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Former US President George W Bush was "fully informed" about CIA
interrogation techniques condemned in a Senate report, his
vice-president says.
Speaking to Fox News, Dick Cheney said Mr Bush "knew everything he needed to know" about the programme, and the report was "full of crap".
The CIA has defended its use of methods such as water-boarding on terror suspects after the 9/11 attacks.......................President George W Bush 'knew everything' about CIA interrogation
Speaking to Fox News, Dick Cheney said Mr Bush "knew everything he needed to know" about the programme, and the report was "full of crap".
The CIA has defended its use of methods such as water-boarding on terror suspects after the 9/11 attacks.......................President George W Bush 'knew everything' about CIA interrogation
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Two New York police officers shot dead in Brooklyn ...
ReplyDeleteTwo New York police officers have been shot dead in Brooklyn, in what is being described as an apparent ambush.
The shootings come amid anger over the chokehold death of an unarmed black father-of-six by a white police officer, and a grand jury's decision not to press charges against him. Local media said the assailant was also dead.
"Our prayers are with our fellow NYPD brothers who were executed in the line of duty today in Brooklyn," the New York Police Department's 66th Precinct posted on its official Twitter page...............http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/1220/668244-new-york-police-shooting/
The ISIS extremist group has executed 100 of its own foreign fighters who tried to flee their headquarters in the Syrian city of Raqqa, the Financial Times reported on Saturday...
ReplyDeleteAn activist opposed to ISIS and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, said he had "verified 100 executions" of foreign ISIS fighters trying to leave the jihadi group's de facto capital. ISIS fighters in Raqqa said the group has a military police to clamp down on foreign fighters who miss duty. Dozens of homes have been raided and many jihadis have been arrested, the FT reported. The British press reported in October that 12 Europeans wanted to return home complaining they did not end up fighting Assad's regime.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Report-ISIS-has-killed-100-foreigners-trying-to-quit/articleshow/45590699.cms
The Obama administration is consulting the UK, Australia and New Zealand, among other countries in hopes of organizing an international response to the cyberattack on Sony Pictures that it has pinned on North Korea, an administration official told Reuters on Saturday...
ReplyDeleteThe U.S. is also consulting South Korea, Japan, China and Russia for help reining in North Korea.
http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/US-says-consulting-UK-Australia-New-Zealand-on-North-Korea-hack-response-385287
Castro says US must respect communist system ...
ReplyDeleteCuban leader says his country will not give up its socialist principles as Havana works to restore ties with US.
President Raul Castro has demanded that the United States respect Cuba's communist rule as the two countries work to restore diplomatic ties, and warned that Cuban-American exiles might try to sabotage the rapprochement.
Obama and this week reset Washington's Cold War-era policy on Cuba and the two countries swapped prisoners in a historic deal after 18 months of secret talks.
Castro said he is open to discussing a wide range of issues but that they should also cover the US and he insisted Cuba would not give up its socialist principles.
"In the same way that we have never demanded that the United States change its political system, we will demand respect for ours," Castro told the National Assembly on Saturday.
Castro's speech was a sharp counterpoint to the message US President Barack Obama gave in his year-end news conference the day before.
Obama reiterated that by engaging directly with the Cuban people, Americans are more likely to encourage reform in Cuba's one-party system and centrally planned economy.
US officials will visit Havana in January to start talks on normalising relations and Obama has said his government will push Cuba on issues of human and political rights as they negotiate over the coming months.
Trade embargo
Despite the markedly improved tone in relations, Castro said Cuba faces a "long and difficult struggle" before the US removes a decades-old economic embargo against the Caribbean island, in part because influential Cuban-American exiles will attempt to "sabotage the process"...............http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americas/2014/12/castro-cuba-20141220223642767734.html
21/12/14
Empresarios alemanes se oponen a las sanciones contra Rusia ...
ReplyDeleteLa industria de Alemania se pronuncia contra nuevas sanciones a Rusia que pueden socavar aún más las relaciones comerciales entre los dos países, declaró el jefe de los consejos de vigilancia de las compañías E.on y Bayer, Werner Wenning.
"Es preciso evitar la ruptura de las relaciones comerciales que se venían estructurando a lo largo de decenios", dijo el directivo al diario Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
Los empresarios, según Wenning, no pueden abandonar un país diciendo: "volveremos cuando van a corresponder a nuestra visión sobre la democracia".
"Hoy en día no se puede destruir las relaciones con Moscú", enfatizó..............http://mundo.sputniknews.com/europa/20141221/1032664627.html
Israel arrests more from Jewish extremist group ...
ReplyDeleteIsraeli police have arrested four Jewish activists from the extremist Lehava group opposed to Arab-Jewish coexistence.
The arrests are part of a clampdown on the fringe organization, which has become a symbol of rising anti-Arab sentiment.
Police spokeswoman Luba Samri says the arrests took place on Sunday in five different cities throughout Israel. She says that along with the four arrested, four other activists were detained and then released.
Last week, police arrested 10 Lehava members, including its leader, on suspicion of racist incitement and calls to violence. The group has sought to break up Arab-Jewish couples and has waged campaigns to prevent Jews and Arabs from working together.
Three Lehava members were indicted last week on charges of torching a bilingual Hebrew-Arabic school in Jerusalem last month.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/118473.aspx
21/10/14
Lebanese villagers arm themselves against militants ...
ReplyDeleteChristians living near the Syrian border in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley have begun arming themselves against extremist groups.
Volunteers have created village defence forces to safeguard their communities from the al-Qaeda-linked Jabhat al-Nusra group and Islamic State militants seeking to expand their territorial control outside of Syria.
Men from the border village of Qaa keep watch from the hills that surround their home at night. The border with Syria is where extremists groups multiply and prepare their battle routes.
“They tried to attack and enter the village but we stopped them. Then two weeks later, they tried again, and again we stopped them,” said Abu George, a resident of Qaa who joined the village defence forces. “This is why we left our jobs. How can you work when your family, your community is in danger?”
Abu George added that his village received threats after Jabhat al-Nusra attacked and destroyed the Christian city of Maaloula, in Syria, a year ago..................http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/lebanese-villagers-arm/1541964.html
21/12/14
Défense aérienne: la Grèce signe un contrat avec Moscou ...
ReplyDeleteLa Grèce et la Russie ont conclu un contrat sur la fourniture de pièces de rechange pour les systèmes antiaériens TOR-M1 et OSA-AKM, a annoncé à RIA Novosti une source militaire à Athènes.
"Un contrat prévoyant la livraison de pièces de rechange destinées aux TOR-M1 et OSA-AKM a été signé plus tôt dans la semaine", a fait savoir l'interlocuteur de l'agence sans indiquer le montant du contrat en question.
"Ce qui est important, c'est que la Grèce a jugé ses capacités de défense plus importantes que les sanctions introduites à l'encontre de la Russie. Pour la Grèce, ce contrat revêt une importance particulière, car il lui permet de maintenir sa défense aérienne à un niveau suffisant", a-t-il souligné.
Toujours selon la source, le contrat ne concerne pas les systèmes de missiles antiaériens russes S-300. La Grèce est le seul pays membre de l'Otan à disposer de ces missiles.
http://fr.ria.ru/defense/20141221/203277935.html
21/12/14
Konflikt in der Ostukraine: Moskau hilft offiziell den Abtrünnigen ...
ReplyDeleteAngesichts der zunehmend schweren humanitären Lage im Konfliktgebiet Ostukraine hat Russland eine Regierungskommission gegründet, um die Regionen Donezk und Lugansk zu unterstützen. Einer in Moskau veröffentlichen Anordnung von Regierungschef Dimitri Medwedjew zufolge werden aus 15 russischen Ministerien jeweils stellvertretende Minister mit der Arbeit in der Kommission betraut. In Lugansk und Donezk haben sich nicht anerkannte Volksrepubliken gegründet, die sich von der Ukraine losgesagt haben.
Mit diesem Schritt stellt Russland seine umstrittene Unterstützung der von der Ukraine abtrünnigen Gebiete Donezk und Lugansk erstmals auf eine offizielle Ebene. Unter Federführung des Ministeriums für Wirtschaftsentwicklung soll das Gremium die Hilfe für das vom Krieg gezeichnete Gebiet sowie den Wiederaufbau dort koordinieren. Ein Vertreter des Verteidigungsministeriums ist offiziellen Angaben zufolge nicht in der Kommission..............http://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/russland-ukraine-101.html
21/12/14
The British Minister for Europe David Lidington has reiterated the UK government’s position that it recognises the Republic of Cyprus’ sovereign rights to exploit mineral reserves in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)...
ReplyDeleteAccording to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), in a letter addressed to Theresa Villiers, a north London Conservative MP known for her support of Cyprus, Lidington adds that it remains the UK’s position that such resources should be exploited for the benefit of all the communities in the island. The letter, dated November 25, came as a response both to a question and a previous letter sent to the minister by Villiers in which she was highlighting and criticising Turkey’s provocations over Cyprus’ EEZ.........http://www.parikiaki.com/2014/12/uk-reiterates-support-for-cyprus-rights-over-eez/#sthash.lK4md05Z.dpuf
21/12/14
Lebanon Says it Needs French Helicopters Quickly to Fight Jihadis ...
ReplyDeleteLebanon hopes France will deliver helicopters to its army faster than planned so it can fight jihadis encroaching from neighboring Syria, Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam said in an interview on Sunday.
France and Lebanon signed a $3 billion Saudi-funded deal in early November to provide French weapons and military equipment to the Lebanese army, which has few resources to deal with the instability on its border and has been seeking to modernize its military hardware.
Paris plans to start supplying the equipment in the first quarter of 2015 and over a period of three years, ending with the delivery of helicopters, a Defense Ministry source said last month..................http://www.voanews.com/content/lebanon-says-it-needs-french-helicopters-to-fight-jihadis/2567843.html
21/12/14
Greek PM offers 2015 election once bailout talks complete ...
ReplyDelete(Reuters) - Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras offered to bring pro-European independents into the government on Sunday and held out the prospect of new elections in late 2015 in exchange for backing by lawmakers to elect a new president.
Speaking in an unscheduled television address on Sunday, he said Greece had a duty to finish negotiations with the European Union and International Monetary Fund to exit its bailout accord next year.
But in an appeal to pro-European independents, he said he would be willing to widen his ruling conservative/center-left coalition if lawmakers supported the election of a new president.............http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/21/us-greece-vote-idUSKBN0JZ0F220141221?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews
21/12/14
The Iraqi army has retaken control of a military airbase outside the town of Tal Afar in Iraq's northern province of Nineveh, as battles continued with Islamic State (IS) militants, an official Iraqi television reported on Sunday...
ReplyDeleteThe Iraqi Special Operations Force, known as Golden Division, carried out an airborne attack on the airbase of the town of Tal Afar, some 70 km west of Nineveh's provincial capital city Mosul, after a wave of air strikes on the positions of IS militants in the airbase, the state-run Iraqiya channel said.
The troops seized the airbase installations after dozens of IS militants fled their positions, while fierce battles are underway in the airbase perimeter, according to the report.............http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/897908.shtml
21/12/14
Assad Praises Iran, Says Syria Determined to Eradicate Terrorism ...
ReplyDeleteAs he received Iranian Shura Council Ali Larijani on Sunday, President Bashar al-Assad praised Tehran and stressed Damascus’ determination to eradicate terrorism.
Syrians are determined to “eradicate terrorism and extremist thoughts that are menacing the region and the world,” official news agency, SANA quoted the Syrian leader as saying when he met Larijani and the the accompanying Iranian delegation.
“The President affirmed that the Syrians are also keen to proceed with and boost national reconciliations across Syria on a parallel track with combating terrorism,” SANA added.
Assad also said that Iran’s stance on Syria is of high appreciation, noting that Damascus’ “keenness to further bolster cooperation with the Iranian side in all domains in a way that serves the common interests shared by the two countries and the establishment of security and stability in the region,” according to SANA....................http://www.almanar.com.lb/english/adetails.php?eid=186778&cid=23&fromval=1&frid=23&seccatid=20&s1=1
21/12/14
La Liga Norte: "Aumenta el frente europeo contra las sanciones antirrusas"...
ReplyDeleteEl líder del partido italiano Liga Norte afirma que "en Europa el frente que se opone a las sanciones contra Rusia está aumentando".
"Es una buena noticia", dice Matteo Salvini, líder del partido, citado por la agencia italiana Askanews. "Hasta Renzi se ha despertado, mejor tarde que nunca, y ha dicho que las sanciones contra Rusia son inútiles", sostiene.
Salvini espera que el 2015 sea "un año de diálogo y trabajo y no de la guerra fría o de sanciones".
La Liga Norte es conocida por su 'euroescepticismo'. Actualmente, el partido cuenta con 18 escaños en la Cámara de Diputados y 15 en el Senado de Italia. Además, tiene 5 representantes en el parlamento europeo.
http://actualidad.rt.com/actualidad/161055-lega-nord-italia-sanciones-rusia-europa
21/12/14
Libya's official government targets rival forces trying to seize ports ...
ReplyDelete(Reuters) - Military planes loyal to Libya's recognized government attacked on Sunday an opposing force that is seeking to seize the country's two biggest oil ports, officials said.
The advancing force, which is allied to a rival government based in Tripoli, moved east a week ago to try take the Es Sider and Ras Lanuf ports. The adjacent terminals have since closed, halting exports of an estimated 300,000 barrels a day of oil.
The recognized government of Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni was forced to relocate to the east after losing control of Tripoli in August to a group called Libya Dawn, which installed a new administration in the capital city.
On Sunday, pro-Thinni forces sent aircraft to bomb the advancing fighters some 40 km (25 miles) west of Es Sider and also inside Sirte, a large city further along the coast, said a military spokesman in Es Sider................http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/21/us-libya-security-idUSKBN0JZ0MO20141221?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews
21/12/14
U.S. President Barack Obama has said he will do “everything possible" in order to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center during his last two years of in office...
ReplyDeleteOn Saturday, the United States sent back home four Afghan detainees from Guantanamo.
"I'm going to be doing everything I can to close it," Obama told CNN's Sunday Morning news show, which was recorded Friday.
