Thursday, April 28, 2011

SYRIA: The Council for Human Rights convened at the request of Washington

The Commission on Human Rights UN meets on Friday for a special session on Syria at the request of the United States who want a resolution on violence committed during the repression is adopted.

This special meeting of the 47 member states of the Geneva-based organization was convened on Wednesday by the United States.Fifteen countries have signed the application session, including France, Britain, Spain, Japan, Poland, Switzerland, Mexico, Zambia and Senegal.

This session comes as the Security Council failed Wednesday to agree on a statement condemning the repression in Syria and that representatives of 27 countries of the European Union (EU) are to meet Friday Brussels to discuss possible sanctions against Damascus.

The Council meeting should start at 11:00 (0900).

"We expect members of the Council of Human Rights they call the government of Syria to fulfill its responsibility to protect its people and stop these attacks," noted the U.S. ambassador to the Council, Eileen Donahoe.

"The international community has been shocked by the hundreds of civilians killed in peaceful political demonstrations last week," she added.

The crackdown on protests against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Syria killed at least 107 dead between Friday and Sunday, as the High Commission of the United Nations for Human Rights, which requested the initiation of an investigation into these events.

The UN media release a first draft resolution prepared by the countries that have requested the holding of the session, asking "urgent dispatch of an independent commission of inquiry and internationally to investigate alleged human rights violations rights in Syria. "

The Commission on Human Rights meets in special sessions rarely but they generally lead to the adoption of a joint resolution, as on February 25 concerning Libya.

For NGOs, this attention on Syria could jeopardize the recent nomination to the Council of Syrian human rights.

In early March, Damascus has in fact formally launched his candidacy for one of the available seats in the Council of Human Rights, based in Geneva and consists of 47 members.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

IMMIGRATION: The Tunisian migrants in the heart of a summit between France and Italy

AFP - President Nicolas Sarkozy met Tuesday in Rome, the prime minister Silvio Berlusconi to try to ease tensions arising between France and Italy on the issue of immigrants from Tunisia, Libya and the acquisition of French in the Peninsula.

Immigration and Review of the Treaty of Schengen free movement will be the most sensitive points of the summit, taking place in the bucolic setting of the Villa Madama, sixteenth century mansion surrounded by gardens on the banks of the Tiber.

France "does not suspend Schengen" but "review the safeguard clauses in special circumstances," he assured Henry Guaino, special adviser to Nicolas Sarkozy.

Italy supports a kind of "technical control" to determine how the treaty was adapted to current realities, "said chief diplomat Italian Franco Frattini

On 17 April, Paris had raised the ire of Rome in suspending the movement of trains from the Italian town of Ventimiglia to France, saying that a train with onboard demonstrators wanting accompany Tunisian immigrants posed a risk to public .

France was upset by Italy, which has decided to grant residence permits of six months to more than 20,000 Tunisians arrived on its shores since January so they can join "friends and family" in France and elsewhere in Europe.

Other friction: Libya, where the peak position of France upset Italy, the former colonial power which it has significant economic interests.

Again, following a winded departure from Italy, which has been reluctant to release his ally Muammar Gaddafi, the positions converge: both countries have officially recognized the Libyan rebellion and sent military advisers on the spot.

Finally, MM.Sarkozy and Berlusconi should address the "problem" of the thirst for acquisition of French groups in the peninsula: LVMH and Bulgari grabbed the dairy group Lactalis is party to storm the local giant Parmalat.

All these topics should be addressed during this summit-flash, which begins at 0900 GMT and will result in a joint press conference expected around 1030 GMT.

Friday, April 22, 2011

TECHNOLOGY: Samsung cons-attack and in turn drags Apple to court for plagiarism

Reuters - Samsung Electronics has filed several complaints against Apple accusing it of plagiarism in the design of the iPhone and iPad, making shot after shot for a similar procedure against him by the firm at the apple.

The California group was asked last week the opening of proceedings against its South Korean rival, whom he accuses of having "slavishly" copy successful models in its range of phones and tablets Galaxy.

In a statement, Samsung said Friday that the iPhone and iPad violating 10 patents owned by itself and requires its U.S. rival put an end to plagiarism and he compensates.

