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Egy terepfutó lefotózta a hatalmas medvemancsok lenyomatát a Nyugat-Börzsönyben, alig pár méterre a szlovák határól.

Sur le plateau de Eden TV ce dimanche 09 mai 2021, la présidente du parti Union démocratique pour un Bénin nouveau (UDBN), Claudine Prudencio a réitéré la position de sa formation politique après la découverte d'armes et de munitions à Bantè au Bénin, et au Togo.

« L'UDBN a toujours prôné la paix et la stabilité du pays. Nous ne pouvons pas nous taire sur une telle situation. Il s'agit de la vie des filles et des fils du Bénin », a souligné Claudine Prudencio. « A tous ceux qui pensent que nous sommes allés vite en besogne, je dis, ils se sont trompés », a-t-elle ajouté.
Le communiqué sorti pour dénoncer la circulation d'armes et de munitions dans le pays selon la présidente de l'UDBN, est basé sur les déclarations du procureur spécial près la CRIET qui, pour elle, est « une autorité judiciaire compétente ».
« A aucun niveau, notre communiqué ne fait obstruction à la poursuite des enquêtes. Nous avons d'ailleurs entre autres souhaité que les forces de défense et de sécurité fassent tout pour faire aboutir lesdites enquêtes », a expliqué Claudine Prudencio.
Le seul souci à l'UDBN, est que les Béninois vivent dans la paix et la quiétude, a-t-elle fait savoir.
La présidente du parti souligne qu'il est de la responsabilité du parti de se préoccuper de ce qui touche sensiblement à la vie des citoyens, qu'ils soient ses militants ou non.
Pour Claudine Prudencio, le jeu politique ne doit pas conduire à ces extrémités, et la démarche de l'UDBN, souligne-t-elle, est aussi mue par sa détermination à continuer à soutenir le président Patrice Talon. « Dans des moments aussi sensible, le chef de l'Etat mérite le soutien de nous tous », a-t-elle indiqué.
Le 30 avril dernier, 70.000 cartouches de calibres 12 ont été découvertes dans un véhicule accidenté à Bantè. Le même jour, la police togolaise a arraisonné un autre véhicule dans lequel 1300 cartouches ont été découvertes. Parmi les passagers à bord du véhicule, figure un Béninois qui selon les informations, a déclaré les avoir acquises au Ghana, et les achemine au Bénin.
Une situation que l'UDBN, formation politique soucieuse de la paix et de la quiétude des populations béninoises a dénoncé à travers un communiqué.

F. A. A.

Életét vesztette egy Škoda Fabia sofőrje (†33) az Assakürt (Nové Sady) és Surányka (Šurianky) közötti úton, ahol a férfi valószínűleg elveszítette az uralmát a járműve felett egy jobbkanyarban és egy fának ütközött.

Man verstehe inzwischen, dass die EU ohne eine "militärische Dimension" geopolitisch nicht relevant sein könne, so Portugals Verteidigungsminister João Gomes Cravinho im Gespräch mit EURACTIV.com.

"Restaurer la confiance", un autre parti d'opposition sera porté sur les fonds baptismaux dans les prochaines semaines. L'information a été donnée dimanche 09 mai 2021 sur l'émission “L'entretien” de E-Télé.

« Nous allons créer le parti dans quelques semaines. La procédure est en cours. Cela va nous permettre d'avoir un cadre politique légal », a annoncé Iréné Agossa, candidat au poste de vice-président du duo Corentin Kohouè-Iréné Agossa à l'élection présidentielle du 11 avril 2021. Le processus de formalisation dudit parti est en cours au Ministère de l'intérieur et de la sécurité publique, selon le vice-président qui précise que la dynamique doit être maintenue.
Candidat malheureux à la présidentielle du 11 avril dernier, un scrutin auquel il a pris part en tant qu'indépendant, Iréné Agossa a été membre du parti d'opposition ”Les Démocrates". Il a été suspendu dudit parti juste après le dépôt de sa candidature à l'élection.
M. M.

