Asia

/u201cWe believe that this research will clarify the mechanism of the disease (congenital Anodontia) for you and many other patients and contribute to the development of a cure.\u201d<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7741286\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//next//2023//07//11//groundbreaking-research-reveals-definitive-association-between-gut-microbiome-and-autism/">Groundbreaking research reveals \u2018definitive association\u2019 between gut microbiome and autism<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The research team has already successfully stimulated the growth of \"third-generation\" teeth - following the first round baby teeth and then permanent adult teeth - in animal models by targeting a gene called USAG-1, which has been found to limit tooth growth in mice.<\/p>\n<p>By developing a neutralising antibody medicine that blocks the action of USAG-1, Takahashi\u2019s team induced tooth regrowth in mice and ferrets.<\/p>\n<p>The promising results <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.nature.com//articles//s41598-021-93256-y/">were published<\/strong><\/a> in the scientific journal Nature in 2021, capturing the attention of the global scientific community.<\/p>\n<p>A drug to regrow teeth would be revolutionary, providing an alternative solution for individuals who have lost their teeth due to severe cavities or dental diseases.<\/p>\n<p>Work is now underway to get the drug ready for human use. And once its safety and efficacy are ensured, the focus will be on treating children aged 2 to 6 who display signs of anodontia, reported the Mainichi.<\/p>\n<p>Dr Takahashi envisions a future where tooth-regrowth medicine becomes a viable third option alongside dentures and implants, offering individuals a chance to regain their natural teeth.<\/p>\n<p>\"We hope to pave the way for the medicine&#039;s clinical use,\" Takahashi noted.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1689149455,"publishedAt":1691238657,"updatedAt":1691418367,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/next\/2023\/08\/05\/a-drug-that-makes-teeth-regrow-scientists-move-closer-to-clinical-trials","images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/74\/59\/16\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_36c0f3ab-0718-54ad-9da1-1e58dba1928e-7745916.jpg","altText":"Scientists are getting close to a drug that makes teeth regrow","caption":"Scientists are getting close to a drug that makes teeth regrow","captionCredit":"Canva\/Euronews","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"height":900}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"bello","title":"Camille Bello","twitter":"@CamilleBelloD"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":139,"slug":"health","urlSafeValue":"health","title":"Health","titleRaw":"Health"},{"id":18624,"slug":"dentist","urlSafeValue":"dentist","title":"dentist","titleRaw":"dentist"},{"id":22514,"slug":"scientific-research","urlSafeValue":"scientific-research","title":"scientific research","titleRaw":"scientific research"},{"id":7226,"slug":"biology","urlSafeValue":"biology","title":"Biology","titleRaw":"Biology"},{"id":160,"slug":"japan","urlSafeValue":"japan","title":"Japan","titleRaw":"Japan"},{"id":12449,"slug":"medicine","urlSafeValue":"medicine","title":"Medicine","titleRaw":"Medicine"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"related","count":2}],"related":[{"id":2327974},{"id":2336312}],"technicalTags":[],"video":0,"videos":[],"externalPartners":[],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"isLiveCoverage":0,"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"freeField2":null,"type":"","program":{"id":"health","urlSafeValue":"health","title":"Health","online":0,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/next\/health\/health"},"vertical":"next","verticals":[{"id":9,"slug":"next","urlSafeValue":"next","title":"Next"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":9,"slug":"next","urlSafeValue":"next","title":"Next"},"themes":[{"id":"health","urlSafeValue":"health","title":"Health","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/next\/health"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":43,"urlSafeValue":"health","title":"Health"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"isDfp":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":""},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":12,"urlSafeValue":"asia","title":"Asia"},"country":{"id":160,"urlSafeValue":"japan","title":"Japan","url":"\/news\/asia\/japan"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gb_safe','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','pos_ukraine-russia','pos_ukrainecrisis','gs_health','gs_health_misc','gs_health_dentistry','gs_health_disease_dental','gs_science_misc','neg_bucherer','gt_positive','gs_science','gt_positive_curiosity','gs_family_parenting','neg_facebook_2021','neg_mobkoi_castrol','gs_education','neg_nespresso','castrol_negative_uk'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"path":"\/next\/2023\/08\/05\/a-drug-that-makes-teeth-regrow-scientists-move-closer-to-clinical-trials","lastModified":1691418367},{"id":2338772,"cid":7801756,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230804_NWSU_52660901","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Authorities warn of more rain in China as mop-up operations continue","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Authorities warn of more rain in China as mop-up operations continue","titleListing2":"Authorities warn of more rain in China as mop-up operations continue","leadin":"As the rain continues in some parts of the country, Chinese authorities warn that there may be more bad weather and flooding to come.","summary":"As the rain continues in some parts of the country, Chinese authorities warn that there may be more bad weather and flooding to come.","url":"authorities-warn-of-more-rain-in-china-as-mop-up-operations-continue","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Millions of people are still suffering after a tropical storm brought record amounts of rain to the Chinese capital, Beijing, and the neighbouring Hebei province. \n\nOfficials say more than a million people have been relocated from their homes in the northern region. At least 20 people died and another 27 are missing in the suburbs of the capital. \n\nAs officials warn it could take a month for the waters to recede in some areas, emergency workers are trying to restore power, water, and transport links to flood-hit communities. \n\nBut as the rain continues in some parts of the country, the authorities warn that there may be more bad weather and flooding to come. \n\nAnd high water levels on rivers in the north-east are threatening cities downstream, prompting the evacuation of tens of thousands of people. \n\n","htmlText":"<p><strong>Millions of people are still suffering after a tropical storm brought record amounts of rain to the Chinese capital, Beijing, and the neighbouring Hebei province.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Officials say more than a million people have been relocated from their homes in the northern region. At least 20 people died and another 27 are missing in the suburbs of the capital.<\/p>\n<p>As officials warn it could take a month for the waters to recede in some areas, emergency workers are trying to restore power, water, and transport links to flood-hit communities.<\/p>\n<p>But as the rain continues in some parts of the country, the authorities warn that there may be more bad weather and flooding to come.<\/p>\n<p>And high water levels on rivers in the north-east are threatening cities downstream, prompting the evacuation of tens of thousands of people.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1691153329,"publishedAt":1691167766,"updatedAt":1691168223,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/08\/04\/authorities-warn-of-more-rain-in-china-as-mop-up-operations-continue","images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/08\/88\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_a61a746b-63ad-53d3-b14d-b8302eca2ca1-7800888.jpg","altText":"Flooded area in China","caption":"Flooded area in China","captionCredit":"Ng Han Guan\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":683}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":311,"slug":"china","urlSafeValue":"china","title":"China","titleRaw":"China"},{"id":383,"slug":"global-warming-and-climate-change","urlSafeValue":"global-warming-and-climate-change","title":"Global warming and climate change","titleRaw":"Global warming and climate change"},{"id":9403,"slug":"drought","urlSafeValue":"drought","title":"Drought","titleRaw":"Drought"},{"id":5052,"slug":"flood","urlSafeValue":"flood","title":"Floods","titleRaw":"Floods"},{"id":10395,"slug":"typhoon","urlSafeValue":"typhoon","title":"Typhoon","titleRaw":"Typhoon"},{"id":9953,"slug":"china-flood","urlSafeValue":"china-flood","title":"China flood","titleRaw":"China flood"}],"widgets":[],"related":[{"id":2333086},{"id":2336642},{"id":2338504}],"technicalTags":[],"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":35000,"editor":null,"filesizeBytes":4533090,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/08\/04\/en\/230804_NWSU_52660901_52660930_35000_183642_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":35000,"editor":null,"filesizeBytes":6916962,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/08\/04\/en\/230804_NWSU_52660901_52660930_35000_183642_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"externalPartners":{"dailymotionId":"x8n0ik5","youtubeId":"WHQ4-VAeWSU"},"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"isLiveCoverage":0,"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"agencies","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":"","freeField2":null,"type":"","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"isDfp":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":""},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":12,"urlSafeValue":"asia","title":"Asia"},"country":{"id":311,"urlSafeValue":"china","title":"China","url":"\/news\/asia\/china"},"town":{"id":505,"urlSafeValue":"beijing","title":"Beijing"},"grapeshot":"'gs_science','gs_science_environ','gs_science_environment','gv_death_injury','gs_science_weather','gb_death_injury_high_med','gb_death_injury_high_med_low','gb_death_injury_news-ent','gs_busfin_business_green','gs_busfin','gs_busfin_business'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"path":"\/2023\/08\/04\/authorities-warn-of-more-rain-in-china-as-mop-up-operations-continue","lastModified":1691168223},{"id":2338700,"cid":7801458,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230804_WBWB_52659908","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"In kleptocrats-riddled Lebanon, it is difficult to know what rock bottom is","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"In Lebanon, it is difficult to know what rock bottom is","titleListing2":"VIEW | It is a humanitarian duty for the Council of the European Union to support the people of Lebanon and issue targeted sanctions against those who continue to promote their own interests to the detriment of the population, Zena Wakim writes.","leadin":"It is a humanitarian duty for the Council of the European Union to support the people of Lebanon and issue targeted sanctions against those who continue to promote their own interests to the detriment of the population, Zena Wakim writes.","summary":"It is a humanitarian duty for the Council of the European Union to support the people of Lebanon and issue targeted sanctions against those who continue to promote their own interests to the detriment of the population, Zena Wakim writes.","url":"in-kleptocrats-riddled-lebanon-it-is-difficult-to-know-what-rock-bottom-is","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Beirut\u2019s celebrated nightlife has long had a rebellious air: a subversive challenge to conservative dogma, an antidote to rotten politics and a hedonistic emancipation from sectarian street battles.\u00a0 \n\nBut now even the night has been stolen, increasingly affordable only to the rich.\u00a0Rolling power outages ensure that the city is bathed in darkness.\u00a0 \n\nMeanwhile, the tourism ministry excitedly predicted 2.2 million visitors this summer.\u00a0Most will be Lebanese who long since fled, briefly seeing family and friends still trapped in a quagmire. \n\nIn Lebanon, it is difficult to know what rock bottom is, perhaps that\u2019s why EU policymakers fail to treat it as a priority.\u00a0 \n\nFifteen years of civil war, an Israeli invasion, a Syrian occupation, over 250 unsolved political assassinations, an unparalleled refugee crisis, the world\u2019s worst economic collapse since the 19th century and one of the biggest non-nuclear explosions in history. \n\nThe country is an unaccountable mafia state where over 80% of the citizens now live in multidimensional poverty and where ex-warlords turned politicians turned the state into a host they could feed on.\u00a0 \n\nOr, to quote the World Bank, the government has \u201cconsistently and acutely departed from orderly and disciplined fiscal policy to serve the larger purpose of cementing political economy interests.\u201d \n\nDystopian scenes and parallel realities \n\nYears of financial misconduct by the government culminated in 2019 when Lebanese citizens found their bank accounts effectively frozen, blocked from withdrawing US dollars and only allowed derisory amounts of Lebanese pounds\u00a0\u2014 a currency that has now lost more than 98% of its value in four years.\u00a0 \n\nThe pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine compounded the financial misery prompting more power outages, medicine shortages and mass emigration.\u00a0 \n\nSome took to refugee boats across the Mediterranean. Some scavenged for food in dumpsters.\u00a0 \n\nOthers conducted armed heists on banks to demand their own savings, becoming folk heroes in the process. \n\nBut amid these dystopian scenes, under cover of banking secrecy laws, the country\u2019s politically connected were living in a parallel reality.\u00a0 \n\nWhile ordinary people, those not politically connected, were unable to access their funds, political elites transferred over $10 billion (\u20ac9.06bn) out of the country siphoning the pot of liquidities collectively owned by all depositors.\u00a0 \n\nIt wasn\u2019t too complicated since 18 of the 20 largest Lebanese banks are owned by politically exposed individuals. \n\nA whole country running on cash is a win-win for kleptocrats \n\nIn lieu of a banking system, Lebanon now runs on cash. In lieu of people to form a thriving economy, Lebanon survives on remittances from abroad (accounting for 38% of GDP). \n\nUsing central bank-issued licenses, a few privileged firms in the country are allowed to process these money transfers, conveniently located in areas run by ruling parties.\u00a0 \n\nOne of them is BOB Finance whose chairman is a long-standing ally of the Governor of the Central Bank and the head of the Banking Association.\u00a0 \n\nThe worse the economy, the more urgent the need for remittances. More remittances mean higher profits for the elite\u2019s crony companies. \n\nIt is just one of many schemes in Lebanon\u2019s Ponzi economy, and another example of why the banking sector remains a quagmire.\u00a0 \n\nThe cash economy creates a win-win situation for the kleptocrats. The longer Lebanon goes without an IMF plan, the more cash they make.\u00a0 \n\nAnd when, or if, said plan should come to fruition and the banking sector gets restructured, they will be the first to show up with the cash to acquire what remains of the economy, including its ailing banks.\u00a0 \n\nTheir industrial-scale looting will go unpunished, and the parasitic networks will continue to strangle the country to destitution. \n\nThat is, unless Europe decides to get serious and punish the wrongdoers with travel bans, asset freezes and seizures. \n\nIs there anything left to destabilise? \n\nIt is regularly heard in Brussels circles that Syria and Iran are much more of a priority than Lebanon and that sanctions should focus first on Damascus and Teheran.\u00a0 \n\nThe reality is that handling Lebanon as an unrelated matter is an intellectual construct which can only be entertained by bureaucrats who do not grasp the extent of state capture in Beirut. \n\nIt has also been a long rhetoric that one shouldn\u2019t rock the boat in Lebanon as long as the refugees are \u201cthere\u201d and that any targeted sanctions on the Lebanese political elite might destabilise the country and the region.\u00a0But is there anything left to destabilise? \n\nIn July 2021, the Council of the EU announced a framework for sanctions against Lebanese figures \"undermining democracy or the rule of law in Lebanon\" while assuming that the threat of sanctions would be deterring for the corrupt elite.\u00a0 \n\nThe two years which elapsed since the framework was issued not only proved them wrong since the situation continues to deteriorate but it showed how much they underestimated the genius wit of those in power who was given a perfect window of opportunity to put their assets in safe heavens. \n\nThe cost of this poor bet is borne by the population alone. \n\nIt's time for the party to be over \n\nOn 12 July, the European Parliament adopted a draft resolution calling for sanctions on Lebanese elites obstructing presidential elections and the Beirut port blast investigation and those who have enriched themselves to the detriment of the population.\u00a0 \n\nIt now behooves the Council of the European Union to take action. For those that helped impoverish the country, it is time that the party stopped. \n\nHeading the opposite direction from Lebanese visitors this summer will be the elites, jetting out to European properties bought with money looted from the state, perhaps with bags of cash to deposit in European banks.\u00a0 \n\nThey may drive past Gemmayze, the lively neighbourhood for Beirut\u2019s \"real nightlife\" peppered with bars, galleries, and restaurants that many now struggle to afford.\u00a0 \n\nIt is also the place where the port explosion ripped through three years ago and for which still nobody has been held accountable. Impunity has robbed Beirut of its soul. \n\nWhile civil society tracks corruption and proceeds to have them restituted to Lebanon, while the victims of the Beirut port explosion gather their last resources to push for justice, while courageous journalists and intellectuals risk their lives to seek\u00a0accountability, it is a humanitarian duty for the Council of the European Union to support their fight and issue targeted sanctions against those who continue to promote their own interests to the detriment of the population. \n\nZena Wakim is an international lawyer and President of the Board of the Swiss Foundation Accountability Now, whose mission is to support Lebanese civil society in its desire to put an end to the impunity of corrupt leaders. \n\nAt Euronews, we believe all views matter. Contact us at view@euronews.com to send pitches or submissions and be part of the conversation. \n\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Beirut\u2019s celebrated nightlife has long had a rebellious air: a subversive challenge to conservative dogma, an antidote to rotten politics and a hedonistic emancipation from sectarian street battles.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But now even the night has been stolen, increasingly affordable only to the rich.\u00a0Rolling power outages ensure that the city is bathed in darkness.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, the tourism ministry excitedly predicted 2.2 million visitors this summer.\u00a0Most will be Lebanese who long since fled, briefly seeing family and friends still trapped in a quagmire.<\/p>\n<p>In Lebanon, it is difficult to know what rock bottom is, perhaps that\u2019s why EU policymakers fail to treat it as a priority.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Fifteen years of civil war, an Israeli invasion, a Syrian occupation, over 250 unsolved political assassinations, an unparalleled refugee crisis, the world\u2019s worst economic collapse since the 19th century and one of the biggest non-nuclear explosions in history.<\/p>\n<p>The country is an unaccountable mafia state where over 80% of the citizens now live in multidimensional poverty and where ex-warlords turned politicians turned the state into a host they could feed on.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Or, to quote the World Bank, the government has \u201cconsistently and acutely departed from orderly and disciplined fiscal policy to serve the larger purpose of cementing political economy interests.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Dystopian scenes and parallel realities<\/h2><p>Years of financial misconduct by the government culminated in 2019 when Lebanese citizens found their bank accounts effectively frozen, blocked from withdrawing US dollars and only allowed derisory amounts of Lebanese pounds\u00a0\u2014 a currency that has now lost more than 98% of its value in four years.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine compounded the financial misery prompting more power outages, medicine shortages and mass emigration.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Some took to refugee boats across the Mediterranean. Some scavenged for food in dumpsters.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">Amid these dystopian scenes, under cover of banking secrecy laws, the country\u2019s politically connected were living in a parallel reality.<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6669921875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//80//14//58//808x539_cmsv2_b4376b24-b026-5cd6-b491-24fc7c25ef04-7801458.jpg/" alt=\"AP Photo&#47;Thibault Camus\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/14\/58\/384x256_cmsv2_b4376b24-b026-5cd6-b491-24fc7c25ef04-7801458.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/14\/58\/640x427_cmsv2_b4376b24-b026-5cd6-b491-24fc7c25ef04-7801458.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/14\/58\/750x500_cmsv2_b4376b24-b026-5cd6-b491-24fc7c25ef04-7801458.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/14\/58\/828x552_cmsv2_b4376b24-b026-5cd6-b491-24fc7c25ef04-7801458.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/14\/58\/1080x720_cmsv2_b4376b24-b026-5cd6-b491-24fc7c25ef04-7801458.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/14\/58\/1200x800_cmsv2_b4376b24-b026-5cd6-b491-24fc7c25ef04-7801458.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/14\/58\/1920x1281_cmsv2_b4376b24-b026-5cd6-b491-24fc7c25ef04-7801458.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">A rescue team surveys the site of this week&apos;s massive explosion in the port of Beirut, 7 August 2020<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo&#47;Thibault Camus<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Others conducted armed heists on banks to demand their own savings, becoming folk heroes in the process.<\/p>\n<p>But amid these dystopian scenes, under cover of banking secrecy laws, the country\u2019s politically connected were living in a parallel reality.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>While ordinary people, those not politically connected, were unable to access their funds, political elites transferred over $10 billion (\u20ac9.06bn) out of the country siphoning the pot of liquidities collectively owned by all depositors.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It wasn\u2019t too complicated since 18 of the 20 largest Lebanese banks are owned by politically exposed individuals.<\/p>\n<h2>A whole country running on cash is a win-win for kleptocrats<\/h2><p>In lieu of a banking system, Lebanon now runs on cash. In lieu of people to form a thriving economy, Lebanon survives on remittances from abroad (accounting for 38% of GDP).<\/p>\n<p>Using central bank-issued licenses, a few privileged firms in the country are allowed to process these money transfers, conveniently located in areas run by ruling parties.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>One of them is BOB Finance whose chairman is a long-standing ally of the Governor of the Central Bank and the head of the Banking Association.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The worse the economy, the more urgent the need for remittances. More remittances mean higher profits for the elite\u2019s crony companies.