Les hélicoptères Puma affrétés par le MSC (US Navy photo by Michael Russell) ont volé 415 heures en 2015, transportant 6048 tonnes de fret, 11741 palettes et 210 passagers.
Ces Puma constituaient quatre détachements:
Trois étaient stationnés dans le Pacifique au profit des 5e et 7e Flottes.
Le détachement Alpha volait à partir de l'USNS Charles Drew et de l'USNS Amelia Earhart.
Le détachement Bravo était à bord de l'USNS Matthew Perry puis de l'SNS Wally Schirra.
Le détachement Charlie a alterné les déploiements entre l'USNS Carl Brashear, l'USNS Charles Drew et l'USNS Matthew Perry.
Dans l'Atlantique, un détachement opérait depuis l'USNS Amelia Earhart, avant de rejoindre l'USNS Charles Drew puis l'USNS Carl Brashear.
Huit Puma sont déployés, 2 par Erickson et 6 par AAR Airlift, des entreprises dont les contrats ont été prolongés en fin d'année dernière (lire mon post ici). La facture annuelle s'élève à 28,4 millions de dollars.
Hillary won Nevada
Hillary Clinton defeated Bernie Sanders in the Nevada on Saturday by 52,7% to 47,2%.
This was a convincing 5,5% lead, that is, a victory much needed by both campaigns and secured by Clinton. The former Secretary of State is again in the lead after losing New Hampshire and just about winning Iowa.
Clinton congratulated Sanders but said that these elections were not and could not be about big banks alone.
Mr. Sanders said not enough people showed up to vote, reminded everyone he covered some ground since only weeks ago he was 25% behind, talked about the Super PACs he is taking on and reminded everyone he was taking home 15 electors, versus Mrs Clinton’s 19. But, Mr. Sanders can’t run a campaign as an underdog for too long and Mrs. Clinton is now retaking the lead as the favorite.
The underdog psychology can motivate crowdfunding and secure young votes, but many are skeptical about his ability to move across party lines to pursue policies. This matters to interest groups that care about issues, including immigration, healthcare, and unions.
Bottom line: at this point, neither of them is going anywhere.
Mr. Sanders was right on lower turnout, but the fact that he did not inspire more people to vote for him is his own liability, because it is his campaign that takes pride in leading among the young and over 65s; these demographic strongholds are often unreliable.
Eyes are now on a dozen states that will vote on March 1st and could make or break the momentum of either campaign.
Super Tuesday
Mr. Sanders blamed his defeat in Nevada to low turnout and both candidates are preparing for “Super Tuesday,” when a dozen states in Western and South United States pick their candidates.
In Nevada Mr. Sanders did better with the Latino, but “better” alone does not win campaigns.
Bernie Sanders will need to make inroads to Hillary Clinton’s demographic turf to stand a chance. Mrs. Clinton leads the way among women, Latinos, and African Americans. She is losing badly against Senator Sanders among whites and young. But, she did regain some of the ground lost to Mr. Sanders among whites in Nevada, especially among unionized blue collar workers. Unlike Mr. Sanders, she gained enough to win the state.
Who will win each other’s turf
In places like South Carolina race will matter, because minorities are the Democratic turf and that is more important in places with a sizable African-American or Latino community, in South and Western states.
Both campaigns have enough fuel to stay on the course. Mrs. Clinton has a lot more cash-in-hand, but Mr. Sanders has enough to stay on. Mrs. Clinton is indeed doing better with individual donors and Mr. Sanders is doing a good crowdfunding effort.
Mr Sanders is going to Colorado, Mrs. Clinton is going to Texas. When more than one state votes, candidates have to spent their time strategically, campaigning where they think they might win. The choice speaks of their strengths and weaknesses, fight they will take, and fights they won’t.
(CNN, NBC, CNN, Reuters, Guardian, Fortune)
The post Hillary wins Nevada by being more convincing on policy appeared first on New Europe.
Malmené, accusé de faire le jeu des instances internationales, le ministre de la Justice a eu beau expliquer l’opportunité de ce projet, mais en vain…
Un an plus tard, les événements ont donné raison à Tayeb Louh, ministre de la Justice, garde des Sceaux. Avant-hier, le ministère des Finances a exhibé le butin d’une guerre lancée en janvier 2015, quand l’Assemblée populaire nationale a adopté le projet de loi relatif à la prévention et à la lutte contre le blanchiment d’argent et le financement du terrorisme. Avec cette adoption, l’Algérie ne figure plus dans la liste des pays à risque de blanchiment d’argent.