Les policiers suisses ont utilisé leur arme 12 fois en 2020, contre 15 utilisations en 2019.

Colombia was one of the first countries in the Americas to receive the COVID-19 vaccine through the COVAX Facility. Credit: PAHO/Karen González

By Riccardo Petrella and Roberto Savio
BRUSSELS / ROME, May 10 2021 (IPS)

The news of the Biden Administration’s willingness to lift intellectual property rights protections in the case of the Covid-19 pandemic has sent the world into turmoil, even though in recent days this willingness had become increasingly airy.

Big step forward? Victory for the “South” and the movements that have been fighting for this (including, for more than a year, the Agora of the Earth’s Inhabitants – agora-humanite.org – even though from the beginning we considered that the provisional suspension was a “par défaut” solution)?

Are we experiencing humanitarian compassion and confirmed dominance of the rich over the poor?

Interesting aspects

The position taken by Biden constitutes the change expected by the world. The media pressure on Biden and on the Democratic representatives in Congress was so strong that a negative or uncertain response would have cost Biden a great deal in terms of his global image. The language and form were also good, in total contrast to the previous administration. Biden did not disappoint.

Second point. He has given a breath of hope and credibility back to the ‘international community’ in a dramatic phase for the entire world population. We are still a long way from the “All Brothers” of Pope Francis, but the Catholic Biden has not failed to wink at his Pope’s public incitement

Finally, he forced the EU to follow suit. Yesterday, for the first time in many years of rejection, the EU also declared itself willing to discuss it.

Crucial aspects

The fact is that on the substance the change is not so evident.

Why? Let us examine carefully the statement of Katherine Tai, the US Trade Representative at the World Trade Organisation (WTO)

1. The statement begins with yet another statement of faith on the protection of intellectual property rights. “This is a global health crisis, and the extraordinary circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic call for extraordinary measures. The Administration believes strongly in intellectual property protections, but in services of ending this pandemic, supports the waiver of those protections for Covid-19 vaccines”.

No dissociation from the founding principles of the dominant economy, nor a clear and open contrast with the world of business and the pharmaceutical industry, especially American. Moreover, the support given is rather restrictive, limited only to anti-Covid-19 vaccines. By introducing such a restriction in a very complex scientific and technological field (the production of basic materials indispensable to vaccine production, for example, is excluded), the effective possibilities of suspending protection are considerably reduced.

2. Article 31 of the WTO-TRIPS treaties provides for the possibility of waiving the protection of intellectual property in the event of serious needs and for public intervention. We mention in particular the “compulsory licence”, which authorises a State to allow the “local” production of all therapeutic tools (tests/diagnoses, medicines, vaccines…) without the consent of the companies holding the patents. In fact, this is the first time that the United States has not been generous but has shown that it accepts the respect of those WTO-Trips rules that it had always, since 1995, fought against because they were considered contrary to its interests.

In other words, the important ‘political’ change is that the United States, from being disrespectful of international treaties that do not suit them, has become a state that is willing, in the case of Covid-19 vaccines, to discuss how to apply the existing rules. The treaties, moreover, already specify the conditions under which exceptions to the protection of intellectual property can be applied. If one adds the above-mentioned restriction, one has to admit that the US position is rather tortuous and bizarre. But why do they do it?

3. A possible answer is given in the official statement. The US does not commit itself to anything specific. They say “We will actively participate in text-based negotiations at the WTO need to make that happen”, and correctly state that “These negotiations will take time given the consensus-based nature of the institution and the complexity of the issues involved”. That is, the US does not say, “well, as of tomorrow we will apply the rules of provisional suspension according to the conditions mentioned in the Treaties”. No, the statement insists that the negotiations will take a long time. How long? Three months, a year, three years? According to experts in the field, it will take, if all goes well, almost a year to rewrite the rules. And in the meantime?