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">The cash economy creates a win-win situation for the kleptocrats. The longer Lebanon goes without an IMF plan, the more cash they make.<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.666015625\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//80//14//58//808x539_cmsv2_a9795112-1a80-5390-9b07-29327df4e60b-7801458.jpg/" alt=\"AP Photo&#47;Hussein Malla\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/14\/58\/384x256_cmsv2_a9795112-1a80-5390-9b07-29327df4e60b-7801458.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/14\/58\/640x426_cmsv2_a9795112-1a80-5390-9b07-29327df4e60b-7801458.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/14\/58\/750x500_cmsv2_a9795112-1a80-5390-9b07-29327df4e60b-7801458.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/14\/58\/828x551_cmsv2_a9795112-1a80-5390-9b07-29327df4e60b-7801458.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/14\/58\/1080x719_cmsv2_a9795112-1a80-5390-9b07-29327df4e60b-7801458.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/14\/58\/1200x799_cmsv2_a9795112-1a80-5390-9b07-29327df4e60b-7801458.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/14\/58\/1920x1279_cmsv2_a9795112-1a80-5390-9b07-29327df4e60b-7801458.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">ATM covered with diesel fuel after it was vandalised by angry depositors who attacked Byblos Bank in Beirut, June 2023<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo&#47;Hussein Malla<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>It is just one of many schemes in Lebanon\u2019s Ponzi economy, and another example of why the banking sector remains a quagmire.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The cash economy creates a win-win situation for the kleptocrats. The longer Lebanon goes without an IMF plan, the more cash they make.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>And when, or if, said plan should come to fruition and the banking sector gets restructured, they will be the first to show up with the cash to acquire what remains of the economy, including its ailing banks.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Their industrial-scale looting will go unpunished, and the parasitic networks will continue to strangle the country to destitution.<\/p>\n<p>That is, unless Europe decides to get serious and punish the wrongdoers with travel bans, asset freezes and seizures.<\/p>\n<h2>Is there anything left to destabilise?<\/h2><p>It is regularly heard in Brussels circles that Syria and Iran are much more of a priority than Lebanon and that sanctions should focus first on Damascus and Teheran.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The reality is that handling Lebanon as an unrelated matter is an intellectual construct which can only be entertained by bureaucrats who do not grasp the extent of state capture in Beirut.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">It has also been a long rhetoric that one shouldn\u2019t rock the boat in Lebanon ... and that any targeted sanctions on the Lebanese political elite might destabilise the country and the region. But is there anything left to destabilise?<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6708984375\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//80//14//58//808x542_cmsv2_15ab56e5-eaa1-5533-b009-f63183fe1b57-7801458.jpg/" alt=\"AP Photo&#47;Mohammad Zaatari\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/14\/58\/384x258_cmsv2_15ab56e5-eaa1-5533-b009-f63183fe1b57-7801458.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/14\/58\/640x429_cmsv2_15ab56e5-eaa1-5533-b009-f63183fe1b57-7801458.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/14\/58\/750x503_cmsv2_15ab56e5-eaa1-5533-b009-f63183fe1b57-7801458.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/14\/58\/828x556_cmsv2_15ab56e5-eaa1-5533-b009-f63183fe1b57-7801458.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/14\/58\/1080x725_cmsv2_15ab56e5-eaa1-5533-b009-f63183fe1b57-7801458.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/14\/58\/1200x805_cmsv2_15ab56e5-eaa1-5533-b009-f63183fe1b57-7801458.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/14\/58\/1920x1288_cmsv2_15ab56e5-eaa1-5533-b009-f63183fe1b57-7801458.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">A Lebanese street vendor who sells and repairs clocks, sits next of two clocks that show different times in Lebanon, in the southern port city of Sidon, March 2023<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo&#47;Mohammad Zaatari<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>It has also been a long rhetoric that one shouldn\u2019t rock the boat in Lebanon as long as the refugees are \u201cthere\u201d and that any targeted sanctions on the Lebanese political elite might destabilise the country and the region.\u00a0But is there anything left to destabilise?<\/p>\n<p>In July 2021, the Council of the EU announced a framework for sanctions against Lebanese figures \"undermining democracy or the rule of law in Lebanon\" while assuming that the threat of sanctions would be deterring for the corrupt elite.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The two years which elapsed since the framework was issued not only proved them wrong since the situation continues to deteriorate but it showed how much they underestimated the genius wit of those in power who was given a perfect window of opportunity to put their assets in safe heavens.<\/p>\n<p>The cost of this poor bet is borne by the population alone.<\/p>\n<h2>It's time for the party to be over<\/h2><p>On 12 July, the European Parliament adopted a draft resolution calling for sanctions on Lebanese elites obstructing presidential elections and the Beirut port blast investigation and those who have enriched themselves to the detriment of the population.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It now behooves the Council of the European Union to take action. For those that helped impoverish the country, it is time that the party stopped.<\/p>\n<p>Heading the opposite direction from Lebanese visitors this summer will be the elites, jetting out to European properties bought with money looted from the state, perhaps with bags of cash to deposit in European banks.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">Gemmayze ... is also the place where the port explosion ripped through three years ago for which still nobody has been held accountable. Impunity has robbed Beirut of its soul.<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6533203125\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//80//14//58//808x528_cmsv2_ffb2f64c-678a-5904-b4f3-adf4eca8bd5f-7801458.jpg/" alt=\"JOSEPH EID&#47;AFP\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/14\/58\/384x251_cmsv2_ffb2f64c-678a-5904-b4f3-adf4eca8bd5f-7801458.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/14\/58\/640x418_cmsv2_ffb2f64c-678a-5904-b4f3-adf4eca8bd5f-7801458.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/14\/58\/750x490_cmsv2_ffb2f64c-678a-5904-b4f3-adf4eca8bd5f-7801458.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/14\/58\/828x541_cmsv2_ffb2f64c-678a-5904-b4f3-adf4eca8bd5f-7801458.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/14\/58\/1080x706_cmsv2_ffb2f64c-678a-5904-b4f3-adf4eca8bd5f-7801458.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/14\/58\/1200x784_cmsv2_ffb2f64c-678a-5904-b4f3-adf4eca8bd5f-7801458.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/14\/58\/1920x1254_cmsv2_ffb2f64c-678a-5904-b4f3-adf4eca8bd5f-7801458.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Demonstrators march past a statue symbolising &quot;Beirut rising from destruction&quot; erected in the middle of a street in the Gemmayze neighbourhood, 4 August 2021<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">JOSEPH EID&#47;AFP<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>They may drive past Gemmayze, the lively neighbourhood for Beirut\u2019s \"real nightlife\" peppered with bars, galleries, and restaurants that many now struggle to afford.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It is also the place where the port explosion ripped through three years ago and for which still nobody has been held accountable. Impunity has robbed Beirut of its soul.<\/p>\n<p>While civil society tracks corruption and proceeds to have them restituted to Lebanon, while the victims of the Beirut port explosion gather their last resources to push for justice, while courageous journalists and intellectuals risk their lives to seek\u00a0accountability, it is a humanitarian duty for the Council of the European Union to support their fight and issue targeted sanctions against those who continue to promote their own interests to the detriment of the population.<\/p>\n<p><em>Zena Wakim is an international lawyer and President of the Board of the Swiss Foundation Accountability Now, whose mission is to support Lebanese civil society in its desire to put an end to the impunity of corrupt leaders.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>At Euronews, we believe all views matter. Contact us at <a href=https://www.euronews.com/news/\"mailto:view@euronews.com\">view@euronews.com to send pitches or submissions and be part of the conversation.<\/em><\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1691147662,"publishedAt":1691160350,"updatedAt":1691400664,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/08\/04\/in-kleptocrats-riddled-lebanon-it-is-difficult-to-know-what-rock-bottom-is","images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/14\/58\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_e35888bd-765b-5925-aa89-c30f12467101-7801458.jpg","altText":"An anti-government protester woman throws a stone towards riot police during a protest near Parliament Square, in Beirut, September 2020","caption":"An anti-government protester woman throws a stone towards riot police during a protest near Parliament Square, in Beirut, September 2020","captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Euronews","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"height":900},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/14\/58\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_b4376b24-b026-5cd6-b491-24fc7c25ef04-7801458.jpg","altText":"A rescue team surveys the site of this week's massive explosion in the port of Beirut, 7 August 2020","caption":"A rescue team surveys the site of this week's massive explosion in the port of Beirut, 7 August 2020","captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Thibault Camus","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":683},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/14\/58\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_15ab56e5-eaa1-5533-b009-f63183fe1b57-7801458.jpg","altText":"A Lebanese street vendor who sells and repairs clocks, sits next of two clocks that show different times in Lebanon, in the southern port city of Sidon, March 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Malla","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":682},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/14\/58\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_ffb2f64c-678a-5904-b4f3-adf4eca8bd5f-7801458.jpg","altText":"Demonstrators march past a statue symbolising \"Beirut rising from destruction\" erected in the middle of a street in the Gemmayze neighbourhood, 4 August 2021","caption":"Demonstrators march past a statue symbolising \"Beirut rising from destruction\" erected in the middle of a street in the Gemmayze neighbourhood, 4 August 2021","captionCredit":"JOSEPH EID\/AFP","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":669}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":168,"slug":"lebanon","urlSafeValue":"lebanon","title":"Lebanon","titleRaw":"Lebanon"},{"id":21598,"slug":"lebanon-protests","urlSafeValue":"lebanon-protests","title":"Lebanon Protests","titleRaw":"Lebanon Protests"},{"id":105,"slug":"european-union","urlSafeValue":"european-union","title":"European Union","titleRaw":"European Union"},{"id":12824,"slug":"sanctions","urlSafeValue":"sanctions","title":"Sanctions","titleRaw":"Sanctions"},{"id":9415,"slug":"economic-crisis","urlSafeValue":"economic-crisis","title":"Economic crisis","titleRaw":"Economic crisis"},{"id":4988,"slug":"corruption","urlSafeValue":"corruption","title":"Corruption","titleRaw":"Corruption"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"image","count":4},{"slug":"quotation","count":4}],"related":[],"technicalTags":[],"video":0,"videos":[],"externalPartners":[],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"isLiveCoverage":0,"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Zena Wakim, International lawyer, President of the Board, Accountability Now","freeField1":"","freeField2":null,"type":"","program":{"id":"view","urlSafeValue":"view","title":"View","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/view"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"isDfp":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":""},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":12,"urlSafeValue":"asia","title":"Asia"},"country":{"id":168,"urlSafeValue":"lebanon","title":"Lebanon","url":"\/news\/asia\/lebanon"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','gs_politics','neg_facebook_2021','sm_politics','castrol_negative_uk','neg_mobkoi_castrol','gs_politics_issues_policy','gs_politics_misc','gs_science_geography','gt_negative','neg_facebook_q4','gv_crime','neg_facebook','neg_saudiaramco','gs_busfin','gs_busfin_economy','gs_economy','gs_economy_misc','gb_crime_edu','gb_crime_high_med_low','gv_death_injury','gt_negative_mistrust'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet-web","format":"default"},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"path":"\/2023\/08\/04\/in-kleptocrats-riddled-lebanon-it-is-difficult-to-know-what-rock-bottom-is","lastModified":1691400664},{"id":2338684,"cid":7801416,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230804_S5SU_52659725","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Japanese moviegoers react to \"Barbenheimer\" memeification backlash ","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Japanese moviegoers react to \"Barbenheimer\" memeification backlash ","titleListing2":"As the bombing of Hiroshima approaches its 75th anniversary, Japanese moviegoers reflect on the recent controversy surrounding the memeification of \"Barbenheimer\". ","leadin":"As the bombing of Hiroshima approaches its 75th anniversary, Japanese moviegoers reflect on the recent controversy surrounding the memeification of \"Barbenheimer\". ","summary":"As the bombing of Hiroshima approaches its 75th anniversary, Japanese moviegoers reflect on the recent controversy surrounding the memeification of \"Barbenheimer\". ","url":"japanese-moviegoers-react-to-barbenheimer-memeification-backlash","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"","htmlText":"","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1691146523,"publishedAt":1691148607,"updatedAt":1691148965,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/video\/2023\/08\/04\/japanese-moviegoers-react-to-barbenheimer-memeification-backlash","images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/14\/16\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_9a402a7e-3a06-5296-8638-78bfbe2ecbf0-7801416.jpg","altText":"Japanese moviegoers react to Barbenheimer controversy ","caption":"Japanese moviegoers react to Barbenheimer controversy ","captionCredit":"AFP","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"height":1080},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/14\/16\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_ae1bbbe4-3175-5cb4-a93c-60417cc40d76-7801416.jpg","altText":"Japanese moviegoers react to Barbenheimer controversy 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How this mint-choc drink became a symbol of political turmoil in Thailand","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Why is this mint-choc drink a symbol of Thailand's political turmoil? ","titleListing2":"Watch: How this mint-choc drink became a symbol of political turmoil in Thailand","leadin":"Betrayal is a beverage best served chilled in Thailand, as an innocuous chocolate-mint iced concoction takes the limelight -- an unlikely symbol of the kingdom's deep political divisions following May's election.","summary":"Betrayal is a beverage best served chilled in Thailand, as an innocuous chocolate-mint iced concoction takes the limelight -- an unlikely symbol of the kingdom's deep political divisions following May's election.","url":"watch-how-this-mint-choc-drink-became-a-symbol-of-political-turmoil-in-thailand","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"","htmlText":"","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1691073371,"publishedAt":1691145052,"updatedAt":1691145728,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/video\/2023\/08\/04\/watch-how-this-mint-choc-drink-became-a-symbol-of-political-turmoil-in-thailand","images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/96\/34\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_4b3288db-6cb2-5d3c-acf7-61ca3c805d2c-7799634.jpg","altText":"Betrayal best served cold, and with mint-choc, in Thai politics","caption":"Betrayal best served cold, and with mint-choc, in Thai politics","captionCredit":"AFP ","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"height":1080}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"farrant","title":"Theo Farrant","twitter":"theo_farrant"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":9813,"slug":"video","urlSafeValue":"video","title":"Video","titleRaw":"Video"},{"id":10655,"slug":"thailand-politics","urlSafeValue":"thailand-politics","title":"Thailand politics","titleRaw":"Thailand politics"},{"id":276,"slug":"thailand","urlSafeValue":"thailand","title":"Thailand","titleRaw":"Thailand"},{"id":15036,"slug":"chocolate","urlSafeValue":"chocolate","title":"chocolate","titleRaw":"chocolate"},{"id":12581,"slug":"democracy","urlSafeValue":"democracy","title":"Democracy","titleRaw":"Democracy"},{"id":28538,"slug":"elections-results","urlSafeValue":"elections-results","title":"elections results","titleRaw":"elections results"}],"widgets":[],"related":[],"technicalTags":[],"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":111760,"editor":null,"filesizeBytes":13858928,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/C1\/SU\/23\/08\/03\/en\/230803_C1SU_52649439_52649479_111760_170056_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":111760,"editor":null,"filesizeBytes":21277296,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/C1\/SU\/23\/08\/03\/en\/230803_C1SU_52649439_52649479_111760_170056_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"externalPartners":{"dailymotionId":"x8n0adj","youtubeId":"EV2RgDlZ2UY"},"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"isLiveCoverage":0,"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"AFP","freeField1":"","freeField2":null,"type":"","program":{"id":"culture_taste","urlSafeValue":"culture-taste","title":"Culture Taste","online":0,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/culture\/culture-taste\/culture-taste"},"vertical":"culture","verticals":[{"id":10,"slug":"culture","urlSafeValue":"culture","title":"Culture"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":10,"slug":"culture","urlSafeValue":"culture","title":"Culture"},"themes":[{"id":"culture-taste","urlSafeValue":"culture-taste","title":"Taste","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/culture\/culture-taste"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":50,"urlSafeValue":"culture-taste","title":"Culture-taste"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"isDfp":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":""},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":12,"urlSafeValue":"asia","title":"Asia"},"country":{"id":276,"urlSafeValue":"thailand","title":"Thailand","url":"\/news\/asia\/thailand"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gb_safe','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','pos_ukraine-russia','pos_ukrainecrisis','gs_food','gs_politics','gs_fooddrink','gs_food_drink','gs_politics_issues_policy','sm_politics','gs_politics_misc'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet-video","format":"video"},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"path":"\/video\/2023\/08\/04\/watch-how-this-mint-choc-drink-became-a-symbol-of-political-turmoil-in-thailand","lastModified":1691145728},{"id":2338650,"cid":7801340,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230804_C2SU_52657313","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Nintendo levels up its profits thanks to success of 'The Super Mario Bros. Movie'","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Nintendo levels up its profits thanks to film success","titleListing2":"The Japanese video game company has reported an increase in profits for the first quarter of 2023 compared with last year. ","leadin":"The Japanese video game company has reported an increase in profits for the first quarter of 2023 compared with last year. ","summary":"The Japanese video game company has reported an increase in profits for the first quarter of 2023 compared with last year. ","url":"nintendo-levels-up-its-profits-thanks-to-success-of-the-super-mario-bros-movie","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Nintendo\u2019s profits increased by 52% in Q1 this year, a figure attributed to the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. \n\nThe Super Mario Bros. Movie , the first time Nintendo\u2019s flagship IP has been adapted since the commercially unsuccessful live-action 1993 movie, has been one of the most successful films of 2023. It has made over $1.3 billion (\u20ac1.2 billion), making it the highest grossing film of the year so far. \n\nIt\u2019s also the third-most successful animation film ever made, behind only Frozen II and the 2019 remake of The Lion King . Some sources don\u2019t credit The Lion King remake as an animation film despite its use of computer graphics, due to its billing as a \u201clive-action remake\u201d of the traditionally animated 1994 film. \n\nThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has also been a big success for the company. The sequel to the Breath of the Wild instalment of the popular Legend of Zelda series, the open-world setting has pushed the series into new heights. \n\nAs a result, Nintendo have seen increased demand for its Switch console. The Japanese video game maker\u2019s April-June net profit totalled 181 billion yen (\u20ac1.2 billion), up from nearly 119 billion yen a year ago. Quarterly sales surged 50% to 461.3 billion yen (\u20ac3 billion). \n\nHardware sales jumped nearly 14% to 3.9 million Nintendo Switch machines, while software sales also grew, increasing 26% to 52 million games sold. \n\nNintendo also got a healthy boost in revenue from its intellectual property business, exemplified by the Super Mario film but also other royalties. \n\nNintendo has been pushing the idea of having several Nintendo Switch consoles per household, not just one, with family members each working a machine to play together. \n\nAmong the popular games for such playing was Pikmin 4, which went on sale last month. That also came in a downloadable version, an area that\u2019s a growing source of income for Nintendo. \n\nNintendo, based in the ancient Japanese capital of Kyoto, is planning more games in coming months including Super Mario Bros. Wonder, set to go on sale in October. \n\nNintendo kept its full year profit forecast unchanged at a 340 billion yen (\u20ac2.2 billion), down 21% on year. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Nintendo\u2019s profits increased by 52% in Q1 this year, a figure attributed to the success of <em>The Super Mario Bros. Movie<\/em> and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong><a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//culture//2023//04//10//critics-be-damned-the-super-mario-bros-movie-smashes-all-records/">The Super Mario Bros. Movie<\/a><\/strong><\/em>, the first time Nintendo\u2019s flagship IP has been adapted since the commercially unsuccessful live-action 1993 movie, has been one of the most successful films of 2023. It has made over $1.3 billion (\u20ac1.2 billion), making it the highest grossing film of the year so far.