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Magyarország
2016 II. 8. Egyedül a Törökországba irányuló magyar export emelkedett valamennyire, a többi keletinyitás-célországnál ez stagnált vagy csökkent. Oroszország esetében ezt 2014-re magyarázzák a szankciók, de a többi országnál nem. A keleti nyitás semmilyen érzékelhető eredményt nem hozott, még abban az időszakban sem, amikor a célországok gazdasága jól teljesített. Az azeriek pénze, a manat 2015 elejéig tartotta magát, azóta kevesebb, mint feleannyit ér a dollárral szemben. Az azeri jegybank devizatartalékának 60 százalékát elégette, amikor védeni próbálta az árfolyamot, teljesen hiába. Az olajtermelésen kívül mással lényegében nem foglalkozó országot teljesen kiütötte az olajár zuhanása. A súlyosan olajfüggő Kazahsztán exportbevételei harmadára zuhantak, a 2013-as 5 százalékos növekedés után idén recesszió lesz, két évtized után először. A kazahok pénze, a tenge elvesztette értékének nagy részét, a dollárhoz képest kevesebb, mint a felét éri (187-ről fél év alatt 391-re gyengült). Szinte csak a szomszédos Oroszországgal és Kínával kereskednek, márpedig ez a két ország is lassul. Törökország az egyik legveszélyeztetettebb az egész feltörekvő piaci válságban, hiszen itt az egyik legmagasabb a dollárhitelek aránya a világon (az összes törökországi hitel harmada). 2013 elején még 1,7 török lírát adtak egy dollárért, most már 3 lírát. A líra gyengülése miatt az infláció is magas, az ország súlyos folyó fizetésimérleg-hiánnyal küszködik, azaz folyamatosan külföldről kell finanszírozni. A GDP ugyan most is növekszik évi 3 százalékkal, de a török demográfiai növekedés mellett ez nagyon gyenge, inkább stagnálásnak felel meg. Szaúd-Arábia: olaj nélkül nagyjából semmi nincs ebben az országban, csak a mérhetetlenül nagy, korábban felhalmozott olajvagyon felélése történik. Hogy ez meddig mehet így tovább, az évente a GDP 20 százalékát meghaladó költségvetési hiány, a csökkenő GDP és az apadó devizatartalékok mikor okoznak tőkemenekülést, egyelőre még nem tudni, de a mostani olajáraknál ez csak idő kérdése. Az olajból mesés bevételekhez jutó Szaúdi ház hatalmának megingása érezhető folyamat, a diktatúra egyre kapkodóbban reagál a nemzetközi konfliktusokban és a hazai kritikusokkal szemben is. Oroszország gazdasága már több mint másfél éve zsugorodik, és idén csak mélyülni fog a válság. A rubel zuhanása miatt felpörgött az infláció, emiatt zuhannak a reálbérek. Más kiút nem látszik, csak az, ha újra emelkedne az olajár, amire most nem sok remény látszik. A mostani feltörekvő piaci válság oka az amerikai kamatemelés mellett éppen az egyre gyengébb kínai gazdasági teljesítmény. Egyre kevesebb nyersanyagot tud felszívni Kína, az árak részben éppen emiatt estek össze. Nem úgy tűnik, hogy a vállalatok és makroadatok szintjén sem átlátható ország könnyen kikecmeregne a mostani, egyre súlyosabb belső adósságokból. Közben folyamatosan jönnek az aggasztó hírek, akár a gazdaság lassulásáról (ennek üteme a tavaly utolsó negyedévben 25 éve a legalacsonyabb volt, de lehet, hogy valójában ennél is gyengébb), akár a devizatartalék apadásáról (épp a hétvégén jelentették be, hogy decemberben hároméves mélypontra esett). (Forrás: 444)
2016. II. 5. Ha valaki azt hiszi, hogy a baloldalt nem a kormány lejáratásának szándéka vezeti, hanem valamiféle elmaradt „emlékezetmunka” elvégzése, a történelmi személyiségek és események árnyalt és a valóságnak megfelelő értékelése, az nagyon el fog szomorodni, mire írásom végére jut. Be fogom ugyanis bizonyítani, hogy a baloldali emlékezetpolitika nem áll a jobboldalé fölött, hanem cinikus, a kettős mércén és az áldozatok iránti teljes közömbösségen alapuló, kizárólag politikai eszköz. Budafok-Téténynek jelentős német nemzetiségű (sváb) lakossága volt, hiszen ők alapították Budafokot, és Nagytétényben is sokan laktak. Kitelepítésük évfordulója kapcsán bukkantam arra, hogy Nagy, mint a kommunisták által delegált belügyminiszter nyújtotta be 1945. december 22-én a kormány elé a jogfosztó rendelettervezetet, majd ő adta ki a végrehajtási utasítást is. Nagy a német nemzetiségűek kitelepítését „magyar nemzeti kötelezettségnek” nevezte. Mintegy 180.000 embert fosztottak ki, majd deportáltak Magyarországról, szörnyű körülmények között. Nagy egyébként mind az 500 ezret ki szerette volna telepíteni. Érdekelni kezdett Nagy életútja. Nagy nem egyik pillanatról a másikra vált ennyire kegyetlenné, hiszen 1944-ben olyan ország állampolgáraként és ügynökeként jött Magyarországra, ahol már jóval a nácik előtt kitalálták az „ellenség” kifosztását, koncentrációs munkatáborokba gyűjtését, majd megölését. Nagy 1918-20 között vörösgárdista, csekista, részt vett az orosz polgárháborúban. 1921-22-ben a szovjet belügyi népbiztosság, az NKVD kötelékében, majd a Vörös Hadsereg hírszerző csoportfőnökségén szolgált. Rövid magyarországi tartózkodás után, 1930-ban a Szovjetunióba emigrált, azonnal, önként jelentkezett az NKVD-nél besúgónak. Legalább 203 embert jelentett fel, közülük 12-őt kivégeztek. 1936-ban felvette a szovjet állampolgárságot, amitől soha nem vált meg. Nagy 1938. június 30-i keltezésű, saját kezűleg írt önéletrajzában büszkén írja: “Hosszú ideje odaadóan és tisztességesen együttműködök az NKVD-vel a népellenség minden fajtájának megsemmisítéséért vívott harcban.” Nagy 1950. júniustól 1952. júliusig az MDP KV Adminisztratív Osztályát vezette. Mivel ez felügyelte a fegyveres szervezetekben a „pártmunkát”, a szovjetek feltétlen bizalma és támogatása kellett ehhez a poszthoz. 1950-ben, a legsötétebb időszakban begyűjtési miniszter (1951-ben az addig legszigorúbb rendeletet is ő nyújtotta be!). Hogyan tett eleget feladatának? A történészek szerint 1948-1956 között a „közellátás veszélyeztetéséért” 193 826 főt ítéltek el a bíróságok, 1951-53 között egyedül több mint 120 ezret. Egyes adatok szerint legalább száz eljárás halálos ítélettel zárult. 1950-53 között több mint 600.000 termelő hagyta el a mezőgazdaságot, közülük 220.000 1952-ben hagyott fel a termeléssel. 1953-ban miniszterelnök-helyettesként Nagy szólította fel az országgyűlést Sztálin emlékének a törvénybe iktatására: “Lélekben mi is ott állunk az emberiség nagy halottjának ravatala mellett, hogy a fájdalmas csapás nehéz óráiban legbensőbb részvétünkkel osztozzunk a nagy szovjet nép mélységes bánatában.” 1953-ban a szovjetek csináltak belőle miniszterelnököt. 