South Africa and Austria call for UN reform, deepen bilateral ties
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Austrian President Alexander van der Bellen on Friday called for reforms to global governance bodies and p...
Holocaust survivors gathered on Monday to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the infamous Nazi concentration camp where over 1.1 million people, mostly Jews, were systematically murdered.
The solemn ceremony took place at the former camp site in Poland, which was initially established by Nazi Germany as a forced labor camp before becoming a central hub in the regime's genocidal machinery. Victims perished in gas chambers, or succumbed to starvation, disease, and freezing conditions.
The event was attended by prominent global leaders, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Britain's King Charles, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Polish President Andrzej Duda. Rather than delivering speeches, the leaders chose to listen to survivors who bore witness to one of humanity’s darkest chapters.
Survivors used the occasion to warn of the dangers of rising antisemitism and intolerance. Leon Weintraub, a 99-year-old retired physician who was sent to Auschwitz in 1944, expressed his anguish at the resurgence of far-right rhetoric across Europe.
"It grieves me deeply to see in many European countries, but also in Poland, Nazi-style uniforms and slogans openly paraded at marches. It grieves me to see this happening without any consequences," Weintraub said. "These people proclaim themselves as nationalists, but at the same time they proclaim the hateful ideology of German Nazis—an ideology that murdered millions under the swastika."
King Charles, who visited a Jewish Community Center in Krakow before the ceremony, stressed the importance of preserving the memory of the Holocaust. "The act of remembering the evils of the past remains a vital task, and in so doing, we inform our present and shape our future," he said.
The remembrance of Nazi crimes has become increasingly politicized in recent years, fueled by the rise of far-right parties across Europe. On Saturday, controversy erupted after billionaire Elon Musk delivered a video address to supporters of Germany’s far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party, which is currently polling second ahead of the February 23 elections.
In his remarks, Musk appeared to downplay Germany’s historical responsibility for the Holocaust. "I think there's, like, frankly, too much of a focus on past guilt. And we need to move beyond that," he said.
The rally drew sharp criticism, with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warning that the rhetoric was disturbingly reminiscent of Nazi-era propaganda. "The words we heard from the main actors of the AfD rally about 'Great Germany' and 'the need to forget German guilt for Nazi crimes' sounded all too familiar and ominous," Tusk said.
As survivors gathered to share their stories one last time, their message was clear: the lessons of Auschwitz must not be forgotten, especially in an era of rising intolerance and revisionism
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck off Japan’s Tokara Islands on Wednesday, with no tsunami warning issued but residents advised to remain vigilant.
The United States has rescinded licensing restrictions on ethane exports to China, allowing shipments to resume after a temporary halt and signalling progress in efforts to ease recent trade tensions.
Italy plans to grant approximately 500,000 work visas to non-EU nationals between 2026 and 2028, as announced in a cabinet statement. The initiative aims to address labor shortages by expanding legal immigration pathways
Following a deadly glacier collapse in Blatten, near the Swiss Alpine village of Kandersteg, the town is on high alert as melting permafrost and shifting rock threaten another potential disaster after it was buried a month ago.
China’s northern and western provinces are on high alert for flash floods and landslides as intense monsoon rains continue to overwhelm defences, killing at least seven and displacing communities across the country.
President Donald Trump has signed into law a $170 billion immigration enforcement package, setting the stage for an unprecedented expansion of U.S. border and deportation infrastructure.
China has restricted government purchases of European Union-made medical devices worth over 45 million yuan ($6.3 million), in response to EU trade curbs announced last month.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Austrian President Alexander van der Bellen on Friday called for reforms to global governance bodies and pledged to strengthen bilateral cooperation.
Two women were killed in a stabbing attack at a bar in Hamamatsu, Japan, early Sunday morning. A 41-year-old male suspect was arrested at the scene.
U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino is looking forward to his team's Gold Cup final against Mexico, viewing it as possibly their last opportunity to play under real pressure before the FIFA World Cup next year.
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