Tag: Germany

  • Western ambassadors to skip Nagasaki memorial after Japan exclude Israel

    Western ambassadors to skip Nagasaki memorial after Japan exclude Israel

    Ambassadors from Western countries including the United States will skip a ceremony marking the 79th anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki after Israel was snubbed, officials said Wednesday.

    Nagasaki’s mayor last week said that Israel’s ambassador Gilad Cohen was not invited to Friday’s event in the southern Japanese city because of the risk of possible protests over the Gaza conflict.

    The US and British embassies said on Tuesday that their ambassadors would not take part as a result, and that their countries would be represented by lower-ranking diplomats.

    Media reports said that Australia, Italy, Canada and the European Union, who together with the US, Britain and Germany signed a strongly worded joint letter to Nagasaki’s mayor last month, would follow suit.

    US ambassador Rahm Emanuel will not attend “after the mayor of Nagasaki politicised the event by not inviting the Israeli ambassador”, an embassy spokesperson told AFP.

    Instead Emanuel, 64, who was ex-president Barack Obama’s chief of staff, will go to a separate event at a temple in Tokyo, the spokesperson said.

    The British embassy said that ambassador Julia Longbottom would also not be in Nagasaki, saying that not inviting Israel “creates an unfortunate and misleading equivalency with Russia and Belarus — the only other countries not invited to this year’s ceremony.”

    A spokesperson for the French embassy said that its number two would attend, telling AFP that the “decision not to invite the representative of Israel is regrettable and questionable”.

    Nagasaki mayor Shiro Suzuki had said last week that the decision not to invite Cohen was “not politically motivated” but based on a desire to “hold the ceremony in a peaceful and sombre atmosphere”.

    In June Suzuki said Nagasaki had sent a letter to the Israeli embassy calling for an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza.

    Cohen, who was invited to and attended a memorial ceremony on Tuesday in Hiroshima, last week had said the Nagasaki decision “sends a wrong message to the world”.

    “As a close friend and like-minded nation of Japan, Israel has attended this ceremony for many years to honor the victims and their families,” he wrote on social media platform X.

    On Monday Cohen told US broadcaster CNN that the security concerns were “invented” and that he was “really surprised by (Suzuki) hijacking this ceremony for his political motivations.”

    In their letter to Suzuki seen by AFP, the six Western envoys had warned that if Israel was excluded “it would become difficult for us to have high-level participation at this event.”

    Government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi on Wednesday declined to comment, saying invitations were “a decision for the organiser, Nagasaki City.”

    A Nagasaki official in charge of the ceremony said it was “obviously better to have high-level individuals, like ambassadors themselves, taking part”.

    “What is important is that representatives of the countries will attend the ceremony,” he told AFP.

    hih-mac-stu/kaf/mca

    © Agence France-Presse

  • Afghan miscreants vandalise Pakistan consulate in Germany; Foreign Office demands action

    Afghan miscreants vandalise Pakistan consulate in Germany; Foreign Office demands action

    After videos emerged of several individuals, allegedly Afghan nationals, vandalising the Pakistani consulate in Frankfurt, Islamabad urged Germany to take immediate measures to investigate the security lapse and hold those responsible for it accountable to the law.

    The incident happened on July 20, when a “gang of extremists” atta­cked the consulate and “endangered” the lives of the consular staff on the premises, says the statement from the Pakistani mission.

    In one of the viral videos, it can be seen that protesters carrying placards gathered outside the consulate.

    The videos show three men — one of whom is seen clutching an Afghan flag — climbing a flagpole to remove the Pakistani flag.

    However, some reports also indicated the protesters pelted the consulate building with stones.

    Protest outside consulate

    German media outlet DW reported that Saturday’s demonstration was arranged to “highlight complaints against Pakistan’s military and intelligence services, which organisers accused of killing critics and political opponents”.

    DW quoted police as saying that about 400 people carrying Afghanistan flags took part in the demonstration outside the consulate.

    Netizens on X also speculated that the people who vandalised the Pakistani consulate in Frankfurt belonged to the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement headed by Manzoor Pashteen.

    However, Manzoor posted an official denial on X condemning the violence in Frankfurt. “Local authorities should take action against the perpetrator. Trained people are doing such acts on planning to create negative propaganda against people’s protests,” he asserted.

    Pakistan’s reaction

    The Foreign Office in Pakistan called out the German authorities for failing to protect the “sanctity and security of the premises of its consular mission” under the Vienna Con­ven­tions on Consular Rela­tions, 1963.

    “We are in contact with the German authorities to ensure such a situation doesn’t arise again and the miscreants face legal consequences,” the Pakistani embassy in Germany posted on its official X handle.

    Information Minister Atta Tarar, in a press conference, revealed that NADRA is asked to analyse the footage of the incident in Frankfurt to ascertain whether any Pakistanis were involved.

