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Magyarország
2016. II. 20. Majdnem fegyverhasználattal járt egy incidens a Csongrád megyei magyar határszakaszon február 19-én, pénteken kora reggel. A magyar rendőrök és katonák ugyanis úgy látták, hogy a határszakasz szerb oldaláról a migránsok egy nagyobb csoportjából csőre töltött kézifegyvert fognak rájuk. A határvédelmi szolgálatot teljesítő katonák erre reagálva – a rájuk vonatkozó szabályok szerint – tüzelőállást vettek fel, de nem lőttek. A kiváló szerb–magyar együttműködésnek köszönhetően a magyar hatóságok jelzése után a szerbeknek sikerült elfogni a csoportot, de fegyvert ekkor nem találtak náluk. Az EU és Szerbia közötti társulási szerződés alapján Magyarország mint uniós tagállam és Szerbia mint az uniós tagságra jelentkező állam közösen, egymással együttműködve kell, hogy fellépjen az embercsempészekkel és a szervezett bűnözői csoportokkal szemben. (Forrás: MagyarIdők)
2016. II. 20. Lukács, Jobbikos képviselő az egymillió forintos kampánykeretből a legnagyobb összeget, 300 ezer forintot jogi tanácsadásért édesanyjának fizette ki. Lukács testvére tulajdonában lévő Doctors Abroad Orvosi Egészségügyi Tanácsadó és Szolgáltató Kftben a képviselő is résztulajdonos volt korábban. A kft fő bevételi forrása magyar orvosok külföldre közvetítése volt. A cég tevékenységéről Lukács 2012-ben egy ír lapnak arról beszélt, hogy az év első felében 62 orvost helyeztek el Írországban. 2014-ben viszont Lukács azért kritizálta a kormányt a parlamentben, mert „5 éve képtelen megállítani az dolgozók elvándorlását”. (Forrás: Faktor)
2016. II. 19. Rasszistázás és indulatok történészvitán. A „nagy honvédő háború” sztálinista mítosz; egymillió szovjet harcolt német kötelékekben, ezért inkább polgárháborúról kellene beszélni. Krausz kötetével az a probléma, hogy döntően csak egy forráscsoportra hagyatkozott: a szovjet állambiztonság irataira, amely a háború okozta károkat listázta, politikai megrendelésre készült, fiktív számokkal, és gyakorlatilag minden veszteségért a megszállókat okolta. Krausz válaszában antikommunistának és szovjetellenesnek nevezte egykori tanítványát, Ungváryt. A németek az „ősgonosz”, amelytől meg kellett menteni a világot, a szovjetek pedig az áldozatok és megmentők is egyben; ez megingathatatlan tézis – tette le a garast. A békés, védekező Sztálin sztorija mese: a németekkel kötött paktumot is ő kezdeményezte, amelynek eredményeképpen megszállta a balti államokat és Lengyelországot is – így Ungváry. „A balti országok és Kelet-Lengyelország polgárai, amelyekre 1939 után a Szovjetunió kiterjesztette a fennhatóságát, valószínűleg ezt nem határkiegészítésnek látták” – válaszolta Krausznak Ungváry. A szovjetek például a „határkiegészítés” során jóval több lengyellel végeztek, mint az ország nyugati felében a németek, ez hogy kapcsolódik a náci „ősbűnhöz”? – kérdezte vitapartnerét, aki azzal mentegetőzött, hogy a kelet-lengyel területek egy része 1920 előtt Szovjet-Ukrajnához tartozott [valóban, összesen két évig – a szerk.]. Ezért a szovjetek csak „visszacsatolták a lengyelek által elrabolt területet”, ahogy „visszavették” a baltiakat is – mondta a közönség nagy derültségére. Az ennél a pontnál már teljesen komolytalanná váló vitában Krausz olyan érveket dobott be, hogy „ha a nagymamámnak kereke volna, ő volna az omnibusz”. A szervezett partizánok – Ukrajnában nyolcezren voltak, központi vezetés alatt, kapcsolatban Moszkvával, sokszor jobb fegyverrel ellátva a szovjet raktárakból, mint a megszálló német-magyar csapatok – mondta Ungváry. Azon megjegyzésére, hogy a szovjet statisztikákban sosem jelennek meg a Vörös Hadsereg és a partizánok által legyilkolt civilek, hanem valahogy mindig átkerülnek a nácik áldozatainak rubrikájába, Krausz felháborodottan rávágta, hogy sosem találkozott még olyan történeti munkával, amely a genocídiumot a partizánokra akarta volna áthárítani. Persze – engedte meg – előfordulhatott, hogy a kollaboráns falubelieket leölték, de áttolni a felelősséget a partizánok vállára is, „ez már erkölcsi kérdés”. De milyen „honvédő háború” az, amelyben területrablással gyarapodott az ország? Krausz hozzátette: ez példátlan háború volt, szovjet részről némi határkiegészítéssel. A közönség felnevetett. „És Katiny? És a lengyelek?” – kérdezgették. (Forrás: MNO): http://tinyurl.com/jetpg3b
2016. II. 18. Új helikopterek helyett a régiek nagyjavítása! Sokan várták, hogy a kormányfő Moszkvában bejelenti a rendelést: ez nem történt. A nagyjavítás tendere a magyarázat. (Forrás: IHO): http://tinyurl.com/zcjxzhy
2016. II. 13. Lányi az Egyetemi Rohamzászlóalj egykori önkéntese Budapest ostromáról, a hős védőkről és a kitörésről. /video/ (Forrás: YouTube): https://tinyurl.com/ycdmflrh
