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Des « amis » d'Albin Kurti vont siéger au gouvernement de Macédoine du Nord, d'autres ont pris le contrôle de la mairie d'Ulcinj, au Monténégro, et de celle de Preševo, en Serbie. Petit à petit, le Premier ministre du Kosovo étend sa toile dans le monde albanais des Balkans.

- Articles / Courrier des Balkans, Kosovo, Macédoine du Nord, Monténégro, Serbie, Politique intérieure, Populations, minorités et migrations, Relations régionales, Vallée de Preševo, Kosovo Vetëvendosje, 100 ans Albanie, Ohrid

Des « amis » d'Albin Kurti vont siéger au gouvernement de Macédoine du Nord, d'autres ont pris le contrôle de la mairie d'Ulcinj, au Monténégro, et de celle de Preševo, en Serbie. Petit à petit, le Premier ministre du Kosovo étend sa toile dans le monde albanais des Balkans.

- Articles / Courrier des Balkans, Kosovo, Macédoine du Nord, Monténégro, Serbie, Politique intérieure, Populations, minorités et migrations, Relations régionales, Vallée de Preševo, Kosovo Vetëvendosje, 100 ans Albanie, Ohrid

Jishuram Das has been catching fish from the Karnaphuli River since his childhood. Nowadays, he often sits idle after drastic fall of fish in the river due to pollution and salinity intrusion. Credit: Rafiqul Islam/IPS

By Rafiqul Islam
CHATTOGRAM, Bangladesh, Jun 10 2024 (IPS)

Jishuram Das, a sexagenarian who was born in Jelepara, located in Chattogram, has been catching fish from the Karnaphuli River since his childhood. But nowadays, he often sits idle without going to catch fish, as their catches have drastically fallen.

“Once there were plenty of fish in the Karnaphuli River, where we caught fish generation after generation. But, in recent years, salinity has entered the river water, driving the freshwater fish species to disappear, which makes our lives harder,” Jishuram said.

Recalling the days when fishermen were able to catch enough fish from the river about 10 to 12 years ago and earn handsome money by selling their catches, Jishuram said nowadays he can catch merely half a kilogram of fish in a day and many days even he has to return home empty-handed.

“My son and I used to catch fish together from the Karnaphuli River. As we cannot catch enough fish from the river for our living, I am not taking my son fishing. I asked my only son to find an alternative livelihood. Now he has been working at a factory so that he can support my family,” he said.

The seasoned fisherman said, as he does not know any other work, he still continues their traditional fishing despite the drastic fall of fish in the river.

“But many have already changed their livelihoods for a better life,” he told IPS.

Gopal Das (55), who learned fishing from his father, said when he was young, he caught big fish from the river by fishhook. But now he could not catch a single fish in a whole day as big fish have disappeared from the river due to unchecked pollution, he said.

“In the past, I caught big fish like rui (rohu fish), catla, chitol (chitala chitala), and boal (wallago fish), weighting 15-20 kg, from the river, but these are not found there right now. We can now catch only three or four sea fish species, including shrimp and poya fish; the river has become salty,” Gopal said.

The families of fishermen in Karnaphuli struggle to make a living and feed their families, and many have fallen into a debt trap.

Gopal, a fisherman living in Jelepara, said, “We have fallen into economic hardship. I borrowed Taka 30,000 (nearly USD 300) from a microcredit organization, and now I am repaying the loan. Like me, many others in our locality get trapped in the circle of debt.”

Gopal has changed professions and now works as an assistant to a mason.

“So, we are not taking our children to fishing boats anymore. We are sending our children to educational institutions so that they can choose other professions except fishing after completing their studies,” he added.

The younger generation of Jelepara has left their time-honored way of life.

“I caught fish from the Karnaphuli River but now I am working as a shopkeeper.  There is a scarcity of fish in the river, so I have chosen another work. The young generation is not interested in fishing and that’s why they are looking for jobs or other work,” Soman Das (28) told IPS.

Md Sarowar Hossain Khan, town manager of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), said they have been providing training to young fishermen on livelihood options under its Livelihood Improvement of Urban Poor Communities (LIUPC) Project so that they can find suitable professions.

“Young people in Jelepara have been given training on driving and ready made garment (RMG) work, while many of them have already switched to these from fishing,” he said.

