Friday, May 1, 2015

Mayisin Son Yolcu news (May 2015 -B)

Although rescue teams from Nepal and the international community are operating in the capital Kathmandu and the surrounding area, landslides and poor weather have hampered efforts to reach isolated districts.

Emergency aid has also yet to reach many of the worst-hit areas, six days after the quake hit...... Nepal quake epicentre 'devastated'
-

134 comments:

  1. Kerry to urge China restraint in South China Sea projects...

    US Secretary of State John Kerry is in China to urge Beijing to halt what is seen as its increasingly assertive actions in the South China Sea.

    US officials say Mr Kerry will voice concerns over China's land reclamation projects in the disputed waters.

    China has warned it will defend its "legitimate rights and interests".

    China claims almost the whole of the South China Sea, resulting in overlapping claims with Brunei, Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia.

    Mr Kerry's visit comes as the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, is also in the country.

    On Friday, Mr Modi and China's Premier Li Keqiang said they agreed to seek a "fair resolution" to border disputes arising from a boundary disagreement.

    This came after the two leaders held talks in Beijing's Great Hall of the People.
    'Stern measures'

    Mr Kerry is due to hold a series of meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other top government officials in the Chinese capital.

    State Department officials say his visit has been scheduled for some time, but the agenda will now be dominated by China's activities in the disputed waters.

    Washington says China has reclaimed about 810 hectares of land (2,000 acres) of land in the Spratly Islands since 2014.

    It says that while the aim of the expansion activity remains unclear, China is "improving its defence infrastructure in the South China Sea".....bbc.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Cristina compartió en su web una crónica fotográfica de fábricas fantasmas en Grecia...

    La presidenta Cristina Fernández de Kirchner compartió en su sitio web una crónica del fotógrafo de la agencia Reuters Yannis Behrakis, que retrata una serie de fábricas abandonadas en distintas regiones de Grecia.....telam.com.ar

    ReplyDelete
  3. Drohende Pleite...Griechenland zieht Gelder von Botschaften ein...

    In den nächsten Wochen droht Griechenland das Geld auszugehen. Um die Pleite abzuwenden, greift die Regierung zu ungewöhnlichen Mitteln: Dutzende Botschaften und Konsulate sollen Geld schicken.....welt.de

    ReplyDelete
  4. Egypte: l'ancien président Mohamed Morsi est condamné à mort...

    L’ancien président islamiste Mohamed Morsi, déjà condamné à une peine de prison de 20 ans en Egypte, vient d’être condamné à mort dans un procès dont le verdict était attendu ce samedi, près de deux ans après sa destitution par l'armée....rtbf.be
    16/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ex-Präsident Mursi zum Tode verurteilt...

    Nach Mubaraks Sturz wurde Mursi 2011 der erste demokratisch gewählte Präsident Ägyptens, 2013 folgte seine Entmachtung durch das Militär.

    In Kairo hat ein Gericht den ehemaligen ägyptischen Präsidenten Mohammed Mursi wegen Spionage zum Tode verurteilt. Der Islamist soll sich demnach Anfang 2011 mit der palästinensischen Hamas und der libanesischen Hisbollah verschworen haben, um einen Gefängnisausbruch zu organisieren.

    Das Urteil kommt knapp zwei Jahre nach seinem Sturz durch die Armee. In dem Prozess um Gefängnisausbrüche während der Revolte gegen Mursis Vorgänger Hosni Mubarak 2011 wurde am Samstag zudem gegen mehr als hundert weitere Angeklagte die Todesstrafe verhängt. Mursi war nach dem Sturz von Machthaber Mubarak im Februar 2011 der erste demokratisch gewählte Präsident Ägyptens, im Juli 2013 wurde er vom Militär entmachtet.

    Laut US-Nachrichtensender CNN wird sein Gerichtsurteil gemeinsam mit anderen am 2. Juni dem Großmufti Ägyptens, Sheikh Shawki Allam, zur Bestätigung der Gerichtsentscheidungen übergeben........kurier.at
    16/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  6. All 8 Bodies of US Helicopter Crash in Nepal Recovered ...

    Nepal's army says the bodies of all eight people on board a U.S. Marine Corps helicopter that crashed Tuesday have been recovered.

    Officials said Saturday teams from the U.S. military and Nepal's army are at the scene of the crash, investigating what may have caused the aircraft to go down in a rugged, mountainous area.

    Neither the cause of the crash nor the identities of the eight people aboard the craft have been disclosed. Lieutenant-General John Wissler confirmed Friday that the helicopter was carrying six Marines and two Nepalese soldiers.....voanews.com
    16/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  7. John Kerry arrives in Beijing for 2-day visit ...

    US Secretary of State John Kerry has arrived in Beijing for a two-day visit to China. This is the sixth trip Kerry has made to China in his term of office.

    Kerry is expected to meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, to address a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues. The two sides will also work to prepare for the upcoming China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue in June, and President Xi Jinping' s state visit to the United States in September.

    Before China, Kerry was in the southern Russian city of Sochi meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the crisis in eastern Ukraine. Kerry is also scheduled to visit South Korea after he conclude his trip in China.
    http://www.china.org.cn/world/2015-05/16/content_35588194.htm

    ReplyDelete
  8. Iran's supreme leader: US after own interests in Gulf waters...

    Iran's supreme leader says the U.S. is pursuing its own interests amid worries about safety in Gulf waterways.

    Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's comments Saturday come after U.S. President Barack Obama hosted Arab leaders at Camp David to assuage their security worries as diplomats work toward a final deal with Iran over its contested nuclear program. They also come after Iranian forces seized a ship and fired on another.

    Khamenei's website quoted him as saying: "What is the U.S.' business? The U.S. is after its own interests and it will make the region insecure."

    The site also quoted him as saying: "We are neighbors; the security of the Persian Gulf is in all our interests. If it is safe, we benefit. If it is not safe, it will be insecure for all."
    AP
    dailystar.com.lb
    16/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  9. US special forces in Syria raid...

    The US says its special forces have killed a senior Islamic State (IS) member and captured his wife in a rare raid in eastern Syria.

    Abu Sayyaf helped direct oil, gas and financial operations for IS, as well as holding a military role, the US Department of Defense statement said.

    He was killed when he engaged US forces, it said.

    The operation in al-Amr was authorised by President Barack Obama and was carried out by forces based in Iraq.

    None of the US troops involved in the overnight operation was killed or injured, the White House said.

    It said that Abu Sayyaf's wife, Umm Sayyaf, is suspected of being an IS member and of being complicit in the enslavement of a young Yazidi woman who was rescued in the raid.

    Umm Sayyaf has been taken into military detention in Iraq....http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-32764995
    16/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  10. U.S. forces kill ISIS militant in rare raid into Syria...

    U.S. commandos mounted a rare raid into eastern Syria overnight, killing a senior Islamic State commander in a firefight, capturing his wife and rescuing a Yazidi woman held as a slave, the Pentagon said Saturday.

    Defence Secretary Ash Carter announced the raid, identifying the militant as Abu Sayyaf. He said no U.S. forces were killed or injured in the operation.

    A U.S.-led coalition has been striking Islamic State militants in Syria since last year, but this is only the second time troops have carried out a ground raid. A previous operation last summer was aimed at rescuing Americans held hostage by the group, but failed to recover any....AP....ctvnews.ca

    ReplyDelete
  11. Pope calls Palestinian President Abbas ‘angel of peace’...

    Pope Francis on Saturday referred to Mahmoud Abbas as “an angel of peace” as the Palestinian leader paid a visit to the Vatican to underscore the good relations between the territories and the Holy See.

    The pontiff made the compliment during the traditional exchange of gifts at the end of an official audience in the Apostolic Palace, saying his present – a medallion representing the “angel of peace destroying the bad spirit of war” – was appropriate for the Palestinian president since “you are an angel of peace”.

    When Francis in 2014 visited Israel and the West Bank, he called both Abbas and Israeli President Shimon Peres men of peace.

    Abbas is in Rome for the canonisation Sunday of two 19th-century nuns from what was then Ottoman-ruled Palestine. The new saints, Mariam Bawardy and Marie Alphonsine Ghattas, are the first from the region to be canonised since the early days of Christianity.

    Abbas on Saturday offered Francis relics of the two new saints.

    Church officials are holding up the new saints as a sign of hope and encouragement for Christians in the Middle East at a time when violent persecution from Islamic extremists has driven many Christians from the region of Christ’s birth........france24.com

    ReplyDelete
  12. Turkey has shot down another Syrian regime aircraft for violating its airspace...

    A Turkish F-16 that took off from the Incirlik airbase in the southern province of Adana shot down the Syrian aircraft with two missiles on May 16, military officials told daily Hürriyet.

    It was not immediately clear what kind of aircraft was shot down.

    "The area is being searched for the crashed aircraft. It would soon be seen if it was a plane or a helicopter," the source said.

    Turkish locals told daily Hürriyet that a Syrian military plane violated the Turkish border twice in the Dursunlu-Emek area of the southern border province of Hatay. They added that the aircraft fell into the Syrian side of the border in three pieces.

    Syrian state media said what had been shot down was a small, remotely controlled surveillance drone, according to Reuters...........hurriyetdailynews.com
    16/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  13. ISIS leaves govt building in Iraq’s Ramadi: mayor...

    Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants withdrew from the main government building in the Iraqi city of Ramadi on Saturday, the mayor and a tribal leader said, a day after the jihadist group raised its black flag over the building in the western provincial capital.

    Airstrikes by a U.S.-led coalition forced the militants to retreat, leaving the buildings booby trapped or on fire, the officials said. Their reports could not be confirmed independently.

    Al Arabiya News Channel’s correspondent reported Saturday that the airstrikes have killed at least 30 ISIS militants west of the Iraqi province of Anbar.

    The news comes after Iraq’s military dispatched reinforcements to help its battered forces in Ramadi, an Iraqi military spokesman said Saturday....alarabiya.net

    ReplyDelete
  14. SE Asia migrants 'killed in fight for food' on boat...

    Migrants rescued from a sinking boat off Indonesia have told the BBC that about 100 people died after a fight broke out over the last remaining food.

    Survivors told of horrific conditions. Three men separately said people were stabbed, hanged or thrown overboard.

    The 700 rescued migrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh are being processed by the Indonesian authorities.

    Thousands of migrants are estimated to be adrift in South East Asian waters, denied permission to land.

    The BBC's Martin Patience spoke to some of the survivors in the Indonesian port of Langsa, on the island of Aceh. He cautions that their accounts cannot be verified. ...BBC

    ReplyDelete
  15. Tens of thousands of protestors call for FYROM PM's resignation...

    Tens of thousands of protesters gathered Sunday in the centre of the FYROM capital to demand the resignation of conservative Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski.

    The government of the tiny, landlocked Balkan nation of about 2 million people is reeling from a massive wiretap scandal and a gun battle between police and ethnic Albanian gunmen that left 18 dead in a border town a week ago. In a region with a long and bloody history of ethnic conflicts and political instability, the developments have caused consternation both domestically and abroad.

    The crowd outside the government building in Skopje chanted "goodbye Gruevski" and "resignations, resignations," and a poster showing Gruevski behind prison bars was held aloft.....ctvnews.ca

    ReplyDelete
  16. Ukrainian troops have arrested two Russian servicemen in the country's separatist eastern territories, a Ukrainian military spokesman said on Sunday, reporting further casualties in rebel attacks despite a three-month-old ceasefire deal...

    Ukraine and NATO accuse Moscow of supporting pro-Russian separatists with troops and military supplies, a charge the Kremlin has repeatedly denied...Reuters...todayonline.com
    17/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  17. German econmin says Greece can only get more aid if it reforms...

    German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel warned the Greek government that Greece could only get further funds if it carried out reforms in a German newspaper interview published on May 17.

    Greece's cash reserves are dwindling and negotiations between Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras's new left-led government and its lenders over a cash-for-reforms deal have been fraught with delays for months.

    Asked if Greece could still be saved, Gabriel told Bild am Sonntag that this was up to Athens and said a referendum on the necessary reforms could perhaps speed up decisions.

    On May 11 German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble suggested Greece might need a referendum to approve painful economic reforms on which its creditors are insisting, but Athens said it had no such plan for now. ......Reuters....hurriyetdailynews.com
    17/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  18. Kerry Set for N. Korea Talks in Seoul...

    South Korea welcomed the US Secretary of State John Kerry for the first time in more than a year Sunday, ahead of eagerly awaited talks on dealing with the threat posed by North Korea.
    Following a stay in China, Kerry was in line to meet President Park Geun-hye before sitting down for a formal discussion with Seoul’s Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se on Monday.
    Local analysts have been watching the Seoul-Washington relationship closely amid ongoing intrigue over whether South Korea will enhance its missile defense with a controversial U.S. system known as THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense).
    Recent North Korean provocations have offered political momentum to supporters of the deployment of THAAD - after vocal opposition from some South Korean lawmakers, China, and Russia........almanar.com.lb
    17/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  19. Saudi-led coalition resumes air strikes as truce ends...

    Saudi-led coalition has resumed its air strikes against Yemen's rebels after the end of a ceasefire, Yemeni military officials and witnesses say.

    They say the strikes targeted Houthi rebel positions in the southern port of Aden after the five-day humanitarian truce expired at 20:00 GMT.

    In Saudi Arabia, Yemeni political parties earlier began negotiations on how to resolve the crisis.

    But Shia rebels stayed away from the talks in the capital Riyadh.

    Opening the meeting, the UN envoy to Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, said: "I call on all parties to renew their commitment to this truce for five more days at least."

