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The so-called "European degree" is to be a new type of diploma, awarded after transnational programmes run at national, regional or institutional level — and on a voluntary basis.

Psychotropic drug abuse is one of the many dangers migrants face along the Balkan route. In overcrowded camps, doctors prescribe tranquilisers to calm people down. And black market circuits and pharmacies selling drugs without prescription contribute to the issue.

A kiszolgált katonák élete valószínűleg helytől és kortól függetlenül sosem volt könnyű, még akkor sem, ha az őket szolgálatba hívó állam történetesen hajlandóságot mutatott a velük való törődésre. Persze így is akadnak, akikből ilyen helyzetben nemhogy nem párolog el az életkedv és tettvágy, mint ahogy ez sajnos sokukkal megtörténik, hanem a békeidőket kihasználva egyenesen belevetik magukat vérmes elgondolások megvalósításába.

Szélsőséges példa erre Ludvig Kahlen hadnagy története, aki a XVIII. századi porosz hadseregben bizonyára példásan kitanult fegyelmet, szorgalmat és rendezettséget burgonyatermesztő telepesként remélte sikeresen kamatoztatni. Az ilyesmi ugyebár sosem számított kifejezetten könnyed, kényelmes életformának, de az eltökélt Kahlen ezt képes volt még azzal megfejelni, hogy a dániai Jüt-félsziget északnyugati részén, a Pallas Nagylexikon leírása szerint terméketlen, "posványoktól megszakított homokos területen" kezdett gazdálkodni.

[...] Bővebben!

In mid-February, the world’s largest elections took place in Indonesia over the course of a single day. Around 205 million eligible voters were called to the polls to elect a new president, vice president and almost 20,000 representatives for the national, pro­vincial and district parliaments. The spotlight was largely centred on the presidential election, as the president plays a prominent role in the country’s political system, and according to the official results released on 20 March, General Prabowo Subianto will be assuming office in October. His election as head of state is seen by some observers as a threat to Indonesian democracy or even a return to dictatorship. However, it is much more likely that Prabowo will maintain the policies of his predecessor Jokowi, who prioritised the economic development of the country. Nonetheless, democratic institutions and procedures are likely to be further weakened. Germany and the EU should be prepared for Indonesia to adopt a more active and self-confident foreign policy stance under Prabowo as Jakarta will likely come to be driven by a decidedly transactional understanding of international cooperation.

Cheveux frisés, tresses, locks, cheveux blonds, roux ou calvitie... L'Assemblée nationale a voté jeudi une proposition de loi visant à reconnaître et sanctionner la discrimination capillaire, notamment dans le milieu professionnel. Une initiative dont l'utilité est contestée, malgré de nombreux témoignages.

A cég a 178,66 millió forint összköltségű projektje során acélszerkezet gyártó üzemét bővítette, valamint eszközbeszerzést és szervezetfejlesztést is megvalósított. A beruházáshoz a Károlyi és Társa Kft. a Széchenyi Terv Plusz program „A mikro-, kis- és középvállalkozások modern üzleti és termelési kihívásokhoz való alkalmazkodását segítő fejlesztések támogatása a leghátrányosabb helyzetű régiókban” című felhívásán nyert el 125,06 millió forint feltételesen vissza nem térítendő európai uniós támogatást.

A Károlyi és Társa Kft. 1990 óta foglalkozik építőipari kivitelezéssel, középületek, ipari- és lakóépületek építésével.

A fejlesztési beruházás keretében a Mezőberény, Vásártér utca 10. szám alatti üzemcsarnok bővítése valósult meg mintegy 834 m2-el. A csarnoképület utcai végében kiépített új iroda és szociális helyiségek szolgálják a dolgozók megfelelő munkahelyi körülményeit.

A projekt keretében egy 15 kWp teljesítményű napelemrendszer telepítése is megvalósult, melyet az új épületrész tetőzetére helyeztek el.

A vállalkozás a projekt során új termelőeszközöket is beszerzett, melyek a JCB 4CX Pro Stage5 AEC típusú földmunkagép, egy 3 tonna teherbírású dízelüzemű targonca, két db védőgázas Weldi -Míg 4500 W típusú hegesztőberendezés, valamint egy MBS 300 DG PRO típusú fémfűrészgép.

A projekt keretében a Károlyi és Társa Kft. a szervezeti struktúra és tevékenységek optimalizálását segítő szakértői szolgáltatást is igénybe vett, valamint 3 fő angol nyelvi képzése is megvalósult.