1956. október 24-én – már kormányfőként – statáriumot hirdetett, és fegyverletételre szólította fel a forradalmárokat. A következő napokban csak sodródott, tanácsadói és az őt felkereső küldöttségek pillanatnyi hatására hozta meg döntéseit, amelyeknek a forradalom menetére semmiféle hatása nem volt. November 4-i búcsúja a legszörnyűbb: “Csapataink harcban állnak, a kormány a helyén van”, jelentette be a rádióban, majd azonnal a jugoszláv követségre menekült. A pesti srácok, akik hittek neki, meg harcoltak és meghaltak értelmetlenül. És most térjünk vissza az emlékezetpolitikához. Nagy Imre a forradalom mártír miniszterelnökeként van számon tartva. Az országban legalább 15 utca, tér van róla elnevezve. Budapest központi terén szobra áll, ahová Gyurcsány jár dörgölőzni. „Vajon te, Imre, mit tennél a helyemben?” – kérdezte a besúgó, deportáló, padláslesöprő sztálinista szobrától. Na hiszen! Gyurcsánynak és az akkor a vezetése alatt álló MSZP-nek vajon szembe kellett-e néznie azzal a váddal, hogy a sztálinizmust-rákosizmust akarják restaurálni? Számon kérték rajta a magyar felelősséget a németek kitelepítésében? Felrótták neki, hogy a magyar közigazgatás hathatós részvétele nélkül nem lehetett volna 180.000 embert deportálni? Hogy Nagy magas posztokat töltött be a Rákosi-diktatúra alatt? Hogy Nagy gaztetteit nem ellensúlyozza, hogy a saját elvtársai kivégezték? A válasz: nem. Nem hogy az nem merült fel, hogy Nagy érdemtelenül, tudományos teljesítmény nélkül megszerzett akadémiai tagságát ideje lenne törölni, hanem egyenesen az MTA tartja fenn az Orsó utcai (zsidóktól elrabolt) Nagy-emlékházat. Vessük mindezt össze a Hóman-szobor körüli vitákkal. (Hóman egyébként személyesen mentett zsidókat a vészkorszak alatt, szemben Naggyal, aki hóhérkézre adta jó néhányukat.) Ha csak azokkal az áldozatokkal érzünk együtt, akikkel a fennen hangoztatott együttérzés jelen idejű politikai haszonnal jár, az képmutatás. Ezért írtam, hogy a baloldalnak az emlékezetpolitika csak cinikus, a kettős mércén és az áldozatok iránti teljes közömbösségen alapuló eszköz a kormány elleni harchoz. Idén lesz a forradalom 60. évfordulója. Ideje rendet tenni. (Forrás: PolgárPortál): http://tinyurl.com/hhqhgox
2016. II. 2. „Lennék én a cigány Habony” . A kétes hátterű, néhány osztályt kijárt cigány vezetők simán megvezetik az akár külföldi egyetemeken végzett, elvileg dörzsölt politikusainkat – mondja Forgács, aki elérkezettnek látná az időt, hogy saját szavai szerint „cigány Habonyként” kulcsszerepet vállaljon a romaügy alakításában. A szakértő plakátkampányt indítana a cigányság tudatos gyerekvállalásáért, de célcsoporttá tenné a romákat a bankszektor számára is. (Forrás: Mandiner): http://tinyurl.com/hze7mqd
2016. II. 1. A KKDSZ Magyar Kultúra Napja alkalmából tartott akciója 2016. január 20.-án. Ellentmondás, hogy a kultúrára fordított kiadások nem úgy kerülnek kiosztásra, ahogyan a kultúra területén dolgozók bérhelyzete alapján is indokolt lenne. Tapasztaljuk, hogy az EMMI-nek nincs koncepciója a bérfelzárkóztatásról, nincs koncepciója a nyomorúságos keresetű kulturális területen dolgozók bérének kérdéséről, a kulturális kormányzat többször bejelentett együttműködési készsége vitatható. (Forrás: YouTube)
Germany
February 5, 2016 isis fighters have entered Germany disguised as refugees, Maassen, the head of the BfV, Berlin’s top spy says. Yesterday police arrested three Algerians with suspected ties to the islamic state who were reportedly planning an attack on the German capital. (Source: DefenseOne)
Great Britain
February 3, 2016 Secret US flight flew over Scottish airspace to capture Snowden. THE UK Government is facing demands to reveal the details of a secret flight through Scottish airspace which was at the centre of a plot to capture whistleblower Snowden.The plane, which passed above the Outer Hebrides, the Highlands and Aberdeenshire, was dispatched from the American east coast on June 24 2013, the day after Snowden left Hong Kong for Moscow. The craft was used in controversial US ‘rendition’ missions. Reports by Scottish journalist Campbell claim the flight, travelling well above the standard aviation height at 45,000 feet and without a filed flight plan. The flight passed over Scotland, airspace regulated by the UK. As a minimum requirement, the UK authorities should not allow any activity in breach of international law in either its airspace or its airports. “That is what an independent Scotland should insist on. The flight took place after US federal prosecutors filed a criminal complaint against Snowden on June 14. Regular meetings with the FBI and CIA, convened by US Homeland Security adviser Monaco, then planned Snowden’s arrest. New documents, revealed by Danish media group Denfri, confirm that the N977GA plane was held at a Copenhagen airport for “state purposes of a non-commercial nature”. Two days later Danish authorities received an “urgent notification” from the US Department of Justice to cooperate in arresting Snowden. N977GA was previously identified by Willis in Air Force Monthly as an aircraft used for CIA rendition flights of US prisoners. Snowden was elected rector at the University of Glasgow in February 2014, yet is unable to fully carry out his duties. Attempts to arrest Snowden have failed as Russian authorities refused to comply. In 2008 then foreign secretary Miliband admitted that UK airports had been used for US rendition flights and apologised for previous government denials. There is already an ongoing Police Scotland investigation, directed by the Lord Advocate. This investigation will seek to gather all available evidence of rendition flights using Scottish airports. n October 2015 the European Parliament voted narrowly, in a non-binding motion, to drop charges against Snowden in recognition of “his status as [a] whistle-blower and international human rights defender”. (Source: TheNationalScot): http://tinyurl.com/j3xvykb
Oroszország Russia
2016. II. 10. Moszkvában gyanúsan méregetik a NATO erőteljesebb felvonulási terveit a török partoknál. Moszkva idegességét tovább fokozhatja, hogy a szaúdiak megkapták Washington áldását szárazföldi különleges erők Szíriába küldésére. Egyes elemzők szerint Washingtont aggasztják az oroszok harci sikerei és a beavatkozással meg akarják hiúsítani, hogy Moszkváé legyen a döntő szó Szíria eljövendő felosztásakor. (Forrás: PrivátBankár)