    He also urged them "to refrain from any action that disturbs the peace of airports, main areas and the infrastructure of transport".....BBC

    ReplyDelete
  20. Ende der Waffenruhe: Saudi-Arabien bombardiert wieder den Jemen...

    Die fünftägige Waffenruhe im Jemen war gerade abgelaufen, da waren aus Vororten der Hafenstadt Aden schon die ersten Explosionen zu hören. Die von Saudi-Arabien geführte Militärkoalition hat ihre Luftangriffe auf die Huthi-Rebellen fortgesetzt....spiegel.de

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Saudi Arabian-led coalition resumed air strikes against Yemen's Houthi militia in Aden overnight, hours after the expiry of a truce meant to facilitate badly needed humanitarian aid, a Reuters eyewitness said...

      The witness said explosions could be heard near the southern city's airport and the districts of Khor Maksar and Crater shortly the five-day cease-fire expired on Sunday at 8:00 PM GMT. No further details were immediately available.
      jpost.com by Reuters

      Delete
  21. EZB sieht sich mit Griechenland "in einem Endspiel"...

    Griechenlands Geld reicht nur noch wenige Wochen. Alles schaut nun auf die Europäische Zentralbank. Nur sie hätte am Ende genug Druckmittel, um die griechische Regierung zum Einlenken zu bewegen.....welt.de
    18/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  22. Schuldenstreit mit Griechenland: Bundesbank warnt vor Staatspleite...

    Griechenland ist aus Sicht der Bundesbank massiv von einer Staatspleite bedroht. Wenn das Land im Schuldenstreit nicht einlenke, könne das Hilfsprogramm nicht fortgesetzt werden.

    Ohne ein Einlenken im Schuldenstreit droht Griechenland nach Ansicht der Bundesbank die Staatspleite. Das bis Ende Juni laufende Hilfsprogramm der Gläubiger könne unter den aktuellen Bedingungen nicht fortgesetzt werden, heißt es in dem am Montag veröffentlichten Monatsbericht der deutschen Zentralbank. Daher könnten Hilfskredite und Transfers nicht mehr gezahlt werden. "Die Zahlungsfähigkeit Griechenlands ist akut bedroht", mahnte die Bundesbank....n24.de
    18/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  23. The United States on Monday signed its second 1-billion-U.S.-dollar loan guarantee agreement for Ukraine in support of the latter's efforts to stabilize the economy...

    The deal is part of a comprehensive financial package, involving both official and private sectors, designed to back up Ukraine in its reform to stabilize the economy and lay the groundwork for future growth and prosperity, said the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Jacob Lew in a statement following the signing of the agreement.

    Washington signed its first such loan guarantee agreement for Ukraine a year ago.

    Ukraine is currently negotiating with creditors on debt restructuring, key to an international bailout estimated at 40 billion U.S. dollars.

    The step is needed to pass the first review of the International Monetary Fund's portion of 17.5 billion U.S. dollars that would unblock the next tranche of the aid.
    china.org.cn

    ReplyDelete
  24. Syria Files UN Complaint against Jordan: Amman Training Terrorists...

    Syria accused Jordan of training terrorist militants on its soil, as it urged the United Nations to take a firm line against Amman over the issue.

    In a letter sent to the UN Secretary General and Head of the UN Security Council, Syrian foreign ministry said that Jordan had allowed terror organizations to take over border crossings, official news agency reported.

    The letter added that Jordan had established training camps for terrorists on its land, adding that it had recently facilitated the entry of thousands of Nusra Front terrorists to Busra al-Sham city in Daraa province.

    The ministry described the Jordanian conduct as a “grave violation” of the UN Charter, international law and the UN counter-terrorism resolutions.

    Meanwhile, Damascus warned Amman that the scourge of terrorism won’t stop at Syria’s borders but will affect all the countries backing terrorists.

    The ministry concluded by calling on the UN Security Council to take a firm line against the Jordanian regime and enforce its counter-terrorism resolutions.

    Last month, terrorist groups seized the key Nassib border crossing between Syria and Jordan, the last post between the countries that remained under government control.
    http://www.almanar.com.lb/english/adetails.php?eid=210857&cid=23&fromval=1
    19/5/15

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jordan on Tuesday rejected Syrian accusations that "terrorists" were being given military training on its soil, insisting Amman favoured a political solution to its neighbour's conflict....

      The Syrian foreign ministry, in a protest letter sent to the United Nations on Monday, alleged Jordan "provides logistical support to armed terrorist groups, including (Al-Qaeda affiliate) Al-Nusra Front".

      It accused Jordan of having "set up terrorist training camps on its soil as well as operation centres to help these groups and facilitate the infiltration of thousands of terrorists a day."

      Syria's government refers to all those seeking President Bashar al-Assad's ouster as "terrorists".

      Jordan's government spokesman Mohamed al-Momani, quoted by state news agency Petra, said the charges had "no basis in reality".

      "Jordan does not accept that its ... support for the Syrian people and for a political solution be put in doubt.

      "It is in Jordan's interest for Syria to be safe, stable and capable of containing its problems within its own borders," said Momani, stressing his country was hosting almost 1.5 million Syrian refugees at a cost of $2.9 billion a year.

      Syria's letter urged the UN Security Council to take measures "to stop the actions of Jordan that threaten security and stability in the region and the entire world"..........AFP
      19/5/15

      Delete
  25. Russia may ease food import ban for three EU states: Interfax...

    Russia may exempt around 20 firms in Hungary, Greece and Cyprus from its embargo on food imports from the European Union, Interfax news agency quoted a senior official as saying on Tuesday.

    Russia introduced the ban on food imports from the 28-nation EU last year in response to Western sanctions imposed on Moscow over its role in the Ukraine crisis, denying many food producers access to the large Russian market.

    Sergei Dankvert, the head of Russia's federal veterinary service, said the ban could be lifted for 15 Hungarian and a few Greek and Cypriot producers, Interfax reported.....REUTERS
    19/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  26. Whatever happens it seems unlikely that any deal between Greece and its creditors will be reached at this week’s EU summit in Riga. The summit is mainly concerned with Eastern Europe but Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras is expected to talk to fellow leaders on the sidelines of the meeting. But, Reuters reports:..



    Eurogroup head Jeroen Dijsselbloem said on Tuesday it was unlikely Greece would reach a deal with its lenders when European leaders meet for a summit in Riga, Latvia, this week.

    Dijsselbloem, who is also Dutch finance minister, said a decision on Greece’s debt and reform negotiations would be made during talks with the European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund.

    “It’s not on the agenda for Friday,” he told Dutch broadcaster RTL in a televised weekly interview. “I think it is unlikely.”.....theguardian.com

    ReplyDelete
  27. Israel slams US for allowing Iranian purchase of aircraft, violating sanctions ...

    A senior Israeli official took a swipe at Washington on Tuesday over Iran's purchase of second-hand civilian aircraft, saying the acquisition violated US sanctions and went ahead despite a tip-off from Israel.

    Iranian Transport Minister Abbas Akhoondi was quoted on May 11 by the Iranian Students News Agency as saying Tehran bought 15 used commercial planes in the last three months. He did not say who sold them or how they had been acquired.

    A long-standing ban on the export of aircraft spare parts to Iran was eased under an interim nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers in late 2013, but the US sanctions regime continues to restrict sales of planes.....JPOST BY REUTERS
    19/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  28. Russian lawmakers Tuesday passed a controversial bill allowing authorities to ban foreign NGOs deemed "undesirable" for the state, the latest step in a crackdown condemned by rights activists...

    Pro-Kremlin legislators overwhelmingly approved the legislation - which still has to be approved by the rubberstamp upper chamber and signed off by President Vladimir Putin - that targets international non-governmental organizations accused of undermining Russia's "state security."

    The law, opposed by the Kremlin's own human rights ombudsman, allows authorities to bar foreign civil society groups seen as threatening Russia's "defense capabilities" or "consitutional foundations" and go after local activists working with them.

    Russian citizens who cooperate with the banned organizations can be hit by large fines and jailed for up to six years......AFP......dailystar.com.lb
    19/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  29. DPRK cancels UN chief's visit to Kaesong complex ...

    The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has canceled its earlier approval of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's Thursday visit to the Kaesong Industrial Complex.

    Ban was quoted by Yonhap News Agency as saying in a speech for a forum in Seoul that Pyongyang "suddenly" notified him of the cancellation through diplomatic channels earlier in the morning without any explanations.

    He said it was very regrettable, noting that he will continue efforts to establish peace on the Korean Peninsula in cooperation with the international community.

    The UN chief arrived in South Korea Monday to attend the World Education Forum (WEF) that kicked off Tuesday in Incheon, the western port city of the country.

    Ban told a press conference in Incheon that he will visit the inter-Korean industrial zone in Kaesong on May 21 after consulting with both South Korea and the DPRK.

    The Kaesong industrial zone, launched in late 2004 and jointly managed by the two sides, has been seen as one of the key symbols of inter-Korean economic cooperation. Some 120 South Korean companies hiring 53,000 DPRK workers are operating in the park.
    china.org.cn
    20/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  30. NATO urges 'transparency' in Russia military drills...

    NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg expressed concern on Tuesday over Russia holding snap drills after he met with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for the first time in three months.

    "The snap exercises, the numbers reduce predictability and transparency along our borders and I think we should try to change that by the Russians being more transparent when it comes to their military activities," Stoltenberg said on Tuesday.

    Stoltenberg reiterated his call on Russia to withdraw all its troops and what he calls support for the separatists in eastern Ukraine. Russia denies the accusations that it is supplying pro-Russia separatists with weapons.

    "I underlined the importance of full implementation of the Minsk Agreements meaning respect for the cease-fire, full implementation of the cease-fire, the withdrawal of heavy weapons and of course full access for the OSCE monitors so they can monitor the implementation of the cease-fire," Stoltenberg said.

    Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said ahead of the meeting with Stoltenberg that he would listen to what NATO has to say. However, he blamed NATO for the deteriorating relations with Russia since the beginning of the Ukraine crisis.....aa.com.tr
    19/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  31. Israel launches controversial ‘Palestinian only’ buses on West Bank....

    Israel on Tuesday launched its much criticised “Palestinian only” shuttle service, banning Palestinian workers from riding the same bus lines as Israelis travelling to and from the West Bank.

    Israel on Tuesday launched a pilot program under directive from Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon to separate Israeli and Palestinian bus travel in the West Bank.

    Palestinian workers will now have to return from Israel to the West Bank via the same checkpoint they left and will not be allowed to ride Israeli bus lines.

    The new regulations, implemented by the Civil Administration, could lengthen some workers' commutes by as much as two hours, according to the human rights organizations that plan to appeal against the new rules to the High Court of Justice.

    According to the plan, Palestinians who entered Israel from to work via the Rayhan, Hala, Eliyahu and Eyal checkpoints may now only return to their homes via the same checkpoints through which they left the West Bank. They will also no longer be allowed to ride common buses with Israelis to the West Bank. The pilot is expected to last three months, after which it will be reviewed........http://www.france24.com/en/20150520-israel-palestinian-buses-west-bank

    ReplyDelete
  32. Schäuble: The Greeks are suffering but their government does nothing about it...

    Negotiations with Greece are progressing very slowly, the German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble reportedly said on Tuesday.

    According to Reuters, which cites two German politicians who took part in the meeting of the parliamentary group of the Christian Democrats, Schaeuble said that talks with Athens have been slow overall and have not yet reached a critical point.

    The German Finance Minister reportedly said that the talks are taking place on the fulfillment of the obligations arising from the current assistance program, noting that there is no reason to make open a discussion on a “plan B” nor a third package.

    Yet at the same time and according to the same sources, he spoke of some progress in individual matters........balkaneu.com
    20/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  33. Hundreds rescued from boat as migrant deal reached...

    Hundreds of Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants have been brought ashore in Indonesia's northwestern Aceh province, according to an Indonesian search and rescue official.

    "In total we found around 500 people out at sea and they are being brought to land in smaller boats," a spokesman for the national search and rescue agency said.

    He said the migrants had landed in the town of Kuta Binje in Aceh.

    The boat the migrants were travelling on is the vessel that went missing more than three days ago after being spotted off the coast of Thailand.

    Thai authorities turned the boat away from Thai waters, insisting the migrants wanted to travel to Malaysia.

    Fears had been growing for those on board after contact was lost with the vessel late Saturday.

    Over 350 "boat people" have been brought to shore by local fishermen and are being registered by immigration authorities, a Reuters witness said.

    The latest group brought to shore adds to the over 2,000 who have managed to land in Indonesia and Malaysia after weeks of drifting in the Andaman Sea with little food or water...............http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0520/702399-migrants-asia/
    20/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  34. S.Korea pressured by US to deploy missile defense system ...

    Senior U.S. officials raised pressures on South Korea "indirectly" to deploy its advanced missile defense system, called Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), on the Korean Peninsula, causing an unpleasant reaction from some South Koran officials.

    U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry touched off controversy, saying during his two-day visit to Seoul that "provocative activities" and nuclear ambitions by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) led the United States to be "talking about THAAD."

    It was Kerry's first mentioning, since he took office in February 2013, of the THAAD deployment on the peninsula, though in an indirect manner. The comments were made during his meeting with the service members of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) at Yongsan garrison in Seoul.

    The pressures got stronger as another U.S. official indicated what Kerry meant. Frank Rose, assistant U.S. secretary of state for arms control, verification and compliance, was quoted by Yonhap News Agency as saying Tuesday that the U.S. "is considering the permanent stationing of a THAAD unit on the Korean Peninsula."

    His comments were made in Washington at a seminar hosted by the Institute for Corean-American Studies (ICAS), after Kerry " unexpectedly" mentioned the THAAD deployment, of which he made no mention during a joint press conference with South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se............http://www.china.org.cn/world/2015-05/20/content_35618577.htm
    20/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  35. Western world unable to do anything about ISIS...

