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Germany gives green light for delivery of Leopard tanks to Ukraine
2023-01-25 00:00:00.0     欧洲新闻电视台-欧洲新闻     原网页

       

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       Several sectors across Europe have been impacted by strikes as workers demand higher pay and better working conditions.

       Here’s a look at which workers are going on strike in Europe today:

       Flights cancelled due to warning strike at German airport

       Around 300 flights were cancelled at the Berlin Brandenburg Airport as workers went on strike, the airport said.

       Those flights would have transported some 35,000 passengers.

       “Affected passengers are asked to contact their airline for information on rebooking and alternative travel options,” the airport added in a statement.

       Employees in security, ground handling services and the company running the airport were striking over a pay dispute.

       The airport opened in 2020 after significant delays and construction problems. Berlin Brandenburg Airport continues to struggle financially with a lot of debt but is working on becoming "financially independent," a spokesman said.

       Passengers look at a display board showing all flights as canceled during a warning strike at Berlin-Brandenburg BER Airport in Schoenefeld, Germany, Jan. 25, 2023 Christoph Soeder/dpa via AP Photo

       Amazon workers go on strike for the first time in the UK

       Workers at an Amazon warehouse in Coventry became the first in the UK to go on strike over the company’s low pay.

       The workers voted in mid-December to go on strike.

       “The fact that they are being forced to go on strike to win a decent rate of pay from one of the world's most valuable companies should be a badge of shame for Amazon,” said GMB senior organiser Amanda Gearing in a press release when the vote happened.

       A spokesperson for the GMB union said the workers make £10.50 (€11.89) as a base rate per hour but the workers are asking for £15 (roughly €17).

       Around 300 workers went on strike on Wednesday at the Amazon warehouse.

       A spokesman from Amazon said that "a tiny proportion of our workforce is involved."

       "In fact, according to the verified figures, only a fraction of 1% of our UK employees voted in the ballot - and that includes those who voted against industrial action," the spokesman said. He argued that the company offers competitive pay.

       France and Spain travel strikes: The dates and cities with delays and cancellations in February

       Italy petrol stations on strike over 'stigmatisation' but unions divided

       Italy's petrol station operators have been on strike across the country since Tuesday evening, although self-service stations remain open.

       The action is taking place on both motorways and local routes.

       Unions however are divided on how long the strike will last. Some operators will continue throughout Thursday while others will end it on Wednesday.

       The main reason for the strike is the obligation for operators to display a panel showing the regional average fuel price. Unions say the government's measure is accusing operators of "speculating on gas prices at the expense of the consumers".

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       Despite the strike, however, Italian law requires that at least 50% of stations in urban areas remain open. On motorways, there should be at least one station operating every 100 kilometres.

       For motorways, you can find out what petrol stations are still open with this list published by the country's Conference of Regions and Autonomous provinces.

       Cars line up at a petrol station in Rome on January 24, 2023. Tiziana FABI / AFP

       French unions give update following massive protests over pension reform plan

       The leaders of France's eight biggest unions are holding a press conference in Paris at 15:30 CET over the government's controversial pension reform, which aims to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.

       According to a poll conducted in January by IFOP, the reform is opposed by 68% of French people.

       One million in the streets against controversial pension reform in France What to know about France's nationwide strike over pension reform

       The proposal has already triggered fierce protests in the country, with opposition parties arguing the retirement age should be reduced instead.

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       Last week, over one million people took to the streets against the planned overhaul. In Paris, police clashed with protesters, with doctors having to amputate the testicle of a young man after he was clubbed in the groin by a police officer.

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       Germany has confirmed it will provide Ukraine with much sought-after Leopard 2 heavy battle tanks. Moscow blasted the move as a "blatant provocation".

       In a significant boost to Kyiv's war effort, Berlin agreed to the delivery of Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine on Tuesday, reversing its policy of hesitance. This was confirmed by the Chancellery in the afternoon.