"It is something that continues to inspire jihadists and extremists around the world, the fact that these folks are being held," he said............http://www.aa.com.tr/en/headline/438923--obama-to-do-everything-possible-to-close-guantanamo
21/12/14
A driver shouting the Islamic phrase "God is great" in Arabic has run down pedestrians in Dijon, France, injuring 11, two seriously, French media say...
ReplyDeleteHe was arrested after targeting pedestrians in five different parts of the city in the space of half an hour.
He is said to be "apparently imbalanced" and to have spent time in a psychiatric hospital.
French police shot dead a man on Saturday after he attacked them with a knife, also shouting "God is great".
The lives of the two people seriously injured in Dijon are not said to be in danger.
Witnesses told police the driver, aged around 40, had also said he was "acting for the children of Palestine", an unnamed source close to the investigation told AFP news agency.................http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30571911
21/12/14
Belarus President Offers Support to Ukraine ...
ReplyDeleteBelarus’ authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko arrived in Kyiv Sunday to offer his support as Ukraine struggles with its pro-Russian separatist insurgency and to try to revive stalled peace talks.
At a meeting, Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko told Lukashenko, “I would like to especially thank you for an absolutely clear position on the sovereignty and territorial integrity and the independence of our country."
“For us, your hard-line stance, which you have always expressed, including the stance on non-recognition of the pseudo elections on November 2 on the territory of Donetsk and Luhansk - we appreciate it very much and I'm thankful to you for this,” Poroshenko said.
Lukashenko responded: “I want everything in Ukraine to be good,” according to the Belarusian state news agency Belta. “If something is needed from Belarus, say so, and we will do it all for you in a day,” he added..................http://www.voanews.com/content/belarus-president-offers-support-to-ukraine/2568209.html
Tenth Russian Humanitarian Aid Convoy Returns From Donbas: EMERCOM...
ReplyDeleteThe tenth Russian humanitarian aid convoy to Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region has returned home, said Russian Emergencies Ministry spokesperson Alexander Drobyshevsky.
“Another stage of the humanitarian operation is successfully completed. More than 180 vehicles that delivered aid today to the Donetsk and Luhansk regions have returned empty,” Drobyshevsky said late Sunday.
The convoy delivered close upon 1,400 tons of humanitarian aid to south-eastern Ukraine.............http://sputniknews.com/europe/20141222/1016098196.html
22/12/14
Weißes Haus: Poroschenko dankt USA für Sanktionen gegen Krim ...
ReplyDeleteDer ukrainische Präsident Pjotr Poroschenko hat sich laut dem Pressedienst des Weißen Hauses bei den USA für die Verhängung der Wirtschaftsblockade über die Krim und für die Verabschiedung der Bill „Über die Unterstützung der Freiheit der Ukraine“ bedankt.
„Präsident Poroschenko hat den USA für die Einführung zusätzlicher Einschränkungen für Investitionen und den Handel mit den Organisationen auf der Krim und für die Unterzeichnung der Bill ‚Über die Unterstützung der Freiheit der Ukraine‘ (Ukraine Freedom Support Act 2014) gedankt“, heißt es in einer Mitteilung des Weißen Hauses, die nach einem Telefongespräch zwischen US-Vizepräsident Joe Biden und dem ukrainischen Staatschef Pjotr Poroschenko verbreitet wurde.........http://de.ria.ru/politics/20141222/270253573.html
22/12/14
Los espías norteamericanos llevan años infiltrándose en Europa con identidades falsas y violando las medidas de seguridad establecidas por la Unión Europea, según confirma la última filtración de Wikileaks que hoy revela el diario español Público, junto al alemán Suddeutsche Zeitung, al digital francés Rue89 y al periódico griego Ta Nea....
ReplyDeleteEstos medios mantienen un acuerdo de colaboración exclusiva con el fundador de Wikileaks, Julian Assange que lleva más de 900 días refugiado en la embajada de Ecuador en Londres sin que se haya formalizado denuncia ni acusación contra él.
"En dos informes redactados para el programa secreto denominado Checkpoint, agentes de la CIA expertos en viajes encubiertos explican a los espías de EEUU cómo desplazarse bajo identidades falsas a través de las fronteras de todo el mundo para asegurar el éxito de sus misiones", señaló Público.............http://mundo.sputniknews.com/mundo/20141221/1032671140.html
22/12/14
WikiLeaks released two CIA documents that offered tips to help spies maintain their cover while using false documents as they crossed international borders....
ReplyDeleteThe two documents, dating from 2011 and 2012, are marked classified and "NOFORN," which means they were not meant to be shared with allied intelligence agencies, WikiLeaks said.
The documents outline a number of strategies for agents to avoid secondary screening at airports and borders.................http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/WikiLeaks-publishes-CIA-tips-for-traveling-spies/articleshow/45598136.cms
22/12/14
IDF denies Syrian report that Israeli drone was downed ...
ReplyDeleteFollowing a report that an IDF drone was downed in Syria, the IDF Spokesperson said on Monday morning that it had no information about a UAV being present in the area at the time of the reported incident.
http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/IDF-denies-Syrian-report-that-Israeli-drone-was-downed-385360
22/12/14
Beijing Not Sure if Chinese Facilities Used in Cyberattack ...
ReplyDeleteChina's Foreign Ministry says it does not have enough information to determine whether reports that North Korea used Chinese facilities to stage a cyberattack on Sony Pictures are true.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said Monday China is "opposed to all forms of cyberattacks" and would not reach any conclusions without having "enough facts."
However, Hua said China is opposed to attacks on a third party "through making use of the facilities of another country" and is ready to have a "dialogue with other countries."
The United States is in talks with China to possibly help block cyberattacks from Pyongyang................http://www.voanews.com/content/us-considers-putting-north-korea-on-terror-sponsor-list/2568695.html
22/12/14
Around 70 Jewish settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa complex through the Al-Magharbeh Gate under Israeli police protection...
ReplyDeleteScores of Jewish settlers on Monday stormed occupied East Jerusalem's flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound after several Jewish groups called for mass incursions into the religious site to mark the Jewish Hanukkah holidays, a Palestinian official has said.
"Around 70 Jewish settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa complex through the Al-Magharbeh Gate under Israeli police protection," General Director of Muslim Endowments and Al-Aqsa Affairs Sheikh Azzam al-Khatib told The Anadolu Agency.
"The settlers wandered around the compound and attempted to perform Talmudic rituals, but Muslim worshipers stood up to them," he said.............http://www.aa.com.tr/en/headline/439194--jewish-settlers-storm-al-aqsa-compound-on-hanukkah
22/12/14
Ukraine steuert auf Staatsbankrott zu ...
ReplyDeleteDie Ukraine braucht dringend 15 Milliarden US-Dollar, um einen drohenden Staatsbankrott abzuwenden, schreibt die „Nesawissimaja Gaseta“ am Montag.
Der Internationale Währungsfonds (IWF) und die EU beeilen sich nicht mit der Bereitstellung neuer Kredite. Die Vermutung liegt nahe, dass die Staatspleite der Ukraine Teil der westlichen Strategie ist. Am stärksten darunter leiden würde Russland. Für die Wirtschaft der Ukraine würde die Insolvenz einen Genesungseffekt haben.
Die Ratingagentur Standard&Poor’s hat die Bonitätsnote der Ukraine von CCC auf CCC- mit einer negativen Prognose herabgestuft. Ohne zusätzliche Finanzspritzen könnte die Ukraine bereits in den kommenden Monaten vor dem Staatsbankrott stehen.................http://de.ria.ru/zeitungen/20141222/270255675.html
22/12/14
Russia will consider possible retaliatory measures against the sanctions imposed by the US and Canada, although it is important that they do not worsen the economic situation, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said on Monday....
ReplyDelete“I cannot say now what particularly will be done in response, but it is evident that some measures will be considered, but I still don’t know what character they will have,” Ushakov said.......http://itar-tass.com/en/russia/768485
Déclaration de la Haute Représentante et Vice-Présidente Federica Mogherini sur les élections présidentielles en Tunisie...
ReplyDeleteDECLARATION:
"Ce dimanche 21 décembre, en élisant pour la première fois librement leur Président de la République, les Tunisiens ont écrit une page historique dans la transition démocratique du pays.
Je tiens à féliciter M. Beji Caïd Essebsi pour son élection à la Présidence de la République. L'Union européenne demeure déterminée à travailler avec les nouvelles autorités tunisiennes, et toutes les composantes de la société, pour contribuer à la consolidation des acquis démocratiques prévus par la nouvelle Constitution ainsi que pour accompagner la mise en œuvre des réformes nécessaires à la transition économique et sociale au profit de tous les Tunisiens.
Tout au long du processus électoral, le peuple tunisien a transmis un message d'espoir à tous les peuples qui, comme lui, aspirent à un avenir plus pacifique, démocratique et prospère.
Le Partenariat privilégié qui associe la Tunisie à l'Union européenne offre le cadre approprié pour le renforcement de nos relations bilatérales. L'UE reste déterminée à en utiliser toutes les potentialités dans l'intérêt partagé de nos citoyens.
L'UE a soutenu l'ensemble du processus électoral et a également déployé une mission d'observation électorale. Cette mission poursuivra son travail en Tunisie et observera toutes les étapes du processus électoral jusqu'à son terme."
http://eeas.europa.eu/statements-eeas/2014/141222_01_fr.htm
22/12/14
Essebsi wins Tunisian election, riots break out in south ...
DeleteVeteran politician Beji Caid Essebsi has won Tunisia's first free presidential election, official results showed today, the final step in a transition to democracy after an uprising that ousted autocrat Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali in 2011.
But rioting broke out in one southern city, with police firing teargas to disperse hundreds of youths who burned tyres and blocked streets to demonstrate against the victory of an official from Ben Ali's old guard.
Essebsi beat rival and incumbent Moncef Marzouki with 55.68 percent of the vote against 44.32 percent, the results showed...........http://www.buenosairesherald.com/article/177868/essebsi-wins-tunisian-election-riots-break-out-in-south
22/12/14
The German government announced Monday it will not be easing or increasing sanctions against Russia until they expire next year...
ReplyDelete"As long as the causes of the sanctions remain, as long as they haven't disappeared, then there is no reason to think about lifting the sanctions independent of the agreed time period," said German government spokeswoman Christiane Wirtz during a press conference on Dec. 22.
http://www.kyivpost.com/content/russia-and-former-soviet-union/germany-wont-change-sanctions-on-russia-375895.html
22/12/14
Allemagne: plus de 17 000 personnes manifestent à Dresde contre l'islam...
ReplyDeleteQuelque 17 500 personnes ont participé à la dixième manifestation contre l'islam du lundi à Dresde (est de l'Allemagne), selon la police, entonnant des chants de Noël contre "l'islamisation de l'Occident".
Face à eux, 4 000 contre-manifestants (contre 6 000 lundi dernier) ont répondu à l'appel de l'alliance "Dresde sans nazis", selon un comptage réalisé à 18H00 GMT (19H00 locales) par la police.
Quatre cents autres personnes devaient également se rassembler dans une église de la ville pour une prière de la paix œcuménique, selon l'agence de presse dpa................http://www.rtbf.be/info/monde/detail_allemagne-plus-de-17-000-personnes-manifestent-a-dresde-contre-l-islam?id=8630063
22/12/14
Man rams van into Christmas market in western France, injures 10....
ReplyDeleteA man driving a van ploughed into a crowd strolling through a Christmas market in Nantes in western France on Monday evening, injuring 10 people, an official at the local prefecture told Reuters.
Five people suffered serious injuries, including the driver, the official said.
According to local newspaper Ouest France, citing a police officer and witnesses on the scene, the driver of the white van shouted "Allahu Akbar" ("God is greatest" in Arabic) and then stabbed himself with a knife.
The Christmas market was evacuated and secured by police, a Reuters witness reported. REUTERS
http://www.todayonline.com/world/man-rams-van-christmas-market-western-france-injures-10
22/12/14
Turkey should look after the 290 Uighur Turks who are being kept in a camp in Thailand and face the possibility of being executed if returned to China, said the president of the World Uighur Congress (WUC) Rebiya Kadeer...
ReplyDeleteKadeer, who is an Uighur businesswoman and principle activist for Uighur independence, said, “We are Turks. Our race, language, religion, culture, essence and words are one, Turkey has welcomed around 1 million Syrians, has provided various aid, mostly money, to people fleeing Iraq, Palestine, Libya and Somalia. It has done well, but Turkey should also look after the 290 Uighur Turks, which include children, women and elderly people that are being kept in camps in Thailand and face the danger of execution if they return to China,” said Kadeer. “Turkey is the only country that the Uighur Turks trust and hope from.” ..............http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-should-look-after-uighur-turks-in-thailand-says-head-of-uighurs-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=75950&NewsCatID=356
22/12/14
Jordan will begin training the first group of army troops from neighbouring Iraq in the next few weeks as part of the international effort to fight Islamic State, the Iraqi defence minister said on Monday....
ReplyDeleteSpeaking after meeting Jordanian King Abdullah, Khaled al Obeidi said Amman would also supply the Iraqi army with arms needed for its drawn-out fight against the radical Islamists who have seized wide swathes of the north and west of his country.
Obeidi aims to rebuild the Iraqi army, which fell apart last summmer in the face of Islamic State's blitz across northern Iraq during which at least four Iraqi divisions crumbled.
"I think in the next weeks the first batch of Iraqi army will get training in Jordan," the defence minister told Reuters in Amman. "The arms warehouses of Jordan from weapons and ammunition will be open to the Iraqi army.".............http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/118624.aspx
22/12/14
Dix blessés dans un marché de Noël à Nantes, "pas un acte terroriste" ...
ReplyDeleteSelon les premiers éléments de l'enquête, il s'agit d'"un acte isolé" et "on ne peut pas parler d'un acte terroriste", a déclaré la procureur Brigitte Lamy. L'automobiliste a foncé dans la foule, faisant 10 blessés avant de se poignarder, a-t-elle précisé. Le pronostic vital est engagé pour l'une des victimes. Il n'y a pas "de revendication particulière", a-t-elle dit.