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also the third-most successful animation film ever made, behind only <em>Frozen II<\/em> and the 2019 remake of <em>The Lion King<\/em>. Some sources don\u2019t credit <em>The Lion King<\/em> remake as an animation film despite its use of computer graphics, due to its billing as a \u201clive-action remake\u201d of the traditionally animated 1994 film.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7522948,7750094\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//culture//2023//07//14//culture-re-view-the-birth-of-mario-bros/">Culture Re-View: The birth of 'Mario Bros.'<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//culture//2023//04//10//critics-be-damned-the-super-mario-bros-movie-smashes-all-records/">Critics be damned! \u2018The Super Mario Bros. Movie\u2019 smashes all records<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has also been a big success for the company. The sequel to the Breath of the Wild instalment of the popular Legend of Zelda series, the open-world setting has pushed the series into new heights.<\/p>\n<p>As a result, Nintendo have seen increased demand for its Switch console. The Japanese video game maker\u2019s April-June net profit totalled 181 billion yen (\u20ac1.2 billion), up from nearly 119 billion yen a year ago. Quarterly sales surged 50% to 461.3 billion yen (\u20ac3 billion).<\/p>\n<p>Hardware sales jumped nearly 14% to 3.9 million Nintendo Switch machines, while software sales also grew, increasing 26% to 52 million games sold.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7796988\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//culture//2023//08//03//inside-the-holocaust-museum-coming-to-the-video-game-fortnite/">Inside the Holocaust Museum coming to the video game Fortnite<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Nintendo also got a healthy boost in revenue from its intellectual property business, exemplified by the Super Mario film but also other royalties.<\/p>\n<p>Nintendo has been pushing the idea of having several Nintendo Switch consoles per household, not just one, with family members each working a machine to play together.<\/p>\n<p>Among the popular games for such playing was Pikmin 4, which went on sale last month. That also came in a downloadable version, an area that\u2019s a growing source of income for Nintendo.<\/p>\n<p>Nintendo, based in the ancient Japanese capital of Kyoto, is planning more games in coming months including Super Mario Bros. Wonder, set to go on sale in October.<\/p>\n<p>Nintendo kept its full year profit forecast unchanged at a 340 billion yen (\u20ac2.2 billion), down 21% on year.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1691143428,"publishedAt":1691144404,"updatedAt":1691144414,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/culture\/2023\/08\/04\/nintendo-levels-up-its-profits-thanks-to-success-of-the-super-mario-bros-movie","images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/13\/40\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_6a81b1bc-8ea1-5c14-9ded-1b337463dcb5-7801340.jpg","altText":"The Super Mario Bros. Movie has already broken box office records","caption":"The Super Mario Bros. 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Fire services aided by volunteer rescue groups searched apartment buildings and railway tunnels for stranded people, bringing hundreds to safety. \n\nPresident Xi Jinping issued an order for local governments to go \u201call out\u201d to rescue those trapped and minimize loss of life and property damage. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>The flooding comes amid the typhoon season battering parts of East Asia.<\/p>\n<p>The areas threatened include the capital Beijing where at least 20 people were reported killed in the outer suburbs and another 27 were missing following weekend storms that quickly overwhelmed drainage systems.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Entire villages were evacuated in the province of Heilongjiang to the north in anticipation of life-threatening deluges.<\/p>\n<p>The nearby cities of Tianjin and Zhuozhou were also hit hard. Fire services aided by volunteer rescue groups searched apartment buildings and railway tunnels for stranded people, bringing hundreds to safety.<\/p>\n<p>President Xi Jinping issued an order for local governments to go \u201call out\u201d to rescue those trapped and minimize loss of life and property damage.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1691135423,"publishedAt":1691141618,"updatedAt":1691143760,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/08\/04\/watch-thousands-evacuated-as-devastating-floods-hit-northeastern-china","images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/08\/88\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_a61a746b-63ad-53d3-b14d-b8302eca2ca1-7800888.jpg","altText":"A man washes his clothes in a stream near debris left over after flood waters devastate the village of Nanxinfang village on the outskirts of Beijing, Friday, Aug. 4, 2023","caption":"A man washes his clothes in a stream near debris left over after flood waters devastate the village of Nanxinfang village on the outskirts of Beijing, Friday, Aug. 4, 2023","captionCredit":"Ng Han Guan\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":683}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":311,"slug":"china","urlSafeValue":"china","title":"China","titleRaw":"China"},{"id":5052,"slug":"flood","urlSafeValue":"flood","title":"Floods","titleRaw":"Floods"},{"id":505,"slug":"beijing","urlSafeValue":"beijing","title":"Beijing","titleRaw":"Beijing"}],"widgets":[],"related":[],"technicalTags":[],"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":60000,"editor":null,"filesizeBytes":8149336,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NC\/SU\/23\/08\/04\/en\/230804_NCSU_52655386_52656907_60000_112449_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":60000,"editor":null,"filesizeBytes":12507480,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NC\/SU\/23\/08\/04\/en\/230804_NCSU_52655386_52656907_60000_112449_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"externalPartners":{"dailymotionId":"x8n08yt","youtubeId":"knAV-dTLkwE"},"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"isLiveCoverage":0,"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":"","freeField2":null,"type":"","program":{"id":"nocomment","urlSafeValue":"nocomment","title":"no comment","online":1,"url":"\/nocomment"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"isDfp":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":""},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":12,"urlSafeValue":"asia","title":"Asia"},"country":{"id":311,"urlSafeValue":"china","title":"China","url":"\/news\/asia\/china"},"town":{"id":505,"urlSafeValue":"beijing","title":"Beijing"},"grapeshot":"'castrol_negative_uk','neg_mobkoi_castrol','neg_facebook_2021','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','pos_ukraine-russia','gs_science','gs_science_geography','shadow9hu7_pos_ukrainecrisis','gv_death_injury','gs_politics','neg_facebook','gt_mixed','neg_nespresso','gs_politics_issues_policy','gs_politics_misc','gs_home','gs_home_property','gs_science_weather','gb_death_injury_edu','gb_death_injury_high_med_low','gb_death_injury_high_med','gb_death_injury_news-ent'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"path":"\/video\/2023\/08\/04\/watch-thousands-evacuated-as-devastating-floods-hit-northeastern-china","lastModified":1691143760},{"id":2337878,"cid":7798942,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230803_NWSU_52646196","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"UN Command: North Korea acknowledges request for information on US soldier Travis King","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"UN Command: North Korea offers 'brief response' on US soldier T.King ","titleListing2":"UN Command: North Korea acknowledges request for information on US soldier Travis King","leadin":"North Korea responded to the multinational military force's request for information on the US Private with a brief statement. Travis King sprinted across the heavily armed border with South Korea in July","summary":"North Korea responded to the multinational military force's request for information on the US Private with a brief statement. Travis King sprinted across the heavily armed border with South Korea in July","url":"un-command-north-korea-acknowledges-request-for-information-on-us-soldier-travis-king","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"The United Nations Command announced on Thursday that Pyongyang had \"responded\" to its requests concerning US soldier Travis King, who is believed to be detained in North Korea after entering illegally on 18 July without giving further details. \n\nIn a statement, the North Korean army \"has responded to the UN Command regarding Private King,\" said the US-led UN multinational force, which oversees compliance with the armistice between the two Koreas. \n\n\"In order not to interfere with efforts to bring him home, we will not go into details at this time\", it added. \n\nThis information comes ten days after the UN Command announced the launch of \"discussions with the Korean People's Army via the armistice agreement mechanism\", about the agreement that ended hostilities in 1953 after the Korean War. \n\nKing, who was enlisted in 2021, was imprisoned for 47 days in a South Korean detention centre following an alleged drunken brawl in a nightclub and an altercation with local police in Seoul after he reportedly kicked in the door of a squad car.\u00a0 \n\nHe was released from prison on 10 July and was expected back in the US for a disciplinary hearing at Fort Bliss in Texas. \n\nAccording to the US Command, King slipped away on 18 July and\u00a0crossed the border between South and North Korea, on a visit to the demilitarised inter-Korean village\u00a0\"voluntarily and without authorisation\" and was taken into custody. \n\nTechnically speaking the two Koreas remain at war, as the 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice, not a treaty, and most of the border between them is fortified. \n\nLocated in North Korea, the demilitarised zone (DMZ) can be visited, provided you register several weeks in advance and supply a passport. It is policed by the UN Command. \n\nPyongyang has repeatedly detained Americans and used them for propaganda. King who is 23 years old, is believed to be the first US soldier to cross into North Korea since 1982. \n\nThis incident comes against a backdrop of high tension between the West and North Korean President Kim Jong Un, who at the end of July unveiled new nuclear-capable drones and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) while Russian Defence Minister Sergei Choigou was on a visit to North Korea for Victory Day celebrations.\u00a0 \n\nSome experts say the North may try to use King for propaganda or as a bargaining chip to coax political and security concessions from Washington, possibly tying his release with the US cutting back its military activities with South Korea. \n\nThe US and South Korea have been expanding their combined military exercises and have agreed to increase the regional deployment of US strategic assets like bombers, aircraft carriers and submarines in a show of force against North Korea, which has test-fired around 100 missiles since the start of 2022. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>The United Nations Command announced on Thursday that Pyongyang had \"responded\" to its requests concerning US soldier Travis King, who is believed to be detained in North Korea after entering illegally on 18 July without giving further details.<\/p>\n<p>In a statement, the North Korean army \"has responded to the UN Command regarding Private King,\" said the US-led UN multinational force, which oversees compliance with the armistice between the two Koreas.<\/p>\n<p>\"In order not to interfere with efforts to bring him home, we will not go into details at this time\", it added.<\/p>\n<p>This information comes ten days after the UN Command announced the launch of \"discussions with the Korean People&#039;s Army via the armistice agreement mechanism\", about the agreement that ended hostilities in 1953 after the Korean War.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7760356\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//07//18//american-arrested-in-north-korea-after-crossing-border-from-south/">US soldier arrested in North Korea after crossing border from South<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>King, who was enlisted in 2021, was imprisoned for 47 days in a South Korean detention centre following an alleged drunken brawl in a nightclub and an altercation with local police in Seoul after he reportedly kicked in the door of a squad car.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>He was released from prison on 10 July and was expected back in the US for a disciplinary hearing at Fort Bliss in Texas.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.65234375\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//79//89//42//808x528_cmsv2_93c3e06e-9bf5-59d8-a961-900b8634d6c0-7798942.jpg/" alt=\"Ahn Young-joon&#47;Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/89\/42\/384x251_cmsv2_93c3e06e-9bf5-59d8-a961-900b8634d6c0-7798942.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/89\/42\/640x418_cmsv2_93c3e06e-9bf5-59d8-a961-900b8634d6c0-7798942.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/89\/42\/750x489_cmsv2_93c3e06e-9bf5-59d8-a961-900b8634d6c0-7798942.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/89\/42\/828x540_cmsv2_93c3e06e-9bf5-59d8-a961-900b8634d6c0-7798942.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/89\/42\/1080x705_cmsv2_93c3e06e-9bf5-59d8-a961-900b8634d6c0-7798942.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/89\/42\/1200x783_cmsv2_93c3e06e-9bf5-59d8-a961-900b8634d6c0-7798942.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/89\/42\/1920x1253_cmsv2_93c3e06e-9bf5-59d8-a961-900b8634d6c0-7798942.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">A TV screen shows a file image of American soldier Travis King during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, July 22, 2023.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Ahn Young-joon&#47;Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>According to the US Command, King slipped away on 18 July and\u00a0crossed the border between South and North Korea, on a visit to the demilitarised inter-Korean village\u00a0\"voluntarily and without authorisation\" and was taken into custody.<\/p>\n<p>Technically speaking the two Koreas remain at war, as the 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice, not a treaty, and most of the border between them is fortified.<\/p>\n<p>Located in North Korea, the demilitarised zone (DMZ) can be visited, provided you register several weeks in advance and supply a passport. It is policed by the UN Command.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7783014\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//07//28//north-korea-shows-off-new-weapons-to-russia-and-china/">North Korea shows off new weapons to Russia and China<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Pyongyang has repeatedly detained Americans and used them for propaganda. King who is 23 years old, is believed to be the first US soldier to cross into North Korea since 1982.<\/p>\n<p>This incident comes against a backdrop of high tension between the West and North Korean President Kim Jong Un, who at the end of July unveiled new nuclear-capable drones and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) while Russian Defence Minister Sergei Choigou was on a visit to North Korea for Victory Day celebrations.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Some experts say the North may try to use King for propaganda or as a bargaining chip to coax political and security concessions from Washington, possibly tying his release with the US cutting back its military activities with South Korea.<\/p>\n<p>The US and South Korea have been expanding their combined military exercises and have agreed to increase the regional deployment of US strategic assets like bombers, aircraft carriers and submarines in a show of force against North Korea, which has test-fired around 100 missiles since the start of 2022.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1691057841,"publishedAt":1691068323,"updatedAt":1691068327,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/08\/03\/un-command-north-korea-acknowledges-request-for-information-on-us-soldier-travis-king","images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/89\/54\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_9610b52a-5149-54a3-92e3-8cc344bcac85-7798954.jpg","altText":"A TV screen shows a file image of American soldier Travis King during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, July 24, 2023. ","caption":"A TV screen shows a file image of American soldier Travis King during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, July 24, 2023. ","captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Ahn Young-joon\/Arquivo","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2500,"height":1406},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/89\/42\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_93c3e06e-9bf5-59d8-a961-900b8634d6c0-7798942.jpg","altText":"A TV screen shows a file image of American soldier Travis King during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, July 22, 2023.","caption":"A TV screen shows a file image of American soldier Travis King during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, July 22, 2023.","captionCredit":"Ahn Young-joon\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":668}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":366,"slug":"north-korea","urlSafeValue":"north-korea","title":"North Korea","titleRaw":"North Korea"},{"id":7828,"slug":"south-korea","urlSafeValue":"south-korea","title":"South Korea","titleRaw":"South Korea"},{"id":13363,"slug":"united-states","urlSafeValue":"united-states","title":"United States ","titleRaw":"United States "},{"id":447,"slug":"usa","urlSafeValue":"usa","title":"USA","titleRaw":"USA"},{"id":10481,"slug":"american-army","urlSafeValue":"american-army","title":"American army","titleRaw":"American army"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"image","count":1},{"slug":"related","count":2}],"related":[],"technicalTags":[],"video":0,"videos":[],"externalPartners":[],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"isLiveCoverage":0,"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AFP & AP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews ","freeField1":"","freeField2":null,"type":"","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"isDfp":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":""},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":12,"urlSafeValue":"asia","title":"Asia"},"country":{"id":366,"urlSafeValue":"north-korea","title":"North Korea","url":"\/news\/asia\/north-korea"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gb_safe','gs_science_geography','gs_politics','gs_war_conflict','gs_entertain_vidgames','gs_vidgames'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"path":"\/2023\/08\/03\/un-command-north-korea-acknowledges-request-for-information-on-us-soldier-travis-king","lastModified":1691068327},{"id":2337814,"cid":7798712,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230803_BZSU_52645448","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Sayonara language barriers: This translation display will help you navigate Tokyo\u2019s metro","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Tokyo tests automated, simultaneous translation at railway station","titleListing2":"Sayonara language barriers: This translation display will help you navigate the web of Tokyo\u2019s metro","leadin":"The 40 cm high semi-transparent display sees translations pop up simultaneously on the screen as station staff and foreign tourists speak.","summary":"The 40 cm high semi-transparent display sees translations pop up simultaneously on the screen as station staff and foreign tourists speak.","url":"sayonara-language-barriers-this-translation-display-will-help-you-navigate-tokyos-metro","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"With more than two million visitors flocking to Japan last month in the wake of the country's post-pandemic reopening, railway companies are gearing up to warmly greet the influx of global travellers. \n\nSeibu Railway, one of the country\u2019s large railroad companies, is implementing a new simultaneous translation system to help foreign tourists navigate Tokyo\u2019s metro which is notorious for its complexity. \n\nMultiple private companies in Tokyo serve 3.9 billion railways passengers per year. \n\nStanding 40cm high and 70cm wide, this new semi-transparent display has translations pop up simultaneously on the screen as the station staff and foreign tourists communicate. \n\n\"The display we have introduced can automatically translate between Japanese and other languages. When customers speak in a foreign language, the station attendant can see it in Japanese, and when the station attendant speaks Japanese, customers can read the sentences in their own language,\" said Ayano Yajima, Seibu Railway Sales and Marketing supervisor. \n\n\"Google Translate isn't always available because you don't always have Wi-Fi everywhere you go, so places like this, it's also much faster than pulling up your phone, typing everything out, showing it, and (there being) misunderstandings. Having it like this, clear on the screen, it's really nice,\" said Kevin Cometto, an Italian student visiting Japan. \n\nThe VoiceBiz UCDisplay supports Japanese and 11 other languages including English, French, and Spanish. \n\nComplex station to navigate \n\nThe station staff previously used translation apps. \n\nBut with the translation window, a face-to-face conversation through the screen is possible, complete with facial expressions and gestures. \n\nAccording to Seibu Railway, the device is designed to help customers with more complex requests such as seeking directions or information about the local area. \n\nTraditional ticket machines and manned windows are also still available. \n\nThe display is installed at Seibu-Shinjuku station, one of Tokyo's most complex transportation hubs which serves around 135,000 passengers a day. \n\nIt is located in a popular area called Shinjuku. One transit station in the area, Shinjuku Station, has a total of 53 platforms across the 12 train lines with 200 different exits, which often confuses first-time visitors. \n\nThe VoiceBiz UCDisplay can assist tourists with common queries about services offered by other railway companies as well. \n\nAfter the company tests the system for about three months, it aims for a full rollout this autumn. \n\nAccording to Japan\u2019s national broadcast NHK , JR East and Sagami Railway are also exploring options to have automated translation to ease foreigners\u2019 experience. \n\nFor more on this story, watch the video in the media player above. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>With more than two million visitors flocking to Japan last month in the wake of the country&#039;s post-pandemic reopening, railway companies are gearing up to warmly greet the influx of global travellers.<\/p>\n<p>Seibu Railway, one of the country\u2019s large railroad companies, is implementing a new simultaneous translation system to help foreign tourists navigate Tokyo\u2019s metro which is notorious for its complexity.<\/p>\n<p>Multiple private companies in Tokyo serve 3.9 billion railways passengers per year.<\/p>\n<p>Standing 40cm high and 70cm wide, this new semi-transparent display has translations pop up simultaneously on the screen as the station staff and foreign tourists communicate.<\/p>\n<p>\"The display we have introduced can automatically translate between Japanese and other languages. When customers speak in a foreign language, the station attendant can see it in Japanese, and when the station attendant speaks Japanese, customers can read the sentences in their own language,\" said Ayano Yajima, Seibu Railway Sales and Marketing supervisor.<\/p>\n<p>\"Google Translate isn&#039;t always available because you don&#039;t always have Wi-Fi everywhere you go, so places like this, it&#039;s also much faster than pulling up your phone, typing everything out, showing it, and (there being) misunderstandings. Having it like this, clear on the screen, it&#039;s really nice,\" said Kevin Cometto, an Italian student visiting Japan.