, however, that those awarded shares won’t be immediately to Tan. Instead, they’ll vest in 2020 and 2021, and what Tan ultimately gets will depend on how Broadcom continues to perform.
Tan’s rise from Asia to the U.S.
So far, he has little to worry about. In addition to outpacing its 2016 performance, Broadcom last month announced that it had completed its move from Singapore back to the U.S. President Donald Trump previously hosted an event with Tan to hail the growth of American jobs as a result of the chip manufacturer’s relocation, which Tan said would bring in $20 billion in revenue for the country. But Trump recently shut down Broadcom’s bid to overtake American rival Qualcomm, and the tech giant’s shares have dropped this year.
Tan, 66, came from modest roots in Malaysia to the U.S. through a scholarship at MIT, before making his name in the tech sector. He owns several homes across the East and West Coast, though he’s called himself “kind of a frugal guy.” Two of his three children have autism, and his family has donated $30 million to autism research.
Whatever the future for his company holds, it’s clear Tan seems to be doing just fine.
Paris knife attack: Suspect 'born in Russia's Chechnya' - BBC News
May 13, 2018
Paris knife attack: Suspect 'born in Russia's Chechnya'
French police at the scene of the attack in Paris
The suspect in a deadly knife attack in central Paris on Saturday evening was born in 1997 in the Russian republic of Chechnya, a judicial source says.
He was also on a French watch list of people who could pose a threat to national security, other sources said.
The attacker killed a 29-year-old man and wounded four other people in the busy Opéra district before being shot dead by police.
The Islamic State (IS) group said it was behind the attack.
French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted (in French): "France has once again paid in blood, but will not give an inch to the enemies of freedom."
France has been on high alert following a series of attacks. More than 230 people have been killed by IS-inspired jihadists in the past three years.
What do we know about the attacker?
Security forces have identified him, although he was not carrying any identification papers and has not been officially named.
The judicial source told French media the suspect had no criminal record and that his parents had been held for questioning. He is believed to be a French national.
The man had been categorised as "fiche S", sources said.
This flags people considered to be a possible threat to national security (the S stands for Sûreté de l'État - state security) and allows for surveillance without being a cause for arrest.
It includes those suspected of Islamist radicalisation, but is wide-ranging and covers such groups as political extremists, gangsters and even football hooligans.
In 2015, then PM Manuel Valls said there were 20,000 names on the list, about half related to Islamist radicalisation.
This would be the first time an assailant of Chechen origin has carried out a terrorist attack in France.
France is home to some 30,000 people of Chechen origin.
Who are the victims?
Interior Minister Gérard Collomb said the man who died was a 29-year-old passer-by, but gave no further details.
The four who were injured have also not yet been named. AFP news agency, citing sources, said a 34-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman were seriously hurt, while a 26-year-old woman and a 31-year-old man were slightly wounded.
Mr Collomb said none had life-threatening injuries.
How did the events unfold?
The attacker began stabbing passers-by at about 21:00 local time (19:00 GMT).
Eyewitnesses described him as a young man with brown hair and a beard, dressed in black tracksuit trousers.
He shouted "Allahu Akbar" (God is greatest) during the attack, witnesses said.
The man tried to enter several bars and restaurants but was blocked by people inside.
Police first tried to stop the assailant with a stun-gun before shooting him dead, nine minutes after he began the attack.
Jonathan, a waiter at a local restaurant, told AFP: "I saw him with a knife in his hand. He looked crazy."
He said a woman, stabbed by the attacker, ran into into the restaurant bleeding. The assailant tried to follow her inside, but was fended off and finally fled.
Two of the wounded in the attack are in a serious condition but do not have life-threatening injuries.
Later the IS group said it was behind the attack, in a brief statement posted on its news outlet.
How are IS and Chechnya linked?
Chechnya is a republic in the North Caucasus region of southern Russia.
The republic declared independence in 1991 but Russian troops invaded in 1994 to quash it, sparking a decade-long conflict.
Chechnya - boiling point for conflict
Jihadist groups, including those aligned with IS, have long operated in the region.