A 2016 study revealed that salinity and dissolved oxygen (DO) were the two most important variables shaping the species makeup in the Karnaphuli River estuary. Species diversity was low as the river estuary is highly polluted due to industrial pollution and the high discharge of polluted material from oil tankers, fertilizer factories, and Chattogram City Corporation.

Earlier in March 2024, various species of fish and aquatic animals died in the Karnaphuli River due to melted raw sugar burned in a fire at a warehouse in Chattogram. The burnt sugar fell to the river, declining its water quality, leading to various fish species dying.

“Fish stock in the Karnaphuli River has drastically declined due to overfishing and unchecked water pollution,” Dr Mohammed Shahidul Alam, Associate Professor of the Fisheries Department at the University of Chittagong, told IPS.

Factories and tanneries located on the banks of Karnaphuli have been discharging chemical waste into the river, destroying the habitat of aquatic species, he said, adding that climate change-induced salinity is also contributing to the rapid decline of freshwater fish species in the river.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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L'Ukraine est désormais autorisée à utiliser des armes occidentales pour frapper des cibles sur le territoire russe. Qu'est-ce que cette décision va changer et comment va-t-elle affecter la ligne de front en Ukraine ?

Un « Sabor national panserbe » s'est tenu samedi à Belgrade, convoqué par le président serbe Aleksandar Vučić, comme l'ont fait les princes serbes au Moyen Âge et Milošević en 1989. Une grand-messe nationale-populiste calibrée par des calculs politiques intérieurs et extérieurs, mais plutôt boudée par le public.

- Articles / Courrier des Balkans, Serbie, Bosnie-Herzégovine, Relations régionales, Politique intérieure, Vucic, RS sécession, orthodoxie

Un « Sabor national panserbe » s'est tenu samedi à Belgrade, convoqué par le président serbe Aleksandar Vučić, comme l'ont fait les princes serbes au Moyen Âge et Milošević en 1989. Une grand-messe nationale-populiste calibrée par des calculs politiques intérieurs et extérieurs, mais plutôt boudée par le public.

- Articles / Courrier des Balkans, Serbie, Bosnie-Herzégovine, Relations régionales, Politique intérieure, Vucic, RS sécession, orthodoxie

Lesotho games. Credit: David Lazar

By Heike Kuhn
BONN, Germany, Jun 10 2024 (IPS)

For the first time ever, we will commemorate the joy of playing with an International Day of Play“ on June 11, 2024. On their website, the UN state that this „marks a significant milestone in efforts to preserve, promote, and prioritize playing so that all people, especially children, can reap the rewards and thrive to their full potential“. But why ist playing so important?

Here is a closer look, starting with children: We all have witnessed globally that children do learn best through play, everywhere, in each region and in each culture. Through play children can be creative, learn to express themselves and to cooperate. By playing with peers, they connect with others, learn to put themselves in the position of others, follow and respect rules and develop resilience when winning or losing, understanding that both come along with playing.

The right to play is protected: The UN Convention on the Rights of the Children declares that „states parties recognize the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts“ (Article 31). Remembering that this Convention is one of the most ratified UN conventions, one could suppose that engaging in play would be easy for children everywhere as this right is implemented.

However, we face big differences between countries: In so called developed countries,playing does take place at home and in public spaces: At home children play with animals, dolls, games and electronic devices. At kindergartens and schools children can furthermore play during sports lessons. And even in small cities you will find public playgrounds with swings, climbing frames and whipping tops.

Coming to developing countries where the majority of global youth is living, we see a quite different situation: Many children simply have no time to play, but instead have chores (especially girls), are working on fields in rural areas to support their families living in poverty, are working in factories or are refugees on the move, threatened by wars, conflicts or climate change. Yet – whenever, wherever there is a chance for it, you see children playing with their peers – be it kicking in the streets, playing hide and seek or local games. By playing children’s well-being is secured – everywhere. Playing gives a sense of normalcy even in the most difficult circumstances.

Turning now to adults: Why do we still like to play? Let us start with sports: football, tennis, cricket, kabbadi, just to name some. Mental exercises comprise bridge, backgammon, chess or multiple forms of quizzes. Many adults find a great satisfaction in playing, getting a distance from their daily routine, coming together with peers, exchange and have fun, sink into the game, immerse in playing, having all the attention in this very moment, just as children do.