Ce quitus a été donné par le Groupe d’action financière (Gafi) qui a d’ailleurs salué les progrès «significatifs» de l’Algérie dans l’amélioration de son régime de lutte contre le blanchiment d’argent et le financement du terrorisme.
On se rappelle de la levée de boucliers qui a jalonné l’adoption de ce projet présenté par Tayeb Louh.
Malmené, accusé de faire le jeu des instances internationales, le ministre de la Justice a eu beau expliquer l’opportunité de ce projet, rappeler que l’Algérie «a été parmi les premiers Etats à avoir proposé la criminalisation du paiement de la rançon, notamment dans le cadre de ce projet de loi», souligner le caractère urgent pour la programmation, avant la clôture de cette session parlementaire, et rappeler que «notre pays a été parmi les premiers à adhérer aux chartes internationales et régionales sur la lutte contre le financement du terrorisme et a toujours honoré ses engagements vis-à-vis de la communauté internationale en faveur de tout effort visant l’éradication de ce fléau et ses effets néfastes», mais rien n’y fut.
L’opposition a d’ailleurs, boycotté la séance de vote contestant le contenu de ce document juridique. Elle a estimé que le texte revêt une importance particulière et, de ce fait, il aurait fallu mobiliser l’ensemble des députés pour un large débat. Pourtant, si l’Algérie ne s’était pas conformée aux normes internationales avant le mois de février 2015, elle aurait risqué de lourdes sanctions. Contre vents et marées, le projet a été adopté, l’Algérie s’est conformée aux lois internationales et le résultat est bien là.
Le Gafi a relevé, lors de ses réunions plénières annuelles qui se sont tenues du 17 au 19 février à Paris, que l’Algérie «a adapté» son cadre juridique et réglementaire, dans la lutte contre le blanchiment d’argent, aux standards internationaux. «En procédant, comme de tradition, à l’évaluation des pays, le Gafi a ainsi formulé une juste reconnaissance et de la confirmation du rôle de l’Algérie au plan international en matière de lutte contre le blanchiment d’argent et le financement du terrorisme», note la même source. L’Algérie, souligne le communiqué, «participe en effet activement dans le cadre de la coopération internationale et dans le respect des principes de droit et des réglementations en vigueur à cette oeuvre de lutte contre la délinquance financière».
«Les mesures prises par l’Algérie au plan législatif et réglementaire traduisent la ferme volonté des autorités de lutter contre ce fléau international et confortent l’engagement de l’Etat de doter notre pays d’un système financier sain moderne et solide, fonctionnant selon les meilleures pratiques internationales», souligne le texte.
En portant une appréciation «positive» sur le système financier algérien, le Gafi prend acte de la capacité de notre système dans la maîtrise des transactions financières et des flux de capitaux internes et transfrontaliers, conclut le document du ministère des Finances. Moralité: «Avec les instances internationales, il faut toujours avoir un coup d’avance.»
The French government has suspended plans to evict thousands of refugees living in the ramshackle “Jungle” camp on the outskirts of Calais. This is the vicinity of Calais, France, where migrants live while they attempt to enter the United Kingdom.
As reported by The Independent, the eviction was postponed by French courts after a census carried out by the charity Help Refugees discovered many more refugees were living in the area than authorities had initially calculated.
The charity said there were 3,455 people living in the southern stretch of the Jungle scheduled to be demolished. It is more than three times France’s estimates of between 800 and 1,000. That figure includes 445 children, of whom 315 were living without their parents – that is not to say they are orphans. The youngest child found was a 10-year-old boy from Afghanistan.
An open letter asking David Cameron to “protect the children of Calais” has garnered more than 100,000 signatures at the time of writing. Among the signatories are Idris Elba, Helena Bonham Carter, Benedict Cumberbatch and a number of other high-profile figures, according to The Independent.
The letter states: “This is a humanitarian crisis that needs to be acknowledged as such and it is imperative that we do everything we can to help these innocent and highly vulnerable refugees, especially the minors, as swiftly as is humanly possible”.
Last month, a British judge ordered that three Syrian children and an accompanying adult should be allowed to escape the “living hell” of the Calais refugee camp and enter the UK to join their relatives.