"Un carnet a été découvert à côté de la camionnette. On est en train de l'étudier". "C'est un acte volontaire", a-t-elle ajouté, précisant que l'homme était "connu des services" mais sans pouvoir dire pour quels faits..................http://www.rtbf.be/info/monde/detail_dix-blesses-dans-un-marche-de-noel-a-nantes-pas-un-acte-terroriste?id=8630546
23/12/14
Diario ruso no revelará los datos del informante del siniestro del Boeing malasio... ...
ReplyDeleteKomsomólskaya Pravda, que publicó este martes los testimonios de un hombre que arrojaba algo de luz sobre la causa de la catástrofe del Boeing malasio, no revelará sus datos por motivos de seguridad, dijo el redactor jefe de este diario, Vladímir Sungorkin, a la cadena de televisión Rossiya 24.
Un empleado de una base aérea ucraniana entrevistado por Komsomólskaya Pravda dijo que el día del siniestro del Boeing, un Su-25 despegó de esa base llevando a bordo cohetes aire-aire, regresó sin cohetes y que el piloto daba muestras de estar muy asustado.
"Nos preocupa la seguridad de esta persona, conocemos su trayectoria laboral, pero no la haremos de dominio público", señaló Sungorkin.
También afirmó que Komsomólskaya Pravda dispone de pruebas de la veracidad de las declaraciones del testigo, pero quiere que de eso se ocupen los jueces de instrucción..................http://mundo.sputniknews.com/mundo/20141223/1032727165.html
23/12/14
Syrian govt allows medicine delivery to Aleppo ...
ReplyDeleteDamascus has agreed to allow deliveries of desperately needed medical supplies to opposition-held parts of Aleppo and two other hard-to-reach areas, the World Health Organization said Monday.
“We have gotten all of the approval letters, we are ready to deliver,” the U.N. agency’s Syria representative Elizabeth Hoff told AFP.
While stressing the deliveries would still depend on the security situation, she described the approvals as “a big step forward.”...............http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/12/23/WHO-gets-green-light-to-deliver-medicine-to-Aleppo-other-areas.html
23/12/14
Ukrainian parliament votes to renounce 'non-aligned' status ...
ReplyDelete(Reuters) - The Ukrainian parliament on Tuesday renounced Ukraine's "non-aligned" status with the aim of eventually joining NATO, angering Moscow, which views NATO's eastward expansion as a threat to its own security.
Any accession to the Western military alliance is likely to take years, but a NATO spokesman in Brussels said: "Our door is open and Ukraine will become a member of NATO if it so requests and fulfils the standards and adheres to the necessary principles."
But Russia called the vote "an unfriendly step towards us".................http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/23/us-ukraine-crisis-nato-idUSKBN0K10OS20141223?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews
23/12/14
La marche vers l'Otan de l'Ukraine "exacerbe le climat de confrontation" ...
DeleteLa décision de l'Ukraine de renoncer au statut de pays non-aligné, qui représente un pas supplémentaire vers une adhésion à l'Otan, est "contre-productive" et n'aboutira qu'à "exacerber le climat de confrontation", a déclaré mardi le ministre russe des Affaires étrangères, Sergueï Lavrov.
La loi votée par le Parlement ukrainien est "absolument contre-productive, elle donne l'illusion qu'elle permettra de résoudre la profonde crise interne que traverse l'Ukraine", a déclaré M. Lavrov dans des propos diffusés par la télévision publique russe.
"Il faut enfin arrêter d'exacerber le climat de confrontation", a ajouté le responsable russe.
"Il serait bien plus productif pour l'Ukraine de commencer enfin un dialogue avec cette partie de son propre peuple qui a été complétement ignorée" dans l'est prorusse de l'Ukraine, a-t-il ajouté..................http://www.rtbf.be/info/monde/detail_la-marche-vers-l-otan-de-l-ukraine-exacerbe-le-climat-de-confrontation?id=8634828
23/12/14
GriechenlandDimas scheitert erneut bei Präsidentenwahl ...
ReplyDeleteEs war sein zweiter Anlauf – und sein zweiter Fehlversuch: Stavros Dimas hat im griechischen Parlament nicht die nötige Mehrheit für das Präsidentenamt erreicht. Noch hat er eine Chance – andernfalls gibt es Neuwahlen.
Der frühere EU-Kommissar Stavros Dimas ist ein zweites Mal mit dem Versuch gescheitert, neuer griechischer Präsident zu werden. Dimas erhielt am Dienstag wie erwartet nicht die erforderlichen 200 Stimmen im Parlament. Nur 168 der anwesenden 299 Abgeordneten stimmten für ihn. Notwendig wären 200 Ja-Stimmen gewesen. 131 Parlamentarier enthielten sich der Stimme, wie das Staatsfernsehen berichtete. Dimas Wahl war bereits am 17. Dezember gescheitert.
Der Kandidat von Ministerpräsident Antonis Samaras muss damit am 29. Dezember in die dritte Runde. Fällt er auch dann durch, muss Anfang 2015 ein neues Parlament gewählt werden. Diese würden Ende Januar oder Anfang Februar stattfinden, die reguläre Legislaturperiode endet Mitte 2016. Samaras bot am Sonntag an, auch im Fall der Wahl eines Präsidenten die Parlamentswahl auf Ende 2015 vorzuziehen.
Neuwahlen werden an den Finanzmärkten gefürchtet, da derzeit in Umfragen die reformkritische Syriza-Partei vorne liegt. Die Sorge: Politiker, die sich für das Rettungs- und Reformprogramm für Griechenland stark machen, verlieren ihre Sitzen. Ein Szenario, dass schon in diesem Monat zu einem Kurseinbruch am Aktienmarkt geführt hatte – der ASE brach um 20 Prozent weg. Das war der größte wöchentliche Verlust seit 1987...................http://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/international/griechenland-dimas-scheitert-erneut-bei-praesidentenwahl/11157568.html
23/12/14
Greek MPs fail to elect president in second round ...
DeleteGreek MPs failed on Tuesday to elect a president in a second vote in parliament, bringing an early general election, feared by financial markets and the country's EU-IMF creditors, a step closer.
The government candidate, EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas, fell 32 votes short of the required 200 votes, meaning a third and final vote will be held on December 29.
"The required majority has not been met, therefore the vote will be repeated for a third time," parliament speaker Evangelos Meimarakis told the chamber.
Failure to elect a president in the third vote will automatically spark early elections in Greece, the second in less than two years, a prospect that could reverse fiscal reforms.
The Greek stock exchange opened with a drop on Tuesday, losing over 2.0 percent at the time of the vote.....................http://www.france24.com/en/20141223-greek-mps-fail-elect-president-second-round/
23/12/14
Greek PM Warns of Likely Political Crisis if Presidential Vote Fails Again...
DeleteMembers of the Greek parliament must elect a president in the third round of voting due to be held on December 29 to avoid the risk of political instability in the country, Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said on Tuesday.
Earlier in the day, the Greek parliament failed for the second time to elect a president for the country when one-third of parliamentarians abstained from voting. The only presidential candidate nominated by Greece's fractious coalition, Stavros Dimas, needed at least 200 votes from the 300-member parliament. The main opposition party in the Greek parliament, Syriza, has not nominated any candidate as they are seeking new general elections........................http://sputniknews.com/politics/20141223/1016161916.html
23/12/14
Satellite imagery shows damage to at least 290 cultural sites in Syria...
ReplyDeleteA UN agency says satellite imagery shows that at least 290 cultural heritage sites in Syria have been damaged by the country's civil war.
The United Nations Institute for Training and Research says in its report released Tuesday that UNESCO World Heritage sites in Aleppo, Damascus, the ancient city of Palmyra and the Crusader castle known as Crac des Chevaliers have all sustained major damage.
UNITAR says it analyzed 18 different cultural areas using commercially available satellite imagery. It found that 24 sites were destroyed, 104 severely damaged, 85 moderately damaged and 77 possibly damaged.......................http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/middle-east-updates/1.633295
23/12/14
Unknown militants have detonated a section of a gas pipeline near the Egyptian city of el-Arish, the provincial capital of North Sinai, security officials say...
ReplyDeleteThe officials said that the explosion happened in the early hours of Tuesday.
Security forces have closed all roads leading to the site of the attack. The incident forced the national gas company to halt gas flow in the pipeline, used for the transfer of natural gas to Israel and Jordan.
No group has claimed the responsibility for the attack. But, Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, a militant group that pledged allegiance to the ISIL terrorist group last month, often carries out bombings and attacks in the restive Sinai Peninsula.
http://www.almanar.com.lb/english/adetails.php?eid=187009&cid=21&fromval=1&frid=21&seccatid=19&s1=1
Hundreds of civilians killed in Libya fighting as crisis deepens: U.N....
ReplyDelete(Reuters) - Hundreds of civilians in Libya have been killed in fighting since late August, the United Nations said on Tuesday, warning commanders of armed groups that they could face prosecution for possible war crimes including executions and torture.
The North African country is struggling with fighting on several fronts as brigades of former rebels who battled side by side to oust Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 now clash for political power and a share of oil revenues.
The conflict has driven at least 120,000 people from their homes and caused a humanitarian crisis, said a joint report by the U.N. human rights office and U.N. Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) that also documents shelling of civilian areas.........http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/23/us-libya-security-un-idUSKBN0K10RV20141223?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews
23/12/14
UN warns of potential war crimes in Libya ...
DeleteThe UN's top human rights official says fighting between armed groups in Libya has killed hundreds of civilians and could lead to prosecution for war crimes.
The UN high commissioner for human rights, Zeid Raad al-Hussein, says there have been hundreds of civilian deaths, widespread displacement of people and serious challenges to daily living for those trapped in areas of Libya where armed groups have fought in recent months.....................http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/UN-warns-of-potential-war-crimes-in-Libya/articleshow/45618999.cms
23/12/14
France steps up patrols after spate of lone-wolf attacks ...
ReplyDeleteFrench security forces stepped up security in public places for the Christmas season on Tuesday after three acts of violence in three days left one dead and 30 wounded, reigniting fears of attacks by Islamist radicals.
Late on Monday, a man rammed a van into a crowded Christmas market in the western city of Nantes, wounding 10 shoppers. One of the victims, a 25-year-old man, later died of his wounds. The assailant survived and is being questioned by police.
That came a day after a man shouting "Allahu Akbar" ("God is greatest") injured 13 in a similar attack in the eastern city of Dijon. On Saturday, an attacker, also yelling "Allahu Akbar", was shot after stabbing three police officers in central France..................http://www.todayonline.com/world/france-steps-patrols-after-spate-lone-wolf-attacks
23/12/14
French PM calls for 'vigilance' after three attacks ...
DeleteFrench Prime Minister Manuel Valls called on Tuesday for "vigilance" after the country was hit by three bizarre attacks in quick succession, sparking fears of possible copycat action.
The latest incident in the western city of Nantes saw a driver plough into a Christmas market on Monday evening, injuring 10 people before stabbing himself repeatedly and being arrested, a day after a similar attack in another French town saw 13 hurt.................http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/French-PM-calls-for-vigilance-after-three-attacks/articleshow/45622756.cms
23/12/14
Russian parliament speaker thanks Serbia for its refusal to join anti-Russian sanctions ...
ReplyDeleteSpeaker of Russia’s Federation Council upper parliament house Valentina Matviyenko on Tuesday thanked Serbia for its principled position and refusal to join the anti-Russian sanctions despite all the pressure from outside.
“We value Serbia’s principled position in respect of Russia. Despite the pressure exerted on Serbia, it has said definitely and clearly that it was not going to join sanctions against Russia. It is a principled position on the backdrop of the Russophobic campaign unfolding in Europe. It is an absolutely pragmatic position, since Serbia is interested in closer cooperation with Russia,” she said at a meeting with Serbia’s parliament speaker Maja Gojkovic......................http://itar-tass.com/en/russia/768826
23/12/14
Counter-terrorism police in Sydney have arrested two men, charging one with possession of documents designed to facilitate a terrorist attack...
ReplyDeleteThe other suspect was charged with breaching a control order.
The arrests were related a series of counter-terrorism raids in September, officials said.
They come after Australia's prime minister said there had been heightened "terror chatter" since a cafe siege in Sydney last week.................http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-30595112
Water Shortages in Lebanon Hit Syrian Refugees Hard ...
ReplyDeleteIn a region choking from dwindling water supplies, Lebanon has long been regarded as one of the few places where there is enough. But in recent years, half the people in the country have faced severe shortages. And the more than 1 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon are hit worst, making the country's most vulnerable people increasingly impoverished and sick.
In informal refugee camps in the Bekaa Valley, there is no shortage of water tanks, but many are empty. Aid organizations deliver free water to many families about once every 10 days, but children say that water lasts only a few days..............http://www.voanews.com/content/water-shortages-lebanon-syrian-refugees/2571595.html
Tornadoes kill four people, cause major damage in Mississippi ...
ReplyDeleteTornadoes unleashed by thunderstorms along the US Gulf Coast ripped through southeastern Mississippi on Tuesday, killing four people, injuring many and causing extensive damage, authorities said.
One of the heaviest-hit areas was a commercial district along a US Highway 98 bypass in the town of Columbia in Marion County, about 30 miles (48 km) west of Hattiesburg, state emergency management spokesman Greg Flynn told Reuters.
"We've got whole roofs lying in the road, people trapped in houses, cars flipped over," Marion County Sheriff Berkley Hall said.
One woman was killed in a shopping strip in Columbia, a rural community of about 6,500 people, and another in a nearby trailer home, according to county coroner Norma Williamson...............http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Tornadoes-kill-four-people-cause-major-damage-in-Mississippi/articleshow/45624999.cms
Ukraine’s Naftogaz Says $1.65 Billion of Debt to Gazprom Covered ...
ReplyDeleteUkraine's Naftogaz has transferred $1.65 billion to Russia's Gazprom to cover some of the unpaid Russian gas deliveries, the company has announced in a statement.
"Thus, in accordance with the agreements reached in Brussels, Naftogaz has paid $3.1 billion, in two transfers, for 11.5 billion cubic meters of gas delivered by Gazprom in November-December 2013 and in April-June 2014," the statement said.