    Even if the USA accomplished something in the Iraqi war, which is doubtful, ISIS is destroying that very quickly.

    ISIS has recently taken full control of the strategically important city of Ramadi and continues to move forward and take new territory. Since it is only about 70 miles from Baghdad, Ramadi is going to make a fine staging area for an all-out assault on the capital.

    Ramadi is traditionally known as the 'Gateway of Baghdad', but in recent days it has experienced utter carnage. According to the Daily Mail, "mutilated bodies" now lie everywhere along the streets of that once proud city...

    ISIS militants have held an orgy of violence and beheadings. The militants have every chance to march through the streets of Baghdad soon. ISIS militants have slaughtered around 500 and forced nearly 25,000 to flee their homes over the last few days.

    The Iraqi security forces left behind large amounts of military equipment and large numbers of armored vehicles for ISIS to capture, Pravda.Ru says.

    Unlike al-Qaeda, whose elusive leaders would be hiding in caves and bunkers, ISIS appears to be the real deal, and nobody in the western world can do anything about it.
    pravda.ru
    20/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  36. North Korea said Wednesday that it has the ability to miniaturize nuclear weapons, a key step toward building nuclear missiles...

    Analysts and U.S. officials have said previously that they suspected Kim Jong Un's regime was capable of the technical feat, which is needed to fit a nuclear device on the tip of a ballistic missile.

    "We have had the capability of miniaturizing nuclear warheads, as well as producing multiform weapons, for some time," the North Korean military said in a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency...CNN

    ReplyDelete
  37. Japanese PM rejects to admit aggression war ruled by Potsdam Proclamation ...

    Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday rejected to recognize a rule of the Potsdam Proclamation which said the war Japan waged over 70 years ago is an aggression war, even declined to comment on whether the war was right or wrong.

    During a Diet debate between Japanese political parties, the head of the Japanese Communist Party Kazuo Shii asked Abe to make a comment on the Potsdam Proclamation which said the war Japan waged falls into the category of aggression which aimed at occupy the world.

    The prime minister rejected to comment on the historic documents which accelerated the end of the WWII and claimed that he did not noticed this part in the proclamation so that he can not make a comment.

    Shii further questioned Abe that whether the prime minister recognizes the Potsdam Proclamation, but Abe again shunned from answering, saying that accepting the Potsdam Proclamation was a way that Japan ended the war.

    The opposition party leader Shii said the world-recognized document clearly states the war Japan wage was an aggression war and the prime minister is reluctant to acknowledge the basic fact and unwilling to recognize the war was a wrong policy.

    Shii said that the Abe's administration spared no effort to exercise the right to collective self-defense so as to help defend the United States, but the country's leader could not make a just decision since he himself even have no idea about the justice and injustice of the war Japan launched in the past.

    China, the United States and Britain on July 26 in 1945 declared the Potsdam Proclamation urging Japan to surrender and demand Japan follow the Cairo Declaration. Both of the two documents are the cornerstone of the postwar international order.........http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/922641.shtml
    20/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  38. Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday ruled out allowing nuclear inspectors to visit military sites or to question scientists, state media reported...

    "We have already said that we will not allow any inspections of military sites by foreigners," the official IRNA news agency quoted him as saying.

    "They also say that we must allow interviews with nuclear scientists. This is interrogation. I will not allow foreigners to come and talk to scientists who have advanced the science to this level," Khamenei said....AFP

    ReplyDelete
  39. Russia to take legal moves if Ukraine instigates foreign debt moratorium - finance minister...

    Russia will appeal to the International Court of Justice if Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signs a moratorium on the payment of Ukraine’s external debt into law, said Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov.

    Siluanov said Ukraine was virtually defaulting on its debt, adding that Russia doesn’t yet have grounds to lodge any claims. If Kiev fails to pay $75 million in June, Moscow will use its right to appeal to the court, the Minister said.

    The Ukrainian parliament has adopted a law allowing the country not to pay foreign debt to private lenders, saying it needs to protect the ailing economy and people from “unscrupulous” creditors.

    The bill says the $3 billion in Ukrainian Eurobonds purchased by Russia at the end of 2013 are on the list of liabilities subject to a possible payment moratorium.

    Experts agree that Tuesday vote meant a technical default for the country and would impede Ukraine’s ability to raise private investment from the EU and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB), a European source told TASS on Wednesday.

    "Suspension of debt payments not coordinated with creditors results in a technical default, and in the case of Ukraine, it threatens to undermine Kiev’s ability to attract private investment through EU programs,“ the source said.
    http://rt.com/business/260349-russia-ukraine-court-debt/

    ReplyDelete
  40. Germany to pay compensation to Soviet WW2 prisoners...

    The German government plans to pay a total of 10 million euros in compensation to an estimated 4,000 surviving World War Two Soviet prisoners for their suffering at the hands of Nazi Germany, coalition sources said on Wednesday.

    The German government plans to pay a total of 10 million euros in compensation to an estimated 4,000 surviving World War Two Soviet prisoners for their suffering at the hands of Nazi Germany, coalition sources said on Wednesday.

    Europe marked the 70th anniversary of the end of the war earlier this month, and the event threw a spotlight on some of the more rarely discussed aspects of the conflict, such as the fate of many millions of prisoners of war.

    The sources told Reuters that Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives have agreed with their Social Democrat (SPD) partners to set aside the sum in a supplementary budget, with each survivor due to receive 2,500 euros (US$2,780).

    The suffering of the 5.3 million Soviet prisoners of war, who were held by German forces between 1941 and 1945, was extreme and more than half died. Held in inhumane conditions, many were executed. Others starved or died of disease.

    In a speech commemorating the end of the war in early May, German President Joachim Gauck emphasized the responsibility Germany bears for these deaths, and said the cruel fate of the Soviet prisoners had not been fully recognized in Germany....REUTERS
    20/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  41. Euro-Poker: Athen will neues Geld ohne Reformen - und könnte gewinnen...

    Griechenland sieht sich vor einer Einigung mit den Geldgebern; die EU ist angeblich zu neuen Kompromissen bereit. Nur eine Kraft kann verhindern, dass Athen noch mehr Geld ohne Gegenleistung bekommt.

    Friss oder stirb. So oder ähnlich scheint gerade zwischen Griechenland und seinen europäischen Geldgebern verhandelt zu werden.

    Da gibt es einerseits das Gerücht, dass die Hardliner innerhalb der Euro-Gruppe – dazu gehört bislang auch Deutschland – Athen ein hartes Reformpaket präsentieren wollen, über das die Regierung von Alexis Tsipras in einem Referendum abstimmen soll. Wolfgang Schäubles (CDU) Forderungen nach einem Referendum passen anscheinend dazu.

    Und auf der anderen Seite behaupten die Griechen, dass es noch in dieser Woche einen Deal geben könnte. Ohne Rentenreform und gekürzte Löhne – zu ihren Bedingungen also. Take it or leave it.....welt.de

    ReplyDelete
  42. Yanis Varoufakis tönt: "Wolfgang Schäuble macht Denkfehler in der Krise"...

    Der Ton zwischen Athen und Berlin bleibt rau. Jetzt sagt Griechenlands Finanzminister, sein deutscher Amtskollege begehe Denkfehler in der Bewältigung der Krise - aus machtpolitischen Gründen.

    Der griechische Finanzminister Janis Varoufakis wirft seinem deutschen Amtskollegen Wolfgang Schäuble Denkfehler in der Griechenlandkrise vor. Schäuble "erkennt nicht, wie hilfreich es für die Mainstream-Nordeuropäer wäre, eine Übereinkunft mit einer Bewegung wie Syriza in Griechenland zu erzielen", sagt Varoufakis der Wochenzeitung "Die Zeit".....n24.de

    ReplyDelete
  43. A father of four in China's Sichaun Province set himself on fire Wednesday to protest China's repressive policies towards Tibetans...

    Tenzin Gyatso self-immolated outside a government meeting hall in Khangsar town of Tawu county after sunset. Sources say the police authorities arrived within minutes of the incident and confiscated his body.

    It has been a standard practice in the past few self-immolations, for the protester to be taken away still alive. The next morning, the authorities inform the family that their loved one had died and been cremated during the night. This practice is viewed by Tibetans as a form of punishment since it robs the family of the opportunity to cremate their loved ones properly according to Tibetan traditions.....voanews.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tibetan Monk Arrested Over Self-immolation Links ...

      Chinese police detained Tswang Choephel, a Tibetan monk from Nyitso monastery in Tawu county, Kardze (Ch: Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (incorporated into China’s Sichuan Province) at around 10:30 am on 18 May, media reports say.

      Chinese authorities have not disclosed the reason for the monk’s detention. However, local Tibetans believe the detention could be linked to the Chinese authorities’ suspicion that Choephel was involved in Ven. Kelsang Yeshi’s self-immolation protest against the Chinese government in December last year.

      During the self-immolation, Choephel has stopped the Chinese policemen from seizing Ven. Kelsang Yeshi’s body. He had also participated in the subsequent protest against the Chinese government in the aftermath of the self-immolation.

      “At the time, he displayed his dislike of the police and helped prevent them from taking [Yeshe’s] body away, which may have brought him to the attention of the authorities.” a source told a Tibetan radio service.

      After his detention, monks from Choephel’s monastery rallied to the local police station and staged a peaceful protest, demanding his immediate release from detention. However, Chinese authorities refused to release him.

      Tsewang Choephel is known for his deep commitment towards preserving Tibetan language and heritage among his peers.
      http://tibet.net/2015/05/tibetan-monk-arrested-over-alleged-link-to-self-immolation-protest/
      21/5/15

      Delete
    2. Tibetan Parliament Expresses Concern over Recent Self-immolation in Tibet ...

      The Tibetan Parliament in Exile today expressed its deep concern and grief over the latest self-immolation protest by Tenzin Gyatso, who died after burning himself on 20 May around 8:00 p.m in Khangsar township of Tawu (Ch: Daofu) County, Kardze (Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (incorporated into China’s Sichuan Province).

      Tenzin Gyatso, 35, is survived by wife Sonam Dolma and four children; Topden, Thupten, Tsering Tsomo and Tsewang Gyatso.

      Since monk Tapey’s self-immolation in 2009, at least 139 Tibetans have resorted to self-immolation to express their grievances under the repressive policies of the Chinese government. Tenzin Gyatso is the 4th Tibetan to set himself ablaze in protest this year.

      Gyatso’s self-immolation is believed to be an expression of protest against a massive deployment of security forces in Tawu County, where Tibetans have been planning to celebrate the upcoming 80th birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

      Following the self-immolation protest, additional numbers of security personnel were deployed in Khangsar, and restrictions on movement and communications have been imposed in the area.

      The Tibetan Parliament condemns the repressive policies practiced by the Chinese government in Tibet and urges the Chinese leadership to investigate the real causes of Tibetan grievances. It further blames the Chinese government for the critical situation prevailing inside Tibet and explained that it’s the responsibility of the Chinese leadership to resolve the situation.
      tibet.net
      22/5/15

      Delete
  44. China navy warns U.S. spy plane in disputed South China Sea: CNN...

    The Chinese navy warned a U.S. surveillance plane flying over artificial islands that Beijing is creating in the disputed South China Sea to leave the area eight times, according to CNN, which was on board the flight on Wednesday.

    At one stage, after the American pilots responded by saying the plane was flying through international airspace, a Chinese radio operator said with exasperation: "This is the Chinese navy ... You go!"

    The P8-A Poseidon, the U.S. military's most advanced surveillance aircraft, flew at 15,000 feet (4,500 meters) at its lowest point, CNN said.

    The incident, along with recent Chinese warnings to Philippine military aircraft to leave areas around the Spratly archipelago in the South China Sea, suggests Beijing is trying to enforce a military exclusion zone above its new islands.

    Some security experts worry about the risk of confrontation, especially after a U.S. official said last week the Pentagon was considering sending military aircraft and ships to assert freedom of navigation around the Chinese-made islands.

    Footage taken by the P8-A Poseidon and aired by CNN showed a hive of construction and dredging activity on the new islands the plane flew over, as well as Chinese navy ships nearby.

    CNN said it was the first time the Pentagon had declassified video of China's building activity and audio of challenges to a U.S. aircraft.......REUTERS
    20/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  45. Varoufakis soll Krisentreffen mitgeschnitten haben...

    Janis Varoufakis soll die Verhandlungen in Riga heimlich aufgenommen haben. Stimmte das, wäre das ohnehin angespannte Verhältnis zu den Euro-Finanzministern gänzlich torpediert.....welt.de
    21/5/15

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Greece's Varoufakis courts controversy anew with taping remark...

      Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis has raised a fresh furore by telling a newspaper that he taped a confidential meeting of euro zone finance ministers, drawing criticism that he was undermining Greece's efforts to secure aid from lenders.

      Since assuming his post in January, the outspoken Varoufakis has often found himself in the midst of controversy over his brash style and sharp-tongued barbs against creditors at a time when Greece needs their help to avert bankruptcy.

      He was finally sidelined from sensitive negotiations with EU and IMF lenders after returning last month from a meeting of Eurogroup finance ministers in Riga, where he was rebuked for a lecturing tone and for refusing to show up at a state dinner.

      In an interview with the New York Times magazine, Varoufakis denied his peers lashed out at him or called him names in Riga. The magazine wrote that Varoufakis said he taped the meeting but could not release the tape due to confidentiality rules.

      Eurogroup rules do not explicitly prohibit participants from recording talks as long as the contents are kept confidential, suggesting Varoufakis had not broken any rules.......REUTERS.....channelnewsasia.com

      Delete
  46. Greece to face “Cyprus-style solution” in a month...