2016. II. 12. Az 1945. február 11-én a budai Várból kitörő mintegy 18 ezer német és magyar katona emlékét egyelőre az aktuális politikai érdekekhez fűződő szélsőséges értékelések kísérik, máig hiányzik az események, és az abban résztvevők objektív megítéléséhez szükséges történelmi távlat. A budapesti katonai erők vezetése az utolsó pillanatban elszánta magát a kitörésre, ami február 11-én az esti órákban indult meg a Várból. A Bécsi kapu téren gyülekező első hullám a Széll Kálmán tér – Szilágyi Erzsébet fasor útvonalon próbált Budakeszi felé kitörni. Az első szovjet vonalakon még óriási veszteségek árán túljutottak, de Budagyöngyénél elakadtak a német és magyar egységek. A kitörés két mellékiránya valamivel sikeresebb volt. A Hármashatárhegy és a Kissvábhegy felé indulók közül voltak, akik eljutottak a német vonalakig. A kitörésnek körülbelül 10-18 ezer katonai áldozata lehetett, a szovjet források alacsonyabb, a magyar szakirodalom magasabb számokat tartalmaz. Összesen 700-800 katona jutott el a német vonalakig. Budapest ostromának a kitörésig a védők oldalán valamivel több mint 30 ezres vesztesége lehetett, a szovjetek oldalon ennek jóval több mint a kétszerese, az ostrom civil áldozatainak száma viszont nem sokkal maradt el a védőkétől, mintegy 25-30 ezer lehetett. A budapesti ostrom egyértelmű hősei azok a civilek, akik önfeláldozó módon a harcok közben is megpróbálták segíteni a polgári lakosság túlélését, ellátását, elsősorban orvosok, mentők, ápolók, de idesorolhatók a pékek, vagy akik az ivóvizet szállították az óvóhelyekre, és mindazok akik saját életük kockáztatásával is mentették, bújtatták a zsidókat, katonaszökevényeket. A civil áldozatokról körülbelül egy évtizede emlékeznek meg a Farkasréti temetőben. Az elesett szovjet katonáknak három emlékműve is volt a fővárosban, a Szabadság téren, a Gellért téren és a Vérmezőn, melyek közül már csak a Szabadság téri létezik. Budaörsön van egy német katonai temető, melyet azonban Mihályi szerint a kitörés évfordulóján zárva tartanak. A Budapest ostromában és a kitöréskor elesett magyar katonák többségének még ma sem ismert a végső nyughelye. A budai hegyekben bizonyára több jeltelen tömegsír is lehet. Az úgynevezett Budai Kitörési Túra néhány egyéni sírhoz kapcsolódik. (Forrás: Szombat)
2016. II. Atyai jó tanácsok húszas éveikben járó fiatalembereknek (Forrás. HuffnégelPisti): http://tinyurl.com/h99c4b5
Erdély
(2016. II. 11.) FerenczZs: Elegünk van Parászkából! Ezúton szeretnénk felkérni az érintett személyeket, akik közvetett vagy közvetlen formában médiafelületet biztosítanak a magyarellenességéről elhíresült - jelenleg Marosvásárhely közelében élő - újságírónak, Parászkának, hogy lehetőségük szerint, ne járuljanak hozzá a bomlasztó, közösségromboló és általános ellenszenvet kiváltó cikkeinek, műsorainak, üzeneteinek a népszerűsítéséhez. Könnyen körülírható az a kis csoport (és a facebook-on is lekövethető), amely vevő még a Parászka-féle üzenetre: a balliberális magyarországi ellenzék maradéka, illetve annak kis létszámú erdélyi hozadéka. Az erdélyi magyar közéletben nincs szükség a behozott ideológiák erőszakos meghonosítására, a nemzeti értékek kigúnyolására, a székely autonómiatörekvések - magyarok által irányított - megakadályozására, a közösségi érdekek lenullázására. Parászka, az eddigi ideológiai vesszőfutását mindössze az őt tudatosan befogadó és felfuttató sajtóorgánumoknak köszönheti, de mivel egyre agresszívebben és egyre sértőbben támadja mindazt, ami erdélyi és magyar, legyen az szimbólum, állampolgársági jog vagy Wass regény, most már elegünk van az erdélyi magyar közéleti szerepléséből. Elég! (Forrás: Peticiók): http://tinyurl.com/jsnuqsr
Csehország
2016. II. 12. Üzenet a németeknek, hogy ne feledjék, mekkora óvatossággal „engedték" be Visegrád országait az EU-ba, ellentétben azzal, hogy hogyan lehet ma az EU-ba belépni, amikor elég csupán „felülni a migrációs hullámra". Szeretném önt megszólítani Csehország, Szlovákia, Magyarország és Lengyelország polgárainak nevében. Fel akarom idézni azokat az időket, amikor a Visegrádi 4-ek ezen országait kellett volna felvenni az EU-ba. Emlékszik ezekre az időkre? Emlékszik ezen idők fenoménjára; a tréfás rövidítéssel „lengyel szerelő"-ként ismert fenoménra? Akkor az EU országok és polgáraik amiatt aggódtak, hogy a V4-eknek az EU-hoz való csatlakozása után, nem történik-e meg az Önök munkaerőpiacának tömeges elárasztása a mi polgáraink által. A poszttotalitáris, posztkommunista országok részére az Önök munkabérének nagysága valóban lényeges bevételt jelentett ezen országok polgárainak szemében. Négy országunk alázattal respektálta