"Samsung strongly responds to the legal proceedings launched against us to protect our intellectual property and ensure the continuation of our innovation and our growth in the area of ​​mobile communication," can you read.

This escalation could jeopardize relations between the two companies, providing Samsung Group Cupertino, fleas and other LCDs.

Last year, Apple was the second South Korean client behind Japan's Sony with about 6,200 billion won of sales (3.9 billion euros), and looks set to become its first customer this year.

Ten complaints were filed before the justices South Korean, Japanese and German concerns a system for reducing energy consumption during data transmission or 3G technology to reduce errors during the transmission.

Monday, April 18, 2011

FRANCE: "Immersion, Piss Christ," a controversial art photography, vandalized in Avignon

A photographic work by American artist Andres Serrano depicting a crucifix dipped in urine, and has provoked strong protests from Catholic movements who considered blasphemous, was vandalized Sunday in the premises of the contemporary art collection Yvon Lambert in Avignon (Vaucluse).

The work entitled "Piss Christ Immersion", and another snapshot of the New York artist whose subtitle, "Sister Miriam Jane" were destroyed Sunday around 11:30, shortly after the museum opened, two visitors equipped with a "hammer and a blunt object, such ice pick or screwdriver.

Three guards who tried to intervene were threatened and beaten, while the assailants managed to escape the museum, said the leadership of the collection that has filed a complaint and said that the museum would reopen its doors on Tuesday morning with "works shown as they are destroyed."

Sunday evening, the Minister of Culture Frederic Mitterrand condemned an "attack on a fundamental principle, the presentation of these works squarely within the creative freedom and expression which is part of the law," while recognizing that "one of the two works could offend some audiences.

Conducted in 1987 by Serrano said to be a Christian, "Disposal Piss Christ" display as part of an exhibition entitled "I believe in miracles", celebrating ten years of the collection was the subject since early April of strong protests from many Catholic movements, especially fundamentalists.

The Civitas Institute, which presents on its website as "a work of regaining political and social re-Christianize France to" activist "establishment of the Social Kingship of Christ over the nations and peoples", launched a petition against the work.

The series editor, Eric Mézil, had already reported several hundred phone calls and emails "offensive" after the launch of the petition. Saturday, a demonstration involving some "800 ultra-conservatives and fundamentalist youth," according to management, was forced to close the museum.

The bishop of Avignon, Archbishop Jean-Pierre Cattenoz, had also demanded the withdrawal of the work, denouncing a cliche "abhorrent" that "violates the image of Christ on the cross, the heart of our Christian faith."

"I am persecuted by telephone. I received 30,000 emails, I am not exaggerating, 30,000 emails fundamentalists (...) This ignorance, such intolerance.It's the Middle Ages who returns to big-step ", has outraged Yvon Lambert, who lent his collection for twenty years to a future donation to the state, with deposit works in Avignon.

The Observatory for the freedom of creation, from the League of Human Rights, denounced in a statement "these acts of vandalism" and reiterated: "That the public to judge the works, not self-appointed censors" .

The work, which was the subject of controversy in the U.S. media "extremists" at the time of its creation, had elicited no response in a retrospective in 2007 at Avignon, at no more than National Campaign to display the exhibition, which included the work.

Boasting approximately 350 works, the collection is allowed Lambert in the eighteenth century mansion owned by the city of Avignon. The municipality, region and state are subsidizing the arts center. The exhibition "I believe in miracles" opened Dec. 12, 2010 must be completed on May 8

Friday, April 15, 2011

BURKINA FASO: Mutiny on the presidential guard of disorder in Ouagadougou

AFP - The head of state of Burkina Faso Blaise Compaore left Ouagadougou facing a mutiny by soldiers of his presidential guard to his hometown, located about thirty miles north of the capital, officials said Friday, a military source .

President Compaore, in power for 24 years, who usually resides at the presidential palace in Ouagadougou which is a party mutiny, has left on the night of Thursday to Friday to visit Ziniaré, the city where he was born, the source said.

Dozens of soldiers from the presidential regiment divided two barracks in the capital, including one inside the walls of the residence of Mr.Compaore, mutinied on Thursday evening to protest against non-payment of premium housing that was promised to them.

They took to the streets, firing into the air, looted many shops in the city center and torched the home of General Diendiéré Gilbert, Chief of Staff of Blaise Compaore as well as that of two other officers , said a journalist from AFP.

