International News

Water Wars: Bolivia Suing Chile for 'Stealing' H2O

noreply@blogger.com (Andre Franc-Shi) — Mon, 28 Mar 2016 21:50:00 +0000

Bolivia and Chile have been spatting over access to the sea for years, and the two sides are now involved in another legal battle over water.

Bolivia has announced it will file a new lawsuit against Chile before the International Court of Justice, or ICJ, for using water from a freshwater stream that lies between the two countries.

According to Bolivian officials, Chile has been “abusing” the Silala stream — which lies in the cliffs along the border between the two countries — and using its waters “illegally” without paying a penny.

“Now that Chile seeks to confuse the issue, with all the more reason, with all the more force and documentation will we present our case at The Hague to establish our sovereignty over the waters of Silala,” said Bolivian President Evo Morales during a speech at the central Bolivian municipality of Tacachi.

Bolivia argues that the Silala waters, located in Bolivian province of Potosi, were channeled to the north of Chile for use by the Chilean firm Antofagasta & Bolivia Railway Company. According to the Bolivian government, Chile must admit “it is stealing water from Potosi province.”

However, Chilean Foreign Minister Heraldo Muñoz maintains that Silala is an international river, citing a 1904 bilateral treaty signed with Bolivia.

The two countries have long bickered over the Silala waters, but tensions have diminished in recent years mainly because of Bolivia's demand that Chile restore it access to the Pacific Ocean has taken precedence. Bolivia lost its access to the sea after The War of the Pacific (1879-1883) between the two countries and Peru. The issue has been the subject of a trial at The Hague since 2013.

The Silala water issue came back to the spotlight after Bolivian President Evo Morales referenced it in a speech Wednesday during Bolivia's Day of the Sea, which commemorates the 137 years since the loss of its Pacific coast.

Chilean authorities said they will “not accept” what they call Bolivia's “hostile policies towards Chile” and “will defend themselves with everything,” according to Muñoz. This will include filing a counterclaim with the ICJ against the land-locked nation, added the foreign minister.

Source : Telesur

Affrontements entre l'État Islamique et al-Nosra au Liban

noreply@blogger.com (Andre Franc-Shi) — Mon, 28 Mar 2016 21:44:00 +0000

Les affrontements entre le groupe État islamique (EI) et le Front al-Nosra, branche syrienne d'el-Qaëda qui opère également à la frontière libanaise, ont gagné le Liban lundi, notamment la plaine de la Békaa, rapporte une source des services de sécurité. De violents combats ont ainsi opposé les deux groupes dans le jurd de Ersal et à Ras Baalbeck dans la Békaa.

Huit combattants du Front al-Nosra ont été tués et six faits prisonniers lors de ces affrontements qui se sont soldés par la mort de 14 jihadistes de l'EI, ajoute-t-on de même source. Les combats ont commencé dimanche près de la ville syrienne de Jarajir, dans les montagnes du Qalamoun à proximité de la frontière, avant de gagner les régions de Ras Baalbeck et de Ersal au Liban, précise-t-on.

L'Agence nationale d'information (Ani,officielle) a indiqué que le Front al-Nosra avait engagé des combats dimanche afin de reprendre des positions perdues au profit de l'EI. Elle fait état de 10 morts dans le camp d'al-Nosra et de huit tués dans les rangs de l'EI.

Ras Baalbeck, bourgade chrétienne de la Békaa, connaît des pics de tension causés par le conflit syrien. Les extrémistes tentent souvent de s'infiltrer dans le village, mais ils ont jusque-là été repoussés par l'armée libanaise.

Ersal, localité sunnite frontalière, a été le théâtre de violents affrontements en 2014 entre l'armée et les jihadistes, venus principalement de Syrie. Ces derniers avaient enlevé une trentaine de militaires. Quatre d'entre eux ont été assassinés en captivité, seize ont été libérés le 1er décembre par le Front al-Nosra, et neuf autres sont toujours otages de l'EI.

Source : Lorientlejour

Un référendum en Suisse pour interdire aux banques la création monétaire

noreply@blogger.com (Andre Franc-Shi) — Thu, 17 Mar 2016 12:36:00 +0000

La Suisse tiendra un referendum pour décider sur la question de l’interdiction de la création monétaire aux banques.

Le gouvernement fédéral suisse a confirmé jeudi qu’il tiendra le référendum, suite à la signature de plus de 110 000 personnes d’une pétition appelant à réserver la création monétaire du système financier seulement à la banque centrale.

La campagne – conduite à travers l’initiative Swiss Sovereign Money, aussi connue en tant que Vollgeld Initiative – est conçue pour limiter la spéculation financière en exigeant aux banques privées d’avoir des réserves couvrant 100% de leurs dépôts.

Le groupe de campagne a précisé : « les banques n’auront plus le droit de créer la monnaie pour eux-mêmes, ils seront uniquement autorisés à prêter de l’argent qu’ils auront reçu des épargnants ou d’autres banques ».

Sous la démocratie directe suisse, un référendum peut avoir lieu si une pétition collecte 100 000 signatures dans les 18 mois qui suivent son lancement.

En cas de succès, la loi sur la souveraineté monétaire accordera à la Banque Nationale Suisse le monopole de la création monétaire, sous forme physique et électronique, « alors que la décision concernant l’introduction du nouvel argent dans l’économie reviendra au gouvernement » a dit Vollgeld.

L’idée de réserver la création monétaire aux banques centrales est apparue dans les années 30 et a été soutenue par le renommé économiste américain Irving Fischer, comme une façon d’éviter les bulles des prix des actifs et de limiter les crédits imprudents.

Dans les économies de marché modernes, les banques centrales contrôlent la création des billets et des pièces de monnaie, mais pas la création de tout l’argent, qui a lieu quand une banque commerciale accorde un crédit. Les banques centrales essayent d’influencer la masse monétaire avec une politique monétaire et des outils de régulation.

La BNS a été fondée en 1891, avec le pouvoir exclusif de frapper la monnaie et d’imprimer les billets. Mais plus de 90% de l’argent en circulation en Suisse est sous forme « électronique », créée par les banques privées plutôt que par la banque centrale.

La campagne Swiss Sovereign Money soutient que c’est « suite à l’émergence des transactions par payement électronique, les banques ont saisi l’opportunité pour recommencer à créer leur argent ».
« La décision prise par le peuple en 1891 est tombée dans l’oubli. »

Ce n’est pas le premier référendum sur des sujets monétaires en Suisse. L’année dernière, le pays a rejeté à plus de 78% une loi pour que la banque centrale augmente ses réserves d’or de 7% à 20%.

Contrairement au vote sur l’or – qui a été perçu comme un signe précurseur du retour de l’étalon-or en Suisse – les économistes ont été plus accueillants pour l’idée de « Monnaie Pleine » pour stabiliser l’économie et éviter un excès de croissance des crédits.

L’Islande – qui a vu son système bancaire s’effondrer spectaculairement en 2008 – a également envisagé l’abolition de la création monétaire privée et la fin du système de réserves fractionnaires.
La date du référendum n’a pas encore été fixée.

Source : InformAction

Helicopter Seized by Peruvian Indigenous Group Over Oil Spill

noreply@blogger.com (Andre Franc-Shi) — Tue, 08 Mar 2016 12:59:00 +0000

Protesters are demanding compensation, emergency supplies and attention after an oil spill in their territory.

Residents of a Wampis Indigenous community in the Peruvian Amazon seized a military helicopter and detained its crew Sunday as an act of protest against the environmental damage caused be a series of oil spills in their territory.

