Daily Archives: 15. April 2018
Eine Milliarde für bewaffnungsfähige Drohnen: Vertragsschluss steht bevor
Nachdem die SPD die Beschaffung israelischer Drohnen zunächst stoppte, sollen die Verträge mit dem Rüstungskonzern Airbus und der israelischen Regierung in den nächsten sechs Wochen unterzeichnet werden. Die Bewaffnung regelt ein späterer Bundestagsbeschluss. In den nächsten Wochen wird auch die Entwicklung der „Eurodrohne“ ausgeschrieben.
Trump assails Comey in tweetstorm, suggests ex-FBI director deserves ‘jail’
President Trump attacked James B. Comey in a fusillade of tweets Sunday morning, suggesting that the former FBI director deserves to be imprisoned as he served up a number of his favorite theories and alleged misdeeds without evidence.
Einstimmige Vollversammlung – GSoA wird Referendum gegen neue Kampfjets ergreifen
Die GSoA hat zudem eine Resolution zu Auslandeinsätzen der Schweizer Armee einstimmig verabschiedet. Die Beteiligung an Operationen im Ausland führten zu mehr Konflikten und nicht zu mehr Stabilität, schreibt die Organisation dazu. Statt auf die Nato und eine Kriegsbeteiligung im Ausland solle die Schweiz weiterhin auf die UNO und eine zivile Friedenspolitik setzen.
Wie die GSoA weiter mitteilte, fehlen für die Einreichung der Kriegsgeschäfte-Initiative im Sommer noch knapp 10‘000 Unterschriften.
„Polizeidrohnen“ Teil des Sicherheitskonzepts bei EU-Vorsitz
Der Einsatz von Drohnen soll Teil des Sicherheitskonzepts während der EU-Präsidentschaft in Österreich werden, kündigte die Generaldirektorin für die Öffentliche Sicherheit, Michaela Kardeis, in einem Interview mit der „Presse am Sonntag“ an.
Volkswagen ließ Zulieferer monatelang beschatten
Wie die „Bild am Sonntag“ berichtet, beauftragte ein Jurist aus der VW-Einkaufsabteilung über die Kanzlei Hogan Lovells eine Berliner Sicherheitsfirma, die Informationen über insgesamt 37 „Zielpersonen“ beschaffen sollte.
Darunter waren demnach Mitglieder der Eigentümer-Familie, zahlreiche Führungskräfte der Tochterfirmen und auch drei Anwälte der Unternehmensgruppe.
Nationalrat: Die Plenarwoche 6 – Überwachungspaket
Das umstrittene Sicherheits- und Überwachungspaket wird über mehrere Gesetzesänderungen etabliert. Damit wird ermöglicht, dass die Polizei Zugriff auf einen Großteil der Überwachungskameras im öffentlichen Raum bekommt. Auch Aufzeichnungen von „Section-Control“-Anlagen und modernen Kennzeichenüberwachungssystemen können ausgewertet werden.
Überwachungspaket: Plant Regierung „geheime“ Umsetzung?
(3.4.2018) Fest steht schon jetzt: Das Überwachungspaket ist mehr als umstritten. Jüngste Warnungen davor kamen am Wochenende vom Österreichischen Rechtsanwaltskammertag (ÖRAK). Es fehle weitgehend die richterliche Kontrolle, kritisierte ÖRAK-Präsident Rupert Wolff. Damit „reihen wir uns in die Reihe jener Länder ein, die – wie Ungarn oder Polen – Angst vor ihren eigenen Bürgern haben.“
Überwachungspaket: „Jeder, der ein Handy hat, ist betroffen“
(5.4.2018) Mit Stimmen der Koalitionsfraktionen ÖVP und FPÖ wurden am Donnerstag die jeweiligen Gesetzesmaterien zum von der Regierung vorgelegten Überwachungs- bzw. Sicherheitspaket im Innen- sowie im Justizausschuss abgesegnet. Die Opposition übte wie schon zuvor scharfe Kritik.