"The first payment amounting to $1.45 billion was transferred on November 4," the statement added.................http://sputniknews.com/business/20141224/1016167019.html
24/12/14
Le Nicaragua a inauguré, lundi, la construction d'un canal reliant l’Atlantique au Pacifique, avec l'ambition de concurrencer celui du Panama. Un projet critiqué par la population en raison de son impact écologique....
ReplyDeleteAu XIXe siècle, lorsque la vieille idée de relier l’Atlantique au Pacifique a commencé à se concrétiser en Amérique centrale, le Nicaragua s’était déjà porté candidat, sans succès, au percement de ses terres. C’est finalement le Panama qui l’avait emporté, donnant son nom au canal mythique, par lequel transite aujourd’hui 5 % du commerce maritime mondial.
Lundi 22 décembre, près d’un siècle après l’inauguration du canal de Panama, et dans un climat de grande controverse, le Nicaragua a lancé les pharaoniques travaux qui devraient aboutir, dans cinq ans, à l’ouverture d’une voie navigable reliant les deux océans. Ambition affichée : concurrencer le célèbre ouvrage promu par Ferdinand de Lesseps.
Projet titanesque
L’entreprise est titanesque. Les travaux, qui dureront au moins cinq ans, ont commencé lundi à l’embouchure du fleuve Brito, sur la côte Pacifique. Financés par la firme chinoise HKND, ils sont évalués à 50 milliards de dollars, soit cinq fois le PIB du pays.
La voie navigable sera longue de 278 km – le triple de la longueur du canal du Panama-, et emploiera, selon HKND, 50 000 personnes. D’une profondeur de 30 mètres, elle permettra le passage de bateaux atteignant jusqu'à 400 000 tonnes...............http://www.france24.com/fr/20141223-nicaragua-canal-controverse-ecologie-panama/
23/12/14
Ukraine: Washington utilise le conflit pour renforcer son influence en Europe (Orban) ...
ReplyDeleteLes Etats-Unis se servent du conflit en Ukraine pour renforcer leur influence en Europe, a déclaré mardi soir le premier ministre hongrois Viktor Orban dans une interview accordée à une chaîne de télévision locale.
"Une nouvelle ère a commencé lorsque les Etats-Unis se sont mis non seulement à s'ingérer mais aussi à prendre une part active dans la politique intérieure des pays d'Europe centrale", a indiqué le chef du gouvernement hongrois.
Selon lui, ceci est lié "au conflit en Ukraine, ainsi qu'aux négociations entre les Etats-Unis et l'UE au sujet de la zone de libre-échange".
"Ils (Etats-Unis) veulent nous impliquer dans un conflit qui s'avèrera très néfaste pour nous. Une ambiance de "guerre froide" commence à voir le jour entre les Etats-Unis et la Russie, mais nous (la Hongrie) ne voulons pas y prendre part", a souligné le premier ministre.
http://fr.ria.ru/world/20141224/203298543.html
24/12/14
Más de 50 muertos por ataques de terroristas en la India ...
ReplyDeleteAl menos 56 personas murieron, otras 80 resultaron heridas a causa de ataques del grupo terrorista Frente Democrático Nacional de Bodoland (NDFB, por sus siglas en inglés) en el estado indio de Assam.
La NDFB es un grupo terrorista que reclama un territorio soberano para la etnia Bodo, que suma el 10% de los 33 millones de habitantes del estado Assam, ubicado al noreste del país.
"Por ahora, se sabe de 56 muertos y 80 heridos", dijo un portavoz de la policía local, citado este miércoles por AFP..............http://mundo.sputniknews.com/asia/20141224/1032764812.html
24/12/14
India to Deploy 5,000 Troops in Assam Amid Growing Violence in Region ...
DeleteIndian authorities announced the deployment of an additional 5,000 paramilitary troops to Assam, where a series of attacks carried out by the insurgents of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) on Tuesday, December 23, resulted in the deaths of 70 people.
"This is a blatant attack in a situation where it is not expected. The attack is on innocent people and the location of the attack in very remote and rural area," Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju stated, as quoted by the Indian Express, an English-language Indian media outlet.
Indian authorities strongly condemned the assault and claimed paramilitary forces had already been deplyed to the spot.................http://sputniknews.com/asia/20141225/1016229319.html
25/12/14
Amnesty International: Humanitarian disaster looms as food aid blocked in eastern Ukraine ...
ReplyDeletePro-Kyiv volunteer battalions are increasingly blocking humanitarian aid into eastern Ukraine in a move which will exacerbate a pending humanitarian crisis in the run up to Christmas and New Year, said Amnesty International.
http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine-abroad/amnesty-international-humanitarian-disaster-looms-as-food-aid-blocked-in-eastern-ukraine-375997.html
24/12/14
Kiev blocks humanitarian aid into eastern Ukraine, reports Amnesty International ...
ReplyDeleteHumanitarian disaster looms in eastern Ukraine as pro-Kiev volunteer battalions are increasingly blocking humanitarian aid into eastern Ukraine, Amnesty International reported on Wednesday.
“As winter sets in, the already desperate situation in eastern Ukraine is being made even worse by the volunteer battalions preventing food aid and medicine from reaching those in need, said Denis Krivosheev, acting Director of Europe and Central Asia for Amnesty International. “It is no secret that the region is facing a humanitarian disaster with many already at risk of starvation,” he said.
“These battalions often act like renegade gangs and urgently need to be brought under control. Denying food to people caught up in a conflict is against international law and the perpetrators must be held to account,” the statement said................http://itar-tass.com/en/world/768867
24/12/14
Is the new UN arms treaty a boon for German industry? ...
ReplyDeleteOver Christmas, the UN treaty on arms trade (ATT) will enter into force, but the German arms industry explicitly welcomes the additional regulations. Industry leaders hope the treaty could spell access to new markets.
In principle, manufacturers of military weapons and arms could be expected to be deeply opposed to any regulation of the worldwide trading of their deadly wares.
However, the German arms industry adopts a completely different tone: "We think the UN treaty on arms trade known as ATT is an important agreement receiving worldwide recognition which will, hopefully, lead to a containment of unbridled arms dealing."
Speaking to DW, Georg Wilhelm Adamowitsch, managing director of the Federation of German Security and Defence Industries (BDSV), was full of praise for the "Arms Trade Treaty" (ATT). Even so, he is convinced that the international treaty, which is effective as of December 24th, 2014, will not immediately affect German manufacturers: German laws for weapons and arms exports are much more rigid than ATT regulations, he says..............http://www.dw.de/is-the-new-un-arms-treaty-a-boon-for-german-industry/a-18144734
24/12/14
Islamic State 'shoots down coalition plane in Syria'...
ReplyDeleteIslamic State (IS) militants have shot down a US-led coalition warplane over northern Syria, activists say.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the aircraft, believed to be from an Arab state, went down near Raqqa.
The UK-based group said the fate of the pilot was unknown, but IS supporters published photos they said showed a Jordanian airman surrounded by gunmen.
If confirmed, this would be the first coalition warplane shot down since air strikes on IS began in September.
The authorities in Jordan, one of four Arab countries whose aircraft have been flying sorties over Syria, has so far not commented on the incident............http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-30596474
24/12/14
US-led coalition plane downed in Syria, 'pilot captured' ...
DeleteIslamic State group militants said they had shot down a warplane in the northeastern province, a claim later confirmed by the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group.
Social media accounts operated by the Islamic State group published pictures allegedly of the pilot being taken captive by the militants and claimed that he is a Jordanian national.
The UK-based Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the Syrian war using a network of sources, said it had confirmed the pilot’s capture and said he was believed to be from an Arab country............http://www.ellanodikis.net/2014/12/us-led-coalition-plane-downed-in-syria.html
24/12/14
Israeli warplanes hit southern Gaza after sniper fire ...
ReplyDeleteIsraeli troops shot dead a Hamas militant in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday, Palestinian medics and militant sources said, according to Agence France-Presse.
Tayseer al-Ismary, 33, died after being hit by a bullet fired by the Israeli army, Medical sources said.
Hamas sources confirmed al-Ismary was a member of the movement's military wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades.
The Israeli army said in a statement that a routine patrol on the Israeli side of the border came under attack from snipers
in the southern Gaza Strip and that forces responded with fire from the ground and the air.
A military spokeswoman declined to comment on any Israeli casualties in the clash.............http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/12/24/Israeli-warplanes-hit-southern-Gaza-after-sniper-fire.html
24/12/14
Palestinian killed in clash with Israeli troops near Gaza border ...
Delete(Reuters) - Israeli forces shot dead a member of Hamas's armed wing after a firefight erupted along the border with the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, Palestinian hospital officials in the territory said.
The Israeli army said in a statement that a routine patrol on the Israeli side of the border came under attack from snipers in the southern Gaza Strip and that forces responded with fire from the ground and the air.................http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/24/us-mideast-gaza-violence-idUSKBN0K20M520141224?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews
24/12/14
Indian and Pakistani forces Wednesday fired on each other's posts along the international border (IB) in disputed region Kashmir, India's official broadcaster All India Radio (AIR) reported...
ReplyDeleteThe exchange of fire and mortars between the two sides was reported from the IB in Hiranagar sector of Kathua district, 333 km south of Srinagar, summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.
According to the broadcaster, Pakistani troops fired small, medium and heavy arms on the outposts of India's Border Security Force (BSF).
"Pakistan forces from across the border started unprovoked firing targeting Indian posts using small, medium and heavy arms around 12:30 a.m. local time," AIR reported.............http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/898447.shtml
25/12/14
Deadly bombing hits anti-ISIL force in Iraq ...
ReplyDeleteA suicide bomber has attacked Sunni fighters opposed to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group as they gathered to receive salaries in an area south of Baghdad, killing at least 38 people, according to Iraqi officials.
Wednesday's attack on the members of the Sahwa (Awakening) movement near a military base in the Madain area also wounded at least 56 people, officials said.
The Sahwa date back to the height of the US-led war in Iraq in 2000s, when Sunni tribesmen joined forces with the Americans to battle fighters including ISIL's predecessor organisation, Islamic State of Iraq.
The Sahwa were key to sharply reducing violence, but when Iraq's government took over responsibility for their salaries they were sometimes paid late or not at all.
Sunni fighters, including the Sahwa and other armed tribesmen, fight against ISIL too.................http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/12/deadly-attack-hits-anti-isil-force-iraq-2014122492216238249.html
24/12/14
Black teen shot dead by police officer near St Louis ...
ReplyDeleteAn 18-year-old black man was shot and killed by police late last night at a gas station in a St Louis suburb near where unarmed teen Michael Brown was killed by a white officer in August.
The gas station was cordoned off with yellow tape and guarded by police, some in helmets and carrying riot shields, with bystanders shouting at them in a tense standoff.
The shooting of Michael Brown in the summer, and the decision not to prosecute the officer involved, set off demonstrations across the country............http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/1224/668797-st-louis-berkeley/
24/12/14
Protest breaks out after St. Louis police officer shoots, kills armed man at gas station ...
DeleteA crowd of about 100 people were gathered early Wednesday at the scene in Berkeley, Missouri, close to the town of Ferguson, where 18-year-old Michael Brown died in August.
A statement from St. Louis County police spokesman Sgt. Brian Schellman said a Berkeley police officer was conducting a routine business check at a gas station around 11:15 p.m. Tuesday when he saw two men and approached them.........http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/protest-breaks-out-after-st-louis-police-officer-shoots-kills-armed-man-at-gas-station-1.2161123#ixzz3MpSTCHY8
24/12/14
A protesting Tibetan woman, Tsepe Kyi, died after immolating herself in Sichuan province on Monday, according to reports reaching here today. ..
ReplyDeleteThis is the third case of self-immolation among Tibetans protesting against Chinese rule to take place in this week.
Human rights groups like the International Campaign for Tibet said the woman's parents and two brothers were taken away by the police. She was 19 or 20 years old, and came from a Tibetan nomad community. This is possibly the first case of a Tibetan nomad to die of self-immolation since the trend of suicides as protest began in 2009...............http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/china/Tibetan-womanTsepe-Kyi-Sichuan-province/articleshow/45630298.cms
24/12/14
Israeli authorities gave final approval Wednesday to the construction of 380 new settler homes in two areas of occupied East Jerusalem, a local official said...
ReplyDelete"The municipal commission has given construction permits for 307 homes in Ramot and 73 in Har Homa," Yosef Pepe Alalu, a Jerusalem city councillor with the opposition Meretz party, told AFP......http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/Dec-24/282189-israel-approves-380-new-east-jerusalem-settler-homes.ashx#sthash.UUqxic44.dpuf
24/12/14
Revista alemana: Para EE.UU. el cohete ruso Angará es un arma secreta ...
ReplyDeleteRusia acaba de realizar con éxito la primera prueba de su nuevo cohete portador de clase pesada Angará-A5. Por su parte, EE.UU. ha tomado el cohete por un arma secreta, denuncia la revista alemana 'Focus'.
Washington califica de polémico el programa ruso de cohetes y ve al Angará como una amenaza, sostiene 'Focus'.
Según la revista, EE.UU. está seguro de que Moscú trabaja en un proyecto clasificado de misiles innovadores de mediano alcance y le imputa la intención de violar el Tratado INF, un acuerdo bilateral de control nuclear de 1987, que supone la reducción de los sistemas de corto y medio alcance con capacidad atómica. Y eso no es todo: incluso está pensando en una posible respuesta militar a Moscú...................http://actualidad.rt.com/actualidad/161388-eeuu-error-cohete-rusia-arma-angara
24/12/14
Rubel-KriseRussland stützt Firmen mit Devisen...
ReplyDeleteDer Rubel rollt – weiter abwärts. Ratingagenturen senken den Konjunkturausblick und drohen mit Ramsch-Niveau. Moskau interveniert nun in der Wirtschaft. Und Putin fordert eine Begrenzung des Preisanstiegs bei Wodka.