Feb 8, 2016 Russian troops put on high alert as part of massive drills. President Putin has scrambled thousands of troops and hundreds of warplanes across southwestern Russia for large-scale military drills intended to test the troops' readiness amid continuing tensions with the West. Defense Minister Shoigu said that military units were put on combat alert, marking the launch of the exercise that involves troops of the Southern Military District. The district includes troops stationed in Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula that Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, as well as forces in the North Caucasus and southwestern regions near the border with Ukraine. Shoigu said the maneuvers will also engage airborne troops and military transport aviation, as well as the navy. The maneuvers will test the troops' mobility, with some being deployed to areas up to 3,000 kilometers away. Up to 8,500 troops, 900 ground weapons, 200 warplanes and about 50 warships will be involved in the drills. (Source: AP): http://tinyurl.com/hyyhwsl
2016. II. 5. The brilliance and lunacy of Putin’s Chechen hitman. Putin has essentially made a Faustian pact with Kadyrov. He’s given him a license to kill—and torture—as many people in Chechnya as he pleases, and has bestowed lavish federal subsidies for him to use as he wishes, as long as the restive republic remains quiet and loyal. And there is palpable fear in the Kremlin that if Kadyrov is removed, then Chechnya could again descend into chaos. But over the past year, the bargain is now being put to the test, with Kadyrov taking his act beyond Chechnya to the streets of Moscow. Kadyrov hasn’t gone rogue at all. Instead, he is Putin’s willing executioner—the leader of a death squad that can eliminate Putin’s opponents with impunity, and with plausible deniability for the Kremlin. Weeks before Kadyrov started openly threatening the Russian opposition, Putin agreed to turn over ownership of Chechenneftekhimprom, the subsidiary of the state-owned oil giant Rosneft that controls Chechnya’s refining infrastructure, to the republic. But Kadyrov reportedly wants more—specifically, the construction of a new oil refinery in his Chechnya. Kadyrov’s latest antics come at a time when low oil prices are forcing Russia to dramatically cut its budget—something that could cause a lot of pain in Chechnya. And they could be a not-so-subtle hint that Kadyrov is willing and able to make trouble if his share of the pie is cut. The only reason Chechnya was pacified was because they gave Kadyrov a blank slate to kill as many people as he wanted and gave him as much money as he wanted. And if suddenly the money isn’t available, then we’re in uncharted territory. He may have made himself an indispensable part of Russia’s political system—regardless of who is in the Kremlin. Kadyrov has the potential to be a tsar-maker. He has more men at his disposal than, for example, the minister of defense. His men — tens of thousands of them — will carry out his orders without thinking twice. If the minister of defense tells his troops to storm the Kremlin, he can’t be sure that all of them will actually do it. But Kadyrov can. (Source: DefenseOne): http://tinyurl.com/jazd898
February 1, 2016 Death of the GRU Commander. Zwack, who recently retired from the U.S. Army as a brigadier general, a career U.S. Army military intelligence officer, and senior military attaché to Russia from 2012 to 2014 remembers Russia's complex military intelligence chief, who shaped the Ukraine incursion — and worked hard to bridge the East-West gap. One unlikely and subtle advocate of the value of personal communications was the chief of Russian military intelligence, Sergun, who died suddenly on Jan. 3 of a probable heart attack. Recently promoted to Colonel General, Sergun was only 58 years old, young even for an overworked, highly stressed Russian male. An experienced special operations veteran who made his name in the restive Northern Caucasus, Sergun became GRU chief in 2011, later becoming one of the troublingly imaginative architects of Russia’s hybrid, proxy aggression in Ukraine. Before U.S.–Russia relations collapsed, Sergun facilitated increased contact between our countries’ military intelligence leaders. During 2012-13, I watched as U.S. and Russian intelligence chiefs from strategic regional and global commands discreetly met in cities across Russia: Khabarovsk in the east, Rostov in the south, and also Sochi, just before the 2014 Winter Olympics. Such meetings were invaluable opportunities for both sides to explain why they disagreed on issues such as Syria, the Arab Spring, missile defense and Ukraine. Consequently both sides began to discover issues on which we did agree: radical Sunni Islam, the need for a stable Afghanistan and Central Asia, global terrorism, looming demographic challenges, and future global resource competition. Perhaps the highest-profile visit came in June 2013, when Sergun invited Lt. Gen. Flynn, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, for a three-day visit to Moscow. So where do we go from here? The status quo, despite some minor improvement, remains quite negative. We must find meaningful ways to talk and work with Russian military counterparts on geo-strategic concerns of mutual interest, of which there are plenty. Despite disagreements and frustrating disinformation, we must persist in this. Nations, especially ones that are traditional confrontational competitors that can existentially threaten each other, must constantly and intensively communicate via different channels and echelons, including sensitive military and intelligence conduits. This is hardly weakness or supplication; rather it displays strength, confidence and prudence, and it shows we are comfortable in our own skin. (Source: DefenseOne): http://tinyurl.com/zx8kwrc
Switzerland