    Greece may face the Cyprus bank crisis in the nearest future.

    The crash of Cyprus financial sector and government bailout in 2013 prevented its banks customers from withdrawing their money. The main banks were closed due to insolvency.

    Greece is supposed to struggle the same fate.

    The Greek government has not received any money from the EU or the IMF since August 2014. That means that Greek government accounts are just about bone dry. The new Greek government continues to insist that it will never "violate its anti-austerity mandate", while the screws are tightening. The unemployment rate in Greece is over 25 percent and the banking system is on the verge of collapse.

    The EU is reported to confiscate money from private bank accounts just like they did in Cyprus.

    Greece came this close to defaulting on a loan payment to the IMF back on May 12th. Athens barely made its latest payment (May 12) to the IMF, and it managed to do so only when the government discovered that it could use a reserve account it wasn't aware of, according to the Greek media.

    Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras wrote to the IMF's Christine Lagarde warning that Greece would not be able to make that May payment, worth €762 million.

    Pension and civil-servant pay packets are due at the end of the month, and Athens may struggle to pay them. Even if it does manage, on June 5 the country owes another €305 million to the IMF.

    In the two weeks following June 5 there are another three payments, bringing the June total to the IMF to over €1.5 billion...........http://english.pravda.ru/news/business/21-05-2015/130685-greece-0/#sthash.HeXPeQKs.dpuf
    21/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  47. China, US assert rights after exchange over South China Sea...

    China said Thursday it is entitled to keep watch over airspace and seas surrounding artificial islands it created in the disputed waters of the South China Sea, following an exchange in which its navy warned off a US surveillance plane. The United States said its aerial patrolling was in accordance with international law and "no one in their right mind" would try to stop it.

    Neither side says it wants confrontation with the other, but as China seeks to assert its expansive claims to the South China Sea, the US is pushing back and trying to demonstrate that China's massive land reclamation does not give it territorial rights.

    A news crew from CNN reported it witnessed an incident Wednesday in which a Chinese navy dispatcher demanded eight times that a US Navy P8-A Poseidon surveillance aircraft leave the area as it flew over Fiery Cross Reef, where China has conducted extensive reclamation work. It said the US crew responded that they were flying through international airspace, to which the Chinese dispatcher answered: "This is the Chinese navy ... You go!" ..AP...http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
    22/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  48. Merkel, Hollande und Tsipras beraten über Schuldenkrise...

    Griechenlands Schuldenkrise ist auch bei dem EU-Ostgipfel in Riga ein Thema: In kleiner Runde berieten Kanzlerin Merkel und Frankreichs Präsident Hollande mit Regierungschef Tsipras über die Finanzprobleme des Landes. Ein Durchbruch wurde nicht erzielt.

    In einem Spitzentreffen mit dem griechischen Regierungschef Alexis Tsipras haben Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel und Frankreichs Präsident François Hollande am Rande des EU-Ostgipfels Wege aus Griechenlands Finanzkrise ausgelotet. Das Gespräch in Riga habe "in freundschaftlicher und kontruktiver Atmosphäre" stattgefunden, teilte eine deutsche Regierungssprecherin mit.

    Das kurzfristig angekündigte Gespräch endete nach etwa zwei Stunden in der Nacht. "Im Mittelpunkt stand dabei der angestrebte, erfolgreiche Abschluss des laufenden Hilfsprogramms", erklärte die Sprecherin. Es habe Einigkeit geherrscht, dass Athen weiter mit den Gläubiger-Institutionen EU, EZB und Internationalem Währungsfonds (IWF) verhandeln müsse.
    "Einer Einigung näher gekommen"

    Nach Angaben der griechischen Seite sind bei den Gesprächen Fortschritte in der Schuldenfrage erzielt worden: "Wir sind einer Einigung nähergekommen", hieß es aus griechischen Regierungskreisen nach dem Gespräch. Es bestünden jedoch weiter die bekannten Differenzen.....http://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/riga-gipfeltreffen-101.html
    22/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  49. Syria crisis: 'Children died' in US air strike...

    A US air strike on Syria last year probably killed two children, officials say - the first admission of civilian casualties in the campaign.

    "We regret the unintentional loss of lives," said Lieutenant General James Terry, head of the US-led campaign.

    US Central Command said the strike on 5-6 November, near Harim City, targeted the al-Qaeda-linked Khorasan Group.

    There had been no indications prior to the strikes that children were present, officials said.....BBC
    22/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  50. Sommet de Riga: Cameron sonde l'UE sur ses propositions de réforme...

    Le sommet européen de Riga, réunissant les 28 pays membres de l'UE et six pays de l'ex-URSS, doit surtout porter sur le partenariat avec l'Est, mis à mal par la crise ukrainienne, conséquence du refus de la Russie d'accepter ce qu'elle voit comme une réduction de sa zone d'influence.

    Mais en l'absence d'avancées concrètes dans ce domaine, M. Cameron et son homologue grec Alexis Tsipras, qui a rencontré jeudi soir la chancelière Angela Merkel et le président français François Hollande, se sont retrouvés sur le devant de la scène.

    Le Premier ministre britannique, encore auréolé par sa victoire inattendue dans les urnes, a déclaré à son arrivée vendredi matin à Riga qu'en "travaillant ensemble", les 28 étaient en mesure d'"améliorer l'Union européenne".

    "Aujourd'hui, je vais commencer sérieusement à discuter avec les autres dirigeants pour réformer l'UE et renégocier la relation du Royaume-Uni avec" l'Union, a ajouté M. Cameron dans des propos diffusés par ses services, tout en reconnaissant que ces entretiens "ne seront pas faciles"......rtbf.be
    22/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  51. Merkel says still 'a lot to do' for Greek debt deal...

    RIGA, Latvia: German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Friday there was still a lot of work needed to reach agreement with Greece on its debt bailout, as tortuous talks drag on amid fears Athens could run out of money.

    The government of Greek leftist Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is locked in talks to obtain fresh funding with international creditors who are demanding more tough austerity measures in return.

    Tsipras met Merkel and French President Francois Hollande late Thursday on the sidelines of the EU-Eastern Partnership summit in the Latvian capital Riga but their discussions produced no breakthrough.

    "It was a very friendly and constructive exchange," Merkel said as she went into the summit Friday.

    "But it is clear, the work with the three institutions has to go on. There is still a lot to do," she said, referring to the European Union, European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund who have bailed out Greece twice to the tune of 240 billion euros.

    Merkel said she and Hollande had offered Tsipras their good offices if he needed help during the talks but it was up to Athens to reach an accord with the three creditors.......AFP.......dailystar.com.lb
    22/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  52. Shells fired from Yemen have reportedly killed one Saudi citizen and left three others injured in Saudi Arabia’s Asir region, a Saudi civil defense ministry spokesman said late Thursday...

    Brigadier General Mohammad al-Aasemi said the Saudi civil defense authority received reports of shelling from neighboring Yemen on Thursday evening, the state-owned Saudi Press Agency reported....alarabiya.net

    ReplyDelete
  53. Syrian soldiers holed up at a hospital besieged by insurgents in northwestern Syria were freed in a military operation on Friday, state TV reported...

    "The heroes of the Jisr al-Shughour hospital are out of the hospital," a headline bar flashed on state TV said. It said the forces defending the hospital had carried out a "tactical manoeuvre" and had "successfully broken the siege".
    REUTERS

    ReplyDelete
  54. Armenian and Belarusian officials Thursday refused to sign a final agreement at the European Union’s Eastern Partnership summit in Riga unless a segment defining Russia’s annexation of Crimea as “illegal” is removed...

    The participating countries have since developed a compromise revision that reflects the difference in the positions of the sides, Reuters reported referring to diplomatic sources.

    The fourth Eastern Partnership summit in Riga opened on Thursday. It is an EU project to develop cooperation with the post-Soviet countries. Three countries, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia, singed the EU association agreement in 2014. The Russian permanent representative to the EU Vladimir Chizhov said earlier the elaboration process of the final declaration is “quite intense with some countries wanting to strengthen the anti-Russian emphasis and with the others opposing it.”

    The revised text of the declaration will still contain the EU’s condemnation of the “annexation of the Crimea,” but will also describe partnering countries’ stances, Novosti-Armenia reports referring to RIA Novosti.....asbarez.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. EU, ex-Soviet states agree summit declaration...

      Leaders of the European Union and six former Soviet republics concluded a summit in Riga on Friday by issuing a joint declaration on maintaining their "Eastern Partnership", despite differences on key issues.

      Highlighting how the previous such meeting 18 months ago in Vilnius triggered an East-West confrontation with Russia, the text included a complex reference to Moscow's annexation of Crimea last year that satisfied Ukraine as well as Armenia and Belarus, which supported Russia in a U.N. vote on the issue.........Reuters.......todayonline.com
      22/5/15

      Delete
  55. Arabie saoudite: explosion dans une mosquée chiite de l'est du pays...

    Une explosion s'est produite vendredi dans une mosquée chiite de l'est de l'Arabie saoudite, a annoncé le ministère saoudien de l'Intérieur, un militant chiite faisant état d'un attentat suicide ayant fait des morts et des blessés.

    L'explosion a secoué une mosquée de la localité de Koudeih, province du Qatif, a indiqué le porte-parole du ministère saoudien de l'Intérieur, sans faire état de victimes. Mais un militant chiite local a affirmé qu'il s'agissait d'un attentat suicide qui a fait quatre morts au moins et plusieurs blessés. Des sites d'information de l'est de l'Arabie saoudite ont publié des photos de corps de victimes baignant dans leur sang.

    L'explosion a été provoquée par un attentat suicide, a confirmé le ministère saoudien de l'Intérieur, en faisant état de nombreux morts et blessés.

    Selon le militant chiite, l'hôpital de Qatif a lancé des appels à des dons de sang. L'établissement a également rappelé des membres du personnel qui étaient de repos, laissant supposer un nombre plus important de morts et de blessés.
    AFP

    ReplyDelete
  56. The European Union offered more money and the promise of visa-free travel to some post-communist nations Friday in an East-West partnership that has tempered its ambitions after Russia's military intervention in Ukraine...

    Meeting in Riga for the Eastern Partnership summit, EU and Ukrainian officials signed a 1.8 billion euro ($2 billion) loan agreement meant to help revive the country's ailing economy, which is suffering from structural problems and unrest in the industrial east.

    The deal requires Ukraine to adopt a series of reforms including anti-corruption measures.

    Ukraine's economy contracted by nearly 18 percent in the first quarter of 2015 from a year earlier.....AP........voanews.com
    22/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  57. EU to propose relocating 40,000 refugees from Italy, Greece...

    The European Commission is set to propose next week that 40,000 asylum seekers who have arrived by boat in Italy and Greece should be relocated across the continent in response to what it considers an emergency situation in both countries.

    The proposal, revealed to Reuters by an EU source familiar with a draft, follows plans announced last week for the European Union to take in 20,000 asylum-seekers currently living outside the bloc.

    The Commission has also set a quota system, based on a country's size and economic health, for those resettled migrants as well as for those relocated within the EU.

    The EU measure is due to be finalised on Wednesday and would need majority support from EU nations expecting to take in some of the migrants.....REUTERS
    22/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  58. European leaders usher Greece back to negotiating table...

    European leaders told Greece today to return to the negotiating table for "intensive work" to wrap up a reform agreement before cash runs out, sidestepping Athens' demand for a comprehensive, long-term solution to its troubles.

    With his country risking default in as little as two weeks, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras flew to Riga to press German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande for a political push to break the impasse in technical-level talks with European Union and International Monetary Fund creditors.

    The leaders offered help, but told Tsipras to get back to focusing on talks with the so-called "Brussels Group" of European Commission, European Central Bank and IMF lenders - the trio bankrolling Greece since it nearly went bankrupt in 2010.........buenosairesherald.com
    22/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  59. Mexico gang shoot-out leaves dozens dead...

    At least 43 people have been killed in a shoot-out in the Mexican state of Michoacan.

    Friday's gunfight between security forces and an armed gang took place in Tanhuato near the Jalisco state border.

    The violence is thought to be drug-related and officials have said that at least one police officer was killed.

    The authorities have been fighting a bloody war with the area's most powerful drug cartel, Jalisco New Generation, for years.

    The majority of those killed are believed to have been cartel members, said National Security Commissioner Monte Alejandro Rubido.

    He told reporters that the gunfight had lasted for about three hours and that a number of weapons had been recovered from the scene, including more than 30 rifles.....BBC

    ReplyDelete
  60. Aus Angst vor dem Grexit signalisieren USA IWF-Hilfen...

    Die hohen Kredite des IWF an Griechenland sehen US-Vertreter kritisch. Doch seit Lehman sind die USA traumatisiert. Ihre Angst vor einem möglichen Grexit und seinem Dominoeffekt ist erheblich.....welt.de

    ReplyDelete
  61. United Nations officials in the Horn of Africa port of Djibouti said Saturday they had taken charge of the aid cargo carried by an Iranian boat headed for war-torn Yemen...

    The vessel, the MV Shahed, is carrying 2,500 tons of aid including flour, rice, canned food, medical supplies and bottled water, all urgently needed in the conflict-wracked state just across the Gulf of Aden from Djibouti.

    "The cargo has been handed over to WFP in Djibouti and is currently being offloaded," said U.N. World Food Program spokeswoman Abeer Etefa told AFP.

    "The ship carries 2,500 tons of humanitarian aid and that includes mainly rice and wheat flour, as well as medicine, water, tents and blankets."

    Djiboutian authorities said the Iranian cargo ship arrived late Friday night in the Gulf of Aden port.

