Berlin, Oct 13 (IANS) As Germany battles the energy crisis, the government, in line with the leading economic institutes, expects an economic contraction of 0.4 per cent in 2023 and says that the country could slide into recession next year.

"This severe energy crisis threatens to become an economic and, in conjunction with it, a social crisis," Minister for Economic Affairs Robert Habeck said at a press conference here on Wednesday.

In its spring forecast, the German government had still projected growth of 2.5 per cent for next year, reports Xinhua news agency.

The measures taken by the government to address the energy crisis have worked "no matter how serious and depressing these figures are", Habeck stressed.

A "significantly sharper" economic decline has been forecast, he added, for a worst-case scenario that includes a freeze of Russian gas supplies.

At the beginning of September, gas supplies through the important Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany were completely halted after being suspended several times previously for maintenance work.

To ensure heating supply this winter, the authorities have accelerated the filling of the country's gas storages.

According to the government's legal targets, gas storage facilities should be at least 95 per cent full by November 1.

This target, Habeck said, has now almost been reached.

Driven by soaring energy prices, inflation in Germany has risen steadily since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, reaching record levels of 10 per cent in September, according to preliminary figures issued by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).

To cushion the impact of high inflation, the government has already presented relief measures, which include short-term financial support to residents faced with steep heating bills and increased welfare payments.

It also announced a "protective umbrella" of up to 200 billion euros ($194 billion) to stabilise the economy.

As a result of the measures, inflation would drop to 7 per cent next year instead of rising further as predicted by the economic institutes earlier, Habeck said.

"These packages will have an impact, also to curb inflation."

However, companies have warned that "weak investment" is reducing the country's growth potential.

This increases the risk that the economy would "lose ground in global competition", the Federation of German Industries said on Wednesday.

"Of course, we need the full financial power of the state to maintain the substance of our economy and jobs," Habeck said, promising to "quickly implement" the gas and electricity price brakes.

 Gilgit Baltistan [PoK], October 12 (ANI): Shopkeepers across the illegally occupied territory of Gilgit Baltistan, who are already struggling with prolonged electricity shortage in the region, observed a shutter-down strike against the imposition of unjust taxes on them by the Pakistani government.
Public anger has been rising in various parts of Gilgit-Baltistan against a new taxation law passed by the legislative assembly that will affect the common people. The protesters said that the "Gilgit-Baltistan Revenue Authority Bill 2022" has imposed new taxes on 135 items, the Dawn newspaper reported. A local criticised the region's lawmakers for passing the bill and claimed that "they had passed the bill for their own salaries and privileges." Another said that the vegetable sellers will be economically burdened with this new tax and added that the people of the region are not guaranteed any constitutional status.
The people of the area have also accused the government of Pakistan time and again of trying to impose taxes on them under different pretexts.
The bill was passed by the assembly for the first time in August this year, however, it was rejected by GB Governor Syed Mehdi Shah in September. The Dawn report said that Mehdi Shah had refused to sign the bill and returned it to the assembly for review.
According to the Pakistan daily, the bill was again tabled in the assembly and was recently passed for the second time, effectively turning it into law.
Shops in a number of districts remained closed while the traffic on roads was also minimal after the call of GB traders body and hotel association. In the Nasirabad area of Hunza, where locals took out a rally on Karakoram Highway, the demonstrators held placards and chanted slogans against the new taxes.
The protest was against the imposition of new taxes on the people of GB, said Masoodur Rehman, central traders' body President of Gilgit-Baltistan.
"The imposition of taxes on 135 items will affect the poor people," Rehman said.
While pointing to the taxes imposed on over 100 items, the trade body chief said people were already suffering losses due to prolonged electricity shortage in the region.
According to Rehman, the Shehbaz Sharif government was imposing taxes under various names without granting constitutional rights to the people of GB.
He further warned, "This is a token protest, if the government doesn't reverse the bill, the next course of action will be more aggressive." (ANI)

Addis Ababa, Oct 12 (IANS) The International Organization for Migration (IOM) announced that this year's first voluntary humanitarian return flight has departed from Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, with 129 Ethiopian migrants on board.