Wieder Anti-Regierungsproteste in der Slowakei
Der Doppelmord an dem Investigativjournalisten Jan Kuciak und seiner Verlobten von Ende Februar ist bisher nicht aufgeklärt. Die beiden 27-Jährigen waren nach Polizeiangaben regelrecht exekutiert worden. Der ermordete Kuciak hatte Kontakte von Regierungsmitarbeitern zur italienischen Mafia und anderen zwielichtigen Geschäftsleuten untersucht.
Parties haven‘t made progress-Mattarella
President Sergio Mattarella said Friday that the second round of government-formation consultations showed that the parties have not made progress towards the creation of a new executive.
Journalisten in Istanbul verhaftet: Deutschtürke Demirci und Mitarbeiter von linker Agentur festgenommen
Der Grund für die Hausdurchsuchungen und Festnahmen ist bisher nicht bekannt.
Adil Demirci befand sich seit einigen Tagen zu Besuch in der Türkei und wollte am heutigen Samstag zurück nach Deutschland fliegen. »Mein Sohn Adil ist mit seiner krebskranken Mutter für eine Woche in die Türkei gereist.
In U-turn, Netanyahu said to reject ‘extreme’ draft of High Court override bill
The meeting Sunday by coalition party chiefs to debate the controversial bill ended without resolution and the discussion will be continued in the coming days, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.
Chief justice warns: Nixing judicial review threatens Israel‘s democracy
Supreme Court President Esther Hayut is set to declare on Sunday that Israel cannot maintain the rule of law and democracy if the court‘s judicial review powers are cut off, according to a statement released by the court.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the coalition appear to be moving forward with several initiatives to circumscribe the Supreme Court‘s powers.
Boeing establishes joint venture with Saudi Arabian Military Industries for aircraft maintenance
According to a Boeing statement, the joint venture is expected to post revenues in excess of $22 billion by 2030 and create 6,000 jobs and training opportunities for Saudi youth.
Activists bring case at appeal court over UK arms sales to Saudis
Human rights campaigners have begun an attempt to overturn a high court judgment that allows the British government to continue to export arms to Saudi Arabia for use in Yemen.
Arab leaders meet in Saudi Arabia as Syria tensions reach boiling point
Leaders of the 22-nation Arab League, who will meet in the Saudi city of Dhahran on Sunday, are expected to stress continuity in their efforts to find a solution to the Syrian conflict. It follows airstrikes by the US, UK and France against the Assad regime on Saturday. The leaders are likely to seek Arab and international support to increase pressure on the regime to find a solution to the conflict.
Saudi crown prince discusses regional situation with UK prime minister
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received a telephone call from British Prime Minister Theresa May on Sunday, Saudi state-news agency SPA reported.
Pakistan test fires upgraded ballistic cruise missile
It says Babur is a low flying, terrain hugging missile which also has certain stealth features and is capable of carrying various types of warheads.
Why did China announce its support for Pakistan’s missile development program?
(10.4.2018) In an unprecedented move, Chinese authorities declassified this information about the deal and in a statement on the CAS website, said China was the first country to export such sensitive equipment to Pakistan. International observers have long believed that Beijing is supporting Islamabad’s missile development program.
But solid evidence has been difficult to come by in the public domain, making the CAS statement a rarity. The question is why did the Chinese decide to make this public announcement this time around?
China Acknowledges Sale Of Advanced Missile Technology To Pakistan
(22.3.2018) China has sold Pakistan an advanced tracking system that could boost Islamabad‘s efforts to improve ballistic missiles capable of delivering multiple warheads, according to The South China Morning Post.
The website of the Chinese Academy of Sciences announced the deal with Pakistan,
In London, PM Modi’s speech to be live telecast from historic Westminster hall
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in London from Sweden on Tuesday night and is set for a packed day of bilateral meetings and events on Wednesday before the live telecast from Central Hall Westminster.
‚Peace, a new start‘ chosen as slogan for upcoming inter-Korean summit
The slogan signifies the journey that the two Koreas will have to take to achieve global peace by holding their first summit in 11 years, and that the summit will also serve as a guide for summit talks between North Korea and the United States, Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom told reporters.
South and North Korean leaders are preparing to hold their talks on the southern side of the truce village of Panmunjom on April 27.
How could the Syrian strikes affect Australia?
