Уповноважена Верховної Ради з прав людини Людмила Денісова раніше заявила, що стан Саакашвілі критичний, і для збереження життя його треба перевести з медзакладу в’язниці до справжньої лікарні
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A nonbinary pronoun added to an esteemed French dictionary has ignited a fierce linguistic squabble in the country.
Le Petit Robert introduced the word “iel” — an amalgamation of “il” (he) and “elle” (she) — to its online edition last month. While the term is gaining currency among young people, it is still far from being widely used, or even understood, by many French speakers.
Though at first the change went mostly unnoticed, boisterous debate broke out this week in a nation that prides itself on its human rights tradition but that also fiercely protects its cultural heritage from foreign meddling. In one camp are the traditionalists, including some political leaders, who criticize the move as a sign that France is lurching toward an American-style “woke” ideology. In the other is a new generation of citizens who embrace nonbinary as the norm.
“It is very important that dictionaries include the ‘iel’ pronoun in their referencing as it reflects how the use of the term is now well accepted,” said Dorah Simon Claude, 32, a doctoral student who identifies as “iel.”
“It is,” Claude added, “also a way of confronting the Academie Francaise that stays in its conservative corner and continues to ignore and scorn users of the French language.”
Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer is not in the same camp. He went to Twitter on Wednesday to say that “inclusive writing is not the future of the French language.” The 56-year-old former law professor warned that schoolchildren should not use “iel” as a valid term despite its inclusion in Le Robert, seen as a linguistic authority on French since 1967.
Francois Jolivet, a lawmaker from President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist party, also made his distaste plain. Nonbinary pronouns are, he suggested, a worrying sign that France is embracing a “woke” ideology.
Jolivet wrote a letter to the bastion of French language, the 400-year-old Academie Francaise, claiming that Le Robert’s “solitary campaign is an obvious ideological intrusion that undermines our common language and its influence.”
The general director of Le Robert editions, Charles Bimbenet, jumped to the dictionary’s defense Wednesday in a statement. Far from dictating which terms should be used, he said, Le Petit Robert was elucidating the word’s meaning, now that it is growing in currency nationwide.
Since “the meaning of the word ‘iel’ cannot be understood by reading it alone,” Bimbenet said, “it seemed useful to us to specify its meaning for those who encounter it, whether they wish to use it or … reject it.”
“Robert’s mission is to observe and report on the evolution of a changing and diverse French language,” he said.
Warning on neutrality
In 2017, the Academie Francaise warned that moves to make French more gender neutral would create “a disunited language, with disparate expression, that can create confusion verging on illegibility.”
Gendered languages like French are seen as a particular hurdle for advocates of nonbinary terms as all nouns are categorized as either masculine or feminine, unlike in English.
Not all European countries are moving at the same speed as France. In Greece, where all nouns have not two, but three possible genders, there is no official nonbinary pronoun, but groups who support them suggest using “it.”
In Spain, after Carmen Calvo, a former deputy prime minister and affirmed feminist, asked the Royal Spanish Academy to advise on the use of inclusive language in the Constitution, its reply the next year was crystal clear: “Inclusive language” means “the use of the masculine to refer to men and women.”
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Україна взагалі постала перед низкою викликів щодо безпеки своїх кордонів у звʼязку з військовою присутністю Росії біля кордонів з одного боку, і міграційною кризою на кордонах сусідніх Польщі та Білорусі – з іншого
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The leader of a Cuban dissident group who left the island for Spain said Thursday that the communist government was “behaving like an abusive husband” toward its people.
Activist and playwright Yunior Garcia Aguilera arrived Wednesday in Madrid with his wife, Dayana Prieto, two days after police surrounded his house in Havana to stop him from taking part in a national protest planned by an opposition group, which is demanding the release of imprisoned dissidents and greater freedoms for Cubans.
Leaders of Archipelago, the opposition organization, had announced it would stage a “Civic March for Change,” a mass demonstration Monday that the Cuban government described as “counter-revolutionary” and said was part of a U.S. interventionist plan.
At a news conference Thursday in Madrid, Garcia said, “The relationship between the Cuban government and the people is like a marriage which has failed. The government is behaving like an abusive husband to the people.”
“This is a dictatorship and brutal tyranny,” he said.
Harassment
On the eve of the planned demonstration, police and government supporters surrounded the home of Garcia and other activists and independent journalists to prevent them from leaving.
Garcia said Thursday that the Cuban government had cut his telephone and access to social media.
