Germany deports 81 Afghans, second time since Taliban's return
Germany
deported dozens of Afghan men to their homeland on Friday, the second time it has done so since the
Taliban
returned to power and the first since a new government.
German authorities said a flight took off Friday morning carrying 81
Afghans
, all of them men who had had asylum applications rejected. Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the
deportation
was carried out with the help of
Qatar
and preceded by weeks of negotiations. He also said there were contacts with Afghanistan, but didn't elaborate. More than 10 months ago.
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Germany's previous government deported Afghan nationals to their homeland for the first time since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.
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Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Why has a U.S. government employee been barred from leaving China and detained for months?
A U.S. government employee from the Commerce Department has reportedly been barred from leaving China due to an alleged visa irregularity, escalating tensions between Washington and Beijing at a time when bilateral relations remain fragile. The individual, an American citizen of Chinese descent, works for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office under the Department of Commerce. According to reports by The Washington Post , the man failed to disclose his affiliation with the U.S. government on his visa application while entering China. This omission, Chinese authorities claim, has led to the imposition of an exit ban, effectively preventing his return to the United States. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category others Product Management Data Analytics healthcare Operations Management CXO PGDM MBA Design Thinking Technology Data Science Management Project Management Degree MCA Artificial Intelligence Leadership Cybersecurity Others Digital Marketing Data Science Public Policy Healthcare Skills you'll gain: Duration: 16 Weeks Indian School of Business CERT - ISB Cybersecurity for Leaders Program India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 16 Weeks Indian School of Business CERT - ISB Cybersecurity for Leaders Program India Starts on undefined Get Details The U.S. State Department has not officially confirmed the identity or current location of the individual, though it has reiterated that the safety of American citizens remains a top priority. China Silent as U.S. Seeks Answers Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told reporters on Monday that he had 'no information to share' regarding the individual's status. 'China is a country that upholds the rule of law and we handle all relevant cases in accordance with legal procedures,' Guo stated at a regular press briefing. The U.S. Commerce Department has not issued a formal comment on the matter, while the State Department, in response to media queries, said it had 'nothing to share' on the specifics of the case. However, it reaffirmed its broader commitment to the welfare of U.S. citizens overseas. Live Events Exit Bans Add to Mounting Tensions This incident follows a growing number of cases where U.S. citizens have been blocked from exiting China, typically citing unresolved legal matters or civil disputes. While Chinese laws allow exit bans in such circumstances, human rights observers and Western governments have raised alarm over the increasing use of such restrictions on foreign nationals, especially those involved in civil—not criminal—cases. Exit bans often go undisclosed until a person attempts to leave the country. According to U.S. officials, these practices have spurred caution among investors, global executives, and government workers planning to travel to China. The State Department's travel advisory currently urges U.S. citizens to 'exercise increased caution' in China due to the 'arbitrary enforcement of local laws,' including exit bans. Detained for Months, Movement Tracked Reports suggest the U.S. government worker has been held in China 'for months.' He was initially stopped in April in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, before being escorted to Beijing by a U.S. official, according to the South China Morning Post . His current whereabouts remain unknown. The man is a veteran of the U.S. Army and had been visiting family at the time of the travel. This marks the first publicly known case of a U.S. government-affiliated employee being blocked from leaving China. Under Chinese laws, foreigners can face travel restrictions during civil litigation or while under criminal investigation, even in the absence of formal charges. Most exit bans in recent years have involved civil disputes rather than accusations of criminal wrongdoing. Similar Cases Add to Anxiety Just last week, The Wall Street Journal reported that Chenyue Mao, a Wells Fargo executive of Chinese descent, was also subjected to an exit ban. The bank subsequently imposed travel restrictions on its staff regarding China. Beijing, for its part, stated that Mao was 'involved in a criminal case' and was cooperating with authorities. The rise in such incidents has raised concerns among U.S. lawmakers. John Moolenaar, Republican Chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, expressed alarm over the recent developments. 'I am gravely concerned by what appears to be another case of CCP hostage diplomacy,' he said. 'This is a tactic, not a coincidence—and it's unacceptable. The freedom of all Americans must remain a top priority.' Diplomatic Stakes Amid Trade Frictions The incident unfolds against the backdrop of mounting economic tensions between the United States and China. President Donald Trump has set an August 12 deadline for Beijing to agree to new trade terms or face additional tariffs. Currently, Chinese goods face a cumulative U.S. tariff rate of 55 percent, along with a 10 percent tax on all imports. In response, China has condemned what it describes as U.S. 