Loan follows Israeli decision to freeze tax payments to protest Palestinian move to join International Criminal Court.
Daily Archives: 8. April 2015
White House will not name those behind 2014 cyber attack
Asked why the administration was refusing to disclose who was behind the hack when Washington accused North Korea of attacking Sony last year, Earnest said in that case the FBI determined it could be „more effective“ to hold the North Koreans accountable for the cyber vandalism.
US soldier shot dead in Afghanistan ‚insider attack‘
The incident happened after a meeting between Afghan provincial leaders and a US embassy official in the compound of the provincial governor in Jalalabad. All US embassy staff were accounted for and returned safely to their mission headquarters, the embassy said.
Chinese citizens sue government over transparency on Monsanto herbicide
Three Chinese citizens are taking China‘s Ministry of Agriculture to court in a bid to make public a toxicology report supporting the approval of Monsanto‘s popular weedkiller, Roundup, 27 years ago.
Calling All Bookworms: What Do YOU Have to Hide?
What happens to creative freedom when the creator is under surveillance? Can ordinary people express themselves openly when they know the government is watching?
Why the War on Drugs is So Bad For Privacy
This (and misguided judges) is the reason that the failed War on Drugs has generated so much bad law around privacy and the Fourth Amendment in particular.
Formerly Homeless Man Threatens Lawsuit Over St. Louis NFL Stadium Financing Plan
A St. Louis resident who was formerly homeless and wants to see the city devote more money to social services and homelessness this week threatened a lawsuit against the city of St. Louis if it moves ahead with a plan to fund a new NFL stadium without giving the public a say in the process.
Norwegischer Militärstützpunkt im Internet “verscherbelt” – Käufer vermietet an Russen
Pech für die Kriegstreiber des Imperialistischen Komplexes: arktischer Marine-Stützpunkt im hohen Norden Europas nahe der russischen Grenze gerade noch zur rechten Zeit für 4,4 Millionen Euro verkauft.
The Pentagon’s $10 billion bet gone bad
To date, SBX has cost taxpayers about $2.2 billion, according to the Missile Defense Agency.
The government recently began seeking proposals for a new radar to help fulfill SBX’s original purpose. It will be installed in Alaska, on land. The target date is 2020, and the estimated cost is $1 billion.
“BND operiert ohne Rücksicht auf das Grundgesetz”: Bundestagspetition gegen nochmalige Erhöhung des Spionage-Budgets
Seit Mitte der 90er Jahre betreibt die Regierung, per einfacher Verordnung, eigene Spionage-Einrichtungen bei allen großen Telefongesellschaften, Funkanbietern bzw späteren Internet-Versorgern / Providern in der Republik. Diese wurden zu Geheimhaltung und Verschwiegenheit verpflichtet. Spätestens mit Inkrafttreten der zweiten Version der Telekommunikations-Überwachungsverordnung (TKÜV) Mitte 2002 wurde daraus eine Infrastruktur der Totalüberwachung, über welche die Regierung – maßgeblich durch den Bundesnachrichtendienst – eine “strategische Überwachung der Telekommunikation” auch der Bevölkerung im Inland betreibt.
Petition 57952: Deutscher Bundestag – Zurückführung der Etat-Mittel des Bundesnachrichtendienstes für den Bundeshaushalt 2016 auf den Stand von 2012
Begründung: Der BND hat sich als Behörde erwiesen, die sich nicht durch parlamentarische Gremien kontrollieren lässt. Drei Verfassungsexperten haben im NSA-UA festgestellt, dass der BND ohne Rücksicht auf das Grundgesetz operiert. Die in Artikel 10 GG festgeschriebene Einschränkung der Unverletzlichkeit des Post- und Fernmeldegeheimnisses stellt bereits einen Eingriff in die Menschenrechte dar., der laut G10-Gesetz nur zum „Schutze der freiheitlichen demokratischen Grundordnung“ erlaubt ist und von der Volksvertretung kontrolliert werden muss. Bundesregierung und BND verhindern zur Zeit jeden Ansatz einer Kontrolle, insbesondere bei der Überwachung des Internet-Datenverkehrs.
Mitmachen und dem BND die Mittel kürzen!
Vor zwei Wochen musste der Neubau des BND in Berlin trockengelegt werden. Saboteure oder Spaßvögel hatten auf der bestbewachten Baustelle Deutschlands Wasserhähne abmontiert und die Baustelle geflutet. Eine Petition beim Deutschen Bundestag fordert jetzt, den BND insgesamt etwas trockener zu legen. Denn der bedient sich ganz dreist und will 300 Millionen Euro extra.
EU re-imposes sanctions on Iranian bank, 32 shipping firms
The EU‘s second-highest court annulled an EU asset freeze on Bank Tejarat and 40 Iranian shipping companies in January, finding fault with the legal grounds given by the EU.