       Meanwhile, Washington was expected to announce as soon as Wednesday that it will send M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, a source told Reuters.

       Giving Ukraine battle tanks has been a contentious issue in recent weeks.

       Some of Kyiv's allies, particularly in eastern Europe, have argued it is essential at a time when Russia is gaining ground on the battlefield, while others, notably the US and Germany, have worried about escalating hostilities.

       "Discussions must be concluded with decisions" Volodymyr Zelenskyy

       Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pressed the West to donate their most modern battle tanks on Tuesday evening, saying that "discussions must be concluded with decisions".

       Moscow has warned supplying Kyiv with offensive weaponry will escalate the conflict. On Sunday, a Putin ally said it will lead to a "global catastrophe" by weakening arguments against using nuclear weapons.

       But German Chancellor Olaf Scholz decided to approve sending Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, and will allow other countries -- such as Poland -- to do so as well.

       Poland and Lithuania to send German-made Leopard tanks to Ukraine

       Countries wanting to export the tank must first ask Berlin's permission as they are German-made.

       Der Spiegel, which broke the news, said Germany was planning to supply at least one company of Leopard 2 A6 tanks, some 14 tanks in total.

       Other European allies intend to go along with Germany in supplying their Leopards, the magazine reported.

       Support for Ukraine

       In Spain, El País is reporting that the government is poised to commit to sending tanks to Ukraine.

       The paper says a condition of the Spanish government participating in the operation to provide Ukraine with a system capable of counteracting the firepower of modern Russian tanks is the existence of an agreement at European level.

       'Free the Leopards!' Campaign aims to 'embarrass' Germany into sending tanks to Ukraine

       Kyiv hailed the move as a potential game-changer on the battlefield, even if some believe the number of tanks falls short of what is needed to liberate Russian-controlled areas.

       "A few hundred tanks for our tank crews .... This is what is going to become a real punching fist of democracy," Andriy Yermak, the head of Zelenskiy's administration, wrote on Telegram.

       There is still no official confirmation from Washington.

       One US official told Reuters their country would send about 30 M1 Abrams tanks over the coming months.

       Fielded by some 20 armies around the world, Leopard 2 tanks are seen as the best option, since they are available in large numbers and easy to maintain.

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       Ukraine has officially admitted to withdrawing troops from the eastern town of Soledar on Wednesday, after a months-long bloody battle. But Ukrainian army spokesman Sergui Tcherevaty did not specify when it took place.

       "After months of difficult fighting... the Ukrainian armed forces left [Soledar]," he said.

       "[To] retreat to prepared positions."

       Recent weeks have seen vicious fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces in the salt mining town, which sits in the hotly-contested Donbas region.

       Moscow has portrayed the fight as key to seizing the strategic town of Bakhmut and the prized Donbas region. But the importance of the town is debated.

       The US think tank, Institute for the Study of War, said it was "not an operationally significant development".

       A war of words has accompanied fighting on the ground. On 13 January, Moscow claimed its forces had seized the besieged salt mining town, but Kyiv immediately rejected that.

       Days earlier, the Russian private military group Wagner said it had taken Soledar.

       Russian capture of Soledar could pave the way for Bakhmut invasion

       This is the first time Ukraine has officially recognised the loss of the town, which was once home to 11,000 people before the Russian invasion.

       Tcherevaty said the retreat was "controlled" with "no encirclement or massive capture of our soldiers", and denied that soldiers had leaked information about its fate.

       He claimed Ukrainian troops "inflicted incredible losses" on the Russians, and emphasised that Kyiv's strategy was to "wear out the enemy".

       Casualty figures are highly-contested on both sides, and Euronews cannot verify this claim.

       Russian officials said their soldiers had made advances towards Bakhmut on Wednesday, citing the capture of Soledar as the reason why.

       For more watch Euronews' report in the video above.

       


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关键词: Soledar     unions     German airport     strike     Ukraine     tanks     Leopard     flights     workers     Germany    
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