    "The ship will be completely unloaded and reloaded onto other vessels, everything is transparent," Djibouti port authority chief Abubaker Hadi told AFP......AFP
    23/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  62. Separatist commander killed in Ukraine ...

    A separatist commander in eastern Ukraine was killed along with several other fighters after their car came under attack on Saturday, rebel authorities have announced.

    The defence ministry of the self-proclaimed Lugansk republic confirmed that Alexey Mozgovoy, the commander of a police battalion in the war-torn region, was among the dead and said it was hunting for the assailants behind the attack.

    The incident happened around 3pm GMT near the town of Alchevsk, some 40 kilometres (27 miles) from Lugansk, the official press agency of the self-declared republic said in a statement.

    “According to the preliminary information, the vehicle carrying Mozgovoy was hit by a bomb and then by machine-gun fire,” it said.

    “There are seven dead in total,” deputy Lugansk prosecutor Sergei Gorenko said at a press conference broadcast by Russian media, though he stressed that the toll was based on early information and could still change.

    “One of the lines of inquiry is that it was an act of sabotage by a group of spies,” he added.

    Mozgovoy was the well-known leader of the so-called Prizrak (Ghost) brigade that has taken part in some of the heaviest battles in Ukraine’s pro-Russian east since the start of the conflict last year..............http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/24/ukraine-separatist-commander-leader-killed-in-car-bomb

    ReplyDelete
  63. Iran agrees to grant UN access to military sites, negotiator says...

    Iran has agreed to grant United Nations inspectors "managed access" to military sites as part of a future deal over its contested nuclear program, a negotiator said Sunday, apparently contradicting earlier comments by the nation's supreme leader.

    Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi's comments, carried by state television, came after he and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif attended a reportedly stormy closed session of parliament.

    "Iran has agreed to grant managed access to military sites," state TV quoted Araghchi as saying Sunday............AP.............ctvnews.ca
    24/5/15

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Iran denies agreement on military site inspections ...

      An Iranian negotiator on May 24 denied accepting military site inspections as part of a nuclear deal with world powers, a delicate issue in talks that must be concluded by the end of June.

      Abbas Araghchi, who is also deputy foreign minister, made the remarks as he briefed a parliamentary committee on the progress of the talks with the P5+1 -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States plus Germany.

      "In his report, Mr. Araghchi said that inspections of military sites have been accepted but the inspections are regulated and will be seriously managed," ultra-conservative lawmaker Javad Karimi-Ghodoussi was quoted as saying by Fars news agency.

      The remarks appeared to contradict those of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who said this week that inspections of military sites and interviews of scientists by foreign experts were excluded from a framework nuclear agreement......AFP....hurriyetdailynews.com
      25/5/15

      Delete
  64. La Grèce fait monter le suspense sur sa capacité à payer le FMI en juin...

    Le ministre de l'Intérieur grec a assuré dimanche que son pays ne rembourserait pas le FMI en juin : des propos nuancés ensuite par le ministre des Finances Yanis Varoufakis, mais qui confirment qu'Athènes juge être allée au bout des concessions à ses créanciers.

    "Les remboursements au FMI en juin sont de 1,6 milliard d'euros, ils ne seront pas faits et d'ailleurs il n'y a pas d'argent pour les faire", a déclaré Nikos Voutsis à la chaîne de télévision Mega Channel dimanche matin.....rtl.be

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Das pleitebedrohte Griechenland schlittert weiter am finanziellen Abgrund entlang...

      Erneut wird in Athen damit gedroht, fällige Schuldenzahlungen an den Internationalen Währungsfonds (IWF) nicht zu leisten, wenn es zuvor keine Lösung mit den Gläubigern gibt. Konkret geht es um rund 1,5 Milliarden Euro, die im Juni an den IWF zurückzuzahlen sind - davon 300 Millionen Euro bereits am 5. Juni. Finanzminister Gianis Varoufakis bestätigte indes am Sonntag, dass er während des informellen Treffens der Eurogruppe im April im lettischen Riga Tonaufnahmen gemacht habe......diepresse.com
      24/5/15

      Delete
  65. Hohe Rechnung aus Athen tut Merkel richtig weh..

    Mit den Hilfen für Athen sollte Deutschland keinen Verlust machen. So hat es die Bundesregierung immer wieder versprochen. Doch nun wird offenbar, dass dieses kühne Ziel nicht zu halten ist.

    Europas Geldgeber müssen in Athen deutlich härtere Reformen durchsetzen als von den Griechen bislang angekündigt. Ansonsten drohen ihnen herbe finanzielle Verluste.

    "Wenn das Wirtschaftswachstum wegen der mangelnden Reformpolitik einen Prozentpunkt pro Jahr niedriger ausfällt als von der Troika erwartet, und der Haushaltsüberschuss vor Abzug der Schuldzinsen mit 1,5 Prozent pro Jahr gut drei Prozentpunkte unter den Prognosen liegt, dann müssten die Europäer auf einen erheblichen Teil ihrer Forderungen an Athen verzichten – zumindest, wenn der Internationale Währungsfonds (IWF) bei der Griechenland-Hilfe auch künftig mitmachen soll", hieß es in Brüsseler Verhandlungskreisen gegenüber der "Welt am Sonntag".

    Mit einer Verlängerung von Laufzeiten und niedrigeren Zinsen für Griechenlands Hilfskredite sei es nicht getan. Ein echter Schuldenverzicht müsste her.

    IWF hält nichts von faulen Kompromissen mit Athen

    Seit Wochen ist es immer dasselbe: Die Griechen wollen eine möglichst weiche Lösung des Schuldenstreits. Wenig Auflagen, dennoch Milliardenhilfen.........welt.de

    ReplyDelete
  66. Athènes menace de ne pas payer le FMI...

    Dans le bras de fer qui oppose le gouvernement grec de gauche radicale d'Alexis Tsipras à ses créanciers internationaux depuis quatre mois, jamais un ministre ne s'était exprimé aussi clairement. La Grèce «ne paiera pas la prochaine tranche au FMI de 1,6 milliard d'euros, entre le 5 et le 19 juin», a déclaré dimanche à la télévision Nikos Voutsis, le ministre de l'Intérieur. À moins que d'ici là, «un accord équitable» ne soit trouvé avec les créanciers: le FMI, la BCE et l'Union européenne.....lefigaro.fr
    24/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  67. Hundreds of people attended a rally in Istanbul Sunday to demand that the historic Istanbul Hagia Sophia museum be converted into a mosque...

    Hundreds of people gathered outside Istanbul's Hagia Sophia museum, in the historical Sultanahmet district, some carrying signs that read: “Hagia Sophia needs to be re-opened as mosque,” and “Let our lives be sacrificed for Islam”.

    The protest was led by many Turkish nongovernmental organizations, including the Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH).

    Designed as a Christian basilica in the sixth century by Anthemios of Tralles and Isidorus of Miletus, Hagia Sophia is now a UNESCO World Heritage site....aa.com.tr
    24/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  68. Exit polls give 'Indignados' possible lead in Madrid, Barcelona...

    Exit polls in Spain's local elections Sunday gave the "Indignado" protest movement a possible lead in a tight race for control of Madrid and Barcelona against governing conservative parties.

    A poll by TNS Demoscopia put the protest movement slightly ahead in Madrid and Barcelona, while another by GAD3 put them slightly behind but still breaking the ruling parties' majorities.

    The "Indignados", who partly inspired the worldwide Occupy movement, swamped Spanish streets in 2011 in mass protests against corruption and hardship in the economic crisis.

    Now they are looking to win elected office for the first time ahead of a general election due around November, which analysts say could transform Spain's political system.

    The various exit polls showed the recently-formed groups tied with governing parties in the two biggest cities, without indicating an outright victory.

    In the capital, protest grouping Ahora Madrid was tied with Spain's governing Popular Party (PP) and threatening to snatch away its majority, according to an exit poll by TNS Demoscopia for broadcaster TeleMadrid..........AFP

    ReplyDelete
  69. Texas: un mort et plusieurs disparus dans des inondations...

    (Belga) Des inondations au Texas ont fait au moins un mort, plusieurs disparus et détruit des maisons dimanche, selon les autorités, qui préviennent qu'une nouvelle dégradation des conditions météorologiques est attendue.

    Les autorités ont indiqué sur Twitter que l'homme décédé n'avait pas encore été identifié. La municipalité de San Marcos, ville la plus durement touchée par ces inondations soudaines causées par des pluies torrentielles, a ordonné dimanche dans la matinée l'évacuation des habitants. Des images télévisées montraient des voitures et des camions submergés et des gens flottant dans les rues sur des chaises longues gonflables..........rtl.be

    ReplyDelete
  70. Hezbollah says it will step up presence in Syria as needed...

    Hezbollah is fighting across all of Syria alongside the army of President Bashar al-Assad and is willing to increase its presence there when needed, the leader of the Lebanese Shi'ite movement said on Sunday.

    Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah told thousands of supporters via video link that the fight was part of a wider strategy to prevent groups like al Qaeda's wing in Syria, Nusra Front, and the ultra-hardline Islamic State from taking over the region.

    "Our presence will increase whenever it should... Yes, we are not present in one place in Syria and not the other. We will be everywhere in Syria," he said during a celebration to mark the withdrawal of Israeli soldiers from south Lebanon in 2000.

    Hezbollah, backed by Iran, is a staunch ally of Assad in the four-year-long Syrian civil war. The conflict has become a focal point for the struggle between Tehran and Sunni Saudi Arabia, which has backed the insurgency.

    Nasrallah also said that an offensive his group is leading in the mountainous region of Qalamoun along the border between Syria and Lebanon will last "until the borders are secured."..........REUTERS

    ReplyDelete
  71. New parties shake Spain's political system in local vote...

    Voters punished Spain's mainstream political parties in local elections on Sunday as many people switched their allegiance to new parties that campaigned on a promise of change amid chafing austerity policies, high unemployment and political corruption scandals.

    The governing conservative Popular Party and the main opposition Socialist Party — which have alternated in government for nearly four decades — surrendered control of some city halls and regional governments. The two mainstream parties snared 52 percent of the nationwide vote, with around 90 percent of the votes counted. That was significantly down from the 65 percent of the vote the pair gathered in elections four years ago but short of the political meltdown that some party officials feared.

    Meanwhile, the radical leftist We Can group and business-friendly Citizens party, grass-root organizations which began operating on a national level just a year ago, were the third and fourth most popular parties in a landmark result. That could leave them holding the balance of power in local governments...........AP..........timesofindia.indiatimes.com

    ReplyDelete
  72. Elections en Espagne et en Pologne: l'Europe doit changer, estime Federica Mogherini...

    (Belga) Les résultats des élections en Espagne et en Pologne montrent que l'Europe doit changer, a déclaré lundi à Rome la chef de la diplomatie européenne Federica Mogherini.

    "Ce que nous disent les résultats des élections présidentielles en Pologne et municipales en Espagne, bien que d'une façon totalement différente (...) est la nécessité de changer notre rêve européen si nous voulons le sauver", a déclaré Mme Mogherini, également vice-présidente de la Commission européenne, après avoir reçu le prix 2015 de l'Institut d'études de politique internationale (Ispi) à Rome. Les Espagnols ont adressé dimanche soir un sévère avertissement à l'establishment politique, entrouvrant les portes de Barcelone et de Madrid aux "indignés", à l'issue d'élections municipales et régionales où l'antilibéral Podemos a globalement confirmé sa troisième place.........rtl.be
    25/5/15

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A Madrid, le les socialistes refusent un front anti-Podemos...

      A Madrid, l'alliance proposée par la droite aux socialistes contre Manuela Carmena, candidate soutenue par le parti de gauche radicale Podemos, a été rejetée mercredi, dégageant la voie pour l'investiture de l'ancienne juge....rtbf.be
      27/5/15

      Delete
  73. Tunisian Soldier Kills 7, Wounds 10 in Barracks Attack ...

    A Tunisian soldier opened fire on his fellow troops Monday, killing seven and wounding 10 before he was shot dead himself.

    Authorities said the attack occurred at the Bouchoucha base in Tunis, not far from where two Islamist gunmen opened fire on tourists at the Bardo national museum in March, killing 21 foreigners.

    The Tunisian Interior Ministry said Monday's incident is not being viewed as a terrorist attack, although it was not clear what motivated the soldier.

    The gunfire occurred only inside a military barracks, suggesting it was an internal dispute. The gunman had been forbidden from carrying a weapon, but seized another man's gun.

    The shooting triggered a security alert across the Bardo district. Two military helicopters hovered overhead as police searched a nearby mosque and a school was evacuated.
    voanews.com
    25/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  74. State of disaster declared in Texas due to severe weather conditions...

    The governor of Texas declared a state of emergency in more than two dozen counties on Monday. Weather services have warned that more severe weather conditions are in store for the region, where storms have already killed at least three people....rt.com

    ReplyDelete
  75. Russia's military forces have begun a large exercise involving around 250 aircraft and 12,000 service personnel, according to its defence ministry...

    The ministry described the four-day drill as a "massive surprise inspection", to check combat readiness.

    The tests began on the same day as Nato and some of its partners started an Arctic training exercise.

    Russia's actions in Ukraine and incursions into Western airspace have led to rising tensions with the West.

    According to reports on the Russian agencies Interfax and Tass, the inspection of the aviation group and air defence forces in the central military district involves almost 700 weapons and pieces of military hardware....BBC

    ReplyDelete
  76. The Armed Forces of Russia launched a four-day snap drill to test combat readiness of the air and air defense units in the country's Central Military District (CMD), the Defense Ministry said Monday...

    About 12,000 troops, 250 aircraft and 689 pieces of military equipment are involved in the exercises, the ministry said in a statement.