"The movement to Addis Ababa is an important lifeline for stranded migrants seeking a safe and dignified way to return home from Yemen," the UN migration agency said in a statement on Tuesday.

According to the IOM, the flight is carrying migrants, including unaccompanied minors and those with medical conditions and other specific needs, who were left stranded as a result of insecurity and restrictions on their movement, reports Xinhua news agency.

"Migrants stranded in Sanaa have been left destitute and without food, shelter and other basic needs. Some have been waiting for an opportunity to return home for over a year," the statement quoted Matt Huber, IOM Yemen's acting chief of Mission, as saying.

"We hope we can continue to ensure that migrants who would like to go home can do so in the months ahead."

According to figures from IOM, more than 1,800 migrants stranded in Aden and Marib have departed on voluntary humanitarian return flights so far this year.

The IOM aims to support approximately 5,000 additional stranded migrants to voluntarily return home from the three locations in the coming months.

The UN agency estimated that 43,800 migrants are currently stranded throughout Yemen, many are held under the control of dangerous smuggling networks.

The vast majority hope to reach Saudi Arabia but are unable to continue their journeys.

Estimates suggest that thousands of Ethiopians are trafficked every year who hope to reach the Arabian Peninsula via Djibouti and Yemen and look for better economic opportunities in major Middle Eastern countries' informal job markets, mainly with an aim to find informal jobs in Yemen's northern neighbour Saudi Arabia.

Desperate Ethiopian migrants, who often attempt to cross the dangerous Red Sea route via the neighbouring nation Djibouti, regularly endure deadly incidents along the Red Sea as well as imprisonment and killings in the war-torn Yemen. 

United Nations, Oct 12 (IANS) The UN General Assembly has elected 14 states into the Human Rights Council to succeed outgoing members.

Through secret ballot on Tuesday, Algeria, Morocco, South Africa, Sudan (for Africa); Bangladesh, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Vietnam (for the Asia-Pacific); Georgia, Romania (for Eastern Europe); Chile, Costa Rica (for Latin America and the Caribbean); Belgium, Germany (for Western Europe and other states), were elected for a three-year term beginning on January 1, 2023, reports Xinhua news agency.

Of the 14 states, Sudan and Germany were elected for a consecutive second term.

The Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body responsible for promoting and protecting human rights around the world.

It has 47 members, about a third of which are replaced every year so that the council members serve staggered three-year terms for the sake of continuity.

The members of the Council are not eligible for immediate re-election after two consecutive terms.

Seats are allocated on a regional group basis: 13 each for Africa and the Asia-Pacific; 8 for Latin America and the Caribbean; 7 for Western Europe and other states; 6 for Eastern Europe.

Vladimir Putin has grown in stature over the past 20 years and is now one ofthe world's most powerful leaders. He experienced firsthand the demise of theSoviet Union in 1991 while serving as an operative for the FSB. He worked veryhard over the previous 20 years to restore Russia to its former splendour. As aresult of the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia experienced severe economic catastrophe.

 

Writer- Asif Khan

 Islamabad [Pakistan], October 11 (ANI): As Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa's tenure is about to come to an end, President Arif Alvi has said that "broader consultation" on the appointment of a new chief of army staff (COAS) should take place so that a consensus could be developed.
Alvi, who was elected during Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan's tenure as Premier, made these remarks during an interview with Aaj TV, the Dawn newspaper reported. Citing past precedents, Alvi said the opposition was consulted on the army chief's appointment. He contended that similar talks with the then-opposition was held when former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan extended the three-year term of General Bajwa in 2019.
"The law must have been introduced in the Parliament after closure was reached during a consultation," he was quoted as saying by Dawn.
During the interview, the Pakistan president also touched upon foreign conspiracy claims made by PTI chief Imran Khan.
Alvi said that he was not convinced that the United States had lodged a conspiracy to oust Imran.
Further talking about the country's all-powerful military, he said Pakistan the military had a constitutional role to play and the army should be 'neutral'.
Notably, Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa recently assured Pakistan that the armed forces have distanced themselves from politics and want to stay away from it in the future as well.
Addressing the gathering during the lunch at Pakistani Embassy in Washington, Bajwa said that he will leave after the completion of his second three-year term in two months, Dawn reported.
He reminded the nation that reviving the country's ailing economy should be the first priority of all segments of society, adding that without a strong economy the nation would not be able to achieve its targets.
"There could be no diplomacy either without a strong economy," the Pakistan army chief said during his address to an audience which included a large number of Pakistani diplomats. (ANI)

