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Security Council condemns South Sudan violence, expresses concern over expulsion of UN relief coordinator

UN News Centre - Thu, 04/06/2015 - 00:40
Renewing its support to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the vital mandate it is performing to protect civilians there, the Security Council today expressed its grave concern over the security and humanitarian situation in the country, which has been torn by “a conflict that is only growing more violent as it nears its 18th month.”

The FBI’s Probe Into the Russian and Qatari World Cups Could Undermine FIFA Reform

Foreign Policy - Thu, 04/06/2015 - 00:36
A U.S.-led probe into FIFA could cement many of the bad behaviors allowed by Sepp Blatter.

How the FIFA Scandal Put Latin American Corruption Under the Microscope

Foreign Policy - Thu, 04/06/2015 - 00:35
It certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed that 13 of the 14 individuals named last week in the FIFA bribery and kickback scandal represent Latin America and Caribbean soccer organizations. While no one country or region has a monopoly on corruption, it is likewise true that weak rule of law and endemic corruption issues have unfortunately been the ...

How to Promote Women’s Rights, in Afghanistan and Around the World

Foreign Policy - Thu, 04/06/2015 - 00:33
This year seems to be a year for taking stock of women's rights globally, but what does that mean for the state of women in Afghanistan?

Spot report by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), 3 June 2015: Fighting around Marinka

OSCE - Thu, 04/06/2015 - 00:24

Summary

Fighting erupted around the government-controlled town of Marinka (23km west-south-west of Donetsk city centre) in the morning of 3 June. The SMM observed the movement of a large amount of heavy weapons in “Donetsk People’s Republic” (“DPR”)-controlled areas – generally in a westerly direction towards the contact line – close to Marinka, preceding and during the fighting. Calm was restored by the early evening.

Detail

Between 22:30hrs on 2 June and 05:30hrs on 3 June, the SMM – positioned in the “Donetsk People’s Republic” (“DPR”)-controlled Tekstilshchik area of Donetsk city (14km east-north-east of Marinka) – made a number of observations. It observed, inter alia, eight tracked armoured vehicles moving west, four of which were main battle tanks (MBT) at 22:30hrs; four MBTs at 23:03hrs; a military-type truck moving west, towing a 122mm artillery piece at 23:45hrs; two T-64 MBTs moving west at 04:30hrs; and a column of one infantry fighting vehicle (BMP-2), three military trucks (one carrying an ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft gun), and two T-72 MBTs, moving west, at 04:50hrs. In addition, the SMM – at the same location – heard approximately 100 outgoing artillery rounds fired from a location 1-5km north-north-west of its position between 04:30 and 04:40hrs; an outgoing salvo of BM-21 multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) Grad rockets fired from a location 1-5km west of its position at 04:55hrs; and, 100 outgoing artillery rounds fired from a location 5km north-north-west of its position.

Between 04:30 and 05:00hrs, the SMM – positioned in Donetsk city-centre – heard several salvos of outgoing MLRS rockets and approximately 100 incoming heavy-artillery rounds.

Between 07:00 and 08:00hrs, the SMM – mobile in an area 6-9km east of Marinka – observed seven T-64 MBTs facing west. In addition, it heard, on two separate occasions, more than five salvos of outgoing MLRS (BM-21) rockets and heavy-mortar rounds; and 12 outgoing MLRS Grad rockets and mortars.

At approximately 06:00hrs, an SMM unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) observed intense shelling targeting an intersection of the H15 highway 3.5km south-west of Marinka. The UAV spotted four 2S3 Akatsiya 152mm self-propelled howitzers 9km south-west of the town at 15:30hrs.

The SMM made several attempts between 10:45 and 12:11hrs to contact high-ranking “DPR” personnel – including the “DPR” “prime minister”, “parliamentary speaker”, “minister of defence” and “chief of the general staff” – in order to facilitate a cessation to the fighting around Marinka. Either they were unavailable or did not wish to speak to the SMM.

At 15:00hrs the SMM received a letter from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence, saying Ukrainian Armed Forces heavy weapons would be placed on the contact line in order to deal with the “real threat” posed by the fighting in Marinka, which they said had started at 06:00hrs that morning. Ukrainian officials later publicly acknowledged that the weapons had been used, saying their use was necessary in thwarting a “DPR” attack.