Feb 1, 2016 Violier’s (La Rochelle 1971- 2016) death shines light on high-pressure restaurant world that demands perfection, shuns signs of weakness and promotes a culture where culinary demigods can be demoted with the stroke of a pen. In the rarefied galaxy of restaurants that have received the Michelin guide’s highest honor, three stars, Violier’s, in Switzerland, was by one measure the most glittering. Only two months ago his establishment, the Restaurant de l’Hôtel de Ville in Crissier, near Lausanne, was designated the best restaurant in the world in La Liste, ranking of 1,000 restaurants in 48 countries, an honor that only added luster to the glory of French chefs (he was born in France) in the face of competition from plucky foreign rivals. /La Liste was commissioned by the French Foreign Ministry, apparently as a response to the London-based World’s 50 Best Restaurants/ But today his friends and associates in the restaurant industry were groping to understand why Mr. Violier, a perfectionist at 44, had apparently shot himself to death over the weekend at his home in Crissier. In the United States, the close-knit restaurant world was shaken in April when Cantu, 38, the innovative chef behind Moto, a Michelin-starred avant-garde restaurant in Chicago’s meatpacking district, hanged himself. He also owned a cafe, Berrista. In 2003, Loiseau, the chef and owner of the Côte d’Or, a Michelin three-star restaurant in the Burgundy region of France, committed suicide in his home at the age of 52. Job-related stresses and mental illnesses afflicting many people in the food industry, and depression, anxiety, addiction and eating disorders are common. Restaurant work posed unique pressures in an extremely competitive atmosphere, in which speaking about fears was taboo, that could contribute to self-destructive behavior, including suicide. Expectation of creating a masterwork every day could push some chefs to depression and exhaustion. (Source: TheNewYorkTimes): http://tinyurl.com/jum4gn3
European Union
Feb. 6, 2016 Protesters rallied against Islam and immigration in several European cities, sometimes clashing with police or counter-demonstrators amid growing tensions over the massive influx of asylum-seekers to the continent. Riot police clashed with demonstrators in Amsterdam as supporters of the anti-Islam group PEGIDA tried to hold their first protest meeting in the Dutch capital. In Germany, up to 8,000 people took part in a PEGIDA rally in Dresden. In the northern French city of Calais, police dispersed a rowdy anti-migrant protest with tear gas after clashes with protesters and detained several far-right demonstrators. Smaller PEGIDA-style protests were also taking place in France, Britain, Poland, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Denmark, Finland and Estonia. (Source: AP)
China
Feb. 8, 2016 Lunar New Year turbulence as 'fire monkey' swings into action; Chinese superstitions regarding their year of monkey (Source: Yahoo): http://tinyurl.com/htsemw7
India
February 10, 2016 India police eye new weapon: marbles and chilli-loaded slingshots to control violent crowds. (Source: Yahoo): http://tinyurl.com/hnx9n58
Feb. 8, 2016 Scientists question Tamil Nadu government's claim that meteorite blast killed bus driver in Vellore. The first person in history that a meteorite is confirmed to have hit was American. A softball-size hunk of black rock broke through the ceiling of her house in Sylacauga, Alabama, in November 1954 and hit her in the thigh, leaving a pineapple-shaped bruise. (Source: (IndiaTimes): http://tinyurl.com/jufoula
Iran
Feb. 5, 2016 Iran wants to recover tens of billions of dollars it is owed by India and other buyers of its oil in euros and is billing new crude sales in euros, too, looking to reduce its dependence on the U.S. dollar following last month's sanctions relief. Iran will charge in euros for its recently signed oil contracts with firms including French oil and gas major Total, Spanish refiner Cepsa and Litasco, the trading arm of Russia's Lukoil. "In our invoices we mention a clause that buyers of our oil will have to pay in euros, considering the exchange rate versus the dollar around the time of delivery" - a source at state-owned National Iranian Oil Co (NIOC) told. U.S. officials estimate about $100 billion of Iranian assets were frozen abroad, around half of which Tehran could access as a result of sanctions relief. (Source: Reuters)
Feb 1, 2016 US Envoy provoking Syrian Kurds to declare autonomy. McGurk, the US president's envoy to the anti-isil coalition group claimed in a recent visit to Kobani that Syrian Kurds are entitled to have an autonomous state, provoking separatist groups to secede from Syria. "McGurk was accompanied by a number of French and British officials" - Kurdish sources said, adding that the Western delegation held talks with members of the Kurdish-Arab alliance fighting isil, that is known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), where McGurk defended "Kurdish autonomy." The weekend visit to the war-torn country - confirmed by a US official - appeared to be the first public visit by a senior US government figure inside the Syrian territory ever since US hawkish senator McCain visited Northern Syria and met with al-Nusra and isil members back in 2012. This is while back in December, Iranian Supreme Leader's top adviser for international affairs Velayati had warned that Washington plans to disintegrate regional states into smaller countries to make them weak and guarantee Israel's security. "The US is after implementing its plot to create a Greater Middle-East whose aim is disintegrating Iraq into three countries and dividing Syria into five states in a bid to downsize countries to provide security to the Zionist regime" - Velayati said. (Source: FarsNews): http://tinyurl.com/jfp5jt5
Japan
Feb 3, 2016 Japan condemned Pyongyang’s plan to launch a space rocket, calling it a thinly disguised test of a long-distance ballistic missile. The government ordered Aegis ballistic missile defense warships of the Maritime Self-Defense Force and land-based Patriot PAC-3 rocket units to respond should projections show components falling in Japanese territory. “Japan, in cooperation with the United States and South Korea, will strongly urge North Korea to refrain from (conducting) the launch” - PM Abe said. The projectile, expected to be launched from a site in western North Korea, would fly over part of the Sakishima island chain of Okinawa Prefecture, which includes the islands of Ishigaki and Miyako. Japan has already deployed Aegis destroyers equipped with the SM-3 missile system at sea and Patriot PAC-3 air-defense units of the Ground Self-Defense Forces on land. Both systems are designed to intercept ballistic missiles. Pyongyang’s declared plan would involve three parts of the rocket falling west of the Korean Peninsula, in the East China Sea southwest of the peninsula and in the Pacific Ocean east of the Philippines, respectively. A ballistic missile of Taepodong-2 type can fly more than 10,000 km if the warhead weighs less than a ton. The rocket is expected to fly over the Sakishima island chain, according to a map with navigation warnings posted by the Japan Coast Guard on its website. Patriot PAC-3 air-defense units have been deployed at bases and facilities of the Self-Defense Forces in Asaka, Saitama Prefecture, Narashino, Chiba Prefecture, and Naha and Chinen of Okinawa Prefecture Aegis destroyers carrying the SM-3 missile system have been deployed in the East China Sea and the Sea of Japan. (Source: The Japan Timers): http://tinyurl.com/hws6k3b
