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March
An exterior view of the Picasso Museum in Paris on Jan 29, 2024. (Photo: AFP/Ian Langsdon) -
VOInews, PARIS : The Picasso Museum in Paris, which houses the world's biggest collection of the Spanish artist's works, is reopening on Tuesday (Mar 12) with an overhauled display and a first-ever tribute to his ex-partner, the renowned painter Francoise Gilot.
The new permanent collection will present a fresh selection of 400 works by Pablo Picasso across the museum's 22 rooms.
They have been drawn from some 200,000 items stored in its archives, which include a large proportion of the 2,000 paintings and more than 11,000 drawings he completed during his lifetime.
All the key periods are represented - from blue, pink and cubist to surrealist, collage and ceramics.
The museum boasts that it is the only institution that can trace Picasso's development from the very beginning up to his death in 1973.
A section called Laboratory highlights Picasso's countless sculptures - made from cardboard, metal, wood, cigar boxes and whatever else came to hand - together with related drawings and paintings.
Another focuses on his work during World War II and the Nazi occupation of Paris, including the sculpture Man with a Sheep, which became a symbol of resistance.
One room has been entirely dedicated to Gilot, who died in June 2023 at the age of 101.
She lived with Picasso for a decade up to 1953 and had two children with him.
Gilot is seen as the one long-term partner who managed to stand up to his often tyrannical behaviour toward women, establishing herself as an artist in her own right.
With many of Picasso's works travelling around the world for the 50th anniversary of his death in 2023, the rehanging is billed as "his return home" said Cecile Debray, the museum's director.
It contrasts his work with artists who influenced him, including Henri Matisse and Paul Cezanne, as well as many anonymous sculptures from Africa and Oceania that ended up in his collection.
A research centre will be inaugurated near the museum in the autumn//CNA-VOI
March
Israeli tank in 'likely scenario' fired machine gun at reporters after deadly shelling, report finds
Written by nuke
Reuters visuals journalist Issam Abdallah takes a selfie in Maras, Turkey, on Feb 11, 2023. (Photo: REUTERS/Issam Abdallah) -
VOInews, BEIRUT/THE HAGUE : An Israeli tank crew killed a Reuters reporter in Lebanon in October by firing two shells at a clearly identified group of journalists and then "likely" opened fire on them with a heavy machine gun in an attack that lasted 1 minute and 45 seconds, according to a report into the incident published on Thursday (Mar 7).
The report by the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) - which was contracted by Reuters to analyse evidence from the Oct 13 attack that killed visuals journalist Issam Abdallah - found that a tank 1.34 km away in Israel fired two 120 mm rounds at the reporters.
The first shell killed Abdallah, 37, and severely wounded Agence France-Presse (AFP) photographer Christina Assi, 28.
A Reuters investigation in December covered TNO's preliminary finding that a tank in Israel had fired at the journalists.
In its final report on Thursday, the institute revealed that audio picked up by an Al Jazeera video camera at the scene showed the reporters also came under fire from 0.50 calibre rounds of the type used by the Browning machine guns that can be mounted on Israel's Merkava tanks.
"It is considered a likely scenario that a Merkava tank, after firing two tank rounds, also used its machine gun against the location of the journalists," TNO's report said. "The latter cannot be concluded with certainty as the direction and exact distance of (the machine gun) fire could not be established."
Reuters could not independently determine if the Israeli tank crew knew it was firing on journalists, nor whether it also shot at them with a machine gun and, if so, why.
Neither of the two surviving Reuters reporters or another AFP journalist at the scene remembered the machine gun fire. All said they were in shock at the time.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) did not respond to requests for comment about any aspect of the attack on journalists. Asked to comment on TNO's preliminary findings in December, the IDF said: "We don't target journalists."
A day after the Reuters investigation was published, it said the incident took place in an active combat zone.
International humanitarian law bars attacks on journalists as those in the news media have the full scope of protection granted to civilians and cannot be considered military targets.