az Önök aggályait, elfogadtuk a tényt, hogy félnek attól, hogy a „lengyel szerelők" elfoglalják az önök munkahelyeit. Türelmesen megértettük, hogy amikor ezeket az aggályokat a német polgárok kinyilvánítják, ezt azon érzéseknek köszönhetően teszik, amikhez mindenkinek joga van, ha valami újdonság jelentkezik. Nem is tudják, mennyire lealacsonyítottak minket. És az ilyen lealacsonyítás után, amit velünk szemben elkövet azzal, hogy velünk másképpen, sokkal de sokkal szigorúbban tárgyalt, az Európai Parlamentben megengedi magának, hogy beleegyezésünk nélkül kvótákat szavaztat meg, hogy kötelesek legyünk ezeket a névtelen idegen hordákat országába szintén meghívni és ugyanolyan bőségesen eltartani, mint Ön? Befejezésül németországi barátainkat ez úton szeretném szívélyesen üdvözölni és megkérni őket, hogy éljék bele magukat a V4-ek polgárainak gondolataiba és minden demokratikus eszközzel vessenek véget Merkel kormányának, aki minket így meggyaláz (Forrás: MagyarMegmaradásért/ EPortálParalmentniListi): http://tinyurl.com/jfy72kt
Germany
Feb 13, 2016 At the Munich Security Conference, the prime topics are the refugee crisis, the Syrian conflict, Russian aggression and the potential dissolution of the European Union's very structure. Top European leaders repeatedly lamented that 2015 saw all of Europe’s problems deepen. Europe is facing a convergence of the worst crises since World War II, and the overwhelming consensus among officials and experts here is that the U.S. no longer has the will or the ability to play an influential role in solving them. Obama is not going to drastically change his policies before he leaves office. For Europe, that might be too long to wait. (Source: Bloomberg): http://tinyurl.com/jc97qrh
Great Britain
15 February 2016 Could we regrow teeth? Scientists at the University of Sheffield have discovered that we share the same gene network that allow sharks to regrow their teeth. It has raised the prospect that humans may one day be able to regrow their own teeth by switching these genes back on. We have the same genes to make teeth, we also have a regenerative program. In all there are 400 genes which interact to grow a tooth. (Source: DailyMail): http://tinyurl.com/gr5ngzc
Norvégia
2016. II. 14. A norvég gyermekvédelmi rendszer eddig több tízezer gyermeket szakított el a családjától. A Barnevernet minden alkalommal a családok végleges szétszakítását, a gyermekek végleges elvételét tartja szem előtt. Ez ellentmond az emberi jogoknak, amelyek a gyermekek ideiglenes elvételét írják elő, s azt is csak extrém, igazolt esetekben. Az 1992-ben alapított norvég rendszert eleve úgy tervezték, hogy ne rendelődjék alá az emberi jogoknak. Emiatt a megyei jellegű intézetek köré csoportosuló bürokraták szabadon titkosíthatják ügyeiket, nem kell számot adniuk senkinek arról, amit tesznek. Hiába ítélte el Norvégiát 1996-ban az Európai Emberjogi Bíróság, vagy marasztalták el több alkalommal is – például 2007-ben amiatt, hogy a rendszer hamis bizonyítékokat gyártott a családok ellen –, a film forog tovább. A norvég kormány továbbra is hatalmas összegekkel finanszírozza a rendszert, amely köré egy széles körű szociális szféra is kiépült. Sok alkalmazott, pszichológus, jogász és bíró él a Barnevernet jelentette anyagi előnyökből, az elvett gyermekeket befogadó családok pedig óriási támogatásokat kapnak, ami havi 10–12 ezer eurora is rúghat. Skånland professzor, a kérdés szakértője hatvankilenc okot sorolt fel, amiért a gyermeket el kell venni, így ha:az anya nagyon alacsony növésű, s amikor a lánya felnő, nem lesz képes vigyázni rá; a gyermek túl gyorsan eszik; a gyermek túl lassan eszik; az anya nem tudott olyan rántottát sütni, amellyel kielégítette volna gyermeke szükségletét, ráadásul a kenyeret is túl vékony szeletekre vágta; a gyermek érdeklődve tekint az idegenekre, néha mosolyog rájuk – ez azt jelenti, hogy eltávolodott az anyjától; az apa túl aktív, az anya pedig passzív; az anya ideges lett, mikor a macskájuk a parkettre vizelt; a baba elfordítja arcát, mikor az apja elkezdi mosni; az anya a nagymamára bízza, hogy gyermekét vigye pszichológushoz, vagy más orvosi kezelésre – ez azt jelenti, hogy érdekeit a gyermeke elé helyezi; a nagymama meg akarta ölelni az unokáit – az ilyen cselekedet rossz mellékhatásokat eredményez; az anya nem engedte 14 éves lányát, hogy elmenjen egy partira. Ezeknek a gyerekeknek a körében nyolcszor nagyobb az öngyilkosok aránya, mint a saját családjukban felnövőké. A szülők pedig tehetetlenek. Adott hát egy komoly pénzekkel finanszírozott rendszer, melyet senki sem ellenőrizhet, független az emberi jogoktól, bármilyen ügyet titkosíthat, és ipari porszívóként szívja el a családoktól a gyerekeket. Ha a szülők perbe fogják a Barnevernetet, a jogi procedúrák évekig elhúzódnak. Gyerekeiket győzelem esetén sem kapják vissza. Kiolvasható a háttér is: „a mintaértékű norvég jogok fölülírják az emberi és családi nemzetközi jogokat”. Vagyis: itt az új ideológia. A baloldali marxizmus és a nácizmus után kicsírázott az új élan vital (a dolgok belső éltető energiája), a baloldali... mindegymi. (Forrás: Krónika): http://tinyurl.com/hwe8z8k
