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Gennaio 2018

Rajnath Singh slammed Pakistan for continuously violating the ceasefire agreement

in ASIA/POLITICS by

Union home minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday slammed Pakistan for continuously violating the ceasefire agreement with India despite giving assurance not to do so, saying Islamabad should not misinterpret “powerful” India’s “decency”. Pakistani shelling along the border in Jammu and Kashmir has increased over the past two weeks. Fourteen people, including eight civilians, have been killed in the shelling since January 18, according to the state police. Today, Pakistani troops opened fire and lobbed mortars on forward and civilian areas along the LoC in Rajouri district. No casualties have been reported. “Not saying much, I just want to say our politeness and decency has a limit. We want to maintain good relations with all and also with our neighbours. But our decency should not be wrongly interpreted”, he said. Rajnath said Pakistan, being a neighbour, should have a friendly attitude towards India. He said that the fencing of the India-Pak border was underway at a rapid pace.

Germany: scandal about exhaust fumes tests on humans and animals reaches Volkswagen top managers

in ECONOMY/ENERGY/EUROPE by

The emissions scandal at Volkswagen will cost a high-ranking group manager the office. Thomas Steg, former spokesman for the Federal Government and today chief lobbyist of the automaker, is giving up his post for the time being. He had offered his release itself, said Volkswagen. The board had agreed to that on Tuesday. Steg was released as a general representative for the group “until the complete clarification of the events of his duties”. With his leave of absence pulls Volkswagen according to own data “first consequences” from the controversial exhaust gas tests, which were recently publicized. Nitrogen dioxide is the focus of the emissions issue. For years, Volkswagen had been manipulating diesel test results in the US in order to cover up the fact that the limits for harmful nitrogen oxides had been exceeded many times over. The group said it would continue to work on the investigation of the controversial emissions tests. “We are in the process of thoroughly examining the work and to draw all the necessary conclusions from it,” said Volkswagen CEO Matthias Müller. “Mr. Steg has declared to take full responsibility”.

France will adapt its “secret-defense” to better exchange with its allies

in DEFENCE/EUROPE by

The “secret-defense” occupies a central place in the French democracy: 400,000 people authorized in the state apparatus in 2017, 4,000 security officers in companies and administrations, 5 million classified documents and parsimonious access imposed on historical archives. It will be reformed by the end of 2019, announced the General Secretariat for Defense and National Security. This body dependent on the Prime Minister publishes his second report on the subject hoping to make “the pedagogy to Parliament and opinion”. Interdepartmental dialogue is underway to meet two priorities: “Facilitate data exchanges with allied countries by aligning classification levels” and “Improve the protection of classified information in the face of the cyber threat”. The leading allies of France, have equivalent classifications and the reform will aim to facilitate bilateral intelligence exchanges, but also in NATO and in the European Union, which have enacted common frameworks.
Of the three levels of classification – “confidential defense”, “secret defense” and “very secret defense” – only the last two will remain. In fact, the vast majority of information, classified “confidential defense” will be integrated at the top level “secret defense”. Most of the operational documents (military operations, encryption, cyber operations), as well as research data presenting a proliferation risk for weapons of mass destruction and the information of nuclear deterrence, are included in the highest classification. The government is also “thinking” about a way to facilitate access to historical archives, with a semi-automated opening system when prescription dates (50 years or 100 years depending on the case) are reached.

The CDM: a Movement to boycott the March elections

in AFRICA/POLITICS by

The Civil Democratic Movement, founded in December 2017, is a coalition of liberal and leftist political parties and organizations and includes liberal Dostour, Egyptian Social Democratic and Reform parties, as well as the Development Party, the Socialist Popular Alliance Party, the Nasserist Karama Current and the leftist under-construction Bread and Freedom Party. In an official statement it announced its intention to boycott the upcoming presidential election because of the total absence of transparency , guarantees and freedom in the electoral process. The CDM claimed that the state in the past few weeks forced the potential candidates to withdraw from the presidential election, including the human rights lawyer Khaled Ali, in order tto eliminate any obstacles or serious challenge to El-Sisi’s election. Mostafa Moussa is the only one who was able to complete the candidacy requirements submitting 47 000 citizens’ endorsement to the NEA on Monday.

China needs more nuclear warheads to deter US threat, military says

in ASIA/TECHNOLOGY by

The Chinese military’s mouthpiece said China must expand its nuclear stockpile so it can better deter and hit back at an enemy strike as geopolitical uncertainties mount and the US appears bent on a nuclear build-up.
China had enough nuclear weapons to prevent “bullying” by other nuclear powers but still needed to respond to changes in US strategy. The commentary comes as the administration of US President Donald Trump is expected to unveil its new military weapons policy later this week.

Taiwan mounts live-fire drills to test defences against invasion

in ASIA/DEFENCE by

Taiwanese troops staged live-fire exercises simulating an invasions of the island as mainland China steps up pressure on Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. While not specifying that the drill simulated an invasion by mainland China, the authorities said the exercise was to “show determination to safeguard peace in the Taiwan Strait and national security”.

Russian soldiers invest in Berengo Palace

in AFRICA/ECONOMY/POLITICS by

The Russian strengths and the Central African armed forces settled down in the palace of the emperor declined Jean-Bedel Bokassa. A decision which displeases strongly the family of the deceased. In the middle of December on 2017, Moscow indeed announced that it would deliver weapons and would send instructors to the Central African armed forces at the beginning of 2018.

Bulgaria in the Schengen Area is “out of the question”

in EUROPE by

Joachim Herrmann, Bavarian Interior Minister, announced that he does not want Bulgaria to be part of Schengen Area. He would rather to introduce Bulgaria together with Romania in the area in the long term, but for the moment is “out of the question”. He explained that “it is still dangerous to accept Bulgaria because of the high level of corruption and its big problems with organized crime”.

Human Trafficking’s victims in Bulgaria in 2017

in EUROPE by

Plovdiv’s journalist Kamelia Dimitrova told at the National Commission for Combating Trafficking of People in 2017 that 197 where the victims of human trafficking during the year in Bulgaria, due principally to sexual and labor exploitation. In December the Commission voted a National Anti-Trafficking Program to improve the coordination with NGOs to protect victims.

No paramilitary groups in Republika Srpska

in EUROPE/POLITICS by

The Minister of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska (RS), Dragan Lukač, has denied the existence of paramilitary formations in RS reminding that the organization “Serbian Honor” was registered in Niš, Serbia. Moreover, Lukač emphasized the absence of groups or organizations that could pose a threat to the security of the citizens of RS. According to him, eight of the 17 radicalized people who departed from BiH to join the war (presumably in Syria) have returned but are being closely monitored by the Minister of Internal Affairs.

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