The post French courts postpone Calais ‘Jungle’ eviction appeared first on New Europe.
Last week on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference US State Secretary John Kerry blamed Russian for its actions in Ukraine and continued support of separatists in the Eastern part of the country. Senior European diplomats supported him saying that Russia would continue to be subject to sanctions until it and the rebels it supports come into full compliance with Minsk agreement. New Europe has met with Serghei Taruta, an Independent MP of Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) and former Governor of Donetsk Oblast, the region at present controlled by the rebels, to discuss his view on the perspectives of the end of the conflict and Ukraine’s membership in the EU and NATO.
NE: How is Ukraine managing with the ongoing problem of internally displaced people – and refugees who are currently in Russia? Are there any obstacles for their return?
Taruta: The problem of displaced people who have fled their homes because of the war in Eastern Ukraine is a very big challenge indeed for our government. At present there are about 1.5 million displaced people in Ukraine alone, from the territories of Donetsk, the Donbas, Lugansk and in part from Crimea. We know that about 300,000 Ukrainians currently reside in Russia but some of them have already come back.
NE: But Russian state reporting suggests there are about 1 million people who at present temporarily reside in Russia and the Ukrainian government does not provide any humanitarian help for them.
Taruta: This figure is detached from reality. We know the statistics, we know exactly how many people are in our own territory, we know how many lived there before and according to these figures we can understand how many have left.
NE: Is there any process for the reintegration of these citizens?
Taruta: Unfortunately, this is not an easy process. The Ministry of Emergencies developed a special programme under which it set up a number of transit points and provided people with necessary help. Subsequently they were allocated to different regions across the country.
However, the Ukrainian government made some mistakes. For instance, it did not take steps to set up state institutions, which could track all displaced people in the country, as well as assist in organizing the process of their further integration.
NE: The IMF recently said that the next tranche of its proposed loan to Ukraine depends on the implementation of certain reforms. How would you evaluate the likelihood of Ukraine to get the loan?
Taruta: I have no doubts that Ukraine will receive the money but it does not mean that we should not continue implementing our reforms. Personally I think that we should do more for the macro-social situation than the macroeconomic because the IMF’s goal is primarily the macro-financial stability and that is not what Ukraine needs now. Ukraine will receive money from the IMF but the demand of the reforms from its side will be tougher to implement.
The remedies suggested by the IMF for Ukraine form part of a compromise offered by the government and the initial demands of the IMF. These transformations in my opinion should be more substantial than the IMF wants. Crucially, governmental power needs to be decentralized. We need a transparent administrative system, and regulation that will build an attractive investment climate. The business community in cooperation with the civil society, experts and our western friends, who have experience in this field have already created Declaration of Business, a programme of economic reforms needed in Ukraine. I would like to underline that this programme is not simply prepared in the West, but is in fact created in Ukraine and tailored according to our needs. In a nutshell it is equivalent to a Marshall Plan for Ukraine, which can substantially change our country for the better.
NE: You mentioned decentralization, which is a very sensitive question now in Ukraine. But the parliament is divided between those who want to keep the present system with strong central government and those who believe that decentralization will bring peace to Ukraine.
Taruta: I think that decentralization is the solution. Unfortunately, the present system as it is in our Constitution is not appropriate. For instance, the executive power of the central institutions is controlled by the government, while the regional power belongs to the President. This contradiction should be removed and all executive power both central and regional should be in the hands of the Prime Minister and the government.
NE: What do you see as the fate for Crimea within Ukraine?
Taruta: No one in Ukraine has forgotten about Crimea, least of all me. I have lost a lot of money there as I invested a lot in Crimea. Everything was nationalized by the Crimean authorities in a very ugly way, without observing any legislation.
NE: Did you get any money back when your assets were nationalized in Crimea?
Taruta: Of course not. It was entirely a raider attack organized by the Crimean authorities assisted by Russia. It does not even meet the requirements of Russian legislation, not to mention international law. Everything was done in a 1990s style. Investors were divided into categories: those who could be cleaned out without punishment and those who got something because of their relationship with the Russians. It was a very bad signal for the future of Crimea. Again, no one has forgotten Crimea and every politician in Ukraine will fight until Crimea comes back to Ukraine. It was very sad to hear from Russian PM Medvedev at the Security Conference in Munich that the question with Crimea is closed. But we want to say thank you to our western partners, who clearly said that until Crimea comes back to Ukraine part of the sanctions imposed on Russia will remain in place.