The EU, as it has done in other cases, responded by re-listing Bank Tejarat and 32 of the Iranian shipping firms, including Hamburg-based Ocean Capital Administration GmbH, using new legal grounds.
EU should express clear position on Karabakh conflict – FM (PHOTO)
The minister made the remarks during the meeting with EU Commissioner for European Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn in Baku.
Azerbaijan, US to agree on military co-op
During the conference, the participants discussed the work carried out in the defense sector between the two countries, the prospects for bilateral cooperation, as well as the project of the “Work plan on military cooperation for 2016 between the armed forces of Azerbaijan and the US European Command.”
Pakistan Parliament Resumes Debate On Yemen Operation
Joining the Saudi-led coalition could inflame a sectarian conflict at home where about a fifth of the population is Shi’ite and attacks on Shi’ites are increasing, further destabilising the nuclear-armed nation of 180 million people.
Pakistani intervention would probably also anger Shi’ite power Iran, which shares a long and porous border in a region roiling with its own separatist insurgency.
Pakistan and U.S. close in on $1 billion helicopter, weapons deal
U.S. ally Pakistan, a nuclear-armed nation of 180 million people, is fighting a Taliban insurgency in its northwest, a separatist insurgency along its Iranian border in the west, and has a heavily militarized and disputed border with arch rival India in the east.
U.S. 7th Fleet Would Support ASEAN South China Sea Patrols
(20.März) The head of U.S. naval forces in the Western Pacific said the U.S. would support an emerging plan to create multi-national patrols in the South China Sea that could bear similarities to anti-piracy patrols in the Strait of Malacca.
China, Vietnam pledge peaceful resolution for sea dispute
China and Vietnam have pledged to look for a peaceful resolution to their dispute in the South China Sea via talks, following a meeting between China‘s president and the head of Vietnam‘s Communist Party, state news agency Xinhua said on Wednesday.
Kazakhstan doesn’t accept development of military scenario in Yemen
The ministry said Kazakhstan, as a part of international community, expresses its concern over the escalation of international tension in the Middle East, including the situation in Syria, Iraq, Libya and Yemen.
Iran Deploys Warships Off The Coast of Yemen
Saudi Arabia and several Arab allies have imposed an air and naval blockade on Yemen as part of a two-week campaign to oust the Houthis, who have taken most of the country and forced President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to flee to Riyadh.
Iran‘s 34th fleet sets off for Gulf of Aden
Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said that the Islamic Republic’s 34th fleet has started a journey to the Gulf of Aden and Bab el-Mandeb.
Iran, China stress peaceful resolution of Yemen crisis
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab-African Affairs Hossein Amirabdollahian and China‘s special envoy on Middle East affairs Gong Xiaosheng in a meeting on April 8 stressed peaceful resolution of Yemen crisis.
Central Bank of Azerbaijan explains reasons for dollar’s rise
“The rate of manat is formed on the basis of a basket that includes the euro and the US dollar,” said the message. “This means that the daily changes in the ratio of rate of the euro and the dollar partially affect the rate of the manat against the US dollar.“
Turns Out Feds Actually Tracked Most International Calls For Nearly A Decade Before 9/11 — Didn‘t Stop The Attack
Here‘s Dianne Feinstein making the argument that if we had that phone tracking program before September 11th, we could have stopped the attacks. And here‘s former NSA top lawyer and still top NSA supporter Stewart Baker arguing that the program is necessary because the lack of such a program failed to stop 9/11.
Turkish Airlines plane makes emergency landing in Germany
The plane’s crew decided to make an emergency landing after a crack was spotted on the cockpit’s window glass.
Störung des Flugsicherungsradars: Zwei Passagier-Jets über Pakistan stoßen fast zusammen
(…)
Wishing all our Christian community a happy, safe and peaceful Easter.
(4.April)
Pakistan should not take part in Yemen conflict: Imran
(6.April) Talking to journalists today, Khan said that Pakistan was dragged into US war by means of lies, ten years back and now the country must act wisely. „I fear anti-Muslim forces are dragging us into Saudi/Yemen conflict, but we should play role for peace“, he said.
Imran Khan announces return to Pakistan Parliament
(5.April) „We have decided to attend the joint session of Parliament tomorrow. The Yemen issue is very important I will attend myself and present my party‘s point of view,“ he said.
Imran Khan‘s party ends seven-month parliament boycott
(5.April) Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has decided to hold a special session to discuss the Saudi-Yemen conflict amid speculation that Pakistan is likely to send troops to Saudi Arabia.
The PTI decision to end its boycott will end political tensions in Pakistan and will also strengthen the opposition‘s role in the parliament.
