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Alligator snatches toddler in Disney Resort, Florida

mer, 15/06/2016 - 11:12
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A search to recover the body of a 2-year-old boy that was snatched by an alligator near a lagoon the  Grand Floridian Resort & Spa hotel in Orlando, Florida.

The child was walking along the hotel’s sandy waterfront area in front of the so-called Seven Seas Lagoon, when the alligator attacked, according to the local County Sheriff. There have never been similar incidents in that area.

There were warning sings against swimming, but apparently not of danger along the beach, on which, there are recreational facilities.

The father apparently wrestled the alligator and sustained minor injuries, but could not get hold of the toddler. The mother too was trying to get hold of the child, but couldn’t.

The family of four was in a vacation from Nebraska, arriving on Sunday.

The Florida Department of Fish and Wildlife is participating in the search.

Police officers search for a child who was reportedly being pulled into the water by an alligator near Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa in Orlando, Florida, USA, 14 June 2016. According to authorities, a two-year-old toddler, whose name was not available, was dragged into the Seven Seas Lagoon near Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa on 14 June night. EPA/JOHN TAGGART

The post Alligator snatches toddler in Disney Resort, Florida appeared first on New Europe.

Catégories: European Union

Ban Ki-moon and Juncker encourage Cyprus to conclude negotiations by year’s end

mar, 14/06/2016 - 18:37
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United Nation Secretary General Ban Ki-moon met with the president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, to discuss a number of issues. Several EU Commission Vice Presidents and Commissioners were also present during the June 14 meeting in Brussels, according to Margaritis Schinas, the EU Commission chief spokesperson.

Ban Ki-moon visited European institutions on June 14, holding talks with EU Council President Donald Tusk, European Parliament President Martin Schulz prior to his meeting with Juncker at the European Commission headquarters.

Among the issues that were put on the table were migration and Cyprus. “Τhe UN and EU partnership is an inspiring example of what we can achieve when we work together,” Ban Ki-moon told a joint press conference at the Berlaymont.

As regards the migration crisis, the UN Secretary General appreciated the efforts made on behalf of the EU and underlined the need to support the local communities and address the root causes of the displacement.

Ban Ki-moon also said he looks forward to a peaceful settlement for Cyprus, and appeared to be encouraged from both leaders of the Cypriot community about the steps being taken.

“During many years they have identified the pending issues. All the pending issues are on the table and it is a matter of choice on what measures they would like to take,” said Ban Ki-moon.

“I am strongly encouraging them to make a progress, of course if they can take a good decision until the end of this year it would be most, most welcome,” he added. “I will do my best to encourage them, to support them in the difficult process of making decisions.”

“This is the moment to bring this sometimes painful process to an end. I am personally engaged and involved in that process,” said Juncker on the Cyprus issue. “We are working closely together on the ground with the special en voyeur of the UN. I had the pleasure to receive again the two chief negotiators here in Brussels, I was visiting Cyprus a year ago and my feeling is that the two leaders are doing their best to bring this process to an end.

“I would strongly suggest them to ring this process to an end before the mandate of the Secretary General,” he added. “That would be a marvellous farewell gift.”

Juncker also referred to Ban Ki-moon’s life after the UN, jokingly suggesting that he would make a very good chief spokesperson of the EU Commission.

The post Ban Ki-moon and Juncker encourage Cyprus to conclude negotiations by year’s end appeared first on New Europe.

Catégories: European Union

European Parliament calls to put relationship with Iran under condition

mar, 14/06/2016 - 17:56
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In a statement published today by the office of Gérard Deprez, a Belgian MEP and President of the Friends of a Free Iran group in the European Parliament, more than 270 MEPs call into question the democratic reforms in Iran.

“We are extremely worried about the rising number of executions in Iran. Since the ‘moderate’ President Rouhani took office in August 2013, several thousand people have been hanged in Iran. Moreover, in a public speech on Iranian television, President Rouhani described executions as a “good law” and “the law of God!” the statement says.

The MEPs urge the EU and member states “to condition any further relations with Iran” until progress on human rights improvements is reached there. Deprez, commenting on the letter from Brussels, added that “it will be a great damage to the European credibility, if EU does not insist publicly and seriously on improvement of human rights.”

“This statement as well as the support of MEPs of the Iranian opposition leader, Maryam Rajavi, shows that the elected representatives of the European people have rightly put human rights and democratic values before economic interests and ‘business as usual,” Firouz Mahvi, a representative of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran said.

Amnesty International in its report on Iran harshly condemned the situation with Human Rights in the country saying that: “torture and other ill-treatment of detainees remained common and was committed with impunity, whereas women and members of ethnic and religious minorities faced pervasive discrimination in law and in practice.”

 

 

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Catégories: European Union

EU Commission to combat violent radicalisation

mar, 14/06/2016 - 17:08
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The European Commission has unveiled measures aimed at helping the EU member states to prevent the radicalisation that leads to violent extremism. A Communication paper was tabled to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on June 14.

To address the root causes of today’s radicalisation, the EU Commission has proposed a combination of actions that span across several policy areas, bringing together competent authorities and societal and community actors at all levels (local, regional, national and European).