We therefore need to think very carefully about what is in our national interest when it comes to our overseas military commitments and the next American military adventure, whether it be in the Middle East, North Asia or elsewhere – particularly if it puts Australia on a strategic collision course with China.
Scandal-hit Abe unlikely to get 3rd term as LDP leader: ex-PM Koizumi
Former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Saturday Shinzo Abe is unlikely to win a third term in September‘s Liberal Democratic Party presidential election, citing the public‘s growing distrust in the premier after a string of recent scandals.
„Winning a third term will be tough as he is losing public trust,“ Koizumi told reporters in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture. Securing the LDP presidency is seen a prerequisite for Abe to stay on as prime minister.
Syrien: Weitere internationale Reaktionen auf Militärschlag
Der Weltsicherheitsrat stimmte am Samstag mit drei Ja- und acht Nein-Stimmen sowie vier Enthaltungen gegen einen von Russland verfassten Resolutionsentwurf zur Verurteilung des Militärschlags in Syrien. China war für den Resolutionsentwurf.
Doppelagent Putin
Der ranghöchste Funktionär seiner staatlichen Hierarchie ist nicht einmal mit Russland verbündet, geschweige denn mit Syrien, dem Iran oder irgendeinem anderen aus der U.S.-Hegemonie seit Jahrzehnten attackierten oder direkt angegriffenen Land. In Wirklichkeit dient Wladimir Putin dem von uns bereits mehrfach beschriebenen imperialen Komplex und einer seit bald siebzehn Jahren den weltweiten Terrorkrieg führenden großen Koalition des Krieges und internationalen Kriegslobby und strebt deren noch effektivere Kollaboration an.
Putins Rolle dabei ist ähnlich dem eines der vielen Monarchen vor und im Ersten Weltkrieg. Und seine Funktion, wie der „prorussischen“, also der pro-regierungs-russischen Lobby insgesamt, ist es, in verdeckter Dialektik mit ihren spiegelbildlichen „proamerikanischen“ bzw „proeuropäischen“ Pendants in der U.S.-Hegemonie die jeweilige innere Opposition, gerade die fortschrittliche und pazifistische, in Verbindung mit dem jeweils anderen Blockgegner zu bringen, sie von diesem absorbieren zu lassen und so im Inneren erst zu diskreditieren und letztlich neutralisieren zu können.
According to Chris Hayes, being Anti-War == white nationalism. Final proof that Trump has broken MSNBC liberals brains
Chuck Schumer: US strikes on Syria ‚appropriate‘
(13.4.2018) “A pinpointed, limited action to punish and hopefully deter Assad from doing this again is appropriate, but the administration has to be careful about not getting us into a greater and more involved war in Syria,“ Schumer said in a statement Friday night.
Schumer supported the president‘s strikes on Syria last April.
Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi endorse Trump‘s attack in Syria
(6.4.2017) „Making sure Assad knows that when he commits such despicable atrocities he will pay a price is the right thing to do,“ Schumer said in a statement released late Thursday. „I salute the professionalism and skill of our Armed Forces who took action today.“
„Tonight‘s strike in Syria appears to be a proportional response to the the regime‘s use of chemical weapons,“ Pelosi said in a statement.
When Trump Loses Alex Jones‘ and Gains Elizabeth Warren‘s Support, All Things Are Possible!
In the other direction, a wide variety of #NeverTrump conservatives and liberal interventionists—including John McCain and Elizabeth Warren—are praising the attacks. Hillary Clinton was calling for them a week ago and there are apologists for unbridled state power such as former Obama State Department official Anne Marie Slaughter, who writes:
„Wtf I love bombing Syria now“- Elizabeth Warren
(13.4.2018)
Dirty Wars featuring US Senator Ron Wyden
(29.11.2013) Clip from Dirty Wars a film by director Jeremy Scahill featuring US Senator Ron Wyden
Republicans and Democrats blast Trump for bombing Syria without legal authority
In a briefing after Trump’s announcement, Secretary of Defense Mattis argued that the President relied on his Article II powers under the Constitution to authorize the strike. This is the same authority Trump claimed to authorize his 2017 attack.