A megvalósított fejlesztések a vállalkozás hatékonyabb termelését segítik elő, továbbá a képzés és szervezeti struktúra korszerűsítésére vonatkozó tanácsadás a vállalat irányításában, a munkaerő felkészültségében jelent előrelépést, és hozzájárul a munkahelyek megtartásához is.

A Széchenyi Terv Plusz program GINOP_PLUSZ-1.2.3-21 számú pályázati kiírásán 125 059 300 forint támogatást elnyert, 178 656 143 forint összköltségvetésű fejlesztés 2022. február 28-án indult és 2024. február 29-én zárult.

L’annonce d'un déficit public atteignant 5,5 % du PIB fait craindre au secteur de la protection de l’enfance des coupes budgétaires drastiques. Alors que l’aide sociale à l’enfance manque déjà de moyens et que les travailleurs sociaux alertent sur les menaces qui pèsent sur les enfants placés, les députés PS lancent une commission d’enquête pour faire la lumière sur les dysfonctionnements de l’institution.

The corporate intelligence firm Kroll LLC and one of its former top employees are involved in a legal battle following her dismissal for allegedly taking confidential information home with her. Anna Povinelli, formerly a managing director in the Financial Services Compliance

Discussions are currently in full flow in the Armenian parliament regarding the future cyber defence law, which is seen as

For the first time in the history of the defence industry, arms manufacturers from a number of countries have been

As the driving force behind Vietnam's anti-corruption drive (IO, 07/07/22), public security minister Tô Lâm has since January been making

Intelligence Online understands Stuart Witchell, a veteran in financial investigations in Asia, former head of Asia-Pacific at JS Held, which

Paris - International firms' interest in arbitration cases keeps growingPrivate sleuth companies came in even greater numbers this year to

As growth slows, Beijing’s moves are drawing a global backlash.

Condemning a country’s human rights violations rarely works—but that doesn’t make it pointless

Diversifying Germany’s bilateral partnerships in the Indo-Pacific is one of the central goals of German policy. On the one hand, this diversification aims to reduce economic dependence on China, and on the other – in the context of systemic rivalry with authoritarian states – to bring about cooperation with states that share common values with Germany, so-called Wertepartnern (value-based partners). However, it is not clearly defined which values are fundamental to value-based partnerships. It also remains unclear which states in the Indo-Pacific are referred to as value-based partners and how these value-based partnerships differ from “normal” bilateral relations with other states in the region. Instead, this study shows that the significance that is rhetorically attached to cooperation with value-based partners is at odds with the vague concept of “value-based partnership” and its limited importance as a basis for bilateral cooperation. A comparison of value-based partners with a control group of non-value-based partners across different policy areas produces mixed results. The assumed correlation between being categorised as a value-based partner and closer international cooperation based on shared norms and values cannot, with any coherence, be demonstrated empirically. A comprehensive revision of the hitherto diffuse concept of value-based partnerships is recommended – either by normative sharpening, combined with a narrowing of the circle of states designated as value-based partners, or by eradicating the term from the political vocabulary.

When people argue that Israel and Hamas need to negotiate and make peace, they sometimes draw comparisons between Hamas and the IRA:

Yes, they have to negotiate w/ Hamas. Just like the Brits had to negotiate with the IRA in Northern Ireland in the 1990s. The IRA were terrorists. They almost killed Margaret Thatcher once. But negotiation was necessary for durable peace. Have to do it in Israel now & end the war https://t.co/3WblyxUcfB

— Zane (@zanealb04) March 8, 2024

It is not an unexpected sentiment.

Those negotiations led to the Good Friday Agreement in 2001, where the Irish Republican Army agreed to begin disarming. It was an amazing achievement.

CNN interviewed Secretary of State Colin Powell and British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw. Powell praised the agreement, saying it "shows what can happen when one remains persistent and is determined to solve what appear to be intractable problems." Midway through the press conference, the topic of Israel came up.

The final question was, "Secretary Powell, does the situation in Northern Ireland not show us all that negotiations is really the only way forward in all of these situations?" Israel was not mentioned, but it clearly was on everyone's mind.

Powell responded:

what we have seen in Northern Ireland in the last 24 hours, which culminates a process that took many, many years long to get to this point, is an example of what can be achieved when people of good will come together, recognize they have strong differences -- differences that they have fought over for years -- but it's time to put those differences aside in order to move forward and to provide a better life for the children of Northern Ireland.

Very...tactful. He praised both the participants and the diplomatic process in general.

