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Halálos kimenetelű közlekedési baleset történt hétfőn délután Bátyok (Bačkovík) község határában, ahol egy Škoda Octavia személygépkocsi elütött egy fiatal fiút, aki a barátjával bandukolt az út szélén – egyikük sem viselt fényvisszaverő ruházati kiegészítőt. A fiú a kórházban belehalt a sérüléseibe (†14).

La société civile a fait part de ses inquiétudes à EURACTIV quant au manque d’inclusivité et de diversité de la Conférence sur l’avenir de l’Europe (CoFoE). De plus, elle affirme que la conférence risque d’échouer si les États membres ne mettent pas en œuvre les propositions des citoyens.

Der Spitzendiplomat der Europäischen Union kritisierte am Montag (6. Dezember) die Verurteilung von Myanmars abgesetzter Regierungschefin Aung San Suu Kyi. Die Haftstrafe sei ein "politisch motiviertes Urteil".

Le fabricant de pneus note l’existence d’un défaut sur ce modèle pouvant conduire à un accident.

Le Premier ministre Jean Castex et le ministre de la Santé Olivier Véran ont tenu lundi (6 décembre) une conférence presse pour annoncer de nouvelles mesures sanitaires pour tenter de faire face à la cinquième vague de Covid-19.

The European Defence Agency’s Annual Conference 2021 entitled 'Innovation in European Defence’ was opened this morning with speeches by the Head of the Agency, HR/VP Josep Borrell, and the President of the European Council, Charles Michel. With Covid still around, this year’s conference is held in hybrid format with a vast audience representing the whole European defence spectrum (governments, armed forces, industry, EU institutions, NATO, think tanks and media) either connected remotely or physically present to listen to speeches and panel discussions and also actively take part in debates through Q&A sessions. 

Following a brief welcome word by EDA Chief Executive Jiří Šedivý, it was up to the Head of Agency, HR/VP Josep Borrell, to formally open the conference. In his opening speech, Mr Borrell expressed gratitude for this year’s choice of the conference theme because, he said, “our collective ability to innovate, both at EU and at national level, will determine the position of the EU on the global stage in the years to come”. However, the current situation leaves room for improvement as the EU and its Member States need to do “much more” in this field: “We need to do much more together and we need to do it now. We cannot wait. The choice for the EU is simple but a crucial one: either we invest in defence innovation or we will become irrelevant!”.

Mr Borrell insisted on the strategic importance of innovation, not only as an accelerator of economic competition but also as a key tool in the global competition that re-structures the international security environment. “Today, innovation is front and centre in the global strategic competition because it will restructure the international security environment (…) Those who gain a technological edge and set the standards today will dominate the future”, Mr Borrell said. This is also the case at the military level, with emerging disruptive technologies (EDTs), such as Artificial Intelligence. Often dual-natured, impacting both civilian and military domains, such technologies have the potential to alter the character of warfare, he explained: “To retain an edge over competitors and potential adversaries, we must use the potential of emerging technologies and develop high-end capabilities to equip our military forces across the full spectrum”.

“EU and Member States need to do more, together”

Being at the forefront of defence innovation requires that Armed Forces and Ministries of Defence have close cooperation with the civil sector which nowadays is driving both pure technological innovations and innovative uses: “With the rapid development of new technologies in the civilian sphere and their fast weaponization, today, more than ever before, innovation is shaping the global balance of power”. 

When comparing the EU and its Member States with other global actors, it is obvious Europe lags far behind in terms of investing in defence innovation, Mr Borrell said, “and the gap is widening”. For proof, “latest EDA data suggest that in 2020 EU Member States spent roughly €2.5 billion on Research & Technology – only 1,2% of the total defence expenditure, with a tendency for further decrease in the next two years, even though the related PESCO commitment sets the bar at 2% of the defence budgets”. Meanwhile, the US Department of Defence invests at least $14 billion each year in research and innovation, around 2% of the whole US defence budget, while Google spends on Research & Development almost 10 times more than what EU defence ministries spend together on Research & Technology. “We can no longer afford to sit on the side-line and watch the others doing. The EU and its Member States need to do much more on defence innovation. And they must do it more together”, he insisted. 

Towards a Defence Innovation Hub within EDA 

“EDA, as an intergovernmental Agency, has a crucial role to play in defence innovation” as technological innovation has been part of the Agency´s DNA since its creation in 2004, the Head of Agency pursued. Furthermore, there is the idea of establishing a Defence Innovation Hub within the Agency. “This is also one of the deliverables I have put forward in the context of the Strategic Compass”, said Mr Borrell: “By creating a network of defence innovation centres around Europe, this Defence Innovation Hub would promote synergies with the industrial sector; foster an ecosystem of Research & Development in defence and get innovative solutions closer to the military user. I hope this hub will soon be in place!”.      

