Latest news with #61stMunichSecurityConference
Irish Daily Star
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Irish Daily Star
JD Vance 'owes Romania an apology' as shocking scale of election interference revealed
JD Vance 'owes Romania an apology' after slamming Romania and Europe as a whole for supposedly 'abandoning' democracy over the decision to annul a first-round presidential vote over manipulation fears, an expert has said. In a fiery speech, Vance lashed out at European leaders, saying: 'In Britain and across Europe, free speech, I fear, is in retreat'. The VP, often sent out as Trump's diplomatic attack dog , mentioned by name the choice to redo presidential elections after a bizarre first round saw a political outsider sweep to victory. Vance has himself been accused of advancing Russian narratives around Ukraine. Chaos broke out in Romania's capital in March as furious supporters of the far-right populist Calin Georgescu protested the electoral body's decision to bar him from running in the presidential election redo. He won the first round of last year's race before a top court annulled the election. Read More Related Articles Donald Trump gets good news about his $53M purchase as UK PM demands talks Read More Related Articles Canadian PM Mark Carney issues chilling warning to Donald Trump in victory speech Romanian presidential candidate Calin Georgescu speaks after winning the surprise victory which was later annulled (Image: Getty Images) The decision to redo the election came after allegations emerged that Russia had run a coordinated online campaign to promote the outsider, who ran as an independent. Before the November 24 election, Georgescu had polled in single digits and declared he had spent nothing on the campaign. Moscow has denied that it had meddled in the election. Georgescu, who has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin and criticized NATO and the EU, is now under criminal investigation. JD Vance delivers his speech during the 61st Munich Security Conference (MSC) in Munich (Image: AFP via Getty Images) Writing for Bloomberg, columnist Marc Champion said: "When JD Vance blasted Europe for abandoning democracy in February, he singled out Romania over its unprecedented decision to annul a first-round presidential vote that a candidate from the far-right had come from nowhere to win. The US vice president owes this country an apology." Champion argues that the Romanian elections were clearly being manipulated via social media. TikTok said it dismantled in December covert influence networks targeting Romanians, removing over 27,000 accounts that posted comments via a 'fake engagement vendor' promoting the far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians party and Georgescu. It also removed more than 1,100 accounts impersonating presidential candidates of all stripes. Supporters of Romanian far-right presidential candidate Calin Georgescu take part in a protest against the Government and the annulement of the second tour of the Romanian presidential elections (Image: AFP via Getty Images) The declassified intel showed other platforms such as Telegram, Facebook and YouTube were also used, though to a lesser extent. Champion continued: "If, as Vance seemed to suggest in Munich, the judges weren't defending their country, but conspiring with established parties to keep the far right from power, they did a lousy job. George Simion, leader of ultra-nationalist Alliance for the Union of Romanians party, is favorite to win the first-round vote." Expert Forum, a Romanian think-tank, said this week that online political campaigning has 'entered a new era, dominated by an industry of political promotion through inauthentic networks.' 'We are witnessing an explosion of masked, coordinated and candidate-friendly content, created with the aim of simulating popular support and influencing public perception,' it said.
AFP
25-02-2025
- Politics
- AFP
Post falsely claims to show DRC leader celebrating Valentine's Day in Germany while conflict rages at home
The March Movement (M23) fighters seized an airport serving Bukavu in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo a day before the African Union's (AU) February 2025 summit began in Ethiopia. A post shared on X claimed to show the DRC's leader, Felix Tshisekedi, celebrating Valentine's Day in Germany while conflict was raging at home. But this is misleading; the image shows Tshisekedi surprising his wife in the DRC on her birthday back in 2021. The Congolese leader missed the 2025 AU summit because he was in Germany for the Munich Security Conference. 'As his country is falling apart, with the city of Bukavu falling to the M23 fighters, and as the AU Peace and Security Council meets in Addis Ababa to discuss this deteriorating situation in DRC, President Felix Tshisekedi is celebrating Valentine's Day in Germany,' reads an X post published on February 15, 2025, and shared more than 400 times. Image Screenshot of the misleading post, taken on February 20, 2025 The claim was published by Ugandan journalist Andrew Mwenda (archived here). Tshisekedi is seen in the picture handing a bouquet of flowers to a woman wearing a purple outfit. Some people are wearing masks and there is a cake on a table. Two days before the post was published by Mwenda, Tshisekedi arrived in Germany with his wife and First Lady Denise Nyakeru for the 61st Munich Security Conference (archived here and here). A day later, on