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Corruption scandal: Eva Kaili to stay in prison despite lawyer’s pleas

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Corruption scandal: Eva Kaili to stay in prison despite lawyer’s pleas

Eva Kaili, the Greek MEP on the centre of the corruption scandal engulfing the European Parliament, was on Thursday ordered to stay in jail for not less than two extra months, regardless of her lawyer’s impassioned pleas for a launch beneath digital surveillance.

The embattled lawmaker has been in pre-trial detention since 9 December, when she was arrested by Belgian police after being reportedly caught within the act.

Her parliamentary immunity was lifted on the spot and he or she was later charged with participation in a felony organisation, corruption and cash laundering.

Over €150,000 in money was present in her Brussels residence.

The choice to increase Kaili’s detention was taken by a Belgian choose after a listening to in Brussels on Thursday morning, throughout which her legal professionals denounced her continued separation from her 23-month-old daughter and requested for her launch with an digital bracelet.

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Her defence group continues to insist on her innocence and plans to enchantment the choice.

Kaili’s home companion and father to her daughter, Francesco Giorgi, additionally stays in jail, accused of the very same crimes.

Belgian MEP Marc Tarabella, former MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri and NGO director Niccolò Figà-Talamanca have too been arrested and criminally charged, with the latter since launched, with no circumstances connected.

One other MEP, Andrea Cozzolino, was arrested final week in Naples and Belgian authorities have requested his extradition from Italy.

Panzeri, the presumed ringleader, has signed a plea cope with Belgian authorities, admitting actions of bribery and committing to sharing “revealing” info.

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The Italian’s pre-trial detention was additionally prolonged on Thursday.

Tarabella, who earlier than his listening to on Thursday had requested for the dismissal of the investigating choose, in the meantime had his detention prolonged for a month. His lawyer mentioned he would enchantment on Friday with a listening to subsequently anticipated in two weeks.

The sprawling investigation is targeted on an alleged cash-for-favours scheme that concerned “giant” sums of cash and “substantial” presents paid by Qatar and Morocco to affect decision-making contained in the European Parliament.

Qatar and Morocco have vigorously denied the claims, calling them unfounded.

Joint letter from Italian socialists

The arrest of Eva Kaili, a high-profile MEP beforehand related to the socialist group (S&D), unleashed a political storm in Brussels and triggered a fast-tracked course of to take away her as one of many 14 vice-presidents of the European Parliament.

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She nonetheless retains her title and wage as MEP.

All through her detainment, her legal professionals have defended her innocence and repeatedly complained about what they mentioned had been inhumane and “medieval” circumstances within the police station earlier than she was moved to the Haren jail on the outskirts of Brussels.

Her defence group has additionally denounced the truth that the 44-year-old has been allowed very restricted visits together with her toddler daughter since her detention in December.

These issues had been compiled in a letter written by socialist MEPs and addressed to European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.

The letter was despatched final week after being circulated among the many total S&D group, which includes greater than 140 MEPs throughout 26 EU nations.

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Nevertheless, the letter was solely signed by 10 Italian socialists.

“This isn’t concerning the judicial investigation, that we totally help. That is concerning the detention circumstances that, if proved, are incompatible with the European rule of regulation,” MEP Massimiliano Smeriglio, the promoter behind the letter, informed Euronews.

“Subsequently we ask president Metsola to take applicable measures in an effort to examine if the accusations made by Kaili’s lawyer are true. The standard of our democracy is outlined by how we handle this type of state of affairs.”

Earlier than her listening to on Thursday, Kaili had sacked her Belgian lawyer, André Risopoulo, and chosen as alternative Sven Mary, who represented one of many terrorists behind the 2015 Paris assaults.

“If somebody turns into only a image and the detention is finished on the symbolism of detaining somebody as a result of she is understood as a result of she is vice-president of the European Parliament, I feel it is senseless,” Mary informed reporters on Thursday.

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Cambodia's prime minister bans musical horns on vehicles to curb dangerous street dancing

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Cambodia's prime minister bans musical horns on vehicles to curb dangerous street dancing
  • Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Mane has issued a ban on musical horns after videos on social media depicted people dancing on roadsides.
  • Mane instructed the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation and police nationwide to remove tune-playing horns from vehicles.
  • The ban has already been put into effect by provincial authorities, and Hun Manet voiced its nationwide enforcement.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Mane has ordered a ban on musical horns, after videos posted on social media showed people dancing on roads and roadsides as passing trucks blasted rhythmic little tunes.

Hun Manet, who last year took over the wheel of government from his father, Hun Sen — who led Cambodia for 38 years — called on the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation and police across the country to immediately take action against any vehicle whose normal horn has been replaced by a tune-playing one by ripping it out and restoring the standard honking type. 

He said the measure has already been implemented by provincial authorities, but he wanted to announce it publicly to make sure it was enforced nationwide.

CAMBODIA’S PIONEERING POST-KHMER ROUGE ERA PHNOM PENH POST NEWSPAPER WILL STOP PRINT PUBLICATION

He commented on his Facebook page on Monday that recent social media posts had shown “inappropriate activity committed by some people, especially youth and children, dancing on the roadside to the musical sounds from trucks’ horns.”

