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The US Navy has awarded a $24.2m contract to Lockheed Martin for the production of enhanced laser guided training rounds (ELGTR), an alternative to laser-guided bombs (LGB) during training.

The Government of Australia has established the Expert Advisory Panel to oversee the competitive evaluation process for the country's future submarine programme.

US and the South Korean navies have commenced a five-day joint anti-submarine exercise near the vicinity of Guam.

Közzétette Magyarországról szóló jelentését az Európa Tanács által létrehozott Rasszizmus és Intolerancia Elleni Európai Bizottság (ECRI). A grémium üdvözli a legutóbbi jelentés, 2008 óta elért eredményeket, de egy sor területen komoly problémákat lát, így a gyűlöletre való uszítás elleni fellépésben, a gyűlöletbeszéd teljes politikai palettán való meghonosodásában, egyes médiumok „elképesztően rasszista” anyagaiban, valamint a romákkal és a menedékkérőkkel való bánásmódban.

The White House nominated Daniel Rubinstein, America’s special envoy for Syria, as ambassador to Tunisia on Monday, putting the thankless job of dealing with the raging civil war in Syria up for grabs.

Garder le Nord-Pas-de-Calais et même renforcer l’activité fret avec un projet de second navire, tout en se séparant des Berlioz et Rodin. C’est la décision prise par Eurotunnel, qui a annoncé hier avoir retenu l’offre émanant de DFDS Seaways. L’armateur danois exploitera les deux ferries dans le Détroit, où il opère déjà cinq navires, dont deux sous pavillon français. La crise de gouvernance au sein de la SCOP SeaFrance a sans nul doute précipité le démantèlement de MyFerryLink.

• Lire la suite de MyFerryLink : Eurotunnel vend les ferries à DFDS mais conserve le NPC

As work on a new European Security Strategy begins, this briefing examines the impact of changes in the security environment of Europe. It argues in favour of an ambitious new security strategy which, twelve years after the adoption of the 2003 European Security Strategy, is most needed in a degraded security environment. It looks back at the process and content of that document and identifies its successes environment since 2003. Mapping those changes, the report points at new threats and challenges and the changing nature of conflict. It also focuses on the and North Africa, which have challenged the assessment that Europe is not facing threats on its borders. The briefing presents an assessment of the changes in the institutional and political architecture of the EU in the post-Lisbon context, which is significantly different from the 2003 institutional environment. It emphasises the multiple tools the EU is using to develop its security policy. Finally, the briefing provides some recommendations for the process and the substance of the starting strategic review and future strategy.
Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

As work on a new European Security Strategy begins, this briefing examines the impact of changes in the security environment of Europe. It argues in favour of an ambitious new security strategy which, twelve years after the adoption of the 2003 European Security Strategy, is most needed in a degraded security environment. It looks back at the process and content of that document and identifies its successes environment since 2003. Mapping those changes, the report points at new threats and challenges and the changing nature of conflict. It also focuses on the and North Africa, which have challenged the assessment that Europe is not facing threats on its borders. The briefing presents an assessment of the changes in the institutional and political architecture of the EU in the post-Lisbon context, which is significantly different from the 2003 institutional environment. It emphasises the multiple tools the EU is using to develop its security policy. Finally, the briefing provides some recommendations for the process and the substance of the starting strategic review and future strategy.
Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Mit dem Golf von Aden, dem Suez-Kanal, der Straße von Hormuz und der Straße von Malakka befinden sich die wichtigsten maritimen Nadelöhre im Indischen Ozean. Die sicherheitspolitischen Herausforderungen in der Region bedrohen die maritime Sicherheit nachhaltig. Deutschlands Wohlstand hängt vom freien, internationalen Seehandel und vom ungehinderten Zugang zu den Rohstoffmärkten ab. Essentielles Interesse Deutschlands ist daher die Gewährleistung maritimer Sicherheit im Indischen Ozean. Nur durch eine ständige Präsenz in der Region kann Deutschland nachhaltig zu ihrer Verbesserung beitragen.

(Own report) - Wintershall, the giant German gas company, has begun reorienting the focus of its expansion drive westward. This subsidiary of the mega chemical company, BASF, had set high hopes on having direct access to Russia's enormous gas deposits - the largest in the world - which would have brought it to within reach of the summit of the world's natural gas sector. This perspective was obliterated by the escalation of tensions between Moscow and the West. An additional impetus for the necessary search for an alternative is provided by the fact that German gas imports from the Netherlands are on the verge of being shut down. Beginning 2020, The Hague intends to drastically reduce gas production from the country's largest gas field, because draining the deposit would heighten dangers of earthquakes. Wintershall is particularly expanding its activities in Norway and has already begun shale gas production in Argentina, where the world's second largest shale gas deposits are estimated to be found. Wintershall's orientation shift also reduces its interest in business with Russia, while reinforcing its transatlantic interest.

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

June 8, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) –Lead negotiators of South Sudan warring factions are due to meet Monday in thecEthiopian capital, Addis Ababa, a rebel official told Sudan Tribune.

IGAD chief mediator Seyoum Mesfin (L) and the SPLM In Opposition's lead negotiator, Taban Deng Gai, attend the resumption of South Sudan talks in Addis Ababa on 11 February 2014 (Photo: Reuters/Tiksa Negeri)

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the regional bloc mediating South Sudan's peace talks have brought the two chief negotiators, Nhial Deng Nhial of the government and Taban Deng of the rebel side for face-to-face consultations.