Valentine's Day, the Rwandan-backed M23 group captured an airport in Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province in eastern DRC (archived here and here). Although Tshisekedi was out of the country, the image is old and unrelated to the latest fighting ravaging the country. Birthday celebration AFP Fact Check conducted reverse image searches and found that it was published on X by the Voice of Congo nearly four years ago, on March 9, 2021 (archived here). According to the post, the photos show Tshisekedi surprising Nyakeru on her birthday. #RDC : Le président de la République Félix Tshisekedi a fait une surprise à la première dame, Denise Nyakeru Tshisekedi pour son anniversaire en se présentant à son lieu de travail avec des fleurs . — The Voice Of Congo (@VoiceOfCongo) March 9, 2021 Matching features – their attire, the DRC flag on Tshisekedi's right, the cake – can be seen in the photos published in 2021 and the image in the misleading post. Image Screenshots comparing the misleading post (left) and the photos published by Voice of Congo in 2021 A video capturing the moment was published on Facebook the same day (archived here). Photos from the celebration were shared elsewhere on social media (archived here and here). Munich meetings Tshisekedi's Valentine's Day in Munich was spent in meetings with Richard Grenell, the American special envoy in charge of specific missions, and Maxime Prevot, Belgium's deputy prime minister and foreign affairs minister (archived here and here). While at the conference, he called for sanctions against Rwanda for its role in the DRC conflict (archived here). #RDC - #Belgique - #Sécurité | Ce vendredi en #Allemagne, en marge de la Conférence de #Munich sur la sécurité, le Chef de l'État a échangé avec Maxime Prévot (@prevotmaxime), vice-Premier ministre et ministre belge des Affaires étrangères et de la Coopération au… — Présidence RDC (@Presidence_RDC) February 14, 2025 He reportedly cut short his trip following the news of M23's advancement toward Bukavu (archived here) but missed the AU summit in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, where African leaders discussed regional concerns, including the escalating violence in the DRC (archived here and here). The DRC's Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka attended the summit in Tshisekedi's place. M23 fighters seized Bukavu on February 16, 2025, as the AU summit ended and several weeks after capturing North Kivu's capital, Goma (archived here). AFP reported that the armed group is now moving toward the town of Uvira near the Burundi border (archived here).
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Post falsely claims to show DRC leader celebrating Valentine's Day in Germany while conflict rages at home
'As his country is falling apart, with the city of Bukavu falling to the M23 fighters, and as the AU Peace and Security Council meets in Addis Ababa to discuss this deteriorating situation in DRC, President Felix Tshisekedi is celebrating Valentine's Day in Germany,' reads an X post published on February 15, 2025, and shared more than 400 times. The claim was published by Ugandan journalist Andrew Mwenda (archived here). Tshisekedi is seen in the picture handing a bouquet of flowers to a woman wearing a purple outfit. Some people are wearing masks and there is a cake on a table. Two days before the post was published by Mwenda, Tshisekedi arrived in Germany with his wife and First Lady Denise Nyakeru for the 61st Munich Security Conference (archived here and here). A day later, on Valentine's Day, the Rwandan-backed M23 group captured an airport in Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province in eastern DRC (archived here and here). Although Tshisekedi was out of the country, the image is old and unrelated to the latest fighting ravaging the country. AFP Fact Check conducted reverse image searches and found that it was published on X by the Voice of Congo nearly four years ago, on March 9, 2021 (archived here). According to the post, the photos show Tshisekedi surprising Nyakeru on her birthday. Matching features – their attire, the DRC flag on Tshisekedi's right, the cake – can be seen in the photos published in 2021 and the image in the misleading post. A video capturing the moment was published on Facebook the same day (archived here). Photos from the celebration were shared elsewhere on social media (archived here and here). Tshisekedi's Valentine's Day in Munich was spent in meetings with Richard Grenell, the American special envoy in charge of specific missions, and Maxime Prevot, Belgium's deputy prime minister and foreign affairs minister (archived here and here). While at the conference, he called for sanctions against Rwanda for its role in the DRC conflict (archived here). He reportedly cut short his trip following the news of M23's advancement toward Bukavu (archived here) but missed the AU summit in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, where African leaders discussed regional concerns, including the escalating violence in the DRC (archived here and here). The DRC's Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka attended the summit in Tshisekedi's place. M23 fighters seized Bukavu on February 16, 2025, as the AU summit ended and several weeks after capturing North Kivu's capital, Goma (archived here). AFP reported that the armed group is now moving toward the town of Uvira near the Burundi border (archived here).
