Berlin
CNN
–

Newly appointed German Prime Minister Friedrich Merz will sit in an oval office on Thursday for his first in-person meeting with US President Donald Trump.

The conference has once again brought a series of high stakes international issues to the forefront. Trump issued another warning to the European Union regarding tariffs. The war in Ukraine appears to be nearing an end. And there is pressure on Israel against the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Since taking office, Merz has been on tours of the European capital, meeting with the ancestors of Kiel in England and the French Emmanuel Macron, Donald Task of Poland.

One major omission was a meeting with Trump. There’s a call between the two, but the handshake with a desperate click on camera shutters marks the beginning of a new German-US relationship.

Germany’s position as a European economic powerhouse and Mertz’s relocation as a leader in European security includes commitment to strengthening the military and in line with demands to increase Trump’s defense spending on NATO members.

It also has the potential to be an explosive diplomatic broadside, as seen as President Zelensky and, more recently, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently criticized Germany’s decision to classify it as a far-right party (certainly right-wing extremists), thus expanding party surveillance.

Both took X and expressed their anger at what was called the “establishment” of Germany for its designation. Secretary Rubio said, “It’s not democracy – it’s a disguised tyranny.”

Vance continued saying that Germany was trying to turn the country into redivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivivi

The German Foreign Ministry said in X that the decision was democratic. “The results of a thorough and independent investigation to protect the constitution and the rule of law.”

A few days later, Mertz rejected the statement, saying, “Germany was freed from tyranny by the United States. Germany is stable, liberal and democratic today. There is no need for lessons from democratic salvation.”

But what we can expect is that this will be a heartfelt meeting.

Wolfgang Isinger, former German US ambassador, told CNN that Merz is “fully prepared” for the conference, saying the prime minister’s personality and communication methods will help him beat the president.

“He doesn’t etch his words… It’s not Friedrich Merz’s style. He says his thoughts. He’s transparent. He’s directly. And I hope that Donald Trump expects.”

That directness has already raised eyebrows in several quarters, particularly regarding Europe’s relations with the United States.

He said that the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) on the center right of Mertz and its sister parties will win the biggest vote on February 23, making it likely to become the next prime minister. He added that the Trump administration “doesn’t really care about the fate of Europe.”

Meltz also had several other choice words for the United States for the days after the election.

And last week, he delivered Riposte to comments made by Vice President JD Vance at a security conference in Munich earlier this year, where he accused European allies of backslides about freedom of expression.

Vance raised the question, “We can imagine the strongest and best answer.” “They’re excited to be a part of the world,” Mertz said in Berlin on Thursday.

Despite these comments, Claudia Major, senior vice president of the German Marshall Fund, a think tank focused on US relations, rated the “tone being rejected” by Mertz since the election.

She said that on May 8, Meltz called Trump and said, “The United States is an essential friend and partner in Germany.”

At the business summit a few days later, Meltz revealed that he had invited Trump to Germany. As part of that trip, he accompanied the US president to the rural town of Bad Durkheim, the childhood home of Trump’s paternal grandfather.

And recently there was German cooperation with the US on NATO’s defense spending.

Meltz and his government show that longtime Trump demands that members of the alliance increase their spending on defense to 5% of GDP, urging them to adhere to Trump for years and agree to others.

However, building positive relationships is likely Germany’s main ambition for the White House meeting. And Merz’s previous role and experience could play a major role in bringing it to it.

Previously heading “Atlantik Brucke,” or the Atlantic Bridge, a think tank that promotes German-US relations, Merz is known to be a keen supporter of transatlantic relations in Germany.

While at Atlantic Bridge, he was a massive defender of the US EU trade agreement and spoke openly about his praise for former US President Ronald Reagan. He also understands the world of companies working on many boards, including the US global investment company BlackRock.

Ischinger, currently chair of the Munich Security Council’s Board of Trustees, said:

The Major also says that many are in danger. She understands that the German government needs to maintain good relations with the White House, but she told CNN about her commitment to defending Trump administration and European NATO allies, especially given the threat posed by an increasingly curious Russia.

The challenge was that Germany said “cannot afford to leave the Americans.” “At the same time, we don’t want them to leave because we think it’s better to be together,” she added.