So what is the magic in playing? In her introduction in the guide to the outdoor exhibition „Radical Playgrounds – from Competion to Collaboration“, taking place in Berlin, the Curator Joanna Warsza, states: „The core idea of ludology, the study of play, tells us that play is necessary for a human being to thrive and needs to be based on voluntary participation involving a set of fictive rules and the possibility to quit at any time …“

From my point of view, the participation on a voluntary basis is key for playing as much as the factor of having fun: The activity is optional, there is no enforcement. You are either interested because your mind is attracted and you concentrate as you experiment new ideas or materials (free play) or you like the task, the team or the competition, e.g. in sports during a match (competitive play). Playing creates communities, playing let you thrive as you can be anyone, play is fun, be it alone or with others. At the same time you are learning, as „Play is our brain’s favourite way of learning“, to quote American writer Diane Ackermann.

Digging a little deeper in competitive play and transferring lessons to our daily lives: Whenever we play with others, first we have to agree on the rules, jointly. Afterwards, we all have to respect them. Of course, temper and emotions come in and have to be handled. Still, without respecting the rules once agreed upon, you cannot play as some of us will get frustrated and stop it. How important rules are you can also witness in the position of a referee, who secures their respect during the tournament, e.g. in football matches: You will get yellow- or red-carded if you do not obey the rules in place.

So what are the lessons? Playing means enjoying and learning. Playing is a most powerful tool for all societies, bringing together persons from all social classes and enjoying themselves. Here in Europe, my continent, three big sports events will attract many people this summer: The European Athletics Championships in Rome, the European Championship tournament in football in Germany and the Summer Olympics in Paris. We will witness how athletes will show maximum performance, will respect rules and therefore have to play fair. They will be role models for many of us an will inspire millions, especially the youth. And we will have fun. That’s another reason why I embrace the first ever International Day of Play!

Dr. Heike Kuhn is Head of Division, Education, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Bonn, Germany

IPS UN Bureau

 

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A népszerű üzenetküldő alkalmazás, a Telegram felhasználóit súlyos adatszivárgás érte. A kiszivárgott adatok között több mint 361 millió email cím és hozzájuk tartozó jelszó található, melyek nagy része korábban még sosem került nyilvánosságra.

A hatalmas mennyiségű, 122 gigabájtnyi adatot szöveges dokumentumok formájában tárolták, és több száz Telegram-csatornáról gyűjtötték össze. A kiszivárgott információk között olyanok is vannak, amelyekkel a kiberbűnözők könnyedén hozzáférhetnek a felhasználók fiókjaihoz és visszaélhetnek személyes adataikkal.

A szakértők szerint az adatszivárgás elsősorban adathalász módszerekkel történt, és a felhasználók nagy része azért vált áldozattá, mert könnyen kitalálható, gyenge jelszavakat használt. A Telegram-felhasználóknak ezért javasolt azonnal megváltoztatni jelszavukat, és erős, egyedi karaktersort választani, lehetőleg jelszókezelő alkalmazás segítségével.

A kétfaktoros hitelesítés bekapcsolása szintén jelentősen növelheti a fiókok biztonságát. A szakértők szerint az ilyen jellegű adatszivárgások továbbra is elkerülhetők lennének, ha a felhasználók nagyobb figyelmet fordítanának a biztonságos jelszavak használatára és a kétfaktoros hitelesítés bekapcsolására.

The post Tömeges adatszivárgás a Telegramon: 361 millió felhasználó adatai veszélyben appeared first on Biztonságpiac.

In today's special edition of the Capitals, please find out more about how the European elections went down in all the member states.

The results of the EU elections have had a bigger impact on many EU countries than the European Parliament itself. 

Romania is sending far-right politicians to the European Parliament for the first time, but AUR's lower-than-expected score has mainstream parties in the country breathing a sigh of relief.

The GERB party of former prime minister Boyko Borissov (EPP) won convincingly the country’s early parliamentary elections and the European vote but the country registered its second lowest-ever turnout of 31.8%. 

Liberal opposition party Progressive Slovakia (PS/Renew) emerged victorious in the European elections in Slovakia with 27.8% of the vote and six seats, beating Robert Fico’s Smer-SD (NI), initially seen as the frontrunner, which secured 24.8% of the vote and five seats. 