<\/p>\n<p>The VoiceBiz UCDisplay supports Japanese and 11 other languages including English, French, and Spanish.<\/p>\n<h2>Complex station to navigate<\/h2><p>The station staff previously used translation apps.<\/p>\n<p>But with the translation window, a face-to-face conversation through the screen is possible, complete with facial expressions and gestures.<\/p>\n<p>According to Seibu Railway, the device is designed to help customers with more complex requests such as seeking directions or information about the local area.<\/p>\n<p>Traditional ticket machines and manned windows are also still available.<\/p>\n<p>The display is installed at Seibu-Shinjuku station, one of Tokyo&#039;s most complex transportation hubs which serves around 135,000 passengers a day.<\/p>\n<p>It is located in a popular area called Shinjuku. One transit station in the area, Shinjuku Station, has a total of 53 platforms across the 12 train lines with 200 different exits, which often confuses first-time visitors.<\/p>\n<p>The VoiceBiz UCDisplay can assist tourists with common queries about services offered by other railway companies as well.<\/p>\n<p>After the company tests the system for about three months, it aims for a full rollout this autumn.<\/p>\n<p><a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www3.nhk.or.jp//news//html//20230705//k10014119221000.html/">According to Japan\u2019s national broadcast NHK<\/strong><\/a>, JR East and Sagami Railway are also exploring options to have automated translation to ease foreigners\u2019 experience.<\/p>\n<p><strong>For more on this story, watch the video in the media player above.<\/strong><\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1691054830,"publishedAt":1691066930,"updatedAt":1691568835,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/next\/2023\/08\/03\/sayonara-language-barriers-this-translation-display-will-help-you-navigate-tokyos-metro","images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/87\/12\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_d55632fc-05a7-5810-baf3-6226be7fd258-7798712.jpg","altText":"This \u2018translation window\u2019 can translate Japanese to 11 other languages to help tourists navigate","caption":"This \u2018translation window\u2019 can translate Japanese to 11 other languages to help tourists navigate","captionCredit":"Reuters\/ Tom Bateman","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"height":1080}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"min","title":"Roselyne 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President Aliyev: 'I think it is right to be hopeful'","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Azerbaijan's President Aliyev: 'I think it is right to be hopeful'","titleListing2":"\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddff Azerbaijan's President Aliyev: \"I think it is right to be hopeful\" about possible peace in the Caucasus. ","leadin":"The president told Euronews he hopes ongoing talks with Armenia will end with with a successful scenario in the coming months. ","summary":"The president told Euronews he hopes ongoing talks with Armenia will end with with a successful scenario in the coming months. ","url":"azerbaijans-president-aliyev-i-think-it-is-right-to-be-hopeful","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev says it is \"right to be hopeful\" about the prospects for peace with neighbouring Armenia, despite long-standing tensions.\u00a0 \n\nNagorno-Karabakh, a disputed territory between Armenia and Azerbaijan, has been host to some of worst violence in the south Caucasus' recent history. \n\nAfter prolonged fighting between both sides over the mountainous enclave, a ceasefire was brokered by Russia in 2020. Since then both countries have been exploring avenues for peace. \n\n\"I hope that the peace negotiations with Armenia will end with with a successful scenario and hopefully in the coming months,\" the President told Euronews. \n\nThere have been two wars over Nagorno-Karabakh between Armenia and Azerbaijan since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. \n\nSitting down separately with both President Aliyev and Armenia's Prime Minister Pashinyan, Euronews' international correspondent Anelise Borges asked the same questions to both leaders - offered them a chance to express their points of view without interruption or contest. \n\nTo watch the full Global Conversation interview with President Aliyev, click on the player above. \n\nFull transcript \n\nAnelise Borges\u202f: Mr. President Aliyev, thank you very much for having us here. This region has been the stage of some of the most violent episodes in the South Caucasus' recent history, and the tensions haven't really gone away completely since the 2020 peace deal. To what do you attribute this constant hostility? \n\nIlham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan: Difficult to say. I thought that, after the second Karabakh war, the situation would be different. And we were ready for peace. And actually (while) waiting for a while for international players to give us some new suggestions, we understood that there\u2019s kind of a vacuum. Nobody knows what to do. And the situation when we had the declaration signed on the 10th November 2020 was not actually providing a sustainable peace. It wasn't a peace treaty. It was a declaration actually, de facto, that was a capitulation act by Armenia. Therefore, we started to put forward some initiatives in order to find the final solution to our conflict with Armenia. We made it public. We announced that we need to sign a peace agreement. And then again, there was a vacuum\u2026 so then we elaborated the principles of peace agreement, which are very well known principles of international law, like mutual recognition of territorial integrity, sovereignty, international borders, delimitation of borders, nonuse of force or threat of force. And we put that proposal on the table. So we - the country which suffered 30 years of occupation and which restored justice by force - we were the authors of new peace process. I would not say it is going very smoothly. We are still optimistic because we are now engaged in a very active negotiations on the level of foreign ministers of both countries. \n\nAnelise Borges: And I was going to ask you about that. You've just returned from Brussels for another round of peace talks. These peace talks have been filling many people with hope of lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Are we right to be hopeful? What came out of this latest round? \n\nIlham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan: I think it is right thing to be hopeful. But I can tell you that peace negotiations have been held by foreign ministers. Our meetings in Brussels, organized by President of European Council, are meetings that actually allow us to touch upon very sensitive issues \u2013 \n\nAnelise Borges: For example? \n\nIlham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan: like future parameters of the boundaries, because the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan has not been defined because as soon as the Soviet Union collapsed, we faced this aggression. So how the border will look like? What will be the real situation on the ground? What will be a situation with communications? Because Armenia has obligation which is signed as a result of the second Karabakh war to allow us access to our exclave, Nakhchivan, but still that is not happening. So main concentration on paragraphs of peace treaty are made by the ministers. Our meetings, they just create, I think, a good atmosphere. But if we see a constructive approach from Armenian side and - most important - if they totally put down all their aspirations to contest our territorial integrity, then we can find the peace solution very soon, maybe even by the end of the year. \n\nAnelise Borges: Well, we'll get more into the negotiations later. But I'm curious to ask you. There's been many international players attempting to mediate this situation. What does the EU bring to the table, to the negotiating table? \n\nIlham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan: Actually, EU was not part of the mediation process during the times of occupation, when we had negotiations since 1992. It was the initiative of President of European Council, Charles Michel, who invited us, and we supported that because we think that taking into account the level of cooperation between Azerbaijan and the EU and Armenia and the EU, I think it's natural for EU to be active, especially when after the second Karabakh War, Minsk Group was no longer functional. Actually, it is not functioning any longer.\u00a0 \n\nSo there should have been some international institution. And I think that the EU can be the best because our relations with the EU are based on mutual respect and mutual trust and mutual interest. So this initiative now is transforming into a very active form of dialog because we meet not only in Brussels, we also meet, for instance, at the sidelines of the European Peace Initiative format, last time it was in Chisinau. I think it's important because, we do not allow situation to stagnate. Because if it is stagnation, if it's again kind of a break, then we are not guaranteed from any dangerous scenario. \n\nAnelise Borges: And do you think that the growing mediation of the West, the EU, but also the United States, has somewhat antagonized a more traditional power broker here in the region, Russia\u202f? or the other way around, the fact that Russia has somewhat been bogged down in Ukraine has left some space for potentially Azerbaijan and Armenia to come to common ground. \n\nIlham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan: Well, actually, Russia was the mediator of a cease fire agreement or declaration of 10th November 2020. And it was not the United States, it was not EU. And our first meetings with my Armenian colleague were organized by Russia in Russia. So after Russian-Ukrainian war situation have changed and we started to see that the United States and Europe became more active. And actually, for us, it's not actually a big difference who will lead the process or who will, to certain degree, monopolize the negotiation process, the important is to come to the result. Whichever actor can produce initiatives that lead to peace agreement, we will support it. And by the way, negotiations between our foreign ministers were held in Washington.\u00a0 \n\nNow we got an invitation from Russia to help the round of negotiations in Russia later this month. And we agreed. So if there'll be some other location, of course we will agree, because it's important for us is to come to an agreement and to have a result, of course, understanding the certain geopolitical rivalries, some attempts of some players to be more active. But we can only appreciate that if there is a healthy rivalry, it will lead only to good results. \n\nAnelise Borges: What would you say - because I understand you have a long historical and complex relationship with Russia - how would you say is the Russian influence in the region at the moment\u202f? \n\nIlham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan: Well, it's difficult for me to talk about the region because the region of southern Caucasus consists of three countries. And we can only observe Russia's interaction with our neighbors in the southern Caucasus. But as far as Azerbaijan is concerned, and not many things have changed, because our relations with Russia will be balanced. They were based on recognition of each other's national interests and, of course, territorial integrity and sovereignty. Russia is a neighbor and a partner. We have quite a substantial trade turnover, a lot of projects related to transportation infrastructure, especially now at this moment, projects related to energy development and cultural\u2026 \n\nAnelise Borges: you have been striking more deals, especially with regards to the energy sector, with the West, no? \n\nIlham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan: yeah, with the West, yeah\u2026 But that was a long time ago when we launched the initiative to build an integrated pipeline system from Baku to Italy. It started to be implemented in stages and the final stage was implemented something more than two years ago. So it's already for something more than two years, Azerbaijan became an important gas supplier to Europe.\u00a0 \n\nAnd, of course, situation with sanctions on Russia created a new dimension because our energy resources now are needed more than before. But whatever we do, we do it based on the plans and contracts which had been signed many years ago. It is true that now we have more countries who are applying for additional gas from Azerbaijan and we are ready to do it. And we already started more countries started to get our gas already last year and this year it will continue. But again, it's from a point of view of our relations with Russia, not many things have changed since Russian-Ukrainian war started. \n\nAnelise Borges: Can we talk about the situation here on the ground? Because the International Court of Justice, the European Court of Human Rights, the U.S., that you have all demanded guarantees with regards to the freedom of movement in the Lachin corridor nearby, citing the danger of effectively potentially holding a population under siege if that corridor is blocked. What do you know of what's happening in Lachin, in the corridor right now? \n\nIlham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan: Well, actually, for more than two years, since the second Karabakh war ended, the so-called Lachin corridor functioned as it functioned during the times of the occupation with one difference\u202f: it was under control of the Russian peacekeepers, which was part of the trilateral declaration. And there was no disruption and there was no steps from our side to interfere. In the meantime, the situation on the ground was changing, and the reason why representatives of civil society of Azerbaijan, to a certain degree, started to control the corridor was because of the fact that illegal excavation of natural resources in Karabakh restarted in the in the beginning of November last year.\u00a0 \n\nBecause after the war it was stopped because it is illegal - these resources belongs to us - and the several foreign companies were illegally exploiting our gold and copper mines, we could not do anything about that during the times of occupation. But when the war ended, it was obvious that this activity should have stopped. And it stopped. But then in November, it restarted. A representative of civil society asked Russian peacekeepers to allow them to conduct a monitoring of the mines to see what is happening. And because we've seen that the iron ore and golden oil was being transported by trucks from Karabakh to Armenia, accompanied by Russian peacekeepers. So we were denied the right for access. And that is how our civil society representatives started to to control it. But again, the road was not closed. It was absolutely free and the movement was free. \n\nAnelise Borges: So it was never interrupted\u202f? Traffic was never interrupted\u202f? So why do you think these institutions have asked, especially on the part of Azerbaijan, because they said you were responsible for the area surrounding it. So you should ensure the freedom of movement. Why do you think that is? Are they targeting you Just because of\u2026 \n\nIlham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan: Actually the International Court of Justice actually addressed its message to us to communicate with civil society activists and not to disrupt any kind of movement. And we did it. And as soon as we established a border checkpoint on our border with Armenia, which is our legitimate right, which is not contested by anyone, including International Court of Justice, we communicated through my representative here in Susa with NGOs, representatives for them to to to stop, and they stop. They left. So now, freedom of movement is not blocked.\u00a0 \n\nSince we established the border checkpoint on the 23rd of April, there have been more than 2000 residents of Karabakh who easily moved to Armenia and back. On the 15th of June, Armenia made another military provocation and wounded one of our border security guards, and temporarily the road was closed for investigation. But then it was reopened. Red Cross restarted again to transport medications and evacuate patients who need treatment in Armenia. But unfortunately, Red Cross trucks, when checked, we found smuggling goods like cigarets, iPhones and gasoline. Red Cross admitted that and they communicated with us, saying that they do not bear any responsibility because these\u2026 \n\nAnelise Borges: the trucks were being used\u2026 \n\nIlham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan: But these trucks had their logos, and the drivers had their logos on their uniform. So, that is how again, it was blocked. And we asked from Red Cross to stop it and also ask them to work with us more constructively because unfortunately, until today, their office in Karabakh is subordinated not to Baku office, but to the Yerevan office. And this is not acceptable because the whole world recognizes Karabakh as part of our culture. Even the Armenian Prime Minister said many times that Karabakh is Azerbaijan. And why a Red Cross Khankendi office is not subordinate to Baku office, but to Yerevan. Not because that's our legitimate request. \n\nAnelise Borges: Would you say that this issue, the issue of the Lachin corridor and that border control and this passageway, this crucial passageway, is one of the main obstacles for peace right now? \n\nIlham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan: Well, I don't think so, because the situation on the road Lachin-Khankendi changed on the ground on 23rd of April when we established the border checkpoint. Until that time, we had two and a half years of time to come to a peace agreement. The only stumbling block was that Armenia did not want to recognize Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan - officially. Yes, they did it by statements, by oral statements, which is also a position, but they need to sign the document. So I don't think that these two issues are interrelated because I hope that the peace negotiations with Armenia will end with with a successful scenario and hopefully in the coming months. \n\nAnelise Borges: Some 5000 people lost their lives in 2020 on both sides. I was here, I came to Nagorno-Karabakh and I met many mothers of fallen Armenian soldiers. I've also witnessed the pain and the devastation on the other side - on your side - through the work of my colleagues here in Azerbaijan. But I remember speaking to one mother in particular who told me she blamed politicians for the war and for the death of her son, saying that politicians should deal with things in a diplomatic way and not fall into the trap of a war. What would you say your mission is? Is it to win a war or to bring lasting peace? \n\nIlham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan: Well, to win the war was the mission of my life, of my political life, which ended successfully. So we won the war, despite many factors\u202f: political, despite factors of long lasting infrastructure projects on the occupied territories, which made it very difficult for our military servicemen to break several defense lines. They had in some parts, five in some parts, six, seven defense lines full of mines. And also, you noticed coming from Fuzuli how the road climbs up. So that's how our servicemen came here.\u00a0 \n\nThe road, which became the victory road, as I called it later, did not exist. It was a road how our military servicemen were moving towards Susa, they were climbing these rocky mountains. So despite these factors, despite strong political support from many countries which have big Armenian diaspora, we did what was right to do. We restored justice and we restored our territorial integrity. We fought on our land. We didn't fight on Armenian land and we won. So that was a mission, number one, which is over. And now we talk about peace. And for a country which suffered 30 years of occupation because the territory which was under occupation is totally ruined. Susa was not totally ruined, because there were illegal settlements in Susa.\u00a0 \n\nThey wanted to resettle Armenians from Middle East, and there've been a couple of thousand Armenians living here - that's why not all the city have been destroyed. But Fuzuli was totally levelled to the ground, Agdam \u2013 the same. Almost a million Azerbaijanis were deprived from their homes. So despite all that pain, we did not take revenge. I said, we will take revenge on the battlefield. But as soon as Armenia gave us a date when they will withdraw from all the territories, which I demanded from the first day was a war, we stopped. And then we started to talk about peace. So now peace is on our agenda. If Armenia wants peace, we will reach it. Because we do not have any territorial claims to Armenia and we don't want them to have any territorial claims. I mean, people who live in Karabakh in the area which is controlled now temporarily by Russian peacekeepers, they live in Azerbaijan, and they should choose whether to live as citizens or as ethnic minority, as any other ethnic minority, which Azerbaijanis rich of \u2013 or to leave. So this is their choice.\u00a0 \n\nIt's not because we want them to leave. Or as Armenia accuses us, we organize ethnic cleansing. No, we give them a choice because how can they live on our territory being a citizen of either Armenia without any legal permission or a citizen of so-called Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, which is not recognized by anyone\u202f? So I think this is a legitimate approach. It is in line with international practice. It's in line with the practice which we see in many European countries, which also fight against separatism. And now we see how Europe and the West are united to help Ukraine to fight against separatism. And why, in our case, our fight against separatism is treated differently\u202f? Why Georgia's approach to separatist regions is fully understood by Western communities and politicians and our legitimate, the same origin desire to put an end to separatism is under question\u202f? Why Spain do not allow Catalonia to have a referendum? Those are five or six million, and they don't have their own state\u202f? Unlike Armenia, which has a state next door\u202f? And why should we tolerate separatism? And we will not. \n\nAnelise Borges: You have already issued messages as well of reassurance towards the population, saying that they will be allowed to stay if they want to and protected and and allowed to live here. But do you have a message today to Armenians who may be watching us? Not necessarily the government. I know you are in touch with Prime Minister Pashinyan and you don't necessarily need our cameras to send him a message. But what about two other Armenians who may be watching us? What is what is your message to the other side today? \n\nIlham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan: Well, I never thought about that because that's the first time in my life I am asked this question. \n\nAnelise Borges: Really? \n\nIlham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan: Yes. I think I would separate the question in two. First, if they listen to what I say, a message to Armenians in Armenia\u202f: that we want to have peace with their state. We don't have territorial claims to Armenia, though, hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijan lived in Armenia before the war and were totally ethnically cleansed. And their cultural and religious heritage was totally destroyed. Nevertheless, we don't have any territorial claims, but we think that Azerbaijanis, who have been deported forcefully from Armenia, have a right to return when Azerbaijan and Armenia will normalize relations and establish diplomatic relations. Another message to them is to clearly realize the current geopolitical situation and the balance of forces.