'bullying' and warned of retaliatory measures. Despite the war of words, Trump has spoken positively of Chinese President Xi Jinping. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently indicated that the two leaders are likely to meet later this year, although a formal announcement is yet to be made. When asked whether a Trump-Xi summit was being planned, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun declined to comment, stating, 'No information to provide currently.' What Lies Ahead for the U.S. Worker It remains unclear how long the exit ban on the U.S. Commerce Department employee will last. Previous cases in China have seen travel bans remain in effect for extended periods while investigations are underway, often without a clear legal resolution. Experts suggest that this case could become a critical point of discussion in diplomatic negotiations between the two countries, particularly in the run-up to any potential summit between the heads of state. A source familiar with the situation told The Washington Post , 'No administration wants an American rolled up in China at the end of the day. The message was delivered at an extremely high level for the Chinese to let him go.' Calls for Transparency and Accountability Legal experts and international rights advocates have called for increased transparency in how exit bans are administered. 'These are legal black holes,' said one analyst, 'where people can be caught in limbo for months without formal charges, hearings, or recourse.' The U.S. government continues to caution its citizens to fully disclose employment history and other relevant details when applying for visas to countries with strict entry and exit regulations, including China. For now, the case of the detained U.S. worker serves as a stark reminder of the complexities and potential risks facing American citizens abroad—especially in countries where diplomatic and legal frameworks differ significantly from those in the U.S. FAQs Why has a U.S. government employee been barred from leaving China? The U.S. Commerce Department employee, reportedly from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, was barred due to an alleged visa irregularity—specifically, failing to disclose his U.S. government affiliation on his visa application. What is the nationality and background of the individual involved? The individual is an American citizen of Chinese descent and a U.S. Army veteran. He was reportedly visiting family in China at the time of the incident.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Chinese car giants rush into Brazil with dreams of dominating a continent
A two-hour drive beyond the traffic jams of São Paulo, past the vast valleys of sugar cane, one of the first Chinese battery-powered car factories in the Americas is getting ready to open. Its goal is to reinvent the way Brazil drives, and ultimately, the rest of Latin America, much as Chinese automakers have already done across much of Asia and want to do in Europe. Until recently, this factory was run by Mercedes-Benz, the German giant of 20th century automotive innovation that churned out cars powered by gasoline. Today, it's owned by Great Wall Motor, a company that is now one of China's leading exporters of stylish, affordable electric vehicles. The change in hands reflects a profound disruption for one of the world's most vital industries. If American and European gas-guzzling cars once dominated global tastes and trends, that era appears to be fast turning to China's favor. Today, not only does China make and export more cars of all types than any other country in the world, Chinese firms dominate the global manufacture of battery-powered vehicles of the future. They also control the supply chain for virtually everything that goes into those cars. China's EV s are among the most advanced in the world. Some today go as far on a single charge as top-of-the-line Teslas, at lower prices. One Chinese carmaker, BYD, short for Build Your Dreams, has developed technology that can deliver a full charge in just five minutes. Little wonder that Tesla sales in China are lagging, and that the United States, under both Presidents Joe Biden and Donald Trump , have essentially banned Chinese car imports. For China, that leaves the rest of the world. Its electric and hybrid manufacturers have set up, or are in the process of setting up, factories in Hungary, Indonesia, Russia, Thailand and Turkey. These efforts, including Great Wall's Brazilian factory, are part of a globe-spanning campaign by China to seize a major share of the world's auto industry, a powerful source of revenues, jobs and also national prestige. Western auto giants are alarmed. "We are in a global competition with China," Jim Farley, the CEO of Ford Motor Co., said at the Aspen Ideas conference in June. "It's not just EVs. And if we lose this, we do not have a future at Ford." Great Wall Motor took over the Mercedes plant in the industrial town of Iracemápolis, near São Paulo, after the German carmaker closed shop in 2021, blaming a slump in luxury car sales. BYD took over a Ford factory after years of poor sales and steep losses forced the U.S. car giant to end its long history of manufacturing in Brazil. Farley at the time called the closures "difficult but necessary actions." Ford had assembled cars in Brazil for a century, starting with the Model T. "For the first time in decades, we're seeing a real challenge to the dominance of American and European brands, not just in terms of market share, but in shaping the future of mobility," said Natalie Unterstell , president of a climate research and advocacy organization called Talanoa Institute, based in Rio de Janeiro. Brazil, the world's sixth largest car market, is trying to take advantage of it, instead of