But Straw got in the last word:

It also has to be said that, before that happened, there had to be a change of approach by those who saw terrorism as the answer. And that approach partly changed because of the firmness of the military and police response to that terrorism. And if there had not been that firm response by successive British governments and others to the terrorist threat that was posed on both sides, we would not have been able to get some of those people into negotiation, and we'd not be marking what is a satisfactory day in the history of Northern Ireland today.

Before diplomacy could work, terrorism had to be defeated and those who practiced it had to reject it. And for that to happen, military force was necessary.

And terrorism still needs to be rejected. A diplomatic approach won't suffice.

Daniel Pipes, president of the Middle East Forum, made this point in his Victory Project. He wrote in 2017 that Israel needs "to indicate to the Palestinians that this conflict, this war that they have been engaged in for a century, is over. And they lost. And they've got to recognize it." He describes a plan of deterrence that goes beyond tough tactics:

When Palestinian “martyrs” cause material damage, pay for repairs out of the roughly $300 million in tax obligations the government of Israel transfers to the Palestinian Authority (PA) each year. Respond to activities designed to isolate and weaken Israel internationally by limiting access to the West Bank. When a Palestinian attacker is killed, bury the body quietly and anonymously in a potter’s field. When the PA leadership incites violence, prevent officials from returning to the PA from abroad. Respond to the murder of Israelis by expanding Jewish towns on the West Bank. When official PA guns are turned against Israelis, seize these and prohibit new ones, and if this happens repeatedly, dismantle the PA’s security infrastructure. Should violence continue, reduce and then shut off the water and electricity that Israel supplies. In the case of gunfire, mortar shelling, and rockets, occupy and control the areas from which these originate.

Israel has used some of these suggestions, such as subtracting from the tax money that goes to the PA in response to Abbas's pay-to-slay program. And in light of the Hamas massacre of October 7, Israel may consider stricter measures, both in terms of Gaza and the West Bank. The measures themselves are not purely punitive. Their goal is deterrence and ultimately to show the Palestinian Arabs that they have lost.

That would be the opposite of the approach of the Dalai Lama to the terrorist attack of 9-11:

How to respond to such an attack is a very difficult question. Of course, those who are dealing with the problem may know better, but I feel that careful consideration is necessary and that it is appropriate to respond to an act of violence by employing the principles of nonviolence. The Dalai Lama (YouTube screenshot)
And yet even here, he leaves some wiggle room for a stronger, harsher approach:

Of course, in particular instances a more aggressive approach may also be necessary. Two years later, the Dalai Lama raised eyebrows when the New York Times reported, Dalai Lama Says Terror May Need a Violent Reply

The Dalai Lama, a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and one of the world's most prominent advocates of nonviolence, said in an interview yesterday that it might be necessary to fight terrorists with violence... He goes on to say that ''terrorism is the worst kind of violence, so we have to check it, we have to take countermeasures" and even suggests, at the time, that it was ''too early to say'' whether the war in Iraq was a mistake. 

In 2009, the Dalai Lama was still saying the same thing:

The Dalai Lama, a lifelong champion of non-violence on Saturday candidly stated that terrorism cannot be tackled by applying the principle of ahimsa [non-violence] because the minds of terrorists are closed.

And if the minds of terrorists are closed, then as Jack Straw suggested, military force is necessary, and as Daniel Pipes says, you have to convince them that they have lost.

Who knows? Maybe even Biden understands that to a degree. In an interview following his State of the Union Address, Biden was asked when Hamas really wants a ceasefire:

Biden admits the futility of a ceasefire and acknowledges that Hamas will use the opportunity to rearm itself for more attacks -- before pausing and going back to attacking Israel, with an outlandish accusation that it is carpet-bombing Gaza, consistent with his unquestioning acceptance of Hamas's exaggerated number of casualties.

If Hamas is allowed to live to fight another day -- it will.
The fact remains -- Israel will not win unless Hamas loses.

 

L’Assemblée nationale débat mardi et mercredi d’une proposition de loi du député Renaissance Sacha Houlié visant à lutter contre les ingérences étrangères. Le texte prévoit notamment la création d’un registre pour les "agents étrangers" et un renforcement des prérogatives des services de renseignement. "Dans un contexte où nous observons une agression très forte des régimes autoritaires vers les démocraties, on a besoin de ce type de mesures", affirme Sacha Houlié à France 24.

Why nations must adopt a more comprehensive approach to space governance amid increasing geopolitical challenges.

Ryyan Alshebl left Syria in 2015 amid the ongoing war. Eight years later, he was elected mayor of the German town Ostelsheim — aged 29. He talked to EUobserver about his journey, the threat of extremism and humanitarian asylum systems.