Associated Press
22-02-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
To answer the key questions about world multipolarity
BEIJING, Feb. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from People's Daily: At the recently held 61st Munich Security Conference (MSC), multipolarity became the focus of discussion. Is today's world truly moving toward a multipolar order? How can the world ensure a healthy and stable transition to multipolarity? The answer to these critical questions concerns the stability of the international order and world peace and development. A multipolar world is both a historical inevitability and a reality. The Munich Security Report 2025, themed 'Multipolarization,' states that today's world is characterized by 'multipolarization.' This assessment aligns with the prevailing consensus in the international community. In international relations, 'pole' refers to key influential political and economic forces in the global system. At its core, multipolarity is a global power and governance system featuring extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit. Since the Cold War ended in the early 1990s, the world has rapidly transitioned toward multipolarity. All countries and regions have increasingly sought a more independent and autonomous position in international affairs. Today, multipolarity is a direct reflection of the changing global power dynamics. According to the International Monetary Fund, emerging markets and developing economies contributed 58.9 percent to the global economy in 2023. The Munich Security Report 2025 highlights that BRICS nations account for about 40 percent of global trade and 40 percent of crude oil production and exports. This is not just about economic development - it is a basis for structural change in global order. The MSC saw 30 percent of its speakers this year representing the Global South, a testament to the world's multipolar trajectory. Global South countries are asserting greater independence in global affairs. They have actively promoted greater democracy in international relations through platforms such as BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, injecting vital momentum into the world multipolarization process. The report notes that multipolarization is not only evident in the diffusion of material power but also in the fact that the world has become more polarized ideologically. Developing nations have grown more self-assured in exploring the path to development independently. Together, the Global South is advocating for equal exchanges, inclusiveness and mutual learning among civilizations. A multipolar world better reflects the international community's aspirations for justice, fairness, and win-win cooperation. It aligns more closely with the realistic need for peace and development, and is more conducive to the reform of the global governance system. Increasing representation and voice of developing countries in global governance does not signify the 'decline of the West.' Rather, it fosters a more balanced and cooperative international system and helps maintain the vitality of multilateralism in a multipolar world. Just as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres suggested, multipolarity promises to be 'a way to fix multilateralism.' To prevent disorder and conflict during the transitional period in the international order, the key lies in working for an equal and orderly multipolar world. The international community should jointly advocate equal treatment, respect the international rule of law, practice true multilateralism, and pursue openness and mutual benefit. It should be a factor of certainty in the multipolar system, and strive to be steadfast constructive forces in a changing world. To build an equal and orderly multipolar world, rules must be followed. The purposes and principles of the UN Charter provide fundamental guidance for handling international relations, and an important cornerstone of a multipolar world. To build an equal and orderly multipolar world, views on cooperation must be updated with the times. One prominent concern about multipolarity is that it may lead to an inadequate supply of global public goods. To prevent this, nations must strike a balance between national and collective interests, and embrace a correct view of cooperation. By practicing true multilateralism, promoting extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit, and advancing a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, all parties can strengthen their ability to tackle challenges and pursue development with solid steps. The international community should seize this historic moment to shape an equal and orderly multipolar world. By prioritizing wisdom over fear, cooperation over confrontation, and rules over disorder, the world will move toward a brighter, more inclusive future.
Reuters
21-02-2025
- Business
- Reuters
President Zelenskyy Announces Expansion of Khmelnytskyi NPP with Westinghouse Amid Ukraine's Nuclear Energy Breakthrough
KYIV, Ukraine, February 21, 2025 (EZ Newswire) -- During his speech at the 61st Munich Security Conference on February 15, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed plans to expand the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), emphasizing the key role of nuclear energy in ensuring Ukraine's viability amid ongoing Russian attacks on the energy sector. "We are currently preparing a project to expand our Khmelnytskyi NPP with the involvement of American business, including Westinghouse. Just a day before Munich, I was there at the plant. This project will strengthen energy security not only of Ukraine but of the entire European region," stated President Zelenskyy. Khmelnytskyi NPP Expansion and the Role of Westinghouse Khmelnytskyi NPP is a key facility within NNEGC Energoatom, operating 9 power units in Ukrainian-controlled territory. CEO Petro Kotin confirmed plans to: Complete the construction of power units No. 3 and No. 4, which are already 80% and 25% finished. Begin construction of power units No. 5 and No. 6, utilizing the latest Westinghouse AP1000 reactor technology. This expansion solidifies Ukraine's position as a leader in nuclear energy development in Europe and ensures long-term energy stability for the region. High-Level Discussions with the U.S. President Zelenskyy also revealed that nuclear energy was a key topic in his conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump, underlining Ukraine's strategic partnership with the United States in securing a stable nuclear future. About Energoatom Energoatom, officially known as the National Nuclear Energy Generating Company of Ukraine, is the state-owned operator of Ukraine's nuclear power plants. Established to ensure the safe, reliable, and efficient generation of nuclear power, Energoatom is a key player in Ukraine's energy sector, providing nearly half of the country's electricity needs. With 15 reactors across four nuclear power plants, Energoatom ranks as Europe's second-largest nuclear power generator by installed capacity. Since the start of the conflict, Energoatom has not only maintained operations under challenging conditions but also expedited efforts to achieve full independence from Russian nuclear fuel and materials. In partnership with international companies like Westinghouse and Holtec International, Energoatom is advancing Ukraine's nuclear energy infrastructure to ensure long-term energy security, economic resilience, and alignment with international safety and environmental standards. For more information, visit Media Contact ### SOURCE: Energoatom Copyright 2025 EZ Newswire