The brothers behind the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013, Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, had Chechen links and Turkish authorities said a Chechen jihadist was the suspected organiser of an attack on Istanbul airport in 2016 that killed 45 people.
The jihadist, Akhmed Chatayev, a member of IS, was killed in a clash with special forces in the Georgian capital Tbilisi in 2017.
IS has actively recruited fighters in Chechnya, sending hundreds to conflicts in Syria and elsewhere.
A report from the BBC's Sarah Rainsford in 2016 spoke of the fear that the fighters would return to carry out terrorist attacks at home.
Sarah Rainsford's report from 2016 on IS recruitment in Chechnya
Strongman Ramzan Kadyrov, who was nominated for the Chechen presidency by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2007 and is now firmly in control, has tried to halt IS recruitment but human rights activists say his measures have been brutal and have often helped radicalisation.
Paris knife attack: Suspect 'born in Russia's Chechnya'
French police at the scene of the attack in Paris
The suspect in a deadly knife attack in central Paris on Saturday evening was born in 1997 in the Russian republic of Chechnya, a judicial source says.
He was also on a French watch list of people who could pose a threat to national security, other sources said.
The attacker killed a 29-year-old man and wounded four other people in the busy Opéra district before being shot dead by police.
The Islamic State (IS) group said it was behind the attack.
French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted (in French): "France has once again paid in blood, but will not give an inch to the enemies of freedom."
France has been on high alert following a series of attacks. More than 230 people have been killed by IS-inspired jihadists in the past three years.
What do we know about the attacker?
Security forces have identified him, although he was not carrying any identification papers and has not been officially named.
The judicial source told French media the suspect had no criminal record and that his parents had been held for questioning. He is believed to be a French national.
The man had been categorised as "fiche S", sources said.
This flags people considered to be a possible threat to national security (the S stands for Sûreté de l'État - state security) and allows for surveillance without being a cause for arrest.
It includes those suspected of Islamist radicalisation, but is wide-ranging and covers such groups as political extremists, gangsters and even football hooligans.
In 2015, then PM Manuel Valls said there were 20,000 names on the list, about half related to Islamist radicalisation.
This would be the first time an assailant of Chechen origin has carried out a terrorist attack in France.
France is home to some 30,000 people of Chechen origin.
Who are the victims?
Interior Minister Gérard Collomb said the man who died was a 29-year-old passer-by, but gave no further details.
The four who were injured have also not yet been named. AFP news agency, citing sources, said a 34-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman were seriously hurt, while a 26-year-old woman and a 31-year-old man were slightly wounded.
Mr Collomb said none had life-threatening injuries.
How did the events unfold?
The attacker began stabbing passers-by at about 21:00 local time (19:00 GMT).
Eyewitnesses described him as a young man with brown hair and a beard, dressed in black tracksuit trousers.
He shouted "Allahu Akbar" (God is greatest) during the attack, witnesses said.
The man tried to enter several bars and restaurants but was blocked by people inside.
Police first tried to stop the assailant with a stun-gun before shooting him dead, nine minutes after he began the attack.
Jonathan, a waiter at a local restaurant, told AFP: "I saw him with a knife in his hand. He looked crazy."
He said a woman, stabbed by the attacker, ran into into the restaurant bleeding. The assailant tried to follow her inside, but was fended off and finally fled.
Two of the wounded in the attack are in a serious condition but do not have life-threatening injuries.
Later the IS group said it was behind the attack, in a brief statement posted on its news outlet.
How are IS and Chechnya linked?
Chechnya is a republic in the North Caucasus region of southern Russia.
The republic declared independence in 1991 but Russian troops invaded in 1994 to quash it, sparking a decade-long conflict.
Chechnya - boiling point for conflict
Jihadist groups, including those aligned with IS, have long operated in the region.
The brothers behind the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013, Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, had Chechen links and Turkish authorities said a Chechen jihadist was the suspected organiser of an attack on Istanbul airport in 2016 that killed 45 people.
The jihadist, Akhmed Chatayev, a member of IS, was killed in a clash with special forces in the Georgian capital Tbilisi in 2017.
IS has actively recruited fighters in Chechnya, sending hundreds to conflicts in Syria and elsewhere.
