Deutsche Welle (English edition)
Norway prevents sale of Rolls-Royce subsidiary to Russia
Norway's government has blocked the sale of Bergen Engines, which makes motors for ships, on national security grounds.
Norway has prevented the sale of the Rolls-Royce-owned company to Transmashholding (TMH Group) in Russia on grounds of national security, the Norwegian justice minister told parliament on Tuesday.
The Bergen Engines company, owned by Rolls-Royce for more than 20 years, is based on Norway's west coast and supplies Norway's navy as well as the global shipping industry.
"The technologies possessed by Bergen Engines, and the engines they produce would have been of significant military strategic interest to Russia, and would have boosted Russian military capabilities," the Norwegian government said in a statement.
The sale would have included a medium speed engine factory, service workshop and foundry in Norway, with engine and power plant design capability, according to a statement made by Rolls-Royce. Watch video06:22ShareDW interview with Jens StoltenbergSendFacebookTwitterredditEMailFacebook Messenger WebWhatsapp WebTelegramlinkedinPermalink https://p.dw.com/p/3qyZTNATO chief: Melting Arctic ice could heat up geopolitical tensions Rolls-Royce seeking to offload to weather pandemic
Norway, which shares an Arctic border with Russia, had gradually improved relations with Moscow in the post-Cold War era until Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 triggered more tensions.
As a result both sides have bolstered their military presence and have conducted more frequent military maneuvers.
On March 9, the Norwegian government had temporarily suspended the 150 million euro ($178 million) sale of Bergen Engines to TMH Group while it assessed the security implications.
"We now have sufficient information to conclude that it is necessary to prevent the company from being sold to a group controlled from a country with which we do not have security cooperation," Justice Minister Monica Maeland of the centerright minority government told parliament on Tuesday.
The opposition parties in Norway have criticized the government for being slow to respond to what they saw as an emerging national security threat, after Rolls-Royce had in
formed authorities of a potential deal with Russia late last year.
In response to the March 9 suspension of the deal, Russia, the following day, said that Norway's decision showed antiRussian sentiment and was of serious concern.
Rolls-Royce said last month that the transaction with Russia's TMH Group was part of the group's overall plan to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic. Bergen Engines employs roughly 950 people and logged revenues of approximately €270 million in 2019.
jm/msh (AFP, Reuters)
homes. These devastating fires will require even greater efforts by all agencies in the coming weeks, particularly as the cyclone season approaches," the societies' statement said.
What made the fire so deadly?
While officials said the cause of the fire remains unknown, barbed-wire fencing put up around parts of the camp likely made it difficult for some people to escape from the flames.
"We do know that the fencing has taken place and is surrounding large parts of the of the camps," he said. "That certainly hasn't made it easier for refugees to flee or to escape a fire."
Police inspector Gazi Salahuddin said the fire grew after gas cylinders used for cooking exploded.
A fire at a Rohingya camp in January also gutted several UNfunded schools. The frequency of blazes in the camps led Amnesty International's South Asia campaigner, Saad Hammadi, to tweet that "frequency of fire in the camps is too coincidental, especially when outcomes of previous investigations into the incidents are not known and they keep repeating."
Rohingya leader Sayed Ullah demanded an immediate probe. "It is not clear why these fire incidents are happening repeatedly in the camps. It needs proper and complete investigation," he said.
How has the world responded to the fire?
The UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM) said it has pledged $1 million (€842,000) to relief efforts but a further $20 million would be required to react to the most urgent needs.
"IOM is distributing emergency assistance to all those affected. This assistance includes shelter kits that will allow people to begin to rebuild their homes, as well as emergency items such as blankets, solar lights, mosquito nets, and jerrycans.
"With the start of the monsoon looming, rebuilding is critical. IOM will continue to help people reconstruct durable shelters, emergency latrines and the vital health facility."
Why are so many Rohingya people at the camps?
Camps in Bangladesh currently provide shelter to more than a million people — the vast majority Rohingya Muslims who have fled violence in neighboring Myanmar.
Following a 2017 crackdown on Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, many fled across the border to Bangladesh. The UN said the crackdown had a "genocidal intent," a change that Myanmar denies.
Although Bangladesh has tried to repatriate refugees back to Buddhist-majority Myanmar, the refugees have refused to leave, fearing more violence in a country that has denied them citizenship as well as other human rights.
The situation has been further complicated by a coup deposing Myanmar's elected leaders at the beginning of February and a series of protests against the new military leaders.
sms/msh (Reuters, AFP, AP, dpa)