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's Fidesz party came out on top in the European elections in Hungary on Sunday, the party's weakest ever EU election result, as the opposition made gains.

Credit: UNRWA
 
According to Gaza’s health ministry, more than 270 people including children and other non-combatants were killed during intense fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas militants in and around the Nuseirat refugee camp on June 8, in the middle area of the war-torn enclave. More than 600 were reportedly injured with hospitals overwhelmed. UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths said in a post on X that the Nuseirat camp “is the epicentre of the seismic trauma that civilians in Gaza continue to suffer.” “Seeing shrouded bodies on the ground, we are reminded that nowhere is safe in Gaza”, he said.

By HMGS Palihakkara
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, Jun 10 2024 (IPS)

Since the eviction of Palestinians from their homeland pursuant to the controversial Balfour declaration of 1917, the quest for regaining Palestinian statehood has continued as a means towards lasting peace and security within and between Israel and Palestine.

The effort straddled two centuries but the issue remained unresolved. It became a core question of peace and security in the Middle East and the world. The so-called rules-based order of the international system that grew out of the carnage of two world wars was unable or unwilling to find a reasonable consensus on this issue as major powers juggled ‘rules-based-justice’ with ‘power-based practice’.

The unresolved conflict thus peaked in atrocious violence in Gaza with Hamas and Israel being accused of things ranging from war crimes to genocide including the brazen massacre of over 200 civilians in a hostage rescue drama over the week end. The heart-rending tragedy in Gaza is therefore obvious but the opportunity embedded therein not so.

In a not- so-strange irony of war, it was the unprecedented human suffering and devastation in Gaza, not the political will of the major powers, that brought back the Palestinian statehood issue to the fore as a new inflection point in building peace among parties to this conflict.

What is new is that the bold joint move by Ireland, Norway and Spain to recognize the Palestine State as a precursor to peace rather than in its aftermath, can set in motion a new dynamic.

It has somewhat shaken the US led conventional Euro-Atlantic posture on the Israeli Palestinian conflict that peaceful and secure two states can only emerge at the end of a bilateral peace process between Israelis and Palestinians.

The question is — will that posture now face a reboot calling for international recognition of two States– first, as a via media to peace between the two nations. Israeli intransigence and the devastation in Gaza has brought the need for this re-sequencing into sharper focus.

It can generate a constructive momentum especially if more European countries join Norway,Spain,and Ireland plus 140 odd other countries of the world. Slovenia has already done that.

Obviously, it is not a big snow ball- at least not yet- but something has started to roll. Norwegian Foreign Minister Eide signalled this when he declared at the press conference that if present double standards continue, it will undermine the ‘rules-based international order’-a rebuke to their ‘hold out’ Western partners who preach human rights to some and protect impunity by others.

These four European countries have taken the first step. Will the United States now re-assert its leadership by taking the next ‘giant step’?.

After all, it was President John Kennedy announcing the other ‘giant step’ his great country took in the last century, who famously said -“ we decide to go to the moon and do other things not because they are easy but because they are difficult”.

This is 21st Century, There is an unprecedented opportunity to follow the European lead to recognize the reality of two states and end the forever-war between an Iron-domed State backed by ‘Western might’ and a hapless and stateless people – the latter being a creation by ‘Western democracies’ themselves. If the US does not seize the opportunity, the opportunists will seize it.

HMGS Palihakkara is former Foreign Secretary, Sri Lanka, former Ambassador to the United Nations, and a one-time chairman of the UN Israeli Practices Committee.

IPS UN Bureau

 

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The controversial far-right coalition of Přísaha and Motoristé made significant gains in Czechia’s European elections, securing two seats and emerging as the country’s third party.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s Civic Coalition (KO, EPP) scored 37.4% in the European elections in Poland on Sunday the vote, with Law & Justice (PiS, ECR) trailing close behind with 35.7%, meaning both are expected to send 20 MEPs to Brussels.

The Partido Popular (PP/EPP), the main opposition party, received the most votes, 34.19% of the ballots cast, giving them 22 seats, while the socialist party of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez (PSOE/S&D) came second with 30.18%, 20 seats, and the far-right VOX party, third with 9.62%, six seats.

A 25-year-old independent candidate who became known as an influencer on YouTube and TikTok was the big surprise of the EU elections in Cyprus as he managed to rank third and become elected as an MEP.