A report from the BBC's Sarah Rainsford in 2016 spoke of the fear that the fighters would return to carry out terrorist attacks at home.
Sarah Rainsford's report from 2016 on IS recruitment in Chechnya
Strongman Ramzan Kadyrov, who was nominated for the Chechen presidency by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2007 and is now firmly in control, has tried to halt IS recruitment but human rights activists say his measures have been brutal and have often helped radicalisation.
Surabaya attacks: 11 killed in Indonesia church bombings - BBC News
May 13, 2018
Surabaya attacks: 11 killed in Indonesia church bombings
Surabaya is in shock over the deadly bombings
Suicide bombers have attacked three churches in Indonesia's second-largest city Surabaya, killing at least 11 people.
Around 40 others were injured in the attacks, which occurred within minutes of each other. No group has so far said it carried them out.
TV pictures showed debris scattered around the entrance of one church.
Indonesia, the most populous Muslim-majority country, has seen a resurgence of Islamist militancy in recent months.
More than 90% of Indonesians are Muslim, but there are also significant populations of Christians, Hindus and Buddhists.
The attack is the deadliest since 2005, when three suicide bombings on the resort island of Bali killed 20 people.
Indonesia's new breed of militants
So-called Islamic State's influence in Indonesia
Inside the home of Indonesia's most notorious IS militant
What happened?
The first explosion took place between services at the Santa Maria Catholic Church around 07:30 local time (00:30 GMT). Inspector General Machfud Arifin told CNN Indonesia that a motorbike was used in the attack.
According to Reuters, the second bombing targeted the cark park of a Pentecostal church. Images of the scene showed a number of burnt motorcycles.
Unconfirmed eyewitness reports say that the third attack was carried out by one or more veiled women who entered a church with children.
Officials reportedly foiled attacks against other churches.
Image copyrightANTARA FOTO/MOCH ASIM / VIA REUTERS
Image caption
Firefighters attended the scene at the Pentecost Church Central Surabaya (GPPS)
Who's behind the attacks?
So far there has been no claim of responsibility for the attacks.
But Wawan Purwanto, of Indonesia's intelligence agency, said the Islamic State-inspired group, Jemaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), was suspected to be behind them.
He added that the bombings were likely to be linked to an incident earlier this month, when five members of the security forces were killed during a 36-hour standoff with militant Islamist prisoners at a high security prison on the outskirts of the capital Jakarta.
Separately, police said they had killed four suspected members of JAD in Cianjur, West Java.
The attacks were carried out within minutes of each other
How has the country reacted?
Christian leaders urged calm. "We don't need to be afraid when facing terror threats. We must leave it completely to the government to handle," the head of the Indonesian Communion of Churches said in a statement on Sunday quoted by The Jakarta Post.
Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi condemned the attack and sent her condolences to the victims and their families.
Menteri Luar Negeri Republik Indonesia
✔
@Menlu_RI
Strongly condemn the terrorist attack in Surabaya - Ret
We will not back down in the fight against terrorism
Let us unite in the fight against terrorism#UniteAgainstTerrorism#WeAreNotAfraid
3:55 PM - May 13, 2018
What is the history of militancy in Indonesia?
Following the country's worst-ever attack in 2002 - when 202 people were killed in two bombings outside a bar and nightclub on Bali - authorities launched a crack-down on extremist groups.
But recent years have seen a number of attacks claimed by Islamic State (IS).
Four civilians and four attackers were killed in a series of explosions and shootings in central Jakarta in January 2016; the first attack claimed by the group.
In February this year, a number of people were injured in a sword attack at a church in Sleman, Yogyakarta. Police said that the attacker had previously tried to join IS in Syria.
Surabaya attacks: 11 killed in Indonesia church bombings
Surabaya is in shock over the deadly bombings
Suicide bombers have attacked three churches in Indonesia's second-largest city Surabaya, killing at least 11 people.
Around 40 others were injured in the attacks, which occurred within minutes of each other. No group has so far said it carried them out.
TV pictures showed debris scattered around the entrance of one church.
Indonesia, the most populous Muslim-majority country, has seen a resurgence of Islamist militancy in recent months.