 New York [US], October 11 (ANI): India on Monday voted to reject Russia's call to hold a secret ballot at United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on a draft resolution to condemn Moscow's "attempted illegal annexation" of four regions in Ukraine.
A public vote will be held now be held later this week in UNGA on Russia after its referendum in Ukrainian territories. The UN General Assembly meeting began with a procedural vote on a measure which Russia had flagged, proposing that the Ukrainian draft resolution being debated, be voted on by secret ballot, not through a public vote.
Albania requested an open vote after Russia proposed a secret ballot on the resolution on Ukraine. India voted in favour of a procedural vote called by Albania.
A resolution condemning Russia's annexation of four Ukrainian regions was up for adoption at the UNGA, where the 193 UN members vote and no one wields a veto.
The Albanian proposal received 107 votes in favour, with 13 countries opposed to the vote and 39 abstentions. Twenty-four countries including China, Iran and Russia did not vote.
Albanian diplomat while dismissing the proposal said that "conducting secret ballot will undermine the practises of assembly."
Ukraine and Russia clashed in the UNGA on Monday ahead of the vote.
Speaking first at the emergency meeting, Ukraine's envoy Sergiy Kyslytsya told members states that he had already lost family members to Russian aggression. He said that around 84 missiles and around two dozen drones had deliberately targeted civilians and civilian infrastructure during Monday's multiple attacks on Ukrainian cities, including schools and universities.
"The entire world has once again, seen the true face of the terrorist State that kills our people. Suffering defeats on the battlefield, Russia takes it out on the peaceful residents of Ukrainian cities," he said.
The Ukrainian envoy said that voting for the draft resolution would be "for each country, for each of our citizens, for your families, for our children - a vote for justice".
The resolution on the Russian annexation comes days after Moscow vetoed a similar proposal in the UN Security Council. The draft resolution condemns Russia's "attempted illegal annexations" of the four Ukrainian regions following "so-called referendums".
Russia's ambassador Vassily Nebenzya said that the Albanian resolution, which confirmed that a recorded vote would take place following the debate, had been a violation of the rules of procedure.
He said Russia had been deprived of the ability to present its case and all aspects of the Ukraine crisis that did not suit Western powers, had been conveniently overlooked.
"Ukraine was chosen by these countries for that purpose, was brought under their control and today is a platform for the testing of NATO weaponry and for combat against Russia, using other people," he said.
He accused Ukraine of an act of terrorism in "sabotaging" Russia's bridge to Crimea, adding that Russia could not stand by and let Ukraine act "with impunity". This vote comes after Russia conducted that large-scale strikes on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and other locations on Monday, which drew condemnation from several countries.
UN chief Antonio Guterres said he was deeply shocked and represented "another unacceptable escalation" of the war.
The strikes which have reportedly caused widespread damage to civilian areas and led to dozens of deaths and injuries showed that "as always", civilians were paying the highest price for Russia's invasion of February 24, the statement released by the UN Spokesperson added.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday warned of "harsh" reprisals after the Crimea bridge attack on Saturday. In a television appearance, Putin said Russia had struck military and infrastructure targets across Ukraine following the Crimea bridge blast.
He threatened further "harsh" responses that correspond "to the level of threat to the Russian Federation, have no doubt about it," while accusing Kyiv of "terrorism." (ANI)