    "The inspection aims to assess the CMD Air and Air Defense Forces' capability to perform the task of destroying an aerial enemy in cooperation with reinforcement troops," the Interfax news agency quoted a ministry spokesperson as saying.

    Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the military earlier this year to conduct a series of unexpected drills to test combat readiness of the armed forces.

    The Russian military staged a round of large-scale surprise exercises in March amid increasing NATO military presence near the Russian borders.
    http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/923581.shtml

    ReplyDelete
  77. Air France faces probe after jet narrowly avoids mountain...

    French investigators have opened a probe after an Air France jet with some three dozen people on board narrowly avoided hitting the highest mountain in central Africa in early May, according to information published by France's BEA air accident agency.

    The Boeing 777 jet was making a short evening trip from Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea, to Cameroon's largest city of Douala where it was due to pick up more passengers en route to Paris, when it ran into bad weather on May 2.

    While cruising at about 9,000 feet, the pilots of Flight 953 diverted northwards to avoid storm clouds, but their route back toward Douala took their jetliner toward the 13,000-foot Mount Cameroun, the BEA and the airline said.

    That triggered an emergency warning from an automated ground-proximity warning system urging the crew to take avoiding action, the BEA said in a regular update of new investigations.

    The crew climbed straight to 'Flight Level 130' or about 13,000 feet before continuing to Douala. Mount Cameroon, an active volcano, stands at 4,090 meters or 13,400 feet.

    Air France said the crew of Flight 953 had reacted in accordance with their training and the plane's manuals but that they had been taken off flying duties for more training........REUTERS..........todayonline.com
    26/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  78. Ukraine: Obama dénonce l'attitude "de plus en plus agressive" de Moscou...

    Barack Obama a dénoncé mardi l'attitude "de plus en plus agressive" de la Russie dans l'est séparatiste de l'Ukraine, lors d'une rencontre à Washington avec le secrétaire général de l'Otan Jens Stoltenberg.

    S'exprimant depuis le Bureau ovale en présence de M. Stoltenberg, le président des Etats-Unis a évoqué une période "difficile et importante" pour l'Otan.

    "Nous avons eu l'occasion d'évoquer la situation en Ukraine et l'attitude de plus en plus agressive adoptée par la Russie", a déclaré M. Obama.....rtbf.be

    ReplyDelete
  79. The Afghan security forces killed four attackers after hours of fierce clashes in the capital's diplomatic district overnight Tuesday, an Afghan official said early Wednesday...

    He added the assailants have failed to inflect casualties on civilians or security forces.

    The attack began late on Tuesday night after four attackers tried to take control of a guest house and a nearby hotel laying at the site of a hill in heavily guarded Wazir Akbar Khan in central Kabul........http://www.china.org.cn/world/2015-05/27/content_35671716.htm

    ReplyDelete
  80. Le nombre de personnes souffrant de la faim sous les 800 millions, une première (FAO)...

    (Belga) Le nombre de personnes souffrant de la faim est passé pour la première fois, depuis qu'on les compte, sous la barre des 800 millions, une réduction de près d'un quart en 25 ans, souligne la FAO.

    Dans son rapport sur l'insécurité alimentaire dans le monde (SOFI 2015) publié mercredi, l'Organisation des Nations unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture estime que 795 millions de personnes sont toujours en situation de sous-alimentation, soit une diminution de 167 millions sur la dernière décennie - elles étaient 1 milliard en 1990-1992 -, avec des progrès particulièrement marqués en Asie et en Amérique Latine et Caraïbes............rtl.be
    27/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  81. Death Toll Rises After Hard Rains, Flooding Strike Texas, Oklahoma ...

    The death toll from a long weekend of torrential rains and flooding in Texas and Oklahoma has risen to at least 17 people.

    Four of the dead were reported in the southeastern Texas city of Houston, which received as much as 30 centimeters of rain over a six-hour period between Monday and Tuesday. Flooding brought traffic on a major highway to a standstill, forcing thousands of motorists to abandon their vehicles. Officials say first responders carried out more than 500 water rescues.

    Hundreds of spectators attending Monday's National Basketball Association playoff game between the Houston Rockets and the visiting Golden State Warriors stayed overnight at the downtown arena...........voanews.com
    27/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  82. ROK, US, Japan discuss ways of returning DPRK to dialogue ...

    Top negotiators of South Korea, the United States and Japan, who represent each of their countries in the six-party talks to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, have discussed ways of returning the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to the dialogue table for its nuclear program.

    The three nuclear envoys held the trilateral meeting in Seoul for two days through Wednesday, discussing how to deter possible DPRK provocations and make effective the sanctions imposed by UN Security Council banning the DPRK from developing the nuclear program and test-firing ballistic missiles.

    The chief negotiators included Hwang Joon-kook, South Korea's special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs as well as Sung Kim, U.S. special representative for DPRK policy and Junichi Ihara, Japanese foreign ministry's director- general for the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau.

    "The three nations shared a view of seriousness in North Korea (DPRK)'s enhanced nuclear capability," Hwang told reporters after the meeting. "(The three parties) agreed to continue efforts at both strong pressures on and active dialogue with North Korea ( DPRK)," said Hwang..............http://www.china.org.cn/world/2015-05/27/content_35675003.htm
    27/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  83. Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon on Wednesday urged Hamas, an Islamist movement which controls the Gaza Strip, to restrain from any attempt to fire rockets at Israel, following a rocket attack on the south the night before...

    "If there won't be quiet in Israel, Gaza will pay a very heavy price," Ya'alon warned.

    The Defense Minister also blamed the Islamic Jihad, a smaller militant organization from Gaza, for Tuesday night's rocket attack.

    Israeli Air Force struck four targets in the Gaza Strip in response to the rocket overnight, Ya'alon said the air strikes targeted Islamic Jihad and Hamas bases in the Gaza Strip..........http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/923853.shtml

    ReplyDelete
  84. Schäuble: "Griechenland ist nicht mehr wettbewerbsfähig"...

    Der deutsche Finanzminister lehnt eine Verantwortung für die griechische Misere ab. Die Griechen ziehen verstärkt Geld von Konten ab.

    Deutschlands Finanzminister Wolfgang Schäuble sieht die Verantwortung für die wirtschaftliche Schieflage Griechenlands im Land selber und lehnt einen weiteren Schuldenschnitt ab. "Die deutsche Bundesregierung ist nicht an allem schuld", sagte Schäuble in einem am Mittwoch veröffentlichten "Zeit"-Interview.

    "In den meisten anderen Mitgliedsstaaten geht es wegen der niedrigen Ölpreise und der Abwertung des Euro aufwärts. In Griechenland aber nicht." Das Land habe im Moment dringlichere Probleme als seine Schulden: "Griechenland ist nicht mehr wettbewerbsfähig", so Schäuble.
    Varoufakis schließt Kapitalkontrollen aus

    Die neue griechische Regierung ringt seit Monaten mit ihren internationalen Geldgebern um die Auflagen für weitere Hilfen, die das Land vor der Staatspleite bewahren sollen. Schäuble schloss nicht aus, dass es dort auch zu Beschränkungen im Geldverkehr kommen könnte, betonte aber: "Die Entscheidung über Kapitalverkehrskontrollen obliegt allein den Mitgliedsstaaten."...............diepresse.com
    27/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  85. Schweres Militärgerät.....Russische Panzer und Raketenwerfer nahe der Ostukraine...

    Schwere Waffen rollen an die Grenze zur Ukraine. Russland verlegt offenbar Panzer und andere Militärfahrzeuge dicht an die Krisenregion. Einige der Laster haben keine Kennzeichen.....welt.de
    27/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  86. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Wednesday that France would oppose a nuclear deal with Iran if it did not allow inspections of military sites...

    An agreement "will not be accepted by France if it is not clear that verifications can be made at all Iranian facilities, including military sites," Fabius told parliament.
    AFP

    ReplyDelete
  87. France's Panthéon honours 'Four Lives in Résistance'...

    Four heroes of the French wartime Résistance are being inducted on Wednesday into the legendary Panthéon, the Paris mausoleum that honours those who have made significant contributions to French society.

    In February 2014, President François Hollande announced the addition of four new names to France’s legendary Panthéon, the neoclassical Paris mausoleum that serves as the final resting place for illustrious French writers, artists and scientists.

    At a large and solemn ceremony on Wednesday, Hollande said the two women and two men, who opposed the wartime German occupation – Germaine Tillion, Geneviève de Gaulle-Anthonioz, Jean Zay and Pierre Brossolette – embodied the spirit of the Resistance.

    “Faced with the occupation, with submission, they gave the same response: they said 'no', immediately, firmly, clearly,” Hollande added in an emotional speech delivered next to the four flag-draped coffins.

    The ashes of Zay and Brossolette, and earth from the grave sites of de Gaulle-Anthonioz and Tillion, were then added to the Panthéon in a ceremony organized to coincide with France’s National Day of Résistance on May 27.......france24.com

    ReplyDelete
  88. Carter: US Will Remain Top Security Power in Asia-Pacific ...

    U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Wednesday that the United States would be the primary security power in the Asia-Pacific region for years, and he demanded that China immediately stop island building in the South China Sea.

    Carter said during a visit to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, that all countries in Asia, including China, must stop militarizing their dispute over an island chain and settle it peacefully.

    "China's actions are bringing countries in the region together in new ways," he said. "They're increasing demand for American engagement in the Asia-Pacific. We're going to meet it."

    Carter said the U.S. would "fly, sail and operate" wherever international law allows......http://www.voanews.com/content/carter-united-states-will-remain-top-security-power-asia-pacific/2793611.html

    ReplyDelete
  89. Cameron to discuss EU referendum with counterparts...

    British Prime Minister David Cameron will embark on an intense round of meetings with his EU counterparts over the next 48 hours as he attempts to begin renegotiating Britain's relationship with the European Union.

    Mr Cameron will meet the Dutch prime minister in The Hague before holding talks in Paris with the French President Francois Hollande.

    He will then travel to Warsaw to meet the Polish Prime Minister, before concluding his trip in Berlin where he will be hosted by the German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

    With the in-out referendum having been mentioned yesterday in the Queen's Speech, the referendum is now on, the only question is, what the date will be and how the question will be worded?

    Ahead is a gruelling negotiating process with European capitals and the EU institutions....rte.ie
    28/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  90. Iran warns against ‘excessive demands’ in nuclear talks...

    Iran on Thursday warned global powers against making “excessive demands” in talks aimed at sealing a ground-breaking nuclear deal, after France demanded access to its military installations.

    “I would expect my negotiating partners to refrain from making excessive demands,” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said during a visit to Athens, adding: “People need to have their foot in reality, not in illusions.”

    Zarif also said he was hopeful Iran and world powers would reach a final conclusion on a nuclear deal “within a reasonable period of time”.

    Iran, the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China reached a tentative framework for a nuclear deal on April 2 but several issues remain unresolved. They have a self-imposed June 30 deadline to arrive at a comprehensive agreement.

    “If the other side respects what has been agreed in Lausanne and tries to draft based on mutual respect a comprehensive agreement with Iran that is sustainable... then we can meet any deadline,” Zarif said after meeting his Greek counterpart............alarabiya.net
    28/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  91. Griechenland: Reiseveranstalter verlangen "Drachmen-Klauseln"...

    Internationale Reiseveranstalter verlangen von den Hoteliers in Griechenland bei neuen Vertragsabschlüssen angeblich Sonderklauseln für den Fall eines Ausscheidens des pleitebedrohten Landes aus der Eurogruppe. Wie die Zeitung "Kathimerini" am Donnerstag berichtete, wollen mehrere Tourismuskonzerne die "Drachmen-Klauseln" in die Verträge für die Reisesaison 2016 aufnehmen.

    Die Unternehmen wollten sich damit für den Fall absichern, dass Griechenland die gemeinsame Währung verlassen ("Grexit") und zur Drachme zurückkehren müsse. Danach sollen die griechischen Hoteliers für zusätzliche Kosten aufkommen, die den Reiseveranstaltern durch einen "Grexit" entstehen könnten.

    Der griechische Tourismusverband SETE riet den Hotelbesitzern dazu, die Unterzeichnung der Verträge für 2016 so lange aufzuschieben, bis die Verhandlungen zwischen der griechischen Regierung und den internationalen Geldgebern abgeschlossen seien. Die Hoteliers sind jedoch auf die Zahlungen der Tourismuskonzerne in diesem Jahr besonders angewiesen. Aufgrund der Finanzkrise erhielten sie von den griechischen Banken kaum noch Kredite, schrieb das Blatt.
    (APA/dpa)
    diepresse.com
    28/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  92. Putin declares Russian troop deaths in peacetime a secret...

    Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to make losses of Russian troops in peacetime a secret.

    The amendment bans information about the deaths of Russian forces "during special operations" in peacetime.

    The Kremlin has consistently denied sending regular troops and armour to help rebels in eastern Ukraine.

    But a new report from the US says Russia has been using training camps near the border as "launching points of Russia's war in Ukraine".

    The study by the Atlantic Council, published on Thursday, claims to have tracked Russian involvement in the conflict using photographs, videos and satellite images posted online.

    President Putin's move to ban information about peacetime military deaths comes amid fears of a fresh offensive by Russian-backed separatists......BBC

    ReplyDelete
  93. British Prime Minister David Cameron embarked on a two-day tour of European leaders Thursday to renegotiate the terms of the U.K.’s membership in the EU...

    He will meet with Dutch premier Mark Rutte and French President Francois Hollande on Thursday before visiting Polish premier Ewa Kopacz and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday.