Russia
Feb. 17, 2015 On a visit to Russia, Hungary premier blasts migrant flow as threat to Europe, saying that it threatens the identity of EU nations and raises terror threats. Orbán said after talks with President Putin that Hungary disagrees with those in the EU who see the flow of migrants as something good. Orbán made the comments speaking a day before a European Union summit where the migrant crisis is expected to feature prominently on the agenda. In remarks heralding fierce debates at the EU summit, Orbán said that for Hungary "Christian and national values will be as important in the future as they were in the past," adding that his nation believes that "uncontrolled migration will cause more harm than good." "We sympathize with the stance of the Hungarian leadership, the prime minister of Hungary to defend the European identity, the identity of their country, their people" Putin said. He added that defeating extremism and rebuilding the fractured Mideast states are essential for stemming the migrant flow. The two leaders have developed close ties, and Hungary has pushed for the lifting of EU sanctions against Russia imposed over its actions in Ukraine. The EU has made the prospect of lifting sanctions contingent on the fulfillment of a peace deal for eastern Ukraine, but Putin emphasized that it's up to Ukraine to fulfill its end of the deal. (Source: AP)
Feb 15, 2015 The former executive director of Russia's anti-doping agency (RUSADA) Kamayev has died two months after resigning his post. Kamayev's death had "presumably" been caused by a heart attack. Russia was suspended from international athletics last November after a special commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency exposed widespread state-sponsored cheating and corruption.(Source: Yahoo)
European Council
19 February 2016 European Council conclusions, 18-19 February 2016. At their meeting in February, EU leaders agreed on a new settlement for the UK within the EU. The European Council agreed the following set of arrangements which will become effective on the date the Government of the United Kingdom informs the Secretary-General of the Council that the United Kingdom has decided to remain a member of the European Union: ((see also Annexes 1.-7.)) EU leaders also discussed migration and the situation in Syria and Libya. (Source: EuropeanCouncil): http://tinyurl.com/h52jqd3
European Union
2016-02-17 "EUNAVFOR MED - Operation SOPHIA" - Six monthly report: June, 22nd to December, 31st 2015. Irregular migration across the Mediterranean Sea is continuing at a significant rate, with over 929,000 migrants arriving in Europe this year. However, since September we have seen two significant changes in the flow. Firstly there has been a reduction in the proportion of migrants using the central Mediterranean route as opposed to the eastern route. Prior to the start of the operation there was an even split between the people using the central route and the eastern route, whereas now 16% migrants use the central route, with almost 83% of migrants using the eastern route. Secondly, since September, for the first time in 3 years, we have seen a 9% reduction in the migrant flow using the central route. This is an encouraging decrease in the flow and should continue to be driven down through EUNAVFOR MED’s continued efforts... (Source: Wikileaks): http://tinyurl.com/gwney9e
12 Feb 2016 Russia warned of “a new world war" starting in Syria after a dramatic day in which Gulf states threatened to send in ground forces.Foreign and defence ministers of the leading international states backing different factions in the war-torn country met in separate meetings in Munich and Brussels following the collapse of the latest round of peace talks. Both Russia and the United States demanded ceasefires in the long-running civil war so that the fight could be concentrated against islamic state of Iraq and the Levant (isil) - but each on their own, conflicting terms. But the Gulf states, led by Saudi Arabia, staged their own intervention, saying they were committed to sending ground troops to the country. Their favoured rebel groups have been pulverised by Russian air