Following fierce debate over road safety and the impact on traffic, the upper house adopted a proposal by Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer to approve the “electric propulsion vehicles” for road use.

They are either loved or loathed in Europe’s biggest economy.

“In Germany, souls are divided over e-scooters. Rarely has a new technology aroused such strong popularity — and such strong rejection”, said Achim Berg, president of Germany’s IT federation Bitkom.

Scheuer was forced to amend his initial suggestion to allow electric scooters on pavements, after it sparked an outcry from politicians, police unions and insurance groups.

Electrical scooters will only be allowed on pavements in exceptional cases, to be expressly indicated by signs.

E-scooter users must respect a speed limit of 20 kilometres (12.4 miles) per hour and be aged 14 years or older.

– ‘Would be a Ferrari’ –

The decision opens up the market for mobility companies vying to provide rented e-scooters in Germany’s cities with Berlin-based startup Tier and Sweden’s Voi up against US firms Lime and Bird, leaders in the fast-growing sector.

Europe’s leading economy, with its mostly flat, highly urbanised geography and spiderweb network of cycle paths is a potential goldmine for e-scoot rental providers waiting in the wings.

“You have to expect a greyhound race. Whoever can convince people first will win the market,” said Hans Preissl, a spokesman for Frankfurt’s traffic authority.

The economic model of the booming e-scooter market still needs refining however, warns a study by the Boston Consulting Group on Friday.

“If market growth were vehicle acceleration, the humble electric scooter – the latest answer to urban mobility – would be a Ferrari,” said BCG, which predicts “consolidation is inevitable” in such a crowded market.

Undeterred, German car behemoth Volkswagen is eyeing the e-scooter market with plans to incorporate them into its own car-sharing scheme by the end of the year.

However, an influx of scooters could intensify the battle for space on Germany’s streets, where cycling associations have long demanded more and wider bicycle paths.

The co-existence of cyclists and e-scooter users on Germany’s cycle paths could quickly become untenable, warns Der Spiegel, “while imposing half-empty cars will continue to occupy lanes”, referring to Germans’ love of large cars.

– ‘Inevitable’ conflicts –

“Conflicts are inevitable,” Social Democrat politician Anke Rehlinger said Thursday, adding that “continuous” effort should be made to define new rules for the e-scooters.

Scheuer labelled them a “genuine additional alternative for cars” in Germany’s traffic-choked cities yet there are also medical warnings against their use on Germany’s roads.

“E-scooters are highly dangerous in city traffic – not least because other road users find it extremely difficult to adjust to them,” Christopher Spering, from the German Society for Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery, told the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung newspaper.

There are also fears cyclists could be pushed off cycle paths specifically built for them.

“The already very limited area, currently granted to cycle traffic, should not have its use further extended,” said Jens Hilgenberg, traffic expert of the environmentalist group BUND told magazine Der Spiegel.

Daily newspaper Maerkische Oderzeitung says German cities have a choice — either they “risk chaos and even war between the modes of transport” or they prioritise cyclists, e-scooters users and pedestrians resulting in “painful losses for motorists” in inner city areas.

The arrival of the couple’s first child Archie was shrouded in secrecy, with newspaper reports indicating the 37-year-old former US actress had wanted a home birth at their residence in Windsor, west of London.

However, the certificate confirmed the place of birth, in the early hours of May 6, as the Portland Hospital in central London, the Press Association news agency said.

The document listed the baby’s full name as Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. It also detailed Meghan’s occupation as “Princess of the United Kingdom”.

The Portland facility claims to be the only private hospital in Britain dedicated to the healthcare of women and children, offering “world-class” maternity care.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex broke with recent royal tradition in the choice.

Harry’s brother Prince William and his wife Kate had all three of their children delivered at St Mary’s Hospital in London, where the princes themselves were born.

Meghan also bucked modern precedent by keeping events around the birth and her recovery largely private.

Buckingham Palace announced the arrival of the seventh in line to the throne — an eighth great-grandchild for Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip — some nine hours after the event.