Jemen: Saudi-Arabien bittet Pakistan um Kampftruppen
Wie der pakistanische Verteidigungsminister Khawaja Muhammad Asif dem Parlament am Montag bekanntgab, hätte Saudi-Arabien in Pakistan um Soldaten, Schiffe und Fluggeräte nachgefragt.
Und dass alle dann wieder sagen werden, man konnte ja nichts machen. Es hat ja keiner gewusst, vor allem nicht @dieLinke.
(19.Dezember 2014)
Hier und jetzt prognostiziere ich den Ausbruch eines neuen Krieges in der Region Aserbeidschan / Armenien bis zum Herbst 2015.
(19.Dezember 2014)
Öl und Gas: Warum Europa nicht an Aserbaidschan vorbeikommt
(12.Dezember 2014) Nachdem Russlands Präsident Wladimir Putin das Ende des Pipeline-Projekts South Stream angekündigt hat, richtet Brüssel seinen Fokus auf Aserbaidschan, das energiereiche Kaukasus-Land am Kaspischen Meer. EU-Energiekommissar Maroš Šefčovič will jetzt vor allem den Bau des „Südkorridors“ vorantreiben, über den Gas von Aserbaidschan durch Georgien, die Türkei, Griechenland bis Italien gepumpt werden soll – vorbei an Russland.
Warum Steinmeiers @AuswaertigesAmt plötzl. Nagorny-Karabach als Teil Aserbeidschans bezeichnet:
(19.Dezember 2014)
Russia dismisses any thought about Karabakh conflict’s entering hot phase
Russia dismisses any thought that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will enter the hot phase, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
Zentralasien: USA wollen Russland verdrängen
Bereits im März hatte das US-Außenministerium seine neue Entwicklungsstrategie der Beziehungen zu den zentralasiatischen Ländern veröffentlicht, laut der die neue Art der Kontakte mit dieser Region eine effizientere Bekämpfung der Terrorgruppierung Islamischer Staat (IS) ermöglichen soll. „Warum sich die USA um die Länder Zentralasiens kümmern? Schauen Sie sich die Weltkarte an“, zitierte Reuters den für Süd- und Zentralasien zuständigen Vize-Assistenten des US-Außenministers, Richard Hoagland.
Henry Kissinger to visit Azerbaijan
The US statesman, one of the main strategists of US policy in the 20th century, an expert in the field of international relations Henry Kissinger will take part in the 3rd Global Forum of cooperative societies, which will be held in Baku on April 28-30, the State Committee for Work with Diaspora of Azerbaijan told Trend Apr.8.
Turkey, Azerbaijan play significant role in bringing region’s statess together
Turkey and Azerbaijan play a significant role in bringing together and enhancing the relations between the region’s countries, Azerbaijani top official said in an interview with Turkish newspaper Hurriyet Daily News.
Greece has not asked Russia for aid, Greek official says
„We have not asked for financial aid,“ the official saidbefore talks in Moscow between Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Russian President Vladimir Putin. „We want to solve our debt and financial issues… within the euro zone.“
Updated: Editor quits journal over pay-for-expedited peer-review offer
With a tweet yesterday, an editor of Scientific Reports, one of Nature Publishing Group’s (NPG’s) open-access journals, has resigned in a very public protest of NPG’s recent decision to allow authors to pay money to expedite peer review of their submitted papers. “My objections are that it sets up a two-tiered system and instead of the best science being published in a timely fashion it will further shift the balance to well-funded labs and groups,” Mark Maslin, a biogeographer at University College London, tells ScienceInsider.
Is It Acceptable For Academics To Pay For Privatized, Expedited Peer Review?
Academic publishing is going through a turbulent time, not least because of the rise of open access, which disrupts the traditional model in key ways. But in one respect, open access is just like the old-style academic publishing it is replacing: it generally employs peer review to decide whether papers should be accepted, although there are some moves to open up peer review too. As this story from Science makes clear, commercial publishers are innovating here as well, although not always in ways that academics like:
Erdogan in Tehran: Turkey wants to dance at every Mideast wedding
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rohani looked on Tuesday like two hedgehogs trying to mate. Their statements during a press conference, at which no questions were allowed, sounded as if every comma in them had been very carefully programmed.
DER MOBILE TELEVISOR
(16.Februar 2013) Spionage mittels elektromagnetischer Strahlung bzw Abstrahlung ist bei Partei-Politikern, Abgeordneten, Journalisten, Richtern, Datenschützern und Akademikern immer noch ein Tabuthema. Dabei ist das “Filmen und Sehen durch Wände”, das Durchleuchten von Gebäuden von außen mittels mobiler, stationärer, sowie luft- oder weltraumgestützter Systeme nicht nur technisch möglich, sondern seit langem ebenso verschwiegene Praxis wie das Ablesen von Bildschirmen jedweder Art. Die Bevölkerung wird im Unklaren gelassen. Irgendeinen effektiven (gesetzlichen) Schutz gegen die Verwendung dieser neuen Technologien gibt es für sie nicht. Betrieben wird diese Spionage von allen, die entsprechenden Mittel zur Verfügung, genügend kriminelle Energie oder schlicht Zugang zu “nachrichtendienstlichen”, militärischen oder polizeilichen Privilegien und Strukturen haben.