Die Rubel-Krise macht Russland immer mehr zu schaffen. Um die Auswirkungen des Währungsverfalls abzumildern, erklärte sich die Zentralbank des Landes am Mittwoch bereit, führenden Firmen mit hohen Schulden im Ausland unter die Arme zu greifen. Sie wolle den Unternehmen Dollar und Euro zur Verfügung stellen, die im Gegenzug ihre Kredite als Sicherheit hinterlegten. Damit übernimmt die Zentralbank de facto die Risiken. Insgesamt haben Russlands Staatsfirmen, Banken sowie private Unternehmen im Ausland einen Schuldenberg von 600 Milliarden Dollar aufgehäuft. Davon werden 100 Milliarden Dollar im kommenden Jahr fällig. Die Sanktionen des Westens wegen der Ukraine-Krise haben die Möglichkeiten der Rückzahlungen extrem eingeschränkt. Firmen und Banken haben zum Schuldenmarkt im Westen keinen Zugang mehr...............http://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/international/rubel-krise-russland-stuetzt-firmen-mit-devisen/11160460.html
24/12/14
At least 300 prosecutors to be fired in Ukraine based on lustration law...
ReplyDeleteLVIV - Oleh Bachun, a Ukrainian deputy prosecutor general, announced a second wave of lustration of prosecution officials in introducing Roman Fedyk as new prosecutor of the Lviv region on Dec. 24..............http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/at-least-300-prosecutors-to-be-fired-in-ukraine-based-on-lustration-law-376058.html
24/12/14
At least 21 injured in protest against Nicaragua canal: police ...
ReplyDelete(Reuters) - At least 21 people were injured on Wednesday in clashes between police and protesters opposed to the construction of Nicaragua's planned $50 billion shipping canal, authorities said.
Nicaragua's director general of police Aminta Granera said that 15 police officers and six civilians were hurt. Organizers of the protest said, however, that at least 40 demonstrators were injured.
Granera said that after the demonstration was cleared, protesters used guns, machetes, stones and sticks to attack police. Organizers said their demonstration was peaceful................http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/24/us-nicaragua-canal-idUSKBN0K21AR20141224?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews
Russian initiative 'serious step' to solve Syrian crisis ...
ReplyDeleteRussia's recent efforts to hold a dialogue bringing together representatives of the Syrian government and opposition parties have been deemed positive towards figuring out a political solution to the country's long-running conflict, according to Syrian politicians.
"The Russian initiative or ideas that have been put forward recently are good for discussions and even for implementation and thus Syria hasn't closed the door before them," Sharif Shehadeh, a Syrian legislator, told Xinhua on Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, the state news agency SANA cited official Russian media as stating that a four-day meeting is scheduled to be held between representatives of the Syrian government and opposition parties in Moscow by the end of January..................http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/898587.shtml
25/12/14
Asciende a 43 el número de muertos por el frío en la India durante esta semana ...
ReplyDeleteEl número de los muertos por la inusual ola de frío en el estado de Uttar Pradesh, en la India, durante esta semana ascendió a 43 personas.
El número de los muertos por la inusual ola de frío en el estado de Uttar Pradesh, en la India, durante esta semana ascendió a 43 personas.
Anteriormente, se informó de 31 fallecidos por las bajas temperaturas en la India...........http://mundo.sputniknews.com/asia/20141225/1032802400.html
25/12/14
Iranian army begins massive drill ...
ReplyDeleteIran's national army has begun a massive military drill near the strategic Strait of Hormuz at the entrance to the Persian Gulf, state TV reported on Thursday.
Gen. Ahmad Reza Pourdastan, chief of the Army's ground forces, told the channel that the maneuvers are aimed at "transferring experiences" to younger generations of Iranian soldiers.
The report said the weeklong exercise will be carried out over 527,000 square kilometers (850,000 square miles) in the northern part of the Indian Ocean, Sea of Oman and the eastern part of the passage, through which one-fifth of the world's oil supply passes.
The initial part of the drill includes exercises by ground units in southeast Iran on Thursday and Friday. The air force and navy will begin their exercises over the weekend.
Last week Iran said units from the powerful Revolutionary Guard will participate in the exercise and new weapons will be test fired. (AP)
http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/middle-east-updates/1.633695
25/12/14
Ukraine-Gespräche in Minsk: Verhandlungen enden mit Schweigen ...
ReplyDeleteFünf Stunden haben sie miteinander geredet, gebracht hat es offenbar wenig: Vertreter Russlands, der Ukraine und der Separatisten sind ohne jeglichen Kommentar auseinandergegangen. Zuvor hatten alle noch ihre Gesprächsbereitschaft betont.
Nach mehr als fünfstündigen Verhandlungen der Ukraine-Kontaktgruppe über eine Waffenruhe, einen Gefangenenaustausch sowie andere Friedensschritte am Mittwoch in der weißrussischen Hauptstadt Minsk sind keine Ergebnisse bekanntgeworden. Ob die Gespräche wie geplant am Freitag fortgesetzt werden, war nach Angaben der russischen Nachrichtenagentur Tass in der Nacht zum Donnerstag unklar. Dieser Termin war im Vorfeld zwischen den Parteien vereinbart worden.
Die Konfliktparteien hatten nach mehr als dreimonatiger Pause erstmals wieder mehrstündige Friedensgespräche geführt. Die prorussischen Separatisten hatten bereits am späten Abend von zähen Verhandlungen gesprochen...............http://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/ausland/ukraine-gespraeche-in-minsk-verhandlungen-enden-mit-schweigen-13340605.html
Turquie : un adolescent de 16 ans risque 4 ans de prison pour « insulte » à Erdogan ...
ReplyDeleteUn lycéen de 16 ans a été arrêté et inculpé à Konya, ville du centre de la Turquie, pour « insulte au président » islamo-conservateur Recep Tayyip Erdogan, rapportaient jeudi 25 décembre les médias turcs. Le mineur, membre d'un mouvement de gauche et présenté comme le veut la loi par ses seules initiales, M.E.A., est accusé par la justice d'avoir « insulté » l'homme fort de la Turquie mercredi lors d'une cérémonie à la mémoire d'un jeune instituteur laïc tué par des islamistes en 1930, précise la chaîne d'information CNN-Türk.................http://www.lemonde.fr/europe/article/2014/12/25/turquie-un-adolescent-de-16-ans-passible-de-4-ans-de-prison-pour-insulte-a-erdogan_4546085_3214.html#xtor=RSS-3208
25/12/14
Thousands flee deadly violence in India's Assam ...
ReplyDeleteMore than 2,000 people have fled their homes in the restive Indian state of Assam after separatist rebels killed dozens of villagers, some of them children, an official said Dec. 25.
Residents sought shelter in makeshift camps set up by the state government following a series of coordinated attacks by armed rebels Tuesday that left at least 69 people dead, 18 of them children.
Another three people were killed on Wednesday when police shot at villagers who went to a police station to demand justice over the attacks.
"More than 2,000 villagers have sought shelter in relief camps. People are of course scared and worried about violence flaring up again," a state welfare official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The tea-growing state of Assam in northeast India has seen violent land disputes in the past between the indigenous Bodo people, Muslim settlers, and rival tribes in the area............http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/thousands-flee-deadly-violence-in-indias-assam.aspx?pageID=238&nID=76066&NewsCatID=356
25/12/14
Krieg gegen IS: Syrische Armee deutlich wirksamer als US-Koalition ...
ReplyDeleteIm Krieg gegen den Islamischen Staat ist die US-geführte internationale Koalition vorerst nicht so wirksam wie die syrische Regierungsarmee, die in den vergangenen drei Monaten nach eigenen Angaben etwa 4800 Terrormilizen eliminiert hat. Durch die Luftangriffe der Koalition kamen im gleichen Zeitraum etwa 1100 Dschihadisten ums Leben.
„Wir zählen täglich annähernd die Terroristen, die durch Bodenoperationen getötet worden sind“, teilte ein Sprecher der syrischen Armee der Agentur Sputnik mit. „Seit Ende September sind 4800 Terroristen allein aus der IS-Miliz getötet worden“
Am Dienstag hatte die „Syrische Beobachtungsstelle für Menschenrechte“ berichtet, dass 1119 Dschihadisten des „Islamischen Staates“ und der al-Nusra-Front seit dem 23. September durch die Luftangriffe der US-geführten Koalition getötet worden seien. Die Koalition bombardiert IS-Stellungen in Syrien ohne Zustimmung der Regierung in Damaskus.......................http://de.sputniknews.com/politik/20141225/300376819.html
25/12/14
La población en los países bálticos no dispone de una información objetiva sobre los acontecimientos en Ucrania dado que las autoridades impiden divulgarla, dijo Alexandr Gaponenko, presidente del Instituto de Estudios Europeos....
ReplyDelete"En los países bálticos desconocen la situación real en Ucrania y cuando los defensores de derechos humanos intentan difundir esta información son perseguidos por las autoridades que realizan registros, inspecciones en aeropuertos y detenciones prolongadas", declaró.
Agregó que los activistas rusos que llegan para contar lo que está ocurriendo en Rusia y en Ucrania acaban deportados.
La única información fiable con la que cuentan los ciudadanos en el Báltico, según Gaponenko, proviene de las redes sociales y la televisión rusa, cuya emisión se somete a restricciones.
"Los reportajes que las autoridades letonas consideran inaceptables no salen, las empresas de televisión acaban multadas", comentó.........................http://mundo.sputniknews.com/mundo/20141225/1032823649.html
25/12/14
Rocket Hits Tank at Libya's Biggest Oil Port ...
ReplyDeleteA rocket hit a storage tank at the eastern Libyan oil of port Es Sider as armed factions allied to competing governments fought for control of the country's biggest export terminal, officials said on Thursday.
Clashes also were reported at Sirte, a city west of Es Sider, killing up to 19, residents said. No more details were immediately available.....................http://www.voanews.com/content/reu-libya-rocket-attack-oil-port-es-sider/2573317.html
25/12/14
Ukraine-Konflikt: Kontaktgruppe vereinbart offenbar Austausch aller Gefangenen...
ReplyDeleteBei den Verhandlungen über einen Friedensplan in der Ukraine gibt es Fortschritte: Beide Seiten einigten sich auf einen Gefangenenaustausch.
Die Ukraine-Kontaktgruppe hat sich nach Darstellung der prorussischen Separatisten bei ihrem Treffen in Minsk auf einen Austausch aller Gefangenen geeinigt. Die selbst ernannten Volksrepubliken Donezk und Luhansk seien bereit, 150 ukrainische Sicherheitskräfte gegen 225 Gefangene auszutauschen, sagte Separatistenführer Alexander Sachartschenko der Agentur Interfax zufolge. Die übrigen Schritte eines Friedensplanes müssten aber weiter erörtert werden.
Nach fünfstündigen Verhandlungen in der weißrussischen Hauptstadt Minsk setzte die Kontaktgruppe demnach ihre Gespräche zunächst per Videokonferenz fort. An diesem Freitag soll es erneut ein Treffen in Minsk geben. Die am Mittwoch bis in die Nacht geführten Verhandlungen über den Konflikt im Donbass, die zunächst ohne Ergebnis geblieben waren, hätten einen "vorbereitenden Charakter" gehabt, sagte Separatistenvertreter Denis Puschilin................http://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2014-12/ukraine-kontaktgruppe-gefangenenaustausch
25/12/14
No date set for artillery removal yet - Ukrainian Army General Staff ...
ReplyDeleteThe Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff has said that Ukraine's position over the removal of heavy weaponry from the line of contact between the combatants in Donbas is invariable: this process will only begin after a total ceasefire.
http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/no-date-set-for-artillery-removal-yet-ukrainian-army-general-staff-376127.html
25/12/14
Iraqi PM seeks anti-ISIS support from Turkey ...
ReplyDeleteIraq and Turkey on Thursday discussed cooperation in countering ISIS threat, including an Iraqi request for intelligence sharing and the possible delivery of Turkish arms to Iraqi forces, Iraq’s prime minister said during his visit to the neighboring country.
“We can defeat this organization by uniting all our powers, with the support of the countries in the region,” Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi told a joint news conference with his Turkish counterpart, Ahmet Davutoglu, during his visit to the Turkish capital.
“ISIS threatens not only Iraq’s and Turkey’s security but the entire region,” Abadi said, in translated remarks..................http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/12/26/Iraq-Turkey-vow-to-unite-forces-in-fight-against-ISIS.html
26/12/14
La expansión de la Organización del Tratado del Atlántico Norte (OTAN) y la desestabilización de algunas regiones son unos de los mayores peligros militares para Rusia....
ReplyDeleteAsí recoge la nueva redacción de la Doctrina Militar –documento que establece los objetivos de la política de Defensa rusa– aprobada por el presidente Vladímir Putin y publicada este viernes en la web del Kremlin.
PELIGROS MILITARES EXTERNOS
"El incremento del potencial de la OTAN, la ampliación de sus funciones globales y la aproximación de la infraestructura militar de los países miembros a las fronteras de Rusia es uno de los mayores peligros militares externos", indica el documento.
Otro peligro es la "desestabilización de la situación en algunos países y regiones, el menoscabo de la seguridad global y regional y el aumento de los contingentes militares extranjeros desplegados en países limítrofes con Rusia", dice el texto.
El documento también recoge el peligro militar de las "reclamaciones territoriales a Rusia y sus aliados, así como la injerencia en sus asuntos internos"......................http://mundo.sputniknews.com/defensa/20141226/1032856268.html
26/12/14
Russia’s New Military Doctrine Permits Retaliatory Nuclear Strike Only ...
DeleteRussia stopped short of including the “preemptive strike” notion into its new military doctrine released Friday, permitting the use of its nuclear arsenal only as a retaliatory measure.
Earlier media reports suggested that Russia's military doctrine could be updated to include the term "preemptive strike." However, provisions concerning the possibility of a nuclear strike remain largely similar to those outlined in the 2010 version..................http://sputniknews.com/military/20141226/1016271354.html
26/12/14
Russia's new military doctrine names NATO as key risk ...
Delete(Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a new military doctrine, naming NATO expansion among key external risks, the Kremlin said on Friday, days after Ukraine made fresh steps to join the Atlantic military alliance.
Moscow's previous military doctrine, signed by Putin in 2010, also identified NATO expansion as a top risk to Russia, but the stakes have risen sharply over the past year.