And the Head of Agency to conclude: “Innovation in defence must be anchored in research & technology investments, but also in capability development, concepts and doctrines across all EU Member States (...) EDA is a great example of this integrated approach. Working together with the Commission and with Member States, EDA must ensure that defence innovation is not just an ambition on paper, but a reality!”.

Charles Michel: Support for Defence Innovation Hub within EDA

 

European Council President Charles Michel said in his keynote speech (via video message, see link above) that the EU’s strategic objective was to increase its ability “to act autonomously to safeguard our interests, uphold our values and way of life, and shape the global future”. “That’s why Europe’s strategic autonomy and our capacity to act alone, if so needed, is high on the agenda of the Heads of State and Governments. In this respect, the upcoming Strategic Compass is of utmost importance as he is meant to provide a vision for Europe’s security and defence policy in the future”, he said. Work on the Compass is progressing well, based on Mr Borrell’s initial proposal presented in November. Further input to the discussions is expected from the December European Council before EU leaders will then adopt the Strategic Compass in March when defence will again be a topic at the European Council.  

Europeans have also agree to work on a third EU-NATO declaration “because NATO is the cornerstone of Europe’s security and defence”, Mr Michel stated praising the “unique and essential cooperation” between the two organisations.  “We want to deepen this relationship and adapt it to today’s geo-political reality”, he said. However, Europe’s security and defence do not exist “in a vacuum” but are linked to its policies and achievements in other domains too, such as climate change or the digital transition. Through its regulatory power in those domains, Europe could strengthen its clout in the security domain too.  “We could take fuller advantage of our instruments if we used them in a more coordinated manner to achieve our strategic goals, for example in trade, development, neighborhood policy, climate policy, visa policy or humanitarian aid. Greater coordination means greater impact”. “We, Europeans, must take our destiny in our own hands, cooperating with our partners when needed and acting autonomously when necessary, to be a credible and efficient global security provider and a soft geopolitical influencer”.

To achieve this, Europe needs more defence innovation, and EDA has a key role to play: “The next 10 years will be crucial for our capability development, and EDA has a unique role to play combining lessons learned from missions and long term technology trends and then integrating this concrete know-how into national defence plans (…) We must continue to link innovative technologies with their possible defence applications. And I know that we can count on you, the European Defence Agency and your unique experience and expertise. Your work is key to facilitating the uptake of defence innovation by our Member States”, Mr Michel stressed.  

And the President of the European Council to conclude: “We must also avoid duplication our efforts and wasting our resources. You, the EDA, can help link Member States’ national authorities with each other, and with EU institutions, agencies and bodies. You help identify defence-related technologies point to opportunities and provide a platform for cooperation. And you need a budget to fulfil your growing role. I am in favour of the creation of a European defence innovation network. I also support the creation of a European Defence Innovation Hub inside EDA”.

More information

• Welcome word by EDA Chief Executive Jiří Šedivý

 

Le journaliste spécialisé en économie, Abdou DIAW, a présenté, samedi 4 décembre 2021, au CESTI, à l'UCAD, son ouvrage intitulé « Comprendre les termes de l'économie et de la finance », édité par les Presses universitaires du Sahel (Punis). Dans ce livre composé de 13 chapitres, l'auteur explique, dans une démarche didactique, des thématiques ayant trait à l'économie, à la finance, aux marchés financiers, à la commande publique.

C'est devant un parterre d'universitaires, de professionnels du secteur de la finance et des médias que le journaliste spécialisé en économie, Abdou DIAW, a présenté son livre : « Comprendre les termes de l'économie et de la finance » de 225 pages, édité par les presses universitaires du Sahel.

Ce document est une compilation des textes de la rubrique « L'Explicateur », qui étaient publiés tous les lundis dans le quotidien national sénégalais, « Le Soleil ». Le contenu émane des entretiens réalisés avec des experts composés de professeurs d'université et de professionnels des secteurs de la finance, de la bourse, de la commande publique, etc. À travers une approche simple, et en donnant la parole à des économistes sénégalais et africains, l'auteur passe en revue la plupart des termes économiques, aujourd'hui largement utilisés.

Ce livre a été rédigé dans le but de rendre accessible au grand public des informations économiques souvent jugées rébarbatives. Pour Abdou DIAW, aujourd'hui, c'est beaucoup d'efforts qu'il faut déployer pour assurer une meilleure place à l'information économique et financière dans la presse. Cela passe par le renforcement de capacités des professionnels de l'information dans les disciplines comme l'économie, les finances, la bourse, les assurances, etc.