being steamrolled. It's prodding companies, no matter where they're from, to make cars on Brazilian soil, the less polluting the better, while also imposing steadily rising tariffs on imports. It hasn't all been smooth sailing. There have been union clashes over Chinese labor practices. But the government's overall message: If you want access to our car buyers, then come and create factories and factory jobs here. "We don't want to be an importer of technologies produced in other countries only," said Rafael Dubeux , special adviser to the Finance Ministry, in an interview in Brazil's capital, Brasília. "We also want to take advantage of this profound change in the world, in manufacturing facilities, so that Brazil also has a part in the value chains that we think are the ones that will prevail." At least three Chinese firms are opening assembly plants in Brazil. In addition to Great Wall Motor and BYD, another Chinese automaker, Chery, has teamed up with a Brazilian company, Caoa, to produce cars in central Goias state. Nevertheless, Marcio Lima Leite, head of the Brazil automaker association, remains worried. The new Chinese auto plants are mainly assembling cars with components imported from China, including the most valuable component, batteries. That, he said, will not advance the industry in Brazil. "It's very important to have competitiveness in Brazil, to produce the new technology in Brazil," he said. Chinese carmakers have had to bend to local needs in important ways. In Brazil, that means the needs of the powerful ethanol industry. Ethanol is produced from the country's huge sugar cane crop, and Brazilian law requires every liter of gasoline to be a little more than 25% ethanol. So the auto companies aren't just making fully electric cars in Brazil. They are also having to make hybrids that run partly on the gas-ethanol blend and partly on batteries. "We need to produce what customers are looking for," said Marcio Renato Alfonso , a Brazilian who worked for an American carmaker for many years and is now Great Wall's director of research and development for Brazil. "High technology with an affordable price." Along Henry Ford Avenue in the industrial city of Camaçari, what was once a Ford factory is now becoming a BYD factory. This had been Ford's newest plant. Every day, starting in 2001, it churned out hundreds of gas-powered cars. It employed some 5,000 workers. It also lost huge amounts of money. In 2021, the Ford plant shut down. "It was a shock," said Júlio Bonfim, who was president of the metal workers union at the factory. "I imagined my son would also work at the plant. It didn't happen." The state government offered BYD a basket of incentives to take over the plant. But almost as soon as the Chinese company arrived, it got enmeshed in a labor scandal. In December, Brazilian officials accused BYD's contractor, Jinjiang Construction Group, with keeping 163 Chinese workers in "conditions akin to slavery" and in violation of Brazilian labor laws. It embodied the reckoning that Chinese companies face as they seek to expand in Brazil, which has robust unions. The workers were sent back home. Construction slowed down. Company officials said they expect to start production later this year. When it does, Bonfim's union insists that Brazilians must be hired to work the line. It has threatened to strike if Chinese workers are brought in. BYD's top executive for Brazil, Alexandre Baldy , said the firm had taken steps to address the violations. In May the labor prosecutor's office filed charges against the carmaker and its contractors for human trafficking. The company said it plans to challenge the charges. In the meantime, the Great Wall factory in Iracemápolis will almost assuredly already be fully operational. An opening ceremony is planned for August. Cars are due to roll off the factory floor soon after. The factory first plans to produce one hybrid model and three plug-in hybrids.
Mint
2 hours ago
- Mint
Companies pledge to invest over $700 billion in Germany over the next 3 years
BERLIN (AP) — A group of dozens of companies pledged Monday to invest at least 631 billion euros ($733 billion) in Germany over the next three years, sending a signal of confidence in Europe's biggest economy as the new government tries to breathe new life into it. The economy has shrunk for the past two years and is expected to stagnate this year. Chancellor Friedrich Merz's administration has made revitalizing it a top priority since it took office May 6. It has launched a program to encourage investment and set up a 500 billion euro fund to pour money into Germany's creaking infrastructure over the next 12 years. It is promising to cut red tape and speed up the country's lagging digitization. On Monday, Merz welcomed representatives of an initiative titled 'Made for Germany' to the chancellery to send a signal of confidence from and to private investors. The group currently includes 61 companies from across the economy, among them industrial conglomerate Siemens and financial giant Deutsche Bank. 'The investments by the initiative are a very powerful signal that we are now experiencing a shift in sentiment and consolidating it," Merz said. 'The message ... is very clear: Germany is back. It's worth investing in Germany again. We are not a location of the past, but a location of the present and above all the future.' He stressed that private investment is crucial to encouraging growth. The overall figure pledged Monday includes at least some already planned investments. Merz said the plans include investments in new facilities and in modernizing infrastructure, in research and development. Deutsche Bank CEO Christian Sewing praised the new government as being 'determined to end the reform backlog that has slowed us down for too long.' But he said that it still needs to do more, and the companies 'encouraged' the government 'to continue the course of reform.'