“My house is watched continually by people. They left doves with their heads cut off outside my house to put me off taking part in the demonstration,” he told journalists.
Garcia contends the Cuban government allowed him to leave the country only so that he would not become “a symbol of resistance.”
“The regime needed to silence me, to convert me into a non-person,” he told reporters.
He said he had come to Spain so he could be free to speak out against the Cuban government.
“All I have is my voice. I could not stay silent. That is why I came to Spain,” he said, adding that he wanted to return to the island in the future.
Archipelago blamed the failure of the demonstration on government coercion.
It said there were “more than 100 activists under arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, acts of repudiation, violence, threats, coercion and hate speech.”
Garcia said fear of reprisals had prevented people from joining the demonstration Monday.
“The problem is the fear, but we have social media, which they cannot control,” he said.
Call for condemnation of oppression
Garcia said the U.S. economic embargo against Cuba had helped the communist government, which he asserted used it for propaganda purposes.
He speculated that if opinion polls were allowed, however, they would show that the government has lost the support of the people.
He called on the international community to condemn what he said was repression in his home country.
“What is important is that the international community stops looking the other way,” Garcia said.
After Archipelago said it had been unable to contact Garcia, he reported on his Facebook page Wednesday that he had left Cuba and was in Spain with his wife.
While the protests were suppressed in Havana, Cuban expatriates were in the streets in Mexico City and other cities across Latin America in solidarity with their compatriots.
‘Absolute failure’
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said that Cuban opposition groups had failed in their efforts to organize Monday’s demonstration.
“It is clear that what I called a failed operation — a political communication operation organized and financed by the United States government with millionaire funds and the use of internal agents — was an absolute failure,” Rodriguez said in an interview Wednesday with The Associated Press.
“I wish they [the United States] would allow Americans their freedom to travel and that they could come to Cuba and see the reality firsthand and discover the deception to which they are frequently subjected, with the aim of sustaining an obsolete, genocidal policy that violates human rights and international law and causes suffering among the Cuban people,” he added.
The arrival of Garcia in the Spanish capital means the Cuban dissident movement has largely moved to Madrid in much the same way as opposition leaders from Venezuela have done.
Venezuelan dissident Leopoldo Lopez has made Madrid his home since making a dramatic exit from Venezuela in 2020. He was living in the Spanish Embassy in Caracas before making a dash for Colombia, from which he headed to Spain.
Some information for this report came from the Associated Press.
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Два тижні тому Пен Шуай розповіла, що її змусили до сексуального зв’язку із колишнім віцепрем’єром Чжаном Гаолі
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Як зазначили у МЗС Іраку, мігранти, переважно курди, сіли в літак, що вилітає до Ербіля – столиці іракського Курдистану
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У штабі операції Об’єднаних сил повідомили, що з початку доби на Донбасі російські гібридні сили чотири рази порушили режим припинення вогню.
«Поблизу Нью-Йорка противник вів вогонь з гранатометів різних систем та великокаліберних кулеметів. В бік Мар’їнки окупанти здійснили обстріл з мінометів калібру 82 мм. В напрямку Кам’янки окупанти відкривали вогонь з мінометів калібру 120 мм. Крім того, на Донеччині зафіксовано проліт безпілотного літального апарату, ймовірно типу «Орлан-10», з перетином лінії зіткнення. Втрат серед військовослужбовців Об’єднаних сил внаслідок дій ворога немає», – йдеться в повідомленні.
Бойовики на своїх ресурсах звинувачують ЗСУ в обстрілі територій біля Ясинуватої.
Збройний конфлікт на Донбасі триває від 2014 року після російської окупації Криму. Україна і Захід звинувачують Росію у збройній підтримці бойовиків. Кремль відкидає ці звинувачення і заявляє, що на Донбасі можуть перебувати хіба що російські «добровольці».
Із 00:01 27 липня 2020 року на Донбасі набрала чинності чергова домовленість про «повне та всеосяжне припинення вогню», яка формально чинна й далі, попри численні порушення її російськими гібридними силами.
За останніми даними Збройних сил, від 14 квітня 2014 року станом на 17 жовтня 2021 року на території Донецької та Луганської областей загинули 2 719 військових, отримали поранення чи ушкодження 10 368 військовослужбовців ЗСУ.
За даними Управління верховного комісара ООН із прав людини, станом на липень 2021 року загальна кількість загиблих внаслідок бойових дій на Донбасі становила понад 13 тисяч: щонайменше 3 3901 цивільних осіб, приблизно 4 200 українських військових та близько 5 800 членів незаконних збройних угруповань.