« C'est à travers une approche simple et didactique que l'auteur de la présente publication, qui a fourbi ses armes dans la grande rédaction de « Le Soleil », une école de la pratique journalistique, nous propose un ouvrage novateur qui, au-delà des journalistes économiques auquel il s'adresse d'abord, sera très utile à toute personne s'intéressant aux problématiques économiques qui rythment notre vie », selon Cheikh Thiam, ancien DG de Le Soleil, par ailleurs préfacier dudit ouvrage.

Le livre est publié dans un contexte de fake news qui inondent les réseaux sociaux et certains sites web, dans un esprit malsain de manipulation et de diffusion de rumeurs. Dans un tel environnement, la bonne maîtrise du lexique économique et financier permet d'opposer une attitude lucide à ces fausses nouvelles, souvent savamment distillées.

Dans sa postface qu'il a signée dans cette publication : « Comprendre les termes de l'économie et de la finance », le directeur de l'UMOA-Titres, Adrien Diouf, a déclaré que « ce livre aura pour principal mérite de recentrer le débat, de fournir aux lecteurs une explication simple, pratique et usuelle des différents termes et concepts économiques auxquels nous sommes confrontés quotidiennement dans notre vie professionnelle, d'étudiant, d'investisseur, de citoyen et d'analyste de notre environnement ».

« Il a cela de particulier qu'il ne met pas en avant un domaine spécifique de notre espace économique (…). Il regroupe l'ensemble des pans de l'économie en privilégiant un unique aspect : la présence de ces termes ou concepts dans notre vie quotidienne. Et c'est dans ce sens que ce livre devrait devenir un outil du quotidien, une référence dans nos interactions, presqu'un livre de chevet si l'économie devenait une passion pour vous
», a-t-il ajouté.

A. A. A.

Ivan Korčok külügyminiszter kedden Budapesten részt vesz a visegrádi négyek (V4) miniszteri találkozóján, amelyen Marokkó is képviselteti magát – tájékoztatta a TASR hírügynökséget a minisztérium kommunikációs osztálya.

A közigazgatásra is hatással volt tavaly a járvány. Kevesebb személyi igazolványt és jogosítványt adtak ki, az útlevelek iránti érdeklődés pedig 60 százalékkal esett vissza.

Authorities are calling the incident a "shooting spree", in which the killer also took his own life.

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The Prosecutor’s Office of Bulgaria is the new host of the Secretariat of the Permanent Conference of Organized Crime Prosecutors. The decision was reached on 6 December at the seventh network meeting, organized with the support of the OSCE. Bulgaria will take over the role from the Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime of Serbia.

Over the past five years, this regional co-operation platform has been instrumental in enhancing regional co-operation and informal exchange of information in fighting organized crime and corruption. The network continued to be operational despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and has ensured continuity of its activities using an adapted online format.

While the network has expanded during the years and currently includes prosecutor’s offices from twelve countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Montenegro, the Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia), further expansion remains very high on its agenda.

Denise Mazzolani, Acting Head of the OSCE’s Strategic Police Matters Unit, and Iris Pilika, Programme Officer, Economic Co-operation and Governance, reiterated the OSCE’s continued support to the network and its mission to enhance informal cross-border co-operation in criminal matters. The establishment of the network is based on provisions provided by the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.

OSCE supports the Permanent Conference of Organized Crime Prosecutors in the framework of the regional project “Strengthening the fight against transnational organized crime in South-Eastern Europe through improved regional co-operation in asset seizure, confiscation, management and re-use”, jointly implemented by the Transnational Threats Department and the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities. The project is financially supported by the United States, Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom.

Les femmes les plus inspirantes et les plus influentes de 2021 et la manière dont elles font la différence dans le monde.

Cars powered by synthetic fuel produce similar quantities of harmful air pollutants to fossil fuels, according to a new study commissioned by the clean mobility NGO Transport & Environment.

Hétfőn 24.952 PCR tesztet végeztek el, ebből 7049 mutatott pozitív eredményt. Pozitív antigén tesztet 1775 személy produkált. 104-en belehaltak a betegségbe - olvasható az Országos Egészségügyi Információs Központ (NCZI) honalpján.

Les parlementaires débattent du soutien financier à apporter aux entreprises de transport public et s’entendent à prolonger l’aide aux structures dans le besoin.

Many in the crowd taking videos of the extrajudicial killing in Sialkot.

By Zofeen Ebrahim
KARACHI, Dec 7 2021 (IPS)

Mukhtiar’s heart sank when he saw the grisly incident of lynching of a man in the industrial city of Sialkot, in Punjab province.

