Hesse's top candidate of the ecologist Green party Tarek Al-Wazir (centre), Priska Hinz of the Green party (left) and co-leader of the Green party Annalena Baerbock (right) address supporters as first exit polls were announced during the state elections. (Torsten SILZ/AFP) Weakened by a strong backlash against immigration after allowing over a million people into Germany since 2015, Merkel's fourth government has staggered from one crisis to the next since being formed earlier this year. According to an exit poll by public broadcaster ARD in Hesse state, Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) shed more than 10 points compared with 2013 for a 27.4-percent score, holding on to a weakened first place. Meanwhile junior federal coalition partners the Social Democrats (SPD) tumbled more than 11 points to 19.6, roughly tied for second place with the ecologist Greens, who almost doubled their result to 19.5 per cent. Both the SPD and Merkel's CSU sister party had also seen grave losses … [Read more...] about Merkel government shaken by German regional vote battering
Climate change when did it start
Hoi An river dyke takes its cue from nature
A soil dyke section in Triêm Tây Village of Quảng Nam Province is covered by native grass to prevent erosion during the flood season. — Photo courtesy of An Nhiên Farm Viet Nam News Floods are a growing problem across the country. Inspired by the diversity of forests, a natural dyke project near Hoäi An shows one solution. Công Thành reports. Architect Ngô Anh Đào designed her first “green” river dyke by looking at the natural structures that plants use to survive environmental changes. The dyke provides what she calls a “soft” riverbank protection solution in Triêm Tây Village. Đào, who studied urban planning and landscape design at theUniversity ofMontreal, Canada, used multiple layers of indigenous flora and environmentally friendly material to build the dyke. She and her partner, Vũ Thị Mỹ Hạnh, director of An Nhiên Farm, constructed it … [Read more...] about Hoi An river dyke takes its cue from nature
As Asians get rich and healthy, ‘smart crops’ replace rice on future menus
Lunchtime in Taipei’s Ximending district is a test of wills and patience as tourists and locals jostle at restaurants and street stalls to choose from steamed and fried dumplings, flat and thin noodles, stuffed pancakes, grills and desserts. In this foodie haven, one item makes only an occasional appearance on menus and on plates - rice. Once a staple of Taiwanese diets, rice consumption per person has fallen more than two-thirds in 50 years, according to the United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), as “smart crops” and “super foods” muscle their way onto plates. It is the steepest drop in Asia but a trend across the continent as urbanization, rising incomes, climate change and concerns about health and food supplies drive a push for alternatives for the future such as millets and more protein. “I ate a lot of rice when I was younger but now I eat more vegetables, fish and meat. It’s healthier,” said Guan-Po Lin, … [Read more...] about As Asians get rich and healthy, ‘smart crops’ replace rice on future menus
Trump to honour Macron, his unlikely French friend
They talk regularly, have shared memorable handshakes and supposedly have an "unbreakable" friendship. When US President Donald Trump and France's Emmanuel Macron meet next week, there will be more back-slapping - but also major differences. US President Donald Trump (L) and French President Emmanuel Macron (R) have forged a friendship that has been one of the few stable elements in recent American foreign policy AFP/Mandel NGAN The Trump-Macron relationship has been one of the few stable elements in recent American foreign policy, with the French leader emerging as the privileged European partner for the White House. While Trump's relations with German Chancellor Angela Merkel have often been tetchy and he has clashed publicly with British Prime Minister Theresa May, the mercurial US leader has been consistently friendly with France's 40-year-old centrist. Their warm ties will be on display from Monday when Macron becomes the first foreign visitor during Trump's term to … [Read more...] about Trump to honour Macron, his unlikely French friend
When the Mekong is no longer ‘the mighty’
During a class with secondary students in Can Tho City, I asked them: “Can anyone here tell me about the Mekong River?” I saw only four hands in a class of 50 students go up. One of them told me that the Mekong is a river that flows into Vietnam and splits into nine different branches, but apart from that, there was little more forthcoming. I've also asked dozens of farmers in Bac Lieu, Ca Mau and An Giang about the Mekong and what they know about the giant river that runs in front of their houses, and the response was pretty much the same. They didn't know that a vast delta which generations of their families have relied on lies at the end of the seventh longest river in Asia, which stretches across six nations. And clearly, they had no idea about what might happen to the Mekong’s tributaries: the Tien, the Hau and the Can Tho. News about the Mekong River seems a far cry from the farmers who spend their lives in the alluvial flows and paddy fields. Meanwhile, erosion … [Read more...] about When the Mekong is no longer ‘the mighty’