"We condemn, in the strongest terms, the attack on a clearly identifiable group of journalists, working in the open. The attack killed our colleague Issam Abdallah and injured several others. We reiterate our calls on Israel to explain how this could have happened and to hold those responsible to account," Reuters Editor-in-Chief Alessandra Galloni said.
AFP Global News Director Phil Chetwynd reiterated his call for a thorough and transparent investigation by the Israeli military.
"If reports of sustained machine gun fire are confirmed, this would add more weight to the theory this was a targeted and deliberate attack," he said.
Ihtisham Hibatullah, Al Jazeera's manager of international communications, urged the Israeli government to disclose the findings of its own investigation.
"This incident strongly indicates intentional targeting, as confirmed by investigations, including by TNO," he said.
Lebanon's Minister of Information did not respond to a request for comment//CNA-VOI
March
Tunisia Court Overturns Journalist's Five-Year Jail Term
Written by ranov
VOInews, Jakarta: A Tunisian court overturned on Wednesday a journalist's prison sentence for revealing information about the security services, his lawyer said, paving the way for a retrial.
Khalifa Guesmi, a correspondent for Tunisia's most popular radio station, Mosaique FM, was convicted in November and handed a one-year prison sentence that was later increased to five years on appeal.
The Court of Cassation "invalidated the five-year judgement and ordered it to be reviewed", Guesmi's lawyer, Rahal Jallali, told AFP.
Guesmi left prison Wednesday evening, an AFP correspondent reported.
The journalist remains under prosecution, according to his lawyer, under Article 34 of the anti-terrorism, law which "punishes with 10 to 20 years' imprisonment" anyone who publishes information "for the benefit of a terrorist organisation".
Journalists and civil society representatives gathered in Tunis on Wednesday to show support for Guesmi and to call for his immediate release.
Local and international NGOs have launched several calls for his release and condemned the five-year prison sentence as "a sham verdict" and "a major setback for the judicial system".
They have criticised what they say is a marked decline in press freedom in Tunisia since President Kais Saied seized full control of the country in July 2021.
On Wednesday, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), in a post on social media platform X, welcomed what it called "a first step towards justice" for Guesmi and said it "should be followed by his immediate release and acquittal".
Jailed since September 3, Guesmi was found guilty of "participating in the intentional disclosing of information related to interception, infiltration, and audiovisual surveillance or the data collected therein".
He was held for a week in March 2022, after Mosaique FM published on its website information about the dismantling of a "terrorist cell" and the arrest of its members.
Source : AFP
March
Tunisian Civil Society Fears Plan to Limit Foreign Funding
Written by Rama Shidqi P.
VOInews.id: Tunisian civil society groups fear the government is planning to starve them of foreign funding under the pretext of fighting money laundering and terrorism. Tunisian president Kais Saied, who launched a sweeping power grab in 2021 and rules by decree, has accused many non-government organizations of serving "foreign agendas".
February
Biden hopes ceasefire, hostage deal to pause Israel-Hamas war can take effect by next Monday
Written by steve
VOInews, Jakarta : US President Joe Biden said Monday that he hopes a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that would pause hostilities and allow for remaining hostages to be released can take effect by early next week.
As reported by Arabnews.com (27/2) asked when he thought a ceasefire could begin, Biden said that he hopes by the beginning of the weekend.
Negotiations are underway for a week long ceasefire between Israel and Hamas to allow for the release of hostages being held in Gaza by the militant group in return for Israel releasing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
The proposed six-week pause in fighting would also include allowing hundreds of trucks to deliver desperately needed aid into Gaza every day. (Arabnews.com)
February
‘Relief’ for Malaysia PM Anwar as king emphasises political stability, gets on board economic agenda
Written by steve
VOInews, Jakarta: Newly installed Malaysian king Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar warned opposition lawmakers against disrupting political stability on Monday (Feb 26), in a maiden parliamentary speech that will likely bolster the position of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his unity government.
