Latest news with #Pistorius
The South African
3 days ago
- Politics
- The South African
'No doubt there's a white genocide' – Oscar Pistorius's father
Henke Pistorius, the father of Oscar Pistorius, claims that there is a targeted 'white genocide' against white farmers in South Africa. This statement follows discussions about these genocide claims during a meeting between South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and US President Donald Trump at the White House. In an interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored , Henke claimed that white farmers were being specifically targeted, and he also touched on his relationship with Oscar Pistorius. 'No doubt, no doubt about that and unfortunately, no farmer is in a position that they can rely on a kind of protection from authorities or police,' Pistorius said when asked if there was a white genocide. 'Well, you just have to look at the figures and compare the figures of murders amongst white farmers with any group internationally and you see for yourself where that fits in.' During the interview, Piers Morgan referenced South African crime statistics from the police, stating that 26,000 people were killed, and out of that number, only 44 deaths occurred in the farming community. Pistorius claimed that the police crime statistics were inaccurate. 'If you want to get the correct figures, you should speak to organisation like Afriforum,' Pistorius added. When asked about his relationship with his son, Henke revealed that his relationship with the disgraced athlete was strained. 'I am already in trouble with Oscar as I'm sitting here, because I said too much,' Pistorius said. 'We don't [speak regularly] because he knows how I feel. To him, he's guilty of murder because of the process that he's gone through. The facts just do not support a finding of guilty of murder.' On 14 February 2013, Pistorius shot and killed Reeva Steenkamp at his home in Pretoria. A year later, he was initially found guilty of culpable homicide and sentenced to five years in prison This conviction was then overturned by South Africa's Supreme Court in 2016, which instead found him guilty of murder and extended his sentence by a further six years. Pistorius was released from prison on parole in January 2024. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Oscar Pistorius' dad reveals rift with killer son because he DOESN'T accept disgraced Olympian murdered Reeva Steenkamp
THE dad of disgraced murderer Oscar Pistorius says the pair hardly speak anymore as he doesn't accept his son is a killer. Former Olympic sprinter Pistorius shot dead girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in 2013 - but father Henke believes he was "full of fear" during his trial and accepted his jail sentence. 6 Henke Pistorius meets son Oscar as the estranged father says the pair hardly speak anymore Credit: AP:Associated Press 6 The disgraced runner shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp dead in 2013 Credit: Getty 6 Henke still doesn't accept his son is a killer Credit: YouTube Henke has now publicly admitted in a candid interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored that his refusal to accept his son's guilt has created a rift in their relationship. Pistorius hit Reeva, 29, with four bullets fired through the locked door of their bathroom in the early hours of Valentine's Day 2013. After a round of appeals and challenges, Pistorius - dubbed the "Blade Runner" because of his carbon-fibre prosthetic legs - was sentenced to 13 years and five months for murder. Pistorius, a six-time six Paralympic gold medallist, has always claimed the horrific shooting was a mistake. He told the court he thought his model and law graduate partner was an intruder. The sprinter was released after nine years back in January 2024. He has since vanished from the public eye and is trying to live a quiet life alongside his rumoured new girlfriend. But Henke has now told Oscar as I'm sitting here, because I said too much. Most read in The US Sun "We don't [speak regularly] because he knows how I feel. To him, he's guilty of murder because of the process that he's gone through. "The facts just do not support a finding of guilty of murder. Oscar Pistorius FREED on parole nearly 11 years after murder of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp "I just think that he will feel later, to walk away after parole as a person guilty of manslaughter versus a person guilty of murder, two vastly big things, and Oscar is not guilty of murder.' Pistorius was initially found guilty of culpable homicide, South Africa 's equivalent of manslaughter, in court . A year later, the Supreme Court overturned the ruling and found him guilty of murder. Henke continued: 'Obviously, Oscar was full of fear. Oscar will one day tell his story. "He is, at the moment, I'm sure, very sad and very sorry about what happened. "I can't speak for him. He will speak for himself, but what happened is not what came out of the court." Despite being freed from prison , Pistorius remains on parole. He moved into his wealthy uncle's £2 million Pretoria home, and now relies on him for protection. His tycoon uncle Arnold, who made his millions from property and tourism, hired armed guards with attack dogs, while his nephew lives in a cottage on the grounds. Pistorius' sentence ends in 2029 and he is subject to certain conditions for life outside jail. Read more on the Irish Sun These include attending therapy for anger and 'gender-based violence issues". Steenkamp family friend previously said Pistorius should not expect forgiveness and issued a stark warning to him. 6 Reeva Steenkamp was killed on Valentine's Day in 2013 Credit: Getty 6 Pistorius leaving the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria back in 2014 Credit: Reuters 6 Oscar Pistorius served nine years behind bars before he was released on parole Credit: PA
Local Germany
7 days ago
- Politics
- Local Germany
Military service 'could be made mandatory' says German Defence Minister
In an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung (FAS) on Sunday, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius discussed the likelihood of reintroducing compulsory military service in Germany. Pistorius, who was also defence minister in Germany's previous traffic light coalition, said the new government was currently working on a compulsory military service law, and added that he hoped the legislation would come into force in January 2026. Speaking just a few days after the permanent deployment of a German tank brigade in Lithuania , which represents Germany's biggest foreign military mission since World War II, Pistorius said, 'Our model is initially based on voluntary participation." He added, "If the time comes when we have more capacity available than voluntary registrations, a decision may be made to make recruitment mandatory. That is the roadmap." How will conscription be rolled out? Under current plans, compulsory questionnaires would be sent to all German men and women when they turn 18. The questionnaire is intended to collect information on all citizens of military age, allowing the state to decide who should be called up (and in what order) in the event of a military emergency. It will be mandatory for men to complete the questionnaire and register on a new military registration database, whereas participation for women will be voluntary. The government estimates that around 400,000 young people will submit their information each year – and that as many as 40,000 will voluntarily sign up each year for a period of military service (from a minimum of six months up to 23 months). Provided they fall into the right age bracket, newly naturalised Germans and foreign dual citizens will also be included in the military service scheme. READ ALSO: What will Germany's new military service look like - and who will it include? Advertisement Will Germany reintroduce compulsory military service? Compulsory military service was scrapped in Germany in 2011. