VIENNA: Thousands of people protested in Austria’s capital Vienna on Thursday against a possible return to power for the far-right Freedom Party (FPOe), which topped national elections on Sunday.
The FPOe won almost 29 percent of the vote in Sunday’s general election, ahead of the conservative People’s Party (OeVP) with just over 26 percent.
“The Austrian Freedom Party is a danger because it has already said that it wants to govern in the image of Hungary’s Viktor Orban,” said Rihab Toumi, a 26-year-old student, referring to the nationalist leader of Austria’s neighboring country.
Although the FPOe topped the polls, there is no guarantee that their radical leader Herbert Kickl will be given a chance to form a government since no other party is willing to work with him.
“This result was a shock and we cannot let a party that drifts so far to the right garner so much support without saying anything,” said social worker Marianne, 53, who declined to share her surname.
Organizers claimed there were 15,000 to 17,000 protesters in central Vienna, who marched toward parliament.
Demonstrators held up placards saying “Let’s defend democracy,” “No alliances with Putin’s friends” and other anti-FPOe slogans.
Kickl has criticized European Union sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin and his inner circle over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Demonstrators intend to march every Thursday, having similarly done so after the far right formed part of short-lived coalition governments in 2000 and 2017.
Thousands rally in Austria against far right
https://arab.news/ne9ag
Thousands rally in Austria against far right
US signs $228m deal with Rwanda for health under new aid model
- Under the health deal, the US will provide up to $158 million to Rwanda to fight HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other infectious diseases, the State Department said
- The health funding agreement comes a day after Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame and his Democratic Republic of the Congo counterpart, Felix Tshisekedi, affirmed their commitment to a deal to end the conflict in eastern Congo
KIGALI: The US and Rwanda have signed a deal providing $228 million for the health sector in the East African nation, the State Department said, the second such pact under the US administration’s new approach to overseas aid.
Kenya became the first country this week to strike a deal with Washington under the “America First Global Health Strategy,” unveiled in September by the administration and aimed at improving target countries’ self-reliance in managing their health sectors.
The $228 million will be provided by both governments.
The Rwanda deal lays out “a comprehensive vision to save lives, strengthen Rwanda’s health system,” the State Department said, while helping to make America “safer.”
The health funding agreement comes a day after Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame and his Democratic Republic of the Congo counterpart, Felix Tshisekedi, affirmed their commitment to a deal to end the conflict in eastern Congo.
Under the health deal, the US will provide up to $158 million to Rwanda to fight HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other infectious diseases, the State Department said.
The cash will also strengthen disease surveillance and outbreak response.
“In turn, the government of Rwanda plans to increase its own domestic health investment by $70 million, taking on greater financial responsibility as US support is gradually reduced over the years,” the department said.
The agreement will also build on an initiative that sees drone-delivery startup Zipline taking lifesaving medical products where they are needed, in co-operation with Rwanda, the department said.
“The agreement underscores Rwanda’s ambition to build a self-reliant, adaptive, and technology-enabled health system,” said Oliver Nduhungirehe, Rwanda’s foreign minister, after he signed the deal with US officials in Washington.