The protesters are also holding three officials from the state oil company Petroperu, as well as four workers from the country's environmental regulatory agency and a representative of the Ministry of Energy and Mines, Petroperu's president told Reuters Monday.

The Peruvian government declared a state of emergency last month in 16 Amazon rainforest communities due to extreme environmental damage after over 3,000 barrels of crude oil spilled into the Chiriaco and Morona rivers last week.

The protesters are demanding that their community, known as Mayuriaga, located in the province of Marañon, be included in communities affected by the oil spills and thus receive emergency supplies and attention.

The government will amend the emergency decree, published last month, to include Mayuriaga, said Deputy Culture Minister Patricia Balbuena.

"It's a mistake that should be corrected as soon as possible," Balbuena said.

Regional Governor Fernando Melendez added that the protesters are also seeking compensation, not being included in the list would also make it harder for Mayuriaga to demand compensation.

The Peruvian Air Force said in a statement that a group of officials would visit the area Monday, including the president of PetroPeru in order to hear the protesters demands.

The statement added that the crew were being treated well and that the helicopter had not been damaged.

A rupture in Petroperu's 40-year-old pipeline spilled 1,000 barrels of oil in Mayuriaga on Feb. 3, nine days after a leak in the same duct poured 2,000 barrels near eight other ;Indigenous communities in the same Amazonian region.

The pipeline transported between 5,000 and 6,000 barrels of oil per day before the spills halted operations.

Petroperu faces some US$17 million in fines if tests confirm the spills affected the health of locals, OEFA has said.

Source : Telesur

Une enquête de l'agence Associated Press révèle que 80% de la population des Etats-Unis est pauvre ou en passe de le devenir

noreply@blogger.com (Andre Franc-Shi) — Tue, 08 Mar 2016 12:55:00 +0000

Une agence de presse américaine vient de tirer la sonnette d’alarme ! Selon les résultats de son enquête, 80 % des habitants des Etats-Unis vivraient dans la précarité. Un phénomène inquiétant que DGS vous explique en détail.

L’agence Associated Press a révélé des résultats d’enquête très surprenants il y a quelques mois, annonçant que 80 % de la population américaine vivait dans la précarité, luttant contre le chômage et nécessitant l’aide gouvernementale pour joindre les deux bouts. Parmi ces individus en difficulté, près de 50 millions vivent même en dessous du seuil de pauvreté. L’étude a également montré que l’écart de richesse entre riches et pauvres était plus grand que jamais. De plus, les emplois industriels bien payés qui autrefois donnaient l’opportunité aux ouvriers d’augmenter leur niveau de vie disparaissent progressivement.

Le nombre de personnes vivant sous le seuil de pauvreté ne reflète pas forcément le nombre d’Américains sans emploi. Selon une mesure de recensement publiée en avril 2014, ces 50 millions (3 millions de plus que les chiffres officiels du gouvernement), sont aussi dus aux frais de santé et du travail. La nouvelle mesure est en général « considérée comme plus fiable par les sociologues car elle prend en compte les revenus et les effets de l’aide gouvernementale, notamment des bons alimentaires et des réductions fiscales », explique Hope Yen, journaliste à l’Associated Press. D’autres révélations affirment que les bons alimentaires aidaient environ 5 millions de personnes à tout juste sortir du seuil du pauvreté. Cela signifie que le taux de pauvreté est en fait plus haut et que sans l’aide du gouvernement, il s’élèverait de 16 % à presque 18.

Les Hispaniques et Asiatiques américains ont vu leur niveau de vie baisser, passant respectivement de 25,8 % à 27,8 % et de 11,8 % à 16,7 % de population vivant sous le seuil de pauvreté. Les Afro-Américains d’un autre côté, ont maintenant une vie un peu moins difficile (de 27,3 % à 25,8 %), notamment grâce aux programmes d’assistance lancés par le gouvernement. Les Blancs sont passés de 9,8 % à 10,7 % de pauvres. « La raison principale qui maintient la pauvreté à un seuil si haut, vient du fait que les bénéfices d’une économie qui croît ne sont plus partagés par tous les travailleurs, comme c’était le cas dans le quart de siècle qui a suivi la fin de la Seconde Guerre mondiale », déclare Sheldon Danziger, économiste à l’université du Michigan. « Etant données les circonstances économiques actuelles, la pauvreté continuera de se propager à moins que le gouvernement ne vienne en aide aux travailleurs les plus modestes. »

D’un autre côté, le gouvernement américain pense apparemment que la réponse au problème est de retirer encore plus de services qui aident les 80 % de la population qui en ont le plus besoin, réduisant régulièrement la quantité de bons alimentaires disponibles. Les Démocrates et les Républicains négocient actuellement le nombre exact de ces services qui doivent être supprimés, mais aucun des deux partis n’a songé à se dire qu’il fallait surtout ne pas y toucher, voire en mettre d’autres en place.

Nous nous sommes sentis très concernés par cette étude édifiante. Nous n’aurions jamais imaginé qu’autant de personnes vivaient dans une situation si délicate dans un pays aussi développé. En France, le problème se pose aussi : la classe moyenne est en train de disparaître et les inégalités entre riches et pauvres se creusent de manière inquiétante. Espérons qu’un jour, les gouvernements du monde entier sauront inverser la tendance pour réduire ces écarts de niveau de vie. Ressentez-vous les effets de ce phénomène au quotidien?

Source : eburnienews

Robert Mugabe annonce sa volonté de nationaliser les mines de diamant du Zimbabwe

noreply@blogger.com (Andre Franc-Shi) — Tue, 08 Mar 2016 12:51:00 +0000

Lors de l’inteview traditionnelle à l’ocassion de son anniversaire à la télévision nationale, jeudi 3 mars, le président zimbabwéen, Robert Mugabe, a annoncé qu’il a l’intention de nationaliser les mines de diamant du pays, afin de lui permette de profiter pleinement de ces ressources principalement exploitées par des compagnies étrangères.

« Nous n’avons pas reçu beaucoup d’argent de l’industrie diamantifère. Il y a de la contrebande et des escroqueries, et les entreprises qui exploitent les diamants nous volent nos richesses. Notre peuple n’en tire rien. Nous avons décidé que ce secteur devait être un monopole que seul l’Etat est autorisé à exploiter», a déclaré le président Mugabe.

Quatre mines détenues par des entreprises étrangères

Sur six compagnies qui exploitent les mines du Zimbabwe, quatre sont détenues par des investisseurs privés étrangers: deux Chinois, un Ghanéen et une entreprise de Dubaï. Une seule entreprise locale est à la tête d’une mine, tandis que la sixième est déjà exploitée par l’Etat. Cette décision devrait donc contribuer à changer le paysage de l’industrie diamantifère au Zimbabwe.

Rappelons que l’année dernière, le Zimbabwe avait fait part de sa volonté de fusionner les six entreprises extrayant des diamants autour de la zone de Marange au sein d’une seule entité publique, la Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company. Le gouvernement compte sur cette industrie pour redresser l’économie du pays et résorber la situation de d’un chômage de masse que connaît le pays.

Source : eburnienews

États-Unis : En janvier, la police a tué en moyenne 4 personnes par jour

noreply@blogger.com (Andre Franc-Shi) — Wed, 24 Feb 2016 12:48:00 +0000

En janvier 2016, pas une seule journée ne s'est passée sans que les opérations des forces de l'ordre américaines ne fassent des victimes.

La police américaine a passablement taché de sang ses statistiques du premier mois de la nouvelle année. Le site d'information Vox dénombre au moins une victime tuée quotidiennement par les agents des forces de l'ordre, en janvier 2016. Le bilan total s'élève ainsi à 113 meurtres commis par les défenseurs du peuple.

