World
Poland and Hungary thwart EU summit as they resist migration reform
Poland and Hungary made good on their promise to prevent the European Council from adopting joint conclusions on migration.
The two countries, which have long held hard-line views on the reception and relocation of asylum seekers, put their foot down after long and intense discussions among the 27 heads of state and government.
The blockage, which began on Thursday and continued all through Friday, forced leaders to delete the migration section from the summit’s conclusions, wiping out several paragraphs that had been widely anticipated.
Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, issued instead a separate statement on his behalf, recycling wording from the rejected draft.
“There wasn’t unanimity, but there was a great deal of convergence, which was not at all there just a few years ago,” Michel said in a press conference.
“We got 25 out of 27 countries.”
The Polish-Hungarian opposition stems from a major deal struck earlier this month in Luxembourg, where home affairs ministers agreed to move forward with a proposed reform of the EU’s migration policy.
The overhaul, which stills need to be negotiated with the European Parliament, is based on a new system of “mandatory solidarity” and offers member states three options to collectively deal with migration flows:
- Accept a number of relocated asylum seekers.
- Pay €20,000 for each rejected applicant.
- Finance operational support, such as infrastructure and personnel.
Warsaw and Budapest have harshly criticised the framework, falsely claiming it would impose compulsory quotas on the distribution of asylum seekers.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said the solidarity mechanism amounted to “coercion” and would lead to “financial penalties” for his own country.
“That is why we cannot agree to such conclusions and that is why we remain of the opinion that the best solution here is a referendum,” Morawiecki said on Friday morning, before heading into the meeting.
“We have no intention of implementing these decisions,” said his Hungarian counterpart, Viktor Orbán, who spoke against the creation of “migrant ghettos.”
Besides the content of the migration reform, Poland and Hungary resent the fact the deal, the first breakthrough of its kind in almost a decade, was adopted by a qualified majority, a voting rule that automatically deprived them of any veto power.
But in the European Council, where conclusions are endorsed by consensus, their grievances were strong enough to single-handedly edit down the final text, which was mostly focused on the external, rather than the internal, dimension of migration.
“Throughout these six or seven hours (of debate), I was constantly surprised by the narrow-mindedness of some countries,” Pedro Sánchez, the Spanish prime minister, said at the end of the meeting.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz appeared unperturbed by the Polish-Hungarian demand that all migration and asylum files be approved by strict unanimity, a requirement that is not foreseen under the EU treaties.
“I have fundamental confidence that what was agreed by all parties will be respected by all parties,” said Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, when asked about the opposition. “I’m not too concerned.”
World
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World
Howler monkeys dropping dead, falling from trees due to excessive heatwave: report
The extreme heatwave in Mexico is not only affecting the environment, it’s wreaking havoc on the howler monkeys and causing them to fall dead out of trees, the Associated Press reported.
“They were falling out of the trees like apples. They were in a state of severe dehydration, and they died within a matter of minutes,” wildlife biologist Gilberto Pozo described what he witnessed to the AP.
In the city of Tecolutilla, Tabasco state, it was reported that the dead monkeys started appearing on Friday, when a local volunteer fire-and-rescue squad showed up with five of the monkeys in the bed of the truck.
So far, at least 83 howler monkeys have been found dead in the Gulf coast state of Tabasco. However, many others were rescued by local residents, with five being rushed to a local veterinarian for immediate care.
NEVADA WILDLIFE MYSTERY SOLVED, SUSPECTED WOLVES WERE ACTUALLY COYOTES
“They arrived in critical condition, with dehydration and fever,” Dr. Sergio Valenzuela told the AP. “They were as limp as rags. It was heatstroke.”
At least nine cities in Mexico have set temperature records as of May 9, with Ciudad Victoria, in the border state of Tamaulipas, registering 117 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the AP. The heatwave has been blamed on the deaths of at least 26 people since March, the AP reported.
Valenzuela said that the monkeys appeared to be on the mend, stating that they were “recovering, aggressive, and biting again.”
The howler monkey, which is the “loudest of all the monkeys,” is known for its loud whooping bark or roar, according to National Geographic.
Pozo added that many local residents wanted to help the monkeys, even adopt them, but he cautioned them on this.
WILD MONKEYS SPOTTED ROAMING FLORIDA NEIGHBORHOODS: ‘ABSOLUTELY CRAZY’
“The truth is that babies are very delicate, they can’t be in a house where there are dogs or cats, because they have pathogens that can potentially be fatal for howler monkeys,” Ponzo described, stressing they must be rehabilitated and released into the wild.
Pozo’s group has set up a special recovery stations for the monkeys and is working to organize a team of specialized veterinarians to give the monkeys the care they need.
Howler monkeys also get almost all the water they need from the food they eat, which is another reason the heatwave has been detrimental to their survival.
Pozo stated that several factors led to the death of the monkeys, including high heat, drought, and forest fires.
THAI WILDLIFE OFFICIALS TO REMOVE HUNDREDS OF MONKEYS FROM POPULAR TOURIST SPOT
Days after the monkeys began to drop dead, Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador acknowledged the issue, saying he had heard about it on social media.
He then congratulated Valenzuela on his efforts and said the government would seek to support the work.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
World
Norway will recognise Palestinian state, PM says
DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY,
Spain and Ireland are also expected to recognise Palestine despite Israel’s warnings of the consequences.
Norway will recognise Palestine as a state, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere says.
A two-state solution is in Israel’s best interest, he announces, adding that the recognition will come as of May 28.
“There cannot be peace in the Middle East if there is no recognition.”
Norway announcement comes as Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is set to announce later on Wednesday a date for formally recognising Palestinian statehood.
Ireland is also expected to announce its plans for the recognition of Palestine.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz has ordered Israel’s ambassadors from Ireland and Norway to immediately return to Israel.
“Ireland and Norway intend to send a message today to the Palestinians and the whole world: terrorism pays,” Katz said.
Israel has said that recognition from the European nations will “fuel extremism and instability” and make them a “pawn in the hands of Hamas”.
More to come …
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