De SP loopt voorop in aandacht voor het lot van Palestijnse kinderen Onder de kop ‘Boycot de SP: partij heeft de principes ingeruild voor pragmatisme’ bedrijft Sander Faas een vorm van fact free politics die in Nederland zelden wordt vertoond. Volgens Faas zou in Den Haag niemand reppen over het lot van Palestijnse kinderen die onterecht in Israëlische gevangenissen zitten. Faas is ziende blind of heeft een politieke agenda die hij verhult. Eén blik op sp.nl of harryvanbommel.nl zou hem hebben geleerd dat juist de SP de afgelopen jaren voorop heeft gelopen in aandacht voor het lot van Palestijnse kinderen in Israëlische cellen. De SP heeft dit onderwerp nooit losgelaten Kort voor het werkbezoek naar Israël diende ik schriftelijke vragen in die uitsluitend gaan over het lot van Palestijnse kinderen in gevangenschap. Sindsdien heeft de SP dit onderwerp bepaald niet losgelaten. Binnen en buiten de Kamer actief met steun van anderen Overigens is de aandacht van de SP voor Palestijnse kinderen niet beperkt tot gevangenen.
Libya frees 55 Coptic Christians charged with proselytising CAIRO //Fifty-five Egyptian Christians arrested last month in Libya for allegedly seeking to convert Muslims have been freed, while four others are still behind bars, the Egyptian foreign ministry said yesterday. "Our embassy has been assured of the release of 55 people and is actively working to seek the release of four others who are still in detention," the deputy spokesman, Nazih Al Naggary, said. His comments come a day after a human rights lawyer said that one of those jailed had been tortured to death in custody, prompting demonstrators to attack the Libyan embassy in Cairo. Ezzat Hakim Attallah "died after being tortured with other detainees" in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi, said Naguib Guebrayel, a Coptic Christian lawyer who heads the Egyptian Union for Human Rights watchdog organisation. But the main charge was illegal entry into Libya, he said. One-page article
& Japanese imperialism threaten China » Around the world The capitalist press is busy speculating on the motives of the People’s Republic of China in setting up an Air Defense Information Zone that covers the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea. Some say it was a test of the U.S. government, others that it was a test of the Japanese government. Some say it was an attempt by the PRC to push the U.S. back in that region. Whatever the intentions and expectations of the PRC, these are the wrong questions. What gives the U.S. military the right to send B-52 bombers to violate legally recognized rights and rules recently established by a sovereign government, representing 1.3 billion people, over air space that is just minutes of flight time from the shores of China? The PRC had announced two days earlier that it was establishing the ADIZ over that area. Most importantly, the Japanese government has a similar zone that covers the disputed islands. Another question should be: Why are the Diaoyu Islands called “disputed” by all the imperialists? U.S.
Spain fines Google £750m for personal data harvesting By Reuters Posted on 20 Dec 2013 at 09:13 Spain's privacy watchdog has fined Google for breaking the country's data protection law by combining personal information from its many different online services and failing to inform users clearly on how it uses their data. Although the 900,000 euro (£750 million) fine is modest for Google, which has a market capitalisation of over £214 billion, the move reflects growing concerns across Europe about the volume of personal data that is held in foreign jurisdictions in cloud storage services. Last month, the Dutch Data Protection Authority also said Google was in breach of the national data privacy law for the same practices, while France moved closer to fining the US internet giant in September. Investigations are taking place in at least three other European countries. Google said it had engaged with the Spanish authorities to explain its privacy policy and would decide on which action to take once it had the opportunity to fully read its report.