North Korea
Feb. 8, 2016 North Korea's new satellite flew over Super Bowl site. It now has two satellites circling the Earth, according to NORAD, the North American Aerospace Command, which monitors all satellites in orbit. Both of the Kwangmyongsong, or "Shining Star," satellites complete their orbits in about 94 minutes and based on data released by international organizations tracking them, the new one passed almost right over Levi's Stadium about an hour after the Super Bowl ended. Kwangmyongsong 4, has the NORAD catalog number 41332 and Kwangmyongsong 3-2, launched in 2012, is 39026. They are described as Earth observation satellites, and weigh about 100 kilograms (220 pounds) apiece.Their main applications, according to Pyongyang, are monitoring the weather, mapping natural resources and forest distributions and providing data that might help farmers improve their crops. The orbits of both satellites can be tracked in real time on the website N2YO.com under the names KMS-4 and KMS 3-2. (Source: AP): http://tinyurl.com/j6upcj6
Syria
February 10, 2016. The YPG and its non-Kurdish allies from nearby Afrin captured the airbase, installation located 6 kilometres south of Azaz, Aleppo Governorate, equipped with MBB 223 Flamingo trainer aircraft and Mil Mi-8 helicopters. (Source: Wikipedia): see: 'Menagh Military Airbase'
Tunisia
Feb 6, 206 An anti-jihadi fence is built on the Tunisia's country's border with Libya to stop Islamist militants from entering Tunisian territory. The first completed part of the fence is 196-kilometers long. The defense structure which came about with financial assistance from Germany and the U.S., is composed of sand alongside water-filled trenches and monitoring centers. (Source: AP)
Turkey Törökország
February 10, 2016 Turkey's Erdogan chastises U.S. for support of Syrian Kurd rebels saying Washington's inability to understand the group's true nature had turned the region into a "sea of blood". "Are you on our side or the side of the terrorist PYD and PKK organization?" Erdogan said in a speech in Ankara to provincial officials, referring to Washington's backing of the Syrian Kurdish fighters PYD against the islamic state. (Source: Yahoo): http://tinyurl.com/jpl8444
2016. II. 9. Nyilvánosságra hozta a Euro2day görög hírportál a Törökország és az EU között lezajlott őszi tárgyalások állítólagos jegyzőkönyvét. Ezek alapján a többek között Tuskkal és Junckerrel tárgyaló Erdoğan elnök és Davutoğlu miniszterelnök kevesellték a migrációs helyzet kezelésére két évre felajánlott hárommilliárd eurot. Tusk csak a tárgyaláson szembesült vele, hogy Davutoğlu úgy értette: évente kapnak ennyit. Erdoğan sérelmezte, hogy a görögökre például 400 milliárdot költött az EU, majd mikor közölték vele, hogy két évre szól a hárommilliárdos felajánlás, azt mondta, hogy Törökországnak nem is kell az EU pénze, végső soron bármikor megnyithatják a kapukat Görögország és Bulgária felé a migránsok előtt. Juncker figyelmeztette a török elnököt, hogy Schengen megszűnése esetén a törökök sem fognak vízummentességet kapni; egyben azt is elmondta: segítették Erdoğant azzal, hogy elhalasztották a törökök EU-s csatlakozása helyzetjelentésének nyilvánosságra hozatalát a török választások utáni időpontra. Juncker emlékeztette a török elnököt, hogy az ő kérésére halasztották el a jelentés nyilvánosságra hozását. Erdoğan sérelmezte, hogy az EU nem nyitott meg újabb fejezeteket az évek óta abbamaradt csatlakozási tárgyalásokban. Junker szerint Erdoğant úgy kezelték Brüsszelben, mint egy herceget. Erre a török elnök az állítólagos jegyzőkönyv szerint megütközve azt mondta, hogy nyolcvan millió embert képvisel, nem beszélhet vele így Juncker. (2015. november végén ezt a megállapodást hozták tető alá a felek: közös akciótervet fogadott el Törökország és az Európai Unió. Folytatják Törökország uniós csatlakozási tárgyalásait, megkönnyítik a török állampolgárok EU-ba való belépését. Törökország cserébe vállalja, hogy a határain keresztül illegális úton nem enged migránsokat az unió területére, és visszafogadja az onnan visszaküldötteket. Tusk szerint a megállapodással sikerül megállítani a migráció hullámait. (Forrás: Mandiner): http://tinyurl.com/h2kjfnl
Feb. 8, 2016 Around 30,000 Syrians are at the Turkish border after fleeing a Russia-backed regime offensive on the northern region of Aleppo, Turkish Prime Minister Davutoglu said. (Source: Yahoo)
February 3, 2016 Why Turkey chose, and then rejected, a Chinese air-defense missile? Earlier this year, Turkish President Erdogan had said that “the “plan is to completely eliminate external dependency on defence equipment supply with ongoing plans and investments until 2023 [and start developing] unique designs.” The country is already investing heavily in a number of indigenous land and missile systems from the Altay main battle tank to the MILGEM littoral combat warship to the fifth-generation TFX fighter jet, as well as several co-production projects like a localized variant of the Sikorsky S-70 Black Hawk helicopter. Lockheed Martin was the main contractor in Turkey’s largest coproduction project—the $7.4 billion F-16 Peace Onyx program—through a joint venture with the Turkish government. Raytheon had a similar co-production arrangement with the state-owned Roketsan under the Euro-Stinger program, Aselsan, which was tapped to be one of the leading local partners in the long-range missile defense project, was a global vendor to Raytheon’s Patriot program and co-producing Rapier surface-to-air missiles with MBDA. In fairness, Ankara did not give Beijing an easy time in their negotations. Every time there appeared a