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet greets garment workers on Aug. 29, 2023, at Prey Speu village outside Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Mane has ordered a ban on musical horns, after videos posted on social media showed people dancing on roads and roadsides as passing trucks blasted rhythmic little tunes. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith, File)

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Hun Manet said such dancing affects public order and poses a traffic hazard that is a threat to life and limb, not least of all to the dancers themselves. 

2 ANTI-GOVERNMENT ACTIVISTS IN CAMBODIA CHARGED WITH INSULTING KING ON SOCIAL MEDIA

One video shows three young people dancing in the middle of a road while a large trailer truck coming their way lays down a beat.

For Cambodians, there will be no more dancing in the street.

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Biotech strategy launch, Newsletter

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Biotech strategy launch, Newsletter

Key diary dates

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Tuesday 19 March: European Parliament’s committee vote on the reform of EU pharmaceutical rules.

Wednesday 20 March: Presentation of the European Commission‘s first ‘EU Biotech and Biomanufacturing Initiative’.

Tuesday 19-Friday 22 March: European Commission organises Digital Markets Act workshops with gatekeepers.

In spotlight

This Wednesday (20 March) the European Commission is expected to unveil a new ‘EU Biotech and Biomanufacturing Initiative’ .

Despite half-hearted attempts at regulatory simplification in the sector in the past, life science technologies are increasingly drawing attention from policymakers.

Last month Euronews first reported on the health component of this initiative based on a leaked draft document that highlighted a focus on the vibrant biopharmaceutical sector – responsible for providing breakthrough messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules playing an essential role in COVID-19 vaccines.

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But biotech applications are not limited to the health sector, ranging from sustainable sourcing of advanced materials to climate-smart production and other components essential to a fossil-free and circular economy.

A ‘blue’ biotech is also emerging, with new research on aquatic organisms and microalgae fermentation ready for commercial exploitation – not to mention the potential of new genomic techniques (NGTs) for food production, already under discussion by EU lawmakers.

The main goals of this initiative will be to survey the status quo and track future challenges facing the biotech sector to orientate policy efforts in readiness for the next legislative mandate.

Some policy ideas are likely to be proffered, such as a one-stop shop to permit and authorise biotech manufacturing – while a controversial proposal for an R&I tax credit for biotech companies is rumoured to have been shelved for the moment.

This first dedicated attempt to address the sector won’t be the last, with economic security and strategic autonomy likely to be key buzzwords for the next commission.

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Biotech is expected to be a new beat to keep a close eye on and it has already been listed as a critical technology for the continent, together with semiconductors and artificial intelligence.

The defence imperative dominating current commission thinking involves European independence from military aircraft to sourcing these critical new technologies.

Policy newsmakers

@Hahn                                                                                                                   @Wiewiórowski

Commission under data notice

The European Commission was ordered last week to bring its use of Microsoft 365 office programs in line with its own rulebook, after European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) Wojciech Wiewiórowski found following an investigation that the commission breached EU rules on transfers of personal data outside the EU. The commission now needs to suspend all data flows resulting from its use of Microsoft 365 to Microsoft and to its affiliates and sub-processors located in countries outside the EU/EEA that are not covered by a data transfer agreement. The commissioner responsible for admin, Johannes Hahn, will have to demonstrate compliance with the orders by 9 December 2024.

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Subscribe here to see the results of last week’s poll and stay informed on the latest EU policy developments with our weekly newsletter, “The Policy Briefing”. Your weekly insight on European rulemaking, policy issues, key events, and data trends.

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Reuters Institute: Research shows women only make 24% of news top editors / FIP

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Reuters Institute: Research shows women only make 24% of news top editors / FIP

New research by the Reuters Institute analyses the gender representation of senior editors in major news outlets across five continents, recording that women fill only 24% of senior editorial roles in the markets surveyed. The findings highlight how gender inequalities can reinforce misperceptions, imbalances, and perceived differences both within journalism and as covered by journalists.

The research “Women and leadership in the news media 2024: Evidence from 12 markets” took examples from five continents, and analysed the gender breakdown of editorial leaders.  Two hundred and forty major online and offline news outlets provided data. 

According to the factsheet, among the 33 news top editors appointed across brands covered this year and last, 24% are women. In some of these countries, however, women outnumber men among working journalists.

Reuters contrasts its new findings with data from the past five years. The proportion of women among the top editors has increased by only 2% since 2020, going from 23% to 25% in 2024. The Institute’s analysis anticipates that, at this pace, gender parity will be reached in such positions only by the year 2074.

Change is not consistent throughout countries, however. If the percentage has increased relative to 2020 in six countries (name them all), it has decreased in Germany by 2% and it has highly decreased in South Africa, from 47% to 29%. 

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Reuters Institute makes clear that “top editorial leadership matters both in terms of how journalism is practised and how it appears in society,” insisting on  how top editors represent the wider public “in all its difference and diversity.”

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