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«Відкрита агресія проти України силами та засобиами Росії – це дуже серйозний політичний крок»
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The G-7 group of nations condemned what it called the Belarus government’s “orchestration of irregular migration across its borders” Thursday, as neighboring Poland reported new attempts to cross its border.
“We call on the regime to cease immediately its aggressive and exploitative campaign in order to prevent further deaths and suffering,” the foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain and the United States said in a joint statement. “International organizations need to be provided with immediate and unhindered access to deliver humanitarian assistance.”
European countries accuse Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko of pushing thousands of migrants, mostly from the Middle East, to cross the border illegally in retaliation for European Union sanctions punishing Belarus for cracking down on pro-democracy protesters. Belarus has denied orchestrating the gathering of migrants at the border.
The G-7 said Thursday that Belarus is trying to “deflect attention” from its violations of international law and human rights. The statement expressed solidarity with Poland as well as two other neighbors of Belarus-Lithuania and Latvia.
Some information for this report came from the Associated Press and Reuters.
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Дебора Лайонс повідомила Раді безпеки ООН, що 60% з 38 мільйонів жителів Афганістану зараз перебувають на межі голоду, і ситуація, ймовірно, погіршиться впродовж зими
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Парламент ухвалив у другому читанні закон, який унормовує використання ДПСУ зброї, засобів примусу, спеціальних засобів, повітряних та водних суден
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На нічному відео, опублікованому в соцмережах, видно велику групу людей із рюкзаками, за якими спостерігають польські правоохоронні органи
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Про ці та інші новини – в огляді Радіо Свобода
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Джейкоб Ченслі під час заворушень у Капітолії запамʼятався своїм костюмом та хутряною шапкою з рогами
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Poland is dealing with a huge migrant crisis as thousands try to enter its territory from Belarus. Polish authorities have created an exclusion zone and do not allow volunteers to help migrants who reach European Union soil. Jamie Dettmer narrates this report by correspondent Ricardo Marquina from the Polish town of Michalowo near the border with Belarus.
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Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said China’s hypersonic missile test over the summer drew “concerns” about Beijing’s growing capability, but he said he did not compare it to Russia’s launching of the world’s first artificial satellite, Sputnik I, in the 1950s.
“Those are terms that I wouldn’t use, I don’t personally use,” Austin replied Wednesday to reporters asking whether the July 27 launch was a “Sputnik moment.”
Austin called China the U.S. military’s “pacing challenge” but added that the U.S. was focused on “robust capability across the board” rather than one specific capability such as hypersonic weapons.
Even though the Chinese weapon missed its target by several kilometers, according to the Financial Times, the test marked the first time any country had sent a hypersonic weapon fully around the Earth. Hypersonic weapons travel at more than five times the speed of sound and are incredibly difficult to track.
China has denied it carried out a hypersonic missile test, saying it was testing a reusable spacecraft.
In an interview with CBS News that aired this week, General John Hyten, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, struck a more forceful tone when discussing the hypersonic test.
“It’s a very significant capability that has the potential to change a lot of things,” Hyten said.
Asked if he would compare the Chinese test to Sputnik, Hyten replied that “from a technology perspective, it’s pretty impressive.”
“But Sputnik created a sense of urgency in the United States,” the second highest ranking general said. “The test on July 27 did not create that sense of urgency. I think it probably should create a sense of urgency.”
China has already deployed one medium-range hypersonic weapon, according to Hyten, while the U.S. is still years away from fielding its first one.
Last month, General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also called the Chinese test “very concerning.”
“I don’t know if it’s quite a Sputnik moment, but I think it’s very close to that. It has all of our attention,” Milley said in an interview on Bloomberg Television.
Russia-Ukraine tensions
Earlier in the Pentagon briefing Wednesday, Austin called on Russia to be more transparent about its troop buildup on the border of Ukraine.
“We’re not sure exactly what Mr. [Vladimir] Putin [Russia’s president] is up to, but these movements certainly have our attention,” he said.
In early November, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said about 90,000 Russian troops were close to the border and in rebel-controlled areas in Ukraine’s east.
A buildup of Russian troops near Ukraine earlier this year heightened tensions with the West. Russian officials said the troops had been deployed for training to counter security threats posed by nearby NATO forces.
Moscow annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and has since been supporting a separatist insurgency in Ukraine’s east.
