German Police Raids a Feminist Group Supporting Palestine.
- German media stated that Berlin police conducted a raid on Wednesday that was directed at members of a left-wing feminist group supporting Palestine. It is said that the Zora group supports the extreme left-wing Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). The group is listed as a terrorist organisation by the US and the EU.
- Benjamin Jendro, the GDP police trade union representative for the region of Berlin ,stated on X that about 200 policemen participated in the operation. The German media said that the group's October 12 Instagram post that containing the message, "No liberation of women without the liberation of Palestine."provoked the raid.
- The group claims that although the terrorist organisation Hamas, which carried out the terror attacks on Israel on October 7, has no desire to challenge patriarchy, it is crucial to "strengthen the progressive forces that are also part of the Palestinian resistance," like the PFLP.
Read more at: https://www.dw.com/en/german-police-raid-pro-palestinian-feminist-group/a-67774918
Legal Setback: Italian Initiative to Hold Migrants in Albania Paused by Court.
- Italy's plan to send asylum seekers to Albania for processing, which involved building two processing centres in northern Albania, has been temporarily halted by the Albanian constitutional court. The court ordered a hearing to determine if the deal violates Albania's constitution.
- Under the agreement, Italy aimed to process 36,000 people annually in Albania before deciding whether to resettle them in Italy or deport them. Criticism from opposition parties in both countries and human rights groups led to legal challenges, with two petitions arguing that the deal compromised asylum seekers' rights and Albania's sovereignty. The court's ruling has cast doubt on the planned spring opening of the processing centres.
- The situation has drawn parallels to the UK's controversial plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda.
Read more at: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-67715111
Finland is Expected to See a Deep Long Recession.
- Finland is poised for an enduring economic downturn, as highlighted by Mikko Spolander, the Director General at the Ministry of Finance, during a news conference. He expressed concerns about unexpected setbacks and rising interest rates, likening them to impediments in the economy's blood flow, exacerbating an already ailing situation in need of intervention.
- The Ministry of Finance forecasts a modest economic growth of 2.0% in 2025 and 1.6% in 2026.
- Moreover, the Ministry anticipates a persistent budget deficit in the general government sector, exceeding three percent for several years. This raises the specter of Finland being subjected to the European Commission's excessive deficit procedure.
Norway’s Lawmakers Agreed on Starting the Deep-Sea Mining in the Arctic Region.
- The government – made up of the Labor and the Centre Party – made the deal with the conservatives from Hoeyre and the Progress Party, agreed to allow seabed mineral exploration in the Arctic region.
- There are significant mineral resources on the seabed of the Norwegian continental shelf so, now The country’s strategy is to seek new economic opportunities and reduce its reliance on oil and gas. For this The planned site is located southwest of the Arctic Island of Svalbard.
- The government is expecting to extract sulphides and manganese crusts containing metals and minerals that are crucial for making batteries, wind turbines, PCs and mobile phones.
Read more at: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/norway-ap-arctic-ocean-denmark-greenpeace-b2458663.html