4. It is clear from this that the real strategy of the US is to prioritise logistical and financial solutions concerning essentially the production of vaccines, their distribution and marketing at affordable prices, especially for the 92 low-income countries and other middle-income countries in increasing economic difficulty. The statement says “The Administration’s aim is to get as many safe and effective vaccines to as many people as fast as possible.

As our vaccines supply for the American people is secured, the Administration will continue to rump up its efforts – working with the private sector and all possible partners – to expand a vaccine manufacturing and distribution. It will also work to increase the raw materials needed to produce these vaccines”.

Considering the problem and solutions of the health crisis as a problem of production, supply and purchase, market prices and consumer solvency is typically an American/capitalist approach.

As is the appeal that since the security of supply of vaccines for the American people has been guaranteed, the US will increase its efforts to increase the production and distribution of vaccines at affordable prices paid for by the public authorities. Well, we have some difficulty in assessing this as a major step forward.

A mainly public health policy and solutions to the dramatic pandemic go beyond the processes of vaccine production and consumption. No opening is made for a public vision of the pharmaceutical industry and the world health system.

Vaccines, and first and foremost knowledge/science/, remain private under patent ownership. The market remains the principle and the fundamental regulatory mechanism. The financial imperatives of the market dictate the choices of the public authorities.

Hence the absence of any mention of the fact that the central axis of world health policy must shift from the rules on trade (WTO) to the rules on universal rights to health and the health system under the responsibility of public international bodies such as WHO, UNICEF, UNDP, UNEP, UNESCO…).

According to the American government, states are there to ensure the proper functioning of health markets, and to defend the security of their citizens in the context of a ‘world economic governance’ dominated by the rules of the WTO and the World Bank. The richer states have the task of helping the poorer ones. See the role of Covax and its probable financial strengthening.

We remain in the midst of the structural dualism of “rich and poor” and the logic of the inevitability of aid and the domination of the “North” over the future of the peoples of the “South” and the planet.

The oxygen crisis in India is a major example of the consequence of the inadmissible commodification and privatisation of oxygen for therapeutic purposes that has been going on for several decades.

Forget health as a universal human right, a common good, a public good! Forget ‘public health policy’.

In conclusion

The US position is new, but in some ways, it goes in a direction that is not necessarily better. It is also important that the US forced the EU, however recalcitrant, to state yesterday that Europe is also willing to negotiate.

No one can say what the outcome of the negotiations will be. In the meantime, putting the emphasis on increased vaccine production (“now that the American people are safe….”) means that the fundamental, structural premises unfortunately remain unchanged.

Of course, the fact that the ‘good’ emperor has finally listened to the cry of the people is not to be dismissed. But is this enough to sing victory? Whose victory?

Why should the peoples of the Earth thank the USA for the step taken?

In order to hope that the symbolic value of the change made by Biden will be transformed into an effective process in favour of the right to health and life of all the inhabitants of the Earth, other changes are objectively necessary.

The compassion of the powerful is only an illusory remedy.

*Riccardo Petrella is Professor Emeritus of the Catholic University of Louvain (B) and Roberto Savio is President of Other News; co-founders of the Agora of Earth’s Inhabitants.

 

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Découverte macabre dans la matinée de ce samedi 08 mai 2021 à Malanville, département de l'Alibori.

Le corps d'un jeune homme de 32 ans a été retrouvé flottant sur le fleuve Niger. Selon Frissons Radio, le corps a été aperçu par un piroguier. L'identité de l'individu n'est pas connue. Il a été repêché du fleuve par les sapeurs-pompiers en présence de la police béninoise et celle nigérienne.

A.A.A

A múlt heti, madridi tornán döntős ausztrál Ashleigh Barty növelte előnyét a női teniszezők világranglistájának élén.