Several people, civilians, have been "slightly injured" when looting the home of one of those officers, according to a military source.

The mutiny was then extended to three other barracks in Ouagadougou.

"Discussions were held with the rebels and they are trying to lay down their weapons," a military source said an AFP reporter who did hear gunfire in the morning near the three barracks.

Late March, soldiers angry protesting against the conviction and imprisonment of some of their comrades charged in sex cases and rape, had seized weapons in war garrisons in several cities, including Ouagadougou.

They had already fired in the air in the streets, looted shops and released some of their imprisoned comrades.

After these incidents, President Compaore had met all the components of its army, privates to generals, and announced the "end of the crisis" after these meetings.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

RENAULT RE: "Patrick Pelata was the only one to head to Carlos Ghosn"

It is no longer CEO of Renault. Patrick Pelata, emblematic of the French automotive group, presented Monday his resignation to the board's special company, which accepted it. The right arm of Carlos Ghosn is the most senior of the company to make false charges of espionage affair that rocked the automaker

This former home of the Renault was the current office of the company. So much so that some, like Peter Alanche, a former employee and author of "Renault, side yard" (ed.Workshop, 2007) believes that his departure is bad news for the group.

FRANCE 24: The resignation of Patrick Pelata the post of director general is it bad news for Renault?
Alanche Peter: Yes, Patrick Pelata had managed to make the connection between the base of the group and management. Near Carlos Ghosn - they were classmates at the Polytechnic, he is considered one of the principal architects of social dialogue at Renault. He was also responsible for all operational and has personally overseen the implementation of the strategy of the electric car of Renault.

His resignation also marks the withdrawal of a leading critic of the social tradition of the group.Patrick Pelata has worked 30 years for Renault. He went through all services prior to accessing the highest offices. Do not forget that he is the author of a thesis on the social dimension of any industrial strategy and has been a time fellow traveler of the French Communist Party.

F24: How was he regarded by employees of Renault?
Alanche stone: He was clearly regarded as one of the leaders most open to dialogue.The company is not just for him at an industrial strategy. Instead, Patrick Pelata has always highlighted the social dimension in the company, which was for years the specificity of Renault.

Most importantly, everyone agrees that Patrick Pelata was the only dare stand up to Carlos Ghosn. He was never afraid to contradict the boss and discuss his choices. However, we should not kid ourselves, the two men had the same strategic vision for the group.

F24: Under these conditions, why the board did accept the resignation of Patrick Pelata?
Pierre Alanche: Carlos Ghosn did not want to part with his No. 2. He had already once refused his resignation in early March.He is convinced that Patrick Pelata committed no errors. So here it is not a power struggle. But public opinion and the state wanted to cut off heads, and only Patrick Pelata has sufficient stature to play the sacrificial victims. The other option was to sacrifice Carlos Ghosn as CEO but is the glue of the entire Renault-Nissan, it was impossible to drop it.

Patrick Pelata still remains within the group, which is still a strong signal. Now it is still necessary to know what role he will be awarded?

Friday, April 8, 2011

SYRIA: Authorities in the blood repress a demonstration in Deraa

Thirteen demonstrators were killed and dozens wounded Friday by gunfire from security forces in Dera (100 km south of Damascus), where several thousand people demonstrated after prayers, according to revised figures provided to AFP by activist for human rights.

A previous report from the same source reported the deaths of seven people in this city, the epicenter of protest against the regime.

"Members of the security services in civilian clothes opened fire to disperse the protesters after the prayer," said the activist reached by telephone.

According to him, thirteen identified protesters were killed and dozens wounded by fire from security forces.

The demonstrators then set fire to a seat of the ruling party, the Baath in the city.

The official media have referred two deaths, a member of the security services and an ambulance, and dozens of wounded civilians, police and security services hit by gunfire attributed to "armed men opened fire on the crowd ".

Syria was the scene since mid-March of a protest movement unprecedented regime of Bashar al-Assad.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

JAPAN: TEPCO continues to reject radioactive water at sea and plunges to the Exchange

AFP - Shares of TEPCO, which owns the plant at risk of Fukushima, plunged to a historic high at the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Tuesday because of the spill in the Pacific Ocean thousands of tons of radioactive water from the reactors Nuclear.

