Editorial 26.11.24
Russia’s record bombing of Ukraine leads much of the bloc’s major news sites this morning as Ukraine’s air force says it has shot down 76 Russian drones in 17 regions, whilst another 95 were lost from their radars or downed by electronic jamming defensive systems in overnights attacks.
Former German chancellor Angela Merkel also dominates much of the European news. A formidable feature of European politics, Merkel served Germany for 16 years. Today, her memoir Freedom is released. The highly anticipated memoir confronts criticisms of her policies on Russia and migration, which some say left Germany overly dependent on Russian gas and has fueled the rise of the far right in the Deutschland.
The conclusion of the mass rape trial in France finds plenty of space as prosecutors demand the maximum sentence for Gisèle Pelicot’s ex-husband and women around the world protesting for an end to violence against women. Much of the European media – including the UK – are running various campaigns and stories around violence towards women, sexual assault and calls for governments to do better.
‘Russia launches record number of drones’
Russia launches a ‘record’ 188 drones, hits ‘critical infrastructure,’ Ukraine says
Ukraine’s air force said Tuesday it had shot down 76 Russian drones in 17 regions, while another 95 were either lost from their radars or downed by electronic jamming defensive systems in overnight attacks. The air force said infrastructure facilities were hit and apartment buildings damaged in several regions.
Russian daytime attacks injure dozens across Ukraine
Russian shelling on the center of Kharkiv injured 23 people. In Odesa, at least 11 were injured. At least 23 people have been injured in a Russian daytime attack on Kharkiv, according to its regional governor. The 8.30am attack targeted a central, densely populated residential area, said Kharkiv’s mayor further noting that the city was attacked with a modified S-400 missile. The southern city of Odesa also underwent daytime attacks, and 11 people were reported injured.
https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2024/11/25/russian-daytime-attacks-injure-dozens-across-ukraine
Kharkiv mayor says 23 injured in air attacks
Russia has launched heavy air attacks on Ukraine, with 19 people injured in the second-largest city of Kharkiv, the city’s mayor has said. Mayor Ihor Terekhov said Kharkiv was hit by a repurposed S-400 air defense missile. He said 23 people had been injured and some 40 buildings, including official or administrative offices, were damaged. Meanwhile, in the southeastern Ukrainian region of Zaporizhzhya, the regional administration said a child was injured, with infrastructure facilities as well as residential buildings damaged.
https://www.dw.com/en/ukraine-updates-kyiv-says-it-hit-russia-fuel-facility/live-70878799
‘French mass rape trial concludes’
French prime minister lauds Gisèle Pelicot’s ‘incredible courage’ in historic rape case
French Prime Minister Michel Barnier has praised Gisèle Pelicot for her “incredible courage” following his visit to a women’s clinic in a Paris hospital.
He also announced that the government would provide additional funds to support victims of domestic violence. 33,000 payments have already been made in this context.
“The funds provided by the government for emergency medical aid have been increased by over 7 million euros this year. Since last year, victims of domestic violence have been entitled to financial support so that they can leave their homes, find accommodation and cover their daily expenses.”
Thousands in France protest sexual violence, victim-shaming
Protesters praise Gisele Pelicot for bringing widespread scrutiny to sexual violence against women by exposing her mass rape trial to public attention. Demonstrations across several French cities serve as a prelude to the International Day for the Elimination of Violence.
https://www.dw.com/en/france-thousands-protest-sexual-violence-victim-shaming/video-70868990
French mass rape trial prosecutors demand maximum sentence for Gisèle Pelicot’s ex-husband
A mammoth rape trial in France moved into a new phase Monday as prosecutors began to lay out the verdicts and punishments they want for dozens of men accused of raping Gisèle Pelicot while she was drugged and rendered unconscious by her husband. FRANCE 24’s Carys Garland reports from Avignon.
‘Merkel releases highly anticipated memoir’
Angela Merkel defends open-door migrant policy, ties with Russia in new memoir
Germany’s former chancellor Angela Merkel reflects on her 16-year tenure in her memoir Freedom, released Tuesday in 30 languages. In the much-anticipated account, Merkel confronts criticisms of her policies on Russia and migration, which some argue left Germany overly dependent on Russian gas and fueled far-right unrest.
https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20241126-angela-merkel-migrant-russia-memoir
Merkel confronts her legacy in long-awaited memoir
Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who served for 16 years, reflects on her childhood, time in office, and her “worry” for the future in her new memoir.
After Donald Trump’s election to the White House in 2016, then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel gave a speech pushing for unity for which she was labelled the “leader of the free world.” This general sense of respect followed the former German Chancellor when she left office in 2021 relatively popular both at home and abroad. Merkel steered Germany through multiple seismic events including the financial crisis, the 2015 migrant crisis and Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.
https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2024/11/26/merkel-confronts-her-legacy-in-long-awaited-memoir
Angela Merkel to publish blunt memoir ‘Freedom’
Angela Merkel’s book will be launched with fanfare in the West but also in China. Tickets for Tuesday evening’s initial presentation of the former German chancellor’s 736-page opus at the Deutsches Theater in Berlin sold out online within minutes of going on sale a few weeks ago.
Merkel’s “Freedom: Memoirs 1954-2021” looks back on her life from her childhood and youth in former East Germany, German reunification, and her political rise through the end of her 16-year chancellorship in 2021. The book is being simultaneously published as an audiobook and in translation in several languages, including French and English. After that, the 70-year-old former leader is expected to embark on a tour of major European cities to promote the work.
https://www.dw.com/en/angela-merkel-to-publish-blunt-memoir-freedom/a-70881556
Germany: 288,000 foreign workers needed annually until 2040
Germany’s workforce could shrink by 10% by 2040 without “substantial” immigration, according to a study commissioned by the Bertelsmann Foundation. The study found that, without an influx of around 288,000 skilled foreign workers per year, the size of the German workforce could drop from around 46.4 million currently to 41.9 million in 2040. By 2060, it could drop as low as 35.1 million.
https://www.dw.com/en/germany-needs-288000-foreign-workers-annually-until-2040-study/a-70885279