The Representative of the Russian Federation Armed Forces to the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination told the SMM at 15:00hrs that a ceasefire around Marinka would take effect at 17:00hrs. He told the SMM at 21:00hrs that the situation around Marinka was currently calm. At around 19:00hrs a representative of the Anti-Terrorist Operation command in Kramatorsk and the “DPR” “ministry of defence” confirmed to the SMM that Marinka was under government control.

The SMM will follow up on reports of civilian and military casualties in Marinka. 

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Categories: Central Europe

Burundi: Il n'y aura «pas d'élections ce vendredi»

RFI /Afrique - Thu, 04/06/2015 - 00:17
Au Burundi, on est toujours dans l'attente d'un nouveau calendrier électoral, mais une chose est sûre, il n'y aura pas d'élections ce vendredi. C'est ce qu'a confirmé mercredi à RFI la présidence et ce pour respecter les recommandations du sommet des chefs d'Etat de la communauté est-africaine.
Categories: Afrique

The Kerry Factor

Foreign Policy - Thu, 04/06/2015 - 00:16
Why it’s going to take more than a broken leg to keep the secretary of state – or the Iran deal – from moving forward.

Rheinische Post: Kommentar: Kommunen in der Schuld

Presseportal.de - Thu, 04/06/2015 - 00:07
Rheinische Post: Düsseldorf (ots) - Bund und Länder bürden den Kommunen immer mehr Lasten auf. Das ist die Ursache für einen großen Teil der kommunalen Finanzmisere. Aber eben nur für einen großen Teil. Die Kommunen müssen trotzdem ausreichende Anstrengungen ...

Rheinische Post: Kommentar: Russland und Katar sind nicht WM-würdig

Presseportal.de - Thu, 04/06/2015 - 00:05
Rheinische Post: Düsseldorf (ots) - Südafrika war ein guter Gastgeber der Weltmeisterschaft 2010. Trotzdem spricht vieles dafür, dass hochrangige Fifa-Funktionäre bei der Vergabe kräftig abkassiert haben. Die WM hat der afrikanische Staat höchstwahrscheinlich dank ...

2015. június 4., csütörtök

Kárpátalja.ma (Ukrajna/Kárpátalja) - Thu, 04/06/2015 - 00:00
Névnap Bulcsú – török-magyar eredetű; jelentése: vért keverő, vért kibocsátó.

Fatima – 1. – arab eredetű; jelentése: (ismeretlen) Mohamed legfiatalabb leányának neve;
2. – portugál eredetű; jelentése: egy portugál község neve. Idézet „Minden nép annyit ér, amennyi értéket saját magából ki tud termelni.”

Márton Áron

EZEN A NAPON EMLÉKSZÜNK RÁ:

Bilkei Gorzó János (Bilke, 1797 – Komlós, 1882. jún.4.) Törvényszéki ülnök, a bilkei nemzetőrség századosa. A szabadságharc alatt a vészbizottság tagja, rögtönítélő bíró. 1825-től 1865-ig szolgálta Bereg vármegyét: volt esküdt, megyei pénztárnok, törvényszéki ülnök. Komlóson temették el.

Forrás: Keresztyén Balázs: Kárpátaljai Művelődéstörténeti Kislexikon (Hatodik Síp Alapítvány – Mandátum Kiadó, Budapest – Beregszász, 2001.)

 

MAGYARORSZÁG KULTÚRTÖRTÉNETÉBŐL:

- Kinyomtatják Magyarországi György A törökök szokásairól, állapotáról és gonoszságairól c. művét.

Forrás: Magyarország kultúrtörténete napról napra, Honfoglalás Egyesület 2000.

MIT MONDOTT RÓLAD ISTEN? (4)

„Isten ígéretét sem vonta kétségbe hitetlenül…” (Róma 4:20)