Russia said this week NATO was turning Ukraine into a "frontline of confrontation" and threatened to sever remaining ties if Ukraine's hopes of joining NATO were realized..................http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/26/us-russia-crisis-military-doctrine-idUSKBN0K40Q120141226?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews
26/12/14
Russland stuft Nato und Ukraine als Sicherheitsrisiken ein...
DeletePutin kündigte die neue Militärdoktrin schon im September an, nun hat er sie unterschrieben. Darin wird die Nato als Gefahr für die russische Sicherheit bezeichnet.
Russland sieht in dem Ukraine-Konflikt und der Nato-Osterweiterung eine Bedrohung für die Sicherheit des Landes. Präsident Wladimir Putin unterzeichnete der russischen Agentur RIA zufolge eine Neufassung der Militärdoktrin. Diese hatte er bereits im September angekündigt.
Als größte Risiken für Russland würden darin der Ausbau der militärischen Fähigkeiten des westlichen Nato-Bündnisses und die Destabilisierung in mehreren Regionen eingestuft. Als größte interne Risiken nennt das Dokument unter anderem die Aktivitäten von Terroristen....................http://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2014-12/russland-militaerdoktrin-putin-nato-ukraine-gefahr-sicherheit
26/12/14
Fire spreads to more oil tanks at Libya port ...
ReplyDeleteA fire at an oil storage tank in Libya’s oil port of al-Sidra has spread to two more tanks following clashes between pro-government forces and Islamist militias, officials said on Friday.
The militants had launched Thursday surprise attack in which they used speedboats in a failed bid to seize the main oil terminal.
The militiamen belonging to the Fajr Libya, or Libya Dawn, launched the attack on the port of al-Sidra by firing rockets from speedboats, setting an oil tank on fire and killing at least 19 soldiers, security sources said.............http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/africa/2014/12/26/Fire-spreads-to-more-oil-tanks-at-Libya-port.html
26/12/14
China offers to help electricity-starved Nepal ...
ReplyDeleteChina says it's ready to help develop Nepal's power industry to alleviate severe electricity outages that can last up to 12 hours a day in the Himalayan nation.
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi says his country will provide funding and human resources to train Nepalese professionals in the hydropower sector.
Wang spoke to reporters on Friday during his three-day visit to Nepal, which ends on Saturday................http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/China-offers-to-help-electricity-starved-Nepal/articleshow/45650662.cms
26/12/14
At least 1,300 migrants saved off Italy at Christmas...
ReplyDeleteThe Italian Navy rescued some 1,300 migrants in several operations late on Christmas Day, among them a Nigerian woman who gave birth on board one of the rescue vessels, local media said Dec. 26.
The majority of the migrants were on boats adrift off the coast of Sicily and were expected to be brought ashore later Dec. 26.
Italian media said one man was found dead on board one of the boats......................http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/at-least-1300-migrants-saved-off-italy-at-christmas.aspx?pageID=238&nID=76137&NewsCatID=351
26/12/14
Russian Defense Ministry said the army has successfully test-fired an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) Yars on Friday...
ReplyDelete"The RS-24 Yars ICBM was launched at 11:02 Moscow time (0802 GMT) and hit the target in the Kura testing range in Kamchatka Peninsula (in the Far East)," Interfax news agency quoted the ministry spokesman for Strategic Missile Force (RVSN) Igor Yegorov as saying.
The multiple-warhead missile's test, carried out by joint efforts of the RVSN and Aerospace Defense Forces, aimed to check reliability of its equipment, he said.
The Yars will gradually replace the elder-generation Topol (RS-12M) and Stiletto (RS-18) missiles.
Currently, 15 Yars mobile missile systems are deployed at the divisions in Novosibirsk and Tomsk in Siberia.
Russia planned to arm two more divisions with Yars and conduct 16 launches of the ICBMs in total this year for various training, testing and commercial tasks.
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/898819.shtml
26/12/14
US-Led Coalition Drops Aids to ISIL in Iraq ...
ReplyDeleteThe US-led coalition which is allegedly fighting ISIL, the terrorist group operating in Syria and Iraq, dropped on Friday aids to the Takfiri militants in an area north of Baghdad.
Field sources in Iraq told al-Manar that the international coalition airplanes dropped aids to the terrorist militants in Balad, an area which lies in Salahuddin province north of Baghdad.................http://www.almanar.com.lb/english/adetails.php?eid=187603&cid=23&fromval=1
26/12/14
Gorbatschow: Angesehene westliche Politiker sollen zur Entspannung beitragen ...
ReplyDeleteAngesehene Politiker in Europa und Amerika sollen nach Ansicht von Ex-Sowjetpräsident Michail Gorbatschow (83) ihr Wort sagen und eine Entspannung in der Welt herbeiführen. „Viele Menschen (im Westen) verstehen die Situation, die bereits Anzeichen eines neuen Kalten Krieges hat“, sagte der Friedensnobelpreisträger am Freitag in Moskau.
„An mich wenden sich Veteranen in Europa und Amerika: Die Situation dürfe nicht übersehen werden, sie könne explosiv werden“, sagte Gorbatschow bei der Präsentation seines neuen Buches „Nach dem Kreml“...................http://de.sputniknews.com/politik/20141226/300397681.html
26/12/14
Serious meetings needed to settle situation around Ukraine — Gorbachev...
DeleteSettlement of the situation around Ukraine requires "serious meetings," Mikhail Gorbachev, the former President of the Soviet Union, said on Friday, presenting his new book "After the Kremlin."
“All of us, both politicians and society, are worried over what is going on in Ukraine. What has always been our inborn trait is that our government is supporting people who are in trouble, is receiving thousands of such people, regardless of our own troubles.”
When asked about possible development of the situation, Gorbachev said: “Serious meetings are needed, a serious conversation.” He reminded that he had already come out with an idea of a meeting between the United States and Russian leaders....................http://itar-tass.com/en/russia/769544
26/12/14
Erekat: UN to vote 'Friday or Monday' on draft demanding Israeli withdrawal from West Bank ...
ReplyDeleteThe Palestinian Authority’s top peace negotiator, Saeb Erekat, said on Friday that Ramallah will submit its draft resolution to the UN Security Council demanding an end to the Israeli presence in the West Bank either today or this coming Monday.
Erekat said that the draft resolution has been altered and amended. The final draft has yet to be released for public consumption.
http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Erekat-UN-to-vote-Friday-or-Monday-on-draft-demanding-Israeli-withdrawal-from-West-Bank-385860
26/12/14
Israel's supreme court has ordered Israeli authorities to demolish one of the oldest and most contentious Jewish settlement outposts in the West Bank....
ReplyDeleteThe court on Thursday said the hilltop outpost of Amona must be evacuated within two years.
The state "must act to carry out the demolition orders to all the structures in the locale, as they had committed to," the ruling read, noting a grace period of two years to enable the families to resettle.
Amona was established in 1995 on private Palestinian land without Israeli government permission..................http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/12/israel-court-rules-raze-settlement-outpost-20141226191558715183.html
26/12/14
Doubts as China's giant water project flows to Beijing ...
ReplyDeleteA towering dam in central China holds back a vast expanse of water destined to travel over 1,000 kilometres north to Beijing, but critics say it will only temporarily quench the capital's thirst.
The city is expected Saturday (Dec 27) to receive its first flows from the South North Water Diversion Project, one of the most ambitious engineering projects in Chinese history.
After decades of planning and at least US$33 billion of investment, over a billion cubic metres of water will flow from the Danjiangkou reservoir to the capital every year, through more than 1,200 kilometres of channels and pipes - the distance from London to Madrid. Another 8.5 billion cubic metres - equivalent to 3.4 million Olympic-sized swimming pools - will reach provinces along the way, planners say.
The Chinese government says the project, which will ultimately have three routes and an estimated US$81 billion total cost, will solve a chronic shortage in China's northern cities.
Water availability per person in Beijing is on a par with Middle Eastern countries such as Israel, threatening economic growth, a key source of support for China's ruling Communist party.
"This water needs to go to the North," said a tour guide at the reservoir surnamed Chen, standing atop the 110-metre-high dam at the reservoir in the central province of Hubei, fed by the Han and Dan rivers.
Among the engineering feats involved are a 7.2 kilometre-long tunnel beneath the Yellow river - China's second biggest waterway - described in official reports as "the most enormous river crossing project in human history". To carry the flow over one river in Henan, Chinese engineers built a 12-kilometre aqueduct - the longest in the world.
But critics say that the scheme's success is jeopardised by declining rainfall in the south, and it will only act as a temporary stopgap in the north's insatiable demand....................http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/doubts-as-china-s-giant/1552018.html
27/12/14
UN says it welcomes prospective Syria talks in Moscow ...
ReplyDeleteThe United Nations said on Friday that it welcomes a Russian proposal to host peace talks between the Syrian government and the mainstream opposition to find a political solution to the country's ongoing civil war.
"We welcome any initiative that would reduce violence and help reach a political solution that would end the crisis in the war torn country," the UN Secretary-General's office told The Anadolu Agency.
The proposal anticipates dialogue to reach a solution based on the core elements of the Geneva Communique, which was issued on June 30, 2012, in the Swiss city of Geneva after a meeting of the UN-backed Action Group for Syria..................http://www.aa.com.tr/en/news/441706--un-says-it-welcomes-prospective-syria-talks-in-moscow
27/12/14
La Corée du Nord menace les Etats-Unis de « coups mortels »...
ReplyDeleteLa Corée du Nord a accusé samedi les Etats-Unis de l’avoir privée de connexion internet en début de semaine et qualifié le président américain de « singe » pour avoir encouragé les cinémas à projeter le film « L’interview qui tue! » parodiant le leader nord-coréen...
« Barack Obama est toujours imprudent en paroles et en actes comme un singe dans une forêt tropicale », affirme la Commission nationale de défense nord-coréenne (NDC), accusant le président américain d’avoir incité les salles de cinéma à mettre le film à l’affiche le jour de Noël.
« Si les Etats-Unis continuent à être arrogants, despotiques et à utiliser des méthodes de gangster en dépit des avertissements répétés (de la Corée du Nord), ils devront garder à l’esprit que leurs actions politiques ratées entraîneront inéluctablement des coups mortels », a affirmé un porte-parole..................http://www.lesechos.fr/tech-medias/medias/0204041758917-la-coree-du-nord-accuse-les-etats-unis-de-lavoir-privee-dinternet-1078433.php?xtor=RSS37&XgUH7CdtMSSuKoDw.99
27/12/14
Donbass: arrivée d'un convoi humanitaire abkhaz ...
ReplyDeleteUn convoi humanitaire envoyé par la république d'Abkhazie (Caucase du Sud) est arrivé samedi dans la république populaire de Donetsk (DNR) qui a proclamé son indépendance par rapport à Kiev en mai, a annoncé le service de presse de la DNR.
"Nous avons reçu un lot d'aide humanitaire de la république d'Abkhazie. J'exprime notre profonde reconnaissance au peuple abkhaz frère pour son aide", a indiqué le vice-ministre des Affaires étrangères de la DNR Vassili Pitchouguine, cité par le service de presse.............http://fr.ria.ru/world/20141227/203323206.html
27/12/14
Iran's army has deployed a suicide drone for the first time in massive ongoing military drills near the strategic Strait of Hormuz at the entrance to the Persian Gulf...
ReplyDeleteGen. Ahmad Reza Pourdastan, the army's chief commander of ground forces, is quoted by Iranian state media Saturday as calling the unmanned aircraft "a mobile bomb." The drone, named Yasir according to one Iranian newspaper, has been designed to plunge into aerial and ground targets, as well as ships.
The six-day military exercise is being carried out over 850,000 square kilometres in the northern part of the Indian Ocean, Sea of Oman and the eastern part of the Persian Gulf, through which one-fifth of the world's oil supply passes.
http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/iran-tests-suicide-drone-in-massive-military-exercise-1.2163339#ixzz3N6zGurLh
27/12/14
Damas se dit prêt à rencontrer l’opposition syrienne à Moscou ...
ReplyDeleteLe régime syrien s’est dit prêt samedi à rencontrer l’opposition à Moscou afin de tenter de trouver une issue au conflit qui dure depuis quatre ans. L'entrevue pourrait aboutir à la tenue d’une "conférence de dialogue sans ingérence étrangère".
Le régime de Bachar al-Assad est prêt à rencontrer l’opposition syrienne à Moscou, a annoncé samedi 27 décembre le ministère des Affaires étrangères. Les deux parties tenteront de trouver une issue au conflit qui ravage le pays depuis quatre ans et a déjà fait 200 000 morts. La Coalition nationale syrienne, qui représente l'opposition modérée soutenue par les puissances occidentales, a immédiatement rejeté l'offre................http://www.france24.com/fr/20141227-damas-pret-rencontrer-opposition-moscou-assad-russie-poutine-ei-syrie/
27/12/14
Syrische Behörden wollen sich in Moskau mit syrischer Opposition treffen ...
Deleteertreter der syrischen Behörden wollen sich in Moskau mit syrischen Oppositionellen treffen, die seit Jahren einen bewaffneten Kampf gegen Präsident Bashar al-Assad führen. Das meldete die Agentur AFP am Samstag unter Berufung auf „Quellen in der syrischen Regierung“.
Zuvor hatte der amtliche Sprecher des russischen Außenministeriums, Alexander Lukaschewitsch, mitgeteilt, dass ein Treffen zur Beilegung der Syrien-Krise voraussichtlich in der dritten Januar-Dekade in der russischen Hauptstadt stattfinden wird. Der Chef der syrischen Oppositionspartei Suriya al-Watan, Majid Niaz, nannte den 22. oder den 26. Januar.....................http://de.sputniknews.com/politik/20141227/300404802.html
28/12/14
Autoridades sirias están dispuestas a reunirse con la oposición en Moscú...
DeleteRepresentantes de las autoridades sirias están dispuestos a reunirse en Moscú con la oposición que durante años está luchando contra el presidente sirio, Bashar Asad.