window of opportunity for some agreement between Turkey and the West, however, regional developments got in the way. In September 2014, the talks with China faltered—over technology transfer conditions — and Ankara reopened talks with the runner-up, Eurosam. Right around the same time, Washington decided to provide military and humanitarian aid to Kobani to help the Kurds push the isis’s offensive back. Last summer, the talks with the Chinese were stalemated once again, but a second isis offensive on Kobani left Turkey and the West quibbling over the appropriate response. With coalition support, Kurdish forces recaptured Kobani on July 19. Ten days later, Erdogan gave new momentum to the missile talks by reiterating his support for the Chinese offer during his visit to Beijing. And on August 15, the U.S. countered by withdrawing its Patriot batteries stationed on Turkey’s Syrian border. Ankara heard an undertone that it has grown tired of: Turkey can guard the camp, but not be allowed to sit in the tent. What Turkey needed was a dignified exit from its commitment to the Chinese offer and the assurance that its Western allies are not oblivious to its legitimate concerns. Ankara’s quest for affirmation as an equal partner in the transatlantic alliance diminished and the motivations that led to its deal with the Chinese withered. Had the West offered Ankara the affirmation it needed before—in the form of better technology transfer conditions, a Foreign Military Sales agreement, a side deal or even just a pat in the back—this rapport could have been achieved years ago. (Source: DefenseOne): http://tinyurl.com/zgxg6bz
Brazil
1 Feb 2016 Was Zika outbreak in Brazil caused by release of genetically modified mosquitoes engineered by biotechnology experts in 2012? The genetically engineered insects were designed to stop the spread of dengue fever but critics now fear the programme may have had a deadly consequence. The aim was to release only male Aedes mosquitoes into the wild and they would in turn produce offspring with their virus carrying female counterparts. The Zika virus was first discovered in the 1950s but the recent outbreak has escalated alarmingly, causing birth defects and a range of health problems in South and central America. The first cases were reported in Brazil last May with up to 1.5 million people. On January 31 senior health experts shockingly announced that the outbreak could pose a bigger threat to global health than the Ebola epidemic that killed more than 11,000 people in Africa. Women returning from affected areas are warned to postpone trying for a baby for at least a month in case they have been infected. (Source: Mirror): http://tinyurl.com/z6xenm2
United States Egyesült Államok
Feb. 10, 2016 Out of state voters and non-residents offered ballots in New Hampshire presidential primary. Four years ago, O’Keefe released a video which showed how easy it would be for people to vote in New Hampshire using the names of deceased people. As a result of that video, New Hampshire changed its voter ID laws. Project Veritas Action revisited New Hampshire during presidential primary election and again showed how easy it is to cast fraudulent votes with the new law fully in place. In this new video, multiple election officials and Sanders presidential campaign staffers offered advice to journalists using hidden cameras about how to circumvent the law. (Source: YouTube): http://tinyurl.com/hn58h87
Feb 10, 2016 You can soon wipe out your worst memories. Forming memories actually causes a physical change in the brain — a seismic discovery made by Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist Kandel of Columbia University. When you create a memory, new synaptic connections grow between neurons in the brain. But each time you call up a memory, it must then be resaved like a file on your computer — and it gets modified in the process. Professor Kindt has seemingly found a way to erase the emotional anxiety associated with bad memories without erasing the memories themselves. Working with arachnophobes, she discovered that subjects who were given a drug called propanolol after being exposed to a spider were later able to handle the creatures without fear. The drug is believed to change the way a memory (in this case, terror associated with spiders) is resaved in the brain after being accessed. Great. Sign us up for a complete wipe of this presidential primary season. (Source: TheNewYorkPost): http://tinyurl.com/z7thwnn
10 February 2016 Study has found that 'dialling down' the brain's inhibition boosts mysticism. Researchers looked at war veterans given CT scans and questionnaires. Damage to the frontal and parietal lobes increased mystical experiences. These regions are linked to inhibitory functions, suppression of which appears to open up a 'door of perception', exposing us to the mystical. Researchers at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) and Victoria University of Wellington, believe that instead of activation of a specific area of the brain, it is the suppression of the brain's regulating functions which boosts our chances of experiencing the mystical. This would lead to a 'pull' as opposed to the 'push'. According to scientists, our ability to enter into such mystical experiences is governed by one of two theories: 'push' or 'pull'. The 'push' involves a single area of the brain, a 'God Spot'. Whereas the 'pull' argues that suppression of inhibitory functions opens up the brain to mystical experiences. From CT scans and questionnaires, researchers were able to predict how likely a person was to have a mystical experience. Those with damage to regulatory regions of the brain, in the frontal and temporal lobes, were more likely to report mystical experiences compared to healthy controls. The Hood Mysticism Scale, or M-Scale is used to quantify something quite abstract, our individual perception of experiences. Respondents are asked to answer how true or not a number of set statements are. These include their experiences of feelings such as unity, profound joy, and even being able to transcend time and space. Scores are then tallied up to give a quantifiable measure of how mystic the respondent perceives themselves to be.The frontal lobes are the most evolved areas of the human brain, and help control and make sense of the perceptual input we get from the