    "The prime minister is very clear in dealing with European Union counterparts,” British Foreign Secretary Phillip Hammond told BBC Radio 4. “If we are not able to deliver on those big areas of concern that the British people have, we will not win the referendum.”

    Cameron is expected to warn the European leaders that Britain may vote to leave the EU if his demands are not met.

    “We expect our European Union partners to engage with us in delivering a package that will enable the British people to decide that they think Britain's future is best delivered inside the European Union,” Hammond said.

    Cameron’s center-right Conservative Party has pledged to hold an in-out EU referendum by 2017, giving the British premier time to renegotiate the terms of the U.K.’s membership in the 28-nation bloc.

    The vote will be the first referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU since 1975.....http://www.aa.com.tr/en/news/518318--british-pm-on-two-day-european-tour-to-push-for-reforms

    ReplyDelete
  94. Le Front al-Nosra affirme que son seul objectif est la chute de Bachar al-Assad...

    Dans une interview à la chaîne Al-Jazira, Abou Mohamed al-Joulani, le chef du Front al-Nosra, l'un des principaux groupes jihadistes en Syrie affilié à Al-Qaïda a affirmé que son objectif était de faire tomber Assad et non de cibler des Occidentaux.

    Le Front Al-Nosra, un groupe de "bons jihadistes" ? C’est du moins le message qu’a cherché à faire passer Abou Mohamed al-Joulani, le chef du Front al-Nosra, la branche syrienne d'Al-Qaïda, mercredi 27 mai. Interrogé par la chaîne de télévision qatarie Al-Jazira, il a assuré que sa mission en Syrie était de faire chuter le régime de Damas et qu'il n'était pas prévu de lancer des attaques contre l'Occident depuis la Syrie.....http://www.france24.com/fr/20150528-syrie-front-al-nosra-qaida-abou-mohamed-jolani-jihadistes-rebellion-assad

    ReplyDelete
  95. Ukraine president gives government right to suspend debt repayments: press service...

    Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Thursday signed into force a law that gives the government the right to halt scheduled repayments on its foreign debt if required, his press service said.

    Parliament passed the draft law on May 19 as a wrangle intensified between the near-bankrupt former Soviet republic and its creditors over restructuring of $23 billion of foreign debt in order to make budget savings of $15.3 billion between 2015 and 2018 required by the International Monetary Fund.

    The presidential press service said the law would come into effect once it was published and would be in force until July 1 next year.
    REUTERS
    todayonline.com

    ReplyDelete
  96. The Syrian affiliate of al-Qaida said on Thursday it had taken over the city of Ariha, one of the last urban centers in Idlib province in northwestern Syria close to the Turkish border still held by the government...

    A coalition of rebel groups called Jaish al Fateh, or Conquest Army, that includes Nusra Front, the al-Qaida affiliate, said it had taken over the city on the Turkish border.

    The coalition said it had overrun several checkpoints that defended the city. The Syrian army said intense fighting was going on with Nusra forces that had infiltrated Ariha.
    Jpost.com by Reuters
    28/5/15

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Syrian Islamist rebels 'seize Ariha in Idlib province'...

      An Islamist coalition that includes Syria's al-Qaeda affiliate al-Nusra Front has taken over one of the last government strongholds in western Idlib province, activists say.

      The Jaish al-Fateh, or Conquest Army, took control of the city of Ariha after a "lightning offensive", the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

      However, the Syrian army said intense fighting was still going on there......BBC

      Delete
  97. The Central Bank (BCRA) has informed the Argentine government made a new payment to the Paris Club for 683 million dollars...

    This way, the government paid the second installment of the US$9.060 billion owed to the group of creditor nations. The first installment, of US$650 million, was paid on July 2014, and the last one is due for 2016.

    BCRA reserves decreased 545 million dollars and stand at 33,248 billion.
    buenosairesherald.com
    28/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  98. EU requests 11 member states to apply bank recovery rules ...

    The European Commission said on Thursday it has requested 11 member states to fully implement the Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive (BRRD), which was put in place to create a safer and sounder financial sector for the European Union (EU) in the wake of the financial crisis.

    The 11 countries are Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, France, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Malta, Poland, Romania and Sweden.

    The new BRRD rules, as a centerpiece of the EU's Banking Union, equip national authorities with the necessary tools and powers to mitigate and manage the distress or failure of banks or large investment firms in all EU member states.

    The objective is to ensure that banks on the verge of insolvency can be restructured without taxpayers having to pay for failing banks to safeguard financial stability. Instead, they provide for shareholders and creditors of the banks to pay their share of the costs through a "bail-in" mechanism.

    The deadline for the transposition of these rules into national law was Dec. 31, 2014. However,the above 11 EU countries have failed to implement these rules into their national law.

    If these countries fail to comply within two months, the Commission may decide to refer them to the EU Court of Justice.
    http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/924297.shtml

    ReplyDelete
  99. G7 zu Griechenland: Wachstum auf Pump ist keine Option...

    Beim G7-Treffen in Dresden herrscht Einigkeit zum Thema Griechenland: Schuldenfinanziertes Wachstum soll es nicht geben. IWF-Chefin Christine Lagarde hält den Grexit durchaus für möglich.

    Die Top-Wirtschaftsmächte sind sich einig: Wachstum auf Pump soll es nicht geben. "Es herrscht Einigkeit darüber, dass schuldenfinanziertes Wachstum keine Alternative zu Strukturreformen ist", verlautete aus den Verhandlungen der G7-Finanzminister und -Notenbankchefs in Dresden.......http://www.n24.de/n24/Nachrichten/Wirtschaft/d/6716262/wachstum-auf-pump-ist-keine-option.html

    ReplyDelete
  100. Obama warns NATO of wider Daesh spillover...

    President Barack Obama's call this week for NATO to fortify its southern front has been interpreted by some as an attempt to get the alliance to assume a role in helping to end the Mideast turmoil.

    At a White House press conference with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, Obama directed the attention of NATO members to the risk of potential spillover of the Middle East turmoil and noted the importance of the alliance's partnering with countries and organizations in the region.

    “That means increased defense capacity-building with other countries like Iraq or GCC countries that are interested in working with us, as well as the African Union,” he said referring to the Gulf Cooperation Council.

    Some experts describe the president's remarks as an effort to push the alliance into the fight against Daesh as the U.S.-led coalition seems to have failed to stop the militants’ advancement, evident in the group’s capture of Iraq’s Anbar province's key city of Ramadi and the momentum it still maintains in Syria with the recently takeover of the ancient city of Palmyra in northern Aleppo.

    Others, however, say Obama’s message to allies was directed at those focused solely on the Russian threat and blind to threats from other fronts.......http://www.aa.com.tr/en/rss/518646--obama-warns-nato-of-wider-daesh-spillover
    29/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  101. La Turquie a-t-elle livré en secret des armes aux rebelles syriens dont les jihadistes de l'EI ? Un journal publie des photos...

    Le quotidien turc Cumhuriyet a publié vendredi des photos et une vidéo qui accréditent l'hypothèse, jusque-là farouchement démentie par le gouvernement islamo-conservateur d'Ankara, de livraisons d'armes aux rebelles extrémistes syriens début 2014.

    Dans son édition papier et sur son site web, le journal d'opposition Cumhuriyet diffuse des images d'obus de mortier dissimulés sous des médicaments dans des camions, officiellement affrétés par une organisation humanitaire, interceptés en janvier 2014 par la gendarmerie turque près de la frontière syrienne. Cette opération a viré au scandale politique lorsque des documents officiels publiés sur internet ont affirmé que ces camions appartenaient aux services de renseignement turcs (MIT) et transportaient armes et munitions destinées aux rebelles islamistes syriens en guerre contre le président Bachar al-Assad. Soupçonnés par ses alliés occidentaux de soutenir ces combattants, dont le groupe djihadiste Etat islamique (EI), le régime d'Ankara, dont le régime de Damas est devenu la bête noire, a toujours démenti ces accusations. Selon Cumhuriyet, les camions interceptés convoyaient un millier d'obus de mortier, 80.000 munitions pour des armes de petit et gros calibre et des centaines de lance-grenades. De fabrication russe, ces matériels ont été fournis par des pays de l'ancien bloc soviétique, a ajouté le journal. Le gouvernement a imposé un black-out médiatique, y compris sur les réseaux sociaux, sur l'affaire et ouvert une enquête qui a déjà abouti au placement en détention d'une cinquantaine de personnes. (Belga)
    rtl.be
    29/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  102. Merkel not ruling out EU treaty change after Cameron talks...

    Angela Merkel has said she does not rule out future treaty changes in Europe and will be a "constructive partner" to the UK in getting reforms.

    After talks with David Cameron, the German leader said her "clear-cut" view was that the UK should stay in the EU.

    While there was already "common ground" across many areas, she said progress on welfare would be "more protracted".

    The British prime minister said there was no "magic" solution to reform but "where there's a will there's a way".

    The PM, who is on a whistle-stop tour of Europe trying to gather support for changes he wants before holding the UK's EU membership referendum, also repeated his call for Fifa boss Sepp Blatter to stand down as soon as possible.
    'Guiding principle'

    Speaking at a press conference after their talks in Berlin, Mrs Merkel said the two leaders had begun to talk about "specific issues" of future reform after Mr Cameron's general election victory.

    She told journalists that Germany and other EU countries had "red lines" - such as upholding the principle of freedom of movement - but that she hoped as far as possible to accommodate the UK's demands...........BBC

    ReplyDelete
  103. Merkel "constructive" face à la volonté britannique de réformer l'UE...

    La chancelière allemande Angela Merkel a promis vendredi d'"accompagner de façon constructive" le processus de réforme de l'Union européenne souhaité par le Royaume-Uni, sans exclure a priori des modifications de traités européens qui inquiètent de nombreux pays membres.

    Invitant à parler d'abord du fond des réformes souhaitées par Londres, puis de ses implications institutionnelles, elle a déclaré, au cours d'une conférence de presse commune avec le Premier ministre britannique David Cameron: "quand on est convaincu d'une idée, on ne peut pas dire +une modification de traité est absolument "impossible'". "Là où il y a une volonté, il y a une voie", ont affirmé à tour de rôle la chancelière, puis le Premier ministre britannique.

    Ce dernier poursuivait à Berlin une tournée européenne pour arracher des réformes de l'UE et tenter d'ainsi justifier le maintien de son pays dans l'Union.

    La veille, à Paris, Cameron avait demandé à ses partenaires de l'UE d'être "flexibles et imaginatifs" pour que les Britanniques votent oui au référendum prévu pour d'ici à fin 2017 sur le maintien de leur pays dans l'UE.........rtbf.be
    29/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  104. G7-Finanzminister zur Griechenland-Krise: Schäuble kritisiert Optimismus Athens...

    Die Griechenland-Krise sollte offiziell kein Thema bei den G7-Beratungen in Dresden sein. Doch dann kritisierte Finanzminister Schäuble offen den Optimismus Athens in den letzten Tagen. Die Krise sei "schwer" und er glaube nicht an eine rasche Einigung.

    Griechenland und seinen Geldgebern läuft im Kampf gegen den drohenden Staatsbankrott die Zeit davon. Trotz hektischer Krisendiplomatie auf Spitzenebene zeichnet sich eine Woche vor dem nächsten Zahltag für Athen keine Einigung über weitere Finanzhilfen ab. Das aktuelle Hilfsprogramm läuft zum 30. Juni aus.
    Schäuble kritisiert "positive Nachrichten" aus Athen

    "Die positiven Nachrichten aus Athen spiegeln sich noch nicht vollständig im Gesprächsstand der Regierung in Athen mit den Geldgebern wider", sagte Bundesfinanzminister Wolfgang Schäuble in Dresden nach Beratungen der Finanzminister und Notenbankchefs der sieben führenden westlichen Industriestaaten (G7).........http://www.tagesschau.de/wirtschaft/gsieben-dresden-103.html
    29/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  105. Finanzminister-Treffen: Grexit dominiert G7-Gipfel...

    In Griechenland sind Medikamente schon lange knapp. Mit der Zuspitzung der Schuldenkrise könnte es jetzt für Kranke und ihre Familien noch schwerer werden, an lebensnotwendige Arzneien zu kommen. Derzeit beraten die Pharmakonzerne mit der EU-Kommission, wie sie in dem europäischen Land eine Mindestversorgung sicherstellen könnten, sollte das Land tatsächlich pleitegehen.

    US-Finanzminister Jack Lew ist mit der klaren Forderung an die Europäer angereist, dieses Problem für die Weltwirtschaft nun endlich zu lösen. Notfalls müsse man auf das Dogma verzichten, Geld nur gegen Reformen zu geben, lautet die Ansage der Supermacht. Ihr dauert das ganze Hin und Her schon viel zu lange. Doch nicht nur Lew und sein Präsident Barack Obama müssen weiter auf den Durchbruch warten. „Wir befinden uns im Arbeitsprozess, so dass ich nicht sagen würde, dass wir jetzt schon handfeste Ergebnisse erreicht haben, dass wir am Ende des Prozesses wären“, sagt IWF-Chefin Christine Lagarde am Rande des Gipfels...fr-online.de
    29/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  106. US removes Cuba from terror blacklist in landmark move...

    The United States removed Cuba from its blacklist as a state sponsor of terrorism on Friday, in a landmark move aimed at paving the way towards normalizing ties frozen for half a century.

    The decision means Cuba will now have better access to US banking facilities and American aid, and a ban on arms exports and sales is also lifted.

    It also wipes out an international stigma which Havana -- on the blacklist since 1982 -- has long contended was groundless and unfair.

    US President Barack Obama had notified Congress earlier this year that he intended to remove Havana from the list, giving lawmakers 45 days to object, which elapsed Friday....AFP
    29/5/15

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rescission of Cuba as a State Sponsor of Terrorism (U.S. State Department)...