raids and driven back on the ground by Iranian-supplied pro-regime troops. But the presence of troops from Gulf states which have funded the Syrian rebels would be taken as a hostile act by the Assad regime and its backers. Under the United Nations security council resolution passed in December, any ceasefire would automatically exclude isil, the local al-Qaeda branch Jabhat al-Nusra, which operates throughout rebel territory, and other UN-designated terrorist groups. The terms of the resolution mean that the only group that would have to stop fighting under the terms of a ceasefire would be the “moderate rebels” backed by the West. Saudi Arabia is said to be furious that their main regional rival, Iran, has been allowed to consolidate its power bases in both Iraq and Syria because of the civil wars in both countries and under the cover of an international air campaign supposedly targeting isil. Its defence ministry spokesman, Brig Gen Assiri, said its decision to send ground troops to Syria was “irreversible”. The Saudis are leading the Islamic military coalition. (Source: TheTelegraph): http://tinyurl.com/hdx2vrr
Európa
2016. II. 11. Az embercsempészek szállítási kapacitása annyira megnövekedett, hogy naponta 10000-12000 embert tudnak áthajóztatni Törökországból az Égei tengeren. Görögország a tartozással kapcsolatos könnyítésekre számít (játszik rá). A német elhárítás szerint a bejövő migránsok minimum egy ezreléke terrorista. Oroszország 5000-12000 iszlamista hazatérésére számít határain. (Forrás: ATV - video, Nógrádival és Tarjányival)): http://tinyurl.com/hfh4rbq
Saudi Arabia
February 16, 2016 Start preparing for the collapse of the Saudi Kingdom In fact, Saudi Arabia is no state at all. There are two ways to describe it: as a political enterprise with a clever but ultimately unsustainable business model, or so corrupt as to resemble in its functioning a vertically and horizontally integrated criminal organization. Saudi king is CEO of a family business that converts oil into payoffs that buy political loyalty. They take two forms: cash handouts or commercial concessions for the increasingly numerous scions of the royal clan, and a modicum of public goods and employment opportunities for commoners. The coercive “stick” is supplied by brutal internal security services lavishly equipped with American equipment. Accounting today’s low oil prices, and as Saudi officials step up arms purchases and military adventures in Yemen and elsewhere, Riyadh is hardly running out of funds. What if the price of loyalty rises? It appears that is just what’s happening. King Salman had to spend lavishly to secure the allegiance of the notables who were pledged to the late King Abdullah. Here’s what played out in two other countries when this kind of inflation hit. In South Sudan, an insatiable elite not only diverted the newly minted country’s oil money to private pockets but also kept up their outsized demands when the money ran out, sparking a descent into chaos. The Somali government enjoys generous donor support, but is priced out of a very competitive political market by a host of other buyers—with ideological, security or criminal agendas of their own. In countries as diverse as Nigeria, Ukraine, Brazil, Moldova, and Malaysia, people are contesting criminalized government and impunity for public officials—sometimes violently. In more than half a dozen countries in 2015, populations took to the streets to protest corruption. In three of them, heads of state are either threatened or have had to resign. Russia and China’s external adventurism can at least partially be explained as an effort to re-channel their publics‘ dissatisfaction with the quality of governance. For the moment, it is largely Saudi Arabia’s Shiite minority that is voicing political demands. But the highly educated Sunni majority, with unprecedented exposure to the outside world, is unlikely to stay satisfied forever with a few favors doled out by geriatric rulers impervious to their input. And then there are the “guest workers.” Saudi officials, like those in other Gulf states, seem to think they can exploit an infinite supply of indigents grateful to work at whatever conditions. But citizens are now heavily outnumbered in their own countries by laborers who may soon begin claiming rights. King Salman (who is 80, by the way) does not display the dexterity of his half-brother Abdullah. He’s reached for some of the familiar items in the autocrats’ toolbox: executing dissidents, embarking on foreign wars, and whipping up sectarian rivalries to discredit Saudi Shiite demands and boost nationalist fervor. Each of these has grave risks.