\u00a0 \n\nFor many years, leaders of Armenia were persuading the people that they have the strongest army in the world, that if the war starts, they will come to Baku, that Azerbaijan will not fight for its lands, that Azerbaijan has already agreed for occupation. All these narratives, which are absolutely false and was nothing more than propaganda. So the war destroyed that narrative. And not only that, it also destroyed a lot of ideological, I would say, columns of Armenian state. They realized that they lost the war. And most probably it was very painful for them psychologically. So now when we say that we want peace, it's not because we're weak and we are seeking for peace. No, they know that we are much stronger. It is because we want this blank page of our history to be turned down. We don't want another war. Neither today nor ever in the future. So, for Armenian community, I think they should not oppose peace initiatives of international community or of their government and should understand that if they don't sign peace agreements with Azerbaijan, the situation in the future will be unpredictable. And the geopolitical situation in the world and in the region changing as we see very dramatically, and part of their hopes for their security vanished completely.\u00a0 \n\nNow they're looking for a new security guarantor and who's ready to have a standoff with Azerbaijan on the battlefield, in this area\u202f? Especially after what we demonstrated during the war and after we increased our defense capability after the war\u202f? Is anyone ready to fight for Armenians against us? I doubt it. So. And also another message which I already conveyed to Armenian government in this particular situation \u2013 for them the choice is not the best and the very best, for them the choices are among very bad and acceptable. But acceptable based on common sense, on international law, and on recognizing the rights of Azerbaijanis to leave on their own land, which they deprived us for 30 years. And for Armenians in Karabakh, I'd like to remind them, that we started contact with them spontaneously. Actually, it was mainly people to people contacts when we started to build a new Lachin road which passes through several villages where Armenian population lived. And I was informed that the contacts have been established between our road construction workers and Armenian community, and immediately they have became almost friends. If in the first months of the construction, Russian peacekeepers were providing security for both sides. So then they just left . And there was no Russian peacekeepers \u2013 and they were easily communicating. So it demonstrates that ordinary people in the majority, they don't have these hatred in their hearts. And for Armenians in Karabakh, they should not follow their so-called leaders.\u00a0 \n\nThese leaders were lying to them all the time. Current and previous. Before the war, during the war that they are winning. Even when we took control of Susa, they were telling that Susa was under their control. They know they should not become a hostage of today's clique, which captured power in Karabakh and whose main objective is to provide their own interests. Here in Susa, there are three villas built during the times of occupation. And if you are interested, maybe they can show to you. And these villas were built for the leaders of Karabakh Armenians. They built it for themselves. The city was totally in ruins. What you see now, it's the beginning of our reconstruction process, including this Karabakh hotel, including the mayor's office, including hotels and everything. They built three villas in the best part of the city for themselves. Those people who today lead these so-called unrecognized republic. So Karabakh Armenians should understand that being part of Azerbaijan society with security guarantees, we understand it, with their rights, including educational, cultural, religious and municipal rights. They will live normal life and they will also stop to be a hostage of manipulation. And also, they should understand that situation, which they are now today. Probably will not change in their favor if they continue to ignore us, if they continue to behave like we do not exist , or they leave in so-called country, which has president, ministers, parliamentarians. This is all fake. We offer them normal life. And I think if they listen to me, they should understand. And they know that. I mean what I say. \n\nAnelise Borges: President Aliyev. I thank you very much for speaking to our audience. \n\nIlham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan: Thank you. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Azerbaijan&#039;s President Ilham Aliyev says it is \"right to be hopeful\" about the prospects for peace with neighbouring Armenia, despite long-standing tensions.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed territory between Armenia and Azerbaijan, has been host to some of worst violence in the south Caucasus&#039; recent history.<\/p>\n<p>After prolonged fighting between both sides over the mountainous enclave, a ceasefire was brokered by Russia in 2020. Since then both countries have been exploring avenues for peace.<\/p>\n<p>\"I hope that the peace negotiations with Armenia will end with with a successful scenario and hopefully in the coming months,\" the President told Euronews.<\/p>\n<p>There have been two wars over Nagorno-Karabakh between Armenia and Azerbaijan since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.<\/p>\n<p>Sitting down separately with both President Aliyev and Armenia&#039;s Prime Minister Pashinyan, Euronews&#039; international correspondent Anelise Borges asked the same questions to both leaders - offered them a chance to express their points of view without interruption or contest.<\/p>\n<p><strong>To watch the full Global Conversation interview with President Aliyev, click on the player above.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7777188,7791790,7791808\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//08//01//the-road-less-travelled-euronews-visits-the-lachin-corridor-from-armenia-to-nagorno-karaba/">The road less travelled: Euronews visits the Lachin Corridor from Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//08//01//the-leaders-of-azerbaijan-and-armenia-talk-about-the-prospects-for-peace-in-the-caucasus-r/">The leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia talk about the prospects for peace in the Caucasus region<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//08//01//nagorno-karabakh-azeri-forces-rebuild-homes-in-disputed-city-of-lachin/">Nagorno-Karabakh: Azerbaijan rebuilds homes in Lachin area<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2>Full transcript<\/h2><p><strong>Anelise Borges\u202f:<\/strong> Mr. President Aliyev, thank you very much for having us here. This region has been the stage of some of the most violent episodes in the South Caucasus&#039; recent history, and the tensions haven&#039;t really gone away completely since the 2020 peace deal. To what do you attribute this constant hostility?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan:<\/strong> Difficult to say. I thought that, after the second Karabakh war, the situation would be different. And we were ready for peace. And actually (while) waiting for a while for international players to give us some new suggestions, we understood that there\u2019s kind of a vacuum. Nobody knows what to do. And the situation when we had the declaration signed on the 10th November 2020 was not actually providing a sustainable peace. It wasn&#039;t a peace treaty. It was a declaration actually, de facto, that was a capitulation act by Armenia. Therefore, we started to put forward some initiatives in order to find the final solution to our conflict with Armenia. We made it public. We announced that we need to sign a peace agreement. And then again, there was a vacuum\u2026 so then we elaborated the principles of peace agreement, which are very well known principles of international law, like mutual recognition of territorial integrity, sovereignty, international borders, delimitation of borders, nonuse of force or threat of force. And we put that proposal on the table. So we - the country which suffered 30 years of occupation and which restored justice by force - we were the authors of new peace process. I would not say it is going very smoothly. We are still optimistic because we are now engaged in a very active negotiations on the level of foreign ministers of both countries.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Anelise Borges:<\/strong> And I was going to ask you about that. You&#039;ve just returned from Brussels for another round of peace talks. These peace talks have been filling many people with hope of lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Are we right to be hopeful? What came out of this latest round?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan:<\/strong> I think it is right thing to be hopeful. But I can tell you that peace negotiations have been held by foreign ministers. Our meetings in Brussels, organized by President of European Council, are meetings that actually allow us to touch upon very sensitive issues \u2013<\/p>\n<p><strong>Anelise Borges:<\/strong> For example?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan:<\/strong> like future parameters of the boundaries, because the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan has not been defined because as soon as the Soviet Union collapsed, we faced this aggression. So how the border will look like? What will be the real situation on the ground? What will be a situation with communications? Because Armenia has obligation which is signed as a result of the second Karabakh war to allow us access to our exclave, Nakhchivan, but still that is not happening. So main concentration on paragraphs of peace treaty are made by the ministers. Our meetings, they just create, I think, a good atmosphere. But if we see a constructive approach from Armenian side and - most important - if they totally put down all their aspirations to contest our territorial integrity, then we can find the peace solution very soon, maybe even by the end of the year.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Anelise Borges:<\/strong> Well, we&#039;ll get more into the negotiations later. But I&#039;m curious to ask you. There&#039;s been many international players attempting to mediate this situation. What does the EU bring to the table, to the negotiating table?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan:<\/strong> Actually, EU was not part of the mediation process during the times of occupation, when we had negotiations since 1992. It was the initiative of President of European Council, Charles Michel, who invited us, and we supported that because we think that taking into account the level of cooperation between Azerbaijan and the EU and Armenia and the EU, I think it&#039;s natural for EU to be active, especially when after the second Karabakh War, Minsk Group was no longer functional. Actually, it is not functioning any longer.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>So there should have been some international institution. And I think that the EU can be the best because our relations with the EU are based on mutual respect and mutual trust and mutual interest. So this initiative now is transforming into a very active form of dialog because we meet not only in Brussels, we also meet, for instance, at the sidelines of the European Peace Initiative format, last time it was in Chisinau. I think it&#039;s important because, we do not allow situation to stagnate. Because if it is stagnation, if it&#039;s again kind of a break, then we are not guaranteed from any dangerous scenario.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Anelise Borges:<\/strong> And do you think that the growing mediation of the West, the EU, but also the United States, has somewhat antagonized a more traditional power broker here in the region, Russia\u202f? or the other way around, the fact that Russia has somewhat been bogged down in Ukraine has left some space for potentially Azerbaijan and Armenia to come to common ground.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan:<\/strong> Well, actually, Russia was the mediator of a cease fire agreement or declaration of 10th November 2020. And it was not the United States, it was not EU. And our first meetings with my Armenian colleague were organized by Russia in Russia. So after Russian-Ukrainian war situation have changed and we started to see that the United States and Europe became more active. And actually, for us, it&#039;s not actually a big difference who will lead the process or who will, to certain degree, monopolize the negotiation process, the important is to come to the result. Whichever actor can produce initiatives that lead to peace agreement, we will support it. And by the way, negotiations between our foreign ministers were held in Washington.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Now we got an invitation from Russia to help the round of negotiations in Russia later this month. And we agreed. So if there&#039;ll be some other location, of course we will agree, because it&#039;s important for us is to come to an agreement and to have a result, of course, understanding the certain geopolitical rivalries, some attempts of some players to be more active. But we can only appreciate that if there is a healthy rivalry, it will lead only to good results.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Anelise Borges:<\/strong> What would you say - because I understand you have a long historical and complex relationship with Russia - how would you say is the Russian influence in the region at the moment\u202f?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan:<\/strong> Well, it&#039;s difficult for me to talk about the region because the region of southern Caucasus consists of three countries. And we can only observe Russia&#039;s interaction with our neighbors in the southern Caucasus. But as far as Azerbaijan is concerned, and not many things have changed, because our relations with Russia will be balanced. They were based on recognition of each other&#039;s national interests and, of course, territorial integrity and sovereignty. Russia is a neighbor and a partner. We have quite a substantial trade turnover, a lot of projects related to transportation infrastructure, especially now at this moment, projects related to energy development and cultural\u2026<\/p>\n<p><strong>Anelise Borges:<\/strong> you have been striking more deals, especially with regards to the energy sector, with the West, no?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan:<\/strong> yeah, with the West, yeah\u2026 But that was a long time ago when we launched the initiative to build an integrated pipeline system from Baku to Italy. It started to be implemented in stages and the final stage was implemented something more than two years ago. So it&#039;s already for something more than two years, Azerbaijan became an important gas supplier to Europe.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>And, of course, situation with sanctions on Russia created a new dimension because our energy resources now are needed more than before. But whatever we do, we do it based on the plans and contracts which had been signed many years ago. It is true that now we have more countries who are applying for additional gas from Azerbaijan and we are ready to do it. And we already started more countries started to get our gas already last year and this year it will continue. But again, it&#039;s from a point of view of our relations with Russia, not many things have changed since Russian-Ukrainian war started.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Anelise Borges:<\/strong> Can we talk about the situation here on the ground? Because the International Court of Justice, the European Court of Human Rights, the U.S., that you have all demanded guarantees with regards to the freedom of movement in the Lachin corridor nearby, citing the danger of effectively potentially holding a population under siege if that corridor is blocked. What do you know of what&#039;s happening in Lachin, in the corridor right now?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan:<\/strong> Well, actually, for more than two years, since the second Karabakh war ended, the so-called Lachin corridor functioned as it functioned during the times of the occupation with one difference\u202f: it was under control of the Russian peacekeepers, which was part of the trilateral declaration. And there was no disruption and there was no steps from our side to interfere. In the meantime, the situation on the ground was changing, and the reason why representatives of civil society of Azerbaijan, to a certain degree, started to control the corridor was because of the fact that illegal excavation of natural resources in Karabakh restarted in the in the beginning of November last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Because after the war it was stopped because it is illegal - these resources belongs to us - and the several foreign companies were illegally exploiting our gold and copper mines, we could not do anything about that during the times of occupation. But when the war ended, it was obvious that this activity should have stopped. And it stopped. But then in November, it restarted. A representative of civil society asked Russian peacekeepers to allow them to conduct a monitoring of the mines to see what is happening. And because we&#039;ve seen that the iron ore and golden oil was being transported by trucks from Karabakh to Armenia, accompanied by Russian peacekeepers. So we were denied the right for access. And that is how our civil society representatives started to to control it. But again, the road was not closed. It was absolutely free and the movement was free.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Anelise Borges:<\/strong> So it was never interrupted\u202f? Traffic was never interrupted\u202f? So why do you think these institutions have asked, especially on the part of Azerbaijan, because they said you were responsible for the area surrounding it. So you should ensure the freedom of movement. Why do you think that is? Are they targeting you Just because of\u2026<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan:<\/strong> Actually the International Court of Justice actually addressed its message to us to communicate with civil society activists and not to disrupt any kind of movement. And we did it. And as soon as we established a border checkpoint on our border with Armenia, which is our legitimate right, which is not contested by anyone, including International Court of Justice, we communicated through my representative here in Susa with NGOs, representatives for them to to to stop, and they stop. They left. So now, freedom of movement is not blocked.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Since we established the border checkpoint on the 23rd of April, there have been more than 2000 residents of Karabakh who easily moved to Armenia and back. On the 15th of June, Armenia made another military provocation and wounded one of our border security guards, and temporarily the road was closed for investigation. But then it was reopened. Red Cross restarted again to transport medications and evacuate patients who need treatment in Armenia. But unfortunately, Red Cross trucks, when checked, we found smuggling goods like cigarets, iPhones and gasoline. Red Cross admitted that and they communicated with us, saying that they do not bear any responsibility because these\u2026<\/p>\n<p><strong>Anelise Borges:<\/strong> the trucks were being used\u2026<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan:<\/strong> But these trucks had their logos, and the drivers had their logos on their uniform. So, that is how again, it was blocked. And we asked from Red Cross to stop it and also ask them to work with us more constructively because unfortunately, until today, their office in Karabakh is subordinated not to Baku office, but to the Yerevan office. And this is not acceptable because the whole world recognizes Karabakh as part of our culture. Even the Armenian Prime Minister said many times that Karabakh is Azerbaijan. And why a Red Cross Khankendi office is not subordinate to Baku office, but to Yerevan. Not because that&#039;s our legitimate request.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Anelise Borges:<\/strong> Would you say that this issue, the issue of the Lachin corridor and that border control and this passageway, this crucial passageway, is one of the main obstacles for peace right now?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan:<\/strong> Well, I don&#039;t think so, because the situation on the road Lachin-Khankendi changed on the ground on 23rd of April when we established the border checkpoint. Until that time, we had two and a half years of time to come to a peace agreement. The only stumbling block was that Armenia did not want to recognize Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan - officially. Yes, they did it by statements, by oral statements, which is also a position, but they need to sign the document. So I don&#039;t think that these two issues are interrelated because I hope that the peace negotiations with Armenia will end with with a successful scenario and hopefully in the coming months.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Anelise Borges:<\/strong> Some 5000 people lost their lives in 2020 on both sides. I was here, I came to Nagorno-Karabakh and I met many mothers of fallen Armenian soldiers. I&#039;ve also witnessed the pain and the devastation on the other side - on your side - through the work of my colleagues here in Azerbaijan. But I remember speaking to one mother in particular who told me she blamed politicians for the war and for the death of her son, saying that politicians should deal with things in a diplomatic way and not fall into the trap of a war. What would you say your mission is? Is it to win a war or to bring lasting peace?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan:<\/strong> Well, to win the war was the mission of my life, of my political life, which ended successfully. So we won the war, despite many factors\u202f: political, despite factors of long lasting infrastructure projects on the occupied territories, which made it very difficult for our military servicemen to break several defense lines. They had in some parts, five in some parts, six, seven defense lines full of mines. And also, you noticed coming from Fuzuli how the road climbs up. So that&#039;s how our servicemen came here.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The road, which became the victory road, as I called it later, did not exist. It was a road how our military servicemen were moving towards Susa, they were climbing these rocky mountains. So despite these factors, despite strong political support from many countries which have big Armenian diaspora, we did what was right to do. We restored justice and we restored our territorial integrity. We fought on our land. We didn&#039;t fight on Armenian land and we won. So that was a mission, number one, which is over. And now we talk about peace. And for a country which suffered 30 years of occupation because the territory which was under occupation is totally ruined. Susa was not totally ruined, because there were illegal settlements in Susa.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>They wanted to resettle Armenians from Middle East, and there&#039;ve been a couple of thousand Armenians living here - that&#039;s why not all the city have been destroyed. But Fuzuli was totally levelled to the ground, Agdam \u2013 the same. Almost a million Azerbaijanis were deprived from their homes. So despite all that pain, we did not take revenge. I said, we will take revenge on the battlefield. But as soon as Armenia gave us a date when they will withdraw from all the territories, which I demanded from the first day was a war, we stopped. And then we started to talk about peace. So now peace is on our agenda. If Armenia wants peace, we will reach it. Because we do not have any territorial claims to Armenia and we don&#039;t want them to have any territorial claims. I mean, people who live in Karabakh in the area which is controlled now temporarily by Russian peacekeepers, they live in Azerbaijan, and they should choose whether to live as citizens or as ethnic minority, as any other ethnic minority, which Azerbaijanis rich of \u2013 or to leave. So this is their choice.