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, however, the country has been attempting to boost both its defence spending and capabilities. To meet its obligations as part of the NATO alliance, Germany needs to add around 100,000 soldiers to the Bundeswehr. In the lead-up to their coalition negotiations with the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), the conservative Union parties (CDU/CSU) were openly in favour of reintroducing military conscription in Germany. Defence Minister Pistorius (SPD) had advocated in favour of a voluntary system. Now, his comments suggest he fears a voluntary system may not be enough to supply the army with an adequate number of new recruits: 'If the time comes when we have more capacity than voluntary enlistments, then a decision may be made to make military service compulsory.' From a legal point of view, reintroducing conscription would be relatively straightforward, as Germany's old universal conscription law was deactivated, rather than removed from the constitution, in 2011. As it stands, the law only applies to men. A decision to conscript women would require a two-thirds majority in a vote in the Bundestag.
India Gazette
25-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
German defense minister teases possible conscription in 2026
Boris Pistorius has indicated that military draft could become mandatory if not enough Germans volunteer to confront Russia Germany may be forced to revive compulsory conscription as early as next year if not enough people join the army voluntarily to meet Berlin's NATO obligations amid growing tensions with Moscow, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has said. Berlin abolished conscription in 2011 but has recently reconsidered bringing it back, citing "threats" from Russia. Moscow has consistently dismissed such speculation about any intent to attack NATO countries as "nonsense," accusing the West of trying to scare EU populations and justify increased military budgets. Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his coalition partners have already reached an understanding on reintroducing the so-called "Swedish model," which combines selective mandatory and voluntary service. They are now working to pass a new bill by the end of the year, Pistorius said in an interview with Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung on Saturday. "Our model is initially based on voluntary participation," Pistorius stated. "If the time comes when we have more capacity available than voluntary registrations, then we may decide to make it mandatory. That is the roadmap." The German chancellor proclaimed his intention to turn the Bundeswehr into the "strongest army" on the continent earlier this month, just days after the world marked the 80th anniversary of the crushing defeat of Nazi Wehrmacht in World War II. "The federal government will provide all the financial resources that the Bundeswehr needs to become the strongest conventional army in Europe," Merz said. "Our friends and partners expect this from us - and, in fact, they are demanding it." NATO is urging Berlin to significantly expand its military forces, Die Welt reported last week, noting that officials believe the country - already burdened by high dropout rates - will struggle to meet the proposed targets. Pistorius said Germany must be capable of mobilizing a total force of 460,000 soldiers and reservists, including at least 200,000 active-duty troops. READ MORE: Germany taps industry to bolster NATO against 'Russian attack' - Handelsblatt Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, Berlin has become one of Kiev's largest backers after the US and EU institutions, supplying it with heavy weapons, including Leopard 2 tanks, while denying direct involvement. Germany's chief of defense staff, General Carsten Breuer, previously stated that the country was living in a "grey zone," and must be war-ready to confront Russia by 2029. Berlin was the world's fourth-largest military spender in 2024 - after the US, China, and Russia, and ahead of India - according to research by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Overall, NATO members have boosted their combined military expenditure to $1.5 trillion, with roughly one-third contributed by the bloc's European members. In March, the European Commission unveiled a plan to raise a further 800 billion ($896 billion) to "rearm" the EU and produce more weapons for Ukraine. Russian officials have condemned the steps being taken in Europe toward militarization, expressing concern that, rather than supporting US-led peace initiatives for the Ukraine conflict, the EU and UK are instead gearing up for war with Russia.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
German defence minister calls for clampdown on Russia's war financing
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius on Wednesday urged further action to cut off Russia's financial lifelines, following the European Union's adoption of its latest sanctions package against Moscow. The goal must be to curb "the still considerable flow of money into Russia's state coffers, which helps finance the war in the first place," Pistorius told Deutschlandfunk radio. Only by doing so, he argued, can the West effectively worsen Russia's ability to sustain its war in Ukraine, pointing to revenues from Russian oil and gas exports. He also stressed the need to boost Ukraine's rearmament efforts, saying the country has available production capacity in its arms industry but lacks sufficient funding to fully utilize it. "We will step in together and fill these capacity gaps," Pistorius said. The minister expressed scepticism over the latest diplomatic overtures involving US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two leaders spoke by phone on Monday following a series of meetings by their advisers. "Nothing is really happening," he said. "It's all new places, new timelines - and it just means Vladimir Putin can continue his attacks on Ukraine. But there is no peace in sight." On Tuesday, EU member states approved a 17th round of sanctions against Russia. The new measures include tighter controls on the so-called Russian "shadow fleet" used to transport oil and oil products. The ships help Moscow evade Western oil-price caps.
