People wearing masks walk on the Trocadero Place near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France (Xinhua/Gao Jing/IANS)
The European Union’s (EU) domestic tourism has recovered faster than foreign tourism after most countries started easing their Covid-19 restrictions by June, official figures have revealed.
In a report on Friday, the EU’s statistical office Eurostat said during the early part of 2020, the tourism industry suffered as a result of travel restrictions implemented in response to the pandemic.
Tourist numbers dropped sharply during March and April 2020, when compared with the same period a year earlier.
Since June 2020, most EU countries have begun to ease travel restrictions.
However, other restrictions related to Covid-19 have remained in place, such as tourists having to quarantine on return from some foreign destinations.
These have prompted a preference for domestic tourism, which has recovered more quickly than incoming tourism.
After a drop of 93 per cent in April 2020 compared with the same month of the previous year, by July 2020, domestic tourism in the EU almost returned to the level of the previous year.
In July 2020, nights spent by EU residents in tourist accommodation inside their own country were only 22 per cent lower than in July 2019, while nights spent by non-residents were 64 per cent less than the previous year.
According to the UN World Tourism Organization, the EU saw 66 per cent less international tourist arrivals year-on-year in the first half of 2020.
Although the EU interior borders were reopened in the summer to spur the EU-wide tourist industry with precautionary measures taken, the exterior borders have remained been closed to the world.
A brief synopsis of Erdogan’s criminal domestic practices and his foreign misadventures tell the whole story…writes Dr. Alon Ben-Meir
Turkey’s President Erdogan is becoming ever more dangerous as he continues to ravage his own country and destabilize scores of states in the Middle East, the Balkans, and North Africa, while cozying up to the West’s foremost advisories. Sadly, there seems to be no appetite for most EU member states to challenge Erdogan and put him on notice that he can no longer pursue his authoritarianism at home and his adventurous meddling abroad with impunity.
To understand the severity of Erdogan’s actions and ambitions and their dire implications, it suffices to quote Ahmet Davutoglu, formerly one of Erdogan’s closest associates who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and subsequently Prime Minister. Following his forced resignation in May 2016 he stated “I will sustain my faithful relationship with our president until my last breath. No one has ever heard — and will ever hear — a single word against our president come from my mouth.”
Yet on October 12, Davutoglu declared “Erdogan left his friends who struggled and fought with him in exchange for the symbols of ancient Turkey, and he is trying to hold us back now…. You yourself [Erdogan] are the calamity. The biggest calamity that befell this people is the regime that turned the country into a disastrous family business.”
The stunning departure of Davutoglu from his earlier statement shows how desperate conditions have become, and echoed how far and how dangerously Erdogan has gone. Erdogan has inflicted a great calamity on his own people, and his blind ambition outside Turkey is destabilizing many countries while dangerously undermining Turkey’s and its Western allies’ national security and strategic interests.
A brief synopsis of Erdogan’s criminal domestic practices and his foreign misadventures tell the whole story.
Domestically, he incarcerated tens of thousands of innocent citizens on bogus charges, including hundreds of journalists. Meanwhile he is pressuring the courts to send people to prison for insulting him, as no one can even express their thoughts about this ruthlessness. Internationally, Erdogan ordered Turkish intelligence operatives to kill or smuggle back to the country Turkish citizens affiliated with the Gülen movement.
He regularly cracks down on Turkey’s Kurdish minority, preventing them from living a normal life in accordance with their culture, language, and traditions, even though they have been and continue to be loyal Turkish citizens. There is no solution to the conflict except political, as former Foreign Minister Ali Babacan adamantly stated on October 20: “… a solution [to the Kurdish issue] will be political and we will defend democracy persistently.”
Erdogan refuses to accept the law of the sea convention that gives countries, including Cyprus, the right to an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) for energy exploration, while threatening the use of force against Greece, another NATO member no less. He openly sent a research ship to the region for oil and gas deposits, which EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called “extremely worrying.”
He invaded Syria with Trump’s blessing to prevent the Syrian Kurds from establishing autonomous rule, under the pretext of fighting the PKK and the YPG (the Syrian Kurdish militia that fought side-by-side the US, and whom Erdogan falsely accuses of being a terrorist group).
He is sending weapons to the Sunni in northern Lebanon while setting up a branch of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) in the country—a practice Erdogan has used often to gain a broader foothold in countries where it has an interest.
While the Turkish economy is in tatters, he is investing hundreds of millions of dollars in the Balkans, flooding countries with Turkish imams to spread his Islamic gospel and to ensure their place in his neo-Ottoman orbit. Criticizing Erdogan’s economic leadership, Babacan put it succinctly when he said this month that “It is not possible in Turkey for the economic or financial system to continue, or political legitimacy hold up.”