NE: How do you see the future of Ukraine?
Taruta: In 2015 Ukraine signed the Association Agreement with the EU and we have to follow its terms. We should implement all necessary reforms and as a reliable partner we will do it. As regards membership, I am pretty lucid and see no opportunities at least at this stage to enter the EU. However, we continue adapting our system according to the European standards.
As regards security issues, Ukraine will remain a neutral country. Despite our desire to be a NATO member we understand that again at this stage it is not possible due to the conflict in Eastern Ukraine. However, we, Ukrainians, have to find a way to live with all our neighbors, as unfortunately it is not a matter of choice. They are given to us by history and we should learn from Finland or Austria not merely how to survive but how to develop the country considering the given de-facto circumstances. Radicalism is not an option for Ukraine.
The post A European Ukraine has to live with its neighbors appeared first on New Europe.
Stockholm – Im Mittleren Osten sind in den vergangenen vier Jahren deutlich mehr Rüstungsgüter importiert worden. Das geht aus einem neuen Bericht des Stockholmer Friedensforschungsinstituts Sipri hervor.
Eine Koalition arabischer Staaten setze vor allem aus den USA und Europa stammende Waffen im Jemen ein, sagte Sipri-Experte Pieter Wezeman. Trotz der geringen Ölpreise seien weitere grosse Waffenlieferungen in den Nahen Osten geplant. Die Region führte zwischen 2011 und 2015 im Vergleich zu dem Zeitraum zwischen 2006 und 2010 fast zwei Drittel mehr Waffen ein.
Saudi Arabien steigerte seine Importe in dieser Zeit um 275 Prozent. Mit einem Weltmarktanteil von 7 Prozent ist das Land zweitgrösster Importeur nach Indien mit 14 und vor China mit 4,7 Prozent.
Angesichts der höheren Eigenproduktion fuhr China seine Waffenkäufe aus dem Ausland aber im untersuchten Zeitraum um ein Viertel zurück. China erweitere seine militärischen Fähigkeiten mit importierten und im Inland produzierten Waffen weiter, sagte ein weiterer Sipri-Experte, Siemon Wezeman, laut einer Mitteilung.
Auch die weltweiten Waffenexporte des Landes schossen in die Höhe: Sie wuchsen dem Bericht zufolge um 88 Prozent. China steigerte seinen Weltmarktanteil damit auf knapp sechs Prozent.
Grösster Exporteur blieben zwischen 2011 und 2015 mit Abstand die USA mit einem Weltmarktanteil von 33 Prozent, gefolgt von Russland (25 Prozent), China (5,9 Prozent), Frankreich (5,6 Prozent) und Deutschland (4,7 Prozent). Gemeinsam stehen die Länder für rund drei Viertel der internationalen Rüstungsexporte.
Während regionale Konflikte und Spannungen weiter anstiegen, blieben die USA mit deutlichem Abstand führender weltweiter Waffenexporteur, sagte Sipri-Forscherin Aude Fleurant.
Grosse Empfänger sind neben Indien, Saudi Arabien und China auch die Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate und Katar, die ihre Importe um 35 Prozent beziehungsweise 279 Prozent steigerten. Mit Helikoptern, Verteidungssystemen, Tankern und Kampffliegern baue der Wüstenstaat sein Arsenal massiv aus, berichteten die Stockholmer Forscher.
Unter anderem, weil die USA eine teilweise Aussetzung der Waffenlieferungen an Ägypten aufhoben, führte das Land im untersuchten Zeitraum 37 Prozent mehr Waffen ein. 2014 und 2015 unterzeichnete Ägypten laut dem Sipri-Bericht mehrere grosse Deals für Waffen aus Frankreich, Deutschland und Russland.
Auf der anderen Seite des Roten Meers steigerte der Irak seine Rüstungsimporte um 83 Prozent. Indiens Nachbarn Pakistan, Bangladesh und Myanmar zählen derweil zu den Hauptempfängern von Chinas Waffenexporten.
In Afrika blieben Algerien und Marokko die grössten Waffenimporteure: In die beiden Länder gehen über die Hälfte der Lieferungen auf dem Kontinent. Während die Importe in Algerien zurückgingen, wuchsen sie in Marokko.