    Though the Foreign Office did not point to the nationality of the miscreants, some of them were draped in the tri-colour Afghanistan flag. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, however, lashed out at the Afghan nationals, saying Islamabad needed to rethink its hospitality towards Afghan citizens in the wake of this incident.

    “There’s a limit to hospitality. They swore at us; they swore at Pakistan. They talk against the integrity of Pakistan. They carry out proper rallies [against Pakistan]. They burn our flags,” he told Geo News, claiming that Pakistan fought wars for Kabul. “I think Pakistan needs to rethink their hospitality,” he said.

    Pakistan hosts over three million Afghan refugees and recently launched a deportation drive to expel those who were residing in the country without documents.

    Earlier this month, the government extended the stay of registered Afghan refugees by one year.

  • 10 easiest European citizenships

    10 easiest European citizenships

    Many people from developing countries aspire to acquire citizenship in European states. Some countries offer relatively straightforward paths to citizenship, while others present significant challenges. Sweden stands out as the easiest country in Europe for obtaining citizenship, whereas Estonia and Latvia are the most challenging.

    A recent study by CIS analysed Eurostat immigration data from 2009 to 2021 to identify which countries have the highest and lowest rates of non-EU residents acquiring citizenship.

    The analysis revealed that the nine most challenging countries to obtain citizenship are located in Central Europe. Estonia ranks as the most difficult country for non-EU citizens to naturalise, with the lowest average acquisition rate—approximately one in 200 residents. Additionally, the acquisition rate for men in Estonia is lower at 0.58 percent compared to 0.69 percent for women.

    Latvia, the Czech Republic, and Lithuania also have acquisition rates of less than 1 percent for non-Europeans, contrasting sharply with the average of 3.56 percent across European countries. Austria, Liechtenstein, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Germany follow, granting citizenship to about one in fifty non-EU residents. Denmark, outside Central Europe, presents the next highest hurdle with an acquisition rate of 2 percent.

    Over the past decade, six of the ten most challenging countries have seen an increase in citizenship grants year-on-year, particularly Denmark, which experienced a notable rise. Germany’s acquisition rate remained stable, while Latvia, Lithuania, and Slovenia saw declines.

    Many countries implement various programs aimed at attracting foreigners, including opportunities for investment, as well as citizenship and tax benefits.

    Individuals seeking migration often favour Golden Visa and Golden Passport routes, terms that are sometimes used interchangeably despite minor distinctions.

    10 Easiest European Countries to Get Citizenship

    According to the report, Sweden ranks as the easiest country, with nearly one in ten (9.3 Perce) non-EU residents obtaining citizenship—more than double the EU average.

    Sweden boasts the highest acceptance rates for both genders, with women experiencing a slightly higher acceptance rate of 10.02 percent compared to 8.66 percent for men.

    Norway, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Iceland follow as the second to fifth easiest countries to acquire citizenship, with an acquisition rate of one in 25 (4 percent).

    Data shows that northern European countries generally have the highest citizenship acquisition rates, with Sweden, Norway, Iceland, and Finland leading the pack.

    In southern Europe, Portugal emerges as the easiest, while the Netherlands, Ireland, and the United Kingdom are the most accessible Western European states for citizenship. The UK ranks eighth, with nearly three in 50 (3.2 percent) residents granted citizenship.

    Poland and Croatia are the easiest countries in Central Europe for changing nationality, with acquisition rates of 4 percent and 3.9 percent respectively. Northern and Western Europe present the most accessible regions for nationality changes, with an acquisition rate of 5.9 percent compared to 1.9 percent in Central Europe and 3.6 percent in the South.

  • German Embassy issues student visa application schedule

    German Embassy issues student visa application schedule

    The schedule of applications for student visas has been announced by the German Embassy in Pakistan.

    Student visa registration for the winter semester 2024-25 starts from May 21.

    According to the embassy, appointments for students with an admission letter for the 2024 summer semester will not be offered by the end of MA, while any admission letter for the 2024 summer semester after May 15 will automatically be cancelled.

    Affected students will be notified via email.

    The move is being taken to streamline the visa process and address the high volume of applications received by the embassy.

    Preference will be given to applicants and PhD students with scholarships from German institutions, while there is a special online registration category for students who have achieved a CGPA of 3.7 or above.

    Applicants must prepare a comprehensive set of documents for their visa application, including various forms, copies of passports and IDs, educational records, proof of financial means and health insurance.

  • Pakistani researcher killed in Portugal

    Pakistani researcher killed in Portugal

     A young researcher from Lahore has been killed in Porto, Portugal, when he resisted a robbery attempt, Geo reported on Friday.

    Family members of the victim, Anthony Shoukat, said he went to Portugal for a research project of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital.