Ha a látásod az, hogy jó szülő leszel, ez nem azt jelenti, hogy nincs nagy hited, csak azt jelenti, hogy megéretted elhívásodat. Mózes édesanyja nem tett mást, csak világra hozott egy gyermeket – de milyen gyermeket! Fiát Isten védelmezte, amikor ő semmit sem tudott tenni érte. Még azt is elrendezte, hogy a fáraó udvarában nevelkedjen. Amikor felfedezted Istennek életedre vonatkozó célját, tudhatod, hogy ő gondoskodni is fog rólad! Lesznek napok, amikor úgy fog tűnni, nem jön össze az, amit láttál. Gyermekkorában József arról álmodott, hogy nagy vezető lesz, de mielőtt a palotába jutott volna, meg kellett járnia a börtönt. James Petro lelkipásztor mondja: „Viharban nem lehet házat alapozni, ezért Isten előre készít fel.” Néha úgy tűnik, hogy álmod meghal, mielőtt még életre kelt volna. Ez történt Ábrahámmal is. De ő: „Reménység ellenére is reménykedve hitte, hogy sok nép atyjává lesz, ahogyan megmondatott: »Ennyi lesz a te magod!« Mert hitében nem gyengült meg, amikor arra gondolt, hogy százesztendős lévén, elhalt már saját teste, és Sára méhe is elhalt. Isten ígéretét sem vonta kétségbe hitetlenül, sőt megerősödött a hitben dicsőséget adva Istennek, és teljesen bizonyos afelől, hogy amit Isten ígér, azt meg is tudja tenni.” (Róma 4:18-21). Pál azt írta: „Mi bolondok vagyunk a Krisztusért…” (1Korinthus 4:10). Isten olyan radikális embereket használ, akik nem törődnek vele, hogy néznek ki: olyan embereket, akik nehéz múltat éltek túl, megcáfolták az ellenük szóló esélyeket, ragaszkodtak az Istentől kapott látáshoz, és kijelentették: „az én Istenem képes rá!” Te is egy lehetsz közülük!

A fenti elmélkedés a Keresztyén Média UCB Hungary Alapítvány napi elmélkedése (honlap: maiige.hu), melynek írója Bob Gass. Magyar nyelven negyedévre szóló kiadvány formájában megrendelhető az említett honlapon, vagy a következő címen: Mai Ige, 6201 Kiskőrös, Pf. 33.

Rheinische Post: Ramelow ruft Linke zu neuer Positionierung gegenüber der Bundeswehr auf

Presseportal.de - Thu, 04/06/2015 - 00:00
Rheinische Post: Düsseldorf (ots) - Vor dem Bundesparteitag der Linken an diesem Wochenende in Bielefeld hat Thüringens Ministerpräsident Bodo Ramelow seine Genossen zu einer neuen Positionierung gegenüber dem Militär aufgerufen. "Wir sollten unser Verhältnis zur ...

La Centrafrique veut s'inspirer de l'expérience ivoirienne de sortie de crise

Slateafrique - Thu, 04/06/2015 - 00:00

La Centrafrique, engagée dans un laborieux processus de réconciliation après des mois de violences et de chaos, veut s'inspirer du modèle ivoirien de sortie de crise

read more

Categories: Afrique

DEKT in Stuttgart: Der interreligiöse Dialog macht klüger

Konrad Adenauer Stiftung - Thu, 04/06/2015 - 00:00
"Damit wir klug werden" lautet das Motto des Evangelischen Kirchentags und passt zu Methodius Kusumahadi aus Indonesien.

Jugendkongress in Hamburg: Politik_Lab - Demokratie 2.0

Konrad Adenauer Stiftung - Thu, 04/06/2015 - 00:00
Unter dem Motto "Demokratie lebt vom "MITdenken! MITreden! MITmachen! Nur wer sich einmischt, kann etwas verändern" trafen sich Ende Mai 250 Jugendliche.

UNSC, US condemn S. Sudan's expulsion of UN relief official

Sudan Tribune - Thu, 04/06/2015 - 00:00

June 3, 2015 (JUBA) – The United Nations Security Council (UNSC), has expressed grave concern over the security and humanitarian situation in South Sudan and also condemned the recent expulsion of the UN humanitarian coordinator from the world's youngest nation.

Last week, South Sudan expelled Toby Lanzer, a Briton, who doubled as the deputy special representative of the UN secretary general.

“They underscored that to make such a determination immediately following the warning by the World Food Programme that South Sudan is facing the worst levels of food insecurity in the young country's history because of a combination of conflict, high food prices and a worsening economic crisis, shows a disregard for the plight of the South Sudanese people,” the council said Wednesday.

According the 15-mmber council, since the beginning of the year, some 60,000 civilians have fled the country, mostly to Sudan, Ethiopia and Uganda bringing to 555,000 the total number of people who have fled South Sudan since the start of the conflict December 2013.

In addition, some 1.5 million are internally displaced in the country and more than 3.8 million of them reportedly lack sufficient food.

The statement comes a week after the UNSC extended the mandate of its mission in the country until 30 November, giving the operation authorisation to use all necessary means to protect civilians, monitor and investigate human rights, and create the conditions conducive to the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

Members of the council, in the statement, also demanded that all parties end “intimidation and harassment” against UNMISS and humanitarian personnel, cease ongoing restrictions on freedom of movement, and “allow the Mission to fully implement its mandate.”