"Siria está lista a participar en una reunión previa y consultiva en Moscú atendiendo a la aspiración del pueblo sirio a poner fin a la crisis", dijo una fuente del Ministerio de Exteriores sirio, citada por AFP.
Una declaración publicada en la web de la agencia siria SANA indicó que las autoridades sirias confirmaron su disposición a participar en las negociaciones previas con la oposición en Moscú "con el fin de acordar una conferencia entre los mismos sirios sin ninguna intervención exterior"............http://mundo.sputniknews.com/mundo/20141227/1032866996.html
27/12/14
Syria says to discuss Russia peace plan talks, opposition rejects ...
ReplyDelete(Reuters) - Syria said on Saturday it is willing to participate in "preliminary consultations" in Moscow aimed at restarting peace talks next year to end its civil war.
But members of the Western-backed Syrian opposition dismissed the Russian plan on Saturday, saying there was "no initiative."..............http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/27/us-mideast-crisis-talks-idUSKBN0K509V20141227?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews
27/12/14
Iraqi Army Strikes ISIL, Regains Control over Several Towns in Salahuddin ...
ReplyDeleteThe Iraqi army, backed by the federal police and the popular volunteers, regained control over the town of Yathreb in Salahhudin province.
The Iraqi army further liberated al-Daluiya, raising the flag on the airport of the town which lies in Salahuddin.
The Iraqi military also controlled Tal-al-Dahab and Albujili in Balad after striking ISIL terrorists in the area and its vicinity.
http://www.almanar.com.lb/english/adetails.php?eid=187746&cid=23&fromval=1&frid=23&seccatid=32&s1=1
27/12/14
Hamas leader Mashaal endorses Turkish leaders in surprise speech ...
ReplyDeleteKhaled Mashaal, the head of Hamas’ political bureau, has made a surprise appearance at an event of Turkey's ruling party, endorsing the Turkish leaders and voicing his hope to "liberate Palestine and Jerusalem" together with them in the future.
"A strong Turkey means a strong Palestine ... Inshallah, God is with us and with you on the road to victory," Mashaal said in his address to the Justice and Development Party's (AKP) annual congress in the Konya province on Dec. 27...................http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/hamas-leader-mashaal-endorses-turkish-leaders-in-surprise-speech.aspx?pageID=238&nID=76166&NewsCatID=352
27/12/14
Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal Saturday praised Turkey as a "source of power" for all Muslims in gratitude to Turkey's leaders for supporting the Palestinian cause...
ReplyDelete"A democratic, stable and developed Turkey is a source of power for all Muslims," Meshaal said in an address to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) annual congress in the conservative central Anatolian city of Konya.
Meshaal said a "strong Turkey means a strong Jerusalem, a strong Palestine," voicing hopes to "liberate Palestine and Jerusalem," according to the state-run Anatolia news agency.
His brief address was interrupted repeatedly by cheering crowds in the hall waving Turkish and Palestinian flags and chanting: "Allahu Akbar [God is greatest]" and "Down with Israel!".............................- See more at: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/Dec-27/282393-hamas-chief-lauds-turkey-as-source-of-power-for-muslims.ashx#sthash.1ydejU6L.dpuf
27/12/14
Provincias sirias crean grupos de resistencia popular para luchar contra el EI ...
ReplyDeleteLas provincias orientales de Siria anunciaron sobre la creación de grupos de resistencia popular para combatir el grupo yihadista Estado Islámico (EI), comunicó este sábado la cadena de televisión libanesa Al Mayadeen.
Según la televisión, representantes de los grupos aseguraron en su disposición a luchar junto con el Ejército sirio contra los mercenarios extranjeros y otros terroristas que actúan en el este de Siria.
El Observatorio Sirio de Derechos Humanos informó con anterioridad que los extremistas se apoderaron de nuevos territorios cerca de la base aérea en la provincia de Deir el Zor, en el noreste de Siria......................http://mundo.sputniknews.com/orientemedio/20141227/1032868854.html
27/12/14
Egypt to import 120,000 tonnes of Russian wheat before export duty introduced...
ReplyDeleteRussia will provide 120,000 tonnes of wheat supplies to Egypt before a duty on grain exports takes effect on February 1, Vice Chairman of the Arab republic’s General Authority for Supply Commodities /GASC/ Mamdouh Abdel Fattah said on Saturday.
The volume will be bought up in a span of ten days starting from January 21, or until the export duty is introduced.
Fattah said that in January Egypt was due to import a total of 180,000 tonnes of wheat from Russia and “the suppliers have vowed to fulfill conditions of the sealed contracts.”
Russia’s is the third largest supplier of grain to Egypt, satisfying 26.3% /765,000 tonnes of grain/ of the import demands over the past six months.
France ranks first in wheat exports to Egypt with 36% /one million tonnes/ over the same period followed by Romania - 26.8% /780,000 tonnes/.
Cairo has bought a total of 2.9 million tonnes of grain over the six months.
Earlier, Cairo announced that restrictions on grain exports imposed by Russia were not going to pose any risks to Egypt as it had strategic reserves which would last till mid-April 2015. Besides, by that time local farmers are expected to provide about 3.6 million tonnes.
Russia’s government said the duty on wheat exports would amount to 15% of the customs cost plus 7.5 euro, but not less than 35 euro per tonne from February 1, 2015.
http://itar-tass.com/en/economy/769620
27/12/14
Un ferry en feu au large de la Grèce: sauvetage en cours ...
ReplyDeleteUn incendie s'est déclaré, dimanche, sur un ferry grec avec 411 passagers et 55 membres d'équipage à son bord. Le "Norman Atlantic" avait quitté le port grec de Patras à 05h30 (03h30 GMT) dimanche matin en direction du port italien d'Ancona, et a envoyé un signal de détresse alors qu'il se trouvait à 33 miles nautiques de la petite île grecque d'Othonoi, en mer Adriatique. Le feu aurait pris dans le garage du navire, avant de se répandre rapidement.
Une opération de sauvetage est en cours pour évacuer les 466 personnes à bord, ont annoncé les garde-côtes grecs.
http://www.rtl.be/info/monde/europe/un-ferry-en-feu-au-large-de-la-grece-687348.aspx
2812/14
NATO ends its Afghan war, but insurgency on the rise ...
ReplyDeleteNATO will hold a ceremony in Kabul later Sunday formally ending its war in Afghanistan, officials said, after 13 years of conflict that have left the country in the grip of worsening insurgent violence.
The event was arranged in secret due to the threat of Taliban strikes in the Afghan capital, which has been hit by repeated suicide bombings and gun attacks over recent years.
On January 1, the US-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) combat mission, which has suffered 3,485 military deaths since 2001, will be replaced by a NATO "training and support" mission..............http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/nato-ends-its-afghan-war-but-insurgency-on-the-rise.aspx?pageID=238&nID=76173&NewsCatID=359
28/12/14
Grèce: la convocation d’élections législatives anticipées ouvre la porte à la gauche radicale ...
ReplyDeleteStavros Dimas, l’ancien commissaire européen, n’est pas parvenu ce lundi à se faire élire président par le Parlement grec. Il devait récolter 180 voix sur 300 et n’en a récolté que 168. Des élections législatives anticipées auront lieu en 2015.
La Bourse d’Athènes perd 10 % pendant le vote présidentiel
La Bourse d’Athènes cédait jusqu’à 10 % pendant le vote des députés grecs à l’élection présidentielle, l’évolution des votes en cours de scrutin montrant alors que le candidat du gouvernement Stavros Dimas ne pourrait certainement pas l’emporter.
A la perspective des législatives anticipées à venir, l’indice général de la Bourse d’Athènes cédait 10 % exactement à 767,85 points à 12h30 (heure locale).
Le Premier ministre Antonis Samaras propose que les élections aient lieu dès le 25 janvier.
Pour le leader de Syriza, le parti d’extrême gauche, le peuple a montré ainsi « sa volonté de mettre fin aux politiques de rigueur ».
http://www.lesoir.be/744672/article/actualite/union-europeenne/2014-12-29/grece-convocation-d-elections-legislatives-anticipees-ouvre-porte-gauche-ra
29/12/114
Donetsk Republic’s representatives, Ukrainian military are meeting in Donetsk ...
ReplyDeleteA meeting of representatives of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic and the Ukrainian armed forces has begun in Donetsk, the Donetsk News Agency reports.
The Donetsk Republic is represented by its Defense Ministry officials and human rights ombudsman Darya Morozova. The make-up of the Ukrainian delegation is unclear. The meeting is being held behind closed doors...................http://itar-tass.com/en/world/769749
29/12/14
Griechenland: Präsidentenwahl in Athen gescheitert ...
ReplyDeleteNeuwahlen in Griechenland: Der frühere EU-Kommissar Dimas ist auch im dritten Wahlgang zum Staatspräsident gescheitert. Es ist ein herber Rückschlag für Premier Samaras.
Das Euro-Krisenland Griechenland steht vor Neuwahlen. Der frühere EU-Kommissar Stavros Dimas verfehlte als Präsidentschaftskandidat im Athener Parlament auch im dritten Anlauf die erforderliche Mehrheit von 180 Stimmen. Noch bevor das Votum zu Ende war, hatten sich bei der namentlichen Abstimmung mehr als 121 der insgesamt 300 Abgeordneten der Stimme enthalten. Damit muss laut Verfassung das Parlament binnen zehn Tagen aufgelöst und Neuwahlen ausgerufen werden, die in den kommenden Wochen stattfinden sollen.
Umfragen sagen dem Land einen Linksruck voraus, was die EU-Rettungsaktion für das überschuldete Krisenland erschweren könnte. Die linke Oppositionspartei Syriza lehnt die Kreditbedingungen der internationalen Geldgeber ab und will sie neu verhandeln. Die von den Gläubigern geforderte Sparpolitik hat zu tiefen Einschnitten bei Löhnen und Sozialleistungen geführt.
http://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2014-12/praesidentenwahl-in-athen-gescheitert
29/12/14
Griechenland steht vor NeuwahlenKehrt die Euro-Krise zurück?...
ReplyDeleteDie Präsidentenwahl in Griechenland ist auch im dritten Anlauf gescheitert. Nun gibt es vorgezogene Neuwahlen. Das Ergebnis könnte die Verhandlungen Griechenlands mit seinen internationalen Kreditgebern belasten.
Das Euro-Krisenland Griechenland steht vor Neuwahlen. Der frühere EU-Kommissar Stavros Dimas verfehlte als Präsidentschaftskandidat am Montag im Athener Parlament auch im dritten Anlauf die erforderliche Mehrheit von 180 Stimmen. Lediglich 168 Abgeordnete stimmten für ihn. Damit muss das Parlament aufgelöst und Neuwahlen müssen ausgerufen werden, die in den kommenden Wochen stattfinden sollen..........................http://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/international/griechenland-steht-vor-neuwahlen-kehrt-die-euro-krise-zurueck/11166218.html
Grecia tendrá elecciones anticipadas el 25 de enero al no elegir presidente ...
ReplyDeleteLo que teóricamente era sólo un trámite parlamentario, la elección de presidente de Grecia, se ha convertido en el mayor cataclismo político vivido en el país desde el inicio de la crisis económica, tras dos intentos fallidos previos para elegir al jefe del Estado que han atizado la inestabilidad y los temores de Bruselas y la troika y que este lunes han conducido definitivamente al país a las urnas, en convocatoria anticipada, al concluir la elección presidencial sin resultado. Las encuestas pronostican que la izquierdista Syriza ganará esos comicios, que serán el 25 de enero...................http://internacional.elpais.com/internacional/2014/12/29/actualidad/1419849012_021116.html
El Parlamento griego no logra elegir presidente y convoca elecciones anticipadas ...
DeleteEl Parlamento griego no consiguió elegir presidente y convoca elecciones anticipadas para el 25 de enero.
En la votación estuvieron presentes los 300 parlamentarios, de los que solo 168 votaron a favor de la candidatura de Stavros Dimas.
Para salir elegido, el excomisario europeo, de 73 años, necesitaba el apoyo de al menos 180 diputados de la cámara legislativa helena en la tercera y decisiva ronda de la votación.
Tras el fracaso en la elección del presidente, el primer ministro Antonis Samarás, anunció que el 25 de enero se celebrarán comicios anticipados.................http://mundo.sputniknews.com/politica/20141229/1032895576.html
29/12/14
L'Ukraine met la Crimée sous embargo ...
ReplyDeleteAlors que les habitants de la péninsule ukrainienne sont confrontés à un blocus de transport, des coupures d'électricité, une probable pénurie d'eau potable et des problèmes de carte bancaire, écrit lundi le quotidien Nezavissimaïa gazeta.
Le président ukrainien Piotr Porochenko s'exprimera aujourd'hui sur la stratégie de Kiev par rapport à la Crimée Les autorités expliquent que la situation dans le Donbass a provoqué un manque de charbon, une matière première nécessaire au fonctionnement des stations thermiques.................http://fr.ria.ru/presse_russe/20141229/203334301.html
29/12/14
Kiev has no plans to use blockade of Crimea as element of pressure in talks on Donbas ...
DeleteKiev does not plan to use blockade of Crimea as an element of pressure in talks on Donbass, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said at a press conference.
“There’s no blockade of Crimea, there are measures to ensure Ukraine’s security from subversive groups,” Poroshenko said.
Crimea has recently experienced several power outages when Ukraine limited electricity supplies to the republic. Moreover, there is a ban on on railway traffic with the peninsula imposed by Kiev authorities, and passengers have to get off the trains at the Russian-Ukrainian border and then take a bus.
http://itar-tass.com/en/world/769832
29/12/14
Griechenland: Internationaler Währungsfonds setzt Hilfszahlungen aus ...
ReplyDeleteGriechenland steht nach der gescheiterten Präsidentschaftswahl Ende Januar vor neuen Parlamentswahlen. Bis dahin will der IWF das Land nicht weiter unterstützen.
Inmitten des laufenden Rettungsprogramms von EU und IWF steht Griechenland vor vorgezogenen Parlamentswahlen. Als Reaktion darauf hat der Internationale Währungsfond (IWF) angekündigt, vorerst keine weiteren Notkredite auszuzahlen. Die nächste Kredittranche könne erst ausgezahlt werden, wenn nach der für Januar geplanten Neuwahl eine neue Regierung gebildet worden sei, sagte IWF-Sprecher Gerry Rice in Washington. Er fügte hinzu, dass Griechenland keinen "unmittelbaren" Finanzierungsbedarf habe.