Although Harry made a brief solo appearance before television cameras to share his joy, it was two days before he and Meghan showed off their son to the world.

This also contrasted with William and Kate, who on each occasion appeared before the cameras hours after the arrival of their newborn.

Photo : A handout photograph released by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on May 8 shows Britain’s Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (L), and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (R), accompanied by Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland, showing their newborn baby son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor to Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II (C) and Britain’s Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (L), at Windsor Castle in Windsor, west of London on May 8. (Photo by CHRIS ALLERTON / SUSSEXROYAL / DUKE AND DUCHESS OF SUSSEX / AFP)

Supporters of same-sex marriage react as they gather outside the parliament building as a bill for marriage equality is debated by parliamentarians in Taipei, Taiwan, 17 May 2019. // EPA-EFE PHOTO

Lawmakers comfortably passed a bill allowing same-sex couples to form “exclusive permanent unions” and another clause that would let them apply for a “marriage registration” with government agencies.

The vote — which took place on the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia — is a major victory for the island’s LGBT community and it places the island at the vanguard of Asia’s burgeoning gay rights movement.

Thousands of gay rights supporters gathered outside parliament despite heavy downpours, waving rainbow flags, flashing victory signs and breaking into cheers as the news filtered out.

In recent months conservatives had mobilised to rid the law of any reference to marriage, instead putting forward rival bills that offered something closer to limited same-sex unions. But those bills struggled to receive enough votes.

 Supporters of same-sex marriage gather outside the parliament building as a bill for marriage equality is debated by parliamentarians in Taipei, Taiwan, 17 May 2019. // EPA-EFE PHOTO

Gay rights groups hailed the vote on Friday, saying the ability to apply for a “marriage registration” — known as Clause Four — put their community much closer to parity with heterosexual couples.

“The passage of Clause Four ensures that two persons of the same-sex can register their marriage on May 24th and ensure that Taiwan becomes the first country in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage and to successfully open a new page in history,” said the Taiwan Alliance to Promote Civil Partnership Rights.

– Court order –

Two years ago Taiwan’s top court ruled that not allowing same-sex couples to marry violates the constitution with judges giving the government until May 24 to make the changes or see marriage equality enacted automatically.

The law does not bring full equality with heterosexual couples — it only allows for biological adoption, for example, and marriages with foreigners are not recognised.

Supporters of same-sex marriage celebrate as they gather outside the parliament building as a bill for marriage equality is debated by parliamentarians in Taipei, Taiwan, 17 May 2019. // EPA-EFE PHOTO

But gay rights groups have said they were willing to accept compromises, as long as the new law recognised the concept of marriage, adding they could fight further legal battles over surrogacy and adoption down the line.

“For me the outcome today is not 100 percent perfect, but it’s still pretty good for the gay community as it provides legal definition,” Elias Tseng, a gay pastor who was among the crowds outside parliament, told AFP.

Victoria Hsu, a gay rights lawyer, said it was crucial that conservatives failed in their bid to delete the reference to marriage registration with lawmakers voting 66-27 in favour of the provision.

“In Taiwan a marriage will take effect when it’s registered, so allowing marriage registration is no doubt recognising the marriage itself,” she told AFP.

The first marriages are expected to be registered next Friday, the date the court set for their deadline.

 – Families divided –

In the last decade, Taiwan has been one of the most progressive societies in Asia when it comes to gay rights, staging the continent’s biggest annual gay pride parade.

A couple supporters of same-sex marriage hug as they celebrate as they gather outside the parliament building as a bill for marriage equality is debated by parliamentarians in Taipei, Taiwan, 17 May 2019. // EPA-EFE PHOTO

But the island remains a staunchly conservative place, especially outside urban areas.

Conservative and religious groups were buoyed by a series of referendum wins in November, in which voters comprehensively rejected defining marriage as anything other than a union between a man and a woman, illustrating the limited popular support for change.