After 25 days of an uphill struggle to avoid an uncontrolled fusion fuels in rugged installations, the danger of a major disaster was still not excluded and environmental pollution worsened.

The title of TEPCO Electric Power (TEPCO) has unscrewed from 11.53% in mid-session, investors are increasingly doubting the ability of the utility to pay huge compensations that will be claimed.

The action dropped 51 yen Tuesday mid-day to fall to 391 yen.It even fell in the early morning to 376 yen, or prices lower than the lowest end of session for nearly 60 years.

"The compensation payments are likely to explode with the release of radioactive water," said a broker.

The course of TEPCO has loosened over 80% since March 11 closing in, weighed down by the cascade of explosions and leaks of contaminating stored in Fukushima Daiichi (No. 1).

The group also decided Tuesday to postpone to a date not announced its financial results for the fiscal year from April 2010 to 31 March, because the consequences of the disaster triggered by the devastating earthquake and tsunami in the northeastern Japan, told AFP spokesman.

Opposite the central operations of ocean dumping of 11,500 tonnes of radioactive water were continuing on Tuesday after starting the day at 19:00 (1000 GMT).

Expected to last for five days, these discharges 250 km north of the metropolitan Tokyo and its 35 million people, relate to a slightly contaminated water, assured Tepco.

The evacuation of this water in the ocean where the radionuclides are expected to concentrate, according to TEPCO, is imperative in order to free up storage tanks intended to be filled with highly radioactive water.

The fishing was prohibited within a radius of 20 km around the plant, corresponding to the exclusion zone on earth.

All power supply system of six reactors in Fukushima broke down March 11, stopping the pumps for cooling the nuclear fuel that was allowed to warm dangerously.

Technicians are now scrambling to repair this equipment is locked in a vicious circle: it is vital to cool the reactor fuel and spent fuel stored in tanks, but they use more water, more radioactive groundwater rise.And unless they inject water, the temperature increases in the reactors.

The "wash out" caused massive flooding in buildings and underground service tunnels, which are invaded by thousands of tons of radioactive water, which retards the progress of work to rehabilitate the electricity network.

Even if disposal of polluted water seems to have eclipsed the cooling, it was continuing Tuesday, thanks to huge concrete pumps sent from abroad.

Technicians also continued to try to plug a leak of highly contaminated water that has accumulated in a pit near the shore technical and empties directly into the ocean.

They try to understand where the water infiltrates, presumably coming from the reactor building 2.

"TEPCO will conduct drilling to follow the flow of water and inject water glass (sodium silicate)" to close access to the tank cracked, said Tuesday Hidehiko Nishiyama, a spokesman of the Security Agency Japanese nuclear.

More than three weeks after the tragedy, the results are still provisional police amounted to 12,321 confirmed dead and 15,347 missing.

Saturday, April 2, 2011

JAPAN: Discovery of a crack in the No. 2 reactor in Fukushima

Technicians working tirelessly to rugged central Fukushima discovered Saturday that the highly radioactive water flowed into the ocean from a well cracked, announced the company operating the site.

"Today around 9:30 (0030 GMT), workers have discovered that water from a radioactivity of 1.000 mSv per hour had accumulated in a well" near the sea, an official said Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO).

"They realized that the well was a crack of 20 cm and radioactive water escaped into the sea," he added.

TEPCO intends to plug the crack and perform analysis of the level of radioactivity in seawater, by taking samples near the plant and three locations located 15 kilometers from the site, said spokesperson.

TEPCO announced Thursday that measured in seawater collected at 300 meters south of the central rate of radioiodine 4,385 times the legal limit.

The Japanese authorities make every effort to avert the risk of nuclear catastrophe in Fukushima (northeastern Japan), while continuing radioactive releases that are sustainable and pollution fears of widespread environmental.

To keep the oil at a temperature below the melting point, thousands of tons of water were dumped on the reactors. Consequence of this "wash", huge quantities of contaminated water seeped into the crawl underground and runoff into the Pacific Ocean nearby.

This accumulation of highly radioactive water in the site is very problematic in terms of storage and treatment and severely hindering operations to boost the cooling circuits of the plant.

The situation in Fukushima "remains very serious," said Friday the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).