The Unconstitutional Strike on Syria
“To see what is under one’s nose,” George Orwell wrote in 1946, “requires a constant struggle.” Orwell didn’t add that trying to point out what is under our noses can turn one into a kind of Ancient Mariner at whose approach both friend and foe are tempted to flee.
But here goes: Trump did not have the authority to order any kind of strike on Syria. Congressional authorization was needed before any use of force against Syria; Friday’s attack was unconstitutional.
Trump Bombs Syria Hours After 88 Lawmakers Urged Him To First Consult Congress
Yet hours later, Trump did attack Syria ― without consulting Congress.
Strike Against Syria Would Be Illegal
(11.4.2018) The unlawful killing of any human being without legal justification, under every legal system, is murder. And an act of violence committed by one government against another government, without lawful justification, amounts to the crime of aggression: the supreme international crime which carries with it the evil of every other international crime, as noted by the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg in 1946…
We understand the urge to act to protect innocent civilians. We strongly condemn any and all violence against civilians, whoever the perpetrators. But responding to unlawful violence with more unlawful violence, bypassing existing legal mechanisms, is a road to a lawless world. It is a road that leads to Hell.
Accordingly, we urge the United States and its allies to refrain from illegal conduct against Syria. We must point out that for the last several years, as is now common knowledge, the United States has armed rebels/insurgents to overthrow the current government of Syria. This is illegal under international law.
How the Syrian American Medical Society Is Selling Regime Change and Driving the U.S. to War
The organization is a USAID-funded lobbying powerhouse that functions with a single-minded determination to stimulate a US-led war of regime change that will place Syrian Islamists in power in Damascus.
SAMS was founded in 1998 by members of the Syrian American exile community, which is concentrated in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. Prior to the 2011 armed rebellion against President Bashar al-Assad, the group led several medical delegations to Syria, presumably cooperating with the government to gain access.
Latin America Leaders Condemn US-led Attack on Syria
Several Latin American governments, including those in Cuba and Venezuela, as well as regional leaders and presidents condemned Saturday the attacks by the U.S., France and the United Kingdom on Syria, using as a pretext the alleged use of chemical weapons in Douma by President Bashar Assad‘s forces without proper investigations being done.
Corbyn: No Legal Basis for US, British Strikes Against Syria
The leader of the British opposition said the UK prime minister must be „accountable to Parliament, not to the whims of a US president.”
Public Meetings in Australia: Organise Resistance to Internet Censorship! Free Julian Assange!
Along with intensified surveillance and monitoring operations by state military-intelligence agencies, this new regime of state-sponsored censorship constitutes a dangerous and unprecedented global threat to freedom of speech and other fundamental freedom of speech.
Krieg, Lügen und Zensur
Das eigentliche Ziel der Zensurkampagne sind nicht gefälschte „Fake News“, sondern wahre Nachrichten – also echter Journalismus und unabhängige Berichterstattung, die naturgemäß den Lügen der Kriegshetzer in Washington, London und Paris widersprechen.
Goldman Sachs: Curing Patients’ Illnesses Is Bad for Business
The Goldman Sachs report should serve as a cautionary reminder to Americans that capitalism does not have humanity’s best interests at heart, and capitalists will shy away from curing millions of people if it means they’ll make less money.
Police used facial recognition technology to locate and arrest a man at a pop concert
The suspect, identified only as Mr Ao, was one of 60,000 attendees at a show for pop star Jacky Cheung in Nanchang city.
Thanks to the recognition tech, he was identified by cameras at the concert’s ticket entrance, and later arrested by police after he had sat down with other concert goers.(…)
Police officer Li Jin told state news agency Xinhua that “the suspect looked completely caught by surprise when we took him away.
Looking to Listen: Audio-Visual Speech Separation
(11.April) In “Looking to Listen at the Cocktail Party”, we present a deep learning audio-visual model for isolating a single speech signal from a mixture of sounds such as other voices and background noise. In this work, we are able to computationally produce videos in which speech of specific people is enhanced while all other sounds are suppressed. Our method works on ordinary videos with a single audio track, and all that is required from the user is to select the face of the person in the video they want to hear, or to have such a person be selected algorithmically based on context.