A tűzoltók már több mint 24 órája vannak bevetésen a Hermánd (Harmanec/Besztercebányai járás) községben kigyulladt papírhulladék-raktárnál. A tűzoltók folyamatosan hordják ki a 600 m2-es létesítményből a papírbálákat, monitorozzák a helyszínt és számolják fel a rejtett tűzfészkeket.

Un accident de circulation survenu dans la dépression d'Allada ce samedi 08 mai 2021 fait un mort et trois blessés.

Un camion a violemment percuté un véhicule qui transportait quatre personnes. Selon Frissons Radio, une des victimes est décédée sur le champ avant l'arrivée des secours. Trois personnes grièvement blessées ont été conduites à l'hôpital de zone d'Allada.

A.A.A

Az Európai Bizottság meg nem újította meg az AstraZenecával júniusban lejáró szerződését - közölte vasárnap Thierry Breton belső piacért felelős uniós biztos egy nappal azután, hogy az Európai Unió jóváhagyta 1,8 milliárd adag, a Pfizer/BioNTech vállalatok által a koronavírus ellen kifejlesztett oltóanyag beszerzését 2023-ig biztosító szerződést.

TASR: Vasárnap (május 9.) 32-vel 12.051-re emelkedett a járvány hazai halálos áldozatainak a száma. Összesen 135.327 antigén tesztet végeztek el. Erről az Egészségügyi Információk Nemzeti Központja (NCZI) tájékoztatott a covid-19.nczisk.sk weboldalon.

Die Außenministerinnen und Außenminister der EU-Staaten werden am heutigen Montag über den Westbalkan diskutieren. Man will herausfinden, wie die Zusammenarbeit mit der Region verbessert werden kann.

By Jomo Kwame Sundaram
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, May 10 2021 (IPS)

Producers and consumers seem helpless as food all over the world comes under fast growing corporate control. Such changes have also been worsening environmental collapse, social dislocation and the human condition.

Longer term perspective
The recent joint report – by the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food) and the ETC Action Group on Erosion, Technology and Concentration – is ominous, to say the least.

Jomo Kwame Sundaram

A Long Food Movement, principally authored by Pat Mooney with a team including IPES-Food Director Nick Jacobs, analyses how food systems are likely to evolve over the next quarter century with technological and other changes.

The report notes that ‘hi-tech’, data processing and asset management corporations have joined established agribusinesses in reshaping world food supply chains.

If current trends continue, the food system will be increasingly controlled by large transnational corporations (TNCs) at the expense of billions of farmers and consumers.

Big Ag weds Big Data
The Davos World Economic Forum’s (WEF) much touted ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’ (IR4.0), promoting digitisation, is transforming food systems, accelerating concentration in corporate hands.

New apps enable better tracking across supply chains, while ‘precision farming’ now includes using drones to spray pesticides on targeted crops, reducing inputs and, potentially, farming costs. Agriculture is now second only to the military in drone use.

Digital giants are working with other TNCs to extend enabling ‘cloud computing’ infrastructure. Spreading as quickly as the infrastructure allows, new ‘digital ag’ technologies have been displacing farm labour.

Meanwhile, food data have become more commercially valuable, e.g., to meet consumer demand, Big Ag profits have also grown by creating ‘new needs’. Big data are already being used to manipulate consumer preferences.

With the pandemic, e-retail and food delivery services have grown even faster. Thus, e-commerce platforms have quickly become the world’s top retailers.

New ‘digital ag’ technologies are also undermining diverse, ecologically more appropriate food agriculture in favour of unsustainable monocropping. The threat is great as family farms still feed more than two-thirds of the world’s population.

IR4.0 not benign
Meanwhile, hi-tech and asset management firms have acquired significant shareholdings in food giants. Powerful conglomerates are integrating different business lines, increasing concentration while invoking competition and ‘creative disruption’.

The IPES-ETC study highlights new threats to farming and food security as IR4.0 proponents exert increasing influence. The report warns that giving Big Ag the ‘keys of the food system’ worsens food insecurity and other existential threats.