Cependant, ces données collectées principalement à partir d'informations fournies par des citoyens puis vérifiées par des organismes spéciaux, diffèrent d'une source à l'autre. Le site The Counted, projet du quotidien britannique The Guardian, indique ainsi que 89 citoyens américains auraient été tués par la police durant le mois de janvier 2016. La plateforme mentionne également les noms des victimes, leur âge ainsi que le type de meurtre – le plus souvent par l'arme à feu.

The Counted relève actuellement 71 personnes tuées par des policiers en février 2016. Parmi les Etats américains les plus meurtriers de l'année en cours, mentionnons l'Etat de Californie, le Texas, la Floride et Washington.

Source : SputnikNews

Stérilisation de masse au Kenya : l’association des médecins catholiques accuse l’UNICEF et l’OMS

noreply@blogger.com (Andre Franc-Shi) — Wed, 24 Feb 2016 12:45:00 +0000

Selon LifeSiteNews, une publication de l’église catholique, l’Association des Médecins catholiques du Kenya accuse l’UNICEF et l’OMS de stériliser des millions de filles et de femmes sous couvert d’un programme de vaccination anti-tétanos parrainé par le gouvernement kenyan.

Malgré l’assurance du gouvernement Kenyan qui nie les faits et affirment qu’il n’y a rien de mal avec le vaccin, l’association des médecins catholiques Kényans dit le contraire avec des preuves. Après avoir envoyé à un laboratoire indépendant en Afrique du Sud pour les tests six échantillons de vaccins administrés à travers le pays, les résultats ont confirmé leurs pires craintes: les six échantillons testés positifs contenaient l’antigène de HCG.

L’antigène de HCG est utilisé dans les vaccins anti-fertilité, mais il a été trouvé présent dans les vaccins contre le tétanos ciblées pour les jeunes filles et les femmes en âge de procréer. …

According to LifeSiteNews, a Catholic publication, the Kenya Catholic Doctors Association is charging UNICEF and WHO with sterilizing millions of girls and women under cover of an anti-tetanus vaccination program sponsored by the Kenyan government.

The Kenyan government denies there is anything wrong with the vaccine, and says it is perfectly safe.

The Kenya Catholic Doctors Association, however, saw evidence to the contrary, and had six different samples of the tetanus vaccine from various locations around Kenya sent to an independent laboratory in South Africa for testing.

The results confirmed their worst fears: all six samples tested positive for the HCG antigen. The HCG antigen is used in anti-fertility vaccines, but was found present in tetanus vaccines targeted to young girls and women of childbearing age. Dr. Ngare, spokesman for the Kenya Catholic Doctors Association, stated in a bulletin released November 4:

“This proved right our worst fears; that this WHO campaign is not about eradicating neonatal tetanus but a well-coordinated forceful population control mass sterilization exercise using a proven fertility regulating vaccine. This evidence was presented to the Ministry of Health before the third round of immunization but was ignored.” (Source.)

Dr. Ngare brought up several points about the mass tetanus vaccination program in Kenya that caused the Catholic doctors to become suspicious:

Dr. Ngare told LifeSiteNews that several things alerted doctors in the Church’s far-flung medical system of 54 hospitals, 83 health centres, and 17 medical and nursing schools to the possibility the anti-tetanus campaign was secretly an anti-fertility campaign.
Why, they ask does it involve an unprecedented five shots (or “jabs” as they are known, in Kenya) over more than two years and why is it applied only to women of childbearing years, and why is it being conducted without the usual fanfare of government publicity?
“Usually we give a series three shots over two to three years, we give it anyone who comes into the clinic with an open wound, men, women or children.” said Dr. Ngare.
But it is the five vaccination regime that is most alarming. “The only time tetanus vaccine has been given in five doses is when it is used as a carrier in fertility regulating vaccines laced with the pregnancy hormone, Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) developed by WHO in 1992.” (Source.)

UNICEF: A History of Taking Advantage of Disasters to Mass Vaccinate
It should be noted that UNICEF and WHO distribute these vaccines for free, and that there are financial incentives for the Kenyan government to participate in these programs. When funds from the UN are not enough to purchase yearly allotments of vaccines, an organization started and funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, GAVI, provides extra funding for many of these vaccination programs in poor countries. (See: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Vaccine Empire on Trial in India.)

Also, there was no outbreak of tetanus in Kenya, only the perceived “threat” of tetanus due to local flood conditions.

These local disasters are a common reason UNICEF goes into poorer countries with free vaccines to begin mass vaccination programs.

Health Impact News reported last year that UNICEF began a similar mass vaccination program with 500,000 doses of live oral polio vaccine in the Philippines after a Super Typhoon devastated Tacolban and surrounding areas.

This was in spite of the fact there were no reported cases of polio in the Philippines since 1993, and people who have had the live polio vaccine can “shed” the virus into sewage systems, thereby causing the actual disease it is supposed to be preventing. (See: No Polio in the Philippines Since 1993, But Mass Polio Vaccination Program Targeted for 500,000 Typhoon Victims Under Age 5.)

A very similar mass vaccination with the live oral polio vaccine occurred among Syrian refugees in 2013, when 1.7 million doses of polio vaccine were purchased by UNICEF, in spite of the fact that no cases of polio had been seen since 1999. After the mass vaccination program started, cases of polio began to reappear in Syria. (See: Are UNICEF Live Polio Vaccines Causing Polio Among Syrians? 1.7 Billion Polio Vaccines Purchased by UNICEF.)

It seems quite apparent that UNICEF and WHO use these local disasters to mass vaccinate people, mainly children and young women. Massive education and propaganda efforts are also necessary to convince the local populations that they need these vaccines. Here is a video UNICEF produced for the tetanus vaccine in Kenya. Notice how they use school teachers and local doctors to do the educating, even though the vaccines are produced by western countries.

Selon LifeSiteNews, une publication de l’église catholique, l’Association des Médecins catholiques du Kenya accuse l’UNICEF et l’OMS de stériliser des millions de filles et de femmes sous couvert d’un programme de vaccination anti-tétanos parrainé par le gouvernement kenyan.

Malgré l’assurance du gouvernement Kenyan qui nie les faits et affirment qu’il n’y a rien de mal avec le vaccin, l’association des médecins catholiques Kényans dit le contraire avec des preuves. Après avoir envoyé à un laboratoire indépendant en Afrique du Sud pour les tests six échantillons de vaccins administrés à travers le pays, les résultats ont confirmé leurs pires craintes: les six échantillons testés positifs contenaient l’antigène de HCG.

L’antigène de HCG est utilisé dans les vaccins anti-fertilité, mais il a été trouvé présent dans les vaccins contre le tétanos ciblées pour les jeunes filles et les femmes en âge de procréer. …

According to LifeSiteNews, a Catholic publication, the Kenya Catholic Doctors Association is charging UNICEF and WHO with sterilizing millions of girls and women under cover of an anti-tetanus vaccination program sponsored by the Kenyan government.

The Kenyan government denies there is anything wrong with the vaccine, and says it is perfectly safe.

The Kenya Catholic Doctors Association, however, saw evidence to the contrary, and had six different samples of the tetanus vaccine from various locations around Kenya sent to an independent laboratory in South Africa for testing.