(Source: DefenseOne)
Syria
20 Feb 2016 US-backed militia groups now fighting each other in Syria. President Obama's confused strategy in Syria means towns are now being fought over by different US-backed groups It is not new to say that the war in Syria has become a complex mess, spiralling out of control. Analysts – and many American diplomats who have left the administration, some in disgust – say that the mess is a consequence of President Obama’s decision to support the rebellion against President Assad, but only half-heartedly. He sent in weapons to support the rebels. But he also refused to confront Russia and the regime, who had far more weapons, leaving the rebels lightly armed sitting ducks. Then he also decided to support the Kurds. He wanted them to fight isil, which they did, but they also took on anyone else who stood in the way of a Kurdish mini-state in northern Syria. The YPG is a Kurdish army that is the Syrian affiliate of the long-established guerrillas from nearby Turkey, the PKK, a leftist, US- and UK-designated terrorist group. Despite that designation, the YPG’s strength comes in part from its backing from the United States, which gave it air support in its bitter and eventually successful defence against isil of the border town of Kobane. But as the YPG attacks rebel-held areas north of Aleppo it is also fighting the very rebel groups who two years ago drove isil out of western Syria. Obama administration policy seems to be favouring a Kurdish militia group that is incontrovertibly linked to the terrorism-designated PKK over and above a fellow NATO ally, Turkey. (Source: TheTelegrapjh): http://tinyurl.com/h7hkcxc
February 15, 2016 Tensions between Russia and Turkey reach new peak as the two countries step up military action in Syria in support of opposing sides, edging closer to direct confrontation in the country’s increasingly internationalised war. The rift between the two countries — with each now attacking rebels the other supports — has alarmed Western diplomats amid fears Russia is seeking to undermine NATO by ramping up its clash with Ankara. Kurdish fighters in Syria are backed by both Moscow and the US and other western countries but whom Ankara views as antagonists. 2016 Moscow’s strikes against anti-Assad rebels in Syria’s northern Aleppo province have created an atmosphere of chaos that has been exploited by the Syrian Kurdish militia, known as the YPG, which has seized towns held by rebels backed by Turkey and the Gulf states. In turn, Turkey began shelling the Kurdish fighters, after they advanced on the Turkish border. Moscow called for UN condemnation of the attacks. The Russian foreign ministry said Turkey’s actions had hit Syrian towns “recently liberated from the terrorists”. Russia was itself accused of striking three hospitals in northern Syria. Turkey sees the Kurdish fighters as bitter rivals of the Arab Sunni rebels Turkey favours in the Syrian conflict. But the US prizes the YPG as the most successful Syrian groundforces against isis, the extremist jihadi group. Davutoglu, Turkish prime minister said that Turkey would attack the Menagh air base north of Aleppo if Syrian Kurds did not withdraw from it and vowed to protect the Syrian border town of Azaz from the Kurdish forces. Moscow also accused Ankara of allowing fighters to cross the border into Syria to join isis and groups affiliated with al-Qaeda while also permitting wounded jihadist fighters to return to Turkey. Turkey has consistently denied all such charges. Russia's air campaign around Aleppo has turned the military situation in favour of government troops and claimed large numbers of civilian casualties. The Russian air strikes have shown no sign of abating. The Russian government claimed that its Aleppo campaign was not subject to the ceasefire. “We fight against terrorist groups — isis, Jabhat al-Nusra and others connected with al-Qaeda. Strikes on objects of terrorist groups will continue in any case, even if we succeed in agreeing on a ceasefire in Syria” - deputy foreign minister Gatilov told. There are hundreds of rebel groups across Syria that emerged when the 2011 protests against Assad transformed into armed revolt. Many forces call themselves part of the Free Syrian Army (FSA); groups that are non-Islamist. Many other rebel groups became Islamist as Islamist forces began to take hold in the uprising. Jabhat al-Nusra; as al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria, this group is a radical jihadi force that has a stronghold in the country’s northwestern province of Idlib, but it has pockets of territory across the country. It often aligns with other rebel groups, whether they are Islamist or not. Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (isis); jihadi force which claims to be building a caliphate, and since it captured Iraq’s second city of Mosul it has seized territory across about a half of Syria and a quarter of Iraq. The group used to focus its military activities on territorial expansion but has begun launching attacks abroad against western targets to challenge a US-led international campaign against its territory. YPG/YPJ The People’s Defence Units are usually known by their Kurdish acronym YPG for its male battalions and YPJ for female battalions. They are the most powerful Syrian Kurdish militia in Syria, controlling large chunks of territory which they aim to shape into an autonomous region along Syria’s northern border. They claim they do not want to secede from Syria, however. The group claims to have 50,000 fighters. Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF): this is an alliance formed with US backing to fight isis under US-led coalition air cover. Some estimates say the group has over 50,000 fighters, but only a fraction of these come from Syria’s rebel groups, which are majority Sunni Arab. (Source: FinancialTimes): http://tinyurl.com/jlvc3he
Feb 12, 2016 The U.S. and Russia have different ideas about which rebel groups are terrorists. In northwestern Syria, U.S.-backed rebels are fighting Assad alongside the al-Nusra Front, an al-Qaeda franchise, so combining a cease-fire with a continued war on terror would at the very least be complicated. The biggest question looming over the peace talks: how to reconcile the reality that Assad will remain in power in Damascus with the equally unavoidable fact that large numbers of Syria's Sunni population will remain unwilling to submit to Assad's rule. Any attempt to either force Assad's removal or impose his control on the country is bound to bring more war and a further radicalization of Syria's majority Sunni population. It is for this reason that any lasting cease-fire or genuine settlement will require the country's de facto separation into zones of control. This is what Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov should work toward next week. (Source: Bloomberg): http://tinyurl.com/jjfjzo3