De laffe stilte van de SP over Gaza Vanavond is SP-leider Emile Roemer gastspreker bij CiJO en CIDI’s Politiek Café. Een moment om naar uit te kijken. Het is namelijk al weer even geleden dat Emile Roemer zich uitsprak over het conflict tussen de Palestijnen en de Joodse Staat. De SP blinkt de laatste tijd uit in stilzwijgen, vooral waar het Gaza betreft. Stilte Die opvallende zwijgzaamheid begon met een opmerkelijke draai van de SP rond de steun aan de tweede Gaza-vloot. Nog opmerkelijker was dat de SP zich ook niet liet horen in protest tegen de wijze waarop Europese overheden en bedrijven meewerkten aan de Israëlische tegencampagne tegen dat Flottielje. Niet verbazend dus dat de partij geen aanleiding voor Kamervragen zag in het feit dat het Israëlische leger later erkende dat de daders van Eilat uit de Sinaï kwamen. Steun aan terreur Naar het waarom van het zwijgen is het gissen. Maar misschien dat Emile Roemer vandaag korte metten maakt met mijn kritiek.
Suspected H1N1 flu kills 5 in Libya - WORLD Five deaths have been confirmed among the 29 suspected cases of influenza A (H1N1) virus infections in Libya, Health Minister Noor Eddin Dughman told a press conference Tuesday. According to the health ministry, four deaths were reported in the eastern city of Darnah and the other in Zawyia city, some 50 km west of Tripoli. And patients from 10 other suspected cases have been hospitalized in Tripoli. Mohamed Bu Ghalya, director of Libya's communicable diseases center, told Xinhua that symptoms of the infections include severe acute respiratory illness with fever, and some patients even fell into a coma. All medical institutions in Libya are geared for the epidemic and patients will receive prompt medical treatment before results of laboratory tests come out, said Ghalya. The H1N1 virus, which caused a global pandemic in 2009 and 2010, has now transformed into a seasonal flu virus, a "hybrid" of a number of swine and avian flu viruses.
Statement by the Government of the People's Republic of China on Establishing the East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone Background: Air Defense Identification Zones Special: China establishes its first air defense ID zone More News from Xinhuanet BEIJING, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Ministry of National Defense of the People's Republic of China issued a statement on establishing the East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone. Following is the full text: Statement by the Government of the People's Republic of China on Establishing the East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone Issued by the Ministry of National Defense on November 23 The government of the People's Republic of China announces the establishment of the East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone in accordance with the Law of the People's Republic of China on National Defense (March 14, 1997), the Law of the People's Republic of China on Civil Aviation (October 30, 1995) and the Basic Rules on Flight of the People's Republic of China (July 27, 2001). 1. China maps out its first air defense ID zone
Google's privacy policy doomsday goes ahead despite warnings In less than a year since Google rolled out its Facebook-competing social network, Google+, the search giant has stirred the international community with a new one-size-fits-all privacy policy. It came into force today after weeks of complaints and warnings by authorities. Not everything is a plus, and Google continues to stir up trouble by seemingly putting advertisers' wants ahead of its users' needs. The 'simplified' privacy policy now consolidates over 70 privacy documents into one, allowing signed in users to have their data shared from one Google product to another, even if they don't want to. It not only makes government access to your data far easier, and while Google does not collect any more data on its users, the changes rolled out today on March 1st allows the company to build up a far greater picture of who you are as individuals. And the laughable thing is that most governments or executive bodies can do nothing about it. Much ado about nothing? Image source: Spencer E.
Gaza's fragile ceasefire threatened by border clashes as Hamas weakens | World news Abu Saad is not really following the peace talks being brokered by the US secretary of state, John Kerry. Gripping an M16 automatic rifle, his face masked by a red keffiyeh headdress, the camouflage-clad Palestinian fighter wants to talk about defending Gaza against Israeli attacks – ceasefire or no ceasefire. In a safe house reached by a circuitous route, he and other members of the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) are flaunting their weapons and defiance at a time when the truce with Israel is looking fragile. Under his balaclava, another man's eyes flicker as he registers the sound of a drone hovering above – an ominous reminder of their enemy's reach. "There are planes in the sky," he warns. A hurried consultation follows over the squad's radio. The alarm is understandable. "Our target bank is always ready," says Abu Saad. Islamic Jihad, a smaller faction backed by Iran, also respects the ceasefire. Militarily it is an unequal struggle. Hamas is in a bad way.