An den Finanzmärkten löste die gescheiterte Präsidentenwahl Unruhe aus, da in den Umfragen die linksradikale Partei Syriza vorne liegt und dadurch die internationalen Hilfsvereinbarungen für Griechenland in Gefahr geraten könnten. Syriza-Chef Alexis Tsipras sagte unmittelbar nach der Abstimmung, innerhalb weniger Tage würden die Reformauflagen von Europäischer Union (EU) und IWF der Vergangenheit angehören. Er sprach von einem historischen Tag für die griechische Demokratie...............http://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2014-12/griechenland-neuwahl-syriza-reformen-stopp
29/12/14
Statement by Pierre Moscovici, Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs, following the Greek parliament vote on the presidential candidate (European Commission)...
Delete"Following the third vote on a new President in the Parliament today, the Greek government has just announced general elections on 25 January. Through this democratic process, the Greek people will once again decide on their future. A strong commitment to Europe and broad support among the Greek voters and political leaders for the necessary growth-friendly reform process will be essential for Greece to thrive again within the euro area."
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_STATEMENT-14-2900_en.htm?locale=en
29/12/14
El FMI suspende las ayudas a Grecia hasta que haya nuevo Gobierno...
DeleteLa decisión del Fondo no compromete los pagos de Atenas al menos hasta marzo.
La convocatoria de elecciones generales en Grecia obligó al Fondo Monetario Internacional a suspender las negociaciones que deben llevar a un nuevo desembolso de la ayuda que llega a Atenas para reequilibrar su economía mientras el país reestructura sus finanzas. Lo que el organismo no dice es qué pasará con el programa si el partido Syriza es impone en el voto el 25 de enero, porque una de sus promesas electorales es cancelar los términos del rescate.
Gerry Rice, responsable de comunicación del organismo, se limitó a decir en un escueta nota que la discusión en curso con las autoridades griegas se retomará “cuando el nuevo Gobierno esté formado”. Es un proceso que va de la mano de la Comisión Europea y el Banco Central europeo, por lo que antes de restablecer las negociaciones deberán consultarse.
El FMI deja claro también que Grecia “no necesita asistencia financiera inmediata”......................http://economia.elpais.com/economia/2014/12/29/actualidad/1419842513_595520.html
29/12/14
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Monday (Dec 29) it was suspending talks on a new disbursement of financial aid to Greece until a new government is formed after elections slated for late January....
Delete"Discussions with the Greek authorities on the completion of the sixth review of the program... will resume once a new government is in place, in consultation with the European Commission and the European Central Bank," IMF spokesman Gerry Rice said. Rice, however, assured that the holdup in the program would not impact the country's finances in the short term. "Greece faces no immediate financing needs," he said.
The sixth review of the IMF's four-year, US$35 billion (S$46.3 billion) loan program for Greece, part of a joint IMF-EC-ECB rescue worth nearly US$300 billion, aims at ensuring the government is meeting particular budget and reform targets before releasing a new tranche of the loan............http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/international/imf-suspends-aid-talks/1556910.html
Migrants' boat capsizes off Aegean coast, eight missing ...
ReplyDeleteA fishing vessel carrying illegal Syrian immigrants sank off of Turkey’s southwestern province of Muğla.
The fishing boat set sail on Dec. 28 from the Gümüşlük village of Muğla’s Bodrum district and overturned in the Aegean Sea around 30 minutes afterward due to strong wind. Two immigrants swam for two hours to a nearby island and were seen by the local fishermen early Dec. 29. The locals were taken to the hospital, while rescue efforts were launched to save the other eight people on the boat, which the two captured immigrants said were also on the boat with them.
In a separate incident in the eastern Mediterranean coast, the Turkish Coast Guard has rescued 131 illegal immigrants from leaking fishing boat..................http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/migrants-boat-capsizes-off-aegean-coast-eight-missing.aspx?pageID=238&nID=76244&NewsCatID=341
29/12/14
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on Monday that his forces had lost three soldiers in battles with pro-Russian fighters for a disputed airport near the rebel stronghold of Donetsk...
ReplyDelete"The battle for Donetsk airport ended 10 minutes ago," Poroshenko told an end-of-year press conference. "Donetsk airport remains under our full control. Unfortunately, the information about three dead has been confirmed."
The east Ukrainian airport has witnessed some of the heaviest fighting of the eight-month separatist war that broke out in April in some Russian-speaking regions in the wake of Kiev's shift towards Europe and away from Moscow.........http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/World/2014/Dec-29/282540-poroshenko-three-ukraine-troops-killed-at-donetsk-airport.ashx#sthash.7IhNt8We.dpuf
29/12/14
Poroshenko speaks about new battle at Donetsk airport ...
DeleteThree Ukrainian troops were killed in the Donetsk airport on Dec. 29, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said.
http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/poroshenko-speaks-about-new-battle-at-donetsk-airport-376380.html
29/12/14
Erdogan to chair Turkish cabinet in unprecedented move...
ReplyDeletePresident Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday announced he would chair a cabinet meeting in January, a move unprecedented for a Turkish head of state in recent times.
Erdogan, a pious Muslim accused of authoritarianism by critics, led the Turkish government from 2003 to 2014 as prime minister but in August this year won the first ever direct presidential elections to become head of state.
Previous presidents -- including Erdogan's predecessor and one-time close comrade Abdullah Gul -- performed a largely ceremonial role but the office has been transformed in the four months since he took charge.
Chairing the cabinet meeting is a hugely important step in a clear drive by Erdogan to enshrine the presidency as Turkey's number one job, both in theory and in practice.
Erdogan told reporters that he would host the meeting of the cabinet on January 19 at his vast and controversial new presidential palace in the Bestepe district of Ankara..............http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/119083/World/Region/Erdogan-to-chair-Turkish-cabinet-in-unprecedented-.aspx
29/12/14
Cyprus Government to establish Search & Rescue Coordinating Unit...
ReplyDeleteThe Council of Ministers has decided to establish a Coordinating Unit for Search & Rescue, Minister of Justice and Public Order Ionas Nicolaou has said.
In statements to the press, on Monday and replying to a question on Cyprus` readiness to deal with situations such as the fire which broke out on the passenger vessel “Norman Atlantic”, in Greece, Nicolaou said that all relevant ministries have been tasked to look into how to best use all means in the Republic`s disposal as regards Search & Rescue operations.
The Republic`s capability level as regards response in Search & Rescue situations is quite high, he said, adding that this was proven recently when a number of illegal immigrants was rescued off the island`s southern coast................http://www.parikiaki.com/2014/12/cyprus-government-to-establish-search-rescue-coordinating-unit/#sthash.U3AniMFl.dpuf
29/12/14
Russian Defense Ministry says no Russian warplane violated Estonia's airspace ..
ReplyDeleteRussia's Defense Ministry has refuted allegations of a Russian Air Force plane violating Estonia's airspce, the press service of the ministry said Monday.
The press service said a Russian An-72 transport plane was conducting a preplanned mission from Saint Petersburg to Russi'a westermost Kaliningrad Region. The plane flew over neutral waters of the Baltic sea in strict compliance with the international rules and with no violation of air space of Estonia or any other state, the press service said.................http://itar-tass.com/en/russia/769916
Greek opposition leader vows to protect Greek bank deposits ...
ReplyDeleteGreek opposition leader Alexis Tsipras on Monday promised to protect bank deposits in the country if he came to power in next month's election, in a bid to allay fears that his government would put the wealth of Greeks at risk.
"A Syriza government and its allies will safeguard - without any footnotes or asterisks - the deposits of citizens at Greek banks, in cooperation with the European Central Bank and European partners," Tsipras said in a speech.
"Let's put an end to the horror stories."..................http://www.todayonline.com/world/greek-opposition-leader-vows-protect-greek-bank-deposits
29/12/14
France’s Front National hails Greek Syriza ...
Delete"A fresh wind of democracy in Greece" is how Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s dynastic extreme right wing party Front National calls in a communique the news of future elections in Greece. "It is a slap in the face of [Stavros] Dimas, the candidate of the EU, the ECB and the IMF”. “A victory of the people”, she goes on, "against the oligarchy of European high finance”.
In Monday's presidential vote in the Greek parliament, the governing coalition's candidate for the post, 73-year-old former European commissioner Stavros Dimas, garnered 168 out of 300 possible votes— short of the 180 needed to win. It was the third and final round of voting. According to the constitution, the vote's failure means parliament has to be dissolved within 10 days................http://www.neurope.eu/article/france%E2%80%99s-front-national-hails-greek-syriza
30/12/14
Indonesian officials say they are sending teams to investigate reports of smoke on an island in the area where AirAsia flight QZ8501 has gone missing....
ReplyDeleteThe multinational search for the plane has entered a third day, with the operation area now widened to cover 13 zones over land and sea..........http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-30626734
Libya in $6 mln push to tackle oil port fires...
ReplyDeleteLibya’s recognized government has contracted a U.S. firefighter firm to help extinguish blazing fires at storage tanks in the el-Sidr oil port, a spokesman said on Monday.
Work is set to start within five days, government spokesman Mohammad Bazaza said, confirming a statement on the government website. The value of the contract was $6 million, the statement said, without naming the company.
Fire has been raging for days at several storage tanks at el-Sidr , Libya’s biggest oil port, due to clashes of brigades allied with competing governments vying for control of the country’s oil facilities................http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/africa/2014/12/30/Libya-in-6-mln-plan-to-tackle-oil-port-fires.html
Les États-Unis tentent de détruire les économies russe et vénézuélienne à l’aide d’une "guerre du pétrole", affirme le président vénézuélien Nicolas Maduro, cité mardi par le quotidien Moskovski komsomolets...
ReplyDeleteD'après lui, cette guerre vise également à éliminer l'Organisation des pays exportateurs de pétrole (OPEP). "Nous assistons aujourd'hui à une guerre pétrolière dont l'objectif est de détruire la Russie, de la faire chuter en tant que puissance globale, estime Nicolas Maduro. Le président américain Barack Obama l'a même reconnu lors d'une interview radio".
Cette baisse des prix du pétrole affecte également le Venezuela. "Elle vise à recoloniser notre pays, anéantir notre souveraineté et notre révolution en faisant s'effondrer notre économie", juge le président vénézuélien...................http://fr.ria.ru/presse_russe/20141230/203340007.html
30/12/14
Greeks Unhappy to be Facing Polls After Failed Presidential Election ...
ReplyDeleteGreeks woke up December 30 to a grey drizzle and one day closer to elections they said no one wants.
Greek lawmakers failed to elect a new president in a decisive final round of voting December 29, leaving the country facing a snap election that could derail the international bailout program it needs to keep paying its bills.
The only candidate in the race, former European Commissioner Stavros Dimas, fell short of the 180 vote supermajority needed to become president. He garnered 168 votes, the same score he achieved in the second round of the vote................http://www.voanews.com/content/reu-greeks-unhappy-to-be-facing-polls-after-failed-presidential-election/2578604.html
El deshielo entre EEUU y Cuba es un golpe de Obama contra Rusia, asegura una experta ...
ReplyDeleteEl anuncio de Barack Obama de restablecer relaciones con Cuba tras 53 años de bloqueo y embargo impuesto por Washington a la isla "es un golpe directo a Rusia para reducir su peso en Latinoamérica", aseguró hoy Nazanín Armanian, analista, escritora y experta en política internacional, a Sputnik Nóvosti.
"En el segundo mandato de Vladímir Putin, el presidente ruso empezó a tocar dos países importantes en su geopolítica y uno de ellos fue Cuba", explica.
Después llegó "el viaje a la isla y la gira latinoamericana que fue un gesto geopolítico de Moscú a nivel mundial".
"Ante este acercamiento, Washington da un aviso, por eso el deshielo entre Cuba y Estados Unidos (EEUU) es un golpe a Rusia que tiene como objetivo reducir el peso de Moscú en Latinoamérica", señaló la experta....................http://mundo.sputniknews.com/mundo/20141230/1032943756.html
30/12/14
Russia not to leave US unfriendly steps without response ...
ReplyDeletentroduction of new sanctions by the United States against a number of Russian citizens calls into question cooperation with Washington on the Iranian nuclear program, the Syrian crisis and other issues; such steps will not be left without a response, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said on Tuesday.
“Seeking to end the outgoing year on a high anti-Russian note, Washington has come out with a new burst of sanctions against our citizens and organizations,” the diplomat said. “This gives the impression that somebody there is itching to shake the foundations of bilateral relations, inventing new pretexts to this end.”.....................http://itar-tass.com/en/russia/770035
30/12/14
Abstimmung im UN-Sicherheitsrat.... Nahost-Resolution gescheitert ....
ReplyDeleteDer UN-Sicherheitsrat hat eine von Jordanien eingebrachte Resolution abgelehnt, die Israel binnen drei Jahren zum Rückzug aus den besetzten Palästinensergebieten auffordert.
Der Entwurf erhielt nicht die erforderliche Mindestzahl von neun Ja-Stimmen. Die Vetomacht USA sowie Australien stimmten dagegen. Fünf Länder - Nigeria, Südkorea, Litauen, Ruanda und Großbritannien - enthielten sich. Acht Länder - Argentinien, Tschad, Chile, China, Frankreich, Jordanien, Luxemburg und Russland - stimmten dafür..............http://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/palaestinenser-105.html
Saeb Erekat: Palestinian leadership to convene emergency meeting following UN defeat ...
ReplyDeleteThe Palestinian leadership will hold an emergency session on Wednesday, Chief PLO Negotiator Saeb Erekat said after the United Nations Security Council voted down a Palestinian resolution which called for Israel to withdraw from territories it captured in 1967 within a three-year period.
Ramallah will weigh its options, Erekat said after the vote, according to Palestinian media, and "consider its next steps."
http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Saeb-Erekat-Palestinian-leadership-to-convene-emergency-meeting-following-UN-defeat-386211