 California [US], October 11 (ANI): Jesus Manuel Salgado, accused in the brutal killing of four members of a Sikh family in the US state of California, was charged Monday with four counts of first-degree murder, one for each life lost, media reports said.
The Sikh family, including 36-year-old Jasdeep Singh, 27-year-old Jasleen Kaur, their eight-month-old child Aroohi Dheri, and 39-year-old Amandeep Singh were abducted. Later, the bodies of four family members, who originally hail from Punjab in India were discovered lying close to each other in a remote orchard in Merced county. Salgado also faces charges of illegal possession of a firearm and arson for allegedly setting fire to the truck. The Merced County District Attorney's Office said that Salgado faces life in prison without the possibility of parole, reported KCRA, a television station in Sacramento, California.
The Indian-Origin family was kidnapped at gunpoint - an abduction recorded on surveillance video - from their trucking business Monday morning in Merced, authorities said. Investigators learned they were missing after a family vehicle was found abandoned and on fire that morning.
Later the police discovered the bodies of all four family members. The suspect in the kidnapping and murders of four Indian-origin family members in California, including a baby, was arrested.
The suspect attempted suicide sometime before he was taken into custody, and he has been receiving medical attention. Salgado was previously in prison for nearly a decade after being convicted of attempted false imprisonment, first-degree robbery and possession of a controlled substance, according to records from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Salgado has a previous conviction for armed robbery and witness intimidation, and according to neighbours, he may have prowled outside the family's business months before he attacked them, reported San Francisco Chronicle.
"He would walk up and down the street for quite a while in front of that business and beyond, yelling at people," said Rene Calvazos, 64, who lives near the vast parking lot owned by the Singh family.
Salgado was arrested in 2005, Warnke said, for a home invasion case "in which he kept his boss and (their) family at gunpoint over money he thought he was owed. I think this is the same kind of thing."
Salgado received an 11-year state prison sentence in 2007 for first-degree armed robbery, attempted false imprisonment, and dissuading or tampering with a witness or victim under specified circumstances. A month later, he was handed an eight-month sentence for possession of a controlled substance.
He served an eight-year prison term and was paroled from 2015 until 2018. (ANI)

 New York [US], October 11 (ANI): Greater action is needed to avert the recurrence of disastrous heatwaves, which are being intensified by the climate crisis, a UN and Red Cross report warned.
The UN humanitarian affairs agency, OCHA, and the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC), warned in a report issued on Monday that record high temperatures this year - which are fueling catastrophes in countries such as Pakistan and Somalia - foreshadow a future with deadlier, more frequent, and more intense heat-related humanitarian emergencies. It noted that the world's lowest-income countries are already experiencing disproportionate increases in extreme heat. "Although they are the least to blame for climate change, these nations will see a significant increase in the number of at-risk people in the coming decades," the report said.
Martin Griffiths, UN Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator said, "As the climate crisis goes unchecked, extreme weather events, such as heatwaves and floods, are hitting the most vulnerable people the hardest."
"Nowhere is the impact more brutally felt than in countries already reeling from hunger, conflict and poverty," he added.
The report, titled "Extreme Heat: Preparing for the heatwaves of the future", has been released ahead of the COP27 UN climate change conference in Egypt next month. It is the first report published jointly by the partners and offers concrete steps to mitigate the worst effects of extreme heat.
This year, communities across various parts of the world - in North Africa, Australia, Europe, South Asia, the Middle East, the western United States and China - have experienced record-high temperatures.
In the coming decades, heatwaves are predicted to meet and exceed human physiological and social limits in regions such as the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, and south-west Asia, the report said.
"Humanitarian needs are already high in these regions, which could lead to large-scale suffering and death, population movements and further entrenched inequality," it highlighted.
Noting that the climate crisis is intensifying humanitarian emergencies worldwide, the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC), Secretary General Jagan Chapagain called for investment in both adaptation and mitigation, particularly in countries most at risk.
"At COP27, we will urge world leaders to ensure that this investment reaches local communities that are on the frontline of the climate crisis. If communities are prepared to anticipate climate risks and equipped to take action, we will prevent extreme weather events from becoming humanitarian disasters," he said.
The report also reveals how heatwaves contribute to inequality, as isolated and marginalized people suffer the greatest impacts. Therefore, investments that mitigate climate change and support long-term adaption for these populations must be a priority.
Furthermore, although the impacts of extreme heat are global, vulnerable communities - agricultural workers, for example - are being pushed to the frontlines of the crisis. Meanwhile, elderly people, children, and pregnant and breastfeeding women, face higher risk of illness and death.
The report outlines five key steps so that humanitarians can support the most vulnerable people. It calls for providing early information on heatwaves to help people and authorities take timely action by making forecasts available to all.
Supporting preparedness and expanding anticipatory action, especially by local actors, is also needed as they are often the first responders in emergencies. At the same time, it pointed out that the authorities should find new and more sustainable ways of financing local action.
"The humanitarian response will also have to adapt to the "new normal". Some organizations are already testing out measures such as "green roofs", cooling centres and more thermally appropriate emergency housing," the report added.
Finally, it stressed that addressing the impact of extreme heat also requires strengthening engagement across the humanitarian, development, and climate spheres. (ANI)