The Communication paper focuses on seven specific areas. These include: supporting research, evidence building, monitoring and networking; countering terrorist propaganda and hate speech online; addressing radicalisation in prisons; promoting inclusive education and EU common values; promoting an inclusive, open and resilient society and reaching out to young people; the security dimension of addressing radicalisation; and the international dimension.

To ensure the implementation of these proposals, the EU Commission has committed a budget of €25m over the next four years.

Teachers and youth workers will be key to transmitting the EU’s shared values and to building relationships with young people so they become engaged citizens, according to Tibor Navracsics, Commissioner on Education, Culture, Youth and Sport.

Navracsics announced the creation of a network that will organise visits of local role models, entrepreneurs and athletes, as well as former radicalised people to schools, prisons and sports clubs.

“We also want to support those working in prisons, so that they have the knowledge and skills to deal with radicalisation,” he said. Detainees will also be reintegrated by supporting education and training programmes in prisons.

For instance, the Erasmus+ exchange programme is one of the EU programmes to be used in de-radicalisation efforts. This programme will also expand to cover people outside the EU, aiming to bring 200,000 persons together in total, in online discussions by 2020.

“While prevention and avoiding that people becoming radicalised in the first place is our priority, in parallel, our core security approach needs to be reinforced,” said Dimitris Avramopoulos, EU Commissioner in charge of Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship. This will be achieved by enhanced information sharing on suspected individuals.

“Those returning to Europe from conflict areas are a particular concern and that is why we will propose a review of the Schengen information system,” he said.

As regards the internet, Avramopoulos said he considers it be the “most important battleground to counter radicalisation,” because it is where youth are “exposed to the poison of terrorist content and recruitment”.

“The recent attack in Orlando, perfectly demonstrates it. The perpetrator was strongly radicalised on his own, purely by using the internet.”

A database of deleted terrorist content will be also built as a joint referral mechanism developed with internet companies. “Alongside this mechanism, we will intensify work with civil society,” added Avramopoulos.

He also referred to the Radicalisation Awareness Network Centre of Excellence, which is part of the EU Radicalisation Awareness Network (RAN) that was launched in October 2015. He said that the group can organise local events at a Europe-wide level.

“Through this network, more than 2,400 local practitioners are working together and learning from each other on addressing the root causes of radicalisation,” said Avramopoulos.

The post EU Commission to combat violent radicalisation appeared first on New Europe.

Catégories: European Union

Oscar Pistorius to be sentenced on Friday

mar, 14/06/2016 - 16:51
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Oscar Pistorius, 29, is to be sentenced on Friday for the murder of his partner Reeva Steenkamp.

He was found guilty in March for her murder, as the court overturned a manslaughter verdict after prosecutors appealed.

The Supreme Court finally ruled that Pistorius murdered Mrs Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day of 2013, with four shots. This was barely a year from the peak of his career, when he became the first amputated athlete to compete with able-bodied athletes in the London 2012 Olympics.

South African paralympic and Olympic sprinter, Oscar Pistorius (R) posing with his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp (L) at the South African sports awards ceremony in Johannesburg 04 November 2012. EPA/FRENNIE SHIVAMBU

The South African Paralympic gold medalist Oscar Pistorius faces at least 15 years in jail without the right to appeal.

On Tuesday, the court heard Barry Steenkamp, that is, the 73-year old father of the victim. He asked that images of his daughter’s body be made public so people could see the wounds. He said he thought of his daughter “morning, noon and night… every hour.”

Barry Steenkamp, father of Reeva Steenkamp, gives evidence in the Oscar Pistorius sentencing hearing at the high court in Pretoria, South Africa, 14 June 2016. EPA/DEAAN VIVIER / POOL

The murder of his daughter triggered a stroke the day she was found and he is now facing a severe heart condition. After his daughters’ passing away, the family was also faced with financial ruin. Pistorius offered money, allegedly in confidence, using it later as a legal argument for his defense.

The State Prosecutor Gerrie Nel is seeking a maximum sentence, suggesting Pistorius has shown no remorse.

Pistorius’ defense wants the leniency provided by South African law in special circumstances, which in this case would be his disability, in combination with the fact that the former athlete is a first-time offender. They also argue Pistorius is suffering from depression and should be in a psychiatric facility rather than a prison.

A file picture dated 08 September 2008 shows Oscar Pistorius of South Africa in action during the men’s 100m – T44 heat at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, China. EPA/DIEGO AZUBEL

 

(BBC, DW)

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Catégories: European Union

It’s Elementary: Brexit fears, nervous polls drop oil prices

mar, 14/06/2016 - 16:15
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Oil prices fell on June 14 as traders worried over the referendum on June 23 when Britons will vote whether to remain or leave the European Union.

“I think they [traders] are nervous because a few days ago it would see as it was quite possible that ‘Remain’ was going to be there and there was no weakness [in oil price],” Justin Urquhart Stewart, director at Seven Investment Management, told New Europe on June 14.

“Now we have had a couple of polls saying the other way around. And even though the betting companies, who I tend to trust more than the polls, tend to say ‘Remain’ the markets are being reflecting more the nervousness of the polls so if that carries on like that we will see more nervousness in the market over the next few days,” he added.