The results confirmed their worst fears: all six samples tested positive for the HCG antigen. The HCG antigen is used in anti-fertility vaccines, but was found present in tetanus vaccines targeted to young girls and women of childbearing age. Dr. Ngare, spokesman for the Kenya Catholic Doctors Association, stated in a bulletin released November 4:

“This proved right our worst fears; that this WHO campaign is not about eradicating neonatal tetanus but a well-coordinated forceful population control mass sterilization exercise using a proven fertility regulating vaccine. This evidence was presented to the Ministry of Health before the third round of immunization but was ignored.” (Source.)

Dr. Ngare brought up several points about the mass tetanus vaccination program in Kenya that caused the Catholic doctors to become suspicious:

Dr. Ngare told LifeSiteNews that several things alerted doctors in the Church’s far-flung medical system of 54 hospitals, 83 health centres, and 17 medical and nursing schools to the possibility the anti-tetanus campaign was secretly an anti-fertility campaign.
Why, they ask does it involve an unprecedented five shots (or “jabs” as they are known, in Kenya) over more than two years and why is it applied only to women of childbearing years, and why is it being conducted without the usual fanfare of government publicity?
“Usually we give a series three shots over two to three years, we give it anyone who comes into the clinic with an open wound, men, women or children.” said Dr. Ngare.
But it is the five vaccination regime that is most alarming. “The only time tetanus vaccine has been given in five doses is when it is used as a carrier in fertility regulating vaccines laced with the pregnancy hormone, Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) developed by WHO in 1992.” (Source.)

Freedom of Speech? Canada Condemns BDS Movement Against Israel

noreply@blogger.com (Andre Franc-Shi) — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 12:32:00 +0000

Canada’s new motion will condemn “any and all attempts” to promote the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanction movement against Israel to end the occupation.

Canada can now formally condemn efforts to support the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanction movement against Israel after Parliament passed a Conservative-sponsored motion on Monday against BDS.

The motion passed by a wide margin of 229 to 51, CIJ News reported, with the Conservative Party that proposed the move and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party voting in favor and the New Democratic Party voting against the measure.

The new motion vows to “condemn any and all attempts by Canadian organizations, groups or individuals to promote the BDS movement, both here at home and abroad.”

Canada’s National Council on Canada Arab Relations rejected the motion in a statement Monday, saying it goes against democratic principles of free speech and the right to hold diverse political views.

“Freedom of speech and conscientious objections to buying products from countries that contravene international law are core values of a free and democratic society,” NCCAR Chair Gabriel Fahel argued in a statement.

The NDP condemned the motion as an assault on Canada’s freedom of speech, while the Liberals embraced the Conservative proposal, keeping with a record of publicly opposing the BDS movement that aims to mount pressure against Israel to end the illegal occupation of Palestine.

Trudeau strongly criticized BDS last year when he suggested the movement has no place in Canada.

While the NDP opposed the motion, the party and its leader Thomas Mulcair have also come under fire for uncritical support of Israel, including during last year’s election campaign when at least two NDP candidates had to distance themselves from statements they had made about Israel and Palestine and a third candidate was forced to resign over his pro-Palestine position.

The motion celebrates Canada’s “long history of friendship as well as economic and diplomatic relations” with Israel.

Several organizations plan to pressure the Liberal government for supporting the motion they argue infringes on freedom of expression and lets the Conservative opposition take control.

Canada’s decision comes after the British government warned city councils last week of “severe penalties” for supporting boycotts on trade with Israel.

The BDS movement, launched over a decade ago, is a cultural and consumer boycott that aims to put economic and political pressure on Israel to adhere to international law and end illegal settlements on Palestinian territory and respect the human rights of Palestinians.

According to U.N. data, foreign direct investment in Israel dropped by 46 percent between 2013 and 2014, hitting the lowest levels since 2010.

Source : Telesur

Argentina's President Mauricio Macri to Raise Gas Prices up to 300%

noreply@blogger.com (Andre Franc-Shi) — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 12:25:00 +0000

Mauricio Macri's neoliberal government continues its assault on working people, as labor unions and human rights group announce protests.

Argentines will see the price of gas spike by 40 to 300 percent in less than two months as the new conservative government unapologetically continues to push neoliberal policies.

The new rates will be in place March 1, but if the government can't agree on the best strategy to do so before that date, it will take place a month later.

The National Gas Regulatory Entity sent out letters to the main gas distributors in the country, ordering them to speed up the necessary processes to apply the new rates.

Car drivers will also pay at least 124 percent more to fill their gas tanks, with prices soaring from US$2 to US$4.70. The price could jump even higher depending on several other factors.

“I don't think there will be another hike this year,” said Maurizio Bezze, CEO of energy distribution company Edesur. His remarks were made at the same time when the government had presented its plan to increase the prices before mid-year.

Argentina has 1,300 differentiated rates for users across the country, which will be affected based on geographic conditions, and the amount of subsidies received. Furthermore, gas prices would need to adjust to transportation and distribution expenses.

Source : Telesur

Argentine State Workers Join National Strike Against President Mauricio Macri

noreply@blogger.com (Andre Franc-Shi) — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 12:22:00 +0000

Thousands of public sector have been fired as part of an ideological purge since President Mauricio Macri took office last December.

Argentine public sector workers will converge in front of the presidential palace Wednesday as part of a national strike to protest the policies of President Mauricio Macri.

Macri has fired approximately 10,000 state workers since the beginning of 2016, with even more layoffs expected in the coming months as government ministries continue to review contracts.

Wednesday's national strike is being organized by the Association of State Workers, known as ATE, together with the Argentine Workers Union.

ATE President Hugo Godoy added that there would be marches and demonstrations in provincial capitals as well.

President Macri is ideologically disposed to reducing the public sector, arguing that private investment should be the source of new employment.

During an event where he announced the elimination of retention taxes on mining, Macri said the public sector employment generated during the previous five years, under the administration of his predecessor, was “unnecessary” and a product of “clientelism.”

Vice-President Gabriela Michetti has accused public sector workers of being “Kirchner militants,” referring to the supporters of the governments of the late Nestor Kirchner and his successor and wife, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.

Wednesday's demonstrations will be an opportunity to observe the reaction of state security forces in light of a new security protocol implemented by the Macri government, which now allows police to break up protests.

Critics have said the security protocol opens the door to criminalization and repression of protest.

Source : Telesur

Europe Union Agrees to Give Britain 'Special Status'

noreply@blogger.com (Andre Franc-Shi) — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 13:41:00 +0000

The EU bowed to Cameron on several of the key demands, most notably over refugee rights and child benefits.

European Union leaders agreed unanimously on a package of measures aimed at keeping Britain in the 28-nation bloc at an extended summit on Friday night, Reuters report.

British Prime Minister David Cameron said he had negotiated a deal to give Britain "special status in the EU" and he would recommend it to his cabinet on Saturday.

That will fire the starting gun for a fierce campaign for a referendum on Britain's future membership of the bloc expected to be held on June 23, with the outcome deeply uncertain.

Both men made their announcements on Twitter as leaders at a summit dinner reviewed an amended text that resolved outstanding disputes over welfare benefits for migrant workers from other EU countries and safeguards for Britain's financial services sector from euro zone regulation.

The EU bowed to Cameron on several of the key demands, most notably over refugee rights and child benefits.

In hours of wrangling with central and east European countries that provide many of Britain's low-paid immigrant workers, he secured the right to curb in-work benefits for up to four years and scale back child benefit for workers whose children remain abroad.

The EU will also change its governing treaties in future to recognize that Britain was not bound to any political union and would have safeguards against financial regulation being imposed on the City of London by the euro zone.

East European countries sought to restrict Cameron's welfare cuts to new arrivals rather than the more than 1 million European migrant workers already in the UK.

A compromise that appeared largely favorable to Britain was found for French concerns about differential treatment for London banks outside the euro zone as well as Belgian grumbles about Britain setting a precedent for states to snub EU integration.

The stakes are high for both Britain and the EU, with opinion polls showing voters almost evenly split.

The risks of Cameron's strategy were highlighted on Friday when an opinion poll showed the campaign to leave the bloc had a two-percent lead with 36 percent support. The TNS poll showed 34 percent of British voters wanted to stay in the bloc, 7 percent would not vote and 23 percent were undecided.

Cameron was keen to show British voters he was fighting hard to secure a deal which he has called "the best of both worlds".

Britain is already the EU's most semi-detached member, having opted out of joining the euro single currency, the Schengen zone of passport-free travel and many areas of police and judicial cooperation.

Many leaders said they felt they were at a historic turning point for European integration.

No country has ever voted to leave the Union. Britain is the EU's second-largest economy and one of its two permanent members on the U.N. Security Council. Its exit would end the vision of the EU as the natural home for European democracies and reverse the continent's post-World War Two march toward "ever closer union".

Source : Telesur

FBI Pressuring Apple to Comply with 'Terror' Investigation

noreply@blogger.com (Andre Franc-Shi) — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 13:37:00 +0000

The row opens up important questions about encryption.

The FBI has stepped up pressure on Apple to compel the tech company to unlock an iPhone in a terrorist investigation, seeking a court order to force them to cooperate.

The Justice Department’s motion seeks to counter Apple’s claim that taking part in the probe would threaten security across its devices, and would set a dangerous encryption precedent.

"The order does not, as Apple's public statement alleges, require Apple to create or provide a 'back door' to every iPhone," said the motion filed in a federal court in California.

"It does not provide 'hackers and criminals' access to iPhones; it does not require Apple to 'hack (its) own users' or to 'decrypt' its own phones."

Last week Apple vowed to fight a magistrate's order to aid the unlocking of an iPhone used by one of the shooters in the December San Bernardino attacks, which left 14 dead.

Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook publicly argued that the request could open the floodgates for ill-intentioned individuals to unlock any iPhone.

But the motion states that Apple is not being forced to hand over sensitive software that could end up in the hands of hackers.

"Apple did not assert that it lacks the technical capability" to help, the motion said, but is refusing in part because of "a perceived negative impact on its reputation and marketing strategy were it to provide the ordered assistance."

The FBI wants to unlock the iPhone 5C used by Syed Farook, a U.S. citizen who opened fire at an office party in San Bernardino, California, with his wife.

Donald Trump, with usual subtlety, waded into the row, urging people to boycott Apple products until the tech company complies.

"Apple ought to give the security for that phone, OK?" Trump said at a rally in Pawley's Island, South Carolina, Friday. "What I think you ought to do is boycott Apple until such time as they give that security number. How do you like that? I just thought of it. Boycott Apple!"

Source : Telesur

Argentina: President Mauricio Macri Orders New Tough Restrictions on Protests

noreply@blogger.com (Andre Franc-Shi) — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 13:10:00 +0000

The government of Argentina approved a new measure this week that will impose tough new restrictions on protesters.

Argentine police are now permitted to break up demonstrations without prior judicial authorization, thanks to new measures passed by the administration of Argentina's new right-wing president, Mauricio Macri.

“This ministry will not allow for the streets to turn into chaos," said Argentine Security Minister Patricia Bullrich on Wednesday. "Protesters will be given five or ten minutes to disperse. If they do not leave then they will be removed."

The announcement comes as part of a new protocol released by the national government outlining how security forces should handle protests. The new regulations include a ban on blocking roads.

The decision, which has generated widespread condemnation from civil society groups, comes after U.S. President Barack Obama announced plans to travel to Argentina next month, in part to "recognize" President Macri’s "contributions to the defense of human rights." His trip will coincide with Argentina's Day of Memory and Justice, which remembers the crimes U.S.-backed military dictatorship in the 1970s and 1980s.

Among those critcizing the new restrictions is the Center for Legal and Social Studies, which argues that the new measure “provides security forces with the ability to repress and criminalize protests.”

Argentine lawmaker Myriam Bregman expressed similar sentiments. “It is absurd that a resolution can take away a fundamental right, such as the right to protest," she said.

Source : Telesur

Ukraine : Manifestation antigouvernementale à Kiev

noreply@blogger.com (Andre Franc-Shi) — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 12:52:00 +0000

Une manifestation antigouvernementale consacrée au 2e anniversaire des événements tragiques de février 2014 à Kiev, qui ont fait plus de 100 morts, se déroule samedi au centre de la capitale ukrainienne.

Les organisateurs de la manifestation intitulée "La Dignité contre l'arbitraire" comptent rassembler samedi et dimanche 100.000 personnes sur la place de l'Indépendance (Maïdan Nezalejnosti ou Maïdan) de Kiev, a annoncé l'administration municipale de la ville.

Parmi les organisateurs figurent le mouvement nationaliste Pravy Sektor (Secteur droit), les groupes Comité noir, Revanche, S14, des bataillons de volontaires nationalistes et l'Organisation des nationalistes ukrainiens à tendance extrémiste OUN. Les participants entendent défiler dans les rues centrales de la capitale.

Selon les médias ukrainiens, des tentes seront installées devant le siège de la Rada suprême (parlement ukrainien) et sur la place de l'Indépendance.

Pendant la marche, les nationalistes ont attaqué samedi aux jets de pierres des bureaux de l'Alfa Bank et de la Sberbank russes et le siège du groupe System Capital Management appartenant à l'oligarque ukrainien Rinat Akhmetov au centre de Kiev.

L'Organisation des nationalistes ukrainiens envisage réunir 10.000 personnes pour réclamer la libération des détenus politiques.

Le bureau d'Alfa Bank attaqué ce samedi par les nationalistes. La photo publiée par l'historien ukrainien Vladimir Viatrovitch sur Facebook.

Par ailleurs, la place de l'Indépendance de Kiev accueillera une manifestation organisée par l'Union des anciens combattants d'Ukraine. Les vétérans souhaitent honorer la mémoire de la "Centaine céleste" (manifestants morts lors des événements de février 2014 sur la place de l'Indépendance), ainsi que celle des victimes du conflit dans le Donbass.

Plus de 4.000 policiers veillent au respect de l'ordre public à Kiev.

La crise politique, qui a éclaté en Ukraine fin novembre 2013 suite à la suspension des négociations sur l'intégration européenne du pays, a été baptisée '"EuroMaïdan". La contestation qui a débuté sur la place Maïdan à Kiev a dégénéré en affrontements avec la police le 19 janvier 2014. Les protestataires ont érigé des barricades et attaqué les policiers à coups de pierres, de fumigènes et de cocktails Molotov. Le 20 février 2014, des snipers embusqués ont tiré à la fois sur les manifestants et les policiers.

Les événements survenus sur la place de l'Indépendance à Kiev entre le 30 novembre 2013 et le 22 février 2014 ont fait entre 100 et 120 morts parmi les manifestants et 16 morts dans les rangs des policiers. Les troubles se sont soldés par un changement de pouvoir et la destitution du président Viktor Ianoukovitch. L'opposition s'est emparée du pouvoir dans le pays.

Source: SputnikNews

États-Unis : Le gouvernement engage une procédure pour contraindre Apple à travailler avec le FBI

noreply@blogger.com (Andre Franc-Shi) — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 12:30:00 +0000

Le ministère américain de la Justice a engagé vendredi une procédure pour contraindre Apple à respecter une décision de justice lui demandant d'aider le FBI à accéder aux données sur un iPhone appartenant à un assassin terroriste.

Une procédure de justice du ministère accuse Apple de "désavouer publiquement" la décision de justice de mardi qui lui demande d'aider les enquêteurs à accéder aux données sur l'iPhone utilisé par Syed Farook, l'un des participants à l'attaque de San Bernardino le 2 décembre dernier, qui avait fait 14 morts.

"Apple a tenté de concevoir et vendre ses produits pour autoriser la technologie, plutôt que la loi, à contrôler l'accès à des données dont la Cour a justifié qu'elles étaient importantes pour l'enquête", indique le document.

Le document note qu'Apple "a régulièrement respecté un nombre significatif de décisions publiées... pour faciliter l'exécution de mandats de perquisition sur des appareils Apple fonctionnant avec des versions précédentes d'iOS" par le passé.

Vendredi également, Apple s'est vu octroyer trois jours supplémentaires pour répondre à la décision de justice, avec une date limite le 26 février.

Plus tôt cette semaine, Timothy Cook, le PDG d'Apple, a publié une lettre ouverte sur le site de l'entreprise, qualifiant la décision de "mesure sans précédent" menaçant la sécurité des consommateurs d'Apple.

"Nous avons beaucoup de respect pour les professionnels du FBI, et nous pensons que leurs intentions sont bonnes. Jusqu'ici, nous avons fait tout ce qui est en notre pouvoir et dans le cadre de la loi pour les aider. Mais maintenant le gouvernement américain nous a demandé quelque chose que nous n'avons tout simplement pas, et quelque chose que nous considérons comme dangereux de créer. Ils nous ont demandé de construire une　porte d'accès cachée à l'iPhone", a écrit Cook.

Source: CRI

Exercices militaires géants en Norvège: Le matériel US sort de ses grottes

noreply@blogger.com (Andre Franc-Shi) — Fri, 19 Feb 2016 11:45:00 +0000

Les exercices Cold Response-2016 se dérouleront en Norvège du 19 février au 22 mars, impliquant 15.000 militaires en provenance de 14 pays.

Les Etats-Unis impliqueront dans les exercices internationaux Cold Response-2016 environ 6.500 unités de matériel militaire stockées dans des grottes souterraines situées dans la partie centrale de la Norvège, annonce la chaîne télévisée CNN.

Les exercices Cold Response-2016 se dérouleront en Norvège du 19 février au 22 mars, impliquant 15.000 militaires en provenance de 14 pays.

Le Pentagone a commencé à déployer son matériel militaire dans des grottes norvégiennes en 1981. La fin de la "guerre froide" a mis en doute l'opportunité de l'existence de cette base qui a été financée, dans les années 1990, par les autorités norvégiennes.

Selon la CNN, la base est desservie par une centaine de personnes et le nombre d'armes stockées est suffisant pour équiper 15.000 fusiliers marins.

La chaîne annonce que le Pentagone envisage de se servir des grottes en qualité de dépôt situé à proximité d'un éventuel théâtre d'actions militaires en Europe.

"Tout matériel déployé d'avance diminue nos dépenses financières et réduit le temps nécessaire pour soutenir nos opérations en temps de crise", a déclaré le porte-parole des Marines américains, le colonel William Bentley, cité par la chaîne.

Le service de presse des Forces armées de la Norvège a annoncé auparavant que la phase préparatoire des exercices de déroulerait du 19 février au 1er mars. Les exercices proprement dits se tiendront du 2 au 9 mars, alors que la phase finale aura lieu du 10 au 22 mars.

Les exercices impliqueront des militaires de la Norvège, de la Belgique, du Canada, du Danemark, de la Finlande, de la France, de la Lettonie, des Pays Bas, de la Pologne, de la Suède, des Etats-Unis, de l'Allemagne, de l'Espagne et de la Grande-Bretagne.

Sur fond de crise politique en Ukraine, une nette augmentation de l'activité des forces armées de l'Otan et des Etats-Unis a été constatée près des frontières russes. Moscou perçoit ces démarches de l'Occident comme une tentative de provoquer une nouvelle Guerre froide.

Pour sa part, la Russie a déclaré à maintes reprises qu'elle considérait le rapprochement des troupes de l'Otan de ses frontières comme une menace pour sa sécurité. L'ambassadeur russe auprès de l'Alliance Alexandre Grouchko a indiqué le 9 octobre que Moscou ferait tout ce qui est nécessaire pour préserver l'équilibre des forces militaires en Europe, mais qu'il n'aspirait nullement à une nouvelle course aux armements.

Source : SputnikNews

Haiti : Aristide Allies Celebrate the New President

noreply@blogger.com (Andre Franc-Shi) — Tue, 16 Feb 2016 12:57:00 +0000

Haiti’s left wing was heavily represented at the inauguration ceremony for President Privert, in the National Palace in Port-au-Prince.

Members of the leftist political party Fanmi Lavalas proclaimed “we're back” after the appointment as interim president of Senator Jocelerme Privert, who served as interior minister under former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

Privert was elected on Sunday to fill a power vacuum after the departure of Michel Martelly, who left the same day with no successor after authorities cancelled a runoff presidential election last month amid violent protests over alleged voter fraud in the first round and after the opposition candidate boycotted the vote.

According to local media, the Lavalas movement was heavily represented at the inauguration ceremony for President Privert, in the National Palace in Port-au-Prince, which some had not visited since their leader Jean-Bertrand Aristide was toppled 12 years ago in a coup.

Aristide became Haiti's first democratically elected president in 1991. However, he did not fully serve either of his two terms. He was ousted the first time in a military coup, and then was restored to power in a U.S. military intervention in 1994. After completing that term in 1996, he was elected again in 2001, but was forced out after a U.S.-backed rebellion in 2004 and was whisked away aboard a U.S. plan. He has claimed that he was kidnapped by Washington.

Aristide remains a potent symbol for the impoverished population of Haiti. He remained in exile for almost a decade and returned in 2011, but he was put under house arrest in 2014 over corruption allegations, with his supporters say were a deliberate attempt to prevent the popular leader from running in elections.

Privert was also in prison for more than two years over human rights violations, but he was released after conducting a hunger strike and returned to politics in 2010. According to his supporters, the fact that he was appointed means that Lavalas and Aristide have reemerged as political forces in the country.

Source : Telesur

Saakachvili veut sortir l'Ukraine du Fonds monétaire international (FMI)

noreply@blogger.com (Andre Franc-Shi) — Tue, 16 Feb 2016 12:53:00 +0000

Le gouverneur de la région d'Odessa (Ukraine) et ex-président de Géorgie Mikhaïl Saakachvili a plaidé pour la fin de la coopération de l'Ukraine avec le Fonds monétaire international (FMI).

"Pour nous, l'idéal serait que le FMI reste en dehors du pays. En Géorgie, nous nous sommes débarrassés du FMI en l'espace d'un an. Nous l'avons fait, et Dieu merci!", a-t-il déclaré dans une interview à la radio "Era".

D'après M.Saakachvili, le Fonds contrôle continuellement les actions du gouvernement et a un effet négatif sur son travail. "Le FMI est semblable à un chirurgien. Quand tu as besoin de te mettre un pansement sur le doigt, il te demande: "Pourquoi un pansement? Viens, on va te couper la main. Pourquoi chipoter? Ne prenons pas de risque", a déclaré le gouverneur.

Le 10 février, la directrice générale du FMI Christine Lagarde a déclaré que l'Ukraine n'avait pas progressé dans la lutte contre la corruption, et donc que le programme d'aide financière pouvait être réduit.

"Je suis préoccupée par la lenteur des progrès en Ukraine dans l'amélioration de la gestion gouvernementale ainsi que dans le domaine de la lutte contre la corruption", a affirmé Mme Lagarde en ajoutant que dans ces conditions il était "difficile de supposer si le programme d'assistance du FMI pourrait continuer et atteindre son but".

Le 9 févier, la ministre ukrainienne des Finances, Natalie Jaresko, a déclaré que le FMI avait adopté une position attentiste à l'égard du crédit ukrainien. D'après elle, le Fonds craint que le gouvernement du pays ne soit pas prêt à remplir ces conditions.

Encore tout récemment, le 3 février, Aivaras Abromavicius quittait son poste de ministre ukrainien du Développement économique. "J'ai pris cette décision en raison de la soudaine intensification des tentatives de blocage de réformes importantes et systémiques dans notre pays", a expliqué l'ancien ministre. Il a également souligné que la mise en œuvre des réformes était entravée par les pressions politiques et la corruption.

Le montant total du programme de soutien du FMI est de 17,5 milliards de dollars. En 2015, Kiev a reçu 6,7 milliards de dollars, et vers la fin de l'année une autre tranche de 1,7 milliards de dollars était prévue, mais le Fonds l'a reportée.

Source : SputnikNews

Turquie: 20 nouvelles violations de l'espace aérien grec en un jour

noreply@blogger.com (Andre Franc-Shi) — Tue, 16 Feb 2016 12:49:00 +0000

Mardi 15 février, six chasseurs turcs sont entrés illégalement dans l'espace aérien grec en mer Egée ayant, au total, violé la frontière plus de 20 fois.

Athens News Agency rapporte qu'au moins deux fois des avions grecs se sont vus obligés d'escorter les chasseurs turcs jusqu'à la frontière.

La Grèce craint qu'Ankara puisse profiter de la crise migratoire pour accroître sa présence en mer Egée étant donné que l'incident s'est produit à la veille de l'opération navale de surveillance du flux migratoire en mer Egée avec la participation de l'Otan. La récente rencontre des ministres de la Défense de l'alliance a débouché sur la décision d'envoyer dans la région un deuxième groupe naval sous le commandement de l'Allemagne.

Il convient de rappeler que la Turquie réagit de manière très dure à toute menace à son espace aérien, même si elles ne sont pas évidentes. Ainsi, en novembre dernier, un F-16 des forces aériennes turques avait abattu un bombardier russe Su-24 sous le prétexte que ce dernier aurait violé l'espace aérien de la Turquie dans la région de la frontière syrienne.

L'équipage du bombardier abattu s'est éjecté, mais le commandant de bord Oleg Pechkov a été fusillé depuis la terre. Le navigateur Konstantin Mourakhtine a été sauvé par les militaires russes. Au cours de l'opération lancée pour évacuer les pilotes de l'avion abattu, les terroristes ont fait sauter l'hélicoptère Mi-8, causant la mort d'un fusilier-marin, Alexandre Posynitch. Cet incident a fortement aggravé les relations entre la Russie et la Turquie.

Le vice-président de la commission des Affaires étrangères du parlement russe Léonide Kalachnikov a récemment qualifié les militaires turcs de terroristes ayant déclaré qu'ils violaient constamment eux-mêmes l'espace aérien d'autres pays, notamment de la Grèce.

"Somme toute, ce sont des terroristes revêtus du pouvoir d'Etat. S'ils le font pratiquement chaque jour ou chaque semaine sur la frontière grecque, est-ce que cela signifie qu'il faut abattre les avions turcs?", a ajouté le député.

Source : SputnikNews

United Kingdom to Impose 'Severe Penalties' for Boycotting Israeli Goods

noreply@blogger.com (Andre Franc-Shi) — Tue, 16 Feb 2016 12:33:00 +0000

The ban has been condemned by Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and the U.K.'s Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

The British government is warning city councils of "severe penalties" if they support boycotts on trade with Israel, a move that has been strongly criticized by opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn.

The Cabinet Office is set to announce new regulations this week that will make it illegal for all publicly funded institutions in the United Kingdom to boycott goods and services from companies based in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The Israeli settlements are themselves illegal under international law.

Cabinet Office minister and conservative politician Matthew Hancock will unveil the plans during a visit to Israel in the next few days. In a statement, the office said that the changes will aim to prevent town hall boycotts that "polarized debate and fueled anti-Semitism.”

"The new guidance on procurement, combined with changes we are making to how pension pots can be invested, will help prevent damaging and counterproductive local foreign policies undermining our national security," it said.

In response, Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn’s office has said the proposed ban "would have outlawed council action against Apartheid South Africa."

"People have the right to elect local representatives able to make decisions free of central government political control. That includes withdrawal of investments or procurement on ethical and human rights grounds," said the statement.

In 2014, Leicester City Council banned goods from Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The Scottish government also "strongly discourages" local authorities from trading with companies operating from "illegal settlements."

Hugh Lanning, chairman of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, has blasted the upcoming regulations.

"As if it is not enough that the U.K. government has failed to act when the Israeli government has bombed and killed thousands of Palestinian civilians and stolen their homes and land, the government is now trying to impose its inaction on all other public bodies," he told The Independent.

This is not the first time the conservatives have saddled up to regimes that repress a country’s native population. As a rising star of the right-wing party, current British Prime Minister David Cameron accepted an all-expenses paid trip to apartheid South Africa while Nelson Mandela was still in prison.

The 1989 trip was funded by the Strategy Network International, a lobby group that campaigned against the imposition of sanctions on the white supremacist apartheid regime.

The young Cameron said it was a chance for to "see for himself" the restrictive system. Alistair Cooke, then Cameron's boss in the U.K.’s Cabinet Office, described the excursion as a "just a little treat, a perk of the job."

The new anti-boycott guidelines will apply to all public bodies, including the central government, the National Health Service (NHS) and local councils. The "severe penalties" for breaking the rules may include large fines, but violations will not be treated as criminal offenses.

Source : Telesur

Greece Faces New Round of Strikes and Protests

noreply@blogger.com (Andre Franc-Shi) — Tue, 16 Feb 2016 12:25:00 +0000

Lawyers, dockworkers, and teachers are all set to engage in job actions.

A series of protests are set to rock Greece beginning on Tuesday over the privatization of a key port, as well as proposed pension reforms.

Dockworkers from the Omyle union will begin a 48-hour strike over the sale of 67 percent of Piraeus Port Authority to China’s Cosco.

The privatization of ports was part of the set of conditions agreed to by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' government in exchange for bailout loans.

Tsipras had frozen the privatization of key industries and assets, such as ports, early in his first term before eventually acquiescing to the demands of the Eurozone lenders.

The sale of the Piraeus Port Authority for US$402 million was announced last month. At the time the Greek agency tasked with handling privatizations said it was "a very important milestone." Cosco was the sole bidder.

The Piraeus Port Authority is the largest in Greece and among the busiest in all of Europe.

Greek newspaper Kathimerini reported that court proceedings in the county would also be frozen as a result of job actions Tuesday by Greek bar associations over pension reforms.

Greek agricultural workers held a mass protest against the government’s proposed pension reforms last week.

Elementary and secondary school teachers are also expected to go on strike on Wednesday.

Source : Telesur

20 States Join Massive Military Exercise in Saudi Arabia

noreply@blogger.com (Andre Franc-Shi) — Mon, 15 Feb 2016 12:26:00 +0000

The military maneuver features 2,540 warplanes, 20,000 tanks and 460 helicopters from 20 different nations.

Armed forces from 20 countries gathered in northern Saudi Arabia on Sunday for the start of "the most important" military exercise ever staged in the Middle East, according to the Saudi state news agency SPA.