      Press Statement
      Jeff Rathke
      Director, Office of Press Relations
      Washington, DC
      May 29, 2015
      -----
      "In December 2014, the President instructed the Secretary of State to immediately launch a review of Cuba’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, and provide a report to him within six months regarding Cuba’s support for international terrorism. On April 8, 2015, the Secretary of State completed that review and recommended to the President that Cuba no longer be designated as a State Sponsor of Terrorism.

      Accordingly, on April 14, the President submitted to Congress the statutorily required report indicating the Administration’s intent to rescind Cuba’s State Sponsor of Terrorism designation, including the certification that Cuba has not provided any support for international terrorism during the previous six-months; and that Cuba has provided assurances that it will not support acts of international terrorism in the future. The 45-day Congressional pre-notification period has expired, and the Secretary of State has made the final decision to rescind Cuba’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, effective today, May 29, 2015.

      The rescission of Cuba’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism reflects our assessment that Cuba meets the statutory criteria for rescission. While the United States has significant concerns and disagreements with a wide range of Cuba’s policies and actions, these fall outside the criteria relevant to the rescission of a State Sponsor of Terrorism designation"
      http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2015/05/242986.htm
      29/5/15

      Delete
  107. Russland verhängt Einreiseverbote für bis zu 90 EU-Politiker...

    Der Kreml verschärft die Gangart gegen die EU-Sanktionen in der Ukraine-Krise: Dutzende EU-Spitzenpolitiker sind vom Kreml mit einem Einreiseverbot belegt worden, teilte die niederländische Regierung am Freitag mit. Österreichische Politiker sind offenbar nicht mit Einreiseverboten belegt worden. Wie Außenamtssprecher Martin Weiss der APA auf Anfrage mitteilte, ist bei der österreichischen Botschaft in Moskau keine Liste eingegangen. "Russland hat uns eine derartige Liste nicht geschickt", betonte er.....diepresse.com
    29/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  108. Moscovo emite lista de políticos europeus impedidos de entrar na Rússia...

    A Rússia elaborou uma "lista negra" de políticos europeus proibidos de entrar no seu território em resposta às sanções da União Europeia sobre a Crimeia e a Ucrânia, assegurou, esta sexta-feira, o primeiro-ministro holandês Mark Rutte.

    A Rússia entregou ontem [quinta-feira] em várias embaixadas da União Europeia (UE) uma lista de pessoas que já não podem entrar na Rússia", disse Rutte durante a conferência de imprensa semanal, acrescentando que dois deputados holandeses e um eurodeputado holandês estão incluídos na lista.

    A Rússia divulgou a lista em resposta às sanções e à limitação de viagens da UE decididas na sequência da anexação da Crimeia pela Rússia e ao seu alegado envolvimento no conflito no leste da Ucrânia, admitiu Rutte.

    Uma porta-voz do serviço diplomático da UE em Bruxelas disse à agência noticiosa AFP que a Rússia impediu diversos políticos europeus de entrarem no país nos últimos meses, mas até ao momento tinha recusado fornecer a lista dos nomes.

    "Assinalamos que as autoridades russas decidiram partilhar a lista. Não possuímos mais informações sobre a base legal, critérios ou processo", acrescentou a porta-voz numa declaração por correio eletrónico.

    Guy Verhofstadt, líder do grupo liberal (ALDE) no Parlamento europeu e ex-primeiro-ministro belga também está incluído na lista, precisou hoje o seu porta-voz, à semelhança do eurodeputado belga Mark Demesmaeker....jn.pt

    ReplyDelete
  109. 3.300 migrants secourus en Méditerranée....

    Des cadavres ont été retrouvés dans trois canots pneumatiques différents.

    Les gardes-côtes italiens ont annoncé vendredi avoir coordonné dans la journée le sauvetage de plus de 3.300 migrants en Méditerranée, où la marine militaire italienne a retrouvé 17 cadavres sur plusieurs embarcations de fortune.

    Les appels au secours sont venus de 17 embarcations différentes, et d’autres opérations étaient encore en cours dans la soirée.

    Les cadavres ont été retrouvés dans trois canots pneumatiques différents, à bord desquels se trouvaient également plus de 300 migrants en vie, selon le compte Twitter de la marine italienne......lesechos.fr

    ReplyDelete
  110. China, Japan hope to sign MoU on maritime, aerial crisis liaison ...

    Both China and Japan hope to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the maritime and aerial crisis liaison mechanism and launch the mechanism at an early date, military officials from the two countries said in Singapore Friday.

    The hope was expressed by Chinese Vice Chief of Staff of the PLA Sun Jianguo and Tokuchi Hideshi, director general of the Japanese Defense Ministry's Defense Policy Bureau when they held a meeting in Singapore on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue.

    China attaches great importance to the development of Sino- Japan relations and pays high attention to Japan's attitude on historical issues, said Sun, expressing hope that the two sides would continue defense exchanges and cooperation, strengthen mutual understanding, and enhance management and control over contradictions and crisis.

    China is willing to work with Japan to promote the good- neighborly relations and cooperation, and earnestly safeguard the hard-won progress in the improvement of bilateral ties on the basis of the four political documents reached between the two countries, said Sun.........http://www.china.org.cn/world/2015-05/30/content_35697463.htm
    30/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  111. Japan says China, others must behave responsibly on South China Sea...

    Japan's Minister of Defense warned on Saturday that land reclamation projects in the South China Sea risked plunging the region into disorder and urged nations, including China, to behave responsibly.

    "If we leave any unlawful situation unattended, order will soon turn to disorder, and peace and stability will collapse," Gen Nakatani said during a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.

    "I hope and expect all the countries, including China, to behave as a responsible power," he said.

    Tensions have risen in the South China Sea in recent months over China's construction of artificial islands as it tries to assert its claim to the potentially energy-rich waters around the Spratly archipelego.

    The Spratlys are claimed by half a dozen countries including the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam and China.....Reuters....todayonline.com
    30/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  112. A growing number of extremist groups from Africa to southeast Asia are shifting their allegiance to the ISIS, leading to greater risks for "cross-pollination" among conflicts beyond Syria and Iraq, the head of Interpol said Friday....

    Juergen Stock cited this shift as an emerging trend at a U.N. Security Council meeting along with changing travel methods being used by foreign fighters seeking to join groups like ISIS and al-Qaida.

    Stock was a keynote speaker at a meeting attended by half a dozen ministers including U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson to assess progress in implementing a U.S.-sponsored resolution adopted last September requiring all countries to prevent the recruitment and transport of would-be foreign fighters preparing to join extremist groups.

    Johnson said the United States will be developing a new passenger data-screening and analysis system within the next 12 months which will be made available to the international community at no cost for both commercial and government organizations to use...........AP.......alarabiya.net/
    30/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  113. South Korea ready to compromise with Japan in World Heritage clash...

    South Korea has signaled willingness to compromise in the row over Japan’s campaign to get Meiji Era industrial revolution sites added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list.

    A senior South Korean government official recently told Japanese reporters that Seoul has not changed its basic stance that, of the 23 proposed sites, Tokyo should drop seven at which Koreans were forced to work during Japan’s 1910-1945 colonization of the Korean Peninsula.

    But the official also indicated there is ample room for compromise if Japan takes sincere steps regarding the sites’ wartime past.

    Tokyo insists that the sites are promoted as industrial revolution assets of the Meiji Era (1868-1912), while South Korea has criticized the heritage list proposal for ignoring the history of wartime forced labor at some of the locations........japantimes.co.jp
    30/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  114. US, Iran Meet One Month Before Nuclear Deal Deadline ...

    The top U.S. and Iranian diplomats are meeting in Switzerland in an attempt to hammer out a historic nuclear deal that could give international inspectors access to Iran's military sites and scientists.

    U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif Saturday in a bid to overcome the remaining obstacles to a final nuclear agreement, a month ahead of a June 30 deadline for a deal between Tehran and world powers.

    The meeting in Geneva is the first substantive talks since Iran and the six world powers – Britain, France, the United States, Russia, China and Germany – struck an interim deal April 2. Negotiators have been working on the details of a final agreement to scale back Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.........http://www.voanews.com/content/us-iran-meet-one-month-before-nuclear-deal-deadline/2799396.html

    ReplyDelete
  115. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko Saturday appointed fiercely pro-Western former Georgian leader Mikheil Saakashvili, who once fought a war with Russia, governor of the strategic Odessa region...

    Poroshenko made the annoucement at a televised event in the Black Sea port alongside Saakashvili, calling the former Georgian president a "great friend of Ukraine."

    "There remain a large number of problems in Odessa: preserving sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence and peace," Poroshenko said.

    The controversial announcement of the flamboyant Saakashvili as head of the southern coastal region is a pointed signal from Kiev to Moscow that it remains set on its pro-European course despite a bloody separatist conflict in the east blamed on the Kremlin..............AFP

    ReplyDelete
  116. Venezuela opposition march draws thousands...

    Thousands of Venezuelans have held a peaceful march through the streets of the capital Caracas, calling for the release of opposition leaders who have been in jail for more than a year.

    They include two former mayors, Leopoldo Lopez and Daniel Ceballos, who are being held on charges of inciting anti-government protests last year.

    President Nicolas Maduro has blamed them for the 43 deaths that resulted.

    Both men started hunger strikes this week in jail.......http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-32949924
    31/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  117. China official says air defense zone in South China Sea hinges on security...

    China's decision on whether to establish an air defense zone in the South China Sea depends on whether there is a threat to its air or maritime security in the region, a senior military official said on Saturday.

    Extensive land reclamation work by China in the South China Sea has led to speculation that it will declare an Air Defense Identification Zone around the disputed waters.

    Such a move "depends on whether our security in air and maritime will be threatened and extensive factors will be taken into consideration," Admiral Sun Jianguo, a deputy chief of staff of China's People's Liberation Army, said at a security forum in Singapore.
    REUTERS

    ReplyDelete
  118. "Plusieurs" Américains détenus au Yémen par la milice Houthi...

    "Plusieurs" ressortissants américains sont actuellement détenus au Yémen, a indiqué dimanche à l'AFP un responsable du département d'Etat, après des informations de presse évoquant la détention d'au moins quatre Américains par la milice Houthi....rtbf.be
    31/5/15

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Vários americanos detidos por rebeldes xiitas no Iémen...

      Vários cidadãos norte-americanos foram detidos no Iémen por rebeldes xiitas nos últimos dias, confirmou, este domingo, um responsável do Departamento de Estado dos Estados Unidos (EUA), na sequência de uma notícia avançada pelo Washington Post.....jn.pt
      31/5/15

      Delete
  119. President Georgia: Saakashvili insulted our state by giving up Georgian citizenship...

    Georgia’s President Georgy Margvelashvili said on Sunday a decision by his predecessor Mikheil Saakashvili to obtain Ukrainian citizenship without taking care for preserving his Georgian passport was an insult for the South Caucasus republic.

    The Georgian leader made this statement in Kutaisi during the celebration of Police Day in Georgia.

    "His disgraceful behavior is not understandable to me," the Georgian president said.

    "By this decision, Saakashvili insulted our state and the institution of presidency. Values, including citizenship of one’s country, must be more important than a career," Margvelashvili said.

    The former Georgian president should have kept his citizenship, he added....TASS
    31/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  120. Islamic State pushes back Syria insurgents near Turkey...

    Islamic State fighters advanced against rival insurgents in northern Syria on Sunday, capturing areas close to a border crossing with Turkey and threatening their supply route to Aleppo city, fighters and a group monitoring the war said.

    Islamic State captured the town of Soran Azaz and two nearby villages after clashes with fighters from a northern rebel alliance, which was formed last December and includes both Western-backed fighters and Islamist militants.

    This meant Islamic State will be able to move along a road leading north to the Bab al-Salam border crossing between the Syrian province of Aleppo and the Turkish province of Kilis, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said........REUTERS......todayonline.com
    31/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  121. Griechenland-Krise: Athen setzt auf Merkel und Hollande...

    Die Staatspleite rückt für Griechenland immer näher. Athen steht unter enormem Zeitdruck – und setzt seine Hoffnungen nun offensichtlich auf Berlin und Paris. EU-Kommissionschef Juncker warnt vor dem „Grexit“. ...handelsblatt.com
    31/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  122. Serait-ce le dernier avertissement d'Alexis Tsipras? Dans une tribune publiée par Le Monde, le premier ministre grec explique que l'Europe «se trouve à la croisée des chemins»....

    Faisant écho aux déclarations d'Emmanuel Macron dans le Journal du Dimanche qui se dit en faveur d'une Europe «à deux vitesses», Alexis Tsipras estime que, dans cette configuration, «un noyau central imposerait les règles dures d'austérité et d'ajustement». Il imagine que «pour tous les pays qui refuseraient de céder [...] la punition serait sévère: [...] des restrictions aux mouvements de capitaux, des sanctions disciplinaires, des amendes et même la création d'une monnaie parallèle à l'euro». Le premier ministre grec se dit, au contraire, en faveur de «l'approfondissement de l'intégration européenne dans un contexte d'égalité et de solidarité entre ses peuples et ses citoyens»...........http://www.lefigaro.fr/conjoncture/2015/05/31/20002-20150531ARTFIG00133-alexis-tsipras-met-en-garde-les-dirigeants-europeens.php
    31/5/15

    ReplyDelete

Only News

Featured Post

US Democratic congresswoman : There is no difference between 'moderate' rebels and al-Qaeda or the ISIS

United States Congresswoman and Democratic Party member Tulsi Gabbard on Wednesday revealed that she held a meeting with Syrian Presiden...

Blog Widget by LinkWithin