David Dang, deputy representative of the SPLM/SPLA-IO mission office to Ethiopia and to the African Union (AU) told IGAD will set a time table for resumptions of the next round of talks based on outcomes of the consultations between the chief negotiators.

According to Dang, if an agreement is reached between both sides, the next round of talks will directly be between President Salva Kiir and armed opposition leader, Riek Machar.

Meanwhile Machar returned to Addis Ababa on Sunday from Pagak, South Sudan after thorough consultations with the rebel's political and military officials ahead of the talks.

Despite rumors over his health conditions, rebel officials said Machar was in good health.

An IGAD-led peace negotiation, which started in January 2014 in the Ethiopian capital, is yet to bring lasting solution to the political crises in the world' youngest nation.

The last round of peace negotiations collapsed on 6 March after the country' two rival leaders failed to agree on almost all outstanding political and military-related issues.

The regional bloc is due to resume the peace talks under a new draft proposal in which i initiated an IGAD-Plus involving along the five African nations, the African Union, United Nations, China and Troika trio of Norway, the United Kingdom and United States (USA).

IGAD has threatened both sides with sanctions if they failed to reach in any agreement during the next round of talks, believed to be the last chance for the conflicting parties.

Civil war in South Sudan erupted in mid-December 2013 and since then, tens of thousands of people have been killed and nearly two million reportedly displaced.

Last week, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said over 100,000 people have been displaced over the last two months due to heavy fighting in South Sudan's Unity and Upper Nile states.

The UN refugee agency said heavy fighting has also blocked humanitarian aid deliveries for some 650,000 people as aid organisations were forced to withdraw from war zones.

(ST)

June 8, 2015 (KHARTOUM/PARIS) - Sudanese opposition leading members said on Monday that security authorities had barred them from travelling to France for a hearing with the European Union (EU) parliament.

EU MP Marie Christine Vergiat (C) who organised the meeting with the Sudanese opposition and rebel groups, pictured with NUP deputy president Meriam al-Sadiq al-Mahdi, JEM leader Gibril Ibrahim and SRF deputy chairman Tom Hajo, as well as other participants, outside the EU parliament in Strasbourg, France on 16 July 2014 (ST)

Sudanese authorities prevented delegates of the opposition parties from leaving Khartoum to participate in a hearing with the European Union (EU) parliament.

The EU parliament organize a hearing in Strasbourg France for the "Sudan Call" forces including the coalition of the National Consensus Forces (NCF), National Umma Party (NUP), the rebel alliance of the Sudanese Revolutionary Forces (SRF) and civil society groups.

The hearing which will take place on Tuesday 9 June will discuss the prospects for peace and democratic reforms after the general elections and position of the political and armed forces on how to achieve it.

The security service at the Khartoum airport retained the passports of NUP deputy-presidents Meriam al-Mahdi and Mohamed Abdalla al-Doma, a member of the Sudanese Communist Party's (SCP) central committee Siddig Yousif, a leading member of the Ba'ath Party Fatehi Nourri.

In a WhatsUp message sent in the early hours of Monday morning after the travel ban, al-Mahdi said the Sudan Call forces will hold a press conference at the SCP premises in the afternoon.

On Saturday, the security agents prevented a splinter member of the ruling National Congress Party, Farah Agar from travelling to Paris to take part in the meeting. Also, NCF leader Farouk Abu Issa and his wife were barred from taking a flight to Cairo for medical treatment on Wednesday.

The opposition leader was also invited to take part in the EU hearing.

The NUP leader Sadiq al-Mahdi who resides in Cairo will participate in Strasbourg meeting.

Also, delegations of the SRF groups are already in Paris for the hearing.

Last December, Sudanese government arrested Abu Issa, a prominent rights activist Amin Mekki Mandani and Farah for four months after meeting with the rebel groups in Addis Ababa where they signed the "Sudan Call" declaration.

However, Khartoum authorized the opposition forces to fly to Berlin in February 2015 to participate in a meeting sponsored by the German government. In their Berlin Declaration the opposition groups expressed their readiness to participate in a preparatory meeting for the national dialogue.

SRF MEETS IN PARIS

The leadership of the rebel umbrella is expected to issue a statement on Monday before to head for Strasbourg when they conclude a three-day meeting in Paris.

The meeting of the rebel factions discusses issues related to the SRF leadership structures, ways to coordinate political actions with the Sudan Call forces and Strasbourg meeting with the EU lawmakers.

It is not clear if the representatives of the political parties and the rebel groups will meet in France on the sidelines of the European Parliament hearing.

Following the failure of the African Union mediation to hold the pre-dialogue meeting last March; the Sudan Call forces called for a new approach and proposed to discard the national dialogue. They further suggested to initiate a new process involving the international community.

The ruling party in Khartoum and the opposition Popular Congress Party say they are hostile to any foreign participation in the resolution of Sudanese conflicts, stressing such process should be 100% inter-Sudanese and take place inside the country.

(ST)

A new U.N. report describes a regime built on torture, domestic spy networks, and mass conscription.

The families of two men mistakenly killed by a U.S. drone want Obama to apologize. But U.S. law doesn't require the U.S. government to do anything to acknowledge it.

The “pincer” tank strategy has returned to the battlefields of eastern Europe.

Horst Brandstätter, le patron de la marque de jouets allemande Playmobil, est mort à l'âge de 81 ans. Il avait lancé le Hula-Hoop et plus tard, le jouet en plastique remplaçant le métal.

Another U.S. government site goes down for the count.

China has been the world’s worst environmental offender for years. That could change a lot sooner than expected.