Latest news with #anti
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Daily Mirror
Brits refuse to get on flights to Spain after being 'scared away'
Brits are among those who have said they will not go on holidays to places in Spain where they are 'not wanted' after anti-tourism protests and resentment has emerged British holidaymakers are snubbing flights to Majorca and vowing they won't visit destinations where they feel unwelcome and "not wanted." As anti-tourism demonstrations and overtourism anger escalates across the Balearic Island hotspot in Spain, Brits have issued stark warnings they're being deterred. "Where you're not wanted, you don't go," declared Rafel Roig, president of the Business Federation of Transport. "The anti-tourism messages are scaring visitors away," warned Juanmi Ferrer, president of Mallorca CAEB Restauración, who revealed turnover in July has plummeted. "This year, hundreds of restaurants in Mallorca will close." Pedro Oliver, president of the Official College of Tourist Guides of the Balearic Islands, agreed that "the anti-tourism messages coming from Mallorca are taking hold". "Negative news has repercussions in other countries, as tourists choose other destinations when deciding where to go on holiday," Mr Oliver explained. "We're sending out the message that we don't want tourists and that everything is overcrowded." Pimeco president Carolina Domingo revealed that "they are noticing that anti-tourism messages are being felt." One resident explained: "People don't seem to realise that, they think they're anti British protests. And what they're really protesting about is over development of certain areas, new complexes, sporting complexes, all inclusive everywhere (nobody spending outside), the strain on the already sparse resources, upping their utility bills. "The ordinary tourist doesn't think of this (and rightly so, we're on holiday). And the only way to grab the attention of the top men, they have to target the tourist. It was bound to happen Spain relies on tourists so. they have reaped what they sowed Tourists will not go there to be abused," another commented. "Spain are now seeing what it was like before tourism," another typed. "They chose to - instead of keeping upper to middle income guests. You chose to embrace those who could afford to come there but couldn't afford to be there. The quality tourists of all nations left long ago." Demonstrations have engulfed Majorca and Menorca as well as Ibiza, Lanzarote and Tenerife, reports Birmingham Live. Beyond the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands, British holidaymakers have witnessed growing hostility on the Spanish mainland in cities such as Barcelona. Go-to destinations for Brits in Spain include the aforementioned resorts alongside Alicante, and capital city Madrid. Other popular cities include Seville, Valencia, Granada and Santander, which fly to Birmingham.
United News of India
21-07-2025
- United News of India
Maoists hack two villagers to death in Chhattisgarh, search operation underway
Bijapur, July 21 (UNI) Two villagers were brutally killed with sharp weapons by suspected Maoists in south Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district. According to police, a group of four to five armed Maoists yesterday entered the village of Chhutwai and attacked 55 year old Kawasi Joga, a resident of Chhutwai, and 50 year old Manglu Kursam, from the nearby village of Bade Tarem. Both victims were killed on the spot. The assailants fled towards the forest immediately after the attack. Bijapur Additional Superintendent of Police Chandrakant Gavarna, speaking to UNI, confirmed the incident and said, 'Multiple police teams have been dispatched for a search operation in the area. Security forces are conducting intensive combing operations to track down those responsible.' The killings are believed to be an act of retaliation by Maoists aiming to instill fear among local villagers, especially at a time when large scale anti Naxal operations are under way across the Bastar division. Officials say the heightened security pressure has led to desperation among Maoist cadres, prompting them to target unarmed civilians. So far this year, nearly 27 people have lost their lives to Maoist violence in the Bastar region, which spans seven districts, including Bijapur. The latest killings come just days after a 16-year-old tribal boy was seriously injured in a pressure IED blast allegedly triggered by Maoists on July 20 in Kondapadgu village. The boy had reportedly stepped on the explosive while grazing cattle in the forest. Security forces believe that as Maoist influence wanes in several pockets of Bastar, they are resorting to sporadic but brutal attacks to reassert their presence. 'This is a clear attempt to create panic and demonstrate their continued control over remote areas,' senior police official said. Local authorities have intensified patrols, and additional reinforcements have been sent to the region. As of Monday afternoon, the search for the attackers was ongoing, and no arrests had been reported so far. UNI XC AAB
Straits Times
10-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Rare earth may help Indonesia persuade US to lower reciprocal tariffs, but experts remain sceptical
