East Ukraine danger increasing, warns UN
07 Aug 2014Civilians in eastern Ukraine are facing increasing hardships, with wrecked infrastructure and limited access to power and water supplies, the UN says. UN humanitarian chief John Ging said ‘immediate action’ was needed to halt the conflict and prevent the situation from putting more people in danger. At a UN Security Council meeting Russia blamed Ukraine for the hardships, but the UK said it was Russia's fault. More than 1,500 people are believed to have been killed since April. The crisis erupted when well-armed pro-Russian gunmen took over various cities and attempted to break away from Ukraine. They have been slowly beaten back and the fighting is now focused on the two rebel strongholds of Donetsk and Luhansk. Heavy fighting once again erupted on Tuesday in a suburb of the rebel stronghold of Donetsk. Mr Ging told an emergency meeting of the Security Council that the lack of a political solution in Ukraine would only lead to more people being killed.
Turkey: Presidential elections begin
31 Jul 2014Turkish citizens go to the polls on August 10 to vote for the 12th president of the Republic of Turkey - the first time the country's president will be elected by popular vote. The presidential post has previously been elected by assembly lawmakers. The public campaign for the position will continue up until August 9. The first votes have begun to be lodged by Turkish nationals living overseas. Forty two Turkish land, airport and harbour customs offices launched their polling services for Turks residing abroad but staying in Turkey at the time of voting at midnight on Friday and will remain open until 5 p.m. on August 10 - the day voters choose their first directly elected president. Should none of the candidates take more than 50 per cent of the vote, a second round will take place on 24 August.
France ready to offer asylum to Iraqi Christians
31 Jul 2014France has said it is ready to welcome Christians fleeing the area of Iraq controlled by Islamic State group's fighters, saying it is ‘outraged’ by their persecution. Islamic State fighters seized large swathes of northern Iraq last month, prompting hundreds of Christian families in Mosul to flee a city which has hosted the faith since its earliest years. ‘France is outraged by these abuses that it condemns with the utmost firmness,’ Laurent Fabius, France's foreign minister, and Bernard Cazeneuve, the interior minister, said in a joint statement on Monday. ‘The ultimatum given to these communities in Mosul by ISIL is the latest tragic example of the terrible threat that jihadist groups in Iraq, but also in Syria and elsewhere, pose to these populations that are historically an integral part of this region,’ they added, referring to the Islamic State's former name of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
Ukraine/Russia: Western values are at risk
24 Jul 2014To understand why Vladimir Putin is willing to take the kinds of risks that produced the destruction of a civilian airliner, and why the US and its allies should see his power play as an effort to alter not just the arc of Ukraine but all of Europe it is necessary to look at the tale of two countries. Poland, integrated into Western economy and grew twice as fast as Ukraine. Many think this contrast scared Mr. Putin particularly when Ukraine, emulating Poland, began to pivot westward earlier this year. To allow the Ukrainian turn to happen would have been the end of any near-term dreams of rebuilding a Russian empire. The goal of re-creating a Russian sphere of influence collided head-on with the spread of a Westernized EU model for Europe seeping toward Russia's doorstep. Mr. Putin faced a historic choice: swim with the tide or try to turn it. He chose the latter.
Ukraine: Evangelicals persecuted
24 Jul 2014The recovered bodies and flight recorders of Malaysia Flight 17 have been turned over to the proper authorities, but the propaganda wars continue. Ukrainian government officials blame Russia for a complicit role in the shooting down of the commercial flight, while Russia blames Ukraine. This unusual war in Eastern Ukraine is also having other consequences: the evangelical community is being targeted. President of Russian Ministries Sergey Rakhuba says, ‘They believe that evangelical churches are their enemies. In one of the towns, they even raised the Orthodox flag and said they would fight any heretic, any protestant, anyone who represents any western immoral values.’ Many evangelicals have been attacked, including four men who were killed a few weeks ago. Rakhuba says a childhood friend was targeted on Monday when Russian Separatists stopped his car in Donetsk. Fortunately, Ukrainian forces trying to regain control of Donetsk began engaging the separatists and Rakhuba’s friend was able to get away.
A Christian nurse is taking legal action against the Swedish government after she was fired for refusing to perform abortions. A doctor in Poland, who was dismissed on similar grounds, is considering an appeal. Ellinor Grimmark said an employment offer at a hospital in Eksjo, southern Sweden, was suddenly scrapped though she had successfully completed an internship. The Ombudsman claimed the county council had refused her the position ‘not because of her religion, but because she was not prepared to perform duties that were part of the job description’. It comes amid reports of growing pressure on Christian medical personnel across Europe. On Friday, 9 July, news emerged that Professor Bogdan Chazan, viewed as one of Poland's top doctors, is considering an appeal after he was fired as director at Warsaw's Holy Family Hospital for his refusal to carry out an abortion.
A Dutch academic who supported legalising euthanasia in the Netherlands has urged Westminster not to introduce assisted suicide, ahead of a debate in the House of Lords. Theo Boer, who has been part of a committee monitoring euthanasia cases since 2005, said the number of such deaths in the Netherlands has soared since the legalisation of euthanasia in 2002. Boer has reviewed close to 4,000 euthanasia cases and said: ‘Euthanasia is on the way to becoming a ‘default’ mode of dying for cancer patients'. Cases have been reported in which a large part of the suffering of those given euthanasia or assisted suicide consisted in being aged, lonely or bereaved'. He said: ‘I used to be a supporter of the Dutch law. But now, with twelve years of experience, I take a very different view’. (See also GB&I section - item 1 and World section - item 6)
The US attorney general has called on European governments to be stronger in preventing their own citizens from joining the fighting in Syria. Eric Holder said the Syrian conflict had turned into ‘a cradle of violent extremism’ that could threaten Western countries when fighters return home. He made his remarks during a speech to Norwegian diplomats in Oslo. US officials believe there are about 7,000 foreign fighters in Syria, including dozens of Americans. In May, a 22-year-old man from Florida carried out a suicide bombing mission in the country and a Colorado woman was arrested at an airport in April after US officials said she was intent on providing support to the militant group ISIS in Syria. In the speech, Mr Holder called on European governments to make it illegal to plan or support terrorist plots, to catch potential fighters before they leave for Syria through undercover plots and share information about those who have travelled to Syria to fight, including through Interpol.