Trotz der vielen Konflikte in Afrika südlich der Sahara führten diese Staaten aufgrund ihrer wirtschaftlichen Lage nur wenige Waffen ein. Insgesamt stiegen die Importe afrikanischer Staaten um rund ein Fünftel. Auch global gesehen nahm der Waffenhandel zwischen 2011 und 2015 im Vergleich zu dem Zeitraum zwischen 2006 und 2010 zu: Das Volumen stieg um 14 Prozent.
Les premières journées de ce début de campagne électorale a été certes timide mais a été marquée par un engagement de la plupart des candidats. Mais à Cotonou, certains d'entre-eux se sont signalés par leur vacarme.
Camions -chars, convois de véhicules ou de motos , affichages sur les grands carrefours de la ville et sur beaucoup de murs, places publiques, ponts , échangeurs ou passages à niveau et bâtiments, les premières journées de la campagne électorale ont été tonitruantes pour ne pas dire rapides et (...)
Beim Outdoor-Spiel im Football-Stadion von Minnesota gelingt Nino Niederreiter ein sehenswertes Tor. Die Minnesota Wild gewinnen vor 50'426 Fans gegen den Stanley-Cup-Sieger aus Chicago.
In der Nacht auf Montag steigt auf dem Campus der «University of Minnesota» das erste Outdoor-NHL-Spiel im Bundesstaat. Im TCF Bank Stadium, in dem normalerweise American Football gespielt wird, beobachten gut 50'000 Zuschauer, wie die Minnesota Wild den Rivalen Chicago empfängt.
Mittendrin ist der Bündner Nino Niederreiter, der wesentlich zum 6:1-Kantersieg der Wild gegen den aktuellen Stanley-Cup-Sieger beiträgt: Er schiesst das 3:0 und assistiert Stürmer-Kollege Pominville beim darauffolgenden 4:0.
Und das Nino-Tor hat es in sich! In Tiki-Taka-Manier kombiniert sich Minnesota durch die gegnerische Abwehr, Niederreiter krönt den Spielzug mit seinem Treffer. In der Eishockeysprache heisst das dann «tic-tac-toe», wie auf «nhl.com» zu lesen ist.
Weit weniger spektakulär sind die anderen Spiele mit Schweizer Beteiligung: Sven Bärtschi und Luca Sbisa stehen für die Canucks aus Vancouver im Einsatz, stechen beim 5:1-Sieg gegen Colorado aber nicht heraus. Nicht dabei ist Yannick Weber (bei Vancouver überzählig) und Reto Berra (Colorado, momentan AHL). Jonas Hiller steht bei der Calgary-Niederlage gegen seinen alten Klub aus Anaheim zwischen den Pfosten. (str)
NHL-Resultate in der Übersicht
Minnesota - Chicago 6:1
Buffalo - Pittsburgh 3:4
NY Rangers - Detroit 1:0
Carolina - Tampa Bay 2:4
Anaheim - Calgary 5:2
Vancouver - Colorado 5:1
Sex ist offenbar nicht ganz ungefährlich. Eine junge Frau ist kürzlich nach dem Geschlechtsverkehr gestorben. Offenbar, weil ihr nach dem Akt ein Blutgefäss platzte.
Sie hatte Sex – und überlebte das nicht. Eine junge Frau ist kürzlich in einem Schweizer Universitätsspital an einer Hirnblutung gestorben.
Ursache dafür war offenbar Geschlechtsverkehr. Die Ärzte gehen laut «20 Minuten» davon aus, dass während des Aktes ein Gefäss platzte.
Neurologische Probleme nach dem Sex sind demnach kein seltenes Phänomen.
Laut Aristomenis Exadaktylos, Chefarzt am Berner Inselspital, melden sich immer wieder Menschen im Notfall, die nach dem Geschlechtsverkehr an Kopfschmerzen, Sehstörungen oder vorübergehendem Gedächtnisverlust leiden.
Die Gründe dafür sind nicht restlos geklärt. Ärzte gehen aber davon aus, dass er Körper beim Sex ähnlich hohen Belastungen unterliegt wie beim Sport: Steigender Blutdruck, hoher Puls und starke Lungenaktivität.
Sex könne deshalb gefährlich sein, sagt Notfallmediziner Exadaktylos zu «20 Minuten»: «Im allerschlimmsten Fall, aber Gott sei dank sehr selten, stirbt man daran.»