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Indonesia's rare earth industry is relatively nascent and underdeveloped, but it has potential beyond its current stated reserve, according to observers. JAKARTA – Even as Indonesia's lead negotiator intensified lobbying efforts for a lowering of America's reciprocal tariffs this week, analysts remain sceptical that talks will make headway even if Jakarta attempts to leverage the nation's rich mineral resources as a bargaining chip. They said the US' apparently adamant rejections to Indonesia's proposals to balance trade were politically motivated, hence any offers, even those that offer economic benefit, will not make them budge. Still, plans to meet with members of the Trump administration in Washington this week went on, as Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto pressed on with negotiation meetings even hours after the July 7 letter that put Indonesia's tariff rate unchanged at 32 per cent. In a text reply to The Straits Times on July 7 night, Mr Airlangga hinted that Indonesia would continue dialogue up to Aug 1, the latest tariff deadline set by the US. He didn't elaborate. Indonesia has offered to cut tariffs on the US imports to near zero, especially for agriculture and industrial items, committed to buying US aircraft, procuring energy commodities such as natural gas and opening up to the US investment opportunities in nickel and copper smelting. These proposals have not gone anywhere. Analysts do not expect much to come out of the ongoing talks, given that there are other political and American domestic considerations. Analyst Henry Pranoto said that the tariff rates for Indonesia are largely motivated by Mr Trump's plan to bring manufacturing jobs back to the US. 'The higher tariffs are meant to offset the gap in the minimum wages between the US and the developing countries,' said Mr Henry, who works at a Jakarta-based investment bank. Meanwhile, Dr Nasir Tamara, a former visiting senior research fellow at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute , noted that Indonesia's recent entry into Brics, a grouping of countries that include China and Russia, could also weigh on the negotiation process, as Mr Trump has threatened an additional 10 per cent tariff on those that aligned with the ' anti -American' grouping. Still, officials are not giving up. A government official who is familiar with the negotiation, told ST that Jakarta is planning to dangle its rich, undeveloped rare earth elements (REEs) reserve as part of negotiations to reduce the 32 per cent reciprocal tariff rate set by the US as the August deadline looms. 'Twenty days is not a lot of time, but we have two things that the US really wants. One of them is rare earth,' said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity, adding that this would be Indonesia's third formal proposal to the US. He declined to provide further information on the second aspect that Indonesia was looking to leverage on. The Indonesia negotiation team had submitted in the second week of April a comprehensive letter to start negotiation, following Mr Trump's Liberation Day tariff speech on April 2. It was addressed to the US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, containing a list of what Indonesia could do to balance trade and what the US could do in exchange. In 2024, Indonesia ran a US$17.9 billion (S$22.9 billion) trade surplus with the US. This compares to Vietnam's trade surplus at US$123 billion , Thailand's at US$45.6 billion and Malaysia's US$24.8 billion. The negotiations progressed, and Indonesian officials told reporters that the US would agree to sign a US$34 billion pact on July 7. The deal would purportedly include a pledge by Indonesian state oil and gas company Pertamina to buy significantly more fuel from the US, as well as the purchase of 75 Boeing aircraft by state-controlled airline Garuda Indonesia. As part of the deal, Indonesia would also pledge to buy more agricultural products from the US such as soybean, and its newly-formed sovereign wealth fund would invest in the oil and gas sector in Alaska. Meanwhile, US companies, such as Apple, would have easier access to sell telecommunication products in Indonesia. US firms would also have more opportunities to invest in nickel smelters to make raw materials to produce electric vehicle batteries. But the expected signing of the July 7 pact did not happen. Indonesia's rare earth industry is relatively nascent and underdeveloped, but it has potential beyond its current stated reserve, according to observers. The government is also looking to open up the industry by exploring rare earth mining permits. Rare earth – used in high-tech, energy and defence applications including missiles – was previously deployed as a negotiating weapon by China, the world's top supplier, in its trade talks with Washington. China, which controls 70 per cent of global rare earth production, had restricted the export of some rare earth minerals on April 4 – a move seen as part of its retaliatory measures against the US' tariff hikes that were announced that same month. This affected ongoing trade talks between the two superpowers. Talks later resumed, and they reached a deal in June after China agreed to release the flow of rare earth shipments while the US lifted its export countermeasures over chips, jet engines and aerospace components. Among the regions rich in rare earth in Indonesia are Humbang Hasundutan in North Sumatra province and Mamuju in West Sulawesi province. The Mamuju mine has been touted to be the first in Indonesia that would get a rare earth mining permit from the government. It contains up to 6,000 parts per million (ppm) of rare earth elements, which is roughly 0.6 per cent of the amount of earth mined . Indonesia, however, has not done as much geochemical mapping, or exploration for rare earth as China or Australia, hence a full picture of its reserve is not available, Mr Fabby Tumiwa, executive director of the Institute for Essential Services Reform, a Jakarta think tank, told ST. But rare earths in Indonesia have also been found in tailings, or waste materials from mining operations. Indonesia's state mining holding company MIND ID said on April 24 that it is working on a pilot project to extract and process rare earth elements found in the tin-mining waste produced by PT Timah, its subsidiary, in Tanjung Ular, Bangka Belitung province. The company is seeking a foreign partner that has an advanced technology to help process monazite found in the tailings into mixed rare earth carbonate that can be further processed into pure rare earth oxides such as neodymium and praseodymium . These two rare earth elements, if combined, would become the strongest permanent magnet that is used in electric vehicles, smartphones and military equipment.