Brent crude oil futures fell by 69 cents to $49.66 a barrel by 0842 GMT, dropping for a fourth day in a row, while US crude futures lost 77 cents to $48.11 a barrel, Reuters reported, noting that Britain’s “Out” campaign has increased its lead over the “In” camp before the referendum, according to two opinion polls published by ICM on June 13.

Urquhart Stewart noted that a Brexit is a broader issue that goes beyond the UK. “If there is a vote to leave, then that could have a material effect on the rest of the EU in terms of confidence of trade. Any failure in confidence to trade could actually then weaken the oil price – the fear of falling demand,” he told New Europe. If it seems to be an interruption in trade in UK and Europe or take it a step further, the Brexit seen as an opportunity for the Dutch to have a referendum or other concerns about the EU that would be detrimental on the overall EU confidence level and that could impact on the oil price,” the London-based expert said.

The oil price fall on June 14 came despite a US government forecast on June 13 that shale oil output is expected to fall in July.

Oil prices have been on a climb recently due to supply problems across the globe, including Canada, Nigeria and Libya.

According to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the world oil market would be more balanced in the second half of 2016 as outages in Nigeria and Canada help to speed the erosion of a supply glut.

The post It’s Elementary: Brexit fears, nervous polls drop oil prices appeared first on New Europe.

Catégories: European Union

Sanders meets Clinton to discuss the policies of unity

mar, 14/06/2016 - 15:51
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Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are expected to meet on Tuesday to discuss the road to a unified Democratic front before next month’s party convention in Philadelphia, AP reports.

Washington DC goes to the polls on Tuesday, June 14, in what is the last encounter in a primary that has already yielded Hillary Clinton as a presumptive nominee.

The Vermont senator is committed to preventing Donald Trump from becoming the next President but his endorsement of Clinton will have policy strings attached. Sanders wants from Clinton an unequivocal commitment to his policy agenda.

Speaking to NBC, the Vermont Senator says the meeting will allow him to explore her commitment to “working families and the middle class, moving aggressively in climate change, health care for all, making public colleges and universities tuition-free.”

Hillary Clinton has good reasons to heed the Vermont Senators’ agenda.

On the one hand, Sanders earned nearly 10 million votes and 22 states during the nominating process. On the other, many of the demographic groups to whom he is appealing have turned their backs on Clinton, especially young and first time voters; being seen to take on his agenda on income inequality, campaign finance reform and Wall Street excesses is key to unifying the electorate in what has been a highly polarized 13 month campaign.

Several polls, including an Ipsos/Reuters one in May, suggest that 59% of Sanders’ followers are unwilling to “convert” to Clinton. Last week Sanders met President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden who have already endorsed Clinton. Until last week the Occupy DNC Convention Facebook group was planning to contact superdelegates to convince them to switch allegiance; the platforms has 25,000 members.

Meanwhile, Sanders has begun deploying some of his crowdfunded money and national attention to boost the chances of progressive liberals campaigning to gain the nomination for a Democratic ticket to contest Senate seats. He is starting with $2,4 million.

In doing so, he remains true to his initial commitment to lead a “political revolution” in a system of nominations within the Democratic Party he has time and again called “rigged.”

Sanders’ is testing his muscle, supporting his own candidates in primaries beginning this Tuesday in Nevada, in a three way primary. Control of the Senate will be key for major reforms pushed by a Democratic President, that is, an advantage that Barack Obama did not have.

An early test of his clout will come Tuesday in Nevada, where a Sanders-backed congressional candidate, Lucy Flores, competes in a three-way primary. An e-mail by the Sanders campaign yielded $390,000 for Mrs Flores, while the Senator has already contributed to her campaign.

(AP, NBC, CNN)

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Catégories: European Union

Fearing Brexit markets flock to German Bunds

mar, 14/06/2016 - 15:07
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For the first time in history, investors are willing to pay Germany for the privilege to lend it money. Germany’s benchmark 10-year Bund yields reached minus 0.005% on Tuesday; they stood at 0.6% at the start of this year.

German negative yields is a sign of market panic.

Despite negative yields, demand for German Bunds surges as the world fears Brexit and US unemployment figures signal the economy is not growing as fast as it was hoped.

Both bookmakers and polls suggest on Tuesday that a Leave vote is increasingly more likely on June 23rd, a sentiment bolstered as The Sun tabloid openly endorsed the campaign with a headline reading “BeLeave in Britain.”

The European Central Bank will by such bonds until its breaks even with its own deposit rate of -0.4%. Swiss and Japanese bonds are also in negative yield territory.

Japan is also following a quantitative easing program and despite the fact that it is expected to reach a 250% debt-to-GDP ratio, the country continues to sell its bonds at subzero yields.

Meanwhile, despite the ECB’s €80bn-a-month bond-buying programme, inflation in the 19-country eurozone is at record-low levels. Figures indicate particular deflationary pressure across Europe, including Italy, Switzerland, Britain, but also Poland.

A prolonged period of zero-interest rate environment across the developed world has hurt savers, the insurance sector, banking, and all the so-called fixed income sectors. It is feared Brexit would spur market panic and a broader banking crisis, reigniting recession in Europe and beyond.

