Dog Days: In the Czech Republic, Competence Means Losing an Election
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Dog Days: In the Czech Republic, Competence Means Losing an Election
CZECH REPUBLIC
Around 42 percent of Czechs own dogs, one of the highest rates in the European Union.
So right-wing, populist prime ministerial candidate Andrej Babiš likely was furious when he discovered that the woman in the running to become his agriculture minister, Margita Balaštíková, allegedly hired a hitman to kill her former husband’s girlfriend’s canine, reported Politico.
Babiš quickly ejected Balaštíková from his ANO political party’s list of candidates and held interviews where he demonstrated his empathy for pooches.
Despite this hiccup, Babiš, a former prime minister who served from 2017 to 2021, is now on track to again win a majority in elections scheduled for Oct. 3 and 4.
His return has stirred strong emotions in the formerly communist Central European country. A man attacked Babiš with a walking stick, for example, at a campaign rally recently, sending the candidate to the hospital for a brief visit, the Associated Press noted.
Babiš is controversial for two reasons. First, he’s a tycoon whose business interests include agricultural giant Agrofert and media interests – an empire so vast that it’s hard to see how anyone running the Czech government wouldn’t face conflicts of interest when making government decisions. He is already the target of investigations involving corruption and conflict of interest.
Second, Babiš has also raised questions about Czech support for Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression, a position that reflects policies also adopted by Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán in Hungary and Slovakian Premier Robert Fico.
He has threatened to scrap a Czech program that gives outgunned Ukrainians ammunition to fight Russians who have invaded their nation, for instance, telling Reuters that the program was “overpriced” and “rotten.” He would prefer to spend the money at home, he added.
Current Prime Minister Petr Fiala, of the SPOLU grouping, whom the European Conservative described as a “Europhile,” said that killing the program would be a “gift” to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
These factors are why Czech President Petr Pavel, a retired army general who defeated Babiš for the country’s head of state office in 2023, might use his powers to reject Babiš for the prime minister’s job should his party win, Politico reported.
Fiala, meanwhile, suffers from low popularity in part due to his aloof image and cerebral bearing, seen as out of touch. His defenders counter that Fiala’s enemies – perhaps with Russian financial support – have funded misinformation campaigns to undermine his image.
Many Czechs blame Fiala for allowing too many migrants into the country but the country is not experiencing a migrant crisis.
Still, Fiala has attempted to turn the upcoming election into a referendum on choosing between East and West, explained TVP World.
“Fiala is making a last-ditch appeal to voters of allies, the liberal Czech Pirate Party and the centrist Mayors and Independents, telling them only Spolu can stop Babiš from forming a government with Tomio Okamura’s far-right SPD or the left-populist Stačilo! bloc, both of which toy with ideas like holding a referendum on EU and NATO membership.”
Otto Eibl of Masaryk University in Brno says that it’s likely that Babiš will win – he is polling at 30 percent to Fiala’s 20 percent.
He adds that it’s a shame that the election is more about personality than results. Fiala, he says, has been a good steward of the country. On the other hand, the parties Babiš will likely partner with, he adds, are a threat to liberal democracy.
“Petr Fiala managed to govern without scandals…this is the only right-wing government that finished its term in modern Czech history,” he told Radio Prague International. “So Petr Fiala is great in managing more political parties, he’s great in achieving compromise, and this is something that Czech society doesn’t see, or doesn’t want to see, and doesn’t appreciate. I think that in the upcoming years we will remember Petr Fiala’s government with positive feelings.”
THE WORLD, BRIEFLY
Internet Returns in Afghanistan After Days-Long Blackout
AFGHANISTAN
Internet services resumed in Afghanistan on Wednesday, following a days-long communication blackout across the country that fueled speculation the Taliban was cutting access to combat immorality, the BBC reported.
Local reporters said the internet was resuming, with internet watchdog NetBlocks noting that network data showed a “partial restoration” of connectivity.
Government officials confirmed Wednesday that “all communications” were restored by order of Taliban Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund. Hundreds poured in the streets of the capital Kabul to spread the word that the internet was back.
On Monday, Afghanistan saw its internet services shut down, with NetBlocks claiming that the country was “now in the midst of a total Internet blackout.”
The disruption crippled banking, telephone lines, travel, and aid operations in the country of more than 40 million people.
Many Afghans living abroad complained that they could not contact their families, while aid organizations warned that the blackout was hindering their work.
On Tuesday, the United Nations urged Taliban authorities “to immediately and fully restore nationwide Internet and telecommunications access.”
The blackout came weeks after reports that the hardline Islamic group cut internet services in a number of provinces as part of Taliban leader Haibatullah Akhundzada’s decree to combat purported immorality and “prevent vice,” Al Jazeera noted.
However, the group on Wednesday denied that it was imposing a nationwide ban – its first public response since the blackout. Taliban authorities said the outages have been caused by old fiber optic cables that they are working to replace, NBC News wrote.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid rejected claims that the government was banning the Internet and labeled them as rumors.
Even so, the blackout prompted fears that Afghans would face further curbs in accessing the outside world and highlighted concerns about the Taliban rule since their return to power following the withdrawal of US-led troops from Afghanistan in 2021.
The group has come under increased global condemnation for its treatment of women, including imposing restrictions on education and employment. At the same time, aid officials say that any internet shutdown would further isolate women in the country.
Even so, the Islamist group has been trying to improve its relations with the West: Over the weekend, the Taliban released a US citizen from custody following a visit by Washington’s hostage envoy, according to Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty.