Fidel trifft die Fünf
(2.März 2015) Der kubanische Geheimdienst hatte es absolut nicht nötig, die Bewegungen auch nur einer einzigen militärischen Einheit der Vereinigten Staaten zu verfolgen, denn man konnte über die Radioelektronische Forschungsbasis „Lourdes“ im Süden der Hauptstadt Kubas alles beobachten, was sich auf unserem Planeten bewegte. Dieses Zentrum war in der Lage, jedes bewegliche Objekt, auch wenn es Tausende von Meilen von unserem Land entfernt war, aufzuspüren.
Lourdes [Cuba] – Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) facility
The SIGINT facility at Lourdes was among the most significant intelligence collection capabilities targeting the United States. This facility, less than 100 miles from Key West, is one of the largest and most sophisticated SIGINT collection facilities in the world. It was jointly operated by Russian military intelligence (GRU), FAPSI, and Cuba‘s intelligence services. The Federal Agency for Governent Conununications (FAPSI) evolved in the early 1990‘s from the former KGB‘s SIGINT service. According to Russian press sources, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) also had a communications center at the facility for its agent network in North and South America.
The complex is capable of monitoring a wide array of commercial and government communications throughout the southeastern United States, and between the United States and Europe. Lourdes intercepts transmissions from microwave towers in the United States, communication satellite downlinks, and a wide range of shortwave and high-frequency radio transmissions. It also served as a mission ground station and analytical facility supporting Russian SIGINT satellites.
Top Secret! Geheimdienst rüstet für 90 Mio Spionage-System auf
Der Nachrichtendienst des Bundes (NDB) erhält mehr Kompetenzen. Geht es nach dem Nationalrat, darf er künftig Privaträume verwanzen, Telefone abhören und Computer durchforsten. (…)
«Achat wird phasenweise eingeführt und ist teilweise bereits in Betrieb», sagt VBS-Sprecher Renato Kalbermatten. Mit Achat würden die Daten aus der Funkaufklärung aufbereitet und ausgewertet.
Umfrage: Union so stark wie SPD, Linke und Grüne zusammen
Die Union liegt in Umfragen weiterhin stabil vor der Konkurrenz.
CIA-Chef Brennan positiv überrascht von Vereinbarung mit Iran
Der Chef des US-Auslandsgeheimdienstes CIA, John Brennan, hat die Kritik an der Atomvereinbarung mit dem Iran mit scharfen Worten zurückgewiesen. Diejenigen, „die sagen, dass diese Vereinbarung dem Iran den Weg zu einer Bombe bereitet, sind aus meiner Sicht vollkommen unaufrichtig, wenn sie die Fakten kennen, verstehen, was für ein (Atom-)Programm benötigt wird.“
CIA director: Some critics of Iran deal are ‘wholly disingenuous’
“I am pleasantly surprised the Iranians have agreed to so much here,” Brennan said Tuesday during an appearance at Harvard’s Kennedy School. “I think it is really quite surprising and quite good. The people who point to this as saying it’s insufficient and the pathway to the bomb, what they’re really saying is the deal is okay, but the sanctions relief will give Iran the money and wherewithal to [cause unrest] in the area.”
Bundesfinanzministerium: Deutsch-amerikanische Beziehungen durch AIIB nicht gefährdet
„Deutschland hat beschlossen, der AIIB beizutreten, weil die AIIB als neue Investitionsbank, die mit bestehenden multilateralen Investitions- /Entwicklungsbanken in Partnerschaft steht, eine wichtige Rolle bei der Finanzierung des großen Infrastrukturbedarfs in Asien spielen könnte“, so Weber.
Chinas Coup und der Vergleich mit dem Schock von 1971
Mit der Gründung des Weltbank-Pendants AIIB feiert China einen beispiellosen politischen Erfolg. Und Ex-US-Finanzminister Lawrence Summers findet dafür epochale Worte.
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank: France, Germany and Italy said to join
(17.März) A senior US diplomat said it was up to individual countries to decide on joining a new China-led lending body, as media reports said France, Germany and Italy have agreed to follow Britain’s lead and join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
A growing number of close allies were ignoring Washington’s pressure to stay out of the institution, the Financial Times reported, in a setback for US foreign policy.
Israel applies to join China-backed AIIB investment bank
(1.April) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has signed a letter of application for Israel to join the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the Israeli Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.