(Reuters, Wall Street Journal, FT)

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Catégories: European Union

Germany considers stricter legislation against child marriage

mar, 14/06/2016 - 15:00
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There has been a reported increase in cases of young refugee girls being forced to marry before their arrival in Germany. It’s a phenomenon that has German lawmakers thinking about tightening legislation against child marriages.

As reported by Germany’s international broadcaster, Deutsche Welle (DW), Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government has expressed its concern that migrant children who entered into marriages abroad may be forced to continue living in such marriages upon arrival in Germany.

“We need a clear law,” Thomas Kutschaty, a Social Democrat (SPD) and justice minister for the state of North Rhine-Westphalia told the daily Bild newspaper.

According to the report, there are hundreds of child brides living in Germany. The recent wave of migration to Europe has seen that number of minors married to each other or to adults increase significantly. In May, a judgment by a court in the Bavarian city of Bamberg made it clear that these marriages are not valid in Germany.

In Germany, the age of majority is 18. The youngest age allowed for marriage is 16, and then only if the other partner is a legal adult, and parents or a family court has granted permission.

The post Germany considers stricter legislation against child marriage appeared first on New Europe.

Catégories: European Union

MEPs debate how to reduce litter by 2030

mar, 14/06/2016 - 14:52
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Litter is on the European Parliament’s agenda for June 15. MEPs will debate the definition of litter and proposals aimed at achieving the 50% reduction target of land-based litter by 2030.

Last month, Czech MEP Miroslav Poche called for the definition of littering to be clarified as “any action or omission by the waste holder, whether wilful or negligent, that results in litter”.

The European Parliament is also proposing that EU countries restrict single-use products for the sake of litter prevention.

According to the Clean Europe Network (a Europe-wide platform where organisations share experience, expertise and best practice), the current discussions in the European Parliament are “one step in the legislative process – but a very important step”.

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Catégories: European Union

Spain: four leaders debate for two possible governments

mar, 14/06/2016 - 14:06
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The leaders of four political parties in Spain debate on Monday ahead of June’s 26 elections. The televised debate was hardly surprising in terms of content, but was the first of its kind.

This is the first time Spaniards get a four-leaders debate since the end of the Francoist regime in the 1970s. Traditionally, only two parties debate, the center right and the center left. However, since the last electoral encounter on December 20, 2015, Spain no longer follows tradition.

The traditional pendulum between the Popular Party (PP) and the Socialists (PSOE) has come to an abrupt end, with Podemos and Ciudadanos joining the political landscape. The previous election yielded a hung parliament with parties unable to conclude a five-month long negotiation to form a government.

Other than a pledge not to leaved Spain ungoverned, there is nothing that suggests Spain will be any closer to a government come June 27. The most recent Metroscopia poll published by El País on Sunday give PP 28,9%, that is, a 3,5% lead over the second Unidos-Podemos platform with 25,4%. The difference since December is that the Socialists are now in the third place with 20,8% and the liberal Ciudadanos fourth with 15,9%.

The two-hour long event was marked by all candidates turning their criticism against the incumbent Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, and his party’s record on corruption. Rajoy mostly responded “to govern is difficult; to preach is easy.”

Podemos focused its criticism on his party’s handling of Spain’s double digit unemployment crisis.

The Socialist leader, Pedro Sanchez, focused his criticism on the anti-systemic opposition of Pablo Iglesias, the leader of Podemos, a party born from the indignados, which is the Spanish vein of the anti-austerity occupy movement that has recently allied itself with the communist United Left.

Mr Iglesias likens himself as the next Prime Minister of Spain, urging PSOE to chose between  who will need the support of the Socialists to become prime minister, urged Mr Sánchez to throw in his party’s lot with Unidos Podemos. “There are only two options: the PP or a progressive government,” he said. Sanchez has ruled out an alliance with PP.

Albert Rivera of Ciudadanos accused Podemos of planning to take Spain out of the EU, but also criticized PP for failing to reinvigorate the Spanish economy. Rivera, unlike Sanchez, has never ruled out a coalition government with PP.

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Catégories: European Union

UEFA hands suspended disqualification to Russian team, fines €150,000

mar, 14/06/2016 - 13:34
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Russian hooliganism in Paris has costed €150,000 to the Russian national football team, that has also been handed a suspended disqualification from Euro 2016 cup.

This decision was taken by UEFA on Tuesday, after Russian fans took part in violent clashes in Marseille. “Charges relating to crowd disturbances, use of fireworks and racist behavior had been brought against the RFU (Russian Football Union),” the governing body UEFA said on Tuesday in a statement.

The ethics committee had decided to impose a fine of €150,000 euros and a suspended disqualification of the Russian national team, valid until the end of 2016. “Such suspension will be lifted if incidents of a similar nature (crowd disturbances) happen inside the stadium at any of the remaining matches of the Russian team during the tournament,” the statement continues.

French authorities consider banning alcohol at the football premises, due to the violent clashes between the Russian and UK fans.

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Catégories: European Union

Head of EU delegation to Turkey, Hansjoerg Haber, resigns

mar, 14/06/2016 - 13:09
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The European Commission Spokesperson for Foreign and Security Policy Maja Kocijancic, has confirmed today the resignation of Hansjoerg Haber, permanent representative of the EU to Turkey.