February 11, 2016 Statement of the International Syria Support Group. Meeting in Munich on February 11 & 12, 2016, as the International Syria Support Group (ISSG), the Arab League, China, Egypt, the EU, France, Germany, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United Nations, and the United States decided that humanitarian access will commence this week to besieged areas, and an ISSG task force will within one week elaborate modalities for a nationwide cessation of hostilities. The ISSG members unanimously committed to immediately facilitate the full implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 2254, adopted unanimously December 18, 2015. The ISSG reaffirmed their readiness to carry out all commitments set forth in the resolution, including to: ensure a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political transition based on the Geneva Communiqué in its entirety; press for the end of any indiscriminate use of weapons; support and accelerate the agreement and implementation of a nationwide ceasefire; facilitate immediate humanitarian access to besieged and hard-to-reach areas and the release of any arbitrarily detained persons; and fight terrorism. In order to accelerate the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid, sustained delivery of assistance shall begin this week by air to Deir Ez Zour and simultaneously to Fouah, Kafrayah, the besieged areas of Rural Damascus, Madaya, Mouadhimiyeh, and Kafr Batna by land, and continue as long as humanitarian needs persist. Humanitarian access to these most urgent areas will be a first step toward full, sustained, and unimpeded access throughout the country. The ISSG members agreed that a nationwide cessation of hostilities must be urgently implemented, and should apply to any party currently engaged in military or paramilitary hostilities against any other parties other than Daesh, Jabhat al-Nusra, or other groups designated as terrorist organizations by the United Nations Security Council. The cessation of hostilities will commence in one week, after confirmation by the Syrian government and opposition, following appropriate consultations in Syria. During that week, the ISSG task force will develop modalities for the cessation of hostilities. Advancing a political transition the members of the ISSG reaffirmed that it is for the Syrian people to decide the future of Syria. The members of the ISSG pledge to do all they can to facilitate rapid progress in these negotiations, including the reaching of agreement within six months on a political transition plan that establishes credible, inclusive and non-sectarian governance and sets a schedule and process for drafting a new constitution, free and fair elections, pursuant to the new constitution, to be held within 18 months and administered under supervision of the United Nations, to the satisfaction of the governance and to the highest international standards of transparency and accountability, with all Syrians, including members of the diaspora, eligible to participate. Full implementation of these objectives will require the ISSG co-chairs and members, the UN and others, to work closely on political, humanitarian, and military dimensions... (Source: USDepartmentOfState): http://tinyurl.com/j2rctxs
Turkey
February 17, 2016 Turkish President Erdogan is expected to try to push through parliament a new constitution concentrating power in his office after efforts to write a charter agreeable to all political parties collapsed. Speculation is mounting Erdogan may risk an early election. (Source: Bloomberg): http://tinyurl.com/zeo78qc
11 Feb 2016 Turkey is prepared to “open the gates” and allow hundreds of thousands of refugees on its soil into Europe, the country’s president threatened, as he denounced the West’s ‘shameful’ contribution to the crisis. Erdogan goaded EU leaders, saying they had not delivered the €3 billion in aid his government was promised in exchange for halting the tide of refugees. In a combative address in Ankara, he said the Turkish government was being taken for “idiots” by Brussels and insisted he was “proud” of leak minutes of a high-level meeting with EU leaders, in which he had threatened to flood Europe with refugees. It came as NATO deployed a taskforce of battleships to the Greek coast to collect intelligence and, for the first time, return any stranded refugee vessels they intercept directly back Turkey. Turkey would enact stringent border controls on the west coast in exchange for allowing Turkish citizens to visit EU member states later this year without visa restrictions. In recent days, the UN, EU and other organisations have called on Turkey to take in Syrian refugees fleeing islamic state of Iraq and the Levant and Russian air strikes on its southern border. Tens of thousands have fled from Aleppo after Russian war planes continued to bomb Aleppo in support of a regime offensive to capture the Syrian city. Mr Erdogan said his government was preparing for an exodus of 600,000. Mr Erdogan In 1994, he had his first taste of power when he was elected mayor of Istanbul - the first Islamist in the role. In 1997, he was sentenced to 10 months in jail for inciting religious hatred when he read a poem. He co-founded Turkey's current largest party, Justice and Development Party (AKP) in 2001 with others. Greece confirmed it wants Turkey declared as a "safe third country" - a move that would allow it to send back asylum seekers picked up in the Aegean. (Source: TheTelegraph): http://tinyurl.com/jxogos6
Mexico
17 February 2016 Pope's jet attacked by laser as it approached Mexico City. Flight AZ4000 was passing 8,000 feet when the pilot reported a laser attack. (Source: DailyMail): http://tinyurl.com/zeo78qc
United States Egyesült Államok
February 18, 2016 Trump response to the Pope. If and when the Vatican is attacked by isis, which as everyone knows is isis’s ultimate trophy, I can promise you that the Pope would have only wished and prayed that Trump would have been President because this would not have happened. isis would have been eradicated unlike what is happening now with our all talk, no action politicians. The Mexican government and its leadership has made many disparaging remarks about me to the Pope, because they want to continue to rip off the United States, both on trade and at the border, and they understand I am totally wise to them. The Pope only heard one side of the story - he didn’t see the crime, the drug trafficking and the negative economic impact the current policies have on the United States. He doesn’t see how Mexican leadership is outsmarting President Obama and our leadership in every aspect of negotiation. For a religious leader to question a person’s faith is disgraceful. I am proud to be a Christian and as President I will not allow Christianity to be consistently attacked and weakened, unlike what is happening now, with our current President. No leader, especially a religious leader, should have the right to question another man’s religion or faith. They are using the Pope as a pawn and they should be ashamed of themselves for doing so, especially when so many lives are involved and when illegal immigration is so rampant. (Source: DonaldTrumpPressReleases)