She points to the German Union Agreement (the contract between essentially two Union parties, the CDU and the Central Left Social Democrats (SPD), on how to govern Germany), and a major change in the constitution can unleash expenditures on the US$5 trillion as an indicator of competing sentiment.

The revision of Germany’s constitutional debt brakes, pushed through by Mertz in March before he officially became prime minister, was “a revolutionary change by German standards,” the major said. But it was forced, she said, because it seemed essential because “the international relations have changed dramatically.”

At the same time, she said the coalition deal reads as if everything about transatlantic relations was working properly. “If you were such a great partner, why did we need constitutional change?” asked the Major.

A Western diplomat who was not permitted to speak before the meeting told CNN that Merz’s most recent words were “tactical and strategic.”

Sources added that it is still in Germany’s interest to have good relations with the US and find ways to work together, as Germany believes that it will “grow (and take care of it) (itself)” and the Prime Minister doesn’t see it as “the next three years.”

Ischinger also sees playing pragmatism, suggesting that Meltz attempts to replicate the personal relationship that was built with Trump by Macron.

The German Prime Minister said, “If Donald Trump is a dedicated European, he would like to assure him that Friedrich Mertz understands that it does not mean that Friedrich Mertz will make the Atlantic more widespread.

Wellington
AP
–

New Zealand lawmakers voted Thursday to enact a record suspension from Parliament for three lawmakers who conducted Maori Haka to protest the proposed law.

Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke was banned for seven days, and leaders of her political parties, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi, were banned for 21 days. Three days were the longest ban for lawmakers in the previous New Zealand Parliament.

A MP for the Maori Party Te Party Maori played the challenged dance Haka in November last year, opposed the widely unpopular bill that is currently defeated, saying they would reverse the rights of Indigenous people.

However, the protest sparked months of debate among lawmakers over what the outcome of lawmakers’ actions should be, and whether New Zealand’s Parliament welcomed or cherished Māori culture and felt threatened by it.

A fellow committee of lawmakers in April recommended a lengthy punishment in a report that lawmakers said they were not punished for the haka itself, but ran around the floor of the debate room towards the enemy. Maipi-Clarke rejected it on Thursday, citing other cases of lawmakers leaving their seats and approaching the enemy without sanctions.

The suspension was expected to be approved as government parties have more seats in parliament than opposition parties and have the necessary votes to affirm them. However, the punishment was so severe that April Speaker of Congress Jerry Brownlee ordered a free debate among lawmakers, urging them to try to reach a consensus on what the impact is appropriate.

No such agreement was reached on Thursday. During time of emotional speeches, government lawmakers rejected opposition proposals to lighter sanctions.

Opposition lawmakers have proposed that they may extend discussions for more than a few days through their filibuster-style speech, but all lawmakers agreed that discussions should be over as the outcome is already certain and no one’s minds have not changed.

CNN
–

First, these parrots learned to open trash cans and raise food. Now they took it a step further – and found a way to turn on a water fountain for a bite along with their meals.

These are Okanos, which are imposed with Australia’s iconic sulphur. It is known for its white bird with yellow clusters on its head, and its loud lattice screams. But they are also incredibly intelligent with big brains and agile feet that allowed them to pick up new habits in urban environments.

In particular, Occato in West Sydney caught the attention of scientists with his latest drinking tricks from a public fountain. After researchers first noticed the phenomenon in 2018, they tagged 24 birds and set up cameras near the fountain in the area.

For two months in the fall of 2019, they recorded most of the tagged birds they were trying to drink from the fountain. These fountains, also known as bubblers, are operated with twist handles. It’s easy enough for humans to manipulate, but complicated for animals to grasp.

Still, Okkato did. They used various techniques: some standing with both feet on the handle, while others placed one foot on the handle and one foot on the rubber spout. Then, lower your weight and turn the handle clockwise. Hold the handle in place while twisting your head and drinking.

They weren’t always successful – it worked half the time, and five of the 10 drinking fountains in the area had a “biting mark” indicating that Cocote had been there before. But the success rate also means that Cocato was likely doing this for some time, researchers in their study said they published it in the journal Biology Letters on Wednesday.