“I can confirm that the ambassador Haber resigned and he will be leaving his post as of 1 August this year. At present, all necessary steps are taken in order to swiftly appoint a new Head of the EU delegation in Ankara,” Kocijancic said.

The top EU diplomat stepped down one month after he was summoned by the Foreign Ministry of Turkey over his bitterly critical comments of Turkey’s handling of the EU-Turkey migration deal.

“We have a saying ‘Start like a Turk and end like a German. But here it is the other way round’”, Haber said, according to Turkish media reports.

However, Kocijancic rejected to comment on possible link between the former envoy’s comments and his resignation saying that the successor will be appointed swiftly and the EU continues to cooperate with Turkey.

“Turkey is a key partner and it is a candidate country. We reenergized our relationship contacts and they are going on all levels,” Kocijancic underlined.

 

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Catégories: European Union

ALDE shows solidarity with Orlando massacre victims

mar, 14/06/2016 - 13:04
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The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) Group in the European Parliament has condemned the massacre perpetrated against the LGBTI community in Orlando, Florida, on June 12.

Guy Verhofstadt, ALDE Group president, said: “Violence against LGBTI people is unfortunately not a relic from the past. The LGBTI community is still being a victim of discrimination, violence and threats every day across the world. We must stand together against homophobia, violence and hate speech. Terror and hatred should have no place in our societies.”

ALDE also called on the European Commission to present a legislative proposal to prevent and penalise homophobic hate crime.

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Catégories: European Union

MEPs debate pan-European firearms law 

mar, 14/06/2016 - 13:00
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Members of the European Parliament’s Internal Market committee have debated amendments to the EU’s Firearms Directive on Tuesday. There has been a common European firearms law for over 25 years but far-reaching reforms were proposed by the Commission following the Charlie Hebdo and Paris attacks last year.

The first draft of the proposals was widely considered to be very poorly drafted and would have had many unintended consequences. Members of the European Parliament have tabled a further 800 amendments to the Commission’s proposal, which will be discussed on Tuesday.

British Conservative MEP Vicky Ford (ECR) said: ‘It is absolutely right that we close the specific loophole that was exploited by terrorists involved in the Charlie Hebdo attacks. These firearms that were supposedly only able to fire blanks, and hence could be bought and sold by individuals who did not have any firearms certificate, license or permit. These guns had not been irreversibly converted and were easily turned back into live firearms. Many similar firearms were found in a marina in Kent and it is absolutely vital that we work with our neighbours across Europe to close this loophole to make us all secure.”

MEPs proposed robust measures to make sure that permits or licenses are not given to individuals who are likely to pose a risk to public safety. Countries will be expected to have in place a monitoring system and new measures will be introduced to ensure that if a person is refused a permit in one country, then the police in another country will be made aware. MEPs will vote on whether or not medical checks should be required.

Vicky Ford also said: “You should not be able to buy any firearm in Europe without a permit or license. You should not be able to get a permit or license if you are considered by authorities to be likely to pose a risk to public order. If in any doubt, the authorities should say “no”.

“This is a sensitive issue, and we must get it right. We need to have effective crossborder laws but this also needs to be done in a way that it does not have unintended consequences for legitimate owners, sportsmen, national defence or museums.”

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Catégories: European Union

Kaja Kallas. Why one MEP won’t sign written declarations

mar, 14/06/2016 - 12:56
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Estonian MEP Kaja Kallas has announced that she will not sign another written declaration – up to 200 words, it’s a mechanisms for European Parliament delegates to raise awareness about issues that might otherwise get overlooked.

In her recent blog post, Kallas, who belongs to the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, explains why she has stopped signing WDs.

“A few months ago a colleague of mine sent out a ‘Written Declaration to end all Written Declarations’ which made me wonder whether there is any sense in signing these declarations at all.

“According to the rules, a WD is only adopted if it is signed by half of all MEPs within 3 months of its publication; otherwise it lapses. Due to this, authors of a written declaration often have to resort to a disproportionate amount of lobbying to ensure that their declaration gains enough support in the allocated time.”

According to Kallas, a WD is often the result of the work of lobbyists who want to show their clients that they’ve achieved something or it represents narrow problems brought up by an MEP’s constituency, who expect the WD to have an impact on EU policies.

“In reality, they are largely incapable of bringing about change,” concludes Kallas. “This, in turn, feeds the sense of disempowerment recently on the rise in Europe, and risks frustrating the already sceptical public (“politicians only talk, but bring no change”).

“Not wanting to deny that some issues raised in WDs do merit wider recognition, I have to conclude that the WD in general has become a mechanism for promoting niche interests at great administrative cost. Either the subjects they deal with are so local and specific that they should not be discussed at EU level.”

Some of the examples that Kallas cites include a WD on the control and possible eradication of the Asian hornet and others are just ridiculous like a WD on European necktie day.

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Catégories: European Union

Lone wolf terrorist attack in France, two officers killed

mar, 14/06/2016 - 12:39
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Two police officers were murdered  by a single lone wolf terrorist in Magnanville, 55 km northwest of Paris, on Monday evening.

The French President, Francois Hollande, described the incident as “unquestionably a terrorist act” on Tuesday morning.

The first victim was a 42-year old police commander Jean-Batiste Salvaing. The terrorist stalked the victim and attacked him with a knife outside his home shouting “Allahu akbar,” according to witnesses. The victim quickly succumbed to wounds in his stomach, Reuters reports.