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It&#039;s not because we want them to leave. Or as Armenia accuses us, we organize ethnic cleansing. No, we give them a choice because how can they live on our territory being a citizen of either Armenia without any legal permission or a citizen of so-called Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, which is not recognized by anyone\u202f? So I think this is a legitimate approach. It is in line with international practice. It&#039;s in line with the practice which we see in many European countries, which also fight against separatism. And now we see how Europe and the West are united to help Ukraine to fight against separatism. And why, in our case, our fight against separatism is treated differently\u202f? Why Georgia&#039;s approach to separatist regions is fully understood by Western communities and politicians and our legitimate, the same origin desire to put an end to separatism is under question\u202f? Why Spain do not allow Catalonia to have a referendum? Those are five or six million, and they don&#039;t have their own state\u202f? Unlike Armenia, which has a state next door\u202f? And why should we tolerate separatism? And we will not.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Anelise Borges:<\/strong> You have already issued messages as well of reassurance towards the population, saying that they will be allowed to stay if they want to and protected and and allowed to live here. But do you have a message today to Armenians who may be watching us? Not necessarily the government. I know you are in touch with Prime Minister Pashinyan and you don&#039;t necessarily need our cameras to send him a message. But what about two other Armenians who may be watching us? What is what is your message to the other side today?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan:<\/strong> Well, I never thought about that because that&#039;s the first time in my life I am asked this question.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Anelise Borges:<\/strong> Really?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan:<\/strong> Yes. I think I would separate the question in two. First, if they listen to what I say, a message to Armenians in Armenia\u202f: that we want to have peace with their state. We don&#039;t have territorial claims to Armenia, though, hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijan lived in Armenia before the war and were totally ethnically cleansed. And their cultural and religious heritage was totally destroyed. Nevertheless, we don&#039;t have any territorial claims, but we think that Azerbaijanis, who have been deported forcefully from Armenia, have a right to return when Azerbaijan and Armenia will normalize relations and establish diplomatic relations. Another message to them is to clearly realize the current geopolitical situation and the balance of forces.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For many years, leaders of Armenia were persuading the people that they have the strongest army in the world, that if the war starts, they will come to Baku, that Azerbaijan will not fight for its lands, that Azerbaijan has already agreed for occupation. All these narratives, which are absolutely false and was nothing more than propaganda. So the war destroyed that narrative. And not only that, it also destroyed a lot of ideological, I would say, columns of Armenian state. They realized that they lost the war. And most probably it was very painful for them psychologically. So now when we say that we want peace, it&#039;s not because we&#039;re weak and we are seeking for peace. No, they know that we are much stronger. It is because we want this blank page of our history to be turned down. We don&#039;t want another war. Neither today nor ever in the future. So, for Armenian community, I think they should not oppose peace initiatives of international community or of their government and should understand that if they don&#039;t sign peace agreements with Azerbaijan, the situation in the future will be unpredictable. And the geopolitical situation in the world and in the region changing as we see very dramatically, and part of their hopes for their security vanished completely.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Now they&#039;re looking for a new security guarantor and who&#039;s ready to have a standoff with Azerbaijan on the battlefield, in this area\u202f? Especially after what we demonstrated during the war and after we increased our defense capability after the war\u202f? Is anyone ready to fight for Armenians against us? I doubt it. So. And also another message which I already conveyed to Armenian government in this particular situation \u2013 for them the choice is not the best and the very best, for them the choices are among very bad and acceptable. But acceptable based on common sense, on international law, and on recognizing the rights of Azerbaijanis to leave on their own land, which they deprived us for 30 years. And for Armenians in Karabakh, I&#039;d like to remind them, that we started contact with them spontaneously. Actually, it was mainly people to people contacts when we started to build a new Lachin road which passes through several villages where Armenian population lived. And I was informed that the contacts have been established between our road construction workers and Armenian community, and immediately they have became almost friends. If in the first months of the construction, Russian peacekeepers were providing security for both sides. So then they just left . And there was no Russian peacekeepers \u2013 and they were easily communicating. So it demonstrates that ordinary people in the majority, they don&#039;t have these hatred in their hearts. And for Armenians in Karabakh, they should not follow their so-called leaders.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>These leaders were lying to them all the time. Current and previous. Before the war, during the war that they are winning. Even when we took control of Susa, they were telling that Susa was under their control. They know they should not become a hostage of today&#039;s clique, which captured power in Karabakh and whose main objective is to provide their own interests. Here in Susa, there are three villas built during the times of occupation. And if you are interested, maybe they can show to you. And these villas were built for the leaders of Karabakh Armenians. They built it for themselves. The city was totally in ruins. What you see now, it&#039;s the beginning of our reconstruction process, including this Karabakh hotel, including the mayor&#039;s office, including hotels and everything. They built three villas in the best part of the city for themselves. Those people who today lead these so-called unrecognized republic. So Karabakh Armenians should understand that being part of Azerbaijan society with security guarantees, we understand it, with their rights, including educational, cultural, religious and municipal rights. They will live normal life and they will also stop to be a hostage of manipulation. And also, they should understand that situation, which they are now today. Probably will not change in their favor if they continue to ignore us, if they continue to behave like we do not exist , or they leave in so-called country, which has president, ministers, parliamentarians. This is all fake. We offer them normal life. And I think if they listen to me, they should understand. And they know that. I mean what I say.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Anelise Borges:<\/strong> President Aliyev. I thank you very much for speaking to our audience.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan:<\/strong> Thank you.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1690809568,"publishedAt":1690978146,"updatedAt":1691420616,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/08\/02\/azerbaijans-president-aliyev-i-think-it-is-right-to-be-hopeful","images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/13\/76\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_e27a33a5-1c54-5f83-b4d9-aa65307d9f7a-7791376.jpg","altText":null,"caption":null,"captionCredit":"euronews","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"height":1080}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":15,"slug":"azerbaijan","urlSafeValue":"azerbaijan","title":"Azerbaijan","titleRaw":"Azerbaijan"},{"id":11,"slug":"armenia","urlSafeValue":"armenia","title":"Armenia","titleRaw":"Armenia"},{"id":8343,"slug":"nagorno-karabakh","urlSafeValue":"nagorno-karabakh","title":"Nagorno-Karabakh","titleRaw":"Nagorno-Karabakh"},{"id":9639,"slug":"diplomatic-tension","urlSafeValue":"diplomatic-tension","title":"Diplomatic tension","titleRaw":"Diplomatic tension"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"related","count":1}],"related":[{"id":2330642},{"id":2335488},{"id":2335490}],"technicalTags":[],"video":1,"videos":[{"format":"mp4","quality":"md","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/GC\/WB\/23\/08\/01\/en\/230801_GCWB_52612357_52612359_1893360_151949_en.mp4","editor":null,"duration":1893360,"filesizeBytes":238364688,"expiresAt":0},{"format":"mp4","quality":"hd","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/GC\/WB\/23\/08\/01\/en\/230801_GCWB_52612357_52612359_1893360_151949_en.mp4","editor":null,"duration":1893360,"filesizeBytes":351967248,"expiresAt":0}],"externalPartners":{"dailymotionId":"x8my755","youtubeId":"Hg3jmH0nbJk"},"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"isLiveCoverage":0,"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":"","freeField2":null,"type":"","program":{"id":"globalconversation","urlSafeValue":"globalconversation","title":"the global conversation","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/globalconversation"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"isDfp":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":""},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":12,"urlSafeValue":"asia","title":"Asia"},"country":{"id":15,"urlSafeValue":"azerbaijan","title":"Azerbaijan","url":"\/news\/asia\/azerbaijan"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','gs_science_geography','gs_politics','neg_facebook_2021','gs_politics_misc','gs_politics_issues_policy','sm_politics','shadow9hu7_pos_ukrainecrisis','neg_mobkoi_castrol','castrol_negative_uk','neg_saudiaramco','gs_law','gb_death_injury_high_med','gb_death_injury_high_med_low','gb_death_injury_news-ent','neg_facebook_q4','gs_war_conflict','gt_negative','gv_military'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet-web","format":"default"},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"path":"\/2023\/08\/02\/azerbaijans-president-aliyev-i-think-it-is-right-to-be-hopeful","lastModified":1691420616},{"id":2337012,"cid":7796262,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230802_GNSU_52635122","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Will protest be allowed at COP28? UAE says yes but campaigners are sceptical","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Activists will be allowed to protest \u2018peacefully\u2019 at COP28, says UAE","titleListing2":"Will protest be allowed at COP28? UAE says yes, despite \u2018abysmal human rights record\u2019","leadin":"Campaigners vow they will resist any attempts to curtail civil society participation at the UN climate summit in Dubai this year.","summary":"Campaigners vow they will resist any attempts to curtail civil society participation at the UN climate summit in Dubai this year.","url":"will-protest-be-allowed-at-cop28-uae-says-yes-despite-abysmal-human-rights-record","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Climate activists will be allowed to protest \u201cpeacefully\u201d at COP28 in Dubai later this year, the UAE has confirmed. \n\nThe oil-rich state typically requires official permission for protests and effectively bans demonstrations it deems disruptive. \n\nBut it is making an exception for the UN climate summit which runs from 30 November to 12 December in the the city's business hub. \n\n\u201cThere will be space for climate activists to assemble peacefully and make their voices heard,\u201d the UAE said in a joining statement with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) yesterday. \n\nThe statement was released after COP28 president Sultan al-Jaber and UNFCCC chief Simon Stiell signed a bilateral agreement in Abu Dhabi that provides the legal basis for organising and hosting the climate talks. \n\n\"We are firmly committed to ensuring that UN values are upheld at COPs,\" the statement - broadcast by the country's official news agency WAM - quoted Stiell as saying. \n\nHow have climate activists responded? \n\nTuesday's announcement was welcomed by campaign group Climate Action Network (CAN) International which commended \"the COP28 Presidency for their dedicated efforts towards fostering an inclusive climate summit\". \n\nBut it warned that it would \"resist any attempts to curtail (civil society) participation,\" according to Harjeet Singh, its head of global political strategy. \n\n\"Our unwavering conviction is clear: there can be no climate justice without human rights ,\" Singh told the AFP news agency. \n\nWhat is the UAE\u2019s climate and human rights record? \n\nThe UAE is a major oil producer and one of the world's largest emitters of CO2 per capita. It was ranked the world's fourth biggest polluter per capita in 2019 by the World Bank. \n\nThe choice for it to host COP28 has sparked criticism from environmental groups which warn that the involvement of a major oil exporter could undermine talks to curb climate change. \n\nThis was underscored by the appointment in January of the boss of Adnoc , the national oil company of the Emirates, to chair the event. \n\nA leaked document seen by UK newspaper the Guardian reveals that oil and gas production is on a list of \u201ctouchy and sensitive\u201d topics for the petrostate. \n\nNon-government groups including Human Rights Watch (HRW) have also warned that the Gulf state's restrictions on freedom of expression could hinder the meaningful participation of climate activists. \n\n\"The authorities may be ready to allow limited demonstrations during COP28 because the eyes of the whole world are on the United Arab Emirates ,\" said Joey Shea, researcher on the Emirates at the NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW). \n\n\"Observers should see beyond this artificial appearance and understand that the Emirati authorities have zero tolerance for dissent,\" he told AFP. \n\nHRW previously warned in a March report that, \"Civil society actors will struggle to effectively play their role in pushing for ambitious action to address the climate crisis in a country whose government has such an abysmal human rights record.\u201d \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Climate activists will be allowed to protest \u201cpeacefully\u201d at COP28 in Dubai later this year, the UAE has confirmed.<\/p>\n<p>The oil-rich state typically requires official permission for protests and effectively bans demonstrations it deems disruptive.<\/p>\n<p>But it is making an exception for the UN climate summit which runs from 30 November to 12 December in the the city&#039;s business hub.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere will be space for <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//07//24//greta-thunberg-appears-in-swedish-court-to-face-charge-of-disobeying-police-at-a-climate-p/">climate activists<\/strong><\/a> to assemble peacefully and make their voices heard,\u201d the UAE said in a joining statement with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) yesterday.<\/p>\n<p>The statement was released after <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//06//06//a-warm-up-to-cop28-un-climate-talks-kick-off-in-germany-with-no-final-agenda/">COP28 president <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//07//14//fossil-fuel-bosses-controversial-invites-and-mixed-messages-heres-how-cop28-is-shaping-up-/">Sultan al-Jaber<\/strong><\/a> and UNFCCC chief Simon Stiell signed a bilateral agreement in Abu Dhabi that provides the legal basis for organising and hosting the climate talks.<\/p>\n<p>\"We are firmly committed to ensuring that UN values are upheld at COPs,\" the statement - broadcast by the country&#039;s official news agency WAM - quoted Stiell as saying.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7795896,7749884\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//08//02//earth-overshoot-day-humanity-burns-through-planets-yearly-resources-by-2-august/">Earth Overshoot Day: Humanity burns through planet's yearly resources by 2 August<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//07//13//eu-to-push-for-fossil-fuel-phaseout-well-ahead-of-2050-at-cop28-climate-summit/">EU to push for fossil fuel phaseout \u2018well ahead\u2019 of 2050 at COP28 climate summit<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2>How have climate activists responded?<\/h2><p>Tuesday&#039;s announcement was welcomed by campaign group Climate Action Network (CAN) International which commended \"the COP28 Presidency for their dedicated efforts towards fostering an inclusive climate summit\".<\/p>\n<p>But it warned that it would \"resist any attempts to curtail (civil society) participation,\" according to Harjeet Singh, its head of global political strategy.<\/p>\n<p>\"Our unwavering conviction is clear: there can be no climate justice without <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2022//11//23//how-activists-used-cop27-to-draw-attention-to-egypts-human-rights-record/">human rights<\/strong><\/a>,\" Singh told the AFP news agency.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7796218\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//08//02//climate-change-made-july-hotter-for-4-out-of-5-humans-on-earth/">Climate change made July hotter for 4 out of 5 humans on Earth<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2>What is the UAE\u2019s climate and human rights record?<\/h2><p>The UAE is a major oil producer and one of the world&#039;s largest emitters of CO2 per capita. It was ranked the world&#039;s fourth biggest polluter per capita in 2019 by the World Bank.<\/p>\n<p>The choice for it to host COP28 has sparked criticism from environmental groups which warn that the involvement of a major oil exporter could undermine talks to curb climate change.<\/p>\n<p>This was underscored by the appointment in January of the <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//05//24//us-and-eu-lawmakers-call-for-designated-head-of-cop28-talks-to-be-removed/">boss of Adnoc<\/strong><\/a>, the national oil company of the Emirates, to chair the event.<\/p>\n<p>A leaked document seen by UK newspaper the Guardian reveals that oil and gas production is on a list of \u201ctouchy and sensitive\u201d topics for the petrostate.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">The authorities may be ready to allow limited demonstrations during COP28 because the eyes of the whole world are on the United Arab Emirates...<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <div class=\"widget__authorText\">\n Joey Shea\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"widget__author_descriptionText\">\n UAE researcher, Human Rights Watch\n <\/div>\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Non-government groups including Human Rights Watch (HRW) have also warned that the Gulf state&#039;s restrictions on freedom of expression could hinder the meaningful participation of climate activists.<\/p>\n<p>\"The authorities may be ready to allow limited demonstrations during COP28 because the eyes of the whole world are on the <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2023//01//12//uae-names-oil-boss-as-cop28-president-critics-say-it-could-torpedo-climate-talks/">United Arab Emirates<\/strong><\/a>,\" said Joey Shea, researcher on the Emirates at the NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW).<\/p>\n<p>\"Observers should see beyond this artificial appearance and understand that the Emirati authorities have zero tolerance for dissent,\" he told AFP.<\/p>\n<p>HRW previously warned in a March report that, \"Civil society actors will struggle to effectively play their role in pushing for ambitious action to address the climate crisis in a country whose government has such an abysmal human rights record.\u201d<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1690972079,"publishedAt":1690973080,"updatedAt":1691049111,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/green\/2023\/08\/02\/will-protest-be-allowed-at-cop28-uae-says-yes-despite-abysmal-human-rights-record","images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/62\/62\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_cf2b7054-8e64-5781-a5e5-70fce62b76a0-7796262.jpg","altText":"Sultan Al Jaber, chief executive of the UAE's Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and president of this year's COP28 climate talks.","caption":"Sultan Al Jaber, chief executive of the UAE's Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and president of this year's COP28 climate talks.","captionCredit":"Karim SAHIB \/ AFP","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"height":900}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":28576,"slug":"cop28","urlSafeValue":"cop28","title":"COP28","titleRaw":"COP28"},{"id":21504,"slug":"climate-protests","urlSafeValue":"climate-protests","title":"climate protests","titleRaw":"climate protests"},{"id":24840,"slug":"united-nations-climate-change-conference","urlSafeValue":"united-nations-climate-change-conference","title":"UN Climate Change Conference","titleRaw":"UN Climate Change Conference"},{"id":24346,"slug":"climate-activst","urlSafeValue":"climate-activst","title":"climate activst","titleRaw":"climate 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Emirates","url":"\/news\/asia\/united-arab-emirates"},"town":{"id":417,"urlSafeValue":"dubai-united-arab-emirates","title":"Dubai, United Arab Emirates"},"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_ukraine-russia','pos_ukrainecrisis','gs_science','progressivemedia','neg_facebook_2021','gt_negative','gs_science_environ','gs_science_environment','gs_business','gs_busfin','gs_politics_issues_policy','sm_politics','gs_politics_misc','gs_science_geography','gb_crime_edu','gb_crime_high_med_low','neg_saudiaramco','castrol_negative_uk','neg_mobkoi_castrol','gt_negative_fear'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"path":"\/green\/2023\/08\/02\/will-protest-be-allowed-at-cop28-uae-says-yes-despite-abysmal-human-rights-record","lastModified":1691049111},{"id":2336828,"cid":7795746,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230802_NCSU_52632153","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Swathes of Beijing remain badly hit by heavy rain in recent days","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Beijing and surrounding areas badly hit by heavy rain in recent days","titleListing2":"Beijing and surrounding areas badly hit by heavy rain in recent days","leadin":"Beijing and surrounding areas badly hit by heavy rain in recent days, with at least 11 people believed dead.","summary":"Beijing and surrounding areas badly hit by heavy rain in recent days, with at least 11 people believed dead.","url":"swathes-of-beijing-remain-badly-hit-by-heavy-rain-in-recent-days","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"A park in China\u2019s capital, Beijing, where residents used to gather, dance, and exercise, is flooded with plastic waste after the city was hit with its heaviest rains since records began 140 years ago. \n\nStorm Doksuri, a former super typhoon, swept northwards over China after hitting southern Fujian province last week, with torrential rains pounding the typically dry capital and surrounding areas on Saturday. \n\nIn just 40 hours, Beijing recorded nearly the average rainfall for the entire month of July. Swathes of the city and its suburbs were badly hit by the rain, with state media reporting 974,400 people have been evacuated in the region. \n\nIt is also being reported that at least 11 people, including two rescue workers, died in the city while 13 others are still missing. \n\nAuthorities lifted a red alert for flooding in Beijing on Wednesday morning after the water flow in major rivers went down below the warning mark. \n\nWith rainfall easing, the focus has moved to the relief operation with hundreds of rescue workers from the Chinese Red Cross reportedly being sent to hard-hit areas to clean up debris and help evacuate victims. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>A park in China\u2019s capital, Beijing, where residents used to gather, dance, and exercise, is flooded with plastic waste after the city was hit with its heaviest rains since records began 140 years ago.<\/p>\n<p>Storm Doksuri, a former super typhoon, swept northwards over China after hitting southern Fujian province last week, with torrential rains pounding the typically dry capital and surrounding areas on Saturday.<\/p>\n<p>In just 40 hours, Beijing recorded nearly the average rainfall for the entire month of July. Swathes of the city and its suburbs were badly hit by the rain, with state media reporting 974,400 people have been evacuated in the region.<\/p>\n<p>It is also being reported that at least 11 people, including two rescue workers, died in the city while 13 others are still missing.<\/p>\n<p>Authorities lifted a red alert for flooding in Beijing on Wednesday morning after the water flow in major rivers went down below the warning mark.<\/p>\n<p>With rainfall easing, the focus has moved to the relief operation with hundreds of rescue workers from the Chinese Red Cross reportedly being sent to hard-hit areas to clean up debris and help evacuate victims.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1690963081,"publishedAt":1690968961,"updatedAt":1690969326,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/08\/02\/swathes-of-beijing-remain-badly-hit-by-heavy-rain-in-recent-days","images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/56\/46\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_43480898-8430-59d2-ad39-70ec024725af-7795646.jpg","altText":"Flood waters in the Miaofengshan region on the outskirts of Beijing, 1 August 2023","caption":"Flood waters in the Miaofengshan region on the outskirts of Beijing, 1 August 2023","captionCredit":"Ng Han Guan\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":683}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":14972,"slug":"sel-bask-n-","urlSafeValue":"sel-bask-n-","title":"Floods","titleRaw":"Floods"},{"id":8905,"slug":"rescue","urlSafeValue":"rescue","title":"Rescue","titleRaw":"Rescue"},{"id":8087,"slug":"death","urlSafeValue":"death","title":"Death","titleRaw":"Death"},{"id":13516,"slug":"evacuation","urlSafeValue":"evacuation","title":"evacuation","titleRaw":"evacuation"},{"id":12838,"slug":"plastic","urlSafeValue":"plastic","title":"plastic","titleRaw":"plastic"}],"widgets":[],"related":[],"technicalTags":[],"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":120000,"editor":null,"filesizeBytes":15784837,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NC\/SU\/23\/08\/02\/en\/230802_NCSU_52632153_52632538_120000_102224_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":120000,"editor":null,"filesizeBytes":24350085,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NC\/SU\/23\/08\/02\/en\/230802_NCSU_52632153_52632538_120000_102224_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"externalPartners":{"dailymotionId":"x8mxwog","youtubeId":"lkO9FNfZhfY"},"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"isLiveCoverage":0,"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AFP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":"","freeField2":null,"type":"","program":{"id":"nocomment","urlSafeValue":"nocomment","title":"no comment","online":1,"url":"\/nocomment"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"isDfp":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":""},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":12,"urlSafeValue":"asia","title":"Asia"},"country":{"id":311,"urlSafeValue":"china","title":"China","url":"\/news\/asia\/china"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','pos_ukraine-russia','gs_science','castrol_negative_uk','neg_mobkoi_castrol','gs_science_weather','gs_science_geography','shadow9hu7_pos_ukrainecrisis','gv_death_injury','neg_facebook_2021','gb_death_injury_high_med','gb_death_injury_high_med_low','gb_death_injury_news-ent','neg_facebook','neg_mobkoi_feb2021','gt_negative','gb_death_injury_edu','gs_science_environ','gs_science_environment','gs_fineart','gt_negative_fear'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"path":"\/video\/2023\/08\/02\/swathes-of-beijing-remain-badly-hit-by-heavy-rain-in-recent-days","lastModified":1690969326},{"id":2330642,"cid":7777188,"versionId":3,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230801_GCSU_52542306","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":1,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"The leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia talk about the prospects for peace in the Caucasus region","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Armenia and Azerbaijan leaders say peace possible, despite differences","titleListing2":"The leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia talk about the prospects for peace in the Caucasus region","leadin":"In this latest episode of the Global Conversation, Euronews speaks with Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev and Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan","summary":"In this latest episode of the Global Conversation, Euronews speaks with Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev and Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan","url":"the-leaders-of-azerbaijan-and-armenia-talk-about-the-prospects-for-peace-in-the-caucasus-r","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Nagorno-Karabakh has been the stage of some of the most violent episodes in the south\u00a0Caucasus\u2019 recent history. Despite a ceasefire deal brokered by Russia in 2020, tensions are far from over. \n\nThe United States and the European Union have been playing a bigger role in mediating the crisis - since the vacuum left by Russia (a more traditional regional power broker, now bogged down in Ukraine). And the talks have been filling people with hope of lasting peace. \n\nBut the latest developments surrounding disagreements over the Lachin Corridor and claims that Azerbaijan is blocking the only passageway connecting Armenia to Armenians inside Nagorno-Karabakh, seem to indicate the road to peace will be a long one. \n\nWe negotiated for months to be able to sit down with the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan - involved in one of the longest-lasting conflicts in the world. \n\nEuronews asked the same questions to both Azarbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan - and offered them a chance to express their points of view without interruption or contest. \n\nPrime Minister Pashinyan said \"not only there can, but there must be peace,\" while President Aliyev said \"I think it is right to be hopeful.\"\u00a0 \n\nThe idea was to give both sides a platform to express their views about the conflict and about the chances for peace. \n\nWatch the full Global Conversation video, hosted by Euronews' international correspondent Anelise Borges in the player above. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Nagorno-Karabakh has been the stage of some of the most violent episodes in the south\u00a0Caucasus\u2019 recent history. Despite a ceasefire deal brokered by Russia in 2020, tensions are far from over.<\/p>\n<p>The United States and the European Union have been playing a bigger role in mediating the crisis - since the vacuum left by Russia (a more traditional regional power broker, now bogged down in Ukraine). And the talks have been filling people with hope of lasting peace.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7791790,7791808\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//08//01//the-road-less-travelled-euronews-visits-the-lachin-corridor-from-armenia-to-nagorno-karaba/">The road less travelled: Euronews visits the Lachin Corridor from Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//08//01//nagorno-karabakh-azeri-forces-rebuild-homes-in-disputed-city-of-lachin/">Nagorno-Karabakh: Azerbaijan rebuilds homes in Lachin area<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>But the latest developments surrounding disagreements over the Lachin Corridor and claims that Azerbaijan is blocking the only passageway connecting Armenia to Armenians inside Nagorno-Karabakh, seem to indicate the road to peace will be a long one.<\/p>\n<p>We negotiated for months to be able to sit down with the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan - involved in one of the longest-lasting conflicts in the world.<\/p>\n<p>Euronews asked the same questions to both Azarbaijan&#039;s President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan - and offered them a chance to express their points of view without interruption or contest.<\/p>\n<p>Prime Minister Pashinyan said \"not only there can, but there must be peace,\" while President Aliyev said \"I think it is right to be hopeful.\"\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The idea was to give both sides a platform to express their views about the conflict and about the chances for peace.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Watch the full Global Conversation video, hosted by Euronews&#039; international correspondent Anelise Borges in the player above.<\/strong><\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1690288188,"publishedAt":1690911218,"updatedAt":1690960474,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/08\/01\/the-leaders-of-azerbaijan-and-armenia-talk-about-the-prospects-for-peace-in-the-caucasus-r","images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/77\/71\/90\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_0b9ce5cf-3f86-5473-a3d3-c578e30340b1-7777190.jpg","altText":null,"caption":null,"captionCredit":"euronews","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1821,"height":966}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":15,"slug":"azerbaijan","urlSafeValue":"azerbaijan","title":"Azerbaijan","titleRaw":"Azerbaijan"},{"id":11,"slug":"armenia","urlSafeValue":"armenia","title":"Armenia","titleRaw":"Armenia"},{"id":8343,"slug":"nagorno-karabakh","urlSafeValue":"nagorno-karabakh","title":"Nagorno-Karabakh","titleRaw":"Nagorno-Karabakh"},{"id":9639,"slug":"diplomatic-tension","urlSafeValue":"diplomatic-tension","title":"Diplomatic tension","titleRaw":"Diplomatic tension"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"related","count":1}],"related":[],"technicalTags":[],"video":1,"videos":[{"format":"mp4","quality":"md","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/GC\/SU\/23\/08\/01\/en\/230801_GCSU_52542306_52542310_1290000_183107_en.mp4","editor":null,"duration":1290000,"filesizeBytes":164173499,"expiresAt":0},{"format":"mp4","quality":"hd","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/GC\/SU\/23\/08\/01\/en\/230801_GCSU_52542306_52542310_1290000_183107_en.mp4","editor":null,"duration":1290000,"filesizeBytes":251741371,"expiresAt":0}],"externalPartners":{"dailymotionId":"x8mxh3x","youtubeId":"vfGTw9B6whs"},"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"isLiveCoverage":0,"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":"","freeField2":null,"type":"","program":{"id":"globalconversation","urlSafeValue":"globalconversation","title":"the global 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Swaths of suburban Beijing remain badly hit by rain","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"WATCH: Swaths of suburban Beijing remain badly hit by rain","titleListing2":"Swaths of suburban Beijing remain badly hit by the rains, some of the city's heaviest in years.","leadin":"Swaths of suburban Beijing remain badly hit by the rains, some of the city's heaviest in years.","summary":"Swaths of suburban Beijing remain badly hit by the rains, some of the city's heaviest in years.","url":"watch-swaths-of-suburban-beijing-remain-badly-hit-by-rain","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"At least 20 people were killed and 19 were missing after heavy rains lashed Beijing and surrounding provinces, state media said on Tuesday, in downpours that have submerged roads and deluged neighbourhoods with mud. \n\nStorm Doksuri, a former super typhoon, swept northwards over China after hitting southern Fujian province on Friday, following its battering of the Philippines. \n\nHeavy rains began pummelling the capital and surrounding areas on Saturday, with nearly the average rainfall for the entire month of July dumped on Beijing in just 40 hours. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>At least 20 people were killed and 19 were missing after heavy rains lashed Beijing and surrounding provinces, state media said on Tuesday, in downpours that have submerged roads and deluged neighbourhoods with mud.<\/p>\n<p>Storm Doksuri, a former super typhoon, swept northwards over China after hitting southern Fujian province on Friday, following its battering of the Philippines.<\/p>\n<p>Heavy rains began pummelling the capital and surrounding areas on Saturday, with nearly the average rainfall for the entire month of July dumped on Beijing in just 40 hours.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1690888959,"publishedAt":1690894328,"updatedAt":1690896966,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/08\/01\/watch-swaths-of-suburban-beijing-remain-badly-hit-by-rain","images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/37\/50\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_1819dfe9-f03a-5904-8454-a17157316ebd-7793750.jpg","altText":"Rainwaters is seen on a windshield of a rider's helmet as he wades through a street in Beijing, Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023.","caption":"Rainwaters is seen on a windshield of a rider's helmet as he wades through a street in Beijing, Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023.","captionCredit":"Andy Wong\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":683}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":505,"slug":"beijing","urlSafeValue":"beijing","title":"Beijing","titleRaw":"Beijing"},{"id":311,"slug":"china","urlSafeValue":"china","title":"China","titleRaw":"China"},{"id":14972,"slug":"sel-bask-n-","urlSafeValue":"sel-bask-n-","title":"Floods","titleRaw":"Floods"}],"widgets":[],"related":[],"technicalTags":[],"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":120000,"editor":null,"filesizeBytes":15472471,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NC\/SU\/23\/08\/01\/en\/230801_NCSU_52622141_52623935_120000_144033_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":120000,"editor":null,"filesizeBytes":23782231,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NC\/SU\/23\/08\/01\/en\/230801_NCSU_52622141_52623935_120000_144033_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"externalPartners":{"dailymotionId":"x8mxc15","youtubeId":"iGeYpHPoOGY"},"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"isLiveCoverage":0,"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AFP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":"","freeField2":null,"type":"","program":{"id":"nocomment","urlSafeValue":"nocomment","title":"no comment","online":1,"url":"\/nocomment"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"isDfp":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":""},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":12,"urlSafeValue":"asia","title":"Asia"},"country":{"id":311,"urlSafeValue":"china","title":"China","url":"\/news\/asia\/china"},"town":{"id":505,"urlSafeValue":"beijing","title":"Beijing"},"grapeshot":"'pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','pos_ukraine-russia','gs_science','gs_science_weather','gs_science_geography','gv_death_injury','gb_death_injury_high_med','gb_death_injury_high_med_low','gb_death_injury_news-ent','shadow9hu7_pos_ukrainecrisis','neg_facebook_2021','neg_facebook_q4','neg_nespresso'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"path":"\/video\/2023\/08\/01\/watch-swaths-of-suburban-beijing-remain-badly-hit-by-rain","lastModified":1690896966},{"id":2336068,"cid":7793508,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230801_WBWB_52621007","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Israel urgently needs checks and balances before it loses its democratic soul","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"As Israel struggles for its democratic soul, this could be a solution","titleListing2":"VIEW | An additional legislative layer with an oversight role made up of ordinary individuals from all walks of life with no political ambition could well be the panacea to Israel\u2019s constitutional conundrum, Joshua Hantman writes.","leadin":"An additional legislative layer with an oversight role made up of ordinary individuals from all walks of life with no political ambition could well be the panacea to Israel\u2019s constitutional conundrum, Joshua Hantman writes.","summary":"An additional legislative layer with an oversight role made up of ordinary individuals from all walks of life with no political ambition could well be the panacea to Israel\u2019s constitutional conundrum, Joshua Hantman writes.","url":"israel-urgently-needs-checks-and-balances-before-it-loses-its-democratic-soul","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Last week was a dark week for Israel\u2019s democracy. The first legislative shot of a battle for Israel\u2019s democratic future was fired officially, as the first piece of legislation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s judicial overhaul passed the Knesset.\u00a0 \n\nThe law removes one of the key tools the Supreme Court has in its arsenal to strike down legislation deemed unreasonable\u00a0 \u2014\u00a0 such as the current government\u2019s attempt to put a convicted financial felon in the position of finance minister. \n\nWith hundreds of thousands taking to the streets to protest for the 30th week in a row, the minister of national security \u2014 who himself was convicted of inciting racism and supporting a terrorist organization in 2008\u00a0\u2014 declared that this was \u201cjust the beginning\u201d. \n\nPolitics of procrastination \n\nIn Israel, large-scale reforms are rare. Political survival in unstable coalitions is often accompanied by legislative bottlenecks, tactical flipflopping and incessant procrastination. \n\nIn fact, procrastination is the name of the game in Israeli politics, dating all the way back to day one.\u00a0 \n\nThe Declaration of Independence stated that the newly formed state must adopt a constitution \u201cnot later than 1 October 1948\u201d. As the country marks its 75th year of independence, there is still no progress\u00a0\u2014 Israel still doesn't have a written constitution\u00a0\u2014 and the legal limbo is quite literally tearing the nation apart. \n\nThe current judicial reform \u2014 or \"regime overhaul\" to its critics\u00a0\u2014 arises from a lack of clearly defined rules regarding the function and powers of Israel\u2019s judiciary and an illiberal government who, unashamedly inspired by \"successes\" in Hungary and Poland, are looking to take advantage of this. \n\nIn Israel\u2019s parliamentary democracy, the executive, or the government, automatically controls the legislature \u2014 the unicameral parliament\u00a0\u2014 with a simple majority.\u00a0 \n\nIf Justice Minister Yariv Levin's\u00a0 declared plans to hamstring the courts and even grant veto power to the government over judicial appointments and judicial review are to succeed, Israel will be in a situation where a simple majority controls all three branches of power.\u00a0 \n\nNo checks. No balances. \n\nOnly one obstacle to the tyranny of the majority \n\nFurthermore, unlike in many European democracies or the US, with no federalism, executive president, bicameral legislature, constituency-based accountability, or any form of binding constitutional bill of rights, Israel\u2019s high court is the only official gatekeeper against the tyranny of the majority. \n\nIsrael, therefore, urgently needs a nationally agreed-upon constitution which lays out the role of the courts, the rights and obligations of the citizens of the state, codifies the balance of powers, and formalises its liberal democratic future. \n\nHowever, the constitution-building process itself has the potential to tear the nation apart further. The \"tribal\" nature of Israel\u2019s society, with such differing world views, requires an extremely careful consensus-building process. \n\nOne way to do this could be to get the politicians out of the way and establish a citizen\u2019s assembly in both the constitution-building process and, indeed, our day-to-day politics.\u00a0 \n\nSuch an assembly could provide a desperately needed additional layer of oversight\u00a0\u2014 not of politicians\u00a0\u2014 but of normal people who want to find common ground. \n\nThe solution: Citizen's assemblies \n\nMartin Wolf, the chief economics commentator at the Financial Times, discusses the concept in his book \"The Crisis of Democratic Capitalism\", as well as in a series of recent podcasts and articles. \n\nHe argues that democratic politics has become a zero-sum game of professional politicians, creating dangerous winners and disgruntled losers.\u00a0 \n\nCreated by lottery, \u201cthese [citizen\u2019s] assemblies would be more representative than professional politicians can ever be.\u201d\u00a0 \n\nHe also notes that \u201cit would temper the impact of political campaigning, nowadays made more distorting by the arts of advertising and the algorithms of social media.\u201d \n\nIndeed, elected representatives around the world are often focused purely on the game of constant campaigning to their base, with no incentive to either govern responsibly or find a compromise. In Israel, in particular, five elections in four years have exacerbated this sentiment. \n\nAnd while in Israel\u2019s one lonely but loud unicameral parliament, a multitude of sectoral parties means representation is relatively high, accountability is extremely low. \n\nWith list-based proportional representation, each \"tribe\" tends to have a voice, but the lack of constituencies or personal answerability on behalf of the members of parliament undermines trust in the democratic process.\u00a0 \n\nGovernments claim that once elected, they have a \"mandate\" to do as they please\u00a0\u2014 a dangerous majoritarianism which, lacking checks and balances, endangers minorities and individual rights. \n\nA checks-and-balances panacea \n\nA citizen\u2019s assembly, while unelected, could act like a jury, or even a House of Lords-style upper house, serving as an additional layer of institutional protection.\u00a0 \n\nIt would have to be both random and representative, perhaps created in conjunction with the President\u2019s Office and the Central Bureau of Statistics. \n\nThis \u201cpeople\u2019s branch of the legislature\u201d, as Wolf calls it, would be advisory in nature but \u201ccould decide to investigate particularly contentious issues or even legislation.\u00a0 \n\nIf it did the latter, it might ask for the legislation to be returned to the legislature for secret votes, thus reducing the control of factional party politics.\u00a0 \n\nThe people\u2019s house might even have oversight of such issues as electoral redistricting or selection of judges and officials.\u201d Another level of much-needed checks and balances. \n\nImportantly for the Israel case, it could even serve as a constituent assembly, working with legal experts from all sides and building on the Declaration of Independence to help finally formulate Israel\u2019s constitution.\u00a0 A constitution which would both clarify and codify the toolbox and authority of a truly independent supreme court. \n\nAn additional legislative layer, with an oversight role, made up of ordinary individuals from all walks of life, with no political ambition, who do not have to raise funds to campaign and therefore are not at the whims of special interests or lobbyists, that neither win nor lose \u2014 this could well be the panacea to Israel\u2019s constitutional conundrum. \n\nJoshua Hantman is a partner at Number 10 Strategies LLP and a former advisor to Israel\u2019s Minister of Defence and Ambassador to Washington. \n\nAt Euronews, we believe all views matter. Contact us at view@euronews.com to send pitches or submissions and be part of the conversation. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Last week was a dark week for Israel\u2019s democracy. The first legislative shot of a battle for Israel\u2019s democratic future was fired officially, as the first piece of legislation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s judicial overhaul passed the Knesset.