At the opening of the third session of the 15th parliament, Sultan Ibrahim also expressed support for Mr Anwar’s economic reforms and raised concerns about the country’s debt, urging the government to improve its fiscal position. Both points attracted thumps of support from the House, packed with Members of Parliament (MPs) dressed in white ceremonial garb.
The loudest cheers came when the king declared he would not entertain any moves to derail political stability, a veiled reference to earlier speculation that the opposition Perikatan Nasional (PN) was trying to overthrow the unity government using backdoor manoeuvres. (Channelnewsasia.com)
February
Hungary's parliament clears path for Sweden's Nato membership
Written by steve
VOInews, Jakarta: Sweden has cleared its final obstacle to joining Nato after Hungary's parliament voted to ratify the bid. The Nordic nation applied to join the defence alliance after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
As reported by BBC.com (27/2), last week Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban that all Nato members are expected to help an ally which comes under attack.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said it was a "historic day" and a "big step" for Sweden to abandon 200 years of neutrality. (BBC.com)
February
Thousands told to flee homes in Australia amid heat spike, bushfire threat
Written by nuke
Smoke from bushfires rises north of Beaufort, near Ballarat in Victoria, Australia on Feb 24, 2024. (File Photo: AAP Image via Reuters/David Crosling) -
Voinews, Sydney - Hundreds of thousands of residents in Australia's southeast were told to evacuate on Wednesday (Feb 28) due to an intense heatwave that authorities said could further spread a massive bushfire in Victoria state, which faces its worst conditions in four years.
Extreme fire ratings have been issued for large parts of Victoria with the Wimmera region in the west given a catastrophic ranking, the top warning level. Mildura, a rural city of about 56,000, could touch 45 degrees Celsius, the Bureau of Meteorology said.
A potential fire impact zone that covers several rural towns has been identified as officials urged around 30,000 residents there to leave their homes by Wednesday morning.
"Today will be a very challenging day for firefighters," Jason Heffernan, Chief Officer at Victoria fire department told ABC television. "Today is one of those days when communities may need to take immediate action at very short notice."
Hundreds of firefighters were still battling a massive blaze near the city of Ballarat, 95 km west of Melbourne. The fire, burning since last Thursday, has already destroyed six homes, killed livestock and burnt more than 20,000 hectares (200 square kilometres).
A heat wave is set to sweep in from Australia's outback interior, moving across Victoria before likely shifting east to the state of New South Wales on Thursday. Total fire bans are in place across several cities, including Melbourne.
Dry lightning could spark new fires while strong winds forecast from Wednesday afternoon could spread the existing one near Ballarat, Heffernan said.
Heffernan urged people to reconsider any decision to stay back to protect their homes.
"Unless your property is immaculately prepared and you have firefighting resources available and you are fit and you are mentally capable to sustain a long duration firefight ... my strong advice to the community is to leave early," he said//CNA-VOI
February
TikTok shakes up senior roles including in trust and safety unit, Information reports
Written by nuke
Figurines with computers and smartphones are seen in front of TikTok logo in this illustration taken, February 19, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration -
Voinews, Jakarta - ByteDance-owned short video app TikTok is replacing several senior executives including the person running its trust and safety unit which handles content moderation, the Information reported on Tuesday, citing people at the company and a memo sent to staff.
Adam Presser, operations head of the app who reports to TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, will now oversee trust and safety, according to the Information.
Last month, Chew testified before Congress alongside Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg and other tech and media heads in a hearing where lawmakers accused the companies of failing to protect children from escalating threats of sexual predation on their platforms.
Replying to questions from Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, TikTok's CEO had said that the company would spend more than $2 billion on trust and safety efforts. Cormac Keenan, who had led global trust and safety, will now take on a strategic advisory role in the senior leadership team, a spokesperson at TikTok confirmed//CNA-VOI
February
World’s largest ocean-based carbon dioxide removal plant to be built in Singapore
Written by nuke
An artist's rendering of an ocean-based carbon dioxide removal plant. (Photo: Equatic) -
Voinews, Singapore - Over the next 18 months, the world’s largest ocean-based carbon dioxide removal plant will be built in Singapore, following a successful pilot of the technology, project backers announced on Tuesday (Feb 27).