The Council, in the wake of the recent upsurge of violence, condemned “in the strongest terms” the repeated violations of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement by the South Sudanese Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA) forces and its armed opposition groups.

The Council members underlined their willingness to impose sanctions against those who threaten peace, security or stability in South Sudan, further urging all the warring parties to engage meaningfully in the peace process to bring an end to the conflict.

US CONDEMNS SOUTH SUDAN

The United States has condemned South Sudan's decision to expel the UN humanitarian coordinator for the world's youngest nation.

The US State Department, in a statement, said South Sudan decision to expel the senior UN official was "an affront to the international community working to bring peace and stability to South Sudan."

South Sudan government's priority should be to end to the violence that has displaced millions of citizens in the country, the US said.

(ST)

Categories: Africa

Doppelstrategie der richtige Weg: Prinzipien klar machen und im Dialog bleiben

Konrad Adenauer Stiftung - Thu, 04/06/2015 - 00:00
Nur im Dialog kann man auch eigene Überzeugungen deutlich machen, so Pöttering nach dem umstrittenen Staatsbesuch von Ägyptens Präsident al-Sisi.

South Sudan's Kiir revokes dismissal of senior SPLM officials

Sudan Tribune - Thu, 04/06/2015 - 00:00

June 3, 201e5 (JUBA) – The South Sudanese leader, Salva Kiir has unconditionally revoked an executive order, which earlier dismissed senior members of the country's ruling party (SPLM).

South Sudanese president Salva Kiir (Photo: Reuters)

In February last year, the president issued an administrative order, removing Riek Machar from his position as first deputy chairman of the SPLM party.

The president, in the order announced on SSTV, also dismissed the former Unity state governor, Taban Deng as well as former environment minister, Alfred Lado Gore.

The dismissed officials were accused of orchestrating the December 2013 outbreak of violence, which saw thousands killed and millions displaced.

However, Akol Paul Kordit, a member of the SPLM political bureau, said the South Sudanese leader, in his capacity as the ruling party chairman, revoked that dismissal of the senior officials.

The move, he said, was part of the implementation of the resolutions of the meeting held with an advance team of the former political detainees on Tuesday. Cyril Ramaphosa, the deputy chairman of South Africa's African National Congress (ANC) attended the meeting held in the capital, Juba.

"All the previous decisions dismissing some members of the SPLM have been revoked in accordance with the Arusha reunification union. All the bank accounts of the former detainees have been unfrozen,” Kordit told reporters in Juba on Wednesday.

“They [former detainees] are free to leave and return to the country as ordinary citizens anytime they want. We have agreed to work together as one family,” he added.

Kordit said the ruling party's political bureau also resolved that the armed opposition leader be re-instated back to his position as first deputy chairperson of the SPLM.

“We have agreed to recommit ourselves to reunifying the party so that we all take the party and the country forward and embark on reconciliation and healing process", he said.

Meanwhile, the advance team of the country's former political detainees disclosed that they would soon travel to meet rebel leader Machar and of his group on a separate trip.

“We have a team that also will proceed to meet Dr. Riek Machar wherever he is," John Luk Jok, a former justice minister told reporters in Juba on Wednesday.

(ST)

Categories: Africa

Rheinische Post: Vesper für unverzügliche Fifa-Reformen

Presseportal.de - Thu, 04/06/2015 - 00:00
Rheinische Post: Düsseldorf (ots) - Der Vorstandsvorsitzende des Deutschen Olympischen Sportbunds (DOSB), Michael Vesper, mahnt nach der Rücktrittsankündigung von Fifa-Präsident Joseph Blatter zu einer zügigen Erneuerung des Fußball-Weltverbands. "Bislang ist Sepp ...

Lois anti-homosexualité en Ouganda: des sanctions à double tranchant

RFI /Afrique - Wed, 03/06/2015 - 23:40
Il y a un an, les Etats-Unis ont mis en place des sanctions contre l'Ouganda qui a durci les lois criminalisant les homosexuels : les financements d'organisations qui ne respectent pas les droits élémentaires de la communauté LGBT ont été supprimés, de même que le budget qui servait à rémunérer certains ministres, et des personnalités ougandaises sont désormais privées de visas vers les Etats-Unis. Pepe Onziema est l'un des activistes qui porte la cause des homosexuels ougandais. De passage à Washington, il fait un bilan négatif des conséquences de ces sanctions américaines contre Kampala.
Categories: Afrique

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