 Beijing [China], October 11 (ANI): Ahead of the 20th Communist Party Congress, authorities across China are doubling down on "Zero-COVID" efforts, imposing measures including pre-emptive lockdowns and blanket bans to stop coronavirus flare-ups.
The Congress, held every five years, gets underway in Beijing next Sunday, and the tighter COVID-19 controls for the event prompted many people to abandon travel plans for the week-long National Day break. At the same time, the people were advised to stay put during the holidays. Notably, new Omicron sub-variants BF.7 and BA.5.1.7 have been detected in China.
BF.7 subvariant spread to more Chinese provinces on Monday. The highly infectious virus was first detected in northwest China. On the other hand, the subvariant BA.5.1.7 was detected in the Chinese mainland for the first time, said Li Shujian, deputy director of the local disease prevention and control centre, reported Global Times.
In recent weeks, China has more than doubled its daily average of new infections, to nearly 2,000 officially reported on Friday, which is still extremely low by global standards. The authorities are still strict about the epidemic.
According to The New York Times, Xi's linking his adherence to the zero policy with his party loyalty had become a serious political issue. It makes local officials very anxious because they all want to be favoured by Xi Jinping.
To ensure that the 20th National Congress scheduled to be held on October 16 will not be disturbed, the CCP's "clearing" policy has caused considerable economic and societal costs. The lives of millions of people have been disrupted, and people have complained.
Recently, Yongji City, hosted by Yuncheng in Shanxi Province, has no epidemic situation, but the "city closure" measures are still being implemented. The Secretary of Hejin City expressed his position to his superiors, guarding Hejin and welcoming the 20th National Congress of the Party. Nucleic acid testing of all staff in Yuncheng began on October 7 for three consecutive days.
In Inner Mongolia, where the number of confirmed cases reported on Friday had soared to nearly 700, officials in the district were instructed to "kill chickens with a knife". "Let's use speed to prevent proliferation and spillover, wildly not to spill over to Beijing."
The Xinjiang region, with a population of 22 million, has adopted comprehensive lockdown measures. Ma Xingrui, secretary of the district party committee, said that all localities and departments should ensure the convening of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party as the most important "political task" and tighten the string of epidemic prevention and control.
While, Voice of America (VOA) said that China's current zero-resistance policy to fight the epidemic had closed almost all borders of population movement, and mega-cities have fallen into unpredictable lockdowns one by one, stifling the vitality of China, the world's second-largest economy, causing widespread anger and despair.
Separately, a key private survey showed Saturday that China's massive services activity contracted in September for the first time in five months. The Caixin services Purchasing Managers Index, which focuses on small and medium-sized enterprises in China's service industry, dropped to 49.3 last month from 55 in August, according to a statement by S&P Global Ratings. It was the first drop in the index since May.
A reading below 50 indicates contraction. Efforts to curb the spread of Covid across China led to a renewed fall in service sector activity, which disrupted business operations and restricted travel, the statement said.
In particular, employment continued to shrink. The gauge for employment stayed in contraction territory for the ninth consecutive month and hit its lowest point since May, reported CNN. (ANI)