More than 90% of Indonesians are Muslim, but there are also significant populations of Christians, Hindus and Buddhists.
The attack is the deadliest since 2005, when three suicide bombings on the resort island of Bali killed 20 people.
Indonesia's new breed of militants
So-called Islamic State's influence in Indonesia
Inside the home of Indonesia's most notorious IS militant
What happened?
The first explosion took place between services at the Santa Maria Catholic Church around 07:30 local time (00:30 GMT). Inspector General Machfud Arifin told CNN Indonesia that a motorbike was used in the attack.
According to Reuters, the second bombing targeted the cark park of a Pentecostal church. Images of the scene showed a number of burnt motorcycles.
Unconfirmed eyewitness reports say that the third attack was carried out by one or more veiled women who entered a church with children.
Officials reportedly foiled attacks against other churches.
Image copyrightANTARA FOTO/MOCH ASIM / VIA REUTERS
Image caption
Firefighters attended the scene at the Pentecost Church Central Surabaya (GPPS)
Who's behind the attacks?
So far there has been no claim of responsibility for the attacks.
But Wawan Purwanto, of Indonesia's intelligence agency, said the Islamic State-inspired group, Jemaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), was suspected to be behind them.
He added that the bombings were likely to be linked to an incident earlier this month, when five members of the security forces were killed during a 36-hour standoff with militant Islamist prisoners at a high security prison on the outskirts of the capital Jakarta.
Separately, police said they had killed four suspected members of JAD in Cianjur, West Java.
The attacks were carried out within minutes of each other
How has the country reacted?
Christian leaders urged calm. "We don't need to be afraid when facing terror threats. We must leave it completely to the government to handle," the head of the Indonesian Communion of Churches said in a statement on Sunday quoted by The Jakarta Post.
Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi condemned the attack and sent her condolences to the victims and their families.
Menteri Luar Negeri Republik Indonesia
✔
@Menlu_RI
Strongly condemn the terrorist attack in Surabaya - Ret
We will not back down in the fight against terrorism
Let us unite in the fight against terrorism#UniteAgainstTerrorism#WeAreNotAfraid
3:55 PM - May 13, 2018
What is the history of militancy in Indonesia?
Following the country's worst-ever attack in 2002 - when 202 people were killed in two bombings outside a bar and nightclub on Bali - authorities launched a crack-down on extremist groups.
But recent years have seen a number of attacks claimed by Islamic State (IS).
Four civilians and four attackers were killed in a series of explosions and shootings in central Jakarta in January 2016; the first attack claimed by the group.
In February this year, a number of people were injured in a sword attack at a church in Sleman, Yogyakarta. Police said that the attacker had previously tried to join IS in Syria.
Paris attack: Knifeman kills one before being shot by police - BBC News
May 13, 2018
Paris attack: Knifeman kills one before being shot by police
French police at the scene of the attack in Paris
A knifeman has killed one person and wounded four in a suspected terror attack in central Paris, French officials say.
The attacker was then shot dead by police in the Opéra district. Witnesses say they heard him shout "Allah Akbar".
So-called Islamic State (IS) later said one of its "soldiers" had carried out the attack on Saturday evening.
Judicial sources told French media the attacker was a man born in 1997 in the southern Russian republic of Chechnya.
The sources said his parents had been held for questioning.
Interior Minister Gérard Collomb said the victim of the attack was a 29-year-old man, but gave no further details.
French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted (in French): "France has once again paid in blood, but will not give an inch to the enemies of freedom."
How did the events unfold?
The attacker began stabbing passers-by at about 21:00 local time (19:00 GMT) on the rue Monsigny.
Eyewitnesses described him as a young man with brown hair and a beard, dressed in black tracksuit trousers.
The man tried to enter several bars and restaurants but was blocked by people inside. Police arrived at the scene within minutes.
They first tried to stop the assailant with a stun-gun before shooting him dead.
An eyewitness, named as Gloria, told AFP news agency: "We didn't know what was going on, we were quickly moved inside the bar, I went outside and I saw a man lying on the floor."