world,' When the frontal lobes' inhibitory functions are suppressed, a door of perception can open, increasing the chances of mystical experiences Previous searches for a 'God spot' in the brain highlighted three areas that control religious beliefs. In 2009, a study of multi-faith group showed the same areas lit up when they were asked to ponder religious and moral problems. MRI scans revealed the regions that were activated are those used every day to interpret the feelings and intentions of other people. Volunteers were asked to think about statements about whether God intervenes in the world, such as 'God's will guide my acts'. This activated the lateral frontal lobe regions of the brain, used by humans to empathise with each other. Then they were asked to dwell on God's emotional state. When it came to statements such as 'God is wrathful', the areas that lit up were the medial temporal and frontal gyri, which helps us to judge emotions of others. The study found that the participants with more significant injury to their right parietal lobe showed an increased feeling of closeness to a higher power. (Source: DailyMail): http://tinyurl.com/hr8jsg2
February 10, 2016 US spy satellite begins secret mission with dazzling predawn launch. The NROL-45 mission will support national defense. (Source: Space): http://tinyurl.com/jcyjzxg
Feb 10, 2016 Biohackers implant computers, earbuds and antennas in their bodies Northstar, a subdermal LED sensor that lights up when it’s in the vicinity of a magnet. It can be used to detect the magnetic north and act as a compass. It exists to “prove the possibility of implanting technology in the human body, and will pave the way for more advanced and functional augmentations. In 2004 Harbisson had an antenna implanted in the skull in an effort to fight color blindness. A camera at the far end of the device records whatever he is seeing and converts the image color data into a series of sound waves, which he has memorized. A bulky biometric computer that’s capable of transmitting body temperature and pulse data wirelessly. Flexible, wireless tattoos can be used to track vital body stats. Heart rate and more are captured by a tattoo and then sent wirelessly to a device, such as a mobile phone or a computer.(Source: MarketWatch): http://tinyurl.com/zpqbkju
2016. II. 10. Nagy különbséggel győzött Trump a republikánus, és Sanders a demokrata oldalon a másodikként előválasztó államban, New Hampshire-ben. Clintont most elhagyta a 2008-ban őt választó állam, a republikánusoknál a szombati vitán bukdácsoló Rubio visszaesett, helyette Kasich ohiói kormányzó lépett egyet előre, Bush pedig talpon maradt. (Forrás: Index)
Feb 9, 2016 New ‘Trust and Safety Council’ is Twitter Version of 1984’s Ministry of Truth in the next great culture war. Twitter says it wants to strike a balance between free speech and harassment. It didn't. The council includes more than 40 organizations that will be tasked with helping Twitter, “strike the right balance between fighting abuse and speaking truth to power. Despite the press release’s claim that the council includes a “diversity of voices,” virtually none of the council members are properly classified as free speech organizations. The list: http://tinyurl.com/zxmumk5 The council’s composition is one-sided. Twitter is a private company. It is free to make whatever speech rules it wants. It would more comfortable if the Trust & Safety Council included at least a few principled speech or tech freedom groups, like the Foundation for Individual Rights and the Electronic Frontier Foundation. (Source: Reason): http://tinyurl.com/zyyhfp8
February 9, 2016 U.S. defense intelligence chief predicts increased isis attacks. Speaking to a security conference, Marine Corps Lieutenant General Stewart linked his warning to the militant group's establishment of "emerging branches" in Mali, Tunisia, Somalia, Bangladesh and Indonesia. He also said he would not be surprised if Islamic State, which has created a self-proclaimed Caliphate across swaths of Syria and Iraq, extended its operations from the Sinai Peninsula deeper into Egypt. "Last year, Daesh remained entrenched on Iraqi and Syrian battlefields and expanded globally to Libya, Sinai, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and the Caucasus," Stewart said. The Sunni Muslim militant group seeks not only to escalate conflict with the West, but also with Islam's minority Shiite branch, just as Shiite extremist groups like Lebanon's Hezbollah are stoking tensions with Sunnis, Stewart said. islamic state has as many as 25,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq, down from a previous estimate of up to 31,000, according to a U.S. intelligence report revealed by the White House last week. U.S. officials cited factors such as battlefield casualties and desertions. (Source: Yahoo): http://tinyurl.com/grnt8jr
3 Feb 2016 Makers of 'mindblowing' sex robot with virtual vagina swamped with orders. Designed by the American company Eos, the VirtualDolls device is a "controller" which looks like a creepy silicon simulation of a woman's safe space. It invites "players" to get involved in sex games, where they carry out missions and are rewarded with a ending which is best described as "happy". (Source: DailyMirror): http://tinyurl.com/gvsz3c9
2016. II. 2. Cruz lett az amerikai elnökválasztási kampányt megnyitó iowai jelölőgyűlések republikánus győztese. A Trumpot lenyomó texasi szenátor a vallásos jobboldal – főleg a neoprotestáns evangéliumi keresztények – fő támogatottja. Cruz 45 éves ügyvéd-politikus, Texas állam szenátora a kanadai Alberta tartományban, Calgary városában született. Származása azonnal kampánytéma lett: Trump ugyanis azt állítja, hogy Cruz nem is lehetne elnök, mert az alkotmány szerint csakis az Egyesült Államokban született állampolgár választható meg az ország elnökévé, Cruz azonban – bár amerikai édesanyától, de – kanadai városban látta meg a napvilágot. Cruz nemrég minden tudományos alapot nélkülöző baloldali teóriának minősítette a klímaváltozást, az amerikai haderővel kapcsolatban pedig sürgős intézkedéseket sürgetett, mivel az szerinte „siralmas állapotban van”. (Forrás: Válasz)