The release came after US President Donald Trump demanded the return of the Bagram military base outside Kabul and threatened “bad things” would happen if it were not handed over.
Afghan officials to date have refused.
Gen Z Protesters Clash with Police in Morocco
MOROCCO
Youth-led protests in Morocco calling for better social services and less corruption escalated into violent clashes between demonstrators and security forces on Tuesday night, the fourth consecutive day of unrest across several cities, Reuters reported.
Participants in the demonstrations – which were organized on social media by a loosely formed, anonymous youth group that calls itself GenZ 212 – chanted slogans calling for better health care and education services, and enhanced employment opportunities.
Many also criticized the money spent on building stadiums for the 2030 FIFA World Cup. One sign displayed at protests in the capital, Rabat, read, “At least the FIFA stadium will have a first aid kit! Our hospitals don’t,” the BBC added.
In small cities around the country, including Tiznit, Inzegane, Ait Amira, Oujda, and Temara, demonstrators threw stones at security forces trying to disperse the crowds, according to local media. Footage also shows demonstrators damaging multiple police vehicles, as well as setting a bank alight. Security forces deployed water cannons on the crowds.
The Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) accused officers of physically assaulting protesters and arbitrarily arresting dozens of people – most of whom were later released. The state news agency MAP reported that a protester in the northeastern city of Oujda was severely injured after being hit by a police car.
GenZ 212 released a statement on Facebook late on Tuesday expressing “regret” over rioting or vandalism that targeted public or private property.
The group also called on participants to protest peacefully and refrain from behavior that could “undermine the legitimacy of our just demands.”
The governing coalition released a statement Tuesday expressing its willingness to speak with the youth “within institutions and public spaces to find realistic solutions.” It also praised what it considered the security forces’ “balanced” response, in line with legal procedures.
These demonstrations are the latest example of so-called Gen Z protests – youth-led, large-scale demonstrations that swept Nepal, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Madagascar over the last few months. Even so, anti-government protests in Morocco are relatively rare.
Former DRC President Sentenced to Death For Treason and Conspiracy
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
A Congolese military court Tuesday sentenced former President Joseph Kabila to death in absentia after finding him guilty of treason and other charges, the Associated Press reported.
Kabila has been on trial in absentia since July, even though his whereabouts remain unknown after he fled the country in 2023. He has faced various charges, including treason, crimes against humanity, conspiracy, and terrorism, as well as plotting to overthrow former political ally and current President Félix Tshisekedi, Al Jazeera noted. The prosecution requested the death penalty.
The government has alleged that Kabila collaborated with Rwanda and the M23 rebel group, which captured and occupied key cities in mineral-rich eastern DRC in January – including Goma, where Kabila was last seen in April.
Kabila, who served as president from 2001 to 2019, denied the accusations and had earlier denounced the case against him, calling the courts “an instrument of oppression.”
The verdict follows the Senate’s vote last May in favor of repealing Kabila’s immunity from prosecution.
Despite the sentence, Kabila’s detention is unlikely at the moment. An appeal of the High Military Court’s ruling is still possible, but only for procedural irregularities in the case.
Analysts said the verdict aims to prevent Kabila from uniting the opposition within the country. However, many are concerned that the decision could fuel further unrest in the country, struggling with fighting between the government and armed militias, and tens of thousands of displaced residents.
DISCOVERIES
A Helping Hand
It is not wise for humans to spend hours toasting under the scorching sun – prolonged exposure to UV rays can lead to sunburns and skin cancer – which is why many people wear sunscreen.
However, an estimated 6,000 to 14,000 tons of commercial sunscreen end up in the ocean each year, with its chemicals harming ocean wildlife.
Now, scientists have created the first pollen-based sunscreen derived from Camellia flowers that would be safe for fish and other marine creatures.
“We know that pollen is naturally UV-resistant, as its shell needs to protect its inner contents from harsh environmental conditions, including sunlight,” explained Nam-Joon Cho, author of a new study on pollen-based sunscreen, in a statement. “Our research aimed to develop a way to process pollen grains into a gel-like form, so that they can be easily applied to human skin.”
Pollen is coated in a substance called sporopollenin – one of the toughest natural biopolymers found on the planet: This substance is so tough that traces have been found in fossils dating back millions of years.
Using a proprietary water-based method that avoids harsh chemicals and high temperatures, the team gathered pollen from both camellias and sunflowers, emptied the pollen shells, and transformed them into a microgel formulation, similar to those used in skincare.
In lab tests on corals, commercial sunscreen triggered coral bleaching in just two days, resulting in coral death in six days. The pollen-based sunscreen appeared to be harmless, and corals remained healthy for up to 60 days.
“It’s difficult to pinpoint how much harm each factor contributes to complex marine ecosystems, so any effort to reduce chemical pollution is welcome,” said Martin. “This pollen-based sunscreen is a promising step towards protecting both human health and marine life.”
Meanwhile, experiments on animals showed that both the camellia and sunflower pollen microgels effectively blocked UV rays and reduced skin cell damage and inflammation just as effectively as commercial sunscreens.
Camellia, which is considered non-allergenic due to its self-pollinating nature, provided the best results. It is also easy to procure as a relatively inexpensive health supplement, according to New Atlas.
“We wanted to develop an affordable and effective natural sunscreen that is non-allergenic to humans and (friendly) to the environment,” said Cho.
As a bonus, the Camellia pollen microgel also showed an ability to reduce surface skin temperature, helping to keep the skin cool under the simulated sunlight of the lab.