Powerful corporations will increase control of most world food supplies. Big Ag controlled supply chains will also be more vulnerable as great power rivalry and competition continue to displace multilateral cooperation.

There is no alternative?
But the report also presents a more optimistic vision for the next quarter century. In this alternative scenario, collaborative efforts, from the grassroots to the global level, empower social movements and civil society to resist.

New technologies are part of this vision, from small-scale drones for field monitoring to consumer apps for food safety and nutrient verification. But they would be cooperatively owned, open access and well regulated.

The report includes pragmatic strategies to cut three quarters of agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions and shift US$4 trillion from Big Ag to agroecology and food sovereignty. These include “$720 billion in subsidies” and “$1.6 trillion in healthcare savings” due to malnutrition.

IPES-ETC also recommends taxing junk food, toxins, carbon emissions and TNC profits. It also urges criminal prosecution of those responsible for famine, malnutrition and environmental degradation.

Food security protocols are needed to supercede trade and intellectual property law, and not only for emergencies. But with food systems under growing stress, Big Ag solutions have proved attractive to worried policymakers who see no other way out.

Last chance to change course
Historically, natural resources were commonly or publicly shared. Water and land have long been sustainably used by farmers, fisherfolk and pastoralists. But market value has grown with ‘property rights’, especially with corporate acquisition.

Touted as the best means to achieve food security, corporate investments in recent decades have instead undermined remaining ‘traditional’ agrarian ecosystems.

Big Ag claims that the food, ecological and climate crises has to be addressed with its superior new technologies harnessing the finance, entrepreneurship and innovation only they can offer.

But in fact, they have failed, instead triggering more problems in their pursuit of profit. As the new food system and corporate trends consolidate, it will become increasingly difficult to change course. Very timely, A Long Food Movement is an urgent call to action for the long haul.

Food systems summit
According to Marchmont Communications, “writing on behalf of the UN Food Systems Summit secretariat”, the “Summit was originally announced on 16 October 2019 by UN Secretary-General António Guterres and was conceived following conversations with the joint leadership of the three Rome-based United Nations agencies…at the High-level Political Forum in July 2019”.

On 12 June 2019, ‘Inspiration Speaker’ David Nabarro announced to the annual EAT Stockholm conference that a World Food Systems Summit (WFSS) would be held in 2021. The following day, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the Office of the UN Secretary-General.

It stirred up so much controversy that the MOU was later removed from the website of the WEF, hardly reputed for its modesty. Unsurprisingly, many believe that the WEF “pressed the Summit onto a reluctant UN Secretary-General”, and can be traced to its Food Systems Initiative.

Apparently, initial arrangements had bypassed the Rome-based UN food agencies, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the World Food Programme. Their heads were then consulted and brought on board in July 2019.

With so much at stake, representatives of food producers and consumers need to act urgently to prevent governments from allowing a UN sanctioned corporate takeover of global governance of food systems.

 

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The Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, has set the way forward for all countries to act together in curbing climate change.

Le syndicat a présenté lundi son plan d’action. Il plaide pour une politique climatique équitable et inclusive.

Today at 13:00, Russian philanthropist Mikhail Khodorkovsky will speak in the Committee on Foreign Interference about the Kremlin's interference in EU affairs.
Special Committee on Foreign Interference in all Democratic Processes in the European Union, including Disinformation

Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP

Today at 13:00, Russian philanthropist Mikhail Khodorkovsky will speak in the Committee on Foreign Interference about the Kremlin's interference in EU affairs.
Special Committee on Foreign Interference in all Democratic Processes in the European Union, including Disinformation

Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP

Today at 13:00, Russian philanthropist Mikhail Khodorkovsky will speak in the Committee on Foreign Interference about the Kremlin's interference in EU affairs.
Special Committee on Foreign Interference in all Democratic Processes in the European Union, including Disinformation

Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP