Before dawn on December 3, 1984, a pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, exploded and leaked 45 tons of methyl isocyanate. Half a million people came in contact with the toxic gas and other chemicals, and thousands died within days. As many as 25,000 people are thought to have eventually perished after exposure to the gas, which causes nerve and respiratory damage.
Daily Archives: 2. Juni 2014
Japanese PM to kick off 5-day trip to three European countries
The prime minister is expected to meet Pope Francis when he is in Vatican.
Chinese general reiterates principle for solving island disputes
The Xisha Islands and the Nansha Islands, both in the South China Sea, were occupied by Japan during World War II, and returned to China in 1946 under the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation.
The CIA Can‘t Control the Truth at Guantánamo Forever
One way or another, transparency will be achieved. The summary of the Senate report will be released, hopefully with few redactions. By June 20, in our lawsuit seeking the release of CIA torture reports, the agency has to provide a specific timeline for declassification. In the meantime, Judge Pohl will soon decide whether to reject the government‘s request to reconsider his decision. The government won‘t be able to keep its torture secrets forever.
„Six Strikes“ Copyright Alert System Can‘t Be The Future of Copyright Enforcement Without More Transparency and Accountability
Last week, the group behind the copyright monitoring and enforcement system commonly known as „Six Strikes“ released some data about its operations for the first time. The Center for Copyright Information (CCI), a group created and funded by major movie studios, music labels, and Internet service providers revealed that their Copyright Alert System (CAS) sent more than 1.3 million accusations of copyright infringement to about 722,000 Internet subscribers. The report also said that over 60,000 of those subscribers received some kind of penalty from their ISP.
Reset the Net: This June 5, We‘re Taking Back the Web
No single piece of legislation can get us what we want. No single protest will save the day. No single encryption product can protect the entire web from prying eyes. This is, and has always been, a fight that we can only win if we’re ready for the long haul, and if we’re willing to work together.
When Fat Cats Meet In Munich: Welcoming the International Monetary Conference
Indeed, systemic problems of the global monetary, financial and economic system will likely remain unresolved so long as forums like the International Monetary Conference are permitted to take place outside public scrutiny. Such meetings, where central bankers, regulators and leading financial policy makers meet in private with the world’s most influential bankers, only encourage consensus, closer cooperation and, ultimately, collusion between our so-called public officials and the bankers who profited off the financial and economic destruction which they themselves caused.
WSJ: Google Spending $1 Billion on Satellites to Cover Earth in Wi-Fi
According to „people familiar with the project,“ Google will use 180 „small, high-capacity satellites“ that will orbit the Earth at low altitudes. Led by Greg Wyler, who set up satellite startup O3b Networks Ltd, Google has been on a hiring spree to recruit engineers from satellite company Space Systems/Loral LLC, claims the Journal.
Mehr Punk, weniger Hölle!
In Island fand ein einzigartiges politisches Experiment statt: Vier Jahre lang regierten Anarchisten die Hauptstadt Reykjavik. Und diese Amateure haben Erstaunliches vollbracht.
Fellow soldiers call Bowe Bergdahl a deserter, not a hero
„I was pissed off then, and I am even more so now with everything going on,“ said former Sgt. Matt Vierkant, a member of Bergdahl‘s platoon when he went missing on June 30, 2009. „Bowe Bergdahl deserted during a time of war, and his fellow Americans lost their lives searching for him.“
olitics Military The 6 U.S. Soldiers Who Died Searching For Bowe Bergdahl
Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl was freed by the Taliban over the weekend after they held him for nearly five years, in exchange for five Taliban leaders, who will spend a year cooling their heels in Qatar. You might have heard about it on the news.
Chances are you haven’t heard of the six soldiers who died hunting for him after he went missing, according to military officials.
NSA-Affäre: Offener Brief an den Justizminister
In Deutschland und Österreich wurden Ermittlungen in der NSA-Affäre beinahe gleichzeitig abgebrochen, von der Generalbundesanwaltschaft und der Staatsanwaltschaft Wien. Dass immer mehr Material auftaucht – was jeder weiss, der Zeitungen liest oder das Interview mit Edward Snowden auf NBC gesehen hat – ist offenbar ein Argument gegen weitere Ermittlungen. Diese Absurdität und der Verzicht auf den Einsatz von Ermittlungsmethoden, die als Instrumente in anderen Fällen sehr wohl eingesetzt werden, lassen auf massive Einflussnahme der USA bzw. Unterwerfung der Regierungen schliessen.
Weitere Gremien > Kontrolle der Nachrichtendienste
Mitglieder
CDU/CSU:
Clemens Binninger
Manfred Grund
Stephan Mayer (Altötting)
Armin Schuster (Weil am Rhein)
SPD:
Mitglieder
Gabriele Fograscher
Michael Hartmann (Wackernheim)
Burkhard Lischka
Die Linke:
Dr. André Hahn
Bündnis 90/Die Grünen:
Dr. André Hahn
Akustische Überwachung (Art.13 VI GG)
Mitglieder
CDU/CSU:
Stephan Mayer (Altötting)
Nina Warken
Marian Wendt
Elisabeth Winkelmeier-Becke
SPD:
Gabriele Fograscher
Burkhard Lischka
Gerold Reichenbach
Die Linke:
Frank Tempel
Bündnis 90/Die Grünen:
Irene Mihalic
G 10-Kommission (Brief, Post-, Fernmeldegeheimnis)
Mitglieder:
Frank Hofmann
Dr. Bertold Huber
Ulrich Maurer
Andreas Schmidt
King Of Spain Abdicates And Left-Wing Groups Announce Pro-Republic Demonstration In Madrid
The leader of Podemos, Pablo Iglesias, said from Brussels that: “We demand the government call a referendum”.
A spokeswoman for new political force Podemos, which is pro-republic and won five new seats in the European parliament last Sunday, told The Spain Report that they seconded the call for a demonstration tonight in Madrid and that the party is in favour of a Third Spanish Republic.
Spain‘s New Left-Wing Party Scored One Of The Most Stunning Victories In The European Elections
„From tomorrow, we will work together with other partners from southern Europe to say that we don’t want to be a colony of Germany and the troika,“ Iglesias told supporters Sunday night, referring to the tripartite committee led by the European Commission with the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
Los Indignados y Beppe Grillo
(21.05.2011) I’ve arrived in Barcelona for my tour and I found Piazza Catalunya full of young people asking for radical change to the current model of (under) development and direct participation in democracy. I smelled the air of home. The soft Spanish revolution was born in Puerta del Sol in Madrid and it immediately spread to the whole of Spain, from Valencia to Seville to Santiago. The young people are called „Los indignados“, the indignant ones, but their name is „Movimiento 15-M“, from 15 May, the day when the protest got off the ground. They do not see themselves in any party. Does it not remind you of something?
Podemos hopes to cement rise of citizen politics in Spain after election success
Barely 100 days old, party born from indignados movement now has five MEPs and determination to change political landscape
Consensus Government Takes Oath of Office, Abbas Announces End of Division
alestinian national consensus government, headed by Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, Monday took the oath of office before President Mahmoud Abbas, who announced the end of national division which lasted from 2007 to 2014.
“Today we announce the restoration of national and institutional unity. As for the unity of [our] people, it has always been preserved and has never been susceptible to split,” said Abbas during the oath-of-office ceremony of the new government.
“By forming the national consensus government today, we hereby announce the end of division which had resulted in catastrophic consequences to our national cause during the past seven years,” he added.
Brussels May Be Lying About Museum Shootings, Professor Claims
(30.05.) “The two tourists targeted in Brussels worked for the Israeli secret services,” Ramadan wrote, citing media reports.
“The [Belgian] government does not comment,” Ramadan wrote. “Coincidence. Is this a case of anti-Semitism or a maneuver to divert attention from the real motives of the executioners? We oppose all slaying of innocents and racism but at the same time, it’s time they stopped taking us for fools.”
The Brussels mystery: Was shooting anti-Semitism or part of spy games?
(27.05.2014) There was no practical reason for a hostile state like Iran or an enemy organization like Hezbollah to try and harm either Emanuel or Mira Riva – both former civil servants – at the Jewish Museum in Brussels. Both were accountants who were employed separately by government bodies.
Palestinian Authority signs lucrative diesel deal with Venezuela
(17.05.2014) Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has signed a lucrative diesel deal with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who hailed it as the birth of PetroPalestine.
An American Hero
Eric Shinseki resigned Friday as secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The decision was announced by President Barack Obama after a meeting with the retired four-star general at the White House to discuss widespread misconduct and mismanagement at VA medical centers. Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee chairman, praised Shinseki and called him “an American hero who courageously served his country in war, rose to be the Army chief of staff and has dedicated his distinguished career to helping his fellow soldiers and veterans. I am sad that he resigned.
Palestinian unity government sworn in at Ramallah ceremony
The Palestinian unity government has been sworn in at the PLO headquarters in Ramallah, with the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas present at the event.
The brief ceremony at Abbas‘ West Bank headquarters was preceded by last-minute haggling over the makeup of the 17-member Cabinet of technocrats, signaling the continued tensions between the long-time rivals.
Das Judentum gehört nicht zu Deutschland – äh, Moment mal…
(19.04.2012) Die Identitäten eines Landes, eines Staates, einer Nation (was drei verschiedene Dinge sind bzw sein können) ergeben sich erstens aus der Summe der einzelnen Identitäten und Traditionen und zweitens aus deren Interaktion.
Wir sind die Republik Deutschland. Und die Summe unserer einzelnen Identitäten und deren Interaktion werden bezüglich der Frage der Religion und Überzeugung wie folgt geregelt:
“Die Freiheit des Glaubens, des Gewissens und die Freiheit des religiösen und weltanschaulichen Bekenntnisses sind unverletzlich.
Die ungestörte Religionsausübung wird gewährleistet.”
Kraft Artikel 4 unserer Verfassung entscheiden also alle – alle – selbst über ihre Identität und Tradition. Daraus ergibt sich wiederum eine andere Summe und eine andere Interaktion der Gesellschaft in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Daraus folgt: Der Islam gehört zu Deutschland, wenn deutsche Staatsbürger sich für diese Religion entscheiden.
Quod erat demonstrandum. Und damit Schluss.
Kauder: Muslime gehören zu Deutschland, der Islam nicht
(19.04.2012) „Der Islam ist nicht Teil unserer Tradition und Identität in Deutschland und gehört somit nicht zu Deutschland“, sagte Unionsfraktionschef Kauder.
Grundgesetz; „Artikel 1 hat seine Grenzen“ – Seite 2/4: Volker Kauder: „Die Religionsfreiheit ist Kernbestandteil der menschlichen Würde“
(22.05.2014) „Was ein Mensch glaubt, oder nicht glauben kann oder will, ist dabei Sache jedes Einzelnen. Nie darf sich der Staat darin einmischen. Mehr noch: Er muss die Entscheidung für oder gegen eine Glaubensrichtung sogar schützen. All das drückt unser Grundgesetz in den ersten beiden Absätzen des Artikel 4 aus.“
SPD fordert von Merkel eindeutige Festlegung auf Juncker
Im Gerangel um den Chefposten der EU-Kommission hat die SPD Kanzlerin Angela Merkel aufgefordert, dem Widerstand aus Großbritannien gegen Jean-Claude Juncker nicht nachzugeben.
„Die SPD und Martin Schulz haben bei der Wahl zum Europäischen Parlament ein sehr gutes Ergebnis erzielt.“
(25.Mai)
National Alliance Affirms Triumph in Blood Ballot Battle As Egyptians Reject Coup Roadmap
Egypt‘s pro-democracy coalition against the coup hails popular triumph in the battle of deserted polling stations.
A Russian delegation arrive in Damascus to oversee Presidential elections
A Russian delegation comprising parliamentarians and members of the Russian Central Elections Commission ( CEC ) arrived in Damascus Monday to oversee the Presidential elections scheduled Tuesday.
Saudis Back Syrian Rebels Despite Risks
(07.01.2014) But the Saudis are also bent on ousting Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, and his patron, Iran, which they see as a mortal enemy. Their only real means of fighting them is through military and financial support to the Syrian rebels. And the most effective of those rebels are Islamists whose creed — rooted in the puritanical strain of Islam practiced in Saudi Arabia — is often scarcely separable from Al Qaeda’s.
Saudi Arabia and UAE Ready Massive $20bn Aid Package to Boost Egypt‘s Shattered Economy
In total, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have pledged $12bn (£7.1bn, €8.8bn) in loans and donations since the interim government took control of Egypt.
Egypt’s Salafist Nour party in tenuous political alliance with president-elect Sissi
The Nour party — the country’s largest Salafist party — and the once-formidable Brotherhood competed for influence among Islamist voters after Egypt’s 2011 revolution.
Egypt‘s Al-Sisi Vows to Wipe out Muslim Brotherhood
(06.05.) Egypt‘s former army chief and presidential hopeful Abdeh Fattah al-Sisi has vowed to wipe out the Muslim Brotherhood from the country if he gets elected in the upcoming elections.
Egypt: Salafi Nour Party Declares Support for Sisi As President
(03.05.) 0Makhioun added that his party will make „the decision that is best for the country“.
Islamist Al-Nour Party backs Al-Sisi
(04.05.) Al-Nour Party is the political wing of the conservative preaching group Salafi Da’awa. The elders of Salafi Da’awa also released a statement on Saturday mirroring the decision made by Al-Nour Party, saying that a “majority” of its members supported Al-Sisi, considering him “more appropriate than his opponent for this stage.”
IMF takes the wind out of the Greek sails, German FinMin speaks warns of Grexit
Speaking to German weekly Focus, Wolfgang Schaeuble also brought back on the agenda the notorious Grexit stressing that if Greece wants to remain in the euro, the reform process is essential.
Eight killed, 15 wounded in clashes in Libya‘s Benghazi: medics
Libya is in protracted turmoil three years after the NATO-backed war that ousted Muammar Gaddafi, with Islamist, anti-Islamist, regional and political factions locked in conflict.
‚Don‘t leave me, Peres and Abbas alone‘, asks pope
No date has been set for the prayer meeting, although Israeli radio said Monday it might be on June 6.
Peres, Abbas ‚peacemakers‘ says pope
„(In the Holy Land) I encouraged the authorities to pursue efforts to ease tensions, above all in beloved Syria, and to pursue efforts for a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and that‘s why I invited the presidents, both peacemakers, to come to the Vatican to pray with me“.
Grillo meeting Farage in Brussels
The meeting between the two flamboyant Eurosceptics was expected to be held in a restaurant in the centre of Brussels, sources in the Italian comedian‘s party added.
More than 6 million out of work in Italy
It noted that last year, 2.435 million youth aged 15 to 29 were in the category known as NEET – neither employed nor in education or training programs.
That number had jumped by 576,000 since 2008, said Istat.
Crisis causing more Italians to emigrate
The national statistics agency said 68,000 people moved abroad in 2012, the highest level in a decade and 36% up on 2011.
Italian public among oldest in world
Italy has one of the oldest populations in the world, and is second only to Germany in the 28 nations of the European Union, national statistical agency Istat said Wednesday.
‚Long live Italy‘, Napolitano says
President Giorgio Napolitano thanked Italy‘s Armed Forces Monday and Premier Matteo Renzi shared a high-five salute with a child while greeting well-wishers as he walked through Rome‘s streets towards celebrations marking Republic Day.
King Juan Carlos abdicates
There had been some speculation in recent months over the possibility of an abdication, given Juan Carlos’ poor health and declining popularity ratings following a controversial hunting expedition in Botswana, among a series of other royal gaffes.
Kriegserklärung? DAS IST EINE DEMOKRATISCHE ENTSCHEIDUNG, DIE DEINE VERDAMMTE PARTEI IM #EP MITGETRAGEN HAT! #Merkel
…
Merkel drohte mit Votum gegen Juncker
(01.06.) Nicht nur der Brite Cameron machte beim EU-Gipfel Front gegen Jean-Claude Juncker als nächsten Kommissionspräsidenten. Nach SPIEGEL-Informationen drohte auch Kanzlerin Merkel zunächst mit einem Nein. Das Votum des EU-Parlaments bezeichnete sie als „Kriegserklärung“.