16 Feb 2016 In the US trial, white blood cells – known as T-cells – were taken from patients suffering acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and genetically modified to target the cancer. They were then injected back into the body – and specialists were amazed at the results - trial chief Professor Riddell, of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in Seattle, Washington, said. More than half of 40 suffering other blood cancers were left disease-free, according to US researchers. The breakthrough was announced at the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference in Washington DC. The other major advance involving T-cells was revealed at the meeting. Italian experts revealed they had discovered memory T-cells can stay in the body for at least 14 years. This means they could also be trained to fight cancer, then remember the disease if it came back and beat it again. The findings could pave the way for a vaccine against the disease and spell a permanent cure. Professor Bonini, of the University of Milan, said the treatment would work in the same way other vaccines such as flu. T-cells are a living drug, and they have the potential to persist in our body for our whole lives. When a T-cell encounters the antigen and gets activated, it kills the pathogen but also persist as a memory cell. Imagine translating this to cancer immunotherapy, to have memory T cells that remember the cancer and are ready for when it comes back. The treatment comes with a risk of potentially severe side effects, and doesn’t yet work for all patients, but there’s hope that this type of therapy could save lives. Prof Riddell’s trial took place over two years. Patients have had at least 18 months remission – but seven people had an over-powerful immune system response from which two died. Experts are trying to combat the side-effects. (Source: Mirror): http://tinyurl.com/hm24wau
15 February 2016 2116: Underwater cities, downloadable meals and 3D-printed houses just a century away, report claims. The SmartThings Future Living Report, which was commissioned by Samsung-owned internet of things firm SmartThings, was created by a group of academics and futurologists who suggest that in a century's time humans will be able to live in 'Earth-scrapers', which will go up to 25 storeys underground. The academics, which include future architects and urbanists as well as lecturers from the University of Westminster, suggest that 'bubble cities' will be created underwater making the depths habitable for humans.They also believe personal drones will become a staple mode of transport, as well as being used as futuristic “mules” to carry entire homes around the world for holidays. Furniture within homes become 3D-printed, replicas of entire houses and structures could be printed. In the workplace, holograms will enable virtual meetings to take place. 3D-printing food will also become smarter, with the ability to download dishes from our favourite chefs and print them, ready to eat, in minutes. The colonisation of the Moon and then Mars: smarter homes will be able to house LED screen walls that can be changed to suit the mood, removing the need to redecorate. SmartThings UK managing director is Monighan. (Source: Independent): http://tinyurl.com/h8vsnll
2016. II. 15. Örömlányok Hillaryért – finoman így lehetne lefordítani azt a kampányt, amelyet egy nevadai bordélytulajdonos és az egyik, Holdfény Nyuszifarm nevű, legálisan működő piros lámpás házában dolgozó szexmunkásai indítottak a demokrata elnökjelölt-aspiráns megválasztásáért. Leginkább Obama sokat vitatott, a washingtoni törvényhozásban szétcincált egészségügyi reformcsomagja, az Obamacare miatt állnak ki Clinton mellett. (Forrás: MNO)
Sunday, Feb 14, 2015 Last week Public Health Minister llison told Parliament that as well as cases of cholera, typhoid, scurvy and rickets there had been 10 suspected plague cases in the past five years. The data from the Health and Social Care Information Centre shows admissions for people with scurvy, which is caused by a lack of vitamin C, rose from 82 to 113 since 2010. Cases of cholera, which broke out in London in 1854, leapt from nine in 2010 to 36 in 2015. Although it no longer exists in the UK, it can be imported by visitors to the country.There have been 1,200 typhoid cases since 2010. The latest outbreak of plague was last August on the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar. It killed 63 people. Last year there were also four deaths from the plague in the US. (Source: Express)
February 12, 2016 CIA director says is group has used, can make chem weapons. Brennan has said that islamic state fighters have used chemical weapons and have the capability to make small quantities of chlorine and mustard gas. The release of the interview excerpts comes two days after similar comments from Clapper, the director of national intelligence before a congressional committee. Last year, officials in the autonomous Iraqi region of Kurdistan said blood tests had shown that is fighters used mustard agent in an attack on Kurdish peshmerga forces in August. Thirty-five peshmerga fighters were exposed and some taken abroad for treatment. US officials believed is had used mustard agent. (Source: Yahoo)
NATO
February 11, 2016 NATO edges toward Syrian crisis. The 28-member alliance is sending three warships to the Aegean Sea between Greece and Turkey. The ships—from NATO Standing Maritime Group 2 involves a German navy flagship, the Bonn, as well as the Turkey’s Barbaros and the Fredericton from Canada. Greece, Turkey and Germany came together on an agreement for an expansion of the naval mission at a defense ministers meeting in Brussels. As part of the deal Turkish and Greek ships will not enter each other’s territorial waters. NATO also plans to step up intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance efforts along the Turkish-Syrian border, Secretary Stoltenberg said. That could include a fleet of E-3A AWACS—the alliance has 16 of the aircraft in stock, with a dozen of them already flying. They are based primarily out of NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen, but can also operate out of Component Forward Operating Bases in Aktion, Greece; Trapani, Italy; Konya, Turkey; and Oerland, Norway. (Source: DefenseOne): http://tinyurl.com/zrzfb4o
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