4,500 weapons destroyed in controlled demolition The explosive remnants of war destroyed . . .[restrict]had been collected over the last year (Photo: Handicap International) Tripoli, 12 March 2013: Weapons and explosive remnants of war collected by clearance agencies over the last year have been destroyed in a controlled demolition outside Sirte by NGO Handicap International. “It’s satisfying that such a large volume has been destroyed,” said Handicap International’s Technical Advisor Brendan Ramshaw, who prepared the demolition. The items destroyed included over 500 mortars, some containing the highly-flammable noxious compound White Phosphorus, 60 grad rockets, 140 war heads and 330 rocket propelled grenades. After the thirty-five day Battle of Sirte in 2011, the city was littered with weapons deployed by both sides of the conflict. Collaboration between Handicap International’s community liaison teams and Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) teams has enabled prompt responses when weapons are found. More from Libya Herald..
Printing: So many secrets in the East China Sea The whole drama is far from being just about a few islets and rocks that China calls Diaoyu and Japan Senkaku, or the crucial access to the precious waters that surround them, harboring untold riches in oil and natural gas; it concerns no less than the future of China as a sea power rivaling the US. It's been a source of endless fascination to follow the game of geopolitical Go being played since China declared an air defense identification zone (ADIZ) in the East China Sea. The spin in the United States is relentless; this was no less than "saber-rattling," a "bellicose" posture and a unilateral "provocation." The meeting last week between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US Vice-President Joe Biden in Beijing may have done nothing to dispel it. This is what the White House says Xi and Biden talked about; Beijing did not release a transcript. Which brings us to the scenario that the original provocation may have been actually Japanese, and not Chinese.
Spain fines Google maximum amount for breaking data law over merged privacy policy Spanish privacy watchdogs have fined Google for breaking the country's law when it combined more than 70 privacy policies into one user information sharing policy last year. The €900,000 ($1.23 million) fine comes at a time when the search giant is under increasing pressure from European authorities and local governments over its privacy policies and business practices. Under the new privacy policy, created in March 2012, Google was then able to share user data from one service to another, which the search giant claimed at the time enhanced the experience for the end user. But critics claim the new "data-sharing policy" allows Google to build up a more specific and accurate picture of its users. At least six countries began investigating the move following the privacy policy merger. Dutch authorities launched a similar probe and said in November the move was also in breach of the country's law.
Israeli airstrikes target central, northern Gaza Strip GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Israeli airstrikes rocked northern Gaza City and al-Nuseirat refugee camp early Tuesday, causing damages, security sources and locals said. Three air-to-surface missiles struck the Abu Jarad militant base in Gaza City, causing a fire to break out, the sources said. Heavy damages, but no injuries, were reported. Additionally, Israeli warplanes fired missiles at an open area near Gaza's power plant north of al-Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. Israel's army said in a statement that a rocket fired from Gaza late Monday landed in an open area in southern Israel. It caused no damages or injuries, according to Israeli news site Ynet. The army statement said that "in retaliation the IAF targeted an underground rocket launcher in the central Gaza Strip and a terror site in the northern Gaza Strip." "Direct hits were confirmed," the statement said. "We will continue to act against the threats originating from Hamas' Gaza Strip."
At least 60 dead from alcohol poisoning in Tripoli, ministry says __i18n_ovi.service.map._t46__ __i18n_ovi.service.map._t45__ __i18n_ovi.service.map. __i18n_ovi.service.map. More than 700 cases of alcohol poisoning have been reported, Libyan News Agency reportsAlcohol consumption is banned in Libya, but alcoholic drinks can be foundLocally made alcohol is behind this case, the National Security Directorate says (CNN) -- At least 60 people have died in the Libyan capital after drinking locally made alcohol, the Ministry of Health says, and the National Security Directorate of Tripoli said Tuesday it is launching an investigation. According to the Libyan News Agency, there were 709 other cases of alcohol poisoning. Alcohol sale and consumption is prohibited in Libya, a conservative Muslim nation, but smuggled alcoholic drinks can be found, in addition to homemade alcohol locally known as "bokha." The National Security Directorate said this large-scale poisoning was caused by such locally made alcohol.