Erdogan is corrupt to the bone. He conveniently appointed his son-in-law as Finance Minister, which allows him to hoard tens of millions of dollars, as Davutoglu slyly pointed out: “The only accusation against me…is the transfer of land to an educational institution over which I have no personal rights and which I cannot leave to my daughter, my son, my son-in-law or my daughter-in-law.”
Erdogan is backing Azerbaijan in its dispute with Armenia (backed by Iran) over the breakaway territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is inhabited by ethnic Armenians and has been the subject of dispute for over 30 years.
He is exploiting Libya’s civil strife by providing the Government of National Accord (GNA) with drones and military equipment to help Tripoli gain the upper hand in its battle against Khalifa Haftar’s forces. Former Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis said in February 2020 that “The unclear Turkish foreign policy by Erdogan may put Turkey in grave danger due to this expansion towards Libya.”
He is meddling in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in an effort to prevent them from settling their dispute unless Israel meets Palestinian demands. He granted several Hamas officials Turkish citizenship to spite Israel, even though Hamas openly calls for Israel’s destruction.
He betrayed NATO by buying the Russian-made S-400 air defense system, which seriously compromises the alliance’s technology and intelligence.
He is destabilizing many countries, including Somalia, Qatar, Libya, and Syria, by dispatching military forces and hardware while violating the air space of other countries like Iraq, Cyprus, and Greece. Yakis said Turkey is engaging in a “highly daring bet where the risks of failure are enormous.”
Erdogan supports extremist Islamist groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas, and an assortment of jihadists, including ISIS, knowing full well that these groups are sworn enemies of the West—yet he uses them as a tool to promote his wicked Islamic agenda.
He regularly blackmails EU members, threatening to flood Europe with Syria refugees unless they support his foreign escapades such as his invasion of Syria, and provide him with billions in financial aid to cope with the Syrian refugees.
The question is how much more evidence does the EU need to act? A close look at Erdogan’s conduct clearly illuminates his ultimate ambition to restore much of the Ottoman Empire’s influence over the countries that were once under its control.
Erdogan is dangerous. He has cited Hitler as an example of an effective executive presidential system, and may seek to acquire nuclear weapons. It’s time for the EU to wake up and take Erdogan’s long-term agenda seriously, and take severe punitive measures to arrest his potentially calamitous behavior. Sadly, the EU has convinced itself that from a geostrategic perspective Turkey is critically important, which Erdogan is masterfully exploiting.
The EU must be prepared take a stand against Erdogan, with or without the US. Let’s hope, though, that Joe Biden will be the next president and together with the EU warn Erdogan that his days of authoritarianism and foreign adventurism are over.
The 21:00 to 06:00 curfew will come into force at midnight on Friday, and some 46 million people will now be affected by the measure…reports Asian Lite News
France will extend an overnight curfew to dozens more areas in a bid to slow the spread of coronavirus, Prime Minister Jean Castex has announced.
“The second wave is now under way,” he said, shortly before the country announced a record 41,622 new cases, the BBC reported.
The 21:00 to 06:00 curfew will come into force at midnight on Friday, and some 46 million people will now be affected by the measure.
Countries around Europe are struggling with rising infection rates.
France, Italy, Spain and the UK are all hot-spots.
“The coming weeks will be hard and the number of deaths will continue to rise,” Castex told a press conference on Thursday. Over the last 24 hours, France recorded 162 more deaths.
“If we fail to stop the pandemic, we will be facing a dire situation and we will have to mull much tougher measures,” he added.
“We still have time to avoid that but we don’t have much time,” he said.
The prime minister’s announcement came less than a week after the same curfew was applied to the Paris region and eight other cities, including Marseille, Lyon, Lille and Toulouse.
The restrictions will be extended to 38 more administrative departments as well as the overseas territory of Polynesia, and will remain in place for six weeks.
Macron said Paty had tried to teach his pupils how to become citizens….reports Asian Lite News
French President Emmanuel Macron has paid tribute to “quiet hero” Samuel Paty, the teacher who was beheaded last week on Friday.
Paty was targeted close to his school near Paris for showing cartoons of Prophet Muhammad in class. His killer, 18-year-old Abdullakh Anzorov, was shot dead by police.
Speaking at a televised memorial service on Wednesday, Macron told viewers that France “will not give up our cartoons”, the BBC reported.
The service was attended by the teacher’s family and some 400 guests.
The coffin was brought into the ceremony on the shoulders of a guard of honour and to the sound of the song “One” by the rock group U2.