President Tsai Ing-wen hailed the vote as a “big step towards true equality” that “made Taiwan a better country.”

Tsai had previously spoken in favour of gay marriage but was later accused of dragging her feet after the court judgement, fearful of a voter backlash.

Taiwan goes to the polls in January and the gay marriage issue could hamper Tsai’s chances of re-election.

Opponents were incensed by the vote, saying the inclusion of the “marriage registration” clause ignored the 70 percent of voters who had cast ballots in the referendum wanting to keep marriage limited to a man and a woman.

Tseng Hsien-ying, from the Coalition for the Happiness of Our Next Generation, told local media the vote “trampled on Taiwanese people’s expectations that a marriage and a family is formed by a man and a woman, a husband and a wife”.

Supporters of same-sex marriage celebrate as they gather outside the parliament building as a bill for marriage equality is debated by parliamentarians in Taipei, Taiwan, 17 May 2019. // EPA-EFE PHOTO

Australia and New Zealand are the only places in the wider Asia-Pacific region to have passed gay marriage laws.

Taiwan is the first place in Asia to do so.

Vietnam decriminalised gay marriage celebrations in 2015, but it stopped short of full legal recognition for same-sex unions.

“We hope this landmark vote will generate waves across Asia and offer a much-needed boost in the struggle for equality for LGBTI people in the region,” Annie Huang, from Amnesty International Taiwan, said in a statement.

The Duke of Sussex sued Splash News over the January incident, arguing it had breached his privacy and data rights under British law and the European Convention on Human Rights.

The agency, which syndicates photos and videos for media outlets, chartered the helicopter on January 9 to fly over the prince’s private home near Oxford in the Cotswolds region, according to court testimony.

“The helicopter flew over the home at a low altitude allowing Splash to take photographs of and into the living area and dining area of the home and directly into the bedroom,” the prince’s solicitor told the High Court in London.

The Times newspaper, and a number of other online media outlets, published the images two days later, the lawyer from the firm Harbottle and Lewis said.

“The syndication and publication of the photographs very seriously undermined the safety and security of The Duke and the home to the extent that they are no longer able to live at the property,” the solicitor added.

Harry and his wife Meghan, who gave birth to the couple’s first child earlier this month, had reportedly signed a two-year rental lease on the property.

The firm told the court they had chosen the property because of “the high level of privacy it afforded given its position in a secluded area”.

Harbottle and Lewis said in its court statement that Splash had agreed to stop “selling, issuing, publishing or making available” the photos.

It had also vowed not to “repeat its conduct by using any aerial means to take photographs or film footage of the Duke’s private home which would infringe privacy or data rights,” the firm said

In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: “The Duke of Sussex acknowledges and welcomes the formal apology.”

    Livan Rafael Castellanos, a Cuban singer known as Livam, had alleged that the catchy tune copied parts of the melody and lyrics from his own song called “Yo te quiero tanto” (I love you so much).

Wong, 22, became one of the most recognisable faces of the “Umbrella Movement” in 2014 which paralysed key intersections of the financial hub for more than two months.

Protesters were demanding a greater say in how the city is run, including the right for Hong Kongers to directly elect the city’s leader.

The movement — which took its name from the umbrellas protesters used to defend themselves against police — failed to win any concessions from the city’s pro-Beijing authorities, and its leaders faced a slew of prosecutions.

Wong, who was 17 when the protests began, was jailed for three months in January 2018 on a contempt charge after pleading guilty to obstructing the clearance of a major protest camp.

He served only six days of that sentence before being released on bail pending an appeal.

On Thursday, however, a senior judge said Wong must return to jail — albeit for a reduced sentence of two months.

Justice of Appeal Jeremy Poon said Wong’s age at the time of the offence was a mitigating factor, as well as his guilty plea and apology.

But he dismissed Wong’s argument that he had been excessively punished by authorities because of his prominent status as “entirely baseless and misconceived”.