The videos, taken on cell phones and put online, showed 49-year-old Priyantha Kumara Diyawadanage, a Sri Lankan national and manager of a garment factory, showing him being punched, kicked, hit with stones and iron rods, and killed. Not content, they then dragged his dead body out of the factory and set it on fire.

It was the same city which 11 years ago, had witnessed mob lynching two brothers, 22-year-old Hafiz Muhammad Mughees Sajjad and Mohammad Muneeb Sajjad, 16, in 2010, with support of the local police, on charges of theft. Later their bodies were hung upside down in the city square.

“There must have been no less than 2,000, men, mostly young, charged and in a frenzy, chanting ‘Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah’ (Here I am at your service, O Messenger of Allah), a slogan used by a far-right Islamic extremist political party, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP),” said Sakhawat Mughal, a reporter working for Hum News, a private television channel, recalling what he saw.

“Many men had batons in hand. The police looked on and waited for backup,” he said, adding: “Had the handful of the law enforcers reacted, many more lives would have been lost.”

People from all walks of life have been shocked and condemned the incident.

“The Sialkot incident is a horrible example of the growth of extremism and violent mob lawlessness,” said the National Commission for Human Rights chairperson, Rabiya Javeri Agha. “The government should ensure speedy and equitable justice, and perpetrators must face the full force of law.”

According to rights activist Usama Khilji, director of Bolo Bhi, a civil society organisation geared towards advocacy, policy, and research in civic responsibility and digital rights, the TLP has managed to infiltrate the middle class disenchanted with mainstream political parties. The party stirred up ordinary people’s sentiments using tools of “religious passion and hatred towards any perceived act of anti-Islam” to drum support for itself and respond with violence when called upon to cause mischief.

What was even more disturbing was that not only did the people join in throngs to watch the horrendous incident, but they also filmed it and even took selfies showing Diyawadanage body burning in the background.

“Today, sections of the middle-class youth feel proud of lynching on a genocidal level, believing killing alleged blasphemers is an act of valour,” lamented Khilji.

Sitting 130 kilometres away in Lahore, the capital city of the Punjab province, and belonging to the Christian community, the breaking news from Punjab, for Mukhtiar, who goes by one name, was even more disturbing.

Along with the footage of the mob and burning of Diyawadanage body, the various television channels also showed archival photos of his late daughter Shama, and her husband, Shahzad. They were lynched by a mob in 2014 and pushed into a burning brick kiln where the husband worked, in Kot Radha Krishan’s village of Chak 59, near the city of Kasur, also in Punjab. They were punished for allegedly burning pages of the Holy Quran.

“Her three kids who are living with me were disturbed and cried a lot on seeing their parents’ faces plastered on the screen, as the older two remember the incident quite clearly,” said the grandfather, talking to IPS over the phone.

“The incident that happened yesterday (Friday, December 3) was a criminal act, as was my daughter’s and son-in-law’s lynching,” he said, adding: “Do you think any civilised person would want to carry out a sacrilegious act against any faith?”

“Nothing that happened on the part of Diyawadanage constitutes the offence of blasphemy as is the case in nearly all cases prosecuted under these laws,” pointed out Peter Jacob, executive director of Centre for Social Justice. Initial investigations by police suggest the manager had removed posters of a religious moot, as the factory would be whitewashed.

Peter Jacob, executive director of Centre for Social Justice addressing a crowd of protestors in Lahore. He and other rights activists have condemned the killing.

Mukhtiar further pointed out the consequences of committing blasphemy against Islam in Pakistan were “far too grave” for anyone to dare.

Statistics also point that one does not have to belong to a religious minority to be accused of blasphemy and face vigilante violence. The majority of the accused are Muslims.

At least 1,890 persons have been accused of committing blasphemy, under various clauses of the blasphemy law, from 1987 to 2021, said Jacob, who has been collecting data for the last 30 years, adding: “The year 2020 saw the highest number of accused.”

Of the 75% Muslims accused this year, 70% belonged to the Shia sect, he said, and 20% belonged to the Ahmadi community, 5% were Sunni, 3.5% were Christians and 1% Hindus. Religions of 0.5% could not be ascertained, Jacob told IPS over the phone from Lahore.

From 1992 till December 4, 2021, there have been 81 extrajudicial killings on suspicion of blasphemy and apostasy, 45 were Muslims, 23 Christians, nine Ahmadis, two Hindus and two persons whose religious identity could not be ascertained, Jacob noted.

In 2017, Mashal Khan, a Muslim student studying at Abdul Wali Khan University, in Mardan, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was killed by his peers for allegedly posting blasphemous content online. The accusation was later proved to be fabricated.