    They appealed the government to help them bring the victim’s body at the earliest and bring the culprits to justice.

    The victim’s family said Anthony had done his masters from Sweden and his PhD from Germany.

    In March, Fahimuddin, a Pakistani-German, was murdered and his family attacked with a knife in Germany. Fahimuddin had moved from Karachi’s Azizabad neighbourhood to Germany and made it his permanent home.

  • Indian politician Prajwal Revanna accused of assaulting 400 women, escapes to Germany

    Indian politician Prajwal Revanna accused of assaulting 400 women, escapes to Germany

    An Indian politician, who sexually assaulted 400 women and made videos of them, has escaped to Germany. He’s accused of exploiting and making videos of women over many years.

    Parjwal Revana is a member of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s coalition party and the grandson of former Indian Prime Minister HD Devarajegowda, according to Indian media.

    According to media reports, Parjwal allegedly filmed 2,800 videos, of 400 women being raped, 2,000 USB sticks of rape videos were found in parks, buses and trains across the state of Karnataka and the rape videos were leaked by the former driver of Prajwal Revanna. These videos were used by the member of the parliament to blackmail women and gain sexual favours from them.

    While Prajwal has escaped, his father has been arrested on the charge of sexual violence against a maid. The girl who worked at Parjwal’s house complained to the police about the rape and she also accused Prajwal’s father of sexual assault.

    A former Bangalore councilor has also accused Prajwal of raping her several times.

    Indian politician and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that this is not a sex scandal but a serious case of mass rape.

    Modi has campaigned for Prajwal in the elections but in his statement has said, “It is a law and order issue. If such an incident took place in Bengal, then the Bengal government of would be responsible. If it happened in Gujarat, then the Gujarat government is responsible…if it happened in Karnataka, then the Karnataka government is responsible to take action.”

  • Foreign Office laments German envoy incident at AJ Conference

    Foreign Office laments German envoy incident at AJ Conference

    Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch on Thursday expressed regret over the incident faced by German Ambassador Alfred Grannas during an event in Lahore.

    Last week, the German envoy was heckled and booed by pro-Palestine protestors over Germany’s complicity in Israel’s genocide against the people of Gaza.

    In the footage, it could be seen that the activist shouted, “Why your country is brutally abusing the people speaking for the rights of Palestinians,” addressing the German envoy.

    However, Ambassador Grannas, who was visibly taken aback, began shouting while asking the protesters not to shout. He also gestured at the students while waving his left hand in the air, asking them to “go out”.

    Mumtaz also rejected allegations of former advisor to Prime Minister Shehzad Akbar’s claims that he was attacked by the state of Pakistan.

    “We categorically reject the allegations made by Shahzad Akbar against the state of Pakistan, its institutions and agencies. These claims are baseless and politically motivated. As we have said in the past safety and security of Pakistani nationals, wherever they are, are a matter of priority for Pakistan,” said the FO spokesperson during her weekly press briefing.

    She reiterated that Pakistan does not have a policy of targeting citizens abroad. Baloch said several dissidents are living in foreign countries but Pakistan has never engaged against them.

    Even though, “Some of them have (even) maintained links with terrorist entities inside Pakistan,” the spokesperson said.

    On April 29, Akbar served a copy of his legal action to the Pakistan High Commission in London. It names several Pakistan government officials as responsible for the attack.

    Akbar had initiated legal action against the Pakistani government over an acid attack in 2023 that left him “scarred for life”.

  • Five Palestinians sue Germany over weapons for Israel

    Five Palestinians sue Germany over weapons for Israel

    Five Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip have filed a legal complaint in Berlin against the German government over its delivery of weapons to Israel, an NGO representing them said Friday.

    The complaint seeks to “revoke the export licences issued by the German government for arms deliveries to Israel”, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) said in a statement.

    A spokeswoman for the administrative court in Berlin confirmed it received the complaint late Thursday. The five plaintiffs live in different parts of the Gaza Strip, including Rafah, the official added.

    The Palestinians are “challenging the authorisation already granted for the delivery of anti-tank weapons” and seeking to stop deliveries that have not yet been authorised, the spokeswoman said.

    The complaint is directed against the economy ministry, which now has two weeks to respond.

    The five Palestinians have all had family members killed in Israeli missile attacks since Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, according to the ECCHR.

    The plaintiffs say Berlin is failing to fulfil its obligations under international law, including the 1948 United Nations Genocide Convention.

    “Germany cannot remain true to its values if it exports weapons to a war in which serious violations of international humanitarian law are evident,” said Wolfgang Kaleck, general secretary of the ECCHR.

    Germany is the second biggest arms exporter to Israel after the US, accounting for 30 percent of imports between 2019 and 2023, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

    Berlin is facing a case in the International Court of Justice in which Nicaragua says it is in breach of the UN Genocide Convention, set up after the Holocaust.