The murderer then went into the house of the victim and barricaded himself, taking the commander’s partner and their three year old son as hostages. The commander’s partner was the 36-year old Jessica S., also a police officer. Following a raid later in the evening, the woman was found dead, also by knife wounds, but the boy survived.

The police cut off electricity and gas, sealed off the road, and tried to negotiate with the terrorist before launching a raid; witnesses report hearing explosions as the unit moved in.

The terrorist was identified as the 25 year old Larossi Abballa, born in France. Aballa was convicted to 3-years in prison in 2013 for “criminal association with the aim of preparing terrorist acts”; he had worked as a recruiter of Jihadi fighters that were sent to Pakistan, France 24 reports.

Aballa was described by the IS-linked media platform as “a fighter”; the terrorist posted the murder and pictures of his victims on his Facebook page, Haaretz reports.

The police is now examining social media messages and contacts of the terrorist.

France is in a state of emergency since the attacks in Paris on November 13, 2015.

French President Francois Hollande gestures as he delivers a speech during the opening of the International Anti-Corruption Practitioner Conference at The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris, France, 14 June 2016. Hollande started his speech by mentioning the French police officer and his partner murdered by an assailant allegedly claimed as a ISIS fighter in Magnanville, near Paris, late 13 June 2016. EPA/FRANCOIS GUILLOT / POOL MAXPPP OUT

(AFP, France 24, Mirror, Reuters, Haaretz)

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Catégories: European Union

Microsoft buys LinkedIn for €23 bn

mar, 14/06/2016 - 11:41
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Microsoft is buying LinkedIn for €23bn in cash, or $196 a share, Bloomberg reports.

The deal still needs to be approved by regulators in the US, EU, Canada, and Brazil. Microsoft hopes to use the professional networking platform to bundle and sell e-mail and other business services, while adding value on its emerging “cloud” service identity (Office 365, Dynamics). To do so, it is paying LinkedIn shareholders a 50% premium.

As always in major mergers, Microsoft’s CEO Jeff Weiner promised to LinkedIn employees the company will retain its “distinct brand, culture and independence.” This is Microsoft’s biggest acquisition since Skype, which it acquired in 2011 for $8,5bn.

Most of the buyout will be paid by issuing debt, although Microsoft has the reserves to buy. In a very low interest rate environment, mergers and acquisitions have thrived.

One privacy expert, Vivek Krishnamurthy, who teaches at Harvard Law School’s Cyberlaw Clinic says LinkedIn users should have personal data concerns. “While LinkedIn is known for controlling information that’s in a semi-public sphere, in particular its professional profiles, it also houses private messages and job applications made on the website. Its information could include the fact that you’re seeking a job while you’re presumably employed or were employed somewhere else,” Financial Post reports.

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Catégories: European Union

Qatar convicts Dutch alledged rape victim for extramarital sex

mar, 14/06/2016 - 11:00
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A Doha court convicted a 22-year old Dutch woman that reported her rape for adultery on Monday. She is to pay a €710 fine and was convicted to one year prison.

The woman was apparently raped in February and reported the crime. Qatari authorities placed Laura on trial for her “extramarital sex” {rape} without seeking to secure evidence against her alleged rapist. Dutch media reported she was later pressed to marry her alleged rapist.

The sentence will be suspended and Laura will be deported, AFP reports.

The woman denied the charge of having “sex” outside marriage.

The alleged rapist is Omar Abdullah al-Hasan; he was sentenced to 100 lashes for “illicit sex” – not rape – and 40 lashes for drinking alcohol. He will undergo a medical examination to see whether he can withstand the punishment. But, he will serve no time in prison and could get away with rape. Being of Syrian descent, he will be deported; he insists he paid the woman for sex and that it was consensual.

The Dutch embassy will help the 22-years old woman to leave Qatar.

Qatar will host the football World Cup in 2022. Western tourists visiting Qatar for the event could be in grave danger if unfamiliar with the “rule of law” in the emirate. In 2013, a Norwegian woman in the United Arab Emirates received a 16-month sentence for extramarital rape and drinking alcohol. She was later pardoned and allowed to return to Norway. An Australian suffered the same fate in 2008.

At least 45 people have been convicted of sex outside marriage since 2009 according to international media reports.

The Dutch woman had been to Doha for vacations with a friend and went clubbing in a hotel where alcohol is allowed. Her lawyer, Brian Lokollo, says the victim suspects her drink was spiked. She woke up in a strange apartment realizing she had been raped.

(AP, AFP, BBC, DW, DutchNews.nl)

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Catégories: European Union

EU risks fuelling abuse of refugees and migrants in Libya: Amnesty International

mar, 14/06/2016 - 09:22
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EU risks fuelling horrific abuse of refugees and migrants in Libya, warned today Amnesty International. Thus, the EU’s plans to cooperate more closely with Libya on migration risk fuelling the rampant ill-treatment and indefinite detention in horrifying conditions of thousands of refugees and migrants, said Amnesty International.