Forensic officers have been examining the scene of the attack
Jonathan, a waiter at a local restaurant, told AFP: "I saw him with a knife in his hand. He looked crazy."
He said a woman the attacker had stabbed ran into into the restaurant bleeding. The assailant tried to follow her inside, but was fended off and finally fled.
Two of the wounded in the attack are in a serious condition but do not have life-threatening injuries.
Later in the evening the IS group said it was behind the attack, in a brief statement posted on its news outlet.
How did French authorities react?
The anti-terrorism unit of the Paris prosecutor's office has launched an investigation.
Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said police were on the scene five minutes after an emergency call and the attacker was killed "less than nine minutes later".
Mr Collomb praised police for their "cool response". He said his first thoughts were "with the victims of this heinous act".
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo tweeted (in French): "Tonight, our city was bruised."
"I want to tell them that all Parisians are on their side," she added.
The Opera district is renowned for its nightlife
How has France been countering security threats?
France has been on high alert following a series of attacks. More than 230 people have been killed by IS-inspired jihadists in the past three years.
The deadliest violence occurred on 13 November 2015, when gunmen and suicide bombers struck various venues in Paris almost simultaneously - killing a total 130 people.
Paris attacks: What happened on the night
After winning last year's elections, President Macron pledged that fighting Islamist terrorism would be his top foreign policy priority.
Defeating IS in Iraq and Syria must go hand-in-hand with anti-terror measures in Africa, he said.
Paris attack: Knifeman kills one before being shot by police
French police at the scene of the attack in Paris
A knifeman has killed one person and wounded four in a suspected terror attack in central Paris, French officials say.
The attacker was then shot dead by police in the Opéra district. Witnesses say they heard him shout "Allah Akbar".
So-called Islamic State (IS) later said one of its "soldiers" had carried out the attack on Saturday evening.
Judicial sources told French media the attacker was a man born in 1997 in the southern Russian republic of Chechnya.
The sources said his parents had been held for questioning.
Interior Minister Gérard Collomb said the victim of the attack was a 29-year-old man, but gave no further details.
French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted (in French): "France has once again paid in blood, but will not give an inch to the enemies of freedom."
How did the events unfold?
The attacker began stabbing passers-by at about 21:00 local time (19:00 GMT) on the rue Monsigny.
Eyewitnesses described him as a young man with brown hair and a beard, dressed in black tracksuit trousers.
The man tried to enter several bars and restaurants but was blocked by people inside. Police arrived at the scene within minutes.
They first tried to stop the assailant with a stun-gun before shooting him dead.
An eyewitness, named as Gloria, told AFP news agency: "We didn't know what was going on, we were quickly moved inside the bar, I went outside and I saw a man lying on the floor."
Forensic officers have been examining the scene of the attack
Jonathan, a waiter at a local restaurant, told AFP: "I saw him with a knife in his hand. He looked crazy."
He said a woman the attacker had stabbed ran into into the restaurant bleeding. The assailant tried to follow her inside, but was fended off and finally fled.
Two of the wounded in the attack are in a serious condition but do not have life-threatening injuries.
Later in the evening the IS group said it was behind the attack, in a brief statement posted on its news outlet.
How did French authorities react?
The anti-terrorism unit of the Paris prosecutor's office has launched an investigation.
Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said police were on the scene five minutes after an emergency call and the attacker was killed "less than nine minutes later".
Mr Collomb praised police for their "cool response". He said his first thoughts were "with the victims of this heinous act".
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo tweeted (in French): "Tonight, our city was bruised."
"I want to tell them that all Parisians are on their side," she added.
The Opera district is renowned for its nightlife
How has France been countering security threats?
France has been on high alert following a series of attacks. More than 230 people have been killed by IS-inspired jihadists in the past three years.
The deadliest violence occurred on 13 November 2015, when gunmen and suicide bombers struck various venues in Paris almost simultaneously - killing a total 130 people.
Paris attacks: What happened on the night
After winning last year's elections, President Macron pledged that fighting Islamist terrorism would be his top foreign policy priority.
Defeating IS in Iraq and Syria must go hand-in-hand with anti-terror measures in Africa, he said.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