On top of the casket was Paty’s Legion d’Honneur, France’s highest honour. It was posthumously awarded to Paty.
Macron said Paty had tried to teach his pupils how to become citizens.
“He was killed precisely because he incarnated the Republic”, Macron said. “He was killed because the Islamists want our future. They know that with quiet heroes like him, they will never have it.”
Paty had been the target of threats since he showed the cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad during a class on October 6.
The history and geography teacher advised Muslim students to leave the room if they thought they might be offended.
The Spanish government announced that was considering fresh curfews to tackle a resurgence in the number of new coronavirus cases,
Addressing the media here on Tuesday, Health Minister Salvador Illa said that imposing a curfew in Madrid and also in some other parts of the country would require invoking a State of Emergency, the Guardian newspaper reported.
The State of Elarm, which restricts mobility into and out of the Spanish capital and a further 12 municipalities in the region, was imposed earlier after they passed several Covid-19 criterias.
The Minister added that a curfew lasting for over two weeks would “require the support of some opposition parties”.
On Tuesday, Spain reported 13,873 new coronavirus cases and 218 fatalities, which increased the overall infection tally and the death toll to 988,322 and 34,210, respectively.
Meanwhile, the country’s Navarre region,has already announced a two-week lockdown which will come into force from Thursday and will be much stricter than the measures imposed on Madrid.
People will only be allowed in and out of Navarre for work, university studies, to care for relatives, or for emergencies, the Guardian quoted the regional government as saying.
Restaurants, cafes and bars will be closed, while shops can open at 40 per cent capacity but close by 9 p.m.
The lockdown in and around the capital is due to expire on Saturday.
The demonstration took place on Sunday at the capital city’s Old Town Square, ended up in clashes between protesters and police…Reports Asian Lite News
More than 100 people were arrested in Prague on suspicion of rioting and attacking officers following a protest against the incumbent Covid-19 restrictions imposed in Czech Republic.
The demonstration, which took place on Sunday at the capital city’s Old Town Square, ended up in clashes between protesters and police after it was officially terminated due to a higher attendance than the permitted limit of 500, reports Xinhua news agency.
Some protesters remained at the square after the demonstration was halted.
They hurled flares, beer bottles, stones and other objects at the police, while some even attempted to break through the security cordon.
The police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse the violent protesters.
The Czech News Agency quoted Prague police spokesperson Eva Kropacova as saying that some 20 police officers suffered injuries in brawls with demonstrators.
About 2,000 demonstrators attended the rally.
Most of them did not wear face masks and did not keep the two-metre distance allowed under the current regulation, local media reported.
According to the current regulation, public gatherings of more than six are banned but up to 500 people are allowed to demonstrate if they are divided into separated groups of 20 and wear face masks.
The Czech Republic has witnessed a surge in Covid-19 infections in recent weeks, making it one of the hardest-hit countries in Europe.
The country has so far reported more than 174,000 coronavirus cases and 1,422 deaths.
“The curve of contagion is worrisome, the numbers are serious, and there is a need to intervene urgently.”said Conte…Reports Asian Lite News
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced that his government has approved fresh anti-coronavirus curbs after more than 11,000 new cases were reported in just 24 hours.
“The curve of contagion is worrisome, the numbers are serious, and there is a need to intervene urgently,” Xinhua news agency quoted Conte as saying at a televised press conference on Sunday.
“We just approved new measures that should allow us to face this new wave of infections, which is severely affecting not only Italy but the whole of Europe,” he said.
On Sunday, Italy reported 11,705 new infections, which increased the country’s overall caseload to 126,237, according to the latest data published by the Ministry of Health.
The death toll currently stood at 36,543.
“We cannot waste time,” Conte said. “We must act by fielding all the measures necessary to avert a new generalized lockdown… which would end up severely compromising the entire economic fabric.”
He spoke in reference to Italy’s March to May nationwide lockdown, which brought the country’s economy to a halt.
The Prime Minister also detailed the new measures, which include giving city mayors the option of shutting down busy streets and squares after 9 p.m. in a bid to prevent public gatherings; a ban on amateur contact sports; and the suspension of all local fairs, festivals, conferences and congresses.
Pubs, bars, restaurants, pizzerias and ice cream shops can be open for business between the hours of 5 a.m. to midnight, as long as customers are seated.
Rome, Aug. 18, 2020 (Xinhua) — Restaurant staff wait for customers in Rome, Italy, Aug. 4, 2020. (Xinhua/Cheng Tingting/IANS)
If the customers are standing, then these venues can only serve until 6 p.m., while gaming and betting venues must close at 9 p.m.
“Deliveries are allowed at all times, and takeout is allowed until midnight,” Conte said.