Even in Shama and Shahzad’s murder, rights activists later found the attack was instigated by the brick kiln owner who had an altercation with Shahzad over a money dispute.

The Prime Minister terming the incident a “horrific vigilante attack” promised that all those responsible would be punished with “full severity of the law”. News reports say police have arrested over a hundred, including 19 who played a “central role” in the brutal killing.

For Mukhtiar, these promises ring hollow.

“There will be a lot of promises for a few weeks, and then when the public’s attention is diverted, the perpetrators will be released, you wait and see,” he said.

“Of the five men charged with murder and sentenced to death, two have been released,” he said. After seven years, he was tired of doing the court rounds or seeking justice. “I’m old and a heart patient, and I have the responsibility of these three kids too!”

Khilji also remained sceptical whether justice will be “dispensed to the mob” given Pakistan’s “dismal track record” in such cases.

“Entire police stations have been burnt down for perceived inaction towards blasphemy-accused people by the TLP,” he said, giving the example of the state caving into this group that exudes “massive street power”.

And this “capitulation” to those demanding, inciting, encouraging, and perpetuating violence, pointed out Saroop Ijaz, senior counsel with Human Rights Watch’s Asia division, has reinforced the “legitimacy of violence” in the public consciousness.

A December 5 editorial in Dawn said: “… on the last day of his life, Mr Diyawadanage came face-to-face with the consequences of the Pakistani state’s decades-long policy of appeasing religious extremists.”

“The Sialkot incidence is yet another reminder that violence and impunity are now embedded in society on the issue of blasphemy,” Ijaz told IPS, emphasising the urgent need for holding a “national conversation on violence” and, in particular, on how religion is often used to incite violence.

But, he was not sure if the government was “ready and willing to provide an enabling environment for such a conversation” to be had.

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Après les dernières instructions du président de la République concernant l’importation automobile, le département ministériel en charge du dossier se penche d’ores et déjà sur la question. Des dates viennent d’être avancées concernant notamment le fameux cahier des charges.

Selon le Directeur des ressources humaines et des affaires juridiques auprès du ministère de l’Industrie Bachir Kechroud, le cahier des charges devant régir l’importation de voitures neuves sera fin prêt avant la fin du mois de mars de l’année prochaine.

Intervenant ce mardi sur les la chaine Echorouk TV, le même responsable affirme que cela intervient après les instructions du président de la République autour d’une révision immédiate du cahier des charges fixant les conditions d’importation des véhicules et l’accélération de l’annonce des concessionnaires agréés.

Pour rappel, le chef de l’État a insisté, lors du dernier Conseil des ministres, sur l’impératif de fournir un réseau de services après-vente, au niveau régional et dans les grandes villes, en tant que condition pour accepter les dossiers des concessionnaires.

Le ministre de l’Industrie s’exprime

De son côté, le ministre de l’Industrie Ahmed Zeghdar affirme, dans une déclaration rapportée par le même média, que le dossier de l’automobile connaîtra cette fois-ci une véritable percée, car la révision du cahier des charges ne prendra pas beaucoup de temps.

Dans une déclaration faite en marge de la clôture de la conférence nationale sur la relance industrielle, le premier responsable du secteur indique que le cahier des charges fixant les conditions de l’importation sera prêt vers le début de l’année prochaine.

Selon lui, tous les concessionnaires qui remplissent les conditions nécessaires et qui déposeront le dossier, à partir de janvier prochain, obtiendront directement les agréments dans les délais légaux. Les véhicules neufs seront donc disponibles dès l’entame de l’importation, précise-t-il encore.

Niant l’existence de toute entrave de l’opération le ministre affirme : « Au contraire, nous avons une volonté de gérer le dossier en fonction de ce qui servira en premier lieu l’économie nationale et le citoyen », soulignant que le plus important, c’est de « fournir des services après-vente ».

À ce propos, il a appelé les concessionnaires concernés à s’engager dans ce sens et fournir les garanties nécessaires et les services après-vente conformément aux instructions du président lors du dernier Conseil des ministres.

L’article Importation de voitures en Algérie : de nouvelles dates dévoilées est apparu en premier sur .

Deux semaines après que le Parlement européen a approuvé sa position dans la négociation sur la directive relative aux salaires minimaux, une grande majorité des ministres nationaux ont également convenu d’une position commune.

Seit 20 Jahren werden Internetdienstanbieter von den zuständigen Behörden mit der Entfernung illegaler Inhalte beauftragt. Mit dem Gesetz über digitale Dienste (DSA) verlagern sich die Verpflichtungen weitgehend auf Online-Plattformen.