Last month the EU announced plans to extend its anti-smuggling naval mission in the Mediterranean, Operation Sophia, for another year and to train, build up the capacity of and share information with the Libyan coastguard following a request by the new Libyan government. However, testimonies gathered during visits to Sicily and Puglia in May 2016 reveal shocking abuses by the Libyan coastguard and at immigration detention centres in Libya.

Amnesty International spoke to 90 people who survived the treacherous sea crossing from Libya to Italy, including at least 20 refugees and migrants who described shootings and beatings while being picked up by the coastguard or harrowing torture and other ill-treatment at detention centres. In one case, the Libyan coastguard abandoned a sinking boat leaving some 120 people on board instead of rescuing them.

“Europe shouldn’t even think about migration cooperation arrangements with Libya if it results, directly or indirectly, in such shocking human rights violations. The EU has repeatedly shown it is willing to stop refugees and migrants from coming to the continent at almost any cost now, with human rights taking a back seat,” said Magdalena Mughrabi, interim Deputy Middle East and North Africa Director at Amnesty International.

“Of course the Libyan coastguard’s search and rescue capabilities have to improve to save lives at sea, but the grim reality at the moment is that the Libyan coastguard is intercepting and returning thousands of people to detention centres where they suffer torture and other abuses. It is critical that any support from the EU does not fuel and perpetuate the abhorrent human rights violations that foreign nationals in Libya are so desperate to escape from.”

On 7 June the European Commission announced further plans to enhance cooperation and partnerships with key third countries in the region to manage migration; Libya was identified as one of the priority countries.

Despite the violence and lawlessness pervading Libya, where armed conflicts flared up once again in 2014, hundreds of thousands of refugees and migrants, mostly from Sub-Saharan Africa, continue to travel there, fleeing war, persecution or extreme poverty in countries such as Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Nigeria and Somalia, usually in the hope of reaching Europe. Others have lived in Libya for years but want to flee the country because, unprotected by any government, they live in constant fear of being stopped, beaten and robbed by local gangs or police.

According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) more than 2,100 people lost their lives trying to make the dangerous sea crossing to Italy in the first five months of this year alone. More than 49,000 survived the journey to Italy – virtually all were rescued by European naval forces, NGOs and merchant vessels.

Abuses by the Libyan coastguard

At least 3,500 people were intercepted at sea by the Libyan coastguard between 22 and 28 May 2016 and transferred to detention centres.

Abdurrahman, 23, from Eritrea, described the abuse he endured when the overloaded boat he was travelling on – with capacity for 50 people but carrying 120 – was intercepted by members of the Libyan coastguard in January 2016.

“They made everyone get off and beat them with rubber hoses and wooden sticks….They then shot one man in the foot – he was the last one coming off the boat so they asked him where the driver was, when he said he didn’t know they said ‘that means you are the driver’ and they shot him,” he said.

Another Eritrean man, Mohamed, 26, said members of the Libyan coastguard who stopped them later abandoned their sinking rubber boat, leaving the 120 people on board stranded at sea.

“One of the men from the Libyan coastguard boat came onto our boat to drive it back to Libya. He drove it nearly half way back, but then the motor stopped working. [He] was very frustrated and went back to his own boat. I heard him say ‘if you die, you die’, before getting back on his boat and driving away, leaving us stuck in the sea,” he said.

Eventually they were able to fix the motor themselves, but it was still letting in air so they were forced to return to Libya.

In October 2013, Amnesty International documented the sinking of a trawler that was damaged while leaving Libyan waters when an unidentified Libyan vessel opened fire on it. The damaged boat began to take in water and subsequently sank taking about 200 men, women and children down with it. Some of the survivors alleged that the shooting came from the Libyan coastguard. The results of an investigation into the incident have never been made public.

Appalling abuse at Libyan detention centres

According to officials in the Libyan coastguard, refugees and migrants intercepted while attempting the journey are routinely returned to immigration detention centres in Libya.

Since 2011, Amnesty International has collected scores of testimonies from former detainees, including men, women and unaccompanied children, detailing terrible conditions, violence and sexual abuse at such centres across Libya. The latest evidence gathered shows that abuses continue unabated.

The centres are run by the Department to Combat Irregular Migration (DCIM) which nominally falls under the control of Libya’s Ministry of Interior, but in practice many are run by members of armed groups. Libya’s internationally backed Government of National Accord is yet to gain effective control of these centres. According to UNHCR, there are currently 24 such centres currently across Libya.

Libyan law criminalizes entering, exiting and staying in Libya irregularly and allows for the indefinite detention of foreign nationals for the purpose of deportation. Those detained often stay in centres for months without access to their families, lawyers or judges and are unable to challenge their detention or access protection given the lack of any national asylum law or system in Libya. Deportations are carried out without any safeguards or assessment of individual claims.

“The fact that it is possible to detain someone indefinitely in Libya purely based on their immigration status is outrageous. Instead of being granted protection, refugees and migrants end up being tortured and ill-treated in custody. As a first step Libya must urgently end the unlawful detention and torture and ill-treatment of foreign nationals and adopt asylum legislation to ensure those in need of international protection are given refuge,” said Magdalena Mughrabi.

Former detainees – who include people intercepted at sea as well as foreign nationals arrested on the streets in Libya – said guards beat them on a daily basis using wooden sticks, hoses, electric cables and rifles as well as subjecting them to electric shocks.