Democracy activist Joshua Wong Chi-fung (C) prepares to go through security check in the High Court in Hong Kong, China, 16 May 2019.  // EPA-EFE PHOTO

Wong turned to supporters after the verdict and told them to “add oil” — a commonly used Cantonese phrase of encouragement.

He was then led away to a prison van.

 – Extradition fears –

Speaking to reporters before the verdict, Wong said he was facing the prospect of jail “with a calm mind”, noting that other leaders had received much longer sentences.

Last month two key leaders of the protests were jailed for 16 months.

“We will never forget the spirit of Umbrella Movement and we will continue to fight for free elections,” he said.

Wong’s jailing comes against a backdrop of roiling turmoil in Hong Kong over the government’s plans to approve extraditions to the Chinese mainland for the first time.

The issue has sparked the largest protests in the city since the 2014 demonstrations and even sparked scuffles in the legislature.

Hong Kong’s leadership has faced a chorus of criticism from business, legal figures and western governments who fear the law could tangle people up in China’s opaque court system.

But the city’s pro-Beijing leader Carrie Lam has vowed to press on.

In his comments Wong warned the proposed law might see activists pursued by the mainland, something the Hong Kong government has denied.

“Today the High Court, tomorrow the People’s Court,” he said, referring to the mainland’s judicial system.

Wong was also convicted in a second prosecution related to the storming of a government forecourt during the 2014 protests.

He spent some time behind bars for that case, but in the end the city’s top court ruled that community service was sufficient punishment.

While Hong Kong enjoys rights unseen on the Chinese mainland under a 50-year handover agreement between Britain and China, there are fears those liberties are being eroded as Beijing flexes its muscles and stamps down on dissent.

Authorities in Hong Kong and the mainland have defended the prosecutions as a necessary measure to punish the leaders of a direct action movement that took over the heart of the city for many weeks.

    Ties have been deteriorating since a Canadian company sent around 100 shipping containers that included rotting rubbish wrongly labelled as recyclables to Philippine ports in 2013 and 2014.

Manila set a May 15 deadline for Canada to take the rotting trash back, after President Rodrigo Duterte berated Ottawa over the issue last month.

Canada has since said it is working to arrange for the containers’ return, but has not given a timeframe.

    Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin said letters recalling the ambassador and consuls to Canada have been sent and the diplomats would be in Manila “in a day or so”.

“Canada missed the May 15 deadline. And we shall maintain a diminished diplomatic presence in Canada until its garbage is ship-bound there,” Locsin wrote on Twitter.

Duterte’s spokesman said the move was a warning to Canada that the Philippines was ready to sever ties over the issue.

“The president’s position is very clear: take that back otherwise our relations are over,” Salvador Panelo told reporters.

Canada’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

– ‘Let’s fight Canada’ –

The garbage has strained ties, which were already tested after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau questioned Duterte’s deadly drug crackdown.

Duterte bristles at any international criticism of his signature policy, which has seen police kill thousands of alleged addicts and pushers since 2016.

Last year he cancelled the Philippine military’s $235 million contract to buy 16 military helicopters from a Canada-based manufacturer after Ottawa put the deal under review because of the president’s human rights record.

During a speech in April, Duterte threatened to unilaterally ship the garbage back to Canada, saying “let’s fight Canada. I will declare war against them.”

Duterte frequently uses coarse language and hyperbole in speeches about opponents.

Following the comments, Canada offered to repatriate the waste and the Philippines said Ottawa would shoulder the expense of disposal.

Manila’s Bureau of Customs said last week the Philippines was ready to send back the trash but Canada needed several more weeks to prepare documentation.

Some 69 shipping containers of trash remain after 34 others have already been disposed of in the Philippines, the finance ministry said.

Environmental group Ecowaste Coalition offered support for the diplomatic action, but said the government could do more to combat dumping.

“If the Philippine government really wants to send an unequivocal message… it must move swiftly to ratify the Basel Ban Amendment,” the group’s national coordinator Aileen Lucero said.

The amendment is intended to protect developing countries from becoming dumping grounds for wealthy nations.