India.com
07-07-2025
- Politics
- India.com
'Extra tariffs will be imposed if...': US president Trump threatens BRICS countries; will India get affected too?
(photo credit reuters for representation only) Donald Trump threatens BRICS countries: In a significant development for global politics and India-US trade relations, US President Donald Trump has warned the members of the BRICS countries that he will impose additional tariffs on countries supporting any policy that is 'anti- US'. According to reports quoting the US President, an additional 10 percent tariff will be imposed on the members of the BRICS countries for opposing the US . Notably, US President Trump 's statement came after BRICS 2025 Summit condemned the US and Israeli attacks on Iran. What's BRICS? BRICS is an intergovernmental organization which comprises ten countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. The founding members of BRICS are Brazil, Russia, India and China. What happened at BRICS 2025 summit? At the BRICS 2025 summit held in Brazil , the 10 member countries – Brazil , China, Egypt , Ethiopia , India, Indonesia , Iran, Russian Federation, South Africa , United Arab Emirates – condemned the US- Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear and military facilities and called the attacks illegal. Will India get affected? Although discussions regarding the India-US trade deal are underway, the current development might impact the US tariffs on India. BRICS calls for urgent UNSC reform, reiterate support for India In the recent development, leaders of BRICS nations also reiterated support for 'comprehensive reform' of the United Nations, including its Security Council, for making it more democratic, representative, effective and efficient. In a joint declaration at the 17th BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, China and Russia, as permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, reiterated their support for the aspirations of Brazil and India to play a greater role in the UN, including its Security Council. Notably, India has long sought a permanent seat in the UN Security Council (UNSC) to better represent the interests of the developing world. The UNSC is composed of 15 member states, including five permanent members with veto power and ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms. (With inputs from agencies)
Civil.ge
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Civil.ge
Failure to Pay Protest Fines to Lead to Detention for Repeat Acts
Individuals who fail to pay fines for four administrative offenses — petty hooliganism, disobeying police, insulting public officials, and violating protest rules such as blocking roads or wearing face coverings — will be sent to detention if they repeat the offenses. These offenses are among the most commonly cited against demonstrators participating in anti–Georgian Dream protests. The rule changes are part of amendments to Georgia's Code of Administrative Offenses, passed by the Georgian Dream parliament on July 2, following two days of accelerated deliberations during extraordinary sessions. Fines for these offenses vary and increase with repeated violations, but generally range around GEL 5,000 (about USD 1,800). If an individual fails to pay a previous fine and is found guilty of the same offense again, the court will no longer have the option to impose another fine and will be required to order detention. The maximum administrative detention period in Georgia is 60 days, extended from 15 days in February. The amendments also change the appeals process for fines. Instead of appealing to the Interior Ministry, individuals must now appeal directly to the courts. Some say the change will ease the ministry's workload — particularly the large number of appeals over road blockage fines — but will add pressure on the judiciary. The Ministry of Internal Affairs was given authority to impose fines for administrative offenses in February. Since then, citizens have been appealing these fines directly to the ministry. 'If the accounting and backlog of fines was the MIA's job before, now the review of administrative offenses will fall to seven judges,' lawyer Saba Brachveli wrote on Facebook, suggesting the state system is shifting the burden onto the courts to handle a growing caseload. 'Those of you who have appealed to the Interior Ministry and have not yet received a response, this new rule will apply to your cases as well,' lawyer Nika Simonishvili said in a Facebook post. He added, 'The Interior Ministry will no longer review your appeal, and all these cases will be sent to the court 10 days after the law comes into force.' Although the exact number is unknown, media estimates suggest hundreds have been fined for blocking roads since protests began on November 28, 2024, after the Georgian Dream government announced it was abandoning the country's EU accession process. The ongoing resistance has since blocked Tbilisi's main Rustaveli Avenue in front of the parliament building daily for more than seven months now. The fine for road blockage was GEL 500 before December, until the Georgian Dream parliament increased it tenfold to GEL 5,000 (about USD 1,800), more than twice the average monthly income in Georgia. In mid-March, the Georgian Young Lawyers Association, a human rights group, said road blockage fines since November 28 stood at GEL 2 million (about USD 715,000). Watchdog groups have widely criticized the hefty fines as a repressive tool used by the government to suppress protests. Also Read: This post is also available in: ქართული