A 20-year-old Eritrean whose boat was intercepted at sea by the Libyan coastguard in January 2016 said he was sent directly to a detention centre in al-Zawiya, in western Libya where he was beaten repeatedly.

“They [the guards] would hit us three times a day using electric wire that was folded three times to make it hurt more,” said one man who was held at Abu Slim detention centre in Tripoli where the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) says at least 450 people are being held. He said detainees there slept in the open air without shelter from the extreme hot or cold weather. Guards would often spray the area with water forcing them to sleep on the damp cold floor.

Charles, a 35-year-old man from Nigeria, was held at five different detention centres after he was stopped in the street in Tripoli in August 2015. He told Amnesty International:

“They beat us all the time, every day…Once my arm got broken because of the beating and they took me to the hospital but I didn’t get any medication. They used sticks, their guns and sometimes electric shocks.”

When the guards threatened to deport him he responded “anything is better than the hell here”.

A 28-year-old Ethiopian man, who was arrested with his wife at a checkpoint as they tried to get to western Libya spent four months in Kufra detention centre in the south east of the country. He described being beaten regularly, being placed in a box, and being flogged and burned with hot water. His wife said the head of the centre would regularly beat her and the other women there. They were eventually able to pay for their release.

None of the detention centres run by DCIM have female guards, heightening the risk of sexual abuse.

Several people said they had witnessed refugees or migrants dying in detention, either shot dead or beaten to death by the guards.

“The guards would beat us if we said we’re hungry…. They would make us lie down on our stomach and two would hit us with hose… I saw a Chadian man, they shot him for no reason in front of me. They took him to the hospital but he died in prison after they brought him back. In the records, they said he died in a car accident. I know because they made me work [for free] all day in the filing room,” said a 19-year-old Eritrean man who was detained in the Abu Slim detention centre.

Another Eritrean man who spent five months from October 2015 in an immigration detention centre in al-Zawiya also said he witnessed a detainee being beaten to death by the guards. Afterwards they wrapped the dead body up in a blanket and removed it. In another incident, the man described how the guards came in and opened fire on seven men in his cell when they didn’t understand the guards’ orders to get up in Arabic. In April 2016, UNSMIL called for investigations when four people were shot dead as they attempted to escape horrible conditions at a detention centre in al-Zawiya.

Former detainees also complained of a lack of food, drinking water, poor medical care and squalid conditions due to a shortage of sanitary facilities which many said led to skin diseases. They explained that even when doctors from humanitarian organizations came to see them, they were only shown a small number of detainees who would usually be too afraid to report injuries caused by the guards. The medication they were given was also confiscated by the guards.

“The EU cannot ignore these true horror stories about the shocking abuses committed on a daily basis against foreign nationals in Libya. Before any migration policies and programmes are designed, there have to be rock-solid guarantees that refugees and migrants rights are fully respected in Libya – something that is highly unlikely to be the case in the near future,” said Magdalena Mughrabi.

Religious discrimination

Christians are at an increased risk of ill-treatment in Libya’s detention centres. Omar, a 26-year-old from Eritrea who was held in a detention centre in al-Zawiya, said: “They hate Christians. If you’re a Christian, all I can say is God help you if they find out…If they see a cross or a [religious] tattoo they beat you a lot more”.

Another former detainee from Nigeria said the guards in the detention centre in Misratah would separate the men according to religion and flog those who were Christians.

“At the beginning I said I’m not going to change my religion even if I’m in a Muslim country. They took me out and flogged me. Next time I lied and said I was Muslim,” he said.

Semre, a 22-year-old man from Eritrea who was beaten in detention after his boat was intercepted at sea in January, also said Christians received far worse treatment:

“They beat me, took my money and threw away my Bible and the cross I had on my neck…First they check whether one has money in the pockets, then they take an electrical cable and they whip you,” he said.

Exploited, extorted or sold to smugglers

The testimonies collected by Amnesty International suggest that detainees’ only hope of release is escaping, buying their way out, or being sold on to people smugglers. Many are exploited and forced into work without pay or face financial extortion. They are made to work in the detention centres or are given to Libyan men who pay the guards for their labour.

Daniel, a 19-year-old from Ghana detained in March 2014, described how his only option to get away from the repeated beatings and ill-treatment he suffered in detention was to attempt to escape, as he did not have the money the guards were asking in exchange for his release.

“I stayed there for three months, because I had no money to pay the police. They took me as a slave, I had to do any type of work, farming, carrying sand or stones…I was never paid. When I was hungry and I told them, they shouted. They gave me water with petrol inside. Or they would put salt in it, just to punish you,” he said.

“They gave me a phone to call my family to get them to send money to release me. I have no family, my mum and dad died. I couldn’t call anyone, so they beat me and didn’t give me any food.”
In some cases, detainees escaped from or were released by the men they were made to work for, who would help them get on boats in exchange for their work.

In other cases, smugglers negotiated the release of a detainee – often by bribing the detention centre guards – just so they could get them to pay for another sea crossing, at a cost of around US$1,000 each. Mohamed, who was held at a detention centre in al-Zawiya after his boat was intercepted in January 2016 said the smugglers gave the guards “cars full of goods” in exchange for their release.

 

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Catégories: European Union

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