    On Tuesday, Berlin’s representatives insisted that Germany supplied arms only “on the basis of detailed scrutiny… that far exceeds the requirements of international law”.

    Israeli genocide in Gaza Strip has killed more than 33,000 people since October 7, according to the Gaza health ministry.

  • Body of Pakistani-German killed in Europe airlifted to Karachi

    Body of Pakistani-German killed in Europe airlifted to Karachi

    The dead body of Faheemuddin, a German citizen of Pakistani origin who was killed in Germany, has reportedly been brought to Karachi.

    Faheemuddin was murdered in the city of Ulm in the southern German state of Baden-Wurttemberg, when a local resident entered his house and attacked the family with a knife.

    As a result of the attack, 58-year-old Faheemuddin died on the spot, while his wife and 13-year-old daughter were seriously injured before being taken to the hospital for medical assistance.

    According to the police, two other daughters remained safe during the attack after they hid in the house. The police reached the scene after getting informed, shooting and killing the attacker.

    The police claim that the killer was mentally unwell and had returned from mental therapy a few months ago.

    Faheemuddin’s body has now been brought to Karachi. His funeral prayers will be offered in Federal B area after Zuhr prayer.

    His brother, Wajihauddin, said that Fahimuddin had been living in Germany with his family since 1992.

    Wajihuddin claimed that the killer was not a psychopath but a taxi driver, no one should be labelled as a psychopath.

  • Twins stolen at birth reunited by TikTok

    Twins stolen at birth reunited by TikTok

    A pair of twin girls, taken from their mother right after birth and sold to different families, have been reunited dramatically thanks to TikTok.

    Years after they were stolen at birth, Amy and Ano from Georgia have met again after watching a TikTok video, BBC reported.

    As the two delved into their past, they realised they were among thousands of babies in Georgia stolen from hospitals and sold, some as recently as 2005.

    The twins discovered each other when they were 12 years of age. This was when Amy was watching her favorite TV show Georgia’s Got Talent where Ano was performing as a young artist. She even got calls from acquaintances asking if she was the one performing with another name but the family brushed it off, thinking everyone has a doppelganger.

    Amy (L) aged 12 and Ano (R) also aged 12 during her performance on Georgia’s Got Talent

    Seven years later Ano was sent a TikTok video by a friend of Amy’s in a fresh haircut and eye-brows piercing. She thought the resemblance “cool” and the two got connected on Facebook.

    Amy instantly knew Ano was the girl she had seen all those years ago on Georgia’s Got Talent.

    “I have been looking for you for so long!” she messaged. “Me too,” replied Ano.

    Over time, they discovered several commonalities between them but not all of it made sense. The biggest of all was that they had the same genetic disease, a bone disorder called dysplasia. Both were born in the same hospital but according to their birth certificates, they were born a few weeks apart.

    It felt like they were unraveling a mystery together. “Every time I learned something new about Ano, things got stranger,” Amy relates.

    They decided to meet and when they did it was like “looking in a mirror”.

    Ano (L) and Amy (R) met for the first time at Rustaveli metro station – they have often chosen similar hairstyles

    They confronted their families and found out they were adopted in 2002.

    Unable to have children, Amy’s mother says a friend told her there was an unwanted baby at the local hospital. She would need to pay the doctors but she could take her home and raise her as her own.

    Ano’s mother was told the same story.

    Neither of the adoptive families knew the girls were twins and despite paying a lot of money to adopt their daughters, they say they hadn’t realised it was illegal. Georgia was going through a period of turmoil and as hospital staff were involved, they thought it was legitimate.

    The two went online and posted their story in a Facebook group called Vedzeb, which means “I’m searching” in Georgian.

    A girl from Germany replied to them stating her mother had given birth to twin girls in Kirtskhi Maternity Hospital in 2002 and that despite being told they had died, she now had some doubts.

    DNA tests revealed that the girl from the Facebook group was their sister, and was living with their birth mother, Aza, in Germany. Sceptical, they met their birth mother in Leipzig, Germany. She explained to them how she went into a coma after giving birth and upon waking she was told that her children had died.

    Ano (L), Aza (C) and Amy (R) meet for the first time in Leipzig, Germany where Aza now live

    The group was made by journalist Tamuna Museridze in 2021 after she discovered she was adopted. She has helped to reunite hundreds of families, but has not yet tracked down her own.

    Tamuna discovered a black market in adoption that stretched across Georgia and went on from the early 1950s to 2005. “The scale is unimaginable, up to 100,000 babies were stolen. It was systemic,” she says.

    In 2022, the Georgian government launched an investigation into historic child trafficking, telling BBC that it has spoken to more than 40 people but the cases were “very old and historic data has been lost”. Journalist Tamuna Museridze says she has shared information but the government hasn’t said when it will release its report.