The US$20 million (S$26.9 million) full-scale demonstration plant, dubbed the Equatic-1, is a collaboration between Singapore’s national water agency PUB, UCLA and Equatic, a startup founded by UCLA scientists.
Equatic-1, to be co-funded by PUB, the National Research Foundation (NRF), Singapore, and UCLA’s Institute for Carbon Management (ICM), is the result of the successful launch and operation of two pilots in Los Angeles and Singapore in 2023.
When fully completed at PUB’s research and development facility in Tuas, Equatic-1 will be equipped to remove 10 metric tons of carbon dioxide per day from seawater and the atmosphere.
This is more than 100 times the 100kg of carbon dioxide removal per day at Equatic’s existing plant in Singapore.
"The pilot plant commissioned in Singapore in 2023 provided critical performance data to substantiate our carbon dioxide-removal efficiencies, hydrogen-production rates and energy requirements for the process," said Equatic co-founder Dante Simonetti.
"The findings helped define the pathway for the design and engineering of Equatic-1 based on scaling performance confirmed by the pilot system."
The Equatic process, formerly known as Project SeaChange, expands upon the ocean’s natural ability to store carbon dioxide by removing dissolved CO2 and enhancing its capacity to absorb more of the greenhouse gas.
Utilising electrolysis, an electrical current is passed through seawater brought in from the adjacent PUB desalination plants to break down water into its carbon-negative hydrogen and oxygen constituents.
The process allows atmospheric carbon dioxide, as well as CO2 dissolved in seawater, to be trapped in the form of solid calcium and magnesium-based materials for at least 10,000 years. These carbon byproducts could potentially be used in the construction industry for land restoration, cement, or concrete.
"We are pleased to further our collaboration with UCLA and Equatic, to develop a solution that has potential synergies with PUB’s desalination plants," said PUB chief engineering and technology officer Pang Chee Meng.
For PUB, which has set a target to achieve net zero emissions by 2045, the collaboration with UCLA and Equatic is part of Singapore’s broader efforts to source for novel technologies, such as carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), which could contribute to mitigating the impacts of climate change.
"At PUB, we firmly believe that technological advancements, delivered in partnership with academia and the private sector, hold the key to addressing the complex challenges posed by climate change," said Dr Pang.
If Equatic-1 is successful, the technology would allow for the greenhouse gas to be removed and durably stored, while simultaneously producing nearly 300kg of carbon-negative hydrogen daily.
According to the World Bank, the average global annual carbon emissions per capita in 2020 was about 4.3 metric tons.
At full scale, Equatic-1 can remove as much carbon dioxide as what almost 850 people produce annually.
If the plant hits its goals, Equatic plans to commercialise the technology to launch commercial plants that can remove nearly 110,000 metric tones of carbon dioxide per year, equivalent to the amount produced by 25,000 people.
"We are very grateful for the catalytic support of PUB and NRF, which have helped us create a world-class partnership in our joint efforts to mitigate climate change," said Equatic co-founder and ICM director Gaurav N Sant.
"Scaling carbon dioxide removal solutions requires technology, bold and committed partners, and a focus on timely and measurable success. We have been very fortunate to create this shared vision with our partners in Singapore to pilot and scale Equatic’s solutions."
Equatic-1 also utilises newly developed selective anodes from the US Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) to produce oxygen while also eliminating the unwanted byproduct of chlorine during seawater electrolysis.
This achieves circularity because it creates hydrogen, a clean source of energy, while simultaneously removing carbon dioxide emissions.
Carbon credits from Equatic-1 are allocated to the project’s partners, and Equatic has entered into agreements with companies such as Boeing for the purchase of carbon credits from future commercial plants//CNA-VOI