Category: 2. World

• Interior ministry says plane carrying men took off Friday.
• Human rights org criticises deportations to Afghanistan.
• Berlin had only indirect contact with Taliban through third parties.

BERLIN: Germany said on Friday it had deported 81 Afghan men convicted of crimes to their Taliban-controlled homeland, as Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government looks to signal a hard line on immigration.

The interior ministry said a plane carrying the men took off Friday morning bound for Afghanistan, adding that all the deportees were under expulsion orders and were convicted by the criminal justice system.

The government of Europe’s top economy was forging ahead with a “policy change”, said Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, who was hosting several European counterparts for a migration meeting.

“Deportations to Afghanistan must continue to be carried out safely in the future. There is no right of residence for serious criminals in our country.”

Berlin has had only indirect contact with the Taliban authorities through third parties with Friday’s operation executed with the help of Qatar, said the German interior ministry.

Germany had stopped deportations to Afghanistan and closed its embassy in Kabul following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.

But expulsions resumed last year for the first time since the Taliban came to power, when the previous government of Social Democrat chancellor Olaf Scholz expelled a group of 28 Afghans convicted of crimes.

Rights concerns

Human rights group Amnesty International strongly criticised the renewed deportations to Afghanistan saying the situation in the country was “catastrophic”.

“Extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, and torture are commonplace,” the group said in a statement.

At the beginning of the month, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for two senior Taliban leaders in Afghanistan, accusing them of crimes against humanity over the persecution of women and girls.

Merz told a press conference on Friday that Germany wants to be an “attractive country for immigration”, to attract the best talent and fill gaping labour shortages,

The previous government’s policies had however left local administrations with too large a burden to carry, Merz said.

His government had “initiated corrections” to put migration policy on the right course, he said, including tightening border controls and limiting family reunifications rights for some refugees.

Merz said that policing Germany´s borders with its neighbours was only a “temporary” solution and a durable solution was needed at the European level.

Migration summit

Dobrindt was meeting his French, Polish, Austrian, Danish and Czech counterparts, as well as European Commissioner for Home Affairs Magnus Brunner, in southern Germany on Friday.

The objective of the meeting is to “strengthen European migration policy,” Dobrindt told the Augsburger Allgemeine daily.

A debate over resuming expulsions has flared as migration has risen up the political agenda in tandem with the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

The AfD scored a historic election result of over 20% in February — its highest score at a national level — leaving the party nipping on the heels of Merz’s conservative CDU/CSU bloc.

The controversy over immigration was fuelled by a series of deady attacks last year where the suspects were asylum seekers — including several from Afghanistan.

Germany’s new government, a coalition between the CDU/CSU and the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), has promised to expel more foreign criminals alongside a crackdown on irregular migration.

As well as carrying out deportations to Afghanistan, Dobrindt has said he was in contact with authorities to enable deportations to Syria, which have been suspended since 2012.

Longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad was toppled in December. The country is now under the control of leaders, some of whom were once linked with the Al-Qaeda jihadist network.

GENEVA (Reuters) – Up to 11.6 million refugees may lose access to humanitarian assistance due to funding cuts, the United Nations refugee agency said on Friday.

“Our funding situation is dramatic. We fear that up to 11.6 million refugees and people forced to flee are losing access to humanitarian assistance provided by UNHCR,” said Dominique Hyde, UNHCR Director of External Relations. 

United States President Donald Trump has been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) after undergoing evaluation for lower leg swelling and hand bruising, the White House has announced.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday that the diagnosis was made after the president experienced mild discomfort in his legs over several weeks.

In a publicly released letter, President Trump’s physician, Dr Sean Barbabella, confirmed there was no evidence of deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease. All of Trump’s lab results were within normal limits.

“An echocardiogram was also performed, and confirmed normal cardiac structure and function,” the letter added.

But what is chronic venous insufficiency, and how risky is it? Here is what we know:

What is chronic venous insufficiency?

CVI is a type of vein disorder that develops when the veins in the legs become damaged, Cleveland Clinic explains. Veins have valves that help blood move up towards the heart. When these valves are damaged, they don’t close properly, and blood can flow backwards. This is called venous reflux.

This can lead to blood pooling in the lower legs. Along with swelling – most often around the feet and ankles – symptoms may include aching legs, a heavy or tingling sensation, and the appearance of varicose veins.

According to Cleveland Clinic, the disease affects about one in three adults, while CVI affects people over age 50. The risk rises with age.

What are other common symptoms?

According to the American Heart Association, some symptoms include leg swelling, as the president has experienced, but also skin irritation.

The skin issues typically show up as red, itchy or flaky patches on the lower legs, caused by poor blood flow and sometimes leading to ulcers.

Additional symptoms may include pain, itching, bleeding, a heavy or tired feeling in the legs, cramping, throbbing and restlessness.

Trump also had bruising on his hand, according to the White House. Dr Barbabella attributed that to “minor soft tissue irritation from frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin, which is taken as part of a standard cardiovascular prevention regime”, the White House release stated.

How serious is CVI?

The condition is generally mild but can worsen over time.

“Chronic Venous Insufficiency can significantly impact your quality of life, but early detection and treatment can make a substantial difference,” the chair of the American Heart Association’s Vascular Health Advisory Committee and Scientific Council on Peripheral Vascular Disease, Joshua A Beckman, said.

While the condition itself is usually not serious, it can be associated with more dangerous complications, such as deep vein thrombosis (a blood clot in a deep vein) or pulmonary embolism (a clot that blocks blood flow to the lungs).

Dr Barbabella, the president’s physician, described Trump’s case as “a benign and common condition, particularly in individuals over 70”. He confirmed that Trump, 79, showed no signs of those more serious complications.

What is the treatment for CVI?

Doctors typically begin treatment with compression therapy, which helps reduce leg swelling and discomfort. Compression stockings are often prescribed and may be worn long-term, as they support vein function by promoting blood flow back to the heart.

In addition, doctors may recommend weight loss or resistance exercises to improve circulation.

If symptoms – such as leg pain, skin sores or thickened, hardened skin – persist, more invasive treatments may be necessary. These include thermal therapies like laser treatment, which seal off damaged veins, and sclerotherapy, whereby a chemical is injected to collapse affected veins. After treatment, the body naturally redirects blood flow through healthier veins.

Lightning strikes during monsoon storms in eastern India this week killed at least 33 people and injured dozens, officials said on Friday.

The deaths in Bihar occurred during fierce storms between Wednesday and Thursday, a state disaster management department statement said, with the victims mostly farmers and labourers working in the open.

More heavy rain and lightning are forecast for parts of the state.

Bihar state’s disaster management minister, Vijay Kumar Mandal, told AFP that officials in vulnerable districts had been directed to “create awareness to take precautionary steps following an alert on lightning”.

The state government announced compensation of 4 million Indian rupees ($4,600) to the families of those killed by lightning.

India’s eastern region, including Bihar, is prone to annual floods that kill dozens and displace hundreds of thousands of people during the peak monsoon season.

South Asia’s annual monsoon season from June to September offers respite from the intense summer heat and is crucial for replenishing water supplies, but also brings widespread death and destruction.

The region is getting hotter and in recent years has seen shifting weather patterns, but scientists are unclear on how exactly a warming planet is affecting monsoons.

In May, Mumbai was swamped by monsoon rain that began two weeks earlier than usual, the earliest for nearly a quarter of a century, according to weather forecasters.

At least 34 people died over four days in early June in India’s northeastern region after heavy floods caused landslides. Another four lost their lives in Bangladesh.

At least 243 died by lightning in 2024 and 275 the year earlier, according to the state government.