The team had previously studied Sydney’s sulfur-imposed parrots. In 2021, they published another paper to access the food inside by lifting the bird’s newly observed newly observed abilities, with the lid of a closed trash can with its beak and feet.

These innovative behaviours are not just interesting but smart. It demonstrates the ability of birds to adapt to urban environments and the power of social learning among animals, the researchers said.

“We know that bat-like parrots are among the smartest birds, and the fact that they are very social. So, if one genius invents something, if new actions pop up, then we have the opportunity to learn from each other.”

There are a few questions that have not been answered yet. Researchers don’t know exactly why cocatoes flock to the fountain instead of other easily accessible natural water sources in the area. At first, I thought that fountains would be a backup option, especially on hot days when the local streams were dry, but that wasn’t the case.

Another theory is that birds feel safer drinking from fountains in public areas with fewer predators, or simply prefer the taste of fountain water, but that requires further research to determine.

Now, researchers want to know what else Cockatoos can do.

“We reported some very interesting innovations, some examples include thawing school backpacks and stealing school lunches,” Aplin told ABC Radio. “In some areas, school bags have become a problem that they need to bring them into classrooms rather than going outside!”

CNN
–

More than one in three Australians reported using intimate partner violence in their first study of this type showing an increase in gender-based abuse despite years of national attention on the issue.

The study was part of a longitudinal study called Ten to Men by the Australian Family Institute, which began in 2013, and now involves around 24,000 boys and men. Intimate partner violence is defined as emotional, physical, or sexual abuse.

The study found that the number of men using partner violence has risen over the past decade. The previous survey was conducted between 2013 and 2014, with about one in four (24%) of men committed intimate partner violence. That figure rose to a third (35%).

This amounts to around 120,000 men using intimate partner violence for the first time each year, pointing to a worrying trend in the country that has long worked on how to combat gender-based violence.

In 2022, the Australian government launched a 10-year national plan to end violence against women and children with most priorities to advance gender equality.

However, 100 women have been killed in Australia, according to counting the dead since January last year. Recent protests have called for governments to do more to end gender-based violence.

“The fact that one in three studies using intimate partner violence should shake up all Australians” is violence against women, said Tarang Chawla, co-founder of Noth More Niki.

Chaura’s site Nikita was killed by her former partner in 2015.

“She was one of the women these numbers spoke,” Chawla said. “We know this is a crisis, but now we have data to support what the victims’ servicers, their families and supporters have been saying for years. This is extensive and it’s preventable.”

Emotional abuse is the most common form of intimate partner violence reported in the study of 10 men, with 32% of men reporting that they “fear or anxious” their intimate partner from 21% between 2013 and 2014.

And about 9% of men reported that they had an intimate partner, “hit, slapped, kicked, or physically hurt.”

Men with moderate or severe depressive symptoms were 62% more likely to use intimate partner violence by 2022 compared to those who did not suffer from these symptoms, while men with suicidal ideation, planning, or attempts were 47% times more likely.

The Ten To Men findings not only highlight the scope of the issue, but also provide important lessons for policymakers who are looking to tackle the issue, said Clinical Epidemiologist and Program Lead Sean Martin.

While much of the existing research on intimate partner violence in Australia has properly focused on survivors and their stories, this study adopts a new approach by studying perpetrators to better understand how to prevent violence.

This is the first Australian study to examine how affection in childhood father-son relationships is related to later use of intimate partner violence.

The study found that men with a higher level of social support from 2013 to 2014 were 26% less likely to start using intimate partner violence by 2022 compared to men with less support.

Men with strong father-son relationships are also less likely to become violent. Men who strongly agreed to receiving affection from their father or father figure in childhood were 48% less likely to use intimate partner violence compared to men who strongly opposed them.

These findings provide strong support for initiatives to support the mental health of Australian men, as well as community support and programmes for young fathers, Martin said.

Susan Heward Bell, a professor at the University of Sydney, said the study demonstrated the importance of fathers modeling respect, emotional intelligence, empathy and compassion for women.

“For a very long time, much of its emotional, social and nurturing work has been viewed as a woman’s responsibility within the family.”

Heward-Belle, who was not involved in the Ten To Men Study, said it was important to explore further how emotion of qualifications and anger develops.

“I also know that there are men who have no doubt good relationships with both their parents and commit domestic and domestic violence.”