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Президент Польщі Анджей Дуда заявив, що немає небезпеки військового конфлікту на кордоні з Білоруссю, де збираються тисячі мігрантів із Близького Сходу у намаганні потрапити до Європейського союзу. В останні дні Польща суттєво посилила присутність військових на кордоні, щоб стримати мігрантів.
«Військової небезпеки немає. Польська армія є тільки для гарантування безпеки», – сказав Дуда журналістам на пресконференції зі своїм чорногорським колегою Міло Джукановичем.
Дуда сказав, що Білорусь відмовилася приймати польську гуманітарну допомогу мігрантам.
Водночас польський президент закликав НАТО уважно стежити за ситуацією на кордоні ЄС із Білоруссю.
Мігранти, які кілька днів перебували на кордоні між Білоруссю та Польщею, 16 листопада зіткнулися з польськими військовими, намагаючись потрапити до ЄС. Польські сили використали водомети, сльозогінний газ та димові шашки.
Брюссель звинуватив Мінськ у тому, що він заманив мігрантів до Білорусі, а потім підштовхнув їх до кордону з членами ЄС – Польщею, Латвією та Литвою у спробі дестабілізувати блок.
Раніше на цьому тижні ЄС ввів новий пакет санкцій проти Білорусі за її дії з розпалювання міграційної кризи, яка вже призвела до загибелі кількох людей, переважно від холоду.
Мігранти живуть у тимчасових таборах, і очікується, що їхнє становище погіршиться з наближенням зими.
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Dozens of Armenian soldiers have been captured or gone missing following the latest clashes on the border with Azerbaijan, officials in Yerevan said on November 17.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry said on the morning of November 17 that seven of its soldiers were killed and 10 others wounded in renewed fighting on the shared border that erupted on November 16.
According to a statement by Armenia’s Defense Ministry, 13 Armenian soldiers were captured by Azerbaijani forces and another 24 Armenian servicemen have gone missing and that their fate remains unknown.
The statement added that one Armenian soldier was killed in the fighting, which Yerevan says has stopped following talks with Moscow.
Both sides blamed each other for starting the latest conflict amid tensions between the two former Soviet nations that have simmered since a six-week war last year over Nagorno-Karabakh.
Azerbaijan said its forces prevented “large-scale provocations” by Armenian forces in the Kalbacar and Lachin districts bordering Armenia.
In turn, Armenia’s Defense Ministry accused Azerbaijani soldiers of shooting at its positions along the border, using artillery, armored vehicles, and guns.
Later on November 16, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported that hostilities on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border had ceased after a cease-fire was reached with Moscow’s mediation. Armenia confirmed that report.
The situation along the border has been tense since the two South Caucasus nations fought a 44-day war over Nagorno-Karabakh last year that killed at least 6,500 people and ended with a cease-fire that granted Azerbaijan control of parts of the region as well as adjacent territories occupied by Armenians.
The breakaway region is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but had been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since the end of a separatist war in 1994.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Washington was “troubled” by the reports of the fighting. In a tweet on November 17, Blinken called on both sides to engage “directly and constructively to resolve all outstanding issues, including border demarcation.”
On November 16, the European Union also urged the two sides to show restraint.
Calling for “urgent de-escalation and [a] full cease-fire,” the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, described the situation in the region as “challenging.”
“The EU is committed to work with partners to overcome tensions for a prosperous and stable South Caucasus,” Michel wrote on Twitter.
Some information for this story came from the Associated Press.
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Migrants in a makeshift camp on the western border of Belarus are being taken away by bus, a Polish government official was quoted as saying Wednesday.
Thousands of migrants, primarily from the Middle East, have been stuck in the camp since Nov. 8. Most are escaping conflict and instability at home for opportunities in Germany or other countries in western Europe.
On Tuesday, Polish security forces along the border fired water cannons and tear gas at stone-throwing migrants, after Poland accused Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s government of providing smoke grenades and other weapons to the migrants.
But on Wednesday, a Polish deputy interior minister, Maciej Wasik, reportedly said tensions had deescalated and that the camp, which is now closed, had fewer people.
“I have received information that Lukashenko has provided the first buses which migrants are boarding and leaving,” Wasik said, according to The Associated Press. “The camp site near Kuznica is slowly emptying.”
The Associated Press reported Wasik’s information is hard to verify because of restrictions on journalists on both sides of the Belarusian-Polish border.
The Belarusian state news agency Belta reported that migrants were being sheltered inside a logistics center at the border.
Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak warned Wednesday in an interview with Poland’s Radio Jedynka the crisis at the border could last months or even years, according to Agence France-Presse.
Some information in this report came from The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse.
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