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The law removes one of the key tools the Supreme Court has in its arsenal to strike down legislation deemed unreasonable\u00a0\u2014\u00a0such as the current government\u2019s attempt to put a convicted financial felon in the position of finance minister.<\/p>\n<p>With hundreds of thousands taking to the streets to protest for the 30th week in a row, the minister of national security \u2014 who himself was convicted of inciting racism and supporting a terrorist organization in 2008\u00a0\u2014 declared that this was \u201cjust the beginning\u201d.<\/p>\n<h2>Politics of procrastination<\/h2><p>In Israel, large-scale reforms are rare. Political survival in unstable coalitions is often accompanied by legislative bottlenecks, tactical flipflopping and incessant procrastination.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, procrastination is the name of the game in Israeli politics, dating all the way back to day one.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Declaration of Independence stated that the newly formed state must adopt a constitution \u201cnot later than 1 October 1948\u201d. As the country marks its 75th year of independence, there is still no progress\u00a0\u2014 Israel still doesn&#039;t have a written constitution\u00a0\u2014 and the legal limbo is quite literally tearing the nation apart.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">If Justice Minister Yariv Levin's declared plans to hamstring the courts ... are to succeed, Israel will be in a situation where a simple majority controls all three branches of power.<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6669921875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//79//35//08//808x539_cmsv2_39089f99-9833-5cdb-9084-1007a70a4735-7793508.jpg/" alt=\"AP Photo&#47;Ohad Zwigenberg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/35\/08\/384x256_cmsv2_39089f99-9833-5cdb-9084-1007a70a4735-7793508.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/35\/08\/640x427_cmsv2_39089f99-9833-5cdb-9084-1007a70a4735-7793508.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/35\/08\/750x500_cmsv2_39089f99-9833-5cdb-9084-1007a70a4735-7793508.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/35\/08\/828x552_cmsv2_39089f99-9833-5cdb-9084-1007a70a4735-7793508.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/35\/08\/1080x720_cmsv2_39089f99-9833-5cdb-9084-1007a70a4735-7793508.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/35\/08\/1200x800_cmsv2_39089f99-9833-5cdb-9084-1007a70a4735-7793508.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/35\/08\/1920x1281_cmsv2_39089f99-9833-5cdb-9084-1007a70a4735-7793508.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Israeli police use a water cannon to disperse demonstrators blocking a road during a protest in Jerusalem, July 2023<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo&#47;Ohad Zwigenberg<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The current judicial reform \u2014 or \"regime overhaul\" to its critics\u00a0\u2014 arises from a lack of clearly defined rules regarding the function and powers of Israel\u2019s judiciary and an illiberal government who, unashamedly inspired by \"successes\" in Hungary and Poland, are looking to take advantage of this.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7775738,7774300\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//07//25//israeli-parliament-takes-first-major-step-in-netanyahus-contentious-overhaul-deepening-div/">Israeli parliament takes first major step in Netanyahu's contentious overhaul, deepening divisions<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//07//24//israels-parliament-greenlights-controversial-judicial-reform-amid-raging-protests/">Israel's parliament greenlights controversial judicial reform amid raging protests<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>In Israel\u2019s parliamentary democracy, the executive, or the government, automatically controls the legislature \u2014 the unicameral parliament\u00a0\u2014 with a simple majority.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>If Justice Minister Yariv Levin&#039;s\u00a0declared plans to hamstring the courts and even grant veto power to the government over judicial appointments and judicial review are to succeed, Israel will be in a situation where a simple majority controls all three branches of power.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>No checks. No balances.<\/p>\n<h2>Only one obstacle to the tyranny of the majority<\/h2><p>Furthermore, unlike in many European democracies or the US, with no federalism, executive president, bicameral legislature, constituency-based accountability, or any form of binding constitutional bill of rights, Israel\u2019s high court is the only official gatekeeper against the tyranny of the majority.<\/p>\n<p>Israel, therefore, urgently needs a nationally agreed-upon constitution which lays out the role of the courts, the rights and obligations of the citizens of the state, codifies the balance of powers, and formalises its liberal democratic future.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">The 'tribal' nature of Israel\u2019s society, with such differing world views, requires an extremely careful consensus-building process.<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6669921875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//79//35//08//808x539_cmsv2_e10734e0-cac9-5683-83ac-9604e11a8911-7793508.jpg/" alt=\"AP Photo&#47;Abir Sultan\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/35\/08\/384x256_cmsv2_e10734e0-cac9-5683-83ac-9604e11a8911-7793508.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/35\/08\/640x427_cmsv2_e10734e0-cac9-5683-83ac-9604e11a8911-7793508.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/35\/08\/750x500_cmsv2_e10734e0-cac9-5683-83ac-9604e11a8911-7793508.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/35\/08\/828x552_cmsv2_e10734e0-cac9-5683-83ac-9604e11a8911-7793508.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/35\/08\/1080x720_cmsv2_e10734e0-cac9-5683-83ac-9604e11a8911-7793508.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/35\/08\/1200x800_cmsv2_e10734e0-cac9-5683-83ac-9604e11a8911-7793508.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/35\/08\/1920x1281_cmsv2_e10734e0-cac9-5683-83ac-9604e11a8911-7793508.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu speaks with his Chief of Staff Tzachi Braverman during the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, July 2023<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo&#47;Abir Sultan<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>However, the constitution-building process itself has the potential to tear the nation apart further. The \"tribal\" nature of Israel\u2019s society, with such differing world views, requires an extremely careful consensus-building process.<\/p>\n<p>One way to do this could be to get the politicians out of the way and establish a citizen\u2019s assembly in both the constitution-building process and, indeed, our day-to-day politics.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Such an assembly could provide a desperately needed additional layer of oversight\u00a0\u2014 not of politicians\u00a0\u2014 but of normal people who want to find common ground.<\/p>\n<h2>The solution: Citizen's assemblies<\/h2><p>Martin Wolf, the chief economics commentator at the Financial Times, discusses the concept in his book \"The Crisis of Democratic Capitalism\", as well as in a series of recent podcasts and articles.<\/p>\n<p>He argues that democratic politics has become a zero-sum game of professional politicians, creating dangerous winners and disgruntled losers.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Created by lottery, \u201cthese [citizen\u2019s] assemblies would be more representative than professional politicians can ever be.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>He also notes that \u201cit would temper the impact of political campaigning, nowadays made more distorting by the arts of advertising and the algorithms of social media.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">Governments claim that once elected, they have a \"mandate\" to do as they please \u2014 a dangerous majoritarianism which, lacking checks and balances, endangers minorities and individual rights.<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6669921875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//79//35//08//808x539_cmsv2_fccc1114-222f-52cd-b0cc-4f1e4577be98-7793508.jpg/" alt=\"AP Photo&#47;Tsafrir Abayov\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/35\/08\/384x256_cmsv2_fccc1114-222f-52cd-b0cc-4f1e4577be98-7793508.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/35\/08\/640x427_cmsv2_fccc1114-222f-52cd-b0cc-4f1e4577be98-7793508.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/35\/08\/750x500_cmsv2_fccc1114-222f-52cd-b0cc-4f1e4577be98-7793508.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/35\/08\/828x552_cmsv2_fccc1114-222f-52cd-b0cc-4f1e4577be98-7793508.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/35\/08\/1080x720_cmsv2_fccc1114-222f-52cd-b0cc-4f1e4577be98-7793508.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/35\/08\/1200x800_cmsv2_fccc1114-222f-52cd-b0cc-4f1e4577be98-7793508.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/35\/08\/1920x1281_cmsv2_fccc1114-222f-52cd-b0cc-4f1e4577be98-7793508.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Israelis protest against plans by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu&apos;s government to overhaul the judicial system in Tel Aviv, July 2023<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo&#47;Tsafrir Abayov<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Indeed, elected representatives around the world are often focused purely on the game of constant campaigning to their base, with no incentive to either govern responsibly or find a compromise. In Israel, in particular, five elections in four years have exacerbated this sentiment.<\/p>\n<p>And while in Israel\u2019s one lonely but loud unicameral parliament, a multitude of sectoral parties means representation is relatively high, accountability is extremely low.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7761902,7745146\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//07//12//protests-intensify-in-israel-as-anger-grows-over-governments-judicial-reform-plans/">Protests intensify in Israel as anger grows over government's judicial reform plans<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//07//19//israeli-protesters-block-highways-train-stations-as-netanyahu-moves-ahead-with-judicial-ov/">Israeli protesters block highways, train stations as Netanyahu moves ahead with judicial overhaul<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>With list-based proportional representation, each \"tribe\" tends to have a voice, but the lack of constituencies or personal answerability on behalf of the members of parliament undermines trust in the democratic process.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Governments claim that once elected, they have a \"mandate\" to do as they please\u00a0\u2014 a dangerous majoritarianism which, lacking checks and balances, endangers minorities and individual rights.<\/p>\n<h2>A checks-and-balances panacea<\/h2><p>A citizen\u2019s assembly, while unelected, could act like a jury, or even a House of Lords-style upper house, serving as an additional layer of institutional protection.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It would have to be both random and representative, perhaps created in conjunction with the President\u2019s Office and the Central Bureau of Statistics.<\/p>\n<p>This \u201cpeople\u2019s branch of the legislature\u201d, as Wolf calls it, would be advisory in nature but \u201ccould decide to investigate particularly contentious issues or even legislation.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">The people's house ... could even serve as a constituent assembly, working with legal experts from all sides and building on the Declaration of Independence to help finally formulate Israel\u2019s constitution.<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6669921875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//79//35//08//808x539_cmsv2_4d5810c3-6365-5267-b2d4-b18cf0d8d8e1-7793508.jpg/" alt=\"AP Photo&#47;Oded Balilty\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/35\/08\/384x256_cmsv2_4d5810c3-6365-5267-b2d4-b18cf0d8d8e1-7793508.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/35\/08\/640x427_cmsv2_4d5810c3-6365-5267-b2d4-b18cf0d8d8e1-7793508.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/35\/08\/750x500_cmsv2_4d5810c3-6365-5267-b2d4-b18cf0d8d8e1-7793508.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/35\/08\/828x552_cmsv2_4d5810c3-6365-5267-b2d4-b18cf0d8d8e1-7793508.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/35\/08\/1080x720_cmsv2_4d5810c3-6365-5267-b2d4-b18cf0d8d8e1-7793508.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/35\/08\/1200x800_cmsv2_4d5810c3-6365-5267-b2d4-b18cf0d8d8e1-7793508.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/35\/08\/1920x1281_cmsv2_4d5810c3-6365-5267-b2d4-b18cf0d8d8e1-7793508.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Israeli police use a water cannon to disperse demonstrators blocking the freeway during a protest in Tel Aviv, July 2023<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo&#47;Oded Balilty<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>If it did the latter, it might ask for the legislation to be returned to the legislature for secret votes, thus reducing the control of factional party politics.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The people\u2019s house might even have oversight of such issues as electoral redistricting or selection of judges and officials.\u201d Another level of much-needed checks and balances.<\/p>\n<p>Importantly for the Israel case, it could even serve as a constituent assembly, working with legal experts from all sides and building on the Declaration of Independence to help finally formulate Israel\u2019s constitution.\u00a0A constitution which would both clarify and codify the toolbox and authority of a truly independent supreme court.<\/p>\n<p>An additional legislative layer, with an oversight role, made up of ordinary individuals from all walks of life, with no political ambition, who do not have to raise funds to campaign and therefore are not at the whims of special interests or lobbyists, that neither win nor lose \u2014 this could well be the panacea to Israel\u2019s constitutional conundrum.<\/p>\n<p><em>Joshua Hantman is a partner at Number 10 Strategies LLP and a former advisor to Israel\u2019s Minister of Defence and Ambassador to Washington.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>At Euronews, we believe all views matter. Contact us at view@euronews.com to send pitches or submissions and be part of the conversation.<\/em><\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1690882435,"publishedAt":1690888125,"updatedAt":1690888128,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/08\/01\/israel-urgently-needs-checks-and-balances-before-it-loses-its-democratic-soul","images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/35\/08\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_942a7c0b-ab3b-5482-83e5-cba01303c04d-7793508.jpg","altText":"Demonstrators wave large Israeli flag during a protest against plans by PM Benjamin Netanyahu to overhaul the judicial system, outside the Knesset in Jerusalem, July 2023","caption":"Demonstrators wave large Israeli flag during a protest against plans by PM Benjamin Netanyahu to overhaul the judicial system, outside the Knesset in Jerusalem, July 2023","captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Euronews","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"height":900},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/35\/08\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_4d5810c3-6365-5267-b2d4-b18cf0d8d8e1-7793508.jpg","altText":"Israeli police use a water cannon to disperse demonstrators blocking the freeway during a protest in Tel Aviv, July 2023","caption":"Israeli police use a water cannon to disperse demonstrators blocking the freeway during a protest in Tel Aviv, July 2023","captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Oded Balilty","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":683},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/35\/08\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_fccc1114-222f-52cd-b0cc-4f1e4577be98-7793508.jpg","altText":"Israelis protest against plans by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to overhaul the judicial system in Tel Aviv, July 2023","caption":"Israelis protest against plans by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to overhaul the judicial system in Tel Aviv, July 2023","captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Tsafrir Abayov","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":683},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/35\/08\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_e10734e0-cac9-5683-83ac-9604e11a8911-7793508.jpg","altText":"Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu speaks with his Chief of Staff Tzachi Braverman during the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, July 2023","caption":"Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu speaks with his Chief of Staff Tzachi Braverman during the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, July 2023","captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Abir Sultan","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":683},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/35\/08\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_39089f99-9833-5cdb-9084-1007a70a4735-7793508.jpg","altText":"Israeli police use a water cannon to disperse demonstrators blocking a road during a protest in Jerusalem, July 2023","caption":"Israeli police use a water cannon to disperse demonstrators blocking a road during a protest in Jerusalem, July 2023","captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Ohad Zwigenberg","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":683}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":28460,"slug":"israel-protests","urlSafeValue":"israel-protests","title":"2023 Israel protests","titleRaw":"2023 Israel protests"},{"id":9353,"slug":"israeli-politics","urlSafeValue":"israeli-politics","title":"Israeli politics","titleRaw":"Israeli politics"},{"id":5412,"slug":"benjamin-netanyahu","urlSafeValue":"benjamin-netanyahu","title":"Benjamin Netanyahu","titleRaw":"Benjamin Netanyahu"},{"id":157,"slug":"israel","urlSafeValue":"israel","title":"Israel","titleRaw":"Israel"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"image","count":4},{"slug":"quotation","count":4},{"slug":"related","count":2}],"related":[],"technicalTags":[],"video":0,"videos":[],"externalPartners":[],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"isLiveCoverage":0,"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Joshua Hantman, Partner, Number 10 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Azerbaijan rebuilds homes in Lachin area","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Nagorno-Karabakh: Azerbaijan rebuilds homes in Lachin area","titleListing2":"In western Azerbaijan, the city of Lachin feels like a vast construction site. Everywhere you look, efforts to erase the scars of the last all-out war between Armenia and Azerbaijan are evident.","leadin":"In western Azerbaijan, the city of Lachin feels like a vast construction site. Everywhere you look, efforts to erase the scars of the last all-out war between Armenia and Azerbaijan are evident. ","summary":"In western Azerbaijan, the city of Lachin feels like a vast construction site. Everywhere you look, efforts to erase the scars of the last all-out war between Armenia and Azerbaijan are evident. ","url":"nagorno-karabakh-azeri-forces-rebuild-homes-in-disputed-city-of-lachin","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"In 2020, Azerbaijan regained most of that surrounding territory and pieces of Nagorno-Karabakh itself in a war which killed about 6,800 soldiers.\u00a0 \n\nUnder a Russia-brokered armistice, transit along the Lachin Corridor was to continue under the guarantee of Russian peacekeepers. \n\nAccording to Armenian media, trucks and foreign diplomats are currently in the village of Kornidzor on Armenia\u2019s border with Nagorno-Karabakh, which is at one end of the Lachin Corridor. \n\nEuronews' international correspondent Anelise Borges spoke to people who are returning to the city, some for the first time since the first war from 1988-1994.\u00a0 \n\nWatch her report in the video player above . \n\n","htmlText":"<p>In 2020, Azerbaijan regained most of that surrounding territory and pieces of Nagorno-Karabakh itself in a war which killed about 6,800 soldiers.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Under a Russia-brokered armistice, transit along the Lachin Corridor was to continue under the guarantee of Russian peacekeepers.<\/p>\n<p>According to Armenian media, trucks and foreign diplomats are currently in the village of Kornidzor on Armenia\u2019s border with Nagorno-Karabakh, which is at one end of the Lachin Corridor.<\/p>\n<p>Euronews&#039; international correspondent Anelise Borges spoke to people who are returning to the city, some for the first time since the first war from 1988-1994.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Watch her report in the video player above<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1690816095,"publishedAt":1690887577,"updatedAt":1690903450,"expiresAt":0,"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/08\/01\/nagorno-karabakh-azeri-forces-rebuild-homes-in-disputed-city-of-lachin","images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/18\/06\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_46d6972a-c172-5bb7-bceb-aa88a4adf587-7791806.jpg","altText":"The city of Lachin. In 2020, control of the Lachin district was transferred to Azerbaijan. ","caption":"The city of Lachin. In 2020, control of the Lachin district was transferred to Azerbaijan. ","captionCredit":"Euronews","captionUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"sourceUrl":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"height":1080}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"anelise-borges","title":"Anelise Borges","twitter":"@AnneliseBorges"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":15,"slug":"azerbaijan","urlSafeValue":"azerbaijan","title":"Azerbaijan","titleRaw":"Azerbaijan"},{"id":27850,"slug":"the-lachin-corridor","urlSafeValue":"the-lachin-corridor","title":"The Lachin corridor","titleRaw":"The Lachin corridor"},{"id":11,"slug":"armenia","urlSafeValue":"armenia","title":"Armenia","titleRaw":"Armenia"},{"id":8343,"slug":"nagorno-karabakh","urlSafeValue":"nagorno-karabakh","title":"Nagorno-Karabakh","titleRaw":"Nagorno-Karabakh"}],"widgets":[],"related":[{"id":2276332},{"id":2287332},{"id":2322978}],"technicalTags":[],"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":200880,"editor":null,"filesizeBytes":25844426,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/08\/01\/en\/230801_NWSU_52613868_52625615_200880_162212_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":200880,"editor":null,"filesizeBytes":39776458,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/08\/01\/en\/230801_NWSU_52613868_52625615_200880_162212_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"externalPartners":{"dailymotionId":"x8mx92w","youtubeId":"NLtaq0qigrk"},"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"isLiveCoverage":0,"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"wires","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Anelise Borges","freeField1":"","freeField2":null,"type":"","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"isDfp":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":""},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":12,"urlSafeValue":"asia","title":"Asia"},"country":[],"town":[],"grapeshot":"'castrol_negative_it','gv_military','gb_death_injury_high_med','gb_death_injury_high_med_low','gb_death_injury_news-ent'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"path":"\/2023\/08\/01\/nagorno-karabakh-azeri-forces-rebuild-homes-in-disputed-city-of-lachin","lastModified":1690903450}]" data-api-url="/api/continent/asia">

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