Schools will stay open, with flexible hours for high schools and universities in order to encourage staggered schedules.
“We are aware that we are imposing economic sacrifices to the businesses that will suffer the negative consequences of these closures, and the government is committed to making up for them,” Conte said.
“The EU strongly condemns all such attacks irrespective of their origin.”said Borrell…Reports Asian Lite News
The European Union (EU) welcomed the new ceasefire reached between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the conflict-ridden Nagorno-Karabakh region, but denounced any violation of the latest humanitarian truce.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy Josep Borrell, the bloc welcomed the joint announcement of the ceasefire was made by Armenia and Azerbaijan following the mediation efforts by French President Emmanuel Macron, in coordination with the other OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, reports Xinhua news agency.
But it “deplores that, unfortunately, violations continue, with reported fighting in and around Nagorno Karabakh”, said the statement.
“This leads to more civilian suffering. It aggravates the conflict between States and respective societies, rendering the healing of wounds even more difficult,” said Borrell,
“The EU strongly condemns all such attacks irrespective of their origin.”
(160405) — NAGORNO-KARABAKH, April 5, 2016 (Xinhua) — Houses damaged in recent conflicts are seen in Azerbaijan’s Gapanli village bordering Nagorno-Karabakh region, on April 5, 2016.
The Armenian and Azerbaijani Defense Ministries both confirmed Tuesday that a ceasefire agreement in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region is currently being prepared. (Xinhua/Tofik Babayev)(dh)
The EU official said he spoke to the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan “to impress upon them that the ceasefire should be unconditional and strictly respected”.
Azerbaijan and Armenia traded accusations of violating the new ceasefire on Sunday, hours after they agreed for the second time to halt fighting in the disputed region.
Following trilateral negotiations between Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia that lasted for over two hours in Moscow, the first ceasefire was enforced in the region on October 11.
Renewed clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia erupted on September 27, with intense battles raging in Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed territory which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but mostly governed by the Republic of Artsakh, a de facto independent state with an Armenian ethnic majority.
The area experienced flare-ups of violence in the summer of 2014, April 2016 and this July.
Armenia and Azerbaijan went to war over the region in 1988-94, eventually declaring a ceasefire.
During the meeting, Al Kaabi reviewed the achievements of the creative sector since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic…Reports Asian Lite News
Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth, has held a discussion with Lilja Dögg Alfreðsdóttir, Iceland’s Minister of Education, Science and Culture, to review options in reinforcing cultural and creative relations between the UAE and Iceland.
During the meeting, Al Kaabi reviewed the achievements of the creative sector since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the efforts of all institutions to provide a rich and creative experience through employing modern digital technologies.
She also explained the objectives of a strategy related to cultural and creative industries currently being developed by the ministry, which aims to encourage investment in the sector and open new markets for creative Emirati exports, through a package of initiatives and incentives to be offered to local talents and the nation’s youth.
“Iceland is currently diversifying its economy by expanding its range of exports and increasing its investment in the tourism sector and creative economy,” Alfreðsdóttir said, noting that this approach has created thousands of jobs for students during the summer break.
Iceland also implemented a policy for the movie industry and is currently drafting a comprehensive programme for creative industries, she added.
The UNAOC chief stressed that togetherness, peace and tolerance are rooted in religions across the faith spectrum…Reports Asian Lite News
Miguel Moratinos, the high representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), condemned the beheading of a teacher in the northwestern suburbs of Paris on Friday.
“The high representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, Miguel Angel Moratinos, condemns in the strongest terms the decapitation of a French school teacher on Friday in the town of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine in the north-western suburbs of Paris, France.
The high representative stresses that such heinous crime is unjustifiable whenever, wherever and by whomsoever committed,” according to a press statement issued by his spokesperson Nihal Saad on Saturday, Xinhua news agency reported.
The UNAOC chief stressed that togetherness, peace and tolerance are rooted in religions across the faith spectrum.
He reiterated that respect of the other regardless of their culture, religion, belief or race is crucial to living together in just, peaceful, and inclusive societies.
The high representative emphasized that freedom of religion or belief and freedom of expression are anchored in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. He also stressed that hate speech and stigma sow division and fragments in societies.
The UNAOC chief reiterated that this horrific crime “should not deter our commitment and will to stand against divisive policies and extremist ideologies in all its manifestations.”
Moratinos expressed his heartfelt condolences to the victims’ family and the government and people of France.
On Friday afternoon, a decapitated man was found on the street near a middle school in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, a suburban area of northwest Paris. The victim was a 47-year-old history teacher who had reportedly shown to his students as part of a class on “freedom of expression” caricatures of Mohammad.