The exercise, dubbed "Thunder of the North,| features some 350,000 forces from Persian Gulf Arab states and allies such as Chad, Egypt, Jordan, Sudan and Pakistan, said SPA.

The drill will feature demonstrations from ground, air, and naval forces with the intent of sending a "clear message" that Riyadh and its allies "stand united in confronting all challenges and preserving peace and stability in the region," according to the country's new agency.

Over 2,540 warplanes, 20,000 tanks and 460 helicopters will participate in the 18 day long exercise.

Brigadier Ahmad Asiri, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition bombing Yemen, said the exercise seeks to better the military prowess of all the nations partaking in the drill.

"It will serve to boost fighting capabilities, exchange information, benefit from experiences and expertise and enhance coordination between the participating countries," he said.

The exercise has been well received by numerous Arab state ambassadors to the Saudi kingdom. Jamal Al Shamayla, Jordan's ambassador to Riyadh, said last week that the exercise “is one of his numerous initiatives to preserve security and stability in the region.”

Saudi Arabia’s military is currently engaged in a number of operations across the region. The oil-rich nation is leading an assault on anti-government Houthi rebels in its southern neighbor Yemen, where it has been joined by allies Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, among others.

Earlier this month it sent warplanes to a Turkish air base in order to "intensify" its operations against the Islamic State group in Syria. The kingdom’s military also recently said it would be willing to engage in a ground battle with militants from the terror group, whic hprompted an angry response from Damascus.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem said any ground troops who would “attack or violate” Syria’s sovereignty would return to their countries in a “wooden coffin.”

A Saudi source told AFP on Thursday that members of its "anti-terrorism" coalition, formed in December, will gather in Saudi Arabia next month for its first publicly announced meeting.

Source : Telesur

Turkey Continues Intervention in Syria to Protect Islamic State against Syrian Kurds

noreply@blogger.com (Andre Franc-Shi) — Mon, 15 Feb 2016 12:20:00 +0000

While Washington urged Turkey to stop bombing Kurds in Syria, they have also asked Russia stop bombing anti-government forces in the Arab nation.

Turkish forces on Sunday continued attacking Kurds in northern Syria, which has been viewed more as an attempt by Ankara to protect Nusra Front and Islamic State group militants than a bid to counter the growing influence of a Kurdish-backed fighters in the region, according to various sources.

The Syrian government confirmed Sunday that Turkish bombing had targeted their army's positions and complained to the United Nations about what they considered as a direct support for “terrorist” groups.

The government also called on the U.N. Security Council to “take responsibility for international peace and security by putting an end to the crimes committed by the Turkish regime.

“In addition, Turkish artillery bombarded the towns of Maraanaz, al-Malikiyah, Minagh, Ain Dakna and Bazi Bagh, which are home to the civilian population,” Syria said in their letter to the United Nations.

Kobane-based political analyst Barzan Iso told RT that Turkey's intervention in Syria is aimed at warning who they consider their enemies, the Kurds, to stop trying to liberate the northern region of the country from Islamic State group control.

“Turkey is trying to prevent Kurds from liberating the area around the Turkish border from IS,” Iso said. “The YPG [Kurdish People’s Protection] units are stronger than before and have the ability to free the area around Turkey from ISIS.”

The expert explained that Turkey's intervention in Syria is not just to protect their profitable businesses with Islamic State group, but also because IS fighters have created a beneficial buffer zone which could eventually help Ankara “occupy” a region inside of Syria between their border and Aleppo.

Turkey has been accused on many occasions by Russia and other countries of supporting Islamic State group and buying the oil the extremists have been stealing from Syria and selling to Turkey at a very low price.

Ara News spoke to a Kurdish leader who accused Turkey of supporting other extremists as well, such as the Nusra Front and al-Qaida.

“The Turkish government has its own agenda in Syria, which basically clashes with the Kurdish war on terrorism,” Ilham Ahmed, a Kurdish politician and Joint President of the Syrian Democratic Council, told Ara News.

“Turkey was surprised with the U.S. support to the Kurdish forces in Syria. The government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan considers the Kurdish fighters in Syria as terrorists, while it sees in al-Qaida and ISIS as allies,” she added.

As the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia has expanded in the northern Aleppo province since the beginning of the conflict in 2011, and has been a key U.S. ally in fighting the Islamic State group, Turkey has considered it as a branch of the Kurdistan Workers Party and therefore a threat to national security.

On Saturday, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu demanded the YGP to evacuate the Menagh air base, adding the shelling had been taking place under "the rules of engagement against forces that represented a threat in Azaz and the surrounding area."

He informed he had just previously made that point to U.S. Vice President Joe Biden.

The shelling targeted positions controlled by YPG in the countryside of Azaz and in the northern Aleppo province. It killed two fighters so far, according to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Near the town of Tel Rifaat in the province of Aleppo, the Kurdish-backed Syrian Democratic Forces was also fighting rebels along with government forces, the Syrian organization said.

One group inside the SDF, Jaysh al-Thuwwar, warned Turkey against any escalation, saying if it "has goals in our dear nation, we will defend our land and our people, and view it as a hostile party."

In the meantime, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told a press conference Sunday that Russia “will fail to save [Syrian President Bashar Assad].” The statements come as tensions are increasing in the region between Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the United States on one side and Russia on the other, and after Saudi officials said they were ready to send ground troops into Syria, a step that Moscow warned would cause a "New World War" to erupt.

President Barack Obama urged his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to stop bombing "moderate" rebels in Syria who are fighting to topple Assad. Obama's call on Putin could be viewed as hypocritical or contradictory as the U.S.-led coalition continues to bomb pro-government forces in their insistent intention to bring Assad down because he has not bowed to Washington's objective to topple a democratically-elected government and subsequently take control of Syria's vast oil and gas reserves.

So despite an agreement by various countries, namely Russia and the U.S., to a cease-fire in Syria, peace seems distant in a country where close to 500,000 people have been killed since 2011 and 12 million displaced. The cessation of hostilities agreed upon, however, does not include airstrikes against Islamic State, which will continue according to all countries involved.

Source : Telesur

L’occupant israélien commence à construire 1.800 maisons en Cisjordanie

noreply@blogger.com (Andre Franc-Shi) — Mon, 15 Feb 2016 12:13:00 +0000

Les autorités d’occupation israéliennes ont commencé à construire 1.800 maisons en Cisjordanie, destinées aux colons juifs, a indiqué dimanche l’ONG « Peace Now » . Selon un rapport de Peace Now, 69% des bâtiments sont construits dans les colonies isolées, situées dans les zones qu’Israël veut évacuer en prélude à la conclusion d’un accord de paix avec les Palestiniens.

Par ailleurs, la préparation d’un plan qui vise à construire 734 unités d’habitation a été achevée et les travaux de construction devrait débuter prochainement. 265 unités d’habitation avaient été construites dans les « avant-postes illégaux », terme qu’Israël utilise pour décrire les colonies juives dont la construction n’est pas autorisée. Pourtant, toutes les colonies sont illégales aux termes de la loi internationale.

Bien que le gouvernement ait déclaré geler la construction, les travaux sur le terrain se poursuivent, a indiqué Peace Now. Depuis 2009, selon le rapport de Peace Now, Israël a construit des appartements pour environ 40.000 nouveaux colons « qui pourraient être évacués en cas d’un accord sur le statut permanent ». Peace Now a aussi reproché à Israël de créer des obstacles sur le terrain pour rendre plus difficile la conclusion d’un accord de paix.

Source : Algerie1