02/01/2016 Discussions with Intelligence Community officials have revealed that Ms. Clinton’s “unclassified” emails included Holy Grail items of American espionage such as the true names of Central Intelligence Agency intelligence officers serving overseas under cover. Worse, some of those exposed are serving under non-official cover. Hillary’s emails also include the names of foreigners who are on the CIA payroll, according to Intelligence Community officials. Since it can be safely assumed that several foreign intelligence agencies intercepted Ms. Clinton’s unencrypted communications, this directly threatens the lives of the exposed individuals. It’s a death sentence. CIA and the entire Intelligence Community are in panic mode right now, trying to determine which of our intelligence officers and agents have been compromised by EmailGate. At a minimum, valuable covers have been blown, careers have been ruined, and lives have been put at serious risk. And what about those 30,000 emails that Ms. Clinton had deleted? The worst part is that Moscow and Beijing have that information but the Intelligence Community maybe never will. (Source: Observer): https://tinyurl.com/hhdlfbn /Comment: "A teacher asked her six grade class how many of them were Mrs Clinton fans. Not really knowing what a Clinton fan is, but wanting to be liked by the teacher, all the kids raised their hands except for little Johnny., The teacher asked little Johnny why he has decided to be different.... Again. Little Johnny said, because I'm not a Mrs Clinton, fan. The teacher asked him why he's a Republican. Little Johnny answered, well, my mom's a Republican and my dads a Republican, so I'm a Republican. Annoyed by this answer. the teacher asked, if your mom was a moron and your dad was an idiot, what would that make you? Little Johnny replied, that would make me a Mrs Clinton fan."/
February 1, 2016 On February 1, the Air Force will stand up a Space Mission Force at the 50th Space Wing at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, the first of several steps meant to put more experienced and ready people in charge of watching U.S. military satellites. The new force will include 352 people across four squadrons. Half of them will conduct operations while the other half is training. Each squadron will operate with four crews on 12-hour shifts, supported by a mission planning cell that includes orbit analysts, intel professionals, engineers, and mission specialists. Later this year, the Air Force will stand up two more Space Mission Force crews in Colorado: one at the 21st Space Wing at Peterson Air Force Base and then one at the 460th Space Wing at Buckley Air Force Base. Threats include everything from anti-satellite missiles to jamming to lasers. Of these, jamming is the most common and likely, but anti-satellite missiles are improving quickly. In 2007, China shot down one of their own weather satellites in what was seen by many as a provocative display. In 2013, a Chinese missile reached 18,600 miles in space, just shy of the 22,236-mile orbits where U.S. geosynchronous satellites fly. China’s not alone. In November, Russia also demonstrated an anti-satellite missile called the Nudol. The U.S. military is even keeping an eye on other satellites, like the strangely maneuvering objects. Four Russian space launches in 2013 and 2014 in particular have sparked interest. Three of the launches placed small Russian military satellites into LEO [Low Earth Orbit]; two of those satellites have conducted RPO activities with Russian rocket stages, and one appears to have ‘bumped’ into the rocket stage near which it was maneuvering. The fourth launch was a Russian military satellite to geostationary Earth orbit (GSO). In the one year since its launch, the satellite has moved several times to different positions in the GSO belt of active satellites. Two of those stops were somewhat close to newly launched Russian satellites, and the third was between and very close to two Intelsat commercial communications satellites. Gates Senior Fellow Colby argues that the United States should develop a strategy for a limited war in space. It might involve the development of more offensive space weapons, or just policy to take action on Earth as a consequence of events that happen in orbit. (Source: DefenseOne): http://tinyurl.com/hp2fpp8
Globalization
Feb 7, 2016 The world of free energy (Source: WantToKnow): http://tinyurl.com/j3jqt9c
World Health Organization
1 February 2016 WHO statement on the first meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee on Zika virus and observed increase in neurological disorders and neonatal malformations. The experts agreed that a causal relationship between Zika infection during pregnancy and microcephaly is strongly suspected, though not yet scientifically proven. All agreed on the urgent need to coordinate international efforts to investigate and understand this relationship better. The lack of vaccines and rapid and reliable diagnostic tests, and the absence of population immunity in newly affected countries were cited as further causes for concern. A coordinated international response is needed. WHO Director-General is declaring that the recent cluster of microcephaly cases and other neurological disorders reported in Brazil, following a similar cluster in French Polynesia in 2014, constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The Committee found no public health justification for restrictions on travel or trade to prevent the spread of Zika virus. (Source: WHO): http://tinyurl.com/jx68ywj
Space
February 4, 2016 NASA’s new super-fast solar ship may have just revolutionized how we explore space. Instead of a traditional, chemical propellant, it’s powered by photons from the sun and can travel nearly 64,000 miles per hour. The nonprofit research organization Planetary Society, led by scientist Nye “The Science Guy,” is also developing solar sailing technology in its LightSail project. NASA is now investigating something called electric sails, or “e-sails.” Instead of a single solar sail, e-sails use several long, razor-thin coils that sprout from the center of the spacecraft. When charged particles in solar wind reach the spacecraft, they’re repelled by the electric field that the coils create—propelling the spacecraft forward. E-sails can move up to 150 km per second. At those speeds, an e-sail could reach the end of the solar system in just 10 years. (Source: DefenseOne): http://tinyurl.com/gtnh9ov
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